Ten Directions Sword Master

Name: Lu Li

Age: 20

Cultivation level: Mid-stage Qi Refining

Merit points: 570

Unfinished tasks: Unseal the Immortal Mirror fragments to restore their power, reward 300 merits and one basic reclusion talisman; Go to the Divine Capital to participate in the Yuanlong Assembly, leave your name in front of the Yuanlong Seal, reward one Bodhi Heart.

"Let me see where this spear came from..."

Lu Li pulled out the half-finished spear. The Nebula Palace can appraise unknown objects from various worlds, as long as a small amount of merit is paid.

But this time, when the spear was placed under the starlight, the hall not only did not deduct merits, but also gave an unprecedented response.

"The Falling Star Spear (under forging) is made entirely from a piece of extraterrestrial meteorite iron and contains celestial silver sand. It can break through protective qi and pierce through a body with strong physical strength."

"Pay two thousand merits to continue forging the Falling Star Spear and you will receive a low-grade magic weapon."

"Selling it directly will earn you 1,500 merits."

A treasure!

Lu Li's heart skipped a beat. The best weapon that could be exchanged at the Nebula Palace was a high-grade weapon of the same caliber as the Sun-Covering Sword.

He obtained the Sun-Covering Sword after making numerous inquiries in the Great Kang World, searching for it in a declining duke's mansion; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to afford it.

As for treasures, it's unknown how much merit is needed to directly exchange for one. In any case, Gu Jingyu, a student at the academy, has been preparing for over ten years to forge his own treasure-level longsword.

More than ten precious minerals have been prepared, but one finishing touch is still missing. Hiring a swordsmith would be another huge expense.

Only those who have mastered the Refinement of Spirit can possess it relatively easily.

That's fine, but the key point is that the Nebula Palace was able to retrieve this spear.

Lu Li had already conducted experiments and found that the Nebula Palace completely ignored items from both the real world and the compass world.

I thought the Nebula Palace only took out items and never took in anything; it seems the previous items hadn't reached the repurchase standard.

"Is it because it's a treasure-grade artifact that meets the buyback standard, or is it because of the special forging materials?"

This discovery is undoubtedly a major boon, providing a second way to accumulate merit besides completing tasks.

Otherwise, relying solely on the meager rewards from each mission, it would take forever to accumulate enough to make significant progress.

The Great Chu has suffered from a severe drought for three consecutive years, the Great Zhou's iron hooves are eyeing the border with covetous intent, and several notorious pirates have emerged in the South China Sea, severely impacting maritime trade.

The scene at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, separated by a thousand years, seems to be about to be repeated.

With Bailu Academy and the Lu family providing shelter, there will be no safe haven when the world descends into chaos.

Only with sufficient strength can one protect oneself and those one cares about.

"Two thousand merits can get you a treasured spear, which is extremely valuable. However, I don't have that many merits, and the spear is not suitable for me."

Lu Li didn't hesitate for long between the two choices; he would definitely choose to sell to the Nebula Palace.

As for bringing them back to the real world to sell, I never even considered it. It would be difficult to explain where they came from, and it would attract covetous eyes. It's much better to make a fortune quietly.

However, it wasn't sold immediately; it's better to wait until it's determined which world the abstinence talisman will be used in before making any decisions.

He glanced at the Qi-Inducing stage pills that could enhance internal strength a few more times, and then, after a quarter of an hour, he returned to his solitary room.

He first surveyed the surroundings and found that the traps he had set up were intact, confirming that no one had entered the room during the time he had disappeared.

The secrets of the Nebula Compass are so vast that even the Grandmasters on the Heavenly Ranking are nothing compared to it.

Throughout the history books of Middle-earth, even in myths and legends, there are treasures that can not compare to it.

Fortunately, it was bizarre enough that as long as no one witnessed Lu Li traveling back and forth, they would only assume that his relentless pursuit was due to a miraculous encounter, speculating that he had picked up a secret treasure.

Only a quarter of an hour had passed in the real world, but Lu Li, who had been on edge for almost a month, went to bed early.

……

The Hall of Rites.

Jiang Linyuan was laid flat on the tatami chair, his breathing was weak, and his skin was an abnormal white.

Senior Sister Han recounted the whole story, causing the disciples from the four academies who were watching to gasp in surprise.

The disciples from the four academies who came for this exchange were all elites from their respective schools, and in terms of strength, Jiang Linyuan could only be ranked in the middle.

However, he has a good older brother who is well-known.

It's normal to lose a sword fight to someone else, but it's a bit strange that the opponent is unknown and not even on the exchange list of Bailu Academy.

Moreover, the reputation of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique speaks for itself; which sword-learning disciple hasn't coveted it?

Unexpectedly, someone from Bailu Academy quietly mastered a move or two and stole the spotlight before the official martial arts competition.

"Junior Nephew Jiang has recovered from the cold in his body and his pulse is stable. After taking this dose of Qi-boosting powder, he should be fine."

The white-haired old man pressed two fingers against Jiang Linyuan's chest and navel acupoints, and a circle of balanced and peaceful Shaoyang true qi circled around them.

A cold breath escaped from the boy's mouth and nose, and he groaned, seemingly about to regain consciousness.

"Brother Lin's Shaoyang Finger technique is like the spring sun shining on snow, or a stream moistening stones, fully embodying the true meaning of the word 'moistening'... With you taking action, I can naturally feel at ease."

Master Qingming, the leader of the Yuelu Academy delegation, is proficient in both Confucian martial arts and Taoist techniques passed down from his ancestors.

Despite being a lay disciple, he always dressed as a Taoist priest.

Lin Ruoxu is the most senior vice president of Bailu Academy, and is nearly 100 years old.

His Shaoyang Xuan Kong Finger technique has saved countless lives, earning him high prestige in the martial arts world.

Originally, this minor injury wouldn't have required Lin Ruoxu's intervention. However, since a junior disciple was injured during the exchange between the four academies, as the host, he didn't want to cause any trouble and simply wanted to do his best.

"My second brother is spoiled at home. It's good for him to experience setbacks and broaden his horizons... Why haven't we seen this Junior Brother Lu at the events these past few days? Could it be a secret weapon prepared by the teachers of Bailu Academy to give us a big surprise?"

A deep, steady voice rang out. The person who spoke looked five or six parts similar to Jiang Linyuan, but was even more masculine and heroic.

He was only in his early twenties, yet he stood out perfectly among a group of students.

It was Jiang Linhai, the unparalleled genius on whom Yuelu Academy placed high hopes, who had laid the foundation at a young age and was listed among the top scholars.

Those who are not carefully nurtured by major sects or families will definitely reach Foundation Establishment much faster than wandering rogue cultivators.

The more advanced the techniques used to build a foundation, the more difficult it is to achieve foundation building and enlightenment.

Of course, their combat power and future prospects after reaching the foundation stage are worlds apart.

The exchange hasn't officially started yet, but there will be plenty of private sparring and competition.

After several days, whether it was the four prodigies of Bailu Academy or the heroes of Yingtian and Shigu, they all returned empty-handed.

This proves that Jiang Linhai's Foundation Establishment cultivation is genuine and not just a showpiece put on by Yuelu Academy using the Blood-Eating Evil Pill to overdraw his potential.

In this situation, he was the only young disciple who was qualified to speak.

"Without cultivating internal strength and opening acupoints... you're putting the cart before the horse, and in the end, it'll all be for nothing!"

Lin Ruoxu had deep wrinkles, resembling a withered tree, and was not worthy of being buried.

He was the most steadfast practitioner of cultivation, advocating that academy disciples should not practice martial arts before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, but instead focus on breathing exercises and circulating internal energy.

Its long-lasting influence over decades has garnered it a considerable number of supporters.

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique is a time-consuming and laborious sword technique that, once mastered, seems endless; just hearing about it evokes a sense of disgust.

The leaders of the other three academies had different expressions. They had heard that Lin Ruoxu of Bailu Academy was old-fashioned and stubborn, and even the dean could not persuade him.

Seeing it today, I can confirm its reputation is well-deserved.

He is, after all, a prized student of their own academy; how could they possibly speak of him like that in front of outsiders?

However, considering that Yu Ziqi, who was famous for his Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique, had a strained relationship with him and had clashed with him many times, it's somewhat understandable.

Everyone automatically imagined a dramatic scene of two vice deans clashing over a disciple, a story of promotion and suppression.