Ten Directions Sword Master

"Your ability to conceal your presence is excellent. From beginning to end, you acted like a woman who had only learned rudimentary martial arts, without any flaws."

Lu Li smiled and replied that if it weren't for the impending battle with the Sword Saint, he would really be interested in learning more about this so-called Incense Cult.

"But you are too afraid of me. Why would the eldest daughter of a Dragon Tiger General be so afraid of a stranger? You can control your heartbeat and breathing, but you can't hide your subconscious instincts... There is only one reason: you know my true identity. These three unlucky guys are just props that you use to get closer to me."

"I didn't expect that the Sword Saint incident would completely disrupt your plans."

"Young Master Bai's observation is remarkable. In the end, our sect underestimated you... To be able to arouse the interest of the Sword Saint, it seems that Young Master Bai's cultivation level is about to reach its peak."

Deng Wan showed no awareness of being a prisoner, remaining composed and natural, as if he were a completely different person from before.

"The Incense Path inherits the ancient Daoist tradition, which is incomparable to ordinary sects. It has a complete method to shatter the void... If you are willing to join, young master, I can bestow three volumes of teachings upon you. You may well be able to witness the splendor of the Immortal Realm."

"Even if the Sword Saint, the Dao Lord, and the Dharma King cooperate with you, I don't believe you can't force that old fellow to retreat!"

The leader of the Incense Way is elusive, while the two Dharma Kings often roam the martial world; both are late-stage Innate Martial Saints.

"Breaking through the void? You should cultivate to that point yourselves first before using it as a bargaining chip."

The Incense Path may contain some content different from contemporary martial arts, such as secret techniques for transmitting skills and methods for concealing one's breath, but Lu Li could easily pull out ten martial arts techniques that transcend the Foundation Establishment stage, so why would he be moved by these?

If it were as miraculous as they boasted, the Incense Way wouldn't have been chased and nearly wiped out by the Great Kang Emperor.

For hundreds of years, no powerful being capable of breaking through the void has been born.

Moreover, judging from the swordsmanship level displayed by the sword saint on the bamboo slip, he is already on a completely different level from the innate martial saint of the Great Kang world.

The so-called Left and Right Dharma Kings would probably have a hard time lasting until the second sword strike from the Sword Saint.

"We are simply lacking an opportunity. Once the world undergoes a great transformation and the earth's balance is relaxed, the Dao Lord will surely be able to ascend to an unprecedented realm..."

Deng Wan was speechless for a moment, then quickly changed his story.

Yan Hanchuan listened with disapproval. Whenever disaster struck, the incense-burning sect would use the same old rhetoric to try and bewitch the ignorant believers.

Lu Li's mind stirred. Did this opportunity refer to the transformation of humans and demons into ghosts, allowing the aura of the Nine Netherworlds to seep into this world?

At that time, hundreds of millions of lives will be plunged into catastrophe.

But for those martial saints who have been stuck at the limits of their innate nature for a long time, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The restrictions of heaven and earth are loosening, and the originally unbreakable bottleneck will show a crack.

Where did those people from the Incense Path get their information? Unless they have a part of the Immortal Mirror and foresaw the demonic calamity!

The sword, still in its scabbard, was swung out and stabbed Deng Wan several times, leaving her palace dress slightly frosty.

"Commander Yan, I have sealed this woman's meridians. Unless someone with a higher cultivation level than me intervenes to undo it, she will not be able to activate her internal energy for a month... Keep a close watch on her. After the competition with Senior Sword Saint, I still have debts to settle with her and the incense offerings."

Another application of the White Dew Sword Style is to inject cold air into acupoints, which can seal the meridians.

With the Seventy-Two Seasonal Phenomena Chart in hand, Lu Li became increasingly adept at using various sword techniques.

Human Demon, Sword Saint, Incense Offering Cult...

After the Immortal Mirror was unsealed, it was as if a switch had been flipped, and the Great Kang World was no longer so boring, but became colorful again.

……

It's difficult to achieve a qualitative leap in strength in just ten days.

In the past month, Lu Li has learned a new move in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique.

It wasn't the early autumn that started the practice, but rather the late summer heat that came later.

He pondered the Autumn Sword Style repeatedly, but always felt something was missing, unable to unleash the sword strike he envisioned after all the splendor had faded.

In terms of cultivation, he has already taken the second Huangjing Qi-replenishing pill, digested the medicinal effects, and allowed his internal energy to condense and take root.

Even with continuous consumption of pills, it is impossible to break through again and reach the Qi Refining Perfection stage.

"The Sword Saint's realm has reached the point where the sword returns to its true nature, and the coming and going are one. The same amount of internal energy in his hands is completely different from that in the Copper Coin Immortal's hands... His only advantage is his eyesight and knowledge, and the swordsmanship that stands on the shoulders of the sages of the four great academies."

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Manual was created by several masters during the peak of the Four Great Academies, in an effort to challenge the Three Views of the Two Temples.

High hopes were placed on this sword technique, hoping that a disciple could use it to contend with the supreme martial arts of the Buddhist temples and the Taoist schools. Unfortunately, no one had yet fulfilled this wish until the four great academies fell apart and the Great Chu Dynasty split into two.

However, this does not mean that the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique is weak. The sword technique's concept is far superior, and there are no flaws in the four parts of the sword technique when broken down.

The difficulty of learning is too high; the initial setting was too ambitious, and it cannot be blamed on the sword technique itself.

Even if the Sword Saint transcends his era and surpasses the limitations of his world, he can never surpass the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Manual, which gathers the martial arts wisdom of various True Realm Grandmasters.

This is his greatest chance to win.

Lu Li took out the bamboo slips, calmed his mind, and studied and analyzed each character and stroke.

The more you know about your opponent's sword style, the better you can counter it.

"The rumors circulating in the martial arts world have long been distorted. They say that when the Sword Saint draws his sword, wind and thunder gather, lightning flashes and thunder roars, and he can even cause changes in the celestial phenomena. What's the point of competing? Just abandon your sword and admit defeat."

Drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to create various extraordinary phenomena is a sign of a powerful cultivator who has refined their spirit.

If the Sword Saint had that ability, he wouldn't need to seek out opponents one by one to duel; he could have already broken through the void and gone to the unknown 'Immortal Realm'.

"Judging solely from the handwriting, there are no excessive twists or turns; it is simple and unadorned, yet possesses an all-encompassing meaning..."

According to Lu Li's understanding, regardless of the changes in moves or the speed of the sword path, they can all be divided into two categories when traced back to their origin.

One type is represented by the Righteous Qi Sword, which uses the sword to carry on the Dao. The more one practices one's own path, the more powerful the sword technique becomes.

Another type, most obviously, is the Star Luo Sword Technique, which uses the sword to approach the Dao, learns from nature, and uses sword moves to evolve the stars in the sky.

He initially thought the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique clearly followed the second path, but as he deepened his practice and with Yu Ziqi's guidance, he realized that the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique should achieve the unity of the four parts in the later stages, thus also carrying his own Dao, which could not be violated.

It now seems that the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique is somewhere in between, touching on one side of each path.

"Embracing all things... which path is the Sword Saint's?"

Lu Li fell silent, immersing himself in the scene and studying the sword techniques inscribed on the bamboo slips.

Every move and stance embodies the principles of swordsmanship.

……

The disturbance that occurred at Jufenglou during the day swept through the entire imperial city in a very short time and spread outwards.

Ordinary officials only saw four young men being taken into the Zhao prison by Yan Hanchuan. In their fear, they suspected that this was a sign of a royal counterattack, and that the royal family was making an example of them.

Only by standing at a higher level can one deduce something from the names of the Sword Saint, Bai Wuming, and others that have been passed down.

As for the Holy Maiden of the Incense Offering Path, Yan Hanchuan kept the secret strictly hidden, and outsiders were unaware of it.

He didn't want to alert the enemy before figuring out the purpose of the incense offerings and the personnel deployed.

In the study, a refined Taoist priest paced back and forth restlessly.

"Brother Fei, you are the only one among the four families who dared to come and plead for mercy. It seems that those outside the secular world still value their disciples."

Yan Hanchuan was a man of few words, but the fact that he could enter and leave Yan Hanchuan's study at this time spoke volumes about their relationship.

"Commander Yan, please stop making fun of me... I only stayed in seclusion for a few days to hold a prayer ceremony, and such a big incident has occurred."

The abbot of Zhi Shou Temple, Fei Yunzhi, the current imperial advisor, wore a bitter expression, wishing he could slap his good-for-nothing disciple to death.

"Has the ruthless swordsman revealed to you his plans for dealing with them?"

"Young Master Bai is currently focused on adjusting his condition and preparing for the battle against the Sword Saint. He doesn't have time to consider such trivial matters... The outcome will only be clear after the great battle."

Yan Hanchuan said solemnly.

"That's true... I wonder who will emerge victorious in this epic battle?"

Fei Yunzhi longed for it, but he was only at the limit of the acquired cultivation level, and did not even have the qualification to watch the battle up close.

"It should be the Sword Saint, after all. Young Master Bai is still young, but the swordsmanship he has displayed is beyond my ability to evaluate..."

Yan Hanchuan pondered for a moment, then recalled the wondrous swordsmanship of Bai Wuming in Jufeng Tower during the day, which forced the Holy Maiden of the Incense Sect to return to her nest and walk into the trap, and added a sentence.