Ten Directions Sword Master

"That person's attitude was utterly irritating, like they were acting like an elder!"

Song Yuming pouted and continued discussing Jiang Linhai on the way back.

"In fact, the division commanders did treat him separately from us... otherwise, why would they only call him over for the meeting in the hall?"

Nan Henshui's smile was forced; being ignored by her peers was never a pleasant experience.

"I just asked Feng Yuqing. Yuelu Academy arrived a week earlier than us. Jiang Linhai has had two matches with local young talents... He first defeated the senior brother of the largest martial arts school in the area, and then fought to a draw with Young Master Yinmo of the Zhaxi Sword Pavilion. Both of them are at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and are four or five years older than him. He has become famous in Wucheng for a time. Maybe he will be ranked back on the Human Ranking next time."

"With such power, isn't it possible to achieve Foundation Establishment Perfection before the age of thirty!"

Song Yuming's eyes widened. She came from a well-educated family and naturally understood the key to breaking through to the Refinement of Spirit.

The phenomenon of internal energy becoming more refined with age only exists in the realm of spiritual refinement.

As people age and their bodies weaken, their qi and blood decline, and it becomes wishful thinking to try to open up their spiritual platform and stimulate their spiritual power.

According to statistics from the Martial Arts Department of the Privy Council, individuals are at their peak in all aspects before the age of thirty-five, and have the greatest chance of advancing to the Refinement of Spirit realm.

Subsequently, as physical functions declined, the probability of breakthroughs decreased year by year.

Achieving the Refinement of Spirit Realm after the age of forty is not unheard of, but it is certainly extremely rare.

Jiang Linhai completed the Foundation Establishment stage before the age of thirty, leaving him ample time to attempt the Spirit Refinement stage, with an extremely high probability of success.

"Senior Brother Lu, you are different. He is two years older than you. When you reach that age, you will also be able to challenge the Human Ranking."

Having seen the world, Nanhenshui realized that the flattery in the brothel was not to be trusted.

Among his peers, only Lu Li, who has risen to prominence unexpectedly, is qualified to compete with him.

"Why aren't the people from Yingtian Academy here? What happened?"

Lu Li remained noncommittal. Catching up with Jiang Linhai in two years? If this person is taken as a target, it would be a gross underestimation of the Nebula Compass.

He was thinking of Wang Rui, the swordsman of Qushui, whom Song Yuming had mentioned on the way here.

It's only meaningful to chase after something if you set your goals high.

What motivation is there to achieve success overnight?

Nan Henshui thought for a moment and said succinctly, "No, it's probably because of his sensitive identity, and he wants to avoid entering the city to avoid provoking the court."

Lu Li nodded. The disciples of Yingtian Academy were essentially half-official in the Northern Dynasty and could be regarded as reserve officers.

Venturing deep into the Great Chu and brazenly entering the city walls, it's hardly a sign of disregard for the northern quarters of the Privy Council.

Just as he was about to return to his room, he suddenly stopped and asked, "In the past few times the secret realm opened, have any disciples from the four academies gotten lost or met with accidents?"

"No, at most, you might lose a limb, but it won't endanger your life. After all, this secret realm is set up by the Crimson Fire Immortal Child to educate and entertain the younger generation, so the methods used to set it up are relatively gentle."

Nan Henshui replied without hesitation, as if she had keenly sensed something.

"Senior Brother Lu, do you mean that the person surnamed Jiang might be a threat to you?"

"Don't overthink it, it was just a casual question... The four academies may seem distant, but in reality they are closely connected, driven by mutual interests. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to maintain the fat they've already gained."

Lu Li smiled brightly and waved his hand.

"Get some rest. We're leaving tomorrow, so don't get up late and become a laughingstock among the other academy students."

After closing the door, Lu Li stood by the bed, silently recited a mantra, and a long sword as thin as a cicada's wing appeared in his hand.

The cicada's song is a mid-grade treasure weapon.

Indeed, before this trip, he made a special trip to Luo's Guangyutang to borrow this precious artifact.

With Luo Pangzi's persuasion and Luo Xianzhi acting as guarantor, the Luo clan chief considered it for three days before agreeing to lend the money.

The reason for using it is readily available: to provide extra protection for the Crimson Fire Secret Realm, so as to avoid encountering troublesome demon spirits.

The main reason is that he is no longer the same as before. He is now the new generation leader of Bailu Academy, and the Luo clan patriarch is happy to see this young man, who has a close relationship with his grandson, grow up.

Previously, it would have been unthinkable.

As for whether they fled with the sword or were trapped abroad, Luo dispelled his concerns after assessing the resources of the Lu family in Pengcheng and learning that Dean Yu Ziqi would be leading the team.

Lu Li temporarily stored the cicada's song in the Nebula Hall. Each time he needed to store or retrieve it, he had to sense the nebula and wait for several breaths without being disturbed. Otherwise, he could catch his opponent off guard when facing them.

I have considered using it as a storage container, similar to the legendary mustard seed, which could also play a significant strategic role.

Unfortunately, access can only be unrestricted when the true body enters the Nebula Palace.

In the real world, a person can only store two or three things in their possession before feeling overwhelmed. The Nebula Palace appears distant and indistinct.

He shamelessly borrowed the cicada song from the Luo family, owing them a favor—of course, it couldn't have been to deal with Jiang Linhai.

Rather, it is to verify a major conjecture.

In a few days, the Nebula Compass will appear again, ready to cast him into the unknown world.

The creator of the Nebula Compass is definitely above the Crimson Fire Fairy Child, and being in the secret realm will not hinder his teleportation into the Compass World.

Simply choose a secluded location and treat it as a normal nebula convergence.

But since it was his first time entering the Compass World, he felt uneasy. It would be good to have another treasure weapon in hand.

In addition, the difficulty of the main story missions is increasing significantly.

Last time, I almost faced He Zheng, who had just reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. However, he was just an older version with declining blood and energy, and he even mistakenly killed a descendant of a Grandmaster.

This time, we won't make things too difficult for him; he'll be fighting against a strong, healthy, and mature Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Thinking of this, Lu Li felt less confident. Having the Cicada's Cry in hand greatly enhanced his combat power and gave him a better chance of survival.

Incidentally, he wanted to test the intermediate-level seclusion talisman in his hand. He wondered if using it after the nebulae had converged and he was standing in the Nebula Palace could postpone his journey to the Compass World.

"With six months, if I can gain some extra benefits, I might have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage by the end... Entering the secret realm to cultivate Qi and then emerging to reach the Foundation Establishment stage is a bit of an exaggeration. But a genius should always have some astonishing achievements. The top three on the Human Ranking have already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment."

Lu Li released the cicadas back into the Nebula Palace, and the night passed without incident.

……

The following day, the academy members bid farewell to the Feng family father and son, and a group of more than ten people left the city and headed south.

They were all martial artists, focused on their journey, so their pace was naturally not slow.

However, as time went on, the difference in cultivation levels became apparent. Needless to say, the three masters were present, while the disciples who had entered the Foundation Establishment stage were natural and moved with great speed.

The disciples in the Qi Refining stage appeared to be struggling, their faces turning pale and their breathing becoming heavier.

Lu Li's Vast Void Step was an advantage for long-distance travel, so he didn't feel tired, but he was determined to spend time practicing his movement technique properly.

If I don't change my cultivation method, I need to cultivate the Vast Void Step to the entry level before it will be enough.

Otherwise, if you encounter a martial artist who excels in speed and agility, even if you can easily win with your strength, you'll be helpless if you can't catch up with them.

Song Yuming was only at the initial stage of Qi cultivation, and her face turned bright red, as if she were about to drown.

Fortunately, Yu Ziqi raised his sword and sent a surge of vitality through her, clearing her mind and restoring her strength.

Every so often, the longsword was used in this way, which actually allowed Song Yuming to persevere.

"The Qingming sword among the Six Swords of Spring? The Spring Sword contains life force, making it easy to replenish internal energy, far superior to directly injecting true qi... It won't clash with the junior's meridians, and it uses life force to regulate the limbs and bones, preventing any hidden dangers from overuse."

Lu Li, watching from behind, could see it clearly and recognized the seasonal sword technique being used.

Just like the Autumn and Summer sections, the Spring section sword techniques also have methods of application that are not found in the book.