Startling Swan Divine Sword Art, Thirty-Six Swords Grand Perfection

For five days, Fang Wang didn't leave his cave dwelling. Although he was excited to join the Taiyuan Sect, he had no intention of going out to make friends with other disciples. He knew his standing in the Taiyuan Sect depended entirely on his cultivation. As long as he maintained his reputation as a genius, he would be surrounded by good people. However, if he slacked off in his cultivation, trouble would inevitably follow.

It was noon on this day.

Fang Wang sensed something and opened his eyes. He picked up the token at his waist, and a voice came from within:

"Fang Wang, come to the Pure Heart Hall to see me."

It was a hoarse male voice. Upon hearing "Pure Heart Hall," Fang Wang's expression brightened. He immediately got up. After a moment's thought, he hung the storage bag on his belt, then picked up the flying sword Zhou Xue had given him. He quickly walked out of his cave dwelling and then flew away on his sword.

The Pure Heart Hall was the peak master's palace. This meant the person who had just spoken was his future master, Yang Yuanzi.

He was very much looking forward to what he would learn next.

The Pure Heart Hall was located at the summit of the third vein mountain peak. The senior disciple Li Yu had pointed it out before.

Ascending along the path, Fang Wang soon arrived in front of the Pure Heart Hall. There were no disciples guarding it. The area around the palace was filled with tall trees, resembling giant swords standing upright.

Fang Wang stood before the main gate, slowly pushed it open, and stepped inside.

The Pure Heart Hall was not large. It looked like an ordinary Taoist temple. Fang Wang walked behind a figure, bowed, and said, "Disciple Fang Wang greets Master."

Yang Yuanzi had his back to him, meditating before a stone statue. This statue was surprisingly of a woman, with a graceful posture. Her face lacked carved features, instead appearing solemn and mysterious.

Hearing Fang Wang, Yang Yuanzi stood up and turned to face him.

Only then did Fang Wang get a clear look at Yang Yuanzi's true appearance. His hair was a mix of black and white, casually disheveled. He wore a black Taoist robe, and his eyes were vacant, like a dry well. The stubble around his mouth made him look unkempt, which was vastly different from the Yang Yuanzi Fang Wang had envisioned.

Yang Yuanzi asked, "Why did you choose the third meridian?"

Fang Wang had already prepared his answer. He replied, "For the most profound inheritance."

"Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation? Indeed. Which family are you from?"

"Disciple is from the Fang Family of Nanqiu City."

"Never heard of it. Never mind, I'm not interested. Since you have joined my sect, you are now my disciple, ranked fifth. There are four senior brothers and sisters ahead of you. You will get to know them slowly. You are already at the seventh level of the Qi Nurturing Realm. Is there anything you wish to learn?"

Yang Yuanzi said calmly, seemingly uninterested in Fang Wang, this genius.

It was only then that Fang Wang realized why Sect Master Guang Qiuxian had advised him to join the first lineage. It seemed the problem with the third lineage lay with Yang Yuanzi.

Fang Wang didn't stand on ceremony. "Master, could you teach me how to use the storage bag?"

Yang Yuanzi's pupils contracted slightly. He couldn't help but ask, "You don't know how to use a storage bag? Didn't your family teach you?"

"My family doesn't understand cultivation. I only had a relative who was guided by a cultivator. I came to the Taiyuan Sect with her."

"How long have you been cultivating?"

"Less than a year."

"Less than a year and you've reached the seventh level of the Qi Nurturing Realm?"

Yang Yuanzi couldn't help but re-examine Fang Wang. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Not bad. To activate a storage bag, you need to cultivate your Spiritual Sense."

Seeing that Fang Wang still wanted to ask more, Yang Yuanzi raised his hand and handed Fang Wang a manual. "This is the general outline of cultivation for the Taiyuan Sect. It records various basic cultivation methods. Go back and take a look."

Fang Wang quickly bowed to thank his master, unaware of Yang Yuanzi's exasperation.

This book was prepared by the Taiyuan Sect for outer disciples to guide them into the path of cultivation. Since becoming a peak master, he had hardly ever taken it out. He had obtained this book when he first joined the Taiyuan Sect and kept it as a memento.

Fang Wang put the manual into his robes and then asked, "Master, could you teach me the Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation? I want to try it."

Yang Yuanzi snorted and said irritably, "In the Taiyuan Sect, you can't just learn whatever you want. Even if your aptitude and comprehension are high, you must make contributions. When you first joined, the Taiyuan Sect didn't investigate your background. First, they didn't care. Second, you need to make contributions to prove yourself upon entry."

As my personal disciple, you can choose three superior secret manuals from the Dao Law Pavilion. However, the Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation is the heritage of this sect's mountain protection. If you want to learn it, you must first become the senior disciple.

Fang Wang quickly pressed, "How can I become the senior disciple?"

Yang Yuanzi wasn't annoyed. Instead, he became interested. "To become the senior disciple, you must first reach the Spirit Pill Realm and make outstanding contributions. Don't even think about it within fifty years."

Fang Wang was immediately disappointed upon hearing this.

Yang Yuanzi's tone shifted. "However, you are the first personal disciple to be accepted upon entry in the history of the Taiyuan Sect. Although there have been no exceptions like this before, you will still be recorded in the annals of the Taiyuan Sect."

He raised his right hand, and a scroll of green jade slip appeared in his hand.

"This sword art is called the Startling Swan Divine Sword Art. It is something I possess personally. The Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation is the inheritance of the Taiyuan Sect, and I cannot give it to you without authorization. But the Startling Swan Divine Sword Art is different. I obtained it while adventuring in the immortal cultivation world. After you cultivate your Spiritual Sense, you can use it to read the contents of this jade slip."

Yang Yuanzi's face showed a smile, but it looked more like a grimace than a smile, quite frightening.

Fang Wang took the jade slip. He suppressed his excitement and asked, "Master, is this sword art powerful?"

Yang Yuanzi raised his chin proudly. "Relying on this sword art, I, your master, obtained the position of peak master of the third vein. What do you think? I only practiced twenty-seven moves of this sword art, and I could sweep aside those of the same realm. If you can achieve minor success within ten years, then your comprehension will be considered extremely high."

"Thank you, Master. Your disciple will not disappoint you!"

"First, cultivate to the ninth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm. You are a personal disciple, so you can cultivate freely. When you achieve the Spirit Sculpting Realm, it won't be too late to cultivate the Startling Swan Divine Sword Art."

"Okay."

Yang Yuanzi then explained the rules of the Taiyuan Sect, mainly that disciples must not harm fellow disciples, harm innocent mortals, or collude with the Demonic Path.

After explaining, Yang Yuanzi let Fang Wang leave.

Fang Wang didn't immediately go to the Dao Law Pavilion to select cultivation methods. He felt there was no rush for now. The Startling Swan Divine Sword Art alone would require him to spend time cultivating it. Although it seemed like a moment had passed, for him, it was as if he had truly lived through those extra years.

If you lock a person in a room, only providing food and drink but no entertainment, after a month, they would go mad.

Even if Fang Wang wanted to become stronger, spending one or two hundred years in the Celestial Palace would be extremely painful.

Once one enters the Celestial Palace, they cannot leave until they reach the Grand Perfection realm.

But he vaguely discovered another advantage of the Celestial Palace: any cultivation method or ultimate skill could definitely be cultivated to Grand Perfection, which was incredibly overbearing!

Furthermore, ever since activating the Celestial Palace, Fang Wang gained the ability to never forget anything he saw.

Returning to his cave dwelling, Fang Wang first took out the "Cultivation General Outline" and cultivated his Spiritual Sense according to its records. For him, who was at the seventh level of the Qi Nurturing Realm, this was nothing. He accomplished it in just one hour.

The "Cultivation General Outline" also recorded the cultivation realms, from lowest to highest: Qi Nurturing, Spirit Sculpting, Spirit Pill, Mysterious Heart, and Spirit Condensation. There were realms above Spirit Condensation, and the book mentioned, "May disciple Wang one day reach higher realms."

The Spirit Sculpting Realm is a crucial stage that determines a cultivator's destiny. The grade of the natal treasure spirit they sculpt directly determines the cultivator's aptitude and comprehension. Of course, it's not absolute; there are always those who defy heaven and leave their mark on history on the path of cultivation.

Fang Wang put down the "Cultivation General Outline" and began to cultivate.

He decided to first accumulate his cultivation to the ninth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm.

He had already achieved abstaining from grains, so he no longer needed to eat and could focus on cultivation. As soon as he closed his eyes, he seemed to enter the state of cultivating in the Celestial Palace.

A month and a half later, Fang Wang reached the eighth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm. The gap between the seventh and eighth levels was indeed as great as Zhou Xue had said. The only reason he could win before was that the Mysterious Sun Scripture was superior to those cultivators' methods.

He continued to cultivate.

Nearly four months passed, and Fang Wang finally reached the ninth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm in one go.

He opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. He condensed the True Mysterious Sun Fire again, and nine small suns floated behind his head, illuminating the cave dwelling. Feeling the surging Spiritual Energy within his body, he suddenly had the same sensation as when he first reached the martial world myth realm.

Hmm, I feel invincible.

Of course, this feeling lasted only for a moment. He knew that he was still at the bottom of the immortal cultivation world and still needed to work hard.

Fang Wang picked up the jade slip given by Yang Yuanzi and probed it with his Spiritual Sense. A large amount of text flooded into his mind. After he sorted it out, his consciousness became hazy, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the Celestial Palace.

He stood in the main hall of the Celestial Palace and began to practice the Startling Swan Divine Sword Art.

The Startling Swan Divine Sword Art consisted of thirty-six swords. No sword was needed in hand; this sword art condensed a sword form, like a magic artifact, moving according to one's will.

Yang Yuanzi claimed to have only mastered twenty-seven swords, which made Fang Wang have great expectations for the full thirty-six swords.

However, he spent five years just on the first sword.

The Startling Swan Divine Sword Art was very difficult to cultivate!

It was not as simple as condensing Spiritual Energy into a sword form; one also had to inject Spiritual Sense, making the sword form become one's own vision, which also tested one's Spiritual Sense.

No matter how difficult it was to cultivate, as long as one entered the Celestial Palace, they could definitely master it. At worst, they would just have to endure more time!

Fang Wang continued to cultivate the second sword.

The second sword also took five years!

It wasn't until the sixth sword that the cultivation time shortened to two years. Fang Wang thought he was almost there, but by the time he cultivated to the eighteenth sword, each sword surprisingly required over ten years to master, nearly driving him to despair.

Who could train and study day after day for a hundred years without any form of leisure?

Fang Wang had tried to create a computer from his previous life within the Celestial Palace, but it was just a shell. Creating a person was even more impossible.

And so it went.

By the time Fang Wang finally mastered all thirty-six swords, he saw thirty-six sword forms floating around him, all resembling the Green Monarch Sword, looking very magnificent. However, his face was filled with a numb expression.

"It's finally over."

As these words fell, Fang Wang's consciousness returned to reality.

Cultivating the Startling Swan Divine Sword Art had actually taken two hundred years!

I'm numb!

Fang Wang immediately got up and walked out of the cave dwelling. He had to see the scenery outside, or he would go crazy.

The cave dwelling door opened, and sunlight spilled onto Fang Wang, making him feel alive for the first time.

He walked to the edge of the cliff and admired the magnificent scenery of the Taiyuan Sect's peaks. He stood there for half an hour before returning to continue his cultivation.

Watching the figures of disciples coming and going gave Fang Wang a sense of reality.

"Fang Wang, long time no see. Have you reached the Spirit Sculpting Realm?"

A female voice called out. Fang Wang turned his head and saw Gu Li from the Gu family of Luobei.

Gu Li's cave dwelling was actually next to his, which made him secretly wonder, as this was the dwelling of a personal disciple!