Sword Control Art

Half an hour later, Fang Chen walked out of the bookstore with a large package on his back.

"What a hassle. If only I had a storage belt or a storage bag, it would be so much more convenient!" Fang Chen couldn't help but mutter.

"Forget about storage belts and bags for now. The cheapest storage belt costs at least ten thousand Spirit Stones!" Li Yanshan said with a slight smile to Fang Chen.

"Ten thousand Spirit Stones?" Fang Chen stared at Li Yanshan, his face filled with shock. He hadn't expected storage belts to be so expensive.

"Yes!" Li Yanshan nodded slightly.

Fang Chen couldn't help but click his tongue. With his current abilities, ten thousand Spirit Stones was an astronomical sum. He carried the large package and continued to wander the streets with Li Yanshan and the others. Since they rarely visited the market, Li Yanshan and Elder Yun also wanted to buy some things to take back.

As they passed a weapon workshop, Fang Chen saw a plaque at the entrance stating that they could customize and repair Spirit Treasures. He suddenly remembered the Black Iron Sword he had chosen at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion when he was first promoted to Outer Sect Disciple. The Aerial Formation Pattern on the Black Iron Sword was already damaged, making it impossible to fly with it anymore.

"My cultivation has already reached the third level of Qi Refining. If I repair the Aerial Formation Pattern on the Black Iron Sword, I should be able to fly with my sword, right?" Fang Chen thought to himself. When he was younger, he had heard stories of gods, demons, and ghosts from the teachers in his village, and he had greatly admired the cultivators in those stories, wishing he could fly with his sword like those immortals.

Now that his cultivation had reached the required level, all he needed to do was repair the Black Iron Sword and practice the Sword Control Art, and he would be able to fly with his sword. In this world full of danger, learning the Sword Control Art would give him another means of survival when encountering danger.

Just then, Li Yanshan, who was walking ahead, noticed Fang Chen wasn't following. He turned back to look at Fang Chen, who was standing foolishly in front of the weapon shop. Li Yanshan immediately called out, "Fang Chen, what are you spacing out for?"

Fang Chen looked up at Li Yanshan and said, "Uncle Li, I want to get the Aerial Formation Pattern on my Black Iron Sword repaired!"

"Repair the Aerial Formation Pattern?" Li Yanshan was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized. "I almost forgot, your cultivation has already reached the third level of Qi Refining, so you can practice the Sword Control Art!"

At that moment, Elder Yun, who was riding a small donkey, turned back to Fang Chen and said, "Fang Chen, when we get back, give me your sword. I'll find someone to help you repair the Aerial Formation Pattern. The price will definitely be lower than here, and the quality won't be bad!"

"Okay!" Fang Chen nodded, then quickly walked behind Li Yanshan and Elder Yun, accompanying them as they shopped.

When they passed a flatbread stall, Fang Chen bought dozens of Spirit Wheat Flatbreads. They were easy to carry and very filling. Buying more could be useful in case of need.

An hour later, Fang Chen and Li Yanshan returned to Dog Head Ridge. As for Elder Yun, when they were halfway back, Fang Chen handed him the Black Iron Sword. Elder Yun rode his small donkey with Little Six to find someone to help Fang Chen repair the Black Iron Sword.

Fang Chen carried his package and said to Li Yanshan, "Uncle Li, I'm going back to read now!"

"Go ahead. Remember to come down for dinner tonight!" Li Yanshan waved at Fang Chen.

"No need. I bought a lot of Spirit Wheat Flatbreads. If I'm hungry, I'll just eat one!" Fang Chen shook his head at Li Yanshan, patting the large package on his back as he spoke.

"Alright!" Li Yanshan nodded at Fang Chen.

Just then, both Fang Chen and Li Yanshan felt their identity tokens vibrate slightly. They immediately took out their identity tokens and found that the mystical runes engraved on the surface were emitting a faint white light. Fang Chen immediately scanned the identity token with his Spiritual Sense, and a piece of unfamiliar information appeared in his mind. The information stated that the Glazed Sword Sect would open the Trial Path in three days.

"The Trial Path is opening this early this year?" Li Yanshan's face showed a hint of surprise.

Fang Chen asked Li Yanshan, "Uncle Li, what exactly is this Trial Path?"

Li Yanshan nodded and then explained the detailed situation of the Trial Path to Fang Chen. The Trial Path opened once a year, and all Outer Sect Disciples could participate for free. The top three Outer Sect Disciples with the best results would become Inner Disciples. The Trial Path was located within the first floor of the Glazed Pagoda. The Glazed Pagoda was the treasure of the Glazed Sword Sect, personally refined by the sect's founder, Saint Glazed, as a Saint Tool. It was immensely powerful. Unfortunately, during the great war ten thousand years ago, both the Glazed Sword and the Glazed Pagoda were damaged. The Glazed Pagoda was shattered, and the Glazed Sword Sect now only possessed the damaged first floor of the Glazed Pagoda. Although only one floor remained, it still possessed the might of a Saint Tool. The complete Glazed Pagoda was immensely powerful, rumored to be among the top Saint Tools, but it was now damaged. It was precisely because of the damage to the Glazed Pagoda and the Glazed Sword that the Glazed Sword Sect's strength declined continuously, eventually falling from a top force in the Southern Barrens to a second-rate force in the Southern Barrens. The internal space of the first floor of the Glazed Pagoda was vast. Its core area was shrouded by a special power of law. Cultivators whose cultivation exceeded the Foundation Establishment realm would suffer a backlash from the mysterious power of law if they approached it. Within this core area, there was a type of mushroom called the Glazed Mushroom. Glazed Mushrooms were expensive and had high medicinal and edible value, making them one of the Glazed Sword Sect's main sources of income. Therefore, every year during the Glazed Mushroom harvesting season, the Glazed Sword Sect would open the Glazed Pagoda, under the guise of the Trial Path, allowing these Outer Sect Disciples to enter this core area to search for Glazed Mushrooms. The results of the Trial Path were judged by the amount of Glazed Mushrooms collected. Moreover, finding mushrooms wasn't necessarily about who had the strongest strength. Generally speaking, disciples with Wood Spiritual Roots had a greater advantage in picking mushrooms.

The purpose of the trial path is not to select Inner Disciples, but primarily for the Glazed Mushroom.

The top three individuals who find the most Glazed Mushrooms on the trial path each year can become Inner Disciples.

Furthermore, besides Glazed Mushrooms, the trial path contains many precious Spirit Medicine. Except for specific types, all other Spirit Medicine can be harvested, and the Sect will not reclaim them. The Sect only collects Glazed Mushrooms.

Although there are many benefits, the trial path also carries risks, with many powerful Demonic Beasts. Every trial path results in the deaths of many Outer Sect Disciples.

Even so, many Outer Sect Disciples eagerly participate whenever the trial path opens. If they are lucky, they might become Inner Disciples.

In previous years, the trial path always began on the day of the Winter Solstice, but it is still over three months away from that date.

"People can actually die in there?"

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't expected the trial path to be so dangerous.

Li Yanshan nodded and said, "Yes, although it's dangerous, fortune favors the bold. Elder Yun and I participate every year. If we're lucky, we might become Inner Disciples. Even if we can't become Inner Disciples, as long as we come out alive, we're sure to make a fortune!"

Elder Yun looked at Fang Chen and said, "If you feel it's too dangerous, you don't have to participate!"

Fang Chen looked at Elder Yun and Li Yanshan and said, "With such an excellent opportunity to get rich, and you both are participating, how could I miss out?"

"Hahaha, that's the spirit! The trial path opens in three days, so we need to prepare properly!"

Li Yanshan said to Fang Chen with a smile.

Fang Chen nodded slightly and asked, "Then what preparations do we need to make?"

Fang Chen had never participated in the trial path before and had no idea what preparations were needed.

Li Yanshan looked at Fang Chen, his brow furrowing slightly, then said, "In these three days, you should focus on studying books. Otherwise, when you enter the trial path, even if you see Spirit Medicine, you won't recognize it, and it will be a wasted opportunity!"

"Okay!"

Fang Chen nodded. He knew he desperately lacked basic knowledge of Cultivators and needed to catch up.

He carried his bag back to his residence, immediately put it down, and then took out the books inside to organize them. He had bought over two hundred books today, and the knowledge within them was essential for any qualified Cultivator.

"I didn't expect that becoming a Cultivator would require reading so many books!"

Fang Chen exclaimed as he looked at the books before him.

He picked up a book titled Myriad Beast Compendium and began to read. This book primarily introduced the various Demonic Beasts of the Barbaric Realm.

As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Fang Chen's main focus in the future would be to kill various Demonic Beasts. If he knew nothing about these beasts, he would surely suffer losses when fighting them.

Therefore, Fang Chen decided to focus on this area first.

After reading for half an hour, Fang Chen's eyes felt dry, and his head began to spin.

"Reading is really hard work!"

Fang Chen rubbed his eyes and yawned.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. He slapped his forehead hard and muttered, "I'm so foolish! Why am I hiding in my room to read? When I practice with the Floating Immortal Sword, I absorb spiritual energy, which makes my mind more active. Reading in that state is much faster than now!"

The next moment, he shouldered all the books, walked out of the courtyard, and headed towards the hillside behind it.