True Qi Realm

Nearly two months had passed in the blink of an eye since his last visit to the plaza.

Lu Ming had finally experienced how difficult it was to break through to the Zhen Qi Realm. Half a month ago, he had already cultivated his inner qi to the ninth-layer peak.

After adjusting his condition, he launched another all-out assault on the Zhen Qi Realm.

Yet half a month passed, and there was still no sign of a breakthrough.

"Could it be that, like Dugu Mingri, I'll be stuck for half a year?"

After failing once again, Lu Ming frowned deeply. He even began to doubt whether his talent was truly that good.

But just as he began questioning himself, a surge suddenly burst through his mind, instantly snapping him back to his senses.

"That was close. I nearly suffered Qi Deviation. It seems I was too eager for quick results."

The surge had been caused by the sudden reaction of the Saber Intent Prototype within his body, which had pulled him back in time.

Saber intent was the manifestation of his will. If his will was unstable, his saber intent would be unstable as well.

He had nearly suffered an accident just now, but it seemed there had been an unexpected gain.

He had never known how to transform the Saber Intent Prototype into true saber intent.

After this experience, he suddenly understood. Saber intent was his will. As long as he continued strengthening his will, his saber intent would transform one day.

Very often, haste made waste. Whether it was saber intent or cultivation, being overly impatient would only produce the opposite result.

Thus, after thinking for a while, Lu Ming stopped cultivating and took out the collection of books Old Man Zhao had given him.

He wanted to attain enlightenment and see his true nature through reading.

With movement and stillness, urgency and calm alternating, Lu Ming soon reached a state of a mind as still as water.

Then, after another three days, he suddenly sensed an opportunity to break through. The feeling was mysterious beyond words—impossible to explain or describe, yet unmistakably clear.

He hurriedly entered seclusion again.

This time, as he circulated his cultivation method, Lu Ming clearly sensed that the flow of his inner qi had accelerated. Moreover, after passing through his meridians and reaching his dantian, it formed a vortex.

"This means I've broken through to the seventh layer of the Heavenly Saber Art."

The Heavenly Saber Art had twelve layers in total, with the first six belonging to the Inner Qi Realm section.

Breaking through to the seventh layer meant entering the Zhen Qi Realm section.

Now that he had reached this level, breaking through to the Zhen Qi Realm would naturally follow as water flows into a channel.

Sure enough, as Lu Ming's cultivation method broke through, the vortex in his dantian began spinning faster and faster. At the same time, the inner qi flowing through his dantian began to be refined into true qi by the rotation.

It then flowed out again. After all the inner qi had been refined, it began circulating through the Greater Celestial Circuit.

This process could not be completed in a single step. Thus, only after several more days had passed did Lu Ming's entire body tremble. Amid waves of surging energy, he opened his eyes.

"Zhen Qi Realm. I finally made it."

Lu Ming ended his cultivation and slowly exhaled a stream of white vapor. Even with his mature and steady personality, he could not conceal his delight at this moment.

"So this is true qi? It really is much purer than inner qi."

After ending his cultivation, a wisp of red radiance suddenly appeared over Lu Ming's palm. It was true qi refined from Heavenly Saber inner qi.

"Go!"

After observing it for a while, Lu Ming suddenly pointed. The red radiance shot from his fingertip in an instant, piercing straight through the wall of his room. It still had enough force to fly more than ten meters farther before completely dissipating.

This was saber qi. Once the Heavenly Saber Art entered the seventh layer, it could generate a strand of saber qi in the dantian. When used, it could be unleashed instantly, with power equivalent to the full-force strike of the fourth style of the Heavenly Saber Technique, the Soul Chasing Style.

It was equivalent to an instant-cast attack.

Upon reaching the eighth layer, he could store two strands of saber qi.

The same principle applied thereafter.

The fifth style of the Heavenly Saber Technique was the Soul Slaying Style, while the sixth style was Flying Stars All Over the Sky.

There were three more styles after that, but they required the Gang Qi Realm to perform. Thus, Lu Ming planned to focus on learning those three middle styles next.

But not now. He planned to pass the inner-sect assessment first. After becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, he would go to the Martial Skill Pavilion and claim two Human-grade, high-stage martial skills.

This was a benefit every Inner Sect Disciple received. Like Outer Sect Disciples, they only had one free opportunity.

Apart from saber techniques, Lu Ming's movement technique and palm technique were both Human-tier Mid-grade, and they were no longer a match for his current strength.

Thus, after claiming the two martial skills, he planned to cultivate them alongside his saber techniques.

Once he had made his plans, Lu Ming stabilized his strength a little more before heading toward the inner-sect assessment hall.

The Wuji Sect had many Outer Sect Disciples, but fewer than five percent could break through to the Zhen Qi Realm before the age of eighteen.

When divided across each day, that number became even smaller.

Therefore, when Lu Ming arrived at the assessment hall, it was extremely quiet.

"Another one has come. It seems today is going to break the record for the entire year. Four Outer Sect Disciples are actually here to take the assessment in a single day."

An Inner Sect Steward Disciple spoke.

Compared with Outer Sect Steward Disciples, Inner Sect Steward Disciples generally had cultivation in the middle or late stages of the Zhen Qi Realm. They had once been Inner Sect Disciples of the Wuji Sect, but after exceeding a certain age without making any breakthroughs, they did not want to leave the sect and thus remained through this arrangement.

Therefore, as soon as Lu Ming entered, several Inner Sect Steward Disciples could tell at a glance that he had only broken through to the Zhen Qi Realm recently.

One of them called out, "Those here for the assessment, come over here to register your information."

Lu Ming nodded and hurried over, taking out his identity token. The Steward Disciple accepted it, checked it against the registration, then handed it back and said:

"All right. The elder hasn't arrived yet. Go wait over there for now."

Lu Ming looked in the direction he indicated and saw three Outer Sect Disciples already waiting there. He walked over and waited quietly.

The three of them were sizing Lu Ming up, finding him somewhat unfamiliar. One of them whispered:

"Senior Brother Qi, we all know each other among those in the Outer Sect who have reached the ninth-layer peak of the Inner Qi Realm. How come we've never seen him before?"

"I haven't seen him either."

The youth known as Senior Brother Qi also shook his head. "He's probably like Zhu Ningyun and joined the sect halfway through."

"That must be it. I just don't know how strong he is."

"Stop talking. The elder is here."

Another person suddenly spoke.

Lu Ming naturally heard their whispers. He was wondering whether to pretend he had not heard them or take the initiative to greet them.

Then he heard that the elder had arrived, so there was no need to continue hesitating.

The elder who arrived was a thin, gaunt old man with a sharp gaze, as piercing as an eagle's.

Thus, the moment his eyes swept over them, the hall fell completely silent.

"Four people are taking the assessment today?"

He spotted the four of them at a glance and spoke in a dry voice.

An Inner Sect Steward Disciple hurried forward. "Reporting to Elder Ming, there are indeed four. This is the register."

"Mm."

Elder Ming showed no particular expression. He nodded, accepted the register, and scanned the information. When he reached Lu Ming's name at the end, he suddenly paused.

"Lu Ming?"

The Steward Disciple beside him did not understand and thought there had been a mistake in his work. He hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the elder, it is indeed Lu Ming. He's over there."

Elder Ming looked toward Lu Ming, whom the disciple was pointing at, then appeared before him in an instant and asked, "Are you Lu Ming?"

Lu Ming was startled by his speed, but he quickly composed himself and bowed. "Reporting to the elder, this disciple is indeed Lu Ming."

"The one who joined recently?" Elder Ming asked again.

Lu Ming nodded.

The elder then said, "Show me your true qi."

Lu Ming understood somewhat, so he immediately sent his true qi surging out of his body.

"Good, good! It truly is genuine true qi."

Elder Ming laughed heartily, then turned and pointed at a Steward Disciple. "You, go to Elder Gongsun He's residence and ask him to come here."

"Yes."

The disciple did not dare delay and hurriedly left.

Elder Ming then pulled Lu Ming aside and questioned him privately.

This scene left everyone in the hall utterly bewildered.

No one knew who Lu Ming was or why it had made the usually unsmiling Elder Ming reveal such an expression.

Before long, Gongsun He hurried over. Without saying a word, he came straight to Lu Ming's side. After confirming that this was the Lu Ming he knew, he too could not help laughing aloud.

But he quickly reined himself in and said quietly to Elder Ming, "This isn't the place to talk."

Elder Ming nodded. "Come with me."

With that, he led Lu Ming away.

This left the people in the hall even more confused.

Especially the three Outer Sect Disciples waiting for the assessment. They had no idea whether they would still be able to take it that day.