Chest and Spirit

"Don't worry, with me here, a mere Soul Weapon can't hurt you."

In Zhong Yue's Sea of Consciousness, the Kindling Child's voice suddenly chimed in, "But I can only act through your body. If I make a move, I'm afraid I'll be exposed, and many people will set their sights on me. We'll have to flee for our lives... Huh? Someone's making a move!"

The Soul Weapon was just a hair's breadth away from piercing Zhong Yue's forehead when a hand suddenly reached out from the side. The thumb and index finger gently pinched, trapping the incoming Soul Weapon between them.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Zhong Yue's forehead. He felt his Soul tremble from the Sword Qi faintly emanating from the Soul Weapon.

The scene just now had been incredibly perilous, making him feel as if he had just journeyed through life and death!

"What a shame!"

In Zhong Yue's Sea of Consciousness, the Kindling Child flew back and forth, sighing regretfully, "I was planning to reveal myself, detonate those Demonic Souls suppressed here, release them, slaughter everyone on Sword Gate Mountain, and then we'd wander the world searching for pure-blooded Fuxi Divine Clan members..."

Zhong Yue shivered. The Kindling Child's words struck him as even more terrifying than the previous sword strike.

The Soul Weapon still vibrated incessantly, seemingly trying to escape from between those two fingers.

"Second Uncle, stop."

The owner of those two fingers was a young man, clad in purple, with a handsome appearance and eyes like the sun and moon. He smiled at the elder of the Tian Feng Clan, "Your secret move won't escape the eyes of a Qi Refiner. Even if you killed him, it would only make people mock the magnanimity of our Tian Feng Clan."

The elder of the Tian Feng Clan was startled and quickly got up and walked out of the Scripture Hall. "How did you get to the Upper Court?"

"Zuo Xiang Sheng defeated Second Uncle and seized our Tian Feng Clan's Azure Sky Hall, disgracing our Tian Feng Clan. How can we tolerate this?"

The young man smiled gently, "I've come to meet him and see what he's capable of!"

The elder of the Tian Feng Clan's eyes immediately lit up. "With you here, we can definitely reclaim the Azure Sky Hall!"

The young man shook his head and chuckled, "Zuo Xiang Sheng has done a decent job. He does need to provide a path for talented disciples from humble backgrounds. Let him continue to manage the Azure Sky Hall. My purpose in coming down the mountain this time is mainly to restore my Tian Feng Clan's honor by defeating him, letting him know that our Tian Feng Clan is not without its heroes!"

He turned to Zhong Yue and bowed, "My Second Uncle was rude. I apologize to you on his behalf."

Zhong Yue quickly returned the bow, feeling a sense of goodwill towards him. "May I ask who you are, Senior Brother?"

"A Qi Refiner of Sword Gate, Tian Yanzong of the Tian Feng Clan."

Tian Yanzong stood up and floated away, saying, "Second Uncle, don't make things difficult for him. I'm going down the mountain to challenge Zuo Xiang Sheng to bring honor to our clan. Don't let our Tian Feng Clan lose face again!"

The elder of the Tian Feng Clan's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. He suddenly flicked his sleeve and returned to the Scripture Hall.

"Hahahaha, is Senior Brother Zuo Xiang Sheng of the Zuo Qiu Clan here?"

Tian Yanzong, still in mid-air, laughed loudly, his voice echoing through the mountains. "Tian Yanzong of the Tian Feng Clan, here to seek guidance!"

Zhong Yue watched Tian Yanzong depart and whispered, "Tian Yanzong's breadth of mind and spirit are in no way inferior to Zuo Xiang Sheng. With such a mind and such a demeanor, he is truly a hero..."

"Both Tian Yanzong and Zuo Xiang Sheng are not old, only in their early twenties, perhaps five or six years older than me. Yet they already possess such presence and such magnanimity. They will undoubtedly become remarkable figures in the Great Wilderness in the future!"

"Qi Refiners, they are the Qi Refiners in my heart, the true Qi Refiners!"

Zhong Yue's emotions surged like the sea. If he had only looked at the actions of the elder of the Tian Feng Clan, he would not have yearned to become a Qi Refiner. But seeing Tian Yanzong and Zuo Xiang Sheng made him realize what the state of mind and spirit of a Qi Refiner truly was!

"This encounter has broadened your horizons and settled your mind. You already possess a certain bearing of a Qi Refiner."

In Zhong Yue's Sea of Consciousness, the Kindling Child praised him, "Perhaps you will become a remarkable Qi Refiner in the future. Of course, a bumpkin of a Qi Refiner's caliber is far inferior to a pure-blooded Kindling inheritor."

Zhong Yue was used to its taunts and didn't take it to heart. He thought, "Even though the Tian Feng Clan isn't bothering me, no one has taken me under their wing to teach me cultivation methods. Without combat techniques, I still can't unleash my full strength."

For example, just now, when that Upper Court disciple unleashed his Soul Weapon and performed sword techniques, Zhong Yue couldn't resist and could only rely on his quick wit to create a diversion. If he had mastered combat techniques, he wouldn't have had to merely dodge.

However, even though the Tian Feng Clan wasn't troubling him now, none of the Upper Court Qi Refiners were taking him in to teach him cultivation methods. Zhong Yue wouldn't be able to learn those combat techniques and unleash his true potential.

"In this life, if one's aspirations are too small, even with great talent, it's hard to achieve anything! If they don't accept me, can't I proactively listen to their teachings? As long as I can learn skills, why should I care about formalities?"

Zhong Yue's eyes lit up, and he strode into the Scripture Hall. When Sword Gate Qi Refiners descended upon the Upper Court, they often taught cultivation methods to the Upper Court disciples in the Scripture Hall. Today, there were over a dozen Qi Refiners in the Scripture Hall, each instructing a hundred or so Upper Court disciples in the principles of cultivation.

Zhong Yue entered a quiet room and stood in a corner. He saw over a hundred Upper Court disciples sitting cross-legged, quietly listening to an old Qi Refiner on the platform expound the Dao and impart knowledge.

The old Qi Refiner paused slightly when he saw Zhong Yue enter, then nodded gently in acknowledgment.

The other Upper Court disciples also looked over. The old Qi Refiner continued his lecture, his voice like a booming bell, "Mountains have Mountain Spirits, rivers have River Spirits, trees have Tree Spirits, grass has Grass Spirits, clouds have Cloud Spirits, wind has Wind Spirits, metal has Metal Spirits, earth has Earth Spirits, the moon has Moon Spirits, the sun has Sun Spirits!"

"By sensing the Spirits of heaven and earth, corresponding Spirits will form in your Sea of Consciousness!"

"What are Spirits? They are Totem Spirits, Sacrificial Spirits!"

"The people of the Great Wilderness have long worshipped mountains, great rivers, divine trees, spiritual grasses, wind and clouds, sun and moon. Over time, mountains, rivers, trees, wind, clouds, sun, and moon have gained spiritual sentience. Only those with sufficiently powerful Souls can sense the spirituality of heaven and earth and guide it into their bodies!"

"Only by possessing Spirits can one become a Qi Refiner! Spirits and Souls combine to form Souls, which are also called Nascent Souls!"

"Look, this is my Spirit!"

Above the old Qi Refiner's head, a Sword Gate suddenly appeared. From the opening of the gate, a stone figure about a foot long emerged. It had four arms, and each palm held an eye that flashed with a strange light!

"My Spirit is a Mountain Spirit. A Mountain Spirit combined with a Soul becomes a Soul, also known as a Nascent Soul! The Mountain God has four eyes, looking in all directions, so my Soul also has four eyes!"

The old Qi Refiner's Soul flew out and merged with the Mountain Spirit, becoming one. Then, his Nascent Soul grew larger and taller, transforming into a hundred-foot-tall, four-armed stone figure that stood imposingly behind him. With its arms spread and its four eyes looking in all directions, it left the numerous Upper Court disciples dumbfounded!

Zhong Yue was also profoundly shocked. He had always heard others talk about "Spirits," some calling them "Totem Spirits" or "Totem Spirits," but he never knew what a "Spirit" truly was. Now, he had finally witnessed a "Spirit" and gained a preliminary understanding of it.

"To sense Spirits, one needs a sufficiently powerful Soul. And a sufficiently powerful Soul requires arduous cultivation, trials, and tempering of oneself. To venture into the depths of the Great Wilderness for trials requires great strength."

The old Qi Refiner spoke eloquently and gradually got to the main topic, chuckling, "And great strength must be unleashed through combat techniques. You have all managed to enter the Upper Court of Sword Gate, so your foundations are good. Your Spiritual Power is sufficient, your Souls are capable of Soul Egress, and your combat awareness is not weak. You can cultivate the combat technique I will teach you today: the Thunderclap Sword Art!"

His words were captivating, gradually drawing an outsider like Zhong Yue into a wondrous realm.

"The Thunderclap Sword Art uses Spiritual Power to visualize spring thunder. Spring thunder is the first thunder of the year. I need you to use your Spiritual Power to construct Thunder Pattern Totems. Then, refine these Thunder Pattern Totems into Sword Qi. This is how the Thunderclap Sword Art is considered to have achieved minor success."

"The Thunderclap Sword Art's Sword Qi, once unleashed, blooms like spring thunder. For ranged combat, it strikes thousands of miles in an instant, severing targets at that distance! For close combat, it's a kill every ten steps, with a thunderous burst that crushes all obstacles!"

Time passed unnoticed. The old Qi Refiner imparted the secrets of cultivating the Thunderclap Sword Art wholeheartedly, using his own potent Spiritual Power to demonstrate how to etch the Thunder Pattern Totem to the many disciples of the Upper Court, holding nothing back.

Zhong Yue listened, completely engrossed. When the explanation of the Thunderclap Sword Art concluded, the old Qi Refiner closed his eyes and fell silent. Only then did the many Upper Court disciples in the quiet room awaken from their daze.

One by one, the Upper Court disciples became incredibly excited and immediately began practicing the Thunderclap Sword Art. Some even sparred in pairs, observing each other's shortcomings to improve.

"Thunder is incredibly fast, flashing across the sky like a fleeting strike. In ancient times, living beings worshipped thunder, giving rise to the Thunder Pattern Totem, which contains the power of thunder."

Zhong Yue didn't immediately try to etch the Thunder Pattern Totem to test the Thunderclap Sword Art. Instead, he continued his visualization, thinking, The key to the Thunderclap Sword Art lies in the Thunder Pattern Totem. The Thunder Pattern Totem the old Qi Refiner etched earlier was lifelike, but the crucial point isn't the form of the totem itself, but whether it can fully unleash the explosive momentum of spring thunder!

The Thunder Pattern Totem is extremely complex, making it difficult to grasp all its variations in a short time. Only by first capturing the essence of the totem can one quickly learn the Thunderclap Sword Art, apply it in actual combat, and then refine the totem to increase the art's power!

He fell into a deep visualization, recalling the scenes of lightning striking from the sky in the past, like a long sword piercing heaven and earth, its blade flashing across thousands of miles!

As for spring thunder, it was the first thunder of the year, blasting away the cold winter and shaking the soul—a different artistic conception entirely!

After a long while, Zhong Yue opened his eyes, stood up, and began to practice the Thunderclap Sword Art.

By this time, quite a few Upper Court disciples had practiced the Thunderclap Sword Art to a passable degree. Their sword techniques, when performed, were not much different from the old Qi Refiner's.

However, Zhong Yue's practice of the Thunderclap Sword Art was vastly different from the old Qi Refiner's, appearing extremely clumsy and lacking any of the Thunderclap's agility.

The old Qi Refiner remained seated with his eyes closed. Behind him, the mountain god with four arms and four eyes opened its eyes and closely observed every move of the Upper Court disciples.

After a long time, the old Qi Refiner sighed, rose, and departed, lamenting, "Only one has received my true inheritance..."

---- To my dear readers, I know this chapter is uploaded more than three hours late. But do you know that I rewrote this chapter three times! I wrote a total of nine thousand characters! The first draft was written according to the outline, but after reading it a few times, I felt it lacked spirit, so I rewrote it. The second draft still didn't satisfy me, but it was already the scheduled time for chapter release. I was agonizing, but I gritted my teeth and rewrote it again. The chapter you are reading now, at three thousand characters, is the three thousand characters from the nine thousand I wrote, and it's the chapter that I finally feel satisfied with!!

This is truly pouring my heart and soul into it!! What more can I say? Please give me your recommendation votes!!!