Mu Bai

When Su Yu stepped into the Inner Sect Main Hall, Elder Mo Yuan was already standing there.

To his surprise, a man in his early thirties was standing beside Mo Yuan.

This man wore a dark robe, his face sharply defined like a knife carving, and a sword light seemed to flow between his eyes as they opened and closed.

Just standing there, a sharp aura naturally emanated from him, causing the Nascent Sword Intent within Su Yu's body to tremble slightly.

Elder Mo Yuan, disciple Su Yu has completed the procedures.

Su Yu stepped forward to bow, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the stranger.

That sharp, exposed aura was somewhat similar to the Nascent Sword Intent he had comprehended, yet it was countless times stronger.

Before Elder Mo Yuan could speak, the man's gaze suddenly sharpened.

In an instant, Su Yu felt a mountain-toppling, sea-overturning Sword Intent pressure surge towards him, so sharp it felt like it would pierce him through.

The Nascent Sword Intent within his body reacted instinctively, forming a thin protective layer on his skin.

The man let out a soft "Oh?", and the pressure instantly dissipated, as if it had all been an illusion.

He waved his sleeve, and an invisible soundproof barrier enveloped the three of them.

"Good! It truly is Nascent Sword Intent!" the man exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement, his voice trembling slightly.

He then seemed to realize his loss of composure, coughed lightly, and said sternly, "I am Mu Bai, the current Disciplinary Elder of the Inner Sect. To comprehend Nascent Sword Intent in the Qi Refining Realm..."

He stared intently at Su Yu, "Let alone myself back then, even that kid Ye Chen couldn't achieve this."

Su Yu's heart trembled.

So this was the person in the sect, besides Ye Chen, who had comprehended Half-step Sword Intent.

No wonder that Sword Intent pressure earlier was so terrifying. If the other party hadn't intentionally restrained himself, his Nascent Sword Intent probably wouldn't have lasted even a single breath.

Indeed, there was a world of difference between Half-step Sword Intent and its nascent form.

Disciple Su Yu, greetings Elder Mu Bai.

Su Yu bowed respectfully, but his heart was churning like a stormy sea.

This Elder appeared young, but his cultivation was unfathomably deep, and his Sword Intent had already reached a profound level.

Mu Bai nodded slightly, his eyes filled with even more admiration. "Good, your temperament is steady, neither arrogant nor impatient. Brother Mo Yuan, you've truly struck gold this time."

Mo Yuan stroked his beard and smiled. "I've said it long ago, this child is extraordinary. However..."

He turned to Su Yu, his expression becoming serious. "Elder Mu Bai's visit today is for an important matter."

Mu Bai's gaze was like lightning as he fixed on Su Yu and said in a deep voice, "There is indeed a matter to discuss, but it's not mandatory; it's the sect's expectations of you."

He stood with his hands behind his back, Sword Intent flowing around him. "Your comprehension is astonishing, and your cultivation talent is also decent, but to make a name for yourself on the Nine Heavens Continent, this is far from enough. Strength is the most crucial thing."

Mu Bai's voice gradually grew solemn. "If your strength is insufficient, no matter how high your comprehension or how great your talent, you will eventually be like a fleeting flower. Furthermore, precisely because of your exceptional talent, you will attract more assassination attempts."

He paused, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes. "Your senior brother Ye Chen has survived countless assassination attempts to reach where he is today. Last time, even an Essence Transformation Realm Martial Artist made a move. If he hadn't been strong enough, he would have died long ago. And in the future, only greater crises await him."

Mu Bai looked directly into Su Yu's eyes. "As for you, the dangers you face might be even greater. This path is fraught with thorns. Are you mentally prepared?"

Su Yu met Mu Bai's gaze without fear, his voice firm. "This disciple has long been prepared. The path of martial arts is inherently against the heavens. If one shrinks back from fear of danger, it's better to just be a mortal."

He lightly touched the Lone Swan Sword at his waist with his right hand and continued, "Moreover, this disciple believes that true powerhouses are forged in the crucible of life and death. Those assassination attempts and crises will only become the driving force for my progress."

Upon hearing this, Mu Bai's eyes flashed with brilliance, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly. "Good! With this resolve, you will not be unworthy of your talent."

He stood with his hands behind his back, his tone turning solemn. "The sect has high hopes for you. We hope you can break into the top hundred of the Inner Sect within a year. If you succeed, the sect will spare no effort in cultivating you; if you fail..."

He paused, his gaze like a sword. "While you won't be punished, your resource allocation will naturally be reduced accordingly. Do you understand?"

Su Yu straightened his back, his gaze firm as iron. "This disciple understands and will not fail the sect's expectations."

Mu Bai nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject. "Have you chosen your Inner Sect cultivation technique yet?"

"I haven't chosen yet," Su Yu replied truthfully.

"Excellent."

A deep meaning flashed in Mu Bai's eyes. "With your aptitude, you can make an exception to choose a cultivation technique and martial skill according to the standards of a Core Disciple – one Low-grade Yellow-tier Cultivation Technique and one Mid-grade Yellow-tier Martial Skill."

His tone turned serious. "Remember, cultivation techniques are the foundation of cultivation. You must choose with utmost care. I've already spoken with Elder Wei at the Scripture Repository, you can go directly tomorrow."

With that, he waved his sleeve, removing the soundproof barrier.

Seeing this, Mo Yuan stroked his beard and smiled. "Su Yu, cultivate diligently. If you can reach the pinnacle one day, it will be the sect that relies on you."

He then nodded to Mu Bai. "Youngster Mu, I'll entrust this child to you."

Before his voice even faded, he had already transformed into a stream of light and departed.

Mu Bai watched in the direction Mo Yuan had left, then turned to give Su Yu a final piece of advice. "Remember, the path of the sword lies in perseverance."

With that, without any visible movement, he shot through the air like a drawn sword, leaving only a lingering trace of sharp Sword Intent in the air.

Su Yu stood in place, feeling the residual Sword Intent fluctuations in the air, his heart filled with both pressure and fighting spirit.

He gripped the Lone Swan Sword at his waist, vowing inwardly that he would make a name for himself within a year.

As night fell, Su Yu sat cross-legged in the quiet room of his new residence.

Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the bluestone floor.

He took out a storage bag and poured out over fifty Level 1 Beast Cores. These crystal-clear gems shimmered faintly under the moonlight.

"Brother Sword, I'll have to trouble you again."

Su Yu gently stroked the ancient sword. The blade trembled slightly, as if responding to his words.

Ever since he stepped into the Spirit Condensation Realm, he had increasingly felt the extraordinary nature of this sword.

As the Beast Cores were absorbed one by one, the ancient sword emitted a faint hum, greedily devouring their energy.

Su Yu could clearly feel a stream of pure Spiritual Power flowing continuously into his body through the sword hilt.

However, when the last Beast Core turned to dust, Su Yu opened his eyes, his brow furrowed: Was the Spiritual Power required for the Spirit Condensation Realm truly this immense?

Over fifty Level 1 Beast Cores would have been enough to help him break through several stages when he was in the Qi Refining Realm. Now, they had only pushed his cultivation from the early to the late stage of the first level of the Spirit Condensation Realm.

He sighed softly, rubbing the sword's body: "It seems I'll have to hunt Level 2 Yao Beasts from now on."

Level 2 Beast Cores contained more than ten times the energy of Level 1 ones, but correspondingly, the strength of Level 2 Yao Beasts was far beyond that of Level 1.

The quiet room returned to silence, but Su Yu did not relax at all. He adjusted his breathing and began circulating the Qi Nurturing Technique.

Although this technique from the Su Family was only Human-grade Low-tier, it was excellent for its balanced and steady nature, making it most suitable for building a foundation.

As Spiritual Power flowed through his meridians, he clearly felt the changes in every acupoint.

"Tomorrow, I must go to the Scripture Repository and choose a suitable Yellow-tier cultivation technique," Su Yu mused inwardly.

Now that his cultivation had reached the Spirit Condensation Realm, the quality of his cultivation technique would directly affect his cultivation speed.

Moreover, Elder Mu Bai had promised a Low-grade Yellow-tier cultivation technique that only Core Disciples could enjoy.