Since his battle with the Cavern Ape Ghost King, Lu Xiaotian had rarely shown himself after returning to White Crane City. Instead, he devoted himself to studying the art of the Ethereal Sword Formation.
That battle had indeed benefited Lu Xiaotian greatly. The Cavern Ape Ghost King was a formidable expert on par with a mid-stage Ghost King, so no one dared criticize Lu Xiaotian for taking some time to rest afterward. What was more, Soaring Heavens Palace had managed to bring Madam Huaying and True Person Mingya to safety.
After returning to White Crane City, Lu Xiaotian did more than contemplate the sword formation. He also used his Primordial Spirits to nourish the sword bead and sword embryo anew. It took his eight Primordial Spirits several months of continuous effort, day and night, to restore them to their former condition. Only then did Lu Xiaotian finally breathe a sigh of relief.
His experience fighting the Cavern Ape had made him all the more aware of the importance of having several spirit-channeling artifacts on hand. If one was damaged, his combat strength would inevitably take a hit. Against a foe who had been evenly matched with him, any loss of strength could mean the difference between victory and defeat—or even life and death.
Strictly speaking, the Cavern Ape Ghost King's cultivation was higher than his own. It was just that Lu Xiaotian's two sets of spirit-channeling artifacts were truly extraordinary.
By comparison, his understanding of the sword formation seemed to come faster through actual combat. The day he no longer needed all eight Primordial Spirits working at once, and a single one could control the Ethereal Sword Formation with perfect command, would be the day he had mastered it.
In the struggle against the Ghost Clan, people fell every day,