Taixu Sword Art

Chapter 49: Taixu Sword Art

Shi Yue's expression turned thoughtful upon hearing this.

After closing the stone door, Shi Yue took out everything from the storage bag given to him by "Uncle-Master Zhao."

Besides the materials for refining five batches of Bigu Pills, there were also five palm-sized pieces of black charcoal and a white feather fan.

Shi Yue placed a piece of black charcoal at the bottom of the alchemy furnace and extended a finger, muttering incantations.

Before long, the chanting from his mouth stopped, and a finger-thick flame appeared on his fingertip.

With a flick of his finger, the flame shot out and landed on the black charcoal.

With a "poof," the black charcoal began to burn intensely.

Seeing this, Shi Yue picked up the white feather fan and fanned the black charcoal forcefully. The flame immediately grew larger, with rolling flames engulfing the bottom of the alchemy furnace.

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Yue opened the lid of the alchemy furnace, poured in one batch of materials, and then closed the lid.

Before long, a faint, fresh fragrance wafted out from the alchemy furnace.

At this, Shi Yue finally revealed a satisfied smile.

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Yue extinguished the flame, opened the lid of the alchemy furnace, and saw eleven Bigu Pills lying inside. They were vibrantly colored and plump.

Shi Yue's expression shifted, and he picked up a Bigu Pill and put it into his mouth.

This Bigu Pill tasted no different from the ones he had refined before; it just looked better on the outside.

Shi Yue put away the remaining ten Bigu Pills and placed a piece of Spirit Charcoal beneath the alchemy furnace.

Before long, rolling flames engulfed the bottom of the alchemy furnace…

In the hall, the middle-aged woman asked curiously, "Senior Brother Zhao, weren't there already a few alchemist apprentices specifically refining Bigu Pills? Why are you suddenly recruiting more?"

"Junior Nephew Sun has learned to refine Qi Refining Powder and has switched to doing so. Now that he's gone, we naturally need someone to fill his position," the middle-aged man explained.

"I see. However, the Deacon Hall actually sent a disciple at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Isn't that too irresponsible? Although Bigu Pills are the simplest type of pill, how could a disciple at the fourth level of Qi Refining possibly refine pills!" the middle-aged woman said with some dissatisfaction, her eyes full of doubt.

"Not necessarily. This child has a strong smell of sulfur on him. If I'm not mistaken, he's been to Danxia Peak quite a bit, otherwise, the smell of sulfur wouldn't be so strong," the middle-aged man said, shaking his head with a smile.

"I hope this child can truly refine Bigu Pills! Speaking of which, it should be about time, right? Senior Brother Zhao." the middle-aged woman said.

"I'll go take a look now," the middle-aged man said, getting up and walking towards the passage on the left.

The middle-aged man arrived in front of the secret chamber where Shi Yue was located and found that the stone door had already been opened. Shi Yue stood with his back to the door.

"Junior Nephew Shi, have you finished refining the Bigu Pills?" the middle-aged man asked calmly.

"Uncle-Master Zhao, I have not failed in my mission," Shi Yue turned around, a smile on his face. He then took out four white porcelain bottles and handed them to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man took the porcelain bottles, poured out all the pills inside, swept them with his divine sense, and nodded with satisfaction. He said, "Hmm, good. Thirty-eight Bigu Pills. You've passed the assessment. I will give you one hundred and fifty sets of materials for refining Bigu Pills and one hundred and fifty Spirit Charcoals each month. You need to deliver one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills to me at the end of each month, along with sixty Spirit Stones. For every pill short, you'll lose one Spirit Stone. For every hundred pills extra, you'll be rewarded with one Spirit Stone. Do you have any questions?"

Shi Yue pondered for a moment and then asked, "Uncle-Master Zhao, do I need to stay here every day to refine pills?"

"Not necessarily. It's your business where you refine them, as long as you deliver one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills by the end of the month. However, if there's nothing else, it's best to refine them here. Because in the middle of each month, the Divine Pill Hall holds an exchange meeting. Participants include alchemist apprentices, alchemists, and sometimes even Grandmasters from our sect. Attending more exchange meetings will continuously improve your alchemy skills and benefit you for life," the middle-aged man said, shaking his head, word by word.

"Disciple understands. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle-Master Zhao," Shi Yue clasped his fists in thanks.

"Alright, this is the token for entering and exiting Divine Pill Peak. Activate it in front of me," the middle-aged man said, taking out a red, circular token engraved with the words "Divine Pill."

Shi Yue dared not disobey. He immediately took out a dagger, cut his finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and dripped it onto the circular token.

The circular token immediately lit up with a red glow, but the light quickly subsided, returning to normal.

"Here are one hundred and fifty sets of materials for refining Bigu Pills and one hundred and fifty Spirit Charcoals. You're free to go. Remember to deliver one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills to me by the end of the month," the middle-aged man said, taking out a storage bag and handing it to Shi Yue before turning to leave.

Shi Yue carefully put away the storage bag given by "Uncle-Master Zhao" and walked out quickly, a faint smile on his face.

He could earn sixty Spirit Stones each month by handing in one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills, and that wasn't all. He could also participate in exchange meetings and share alchemy knowledge with others. Thinking of this, Shi Yue couldn't stop smiling.

After returning to the foot of Divine Pill Peak, Shi Yue summoned his flying Magic Tool and flew towards the Scripture Repository.

Shi Yue intended to find a sword art to cultivate. Sword Cultivators were known as invincible among their peers. If he were to learn one, he would learn the strongest Spiritual Power.

Shi Yue now had over two thousand Bigu Pills. Even if he didn't open his furnace to refine pills, he would still have Bigu Pills to hand in.

Therefore, he planned to spend the next month cultivating diligently, striving to achieve a ranking in the upcoming minor competition. It would be great if he could obtain a few free acres of Spirit Field.

Upon arriving at the Scripture Repository, Shi Yue headed straight for the shelf labeled "Cultivation Techniques."

The shelf was lined with jade slips of various colors. Shi Yue picked up a red jade slip and placed it against his forehead, but quickly put it down. He then picked up a second jade slip and pressed it to his forehead.

"Hey, Shi kid, if you want cultivation techniques, just tell me! The ones I give you are not only powerful but also inexpensive. I have several sets of sword arts that are perfect for you, enough to cultivate from the Qi Refining Stage all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm. They are Hundred Flowers Sword Art, Taibai Sword Art, Guiyuan Sword Art, Fentian Sword Art, Taigang Sword Art, and Beidou Sword Art. The price is negotiable," Xiaoyaozi's voice suddenly sounded in Shi Yue's mind.

Shi Yue ignored him. When he participated in the minor competition, fellow disciples would definitely be watching. If anyone asked him where his sword art came from, how would he answer?

To be safe, Shi Yue decided to find a sword art to cultivate in the Scripture Repository.

Half an hour later, Shi Yue put down a blue jade slip with a look of disappointment, yawned, and then picked up a white jade slip, pressing it to his forehead.

The next moment, Shi Yue's eyes lit up.

"Taixu Sword Art, created by the founding ancestor of the Great Void Sect. This Taixu Sword Art is divided into thirteen layers. The first three layers can be cultivated by disciples at the Qi Refining Stage, while the last four layers can only be cultivated by Nascent Soul Cultivators. For every three layers mastered, one unique Spiritual Power is gained. After mastering the first three layers, one can emit sword energy about ten feet long with bare hands, without any Magic Tools, and its power can rival that of ordinary high-grade Magic Tools."

Shi Yue's face lit up with joy upon seeing that it was created by the founding ancestor of the Great Void Sect. He quickly picked up the jade slip and headed straight for the counter.

"Uncle Qian, I would like to copy this jade slip," Shi Yue said, placing the jade slip and ten Spirit Stones on the counter, addressing the gray-robed elder behind it.

The old man in grey robes looked indifferent. He put away the Spirit Stones, picked up the jade slip, and placed it against his brow.

"Oh? The Taixu Sword Art. You want to copy the sword art founded by the sect's founding ancestor?" the old man in grey robes exclaimed softly. He put down the jade slip and said with a strange expression.

"Yes! Is there a problem? Uncle Qian?" Shi Yue asked curiously.

"Oh, no problem. This Taixu Sword Art was indeed created by the sect's founding ancestor, but it only contains the cultivation methods for the first six layers. What you're copying now is the first three layers," the old man in grey robes said. He was merely curious because this sword art hadn't been of interest to anyone for many years.

"Ah! It only has the cultivation methods for the first six layers." Shi Yue was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

"Then forget it. I don't want it anymore. Give me back my Spirit Stones," Shi Yue said after some thought.

"Too late. It's already been copied," the old man in grey robes stated calmly. After speaking, he handed a blue jade slip to Shi Yue.

Shi Yue felt like crying and laughing at the same time. He could only accept the jade slip and then turned back to the shelves where the cultivation technique manuals were placed.

Half an hour later, Shi Yue walked out of the Scripture Repository with a dejected look on his face.