The Taixu Sword Art

Shi Yue pondered this, looking thoughtful.

After closing the stone door, Shi Yue took out everything in the Storage Bag "Uncle-Master Zhao" had given him.

Besides five sets of ingredients for refining Bigu Pills, there were also five palm-sized chunks of black charcoal and a white feather fan.

Shi Yue placed a chunk of black charcoal beneath the pill furnace, then extended a finger and began murmuring an incantation.

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

He flicked his finger, and the flame shot off, landing on the charcoal.

With a puff, the charcoal burst into vigorous flames.

Seeing this, Shi Yue picked up the white feather fan and fanned the charcoal hard. The flames immediately grew, and a surging blaze enveloped the bottom of the pill furnace.

After a quarter of an hour, Shi Yue opened the furnace lid, poured in one set of ingredients, and closed it again.

Before long, a faint, fragrant aroma drifted from the furnace.

At this, Shi Yue finally smiled with satisfaction.

A quarter of an hour later, Shi Yue put out the fire and opened the furnace lid. Inside lay eleven Bigu Pills, their colors bright and their shapes full and round.

Shi Yue's expression shifted. He picked up a Bigu Pill and popped it into his mouth.

It tasted no different from the Bigu Pills he had refined before; it just looked a little better.

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

Before long, surging flames enveloped the bottom of the pill furnace...

"Senior Brother Zhao, weren't there already several alchemy apprentices who specialized in making Bigu Pills? Why are we suddenly recruiting more?" the middle-aged woman asked curiously.

"Junior Nephew Sun learned to make Qi Refining Powder and switched to refining it. Now that he's left, naturally we need someone to take his place," the middle-aged man explained.

"I see. But the Deacon Hall actually sent over a disciple at Qi Refining Level Four? That's so irresponsible! Bigu Pills may be the simplest kind of pill, but how could a disciple at Qi Refining Level Four possibly know alchemy?" the middle-aged woman complained, her eyes full of doubt.

"Not necessarily. This boy has a strong smell of sulfur about him. If I'm not mistaken, he's been going to Dusk Cloud Peak quite often; otherwise, the smell wouldn't be so strong." The middle-aged man shook his head and smiled.

"I hope he really can refine Bigu Pills. Come to think of it, it should be about time, shouldn't it, Senior Brother Zhao?" the middle-aged woman said.

"I'll go check." The middle-aged man rose and headed down the passage to the left.

When he reached the room where Shi Yue was, the middle-aged man found the stone door already open. Shi Yue stood with his back to it.

"Junior Nephew Shi, are the Bigu Pills ready?" the middle-aged man asked mildly.

"Uncle-Master Zhao, I've done my best and succeeded." Shi Yue turned around with a smile. Then he took out four White Porcelain Bottles and handed them over.

The middle-aged man took the bottles and poured out all the pills. After scanning them with his spiritual sense, he nodded in satisfaction. "Good, thirty-eight Bigu Pills. You've passed the test. Every month, I'll give you one hundred and fifty sets of ingredients for refining Bigu Pills and one hundred and fifty chunks of Spirit Charcoal. At the end of each month, you'll need to hand over one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills. You'll receive sixty Spirit Stones per month; one Spirit Stone will be deducted for every pill you're short, and you'll get one extra Spirit Stone for every hundred pills you make beyond the quota. Ask if you have any questions."

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

"Not at all. Where you refine them is up to you. As long as you hand over one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills at the end of the month, that's all that matters. Still, if you have nothing else to do, it'd be best to refine pills here. Divine Pill Hall holds an exchange gathering in the middle of every month. The attendees include alchemy apprentices and alchemists, and sometimes even an Alchemy Grandmaster from our sect joins in. Attend more gatherings, and your alchemy skills will keep improving. You'll benefit for the rest of your life." The middle-aged man shook his head and spoke deliberately.

"This disciple understands. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle-Master Zhao." Shi Yue cupped his fists in thanks.

"Good. Here's the token for entering and leaving Divine Pill Peak. Activate it in front of me." The middle-aged man produced a round, red token engraved with the words "Divine Pill."

Shi Yue didn't dare refuse. He immediately took out a dagger, cut his finger, squeezed out a drop of Essence Blood, and let it fall onto the Circular Token.

The token immediately glowed red, but soon the light faded, and it returned to normal.

"Here are one hundred and fifty sets of ingredients for refining Bigu Pills and one hundred and fifty chunks of Spirit Charcoal. Do as you please, and remember to hand over one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills at the end of the month." The middle-aged man produced a Storage Bag, handed it to Shi Yue, then turned and left.

Shi Yue tucked away the Storage Bag "Uncle-Master Zhao" had given him and hurried out, a faint smile on his face.

Handing over one thousand and eighty Bigu Pills each month would earn him sixty Spirit Stones. And on top of that, he could attend the exchange gatherings and trade knowledge about alchemy. Just thinking about it made Shi Yue grin from ear to ear.

After returning to the foot of Divine Pill Peak, Shi Yue summoned his flying tool and headed for the Scripture Repository.

Shi Yue planned to find a sword art to practice. Sword Cultivators were said to be invincible among those of the same level, so if he was going to learn one, he would learn the strongest technique.

Shi Yue now had more than two thousand Bigu Pills. Even if he didn't refine any more, he had enough to pay his monthly quota.

So he planned to devote the next month to cultivation and try to place in the Minor Competition. It would be wonderful if he could win a few acres of free Spirit Field.

Once he reached the Scripture Repository, Shi Yue went straight to the shelf marked "Cultivation Techniques."

Rows of colorful Jade Slips stood on the shelf. Shi Yue picked up a red one and pressed it to his brow, but soon put it down and picked up another, holding that one to his brow instead.

"Shi boy, if you want a cultivation technique, just ask me! The ones I gave you are powerful, and they're not expensive either. I have several sword arts that would suit you perfectly, enough to take you from the Qi Refining Stage all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm: the Hundred Blossoms Sword Art, the Taibai Sword Art, the Guiyuan Sword Art, the Fentian Sword Art, the Taigang Sword Art, and the Big Dipper Sword Art. We can talk about the price."

Xiaoyaozi's voice suddenly rang out in Shi Yue's mind.

Shi Yue ignored him. When he fought in the Minor Competition, his fellow disciples would surely be watching. If someone asked where he had gotten the sword art he used, how would he explain it?

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

Half an hour later, Shi Yue put down a blue Jade Slip with a disappointed look and yawned. Then he picked up a white Jade Slip and pressed it to his brow.

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

"The Taixu Sword Art was created by the founding patriarch of the Taixu Sect. It has thirteen levels. Disciples at the Qi Refining Stage can practice the first three, while the final four can be cultivated only by Nascent Soul Cultivators. For every three levels mastered, the practitioner gains a unique divine ability. Once the first three levels are mastered, the practitioner can release sword beams several feet long with bare hands, without using any Magic Tool. Their power can rival that of an ordinary High-grade Magic Tool."

When Shi Yue saw that it had been created by the founding patriarch of the Taixu Sect, delight spread across his face. He hurriedly took the Jade Slip and went straight to the counter.

"Uncle-Master Qian, I'd like to copy this Jade Slip." Shi Yue placed the Jade Slip and ten Spirit Stones on the counter and addressed the gray-robed old man behind it.

The gray-robed old man's expression was cold. He pocketed the Spirit Stones, picked up the Jade Slip, and pressed it to his brow.

"Hm? The Taixu Sword Art? You want to copy the sword art created by the founding patriarch?" the gray-robed old man asked, setting down the Jade Slip with a strange look.

"That's right. Is there a problem, Uncle-Master Qian?" Shi Yue asked curiously.

"Oh, there's no problem. The Taixu Sword Art was indeed created by the founding patriarch, but only the first six levels of its cultivation method remain. What you're copying now are the first three." The gray-robed old man was merely curious; no one had shown interest in this sword art for years.

"Ah! Only the first six levels remain?" Shi Yue froze.

"Forget it, then. I don't want it. Give me back my Spirit Stones." Shi Yue thought it over and said this.

"Too late. It's already been copied." The gray-robed old man replied flatly, then handed Shi Yue a blue Jade Slip.

Shi Yue could only accept it, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Then he returned to the shelves of cultivation manuals.

Half an hour later, Shi Yue walked out of the Scripture Repository, his face full of dejection.