Myriad Forms Style

Qingcang Academy, deep within the Inner Prefecture.

An ancient, simple tiled pavilion hung beside a steep cliff, its eaves upturned as if ready to soar into the sky. Inside, sandalwood incense curled lazily. An old man sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his eyes half-closed, seemingly merged with the world around him.

Suddenly, the old man's brows twitched. His aged voice echoed slowly in the spacious pavilion, "Since you're back, come in."

The pavilion's main door opened on its own, with no wind. The person entering was none other than the Outer Prefecture's steward, Lin Xiuyuan.

"Disciple Lin Xiuyuan greets Elder Zhou," Lin Xiuyuan said, bowing respectfully.

Elder Zhou opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy gaze.

"How are the preparations for the Outer Prefecture Grand Competition coming along?" Elder Zhou picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip.

"We are in the midst of preparations," Lin Xiuyuan replied. "This time, we plan to put some pressure on those young ones."

"Oh? You handle it as you see fit!" Elder Zhou put down his teacup. "The Moon Marrow Vermilion Fruit you brought back from Silver Moon Bay last month, I've considered it for a long time and decided to make it the first-place prize for this Outer Prefecture Grand Competition."

Lin Xiuyuan's heart stirred. "Elder means..."

"The next Tianfeng Martial Arts Grand Competition is only three years away. Our Qingcang Academy has finished last for two consecutive sessions. We cannot afford to lose again this time."

The Tianfeng Martial Arts Grand Competition.

Lin Xiuyuan fell silent.

It was a top-tier competition hosted by Skywind Martial City and even several surrounding cities, held every five years. Participants were the most elite geniuses from various academies, families, and sects, all under the age of twenty-five and with cultivation no higher than the third level of the Nascent Core Realm.

Those who could stand out in that competition were all true prodigies.

And Qingcang Academy had finished last for two consecutive sessions.

"Right," Elder Zhou seemed to recall something. "You've been guarding the Outer Prefecture for years. Are there any promising seedlings capable of carrying the weight of expectation in the Outer Prefecture this session?"

Promising seedlings?

A figure dressed in simple clothes subconsciously appeared in Lin Xiuyuan's mind.

After a moment of thought, he slowly said, "The top ten on the Outer Prefecture Battle Rankings, such as Xiao Ting Yuan and Chu Hanjiang, have solid foundations and excellent talent; they all have a chance to compete. As for the others... although there are a few who perform acceptably, their time has not yet come, and they still need tempering."

Elder Zhou didn't notice Lin Xiuyuan's thoughts and merely shook his head with some disappointment. "I hope it's not too late. That young fellow from Tianfeng Divine Martial Academy, and one of the three sons of Zhanfeng Academy, are said to have already touched the threshold of the Ultimate Form. We cannot lose this generation."

Ultimate Form!

Lin Xiuyuan's heart tightened.

That was the highest realm of Martial Skill cultivation, a unique ultimate move comprehended after pushing a Martial Skill to its extreme. Each Ultimate Form contained the martial artist's ultimate understanding of the Martial Dao, with power far exceeding ordinary techniques.

Those who could comprehend an Ultimate Form were all true prodigies.

And now, Tianfeng Divine Martial Academy and Zhanfeng Academy already had someone touching that threshold.

"What about Pei Xuanjing from the Inner Prefecture?" Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but ask. "Wasn't he always trying to break through to the Ultimate Form?"

Elder Zhou shook his head, his voice tinged with regret. "He gave up."

"Gave up?"

"Yes, he's been challenging the Dao Shadow Tower like a madman recently, trying to find an opportunity for a breakthrough from the Martial Dao of those geniuses."

The Dao Shadow Tower was one of Skywind Martial City's sacred cultivation grounds. The tower sealed the Martial Dao Imprints left by powerful figures of past generations, capable of condensing projections of peak cultivators at the challenger's realm to spar with them.

Those who could leave their names on the tower were all peerless geniuses who had comprehended an Ultimate Form.

"Unfortunately, after trying for several months, he still hasn't managed to leave his name on the tower. You know the rules of the Dao Shadow Tower; the projections adjust according to the challenger's realm. At the Hundred Refinements Realm, the projections would also be suppressed to the peak of the Hundred Refinements Realm. Only by repeatedly sparring at this level could one have a chance to force them to use their Ultimate Form and comprehend that sliver of profound mystery."

He paused, his voice deepening. "But once one breaks through to the Nascent Core Realm, the level of the projections will also increase. At that point, the gap in realms is too large, and it becomes impossible to force those figures to use their Ultimate Form."

"Pei Xuanjing also chose the most stable way to improve his strength and directly advanced to the Nascent Core Realm."

Lin Xiuyuan fell silent.

Pei Xuanjing was the undisputed top genius of the Inner Prefecture, with extremely high attainments in swordsmanship, and had once been highly anticipated. But now, even he had given up on pursuing the Ultimate Form.

What did this signify?

It meant that Qingcang Academy truly hadn't produced any astonishingly talented prodigies for a very long time.

"Therefore, for this Outer Prefecture Grand Competition, we must select seedlings with true potential," Elder Zhou's voice became serious again. "The Moon Marrow Vermilion Fruit is just an appetizer; the real resource allocation will come after the competition."

Elder Zhou waved his hand. "Go. Pay more attention to the Outer Prefecture Grand Competition."

"Yes."

Lin Xiuyuan cupped his fists in a salute and slowly withdrew from the pavilion.

Deep within the purple bamboo forest, the morning mist had yet to dissipate.

Qin Jue sat cross-legged on a thick layer of fallen leaves, his breathing long and steady, his entire being seemingly integrated with the surrounding environment.

"Hoo... Haa..."

He was adjusting his breathing rhythm, recalling the method for the first layer, "Mind Mirror," of the Myriad Forms Style in his mind. He cast aside distracting thoughts, letting his consciousness sink into his Sea of Consciousness, to perceive rather than to "see."

For him, the Tide Rising Sword Technique focused on offense, and Cicada Wing · Thousand Layers focused on explosive power. His killing techniques were sufficient. However, when facing opponents who were exceptionally outstanding in certain aspects, the shortcomings in perception and movement techniques would put him at a disadvantage.

So, after defeating Ning Zhiyuan yesterday, he didn't delay for a moment, heading straight to the martial arts stronghold—the Myriad Scrolls Pavilion—to exchange for two suitable Martial Skills.

The first was a movement technique, Startling Swan Flash, which pushed a martial artist's explosive power to the limits achievable at the mortal tier. Its core concept, "move like fleeting light, act like a sweeping shadow," was practically born for close-quarters combat. It demanded an almost monstrous level of explosive power from the physical body, and any slight carelessness in its cultivation could result in broken bones and torn muscles.

The second was a mental cultivation technique, Myriad Forms Style. It was formless and shapeless, not cultivating Qi and Blood, but only refining the mind and spirit. It emphasized the unity of mental state and instinctual combat. Once mastered, it would allow the user to always make the most correct response in rapidly changing battle situations! This ethereal concept was akin to a fantasy for eager Outer Court Disciples desperate for power and quick success.

However, in Qin Jue's eyes, these were the most suitable Martial Skills for him.

The formidable physique forged by the Nine Revolutions Viscera Refining Secret Record allowed him to disregard the stringent cultivation requirements of Startling Swan Flash. Furthermore, the extraordinary comprehension granted by his Void Clarity Sword Heart was the perfect tool for deciphering the profound Martial Skill of Myriad Forms Style!

"Hoo..." Qin Jue exhaled a breath of stale air, casting aside distracting thoughts, and attempted to touch the profound realm of "selflessness."

Gradually, the world changed in his perception.

The trajectory of the wind blowing through bamboo leaves, the arc of dewdrops sliding off leaf tips, even the frequency of some unknown insect's Flap Wings ten yards away, were all clearly reflected in his mind. The sensation was peculiar, as if he had installed a mirror in his mind, where everything around him was displayed with perfect clarity.

"Is this... the Mind Mirror?"

With a thought, Qin Jue instinctively tried to track the insect's trajectory.

The moment this thought arose, the mystical sense of omniscience instantly collapsed, and the images in his mind shattered.

"Failed."

Qin Jue opened his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly.

"This Myriad Forms Style is indeed difficult to cultivate. That pavilion attendant wasn't lying; this Martial Skill demands extreme focus of the mind. Any stray thought will ruin all progress. A mind like still water... easier said than done.

Qin Jue chuckled self-deprecatingly. "But if it were easy, it wouldn't showcase my abilities."

"Again!"

Qin Jue closed his eyes once more. This time, he didn't rush to perceive his surroundings. Instead, he first calmed his mind and touched that point of ethereal clarity deep within his Sea of Consciousness—his Void Clarity Sword Heart.

Instantly, the entire world fell silent.

His previously chaotic thoughts were smoothed out by an invisible force, and his mind became calmer than ever before. The frustration from his previous failure vanished without a trace.

In his perception, the bamboo forest was no longer a forest, but a collection of air currents, light, and sound. The wind was flowing lines, the leaves were trembling patches of color, and sounds were ripples in the air.

This time, he didn't overthink it. He simply perceived everything as an observer, quietly taking it all in.

He didn't know how long had passed; perhaps an instant, perhaps an entire hour.

Qin Jue's eyes snapped open.

In that fleeting moment, a faint, almost imperceptible silver-white light flickered deep within his pitch-black pupils. Though weak, the light exuded a cold rationality.

Myriad Forms Style First Layer—Mind Mirror, achieved!