Secret Technique

Linjian City.

This was a city backed by the Divine Sword Sect. Many of the sect's disciples and their families lived here.

In a sense, Linjian City belonged to the Divine Sword Sect. Though it had government offices, most of the people working there had countless ties to the sect.

Inside a tavern.

"Senior Brother Yan."

Yi Zhong stood there with a fawning, deferential look.

The one seated was a young man dressed in fine robes, his bearing refined and otherworldly. He took a small sip of wine and said calmly, "Li Gan has become an Official Disciple. This mission ends here."

"Huh? Senior Brother Yan, wasn't Li Gan a Menial Disciple? How did he become an Official Disciple?"

Yi Zhong looked utterly incredulous.

"Would I lie to you? All right, leave."

The young man in fine robes waved a hand.

Yi Zhong felt stifled with resentment. How many years had he worked to become an Official Disciple?

Li Gan had only been a Menial Disciple for a little over two years. How had he suddenly become an Official Disciple?

"Senior Brother Yan, you said before that you'd support me..."

He drew a deep breath and hurriedly asked.

"I've told you already. This mission is over. Get out. And the matter I asked you to handle must never leave your lips. You know what will happen otherwise."

The young man in fine robes knitted his brows, his tone tinged with displeasure.

A mere Menial Disciple dared to make demands of him? He had only needed the man's help before. Now that Yi Zhong was no longer useful, he couldn't be bothered with him.

Didn't it take resources to cultivate a Menial Disciple?

Though he was an Official Disciple and had even taken an Ordinary Elder as his master, making him a Personal Disciple with much better status and treatment than an ordinary Official Disciple, he couldn't just hand out cultivation resources for nothing.

Yi Zhong was considered one of the best among the Menial Disciples.

But no matter how outstanding he was, he was nothing compared to an Official Disciple.

Yi Zhong's heart lurched. He knew he had angered this Official Disciple.

He didn't dare say another word and could only leave.

But inside, he was consumed by grief and indignation. He had thought he'd latched onto a powerful patron and finally had a chance of becoming an Official Disciple.

Who could have guessed that hope would be snuffed out just like that?

He had beaten Zhang Mingcan on the Menial Disciples' Combat Ranking List mainly because Senior Brother Yan had backed him and provided him with some cultivation resources.

At his current strength, keeping first place on the Combat Ranking List for the next two years would be far too difficult.

The Menial Disciples at the top of the list weren't all that different in strength. Any one of them could be overtaken.

On top of that, he had offended an Official Disciple.

After all, he had threatened Li Gan at the Bell Tower.

If Li Gan held a grudge... No, he would definitely hold one.

Yi Zhong knew his future at the Divine Sword Sect was uncertain. He might as well return to his hometown and take over the family business.

As a Ranked Martial Artist in the Postnatal Realm First Layer, he was strong enough to keep the family business afloat.

At dusk.

Li Gan arrived in front of the wooden hut in the mountain valley.

"Master, I've learned the Heartless Sword Art."

Li Gan spoke.

"Mm. From now on, you can't just cultivate the Internal Cultivation Technique on its own. You must practice the Heartless Sword Technique alongside it, until you can use the sword technique to drive the Internal Cultivation Technique. That's what makes the Heartless Sword Art special. Once you can do it, you'll be able to comprehend a powerful Secret Technique."

Zhou Buping wasn't surprised that Li Gan had learned it so quickly.

Li Gan was already a Ranked Martial Artist, and he had great comprehension. As long as his natural aptitude met the requirements, learning the basics would be easy.

"Master, what is a Secret Technique? How is it different from a Martial Technique?"

Li Gan asked curiously.

"An Internal Cultivation Technique is a method of cultivation, a Martial Technique is a means of attack, and a Secret Technique is your trump card."

Zhou Buping said calmly, "If you want to become a True Disciple, you must comprehend a Secret Technique. The Heartless Sword Art is a cultivation method that can lead to one. In the Divine Sword Sect, only the main cultivation methods of the Seven Great Peaks can do the same. The difference is that the methods of the Seven Great Peaks place greater emphasis on natural aptitude. You can only hope to comprehend a Secret Technique once your Cultivation Base is high enough. But with the Heartless Sword Art, even if your Cultivation Base isn't sufficient, you still have a chance as long as your comprehension is good enough. Do you know what that means?"

"You can fight opponents of a higher level?"

Li Gan replied.

"Exactly."

Zhou Buping looked proud. "Everyone believes natural aptitude is what matters most, but I disagree. As long as your comprehension is high enough, even if your natural aptitude is mediocre, you can defy fate and reach the peak of the martial path."

Why else would he be here, serving as a gatekeeper?

Wasn't it to find someone like this?

He would use the facts to prove to everyone in the sect that he was right.

"Of course, comprehending a Secret Technique is only the beginning. Your true goal is to master the Heartless Sword Art and comprehend the Heartless Sword Intent."

Zhou Buping added.

"Master, I'll remember."

Li Gan replied hurriedly.

He had the feeling that his master's emotions were becoming a little unstable.

After returning to the Bell Tower, Li Gan tried to practice the Heartless Sword Technique alongside the Internal Cultivation Technique of the Heartless Sword Art.

But after a while, it proved extremely difficult.

That was because an Internal Cultivation Technique was inherently a form of still meditation. It was almost impossible to cultivate it while practicing swordplay.

The next morning.

After striking the bell at the Mao hour, Li Gan used the day's first chime to circulate the Internal Cultivation Technique of the Heartless Sword Art once more as he practiced the Heartless Sword Technique.

This time, everything went astonishingly smoothly.

As the Treasure Sword swept through the air in his hand, the energy within his body flowed as easily as his own arm, coursing swiftly through him. Light blazed along the blade, its edge gleaming with cold brilliance.

When he finished a set, Li Gan felt refreshed from head to toe.

He hurriedly checked the latest information on the System Interface.

Host: Li Gan.

Cultivation Base: Postnatal Realm (First Layer 64/100).

Sacrificial Tool: Chen Bell (Treasure 803/1000).

Martial Arts: Sword Piercing Fist (Perfect), Heartless Sword Art (Entry Level 1/100).

"It actually went up by two points?"

Li Gan was quite surprised.

He had cultivated all day yesterday and only gained five points, one point for each Greater Celestial Circuit.

But this time, he had used the Internal Cultivation Technique of the Heartless Sword Art to assist him through a single set of the Heartless Sword Technique, and his progress had increased by two points.

He had no doubt that it was the result of combining the technique with the swordplay.

Moreover, the Heartless Sword Art now had a progress bar.

Clearly, yesterday he had only practiced the Internal Cultivation Technique of the Heartless Sword Art, without practicing the Heartless Sword Technique. In a sense, his cultivation had been incomplete.

It was only today that he had truly mastered the Heartless Sword Art's basics.

"Now all that's left is to grind."

Li Gan smiled.

As long as he could track his progress, cultivation became simple.

And so his life at the Bell Tower settled into a regular routine once more.

With the help of cultivation resources, his Cultivation Base gained around ten points of progress each day.

The Heartless Sword Art gained around six.

In just a few short days, Li Gan's Cultivation Base smoothly broke through to the Second Layer of Postnatal Realm.

During that time, Yi Zhong, the Menial Disciple, never showed up again.

There was no movement from the Chore Hall either.

That day, Li Gan was busy weeding the soil.

He had been focused on cultivation for the past few days and had let the plot grow wild.

"Brother Gan, I've got some good news for you."

Chen Yong called out as he hauled a crossbeam up the mountain for exercise.

"Oh? What good news?"

Li Gan asked.

"Wasn't Yi Zhong ranked first on the Combat Ranking List this time? I heard he applied to the Chore Hall to leave the mountain and return home."

"Return home?"

Li Gan was taken aback.

Wasn't that the same as giving up his status as a Menial Disciple?

What was going on?

Hadn't he been working for some big shot in the Inner Sect? Why would he suddenly give up his status as a Menial Disciple?

There had to be a reason.

Perhaps he knew Li Gan was now an Official Disciple and feared retaliation, so he had decided to return home?

No wonder the Chore Hall had been silent these past few days.

It seemed his status as an Official Disciple had become a protective talisman.