A great martial sect like the Divine Sword Sect surely had secret arts similar to the Blood Burning Technique, perhaps even more advanced ones. The problem was that he couldn't learn them for the time being.
All these secret arts required a large number of Contribution Points to obtain.
He had once asked his master, Zhou Buping, to teach him such a secret art.
Zhou Buping had told him not to worry about them for now. To cultivate a Flawless Body, he absolutely couldn't practice forbidden arts that stimulated his body's potential.
If he used a forbidden art and suffered lasting side effects, he would never be able to achieve Perfect Xiantian.
Li Gan had no way to tell Zhou Buping that he had the Chen Bell's help and wasn't afraid of the side effects of forbidden arts.
Anyway, he had nothing to do at the moment. If he could improve the Blood Burning Technique, it would benefit his martial cultivation, too.
Time flew by like a shuttle, vanishing in a flash.
Before he knew it, another half a year had passed.
Improving the Blood Burning Technique proved far more difficult than he had imagined.
He had lost count of how many times his body had been injured.
Fortunately, he was extremely cautious, and his injuries hadn't affected his cultivation of the Immaculate Sword Body or his comprehension of sword intent.
He owed it all to the Chen Bell's miraculous effects.
Winter had arrived.
Li Gan stood atop Chenzhong Terrace. All he could see was a vast expanse of white, and light snow was still drifting down from the sky.
Suddenly, he saw a figure swiftly racing up the hillside.
The figure moved at incredible speed, displaying superb lightness skills.
It definitely wasn't Chen Yong.
Li Gan was a little surprised.
"May I ask if you're Junior Brother Li? I'm Lei Zhao, an Inner Sect disciple of Divine Sword Hall. By the Sect Leader's order, I've come to ask you to visit Divine Sword Hall."
A man who looked to be around thirty arrived at the foot of the Bell Tower and cupped his hands toward Li Gan.
Whoosh!
Li Gan leaped down from the Bell Tower and landed before Lei Zhao. "Senior Brother Lei, may I ask why the Sect Leader wants to see me?"
He was curious. He was practically invisible in the Divine Sword Sect and rarely interacted with Inner Sect disciples. The Sect Leader was swamped with affairs every day, so why would he summon Li Gan?
"Junior Brother Li, I'm sorry, but I don't know either."
Lei Zhao shook his head.
Divine Sword Hall.
It stood on Divine Sword Peak. Though the peak wasn't among the Seven Main Peaks, it was where the Sect Leader handled daily affairs and cultivated.
In the Divine Sword Sect's organizational structure, the Sect Leader wasn't the most powerful figure. His main responsibility was managing the sect's administration.
Whenever a major sect matter arose, the Sect Leader, the Seven Great Peak Masters, and the many Power-holding Elders would gather to discuss and decide it together.
As soon as Li Gan entered Divine Sword Hall, he saw his master, Zhou Buping.
But Zhou Buping looked to be in terrible shape.
His hair had turned gray, and his face was bloodless.
He looked as if he had aged twenty years.
"Master."
Li Gan hurried over. "What happened to you?"
"This master of yours is fine."
Zhou Buping waved a hand, but then he began coughing, his breathing labored.
"Li Gan, your master was badly injured while putting down the rebellion."
The Divine Sword Sect Master, Feng Shaoyu, sighed.
In truth, several of the Divine Sword Sect's elder-level experts sent to suppress the rebellion had been ambushed. Most were gravely wounded, and one had even died on the spot.
" Sect Leader, will my master recover completely?"
Li Gan hurriedly asked.
"It'll be difficult. Elder Zhou's qi sea was damaged. Even if his physical injuries heal, his cultivation will likely decline considerably. More importantly, his Martial Intent has been damaged. An injury on that level of the mind can only be treated slowly."
Sect Leader Feng Shaoyu shook his head.
Li Gan's heart grew heavy.
If there was one person in this world who mattered most to him, it was naturally his master, Zhou Buping.
"I'm already old, and my cultivation realm doesn't matter much anymore. I can take this chance to retire, rest properly, and enjoy my remaining years."
Zhou Buping was far more optimistic.
Compared to Elder Song of Guiyi Peak, who had died, he was already lucky to have made it back alive.
Of course, the only reason he had survived such a perilous and brutal situation was that he'd been sustained by a powerful conviction: he wanted to see his disciple achieve Perfect Xiantian with his own eyes.
"Master, come to Chenzhong Terrace. Then I can take care of you."
Li Gan said.
He was also wondering whether the Chen Bell's tolling might help heal Zhou Buping's injuries.
After the Chen Bell had become a Dharma Tool, its miraculous ability to repair the body was no longer limited to him, its Sacrificial Master.
If Zhou Buping lived in the Bell Tower for a long time, bathing in the Chen Bell's toll from nearby, it would surely do him some good.
"No. I plan to live in Linjian City. You can just come visit me often."
Zhou Buping waved him off.
"Master, taking care of you is my duty as your disciple. Even if you plan to live in Linjian City later, you should wait until your injuries have healed."
Li Gan said.
He knew his master's injuries were severe. The Divine Sword Sect would certainly treat him, but judging from the Sect Leader's tone, Zhou Buping's chances of fully recovering were poor.
Recovering at Chenzhong Terrace would surely help him heal.
"Elder Zhou, I also think Li Gan is right. A Personal Disciple at your side will take better care of you than any Menial Disciple could."
The Divine Sword Sect Master, Feng Shaoyu, added.
He knew that Zhou Buping had no wife, children, or other family. He was completely alone and had spent his entire life searching for a disciple worthy of inheriting the Heartless Sword Art.
In the eyes of his fellow sect members, this had made him seem aloof and difficult to get along with.
After a moment's silence, Zhou Buping finally nodded.
"Sect Leader, there's something I'd like to request. I want to use my Contribution Points to secure an exemption for Li Gan from Inner Sect missions for the next few years, until he breaks through to Xiantian."
Zhou Buping spoke abruptly.
As the Moon Worship Cult's rebellion spread farther and farther, Inner Sect missions were bound to grow more dangerous.
He was worried that Li Gan might face some unforeseen danger on a mission.
If Li Gan were seriously injured, his cultivation of the Immaculate Sword Body would inevitably suffer.
Before being injured himself, Zhou Buping wouldn't have dared ask for such an exception.
If word got out, it would have serious repercussions.
After all, if he could do this, couldn't the other Peak Masters and Elders do the same? Who among them didn't have disciples they favored?
"Hm? Elder Zhou, why? Inner Sect disciples take on missions so they can gain experience."
The Divine Sword Sect Master, Feng Shaoyu, was quite surprised.
Besides, he knew that making an exception could bring serious negative consequences.
He couldn't believe Zhou Buping was unaware of that.
"Sect Leader, I have my reasons."
Zhou Buping didn't explain.
Until Li Gan achieved Perfect Xiantian, this matter absolutely couldn't be revealed.
Even after Li Gan achieved Perfect Xiantian, it would be best not to let anyone know.
After all, Perfect Xiantian was a double-edged sword in its own right.
It might win him immense renown, but it would also make him a target for everyone.
The tallest tree catches the wind.
He didn't want his disciple to have his wings clipped before he could soar.
"All right. I can grant him an exemption from Inner Sect missions for the next few years. But it can't be for too long—five years at most."
Seeing this, the Divine Sword Sect Master, Feng Shaoyu, didn't press him for details.
It was against sect rules for an Inner Sect disciple to refuse Inner Sect missions.
But Zhou Buping was an Elder who had worked hard for the sect, and he was now gravely injured. Whether he could recover was still uncertain, and he had only one Personal Disciple. Under the circumstances, an exception was understandable.
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