Elder Liao's Shock

[Returning Sun Sword Art Second Chapter: Beginner (468/800)]...

All day, Yu Xiu had spent his time reading in the Library Pavilion.

With Elder Liao Jianshu, the pavilion's keeper, promising him free rein, he'd be a fool not to take advantage of it.

Besides, he would be following Elder Liao's instructions and training by his side for a while. That was enough.

It was only when evening fell and the Library Pavilion closed its doors that Yu Xiu finally left with Elder Liao.

By the end of the day, Yu Xiu had read ten Lightness Arts, ten movement techniques, and ten sword arts for the Life Spring realm, as well as seven or eight minor arts, including Breath Concealment Art, Turtle Breath Art, and Sound Transmission Art.

It was worth noting that Breath Concealment Art, Turtle Breath Art, and Sound Transmission Art were all very short, often barely a thousand characters. They were little more than tricks of the trade and hardly required any practice.

After reading each twice, he had already mastered them, without adding anything to his comprehension or lifespan.

Yu Xiu had even improved Turtle Breath Art, Breath Concealment Art, and Sound Transmission Art considerably. With his current comprehension, the improved minor arts were far more effective.

Turtle Breath Art in particular. Originally, a Life Spring cultivator could hold their breath, stop their pulse, and halt their heartbeat for about seven days. After Yu Xiu improved it, they could stop their pulse and hold their breath for ten days.

There was also Embryonic Breath Art, which turned external breathing into internal breathing and cultivated the embryonic breath. Under normal circumstances, a Life Spring cultivator could maintain it for half a month. With Yu Xiu's improved version, however, it could be maintained for more than twenty days.

Disguise Art could change not only one's appearance but also one's bone structure. It was rather troublesome to practice, and included Bone Shrinking Technique.

There were also Detoxification Art, Poison Avoidance Art, Hundred Poisons Immunity Body, and the like. Those were troublesome to practice as well.

These minor arts didn't directly improve one's strength, so they couldn't increase comprehension or lifespan. Yu Xiu had no plans to practice them for now.

Poison Avoidance Art and Detoxification Art, for instance, required one to study medicinal knowledge first. Hundred Poisons Immunity Body, meanwhile, required one to expose oneself to all kinds of poisons before gradually training the body.

But Yu Xiu felt there was no need to go to all that trouble. Once his strength increased, some poisons would naturally become ineffective against him.

If a poison was potent enough to kill someone who had passed the Four Great Passes—or even someone beyond them—then a body immune to a hundred poisons wouldn't mean much anyway.

However, Yu Xiu hadn't found any purely body-tempering techniques in the Library Pavilion.

There had to be some, but they probably weren't in the Inner Court. Perhaps they were in the Main Sect's Library Pavilion.

He wasn't in a hurry. Once he entered the Main Sect, he would find them.

Only, by then, he wouldn't have such a generous pavilion keeper letting him read for free.

*Once I enter the Main Sect, I should find a chance to compete for the True Disciple position.*

True Disciples held a very high status, no lower than the elders'. Surely he'd have no trouble reading the cultivation techniques and sword arts in the Library Pavilion.

"You read so many books. When will you find the time to practice them?" Elder Liao scolded him, exasperated. "At your stage, you should focus on your realm and cultivation, especially a gifted disciple like you, who's making rapid progress. You should focus on that all the more. There's no harm in leaving these minor arts, sword arts, and movement techniques for later, when your strength stops advancing so quickly."

*I won't say a word until I've shown you my comprehension.* Yu Xiu smiled and didn't argue.

Seeing Yu Xiu's reaction, Elder Liao swept his sleeve and said no more. "Come with me."

He led the way up the mountain and into an imposing residence.

It was called a residence, but in truth it was simply a large courtyard with brick-and-tile houses—far better than the Bamboo Cottages where the Inner Court disciples lived.

Once they were in the courtyard, Elder Liao set a wicker chair beneath the eaves of the house and sat down in comfort. "Practice."

Yu Xiu didn't mind at all. He agreed, then took out a Truth Realization Pill and swallowed it.

He had taken the time to exchange for the Truth Realization Pill at the Internal Affairs Hall that day. Each one cost thirty contribution points and could support an ordinary Life Spring disciple's cultivation for five days. Yu Xiu had exchanged for fifteen in all, spending four hundred and fifty contribution points.

Returning Sun Sword Art First Chapter +50

Returning Sun Sword Art First Chapter +50

His progress was astonishingly fast. Elder Liao, who had been lounging comfortably nearby, gradually sat up straight. His expression grew more and more solemn, until it turned to shock!

*How can his progress... be this fast?*

Elder Liao saw it clearly. Yu Xiu had reached the Beginner level on his very first pass, and was already rapidly approaching Minor Completion.

But Elder Liao also remembered perfectly well that Yu Xiu had only encountered the Returning Sun Sword Art that very day.

All day long, aside from making a trip to the Internal Affairs Hall to exchange for some Truth Realization Pills, Yu Xiu had never left Elder Liao's sight.

There could be no doubt: this was Yu Xiu's first time practicing the Returning Sun Sword Art.

Then when had he mastered the first part of the Returning Sun Sword Art?

For an ordinary disciple newly arrived at the Life Spring realm, mastering a single Life Spring cultivation technique or sword art could take ten days or half a month—and that was considered fast. Taking a month or even three months was perfectly normal.

But Yu Xiu...

*Can someone really master a Life Spring technique or sword art just by looking at it once?*

*What kind of monstrous comprehension is that?*

Before this, Elder Liao had come up with all sorts of guesses. Perhaps Yu Xiu had some unimaginable treasure to help him cultivate. Perhaps a Sword Sect expert was secretly guiding him. Or perhaps there was some other explanation!

But now Yu Xiu was practicing his sword right before Elder Liao's eyes, growing stronger with every pass, his progress so fast it beggared belief.

His improvement in strength was just as outrageous!

*It's his comprehension. His comprehension is absurdly high!* Elder Liao's expression shifted repeatedly. Then, as if something had occurred to him, he drifted off into thought.

Several hours passed before Yu Xiu stopped practicing.