"The Shift Technique can help someone master the Great Shift and Minor Shift faster. It's truly remarkable!" Ju Hua exclaimed. But in the end, he still put the book on the Shift Technique down and chose the Void-Breaking Sword Art instead!
When humans comprehended the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, reaching the Domain stage allowed them to merge with space and shift freely within a Great World. This was the Minor Shift.
If they fully comprehended the entire Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, they could easily master the Great Shift, traversing the Three Thousand Great Worlds at will.
However, nothing was absolute. Some divine beasts and God-Fiends were born with extraordinary gifts. They could perform the Minor Shift or even the Great Shift without deeply comprehending the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.
This Shift Technique was a secret art that let humans master the Minor Shift and Great Shift ahead of time, just like those gifted divine beasts and God-Fiends.
Of course, the Shift Technique was only a secret art, and nowhere near as astonishing as the innate gifts of divine beasts and God-Fiends. To use it for the Great Shift, or even the Minor Shift, humans still needed some understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth!
Even so, it was still an incredible secret art.
"I've already grasped the basics of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. With my extraordinary talent, if I devote myself to it, I might be able to comprehend the Minor Shift in half a year! Having the Minor Shift as a trump card would greatly improve my chances of survival!" Ju Hua thought, then shook his head slightly.
Rather than devote himself to comprehending the Minor Shift, Ju Hua would rather improve his strength. After all, instead of running when he encountered a powerful enemy, he'd rather grow strong enough to kill them outright!
Most importantly, the Minor Shift wasn't as powerful as the Great Shift. It could actually be replaced by external objects. The most typical example was a Minor Shift Talisman. These talismans weren't especially precious, and many small tribes could obtain one or two. They were even fairly common in a super tribe like the Zhuanshui Clan. Given Ju Hua's status, as long as he put in some effort, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain a few Minor Shift Talismans!
"The Void-Breaking Sword Art is a powerful sword art that contains the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Compared with the Shift Technique, it guides me closer to the essence of that Dao, so I'll surely make faster progress practicing the Void-Breaking Sword Art than studying the Shift Technique! Besides, it's a sword art. If I can use it to develop a sword art that combines the Great Dao of the Sword with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, my strength could increase by a huge margin!" With that thought, Ju Hua made up his mind and chose the Void-Breaking Sword Art!
After choosing the Void-Breaking Sword Art, Ju Hua soon returned to the first floor. Zhuanshui Qiu had just finished selecting a secret art and was coming down from upstairs.
"What did you choose, little sister?" Ju Hua asked with a smile.
"This!" Zhuanshui Qiu placed a bamboo tube in front of him.
"The Rainbow Garment Technique?" Ju Hua scanned the contents of the tube with his divine sense, and a helpless look appeared on his face.
Among flight techniques, the Rainbow Garment Technique wasn't top-tier in speed, but it was second to none in spectacle. Those who practiced it left a trail of seven-colored radiance behind them as they flew, and it lasted for a full quarter of an hour. If they flew fast enough, they could leave a rainbow stretching across the sky.
"Do you like this one, little sister?" Ju Hua asked.
"Of course I do! Big brother, this is the one I want!" Zhuanshui Qiu answered without hesitation.
"Good!" Ju Hua agreed with a nod.
Zhuanshui Qiu was nearly three hundred years old, but she had grown up under Ju Hua's protection and had never seen much of the world's cruelty. Ju Hua had often wanted to toughen his little sister up, but he could never bring himself to do it.
And so, things had stayed that way.
"Then I'll protect my little sister for the rest of her life," Ju Hua said to himself. Then he and his sister headed out of the Library Pavilion together.
Just as the two were about to leave the Library Pavilion, a gray-robed old man suddenly appeared before them.
"The first twelve forms of the Void-Breaking Sword Art, and the secret art the Rainbow Garment Technique—that comes to eight hundred and ninety million clan contribution points. Hand them over!" the gray-robed old man said, holding out his hand.
"Here you are, Senior." Ju Hua handed him a token.
The gray-robed old man took the token and swept his hand lightly over it. An invisible force passed over it, and the number on its surface began to shift indistinctly.
A moment later, the old man nodded. He returned the token to Ju Hua, then vanished with a whoosh.
After the old man disappeared, Zhuanshui Qiu glanced around, then patted her chest and said with lingering trepidation, "Big brother, is that senior a Celestial Immortal? Every time I come to the Library Pavilion, I get nervous for ages!"
"I'm not sure. Maybe," Ju Hua said, shaking his head. Then he led Zhuanshui Qiu away.
Ju Hua truly didn't know who the gray-robed old man was, but there was one thing he could say for certain: the man was unfathomably powerful. He was at least a Celestial Immortal, and an exceptionally powerful one at that!
After the Zhuanshui siblings returned from the Library Pavilion, they began a secluded life that lasted more than half a year.
Ever since obtaining the Rainbow Garment Technique, Zhuanshui Qiu had gone every day to practice in the woods near the Zhuanshui Clan's territory. Worried about his little sister's safety, Ju Hua moved his own sword practice and cultivation to the same area.
Half a year was a long time to a mortal, but to Ju Hua, a Loose Immortal, it passed in the blink of an eye.
"Though the time was short, it was worth far more than the hundred years before it!" Ju Hua stood atop a mountain peak, gazing at the streaks of "rainbow" appearing in the distance as he murmured to himself.
Just then, the "rainbow" in the sky tore across the horizon and sped toward Ju Hua. A moment later, the light faded, and Zhuanshui Qiu landed steadily before him.
"Big brother, big brother, how was it?" Zhuanshui Qiu asked, gazing at him expectantly.
"Beautiful!" Ju Hua said with a smile. He waved a hand, and a mirror like flowing water appeared before them. Streaks of rainbow showed in its surface—the very scene of Zhuanshui Qiu flying through the sky just moments earlier.
"That's wonderful! I did it! I really did it!" Zhuanshui Qiu cheered excitedly.
"Little sister!" Ju Hua suddenly interrupted her.
"What is it, big brother?" Zhuanshui Qiu asked, puzzled.
"The clan leader just sent me a message. The army will set out in three days!" Ju Hua continued. "I'll be going into seclusion to prepare during those three days, so..."
"Are you leaving?" There was no sign of distress on Zhuanshui Qiu's face. She said earnestly, "Go ahead, big brother. I'll wait at home for you to come back!"
"Don't worry, little sister. As soon as this war is over, I'll come straight back to see you!"
"Mm!"