Finally Innate

As the Capital City came into view, Zhou Cheng flipped through his sword manual, finally pushing the Taiyi Sword Technique to the pinnacle realm and manifesting Sword Intent.

In the Great Feng Dynasty, no one had ever been able to cultivate a martial skill to the pinnacle realm, yet now, he possessed three great martial truths: Fist Intent, Blade Intent, and Sword Intent.

As soon as Zhou Cheng reached the pinnacle of the Taiyi Sword Technique and gained Sword Intent, he unleashed it, and a terrifying pressure instantly permeated the air.

Influenced by the Sword Intent radiating from Zhou Cheng, the sword at Lin Ru's waist flew out of its scabbard, completely beyond his control.

No matter how hard Lin Ru tried to command it, he could not recall his blade.

This was the astonishing power of Sword Intent.

It could control the swords of others.

Only when Zhou Cheng's Sword Intent dissipated did Lin Ru's longsword fly back into its scabbard.

"Congratulations, Young Master, on reaching the pinnacle of your sword technique," Lin Ru said, cupping his fists with joy.

Qin Meng, Jiang Chen, and Yang Yu all stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

Zhou Cheng nodded with a smile.

Possessing three great martial truths was indeed a cause for celebration.

Afterward, Zhou Cheng continued to browse his movement techniques; following the breakthrough of his sword technique, the Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique also broke through to the pinnacle realm.

"Your Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique has reached the pinnacle realm and has issued a challenge to the Wind-Facing Willow Steps."

"The Wind-Facing Willow Steps have been defeated and have voluntarily merged into the Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique."

"The Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique has fused with the pinnacle-realm Wind-Facing Willow Steps, evolving into an Innate Battle Skill."

A series of notifications rang out.

Zhou Cheng was stunned.

An Innate Battle Skill?

Only experts who had broken through to the Innate Realm could cultivate Innate Battle Skills, and their power was undoubtedly far superior to Postnatal Battle Skills.

Zhou Cheng had not expected that the fusion of the Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique and the Wind-Facing Willow Steps would result in an evolution into an Innate Battle Skill.

Immediately, Zhou Cheng swallowed a Nine-Orifice Golden Pill.

Under the impact of the pill's medicinal power, the internal energy within his body surged frantically toward his dantian.

Boom!

The barrier of his dantian was shattered in one blow.

Internal energy from all ten meridians poured into his dantian.

The dantian was like a balloon; as the internal energy from the ten meridians continued to pour in, it began to expand and grow larger.

Finally, it became the size of a small lake.

The internal energy began to condense and transform, shifting from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

In the end, all his internal energy became liquid.

An Innate Grandmaster's internal energy is liquid, many times more powerful than the internal energy of the Postnatal Qi Refining Realm. Furthermore, while those in the Qi Refining Realm cannot project their internal energy, once one reaches the Innate Realm, internal energy can be projected, greatly enhancing attack power.

Innate experts also experience further strengthening of their physical bodies and a significant increase in vitality.

Therefore, the lifespan of an Innate expert generally reaches one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty years.

"Congratulations to the Host for breaking through to the Innate Realm and becoming a first-stage Innate expert."

"You have received a Grand Realm Breakthrough Gift Pack."

"Would you like to open it now?"

Zhou Cheng noticed that while previous rewards were just 'Realm Breakthrough Gift Packs,' this breakthrough to the Innate Realm had granted him a 'Grand Realm Breakthrough Gift Pack.'

He wondered what the grand pack contained for this Innate breakthrough.

Zhou Cheng opened the gift pack.

The pack shimmered with light.

"You have obtained an Innate martial skill: Ximen Sword Technique. The Ximen Sword Technique is one of the top ten Innate sword techniques of the Immortal Martial World."

"You have obtained twelve Marrow-Cleansing Pills."

Other than these, there was nothing else.

Zhou Cheng was left speechless.

Ximen Sword Technique?

One of the top ten Innate sword techniques of the Immortal Martial World?

That was not bad at all.

Zhou Cheng swallowed all twelve Marrow-Cleansing Pills.

His century-grade aptitude rose to 70.

With another twelve Marrow-Cleansing Pills, his aptitude would evolve into that of a Peerless Prodigy.

Even if he had not evolved into a peerless prodigy, his current aptitude was undoubtedly the greatest in the Great Feng Dynasty.

However, Zhou Cheng discovered that after breaking through to the Xiantian realm, the Marrow-Cleansing Pill had almost no effect on Xiantian internal energy; its efficacy was greatly diminished. Twelve Marrow-Cleansing Pills had only increased his progress by 3.

The efficacy of one Nine-Orifice Pill was equal to four Marrow-Cleansing Pills. If that were the case, wouldn't swallowing a Nine-Orifice Golden Pill in the future only yield 1?

Just then, the task bar flickered with light.

Zhou Cheng opened the task bar.

"Task: Collect Nightshade, Purple Gold Vine, Datura, Five-Colored Spirit Flower... and ninety-nine other types of spirit herb materials."

"Reward: Two Purple Extreme Golden Pills, one Purple Extreme Golden Pill recipe."

Purple Extreme Golden Pill?

It seemed to be a pill that increased Xiantian true qi.

Zhou Cheng rummaged through the medicine cabinets in the Demonic Cult's treasury.

In the end, he found over fifty types.

However, he was still missing more than forty.

Zhou Cheng decided that after returning to the Capital City, he would go to the Four Seasons Apothecary to see if they had them.

Afterward, Zhou Cheng and his group continued on their journey.

On the road, Zhou Cheng flipped through the Ximen Sword Technique.

The Ximen Sword Technique consisted of sixty-four moves in total, each one exquisite and unpredictable, far more profound than the Taiyi Sword Technique.

However, Zhou Cheng possessed an incredibly strong memory. As he flipped through page after page, by the time he finished, he had memorized all sixty-four moves of the Ximen Sword Technique, along with the insights and descriptions contained in the manual.

A Ximen Sword Technique entry appeared on his system character panel, and it began to cultivate automatically.

Host: Zhou Cheng

Northern Dark Divine Technique: Xiantian First Layer (Progress 3)

Primordial Boundless Scripture: Spirit Wandering Realm (Progress 99)

Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique: Superb Mastery (Progress 1)

Ximen Sword Technique: Entry (Progress 1)

As for his other Houtian martial arts, the Demon-Subduing Saber Technique and Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist had already reached the pinnacle, cultivated to their maximum potential.

However, after the Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique evolved into a Xiantian martial art, it had dropped from the pinnacle realm down to the level of Superb Mastery.

Could it be that after evolving into a Xiantian martial art, the Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique had discovered its own shortcomings, and thus needed to continue absorbing the essence of other movement techniques from the level of Superb Mastery?

Furthermore, the Primordial Boundless Scripture had already reached 99 in the Spirit Wandering Realm; it seemed he would break through to the Object Manipulation Realm today.

Half an hour later.

Zhou Cheng and his group appeared on their warhorses before the gates of the Capital City.

The official road in front of the city gate was bustling with heavy traffic.

However, in front of the gate, a large number of Imperial Feather Guards were stationed, conducting inspections on those entering.

As Zhou Cheng and his group arrived at the gate on their horses and were about to dismount for inspection, they saw an Imperial Feather Guard commander step forward, cupping his fists and smiling obsequiously at Zhou Cheng: "Isn't this Young Master Zhou? Has Young Master Zhou returned from the Ten Thousand Stars Sect?"

Seeing that the other party recognized him, Zhou Cheng nodded and asked, "What is going on?"

The commander explained with a smile: "A few days ago, spies from the Mongol Kingdom and the Southern Border Kingdom caused trouble in the Capital City, so the Emperor ordered a strict investigation into the identities of those entering the city."

Zhou Cheng asked a couple more questions, then he and the four men including Qin Meng rode their horses into the city.

"Sir, was that just now the second son of Lord Zhou Wei, the closing disciple of the senior Xing Yao, Young Master Zhou Cheng?" a guard leaned in and asked cautiously.

The Imperial Feather Guard commander nodded and sighed with emotion: "That is Young Master Zhou Cheng. This time, Young Master Zhou Cheng made the greatest contribution in eradicating the Demonic Cult, and Lord Zhou Wei is becoming increasingly valued by the Emperor."

Zhou Cheng and his group entered the Capital City and headed back toward the Zhou Mansion.