Chapter 10: Golden Spirit Art The next day.
The sky was just beginning to brighten.
Pale morning light filtered through the window paper and spilled into the room.
Su Yun opened his eyes and raised his arms in a stretch. His bones cracked in a quick series of pops.
His whole body felt light and refreshed.
He had been so excited the night before that the system, the Mythical Entry, and the Thousandfold Amplification were still etched in his mind, scene after scene.
Su Yun sat up and looked around the clean, elegant wooden bedroom.
There was a rustic wooden table, plain curtains, and a soft cotton quilt. A faint fragrance still lingered in the air.
It wasn't a dream.
It was all real.
He really had stayed in the Azure Cloud Sect and become the sect master's Personal Disciple.
The corners of Su Yun's mouth lifted despite himself.
He swung his legs out of bed.
He took out the white robes for Personal Disciples that he'd been given the day before.
The fabric was smooth and soft, and it felt light on his body.
Pale silver flowing-cloud patterns were embroidered on the collar and cuffs. The design was simple and clean, yet gave him the air of a lofty sect expert.
Once he was dressed,
Su Yun pushed open the wooden door.
The cold mountain breeze rushed over him.
The air was damp, and spiritual energy was dense.
Morning dew clung to the plants in the courtyard, their greenery lush and vibrant.
Standing on the flagstone ground, Su Yun spread his arms and gave himself a long, hearty stretch.
When he turned his head, he saw a tall figure standing quietly at the courtyard gate.
"Good morning, Junior Brother Chu."
"Why are you here so early? You must have been waiting a while."
Chu Fan bowed slightly.
"Good morning, Senior Brother. I only just arrived, so I haven't been waiting long."
Su Yun nodded.
"Wait here a moment."
With that, he turned and headed toward the kitchen.
Two maids had already prepared breakfast.
A bowl of spiritual rice porridge, two spiritual fruits, and a plate of delicate pastries.
Ordinary outer disciples weren't even qualified to eat spiritual rice.
Su Yun wasn't fussy and quickly finished his breakfast.
A moment later, he came out of the kitchen.
"Let's go. Take me to see our master."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Chu Fan led the way, and the two of them followed the white jade steps toward the main hall on the central peak.
The sect was especially lively in the early morning.
Disciples who had risen early to practice could be seen everywhere along the mountain paths.
Some sat cross-legged, meditating and breathing in spiritual energy. Others practiced their basic sword forms.
The passing disciples were easy to distinguish by their clothes.
Gray for the outer disciples, green for the inner disciples, and white for the Personal Disciples.
When the disciples along the way saw Su Yun in his white Personal Disciple robes,
they all instinctively stopped what they were doing and stepped aside to make way.
Regardless of age or cultivation, every one of them bowed and cupped their hands.
"Greetings, Senior Brother!"
No one dared to slight him.
What had happened the day before had already spread throughout the Azure Cloud Sect.
Everyone understood that this white-robed youth had boundless prospects.
Su Yun remained composed.
People saluted him all along the way.
He wasn't arrogant or overbearing. He simply nodded in response to each of them.
They walked on in silence.
A short while later,
the two arrived at Azure Cloud Hall.
The hall doors stood open, and sandalwood incense curled through the air inside.
Li Mofan stood alone in the middle of the hall in plain white robes, his hands clasped behind his back.
Su Yun stepped forward and bowed.
"Your disciple Su Yun pays his respects to Master."
Li Mofan turned around and asked,
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"Master, the residence was quiet and full of spiritual energy. I slept soundly all night."
Li Mofan nodded slightly.
"Good."
"You're now my Personal Disciple, so your status is special."
"As sect master, I have many sect affairs to handle, and I also need to retreat for cultivation from time to time."
"I won't have much time to personally teach you day to day."
"For basic lessons, cultivation knowledge, and Qi Refining methods, you can go to the Sect Lecture Hall if you have questions."
"All Qi Refining disciples attend lessons together. You can go whenever you like, without needing to report in advance."
Su Yun listened attentively and nodded obediently. "This disciple understands."
"Others have to proceed step by step and wait in line to receive cultivation arts and resources."
"You don't."
As he spoke, he swept a hand across the ancient black storage pouch. A flash of light shimmered from it.
Two items hovered quietly in midair.
A jade slip and a slender long sword.
The sword gleamed with a faint, cold golden light from tip to hilt. Its blade was sharp, and it radiated a biting chill.
"This is the Golden Spirit Art, a high-grade cultivation art."
"It focuses on tempering metal-element spiritual energy, refining it into something condensed, sharp, and overbearing."
"It's a perfect match for your metal-element Heavenly Spirit Root, and you'll cultivate far faster with it than with ordinary arts."
"You can start cultivating right now. You don't need to build a foundation first."
Li Mofan pointed a finger, and the golden sword drifted gently through the air.
"This sword is the Flowing Light Gold-Vein Sword."
"A top-grade magical artifact."
"It's forged from meteorite iron mixed with Meteorite Gold Crystal. It's hard and sharp, and it carries a naturally deadly metal-element Sword Qi."
"It's suited to cultivators with metal spirit roots."
"Once you reach the first level of Qi Refining, you can drip your blood on it to claim it as yours and control it at will."
Su Yun stared intently at the long sword.
Whoa! He'd struck it rich!
In the cultivation world, magical artifacts were divided into low, medium, high, and top grades.
An ordinary cultivator would be considered incredibly fortunate to obtain even one high-grade magical artifact in their lifetime.
Li Mofan continued,
"Spiritual artifacts are too precious and consume too much spiritual energy."
"In your current state, without any cultivation, you can't activate one yet."
"Once your cultivation improves, I'll grant you a spiritual artifact."
"Take out your Personal Disciple Token."
Su Yun didn't hesitate. He raised his hand and took out the white jade token.
Li Mofan ran a fingertip over its surface.
"I've deposited one thousand sect contribution points for you."
"Contribution points are more valuable than spirit stones."
"You can exchange them for sect pills, cultivation arts, forging materials, and Secret Realm entry slots."
"Many scarce treasures can't be bought even if you have the money. You can only get them with contribution points."
Su Yun's heart gave a small flutter.
He understood.
Spirit stones were external wealth in a cultivation sect; contribution points were the real hard currency.
Su Yun bowed deeply. "Thank you for the reward, Master!"
"Chu Fan."
"Here." Chu Fan immediately bowed.
"Take Su Yun around the sect today."
"Explain the layout of the peaks, the purpose of the halls, the Mission Hall, the Exchange Pavilion, the Elixir Hall, and the trial platform, one by one."
"Help him learn the sect's rules and become familiar with the surroundings as quickly as possible."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Li Mofan gave Su Yun one last look.
"You may go."
"Cultivate well, and don't slack off."
"This disciple will remember Master's teaching."
Su Yun bowed again, then followed Chu Fan out of the hall.
For the entire day,
Chu Fan took Su Yun around the Azure Cloud Sect, visiting places both large and small.
From the outer sect's martial arts field and the Mission Hall to the Elixir Exchange Pavilion, then on to the inner sect's cultivation peaks, the Artifact Hall, and the Trial Cliff.
Every building, every rule, every point of caution—
Chu Fan explained everything patiently and in detail.
Su Yun listened attentively and had an excellent memory.
The sect's divisions, the ranks of its resources, the disciples' permissions, the taboos and prohibitions—
By the end of the day, he had a pretty good grasp of the entire Azure Cloud Sect.
At dusk,
the sun sank behind the mountains, and red clouds filled the sky.
Chu Fan escorted Su Yun back to Cloud Abode on Heaven's Pivot Peak, then bowed and took his leave.
The sky gradually darkened, and moonlight climbed over the eaves.
Su Yun sent the maids away and shut the door.
Only a dim oil lamp remained in the room. Its flame wavered, and all was quiet.
Unable to wait any longer, Su Yun sat on the edge of the bed, crossed his legs, and straightened his back.
With a twitch of his fingers, he took the jade slip from his storage pouch.
The jade felt cool to the touch. It was hard, with fine lines carved into its surface.
It was the high-grade cultivation art, the Golden Spirit Art.
Su Yun held the jade slip, excitement in his eyes.
He'd never received any formal cultivation instruction.
He didn't know how to breathe in spiritual energy, use cultivation methods, or circulate his qi.
But in his previous life, he'd lived in an age of information overload.
He'd watched countless novels, TV shows, films, and stories about cultivation.
Even if he'd never eaten pork, he'd seen pigs run.
Sit cross-legged, focus your mind, sense the spiritual energy.
He knew the process.
Whether he could do it was another matter.
Su Yun pressed a fingertip against the jade slip. A thread of faint intent slipped inside.
In the next instant,
a flood of text, diagrams, and cultivation pathways surged into his mind.
The Golden Spirit Art was written in clear, straightforward language, without any obscure ancient prose.
The opening clearly stated: metal-type cultivation was the most rigid and yang, unmatched in its killing power. It condensed one's essence and tempered the spiritual sea.
The cultivation method had ten levels in total.
The first five levels corresponded to Qi Refining, the sixth to Foundation Establishment, and the tenth led straight to Golden Core.
It would serve him all the way to the Golden Core realm, so he wouldn't need to change cultivation methods.
Even throughout Spirit Province, it could be considered a top-tier cultivation method.
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