Thunderclap Sword

"Put the matter of the Dao Child on hold for now?"

"Yes, Xiao Lin." Zheng Huayuan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I was too confident just now and failed to think it through.

There is still a risk that the Dao Child's identity could be exposed, and that would not be good for you at present."

Zheng Huayuan explained to Dong Lin.

"This disciple understands."

"Mm. However, the Sect Master promised you a reward: you may choose any one item from the Cavern Repository. Come with me and have a look."

Dong Lin followed Elder Zheng to the Cavern Repository. Looking up at the ten enormous gates dozens of meters tall in the distance, he hesitated for a moment.

"I don't seem to lack anything right now."

Dong Lin found himself in a difficult spot. His days had been too comfortable; when something could be obtained for free, he did not even know what to choose.

Seeing that Dong Lin seemed to have a severe case of indecision, Zheng Huayuan smiled and said,

"Want everything and can't decide?

Opportunities like this will surely come again for you, Xiao Lin. I think what you lack now is a weapon that suits your hand.

Why not pick an immortal sword that appeals to you from inside?"

Zheng's words woke Dong Lin up. He really was lacking a weapon.

Lightning Arts were simply too useful, to the point that Dong Lin had subconsciously assumed he lacked no offensive means,

and had been wavering between defensive equipment and cultivation aids instead.

"An immortal sword is the standard equipment of an immortal cultivator!"

No matter how skilled one was with the sword, a fine offensive artifact would undoubtedly improve one's combat strength.

Besides, flying on a sword was the norm for many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

Once he completed Foundation Establishment, a fine immortal sword would be perfect to refine into his natal treasure.

"Then I'll follow Master's advice and choose an immortal sword."

Holding the Sect Master's token, Zheng Huayuan led Dong Lin through the golden gate containing the immortal artifacts.

This gate was not solid. Like Dong Lin's previous Spirit Chamber, it was constructed from spiritual energy.

When someone wished to enter, it could turn intangible and allow passage.

Dong Lin looked at the artifacts one after another. They were dazzlingly varied, their profound radiance soaring skyward, and his eyes were nearly overwhelmed.

More than ten thousand artifacts were arranged in a certain order behind this gate, and there seemed to be even higher-grade artifacts farther inside,

separated by additional protective measures.

Wanting to find a hidden treasure in the sect's treasury like those protagonists,

such as discovering that an ancient, unremarkable artifact was actually a damaged primordial sacred artifact,

was practically impossible within the Heaven Sect.

Dong Lin felt that every sword artifact suited him.

Helplessly, he looked toward his master.

"Hahaha, Xiao Lin, your eyes have gone blurry from looking, haven't they? There are indeed too many to choose from.

I'll help you pick out a few suitable ones."

As he spoke, Zheng Huayuan strode into the area where the sword artifacts were displayed and looked around.

Before long, he picked up a sword and tossed it to Dong Lin.

Dong Lin hurriedly caught the flying sword artifact.

"This Thunder Spirit Sword is a high-grade Black Tier artifact. Take a look first."

As he spoke, Zheng Huayuan began searching through the pile of swords again.

"This Dragon Mystic Sword is also not bad. The artifact refiners in the sect can already produce small batches of the same model."

"You can't handle an Earth Grade one. How about trying this Half-Earth Grade Thunderclap Sword? It might be a bit much, but give it a try first, Xiao Lin."

Dong Lin's eyes lit up. "Let's take this one, Master."

The sword had a dark silver blade, and five lightning patterns ran along its spine. Faint lightning glimmered across them, making it greatly to Dong Lin's liking.

"If you want to control a Half-Earth Grade artifact with ease, you'll need to reach Foundation Establishment at the very least.

These five lightning patterns can each be imbued with one Lightning Art. Trigger them in battle, and you can catch your enemy off guard."

"Five Lightning Arts?" Dong Lin immediately had some ideas of his own.

"Once you reach Foundation Establishment, the Thunder Pool by the entrance can help you refine lightning-attributed artifacts more effectively.

We'll discuss that in detail when the time comes."

After returning to the Thunder Division with Master Zheng, Dong Lin hurried back to Thunderwave Hall.

Unable to wait any longer, he drew the Thunderclap Sword from its case.

Runes were generally used more often in formations and artifact refinement, and Dong Lin knew very little about them.

Unlike talismans, which were used only once, runes carved onto artifacts could generally,

with proper maintenance, be used repeatedly forever.

Dong Lin slowly controlled a sphere of lightning and sent it toward one of the lightning patterns.

The lightning pattern immediately flickered between bright and dim, while lightning flashed across the entire blade.

"The Heavenly Stellar Earth-Thunder really works!"

Dong Lin's breathing quickened. If the five lightning patterns could each hold a different Heavenly Stellar Lightning Art,

then activating them all at once in battle and merging the five bolts of lightning—what a sight that would be.

Dong Lin had already gained some insight into the power of fivefold lightning striking from above during his cultivation.

Heaven, earth, water, spirit, and society—the mixture of five kinds of lightning could produce an extremely terrifying transformation,

but Dong Lin's current knowledge of the immortal path was still insufficient to describe that power.

He could only vaguely sense that such lightning was the ultimate destination of the Great Dao of lightning.

And once Dong Lin had gained an initial grasp of all five Lightning Arts, he would be able to reveal the beginnings of that power.

Nothing was certain yet; this was merely Dong Lin's deduction.

Filling all five lightning patterns took Dong Lin nearly an entire day.

The Heavenly Stellar Earth-Thunder seemed especially effective against spirits and ghosts.

However, Dong Lin had yet to encounter such mysterious things as ghosts.

Mountain and wildland spirits, on the other hand, were everywhere.

"I'll find time to test the Earth-Thunder's power."

The Heavenly Stellar Earth-Thunder might not possess the overwhelming focused destructive power of Mystic Spirit Heavenly-Thunder.

However, it had flexibility comparable to Yellow Spirit Earth-Thunder, while its destructive effects far surpassed those of Yellow Spirit Earth-Thunder.

Ever since comprehending Heavenly Stellar Earth-Thunder, Dong Lin had no longer used the perfected Yellow Spirit Earth-Thunder.

Early the next morning, Dong Lin came to the Scripture Repository.

The Cavern Repository also had a place to exchange for cultivation techniques. Dong Lin had not carefully studied whether there were any differences in category between the two.

However, unlike the Cavern Repository, even the books and low-grade cultivation techniques here in the Scripture Repository

could be borrowed and read by disciples for free, while the Cavern Repository required contribution points for exchange.

The Scripture Repository was a nine-story tower, with each floor at least ten meters high.

The first three floors each contained several hundred sandalwood bookshelves,

which held an immense number of biographies, historical records, classical tales, and, most importantly, immortal cultivation techniques.

The first floor of the Scripture Repository basically contained books for the Qi Refining Stage. Even on the second floor, only some Black Tier Foundation Establishment Realm techniques appeared, while most were still Yellow Tier foundational immortal arts.

The third floor was the main storage area for Black Tier techniques.

As for the fourth floor, it seemed that direct disciples could now apply to enter, but it presumably contained Earth Grade-related techniques.

Even if Dong Lin were allowed to read them, he might not be able to understand them yet.

Dong Lin came to the movement technique section on the second floor.

Black Tier techniques were quite difficult for Dong Lin.

He was not one to aim too high or bite off more than he could chew, so he planned to start with Yellow Tier movement techniques.

Unlike his exceptional talent in Lightning Arts, Dong Lin had no confidence in being able to cultivate movement techniques across tiers.

Movement techniques differed from primary cultivation techniques, which could be cultivated from Qi Refining all the way to the peak.

Aside from those movement technique supreme arts with exceptionally ancient inheritances, which could be divided into stages and cultivated from the Qi Refining Stage onward,

ordinary movement techniques were classified according to the cultivator's realm.

Cultivators of whatever realm practiced movement techniques of the corresponding tier. Only freakishly talented individuals might be able to cultivate across tiers,

and even then, they generally required experienced guidance, because the principles of higher realms ran throughout them,

and with cultivation one major stage lower, it was difficult to grasp their mysteries.