,/.

Forbidden Art—as the name implied—was a forbidden technique, a taboo cultivation method.

Since it was a taboo cultivation method, it naturally came with certain taboos. The cultivator would suffer backlash, and once it was used, they might even perish on the spot!

Although Forbidden Art had enormous drawbacks, there was no denying that every Forbidden Art possessed something uniquely powerful.

Su Fan's talent was far too poor. Cultivating ordinary techniques, his progress was extremely slow.

Would it be different if he cultivated Forbidden Art?

The moment that possibility occurred to him, Su Fan's heart stirred.

At the lower left of the five words "Forbidden Technique Burial Ground" were several lines of tiny writing. Su Fan brought the Moonlight Stone closer and shone its light upon them.

"Forbidden Art led Sword God Mountain astray. It should have been destroyed and sealed away, yet in the end, we could not bear to let it go. Thus, it was buried here..."

After reading the inscription on the stone tablet, Su Fan finally understood. His ability to enter the Forbidden Art Graveyard had been entirely due to luck and coincidence.

Once every hundred years, moonlight would shine into the cave and fall upon that stone, revealing the mechanism that opened the graveyard.

Tonight, by a stroke of fate, he had discovered it.

"Legend says Sword God Mountain began declining ten thousand years ago, and this Forbidden Art Graveyard was also buried ten thousand years ago."

As Su Fan pondered this, he wondered whether Sword God Mountain had been so powerful in the past because it had relied on these incomparably mighty Forbidden Arts.

Yet every Forbidden Art had immense drawbacks and flaws, which was why Sword God Mountain had ultimately buried them here.

"If I can cultivate the Forbidden Arts here, I'll gain some ability to protect myself!"

Su Fan strode into the Forbidden Art Graveyard and headed toward the foremost Forbidden Technique Tomb.

The gravestone was like a sword plunged into the earth. Black writing covered its surface, as though an ominous aura coiled around it.

"As expected of a Forbidden Technique Tomb. Just getting a little closer makes me feel something's wrong!"

Su Fan sighed.

He looked toward the gravestone of the first Forbidden Technique Tomb.

"Forbidden Art: Tomb of Mend Talent!"

"If talent is lacking, use life to make up for it. Burn one's lifespan to enhance talent and remedy its shortcomings. In theory, the more lifespan expended, the greater the improvement in talent..."

The moment Su Fan read the description on the gravestone, he was thrilled beyond measure!

Use lifespan to enhance talent?

"My talent may be poor, but my lifespan is endless!"

"Th-this Forbidden Art was tailor-made for me!"

In an instant, tears welled in Su Fan's eyes. The limitless lifespan granted by the system could finally be put to use.

The more lifespan he spent, the more his talent would improve?

What level could ten thousand years of lifespan raise his talent to?

The number one cultivation genius beneath heaven?

Su Fan forced himself to calm down and continued reading the gravestone's description.

"I, Zhuo Bufan, how could I be content with mediocrity? By chance, I created this Forbidden Art, using life to mend talent..."

The tablet recorded the origins of the Forbidden Art Mend Talent.

In ancient times, a Sword God Mountain disciple named Zhuo Bufan had suffered from mediocre talent. By chance, he discovered an incomplete secret art in a forbidden region. Using that secret art as his foundation, he created the Forbidden Art Mend Talent.

The reason it was a Forbidden Art was that remedying and improving talent required the expenditure of lifespan.

It used lifespan as the price to enhance talent!

In theory, as long as one had sufficient lifespan, there was no upper limit to how much talent could be improved.

But all things in the world had a limit to their lifespans.

How could anyone improve without end?

Thus, it could only remain theoretical.

"I have an inexhaustible lifespan. Does that mean I can improve my talent without limit?"

Su Fan was so excited that his face turned red.

What Forbidden Art was this? It was clearly an incomparably powerful secret art.

As long as his talent improved, cultivation would no longer be a problem.

"Zhuo Bufan? That name sounds a little familiar."

Su Fan suddenly recalled that among the past powerhouses of Sword God Mountain, there seemed to have been a Sword God named Zhuo Bufan.

"It seems the Sword Pavilion has sword cultivation techniques passed down by him, but those capable of even beginning them are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!"

His gaze fell upon the burial mound. The Forbidden Art was buried inside.

Su Fan raised both hands, gripped the sword-hilt portion of the sword-shaped gravestone, and twisted it hard to the left!

Crack! Crack!

The Sword Stele turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees, while the burial mound split open down the middle, revealing a three-foot jade coffin beneath it.

"This truly is burying the Forbidden Art."

Seeing the jade coffin inside the grave, Su Fan could not help but sigh.

Holding the Moonlight Stone, he moved closer to the jade coffin. Several lines of small writing were carved into its lid.

"If talent is lacking, use lifespan to make up for it. Improving talent brings joy for a moment; keep improving, keep rejoicing... Yet lifespan is limited. No matter how high one's talent becomes, it will ultimately bring harm... But I became addicted and could not stop..."

Su Fan nodded as he read. Improving one's talent truly felt good. It was only natural to become addicted after rising from mediocrity to genius and experiencing the benefits of enhanced talent.

Naturally, one would be unable to stop, thinking only of improving one's talent without end.

Even a Sword God powerhouse could not withstand such reckless squandering of lifespan and would eventually die once it was exhausted.

No wonder this was a Forbidden Art!

It consumed lifespan, and it was easy to become addicted!

But!

Su Fan was not afraid!

His lifespan was boundless. He did not fear spending it, much less becoming addicted.

He reached out and pushed open the coffin lid.

Inside the three-foot jade coffin lay a jade slip, wreathed in a peculiar aura, as though it carried some forbidden presence.

The transmission jade slip for the Forbidden Art: Mend Talent!

"If I directly expend ten thousand years of lifespan, how much can I improve my talent? Can I stand shoulder to shoulder with those peerless prodigies?"

Su Fan extended his hand and picked up the jade slip from the jade coffin.

Excitedly, he pressed the jade slip to his forehead. A cool, smooth sensation came from it as the transmission array upon the jade slip activated.

In an instant.

Su Fan felt as though he had entered a forbidden land.

This was a Forbidden Technique Jade Slip, and it recorded this kind of Forbidden Art—one that remedied insufficient talent and enhanced aptitude.

The jade slips that recorded Forbidden Arts all carried an air of taboo.

Boom!

Lines of text emerged within his consciousness.

"Forbidden Art: Mend Talent. Exchange life for talent, stealing the mysterious wonders of creation..."

After a long while.

Su Fan raised his head and looked at the jade slip in his hand.

The excitement on his face was impossible to suppress.

Since the Forbidden Art Mend Talent was intended for those with low aptitude, it was naturally a Forbidden Art that was easy to learn and had a low threshold.

"It isn't difficult to cultivate, but the first time, I can only consume ten years of lifespan to improve my talent?"

Su Fan was somewhat disappointed.

How much talent could ten years of lifespan improve?

"But it's not a big problem. Once I become proficient and my talent improves, I can continually increase the lifespan consumed and continually improve my talent!"

Su Fan placed the jade slip back inside the jade coffin and closed the lid again.

With a twist of the Sword Stele, he sealed the "Mend Talent" tomb shut.

"This Forbidden Art is truly wonderful. Other than me, who can use it as they please? Even if someone else obtains this Forbidden Art, forget catching up to me—they won't even see my shadow!"

Su Fan was not afraid of others cultivating the same Forbidden Art. When it came to lifespan, he had never feared anyone!

You spend a hundred years of lifespan to improve yourself?

I'll directly spend ten thousand years... even a hundred thousand years without batting an eye!

How can you compare with me?!

The more Su Fan thought about it, the more excited he became.

"Next, it's time to improve my talent!"

Looking at the other Forbidden Technique Tombs, Su Fan did not hurry to inspect them. With poor talent, cultivating Forbidden Arts would not be easy either.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, raised his left hand, extended two fingers, and pressed them against the crown of his head. His right palm rested against the ground as he assumed a strange posture.