The Willow God's Teachings

It was a simple sheet of silvery-white paper, yet its ringing sword cries cut into the heart and soul, bearing down on the spirit.

It was not a sword itself, merely a medium on which a sword art had been recorded.

The silvery-white sheet hovered quietly in midair, flowing with silver light as though condensed from the Milky Way. Intricate bone text dotted its surface.

Shi Zhao approached, retrieved the Tattered Cloth, and looked at the sword energy sealed on its reverse with boundless delight. This was very likely a means left behind by an ancient supreme being.

Even if it had been left unintentionally, or had accumulated from the sword art itself, this residual sword energy was enough to easily slay so-called Heavenly Gods.

This was a deadly weapon, and she could unleash it without expending any power.

As a trump card, it could turn the tide of battle at a critical moment. With this in hand, she could walk a little taller whenever she went out. Here in the lower realm, she could slay any god or Buddha that dared stand in her way.

She then took the silvery-white metal sheet bearing the Grass Character Sword Art into her hands.

"From ancient times to the present, there have been three great sword arts in this world, representing the pinnacle of offensive power." The girl's eyes shone. "The Grass Character Sword Art, the Chaos-Calming Sword Art, and the Immortal Tribulation Sword Art."

There also seemed to be some unknown connection faintly linking the three great sword arts.

The Grass Character Sword Art could cleave through anything. Cutting through matter was as effortless and simple as a divine weapon slicing through rotten mud.

Its cultivation method involved tempering matter into a sword embryo. Even an arm or finger bones could serve as the sword embryo, making it capable of breaking through anything.

The Chaos-Calming Sword Art, also known as the Primordial Spirit Sword Art, was entirely different from the Grass Character Sword Art. It forged the primordial spirit into a sword embryo, and a single sword strike moved faster than thought.

It was both an unparalleled sword art for slaying souls and a supreme secret method for tempering the primordial spirit.

As for the Immortal Tribulation Sword Art, Shi Zhao had her own conjecture. Since the Grass Character Sword Art and the Chaos-Calming Sword Art corresponded to the form and spirit of the sword path respectively, the remaining art most likely corresponded to "intent," allowing one to cultivate peerless sword intent.

Perhaps only with form, spirit, and intent together could the supreme sword path be complete!

"It'll be hard to gather them all." The girl sighed, but ambition stirred in her heart.

Previously, she had focused on cultivation. Having already obtained the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art and several pureblood Precious Techniques, she had no attention to spare and had temporarily set the Grass Character Sword Art aside.

Now that her cultivation had borne fruit and she had opened ten cave heavens, merging them into one in a short time was somewhat unrealistic. It required more consideration and preparation, so she had brought out the sword art instead.

In the days that followed, Shi Zhao traveled through the shattered Great Wilderness, devoting herself to comprehending this sword art and carefully pondering its mysteries.

This was the first Ten Fiends Precious Technique she had obtained, and it represented the pinnacle of offensive power. Naturally, it deserved all her effort.

After several weeks, sword energy soared into the sky, and nine leaves manifested around her.

They were silver blades of grass, long and slender as swords. As they gently swayed, they seemed ready to cleave the heavens apart.

She pointed a finger, and a streak of sword light shot out instantly. Its edge was so keen that it plowed a deep fissure through the earth in an instant.

Without question, her combat strength had risen dramatically once again.

"If I used the Grass Character Sword Art as the cutting edge, then unleashed the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art for an unrivaled strike, what would happen? And if I gathered six Ten Fiends Precious Techniques, what would that look like?" Shi Zhao shook her head. The picture was too beautiful; she hardly dared imagine it.

Never mind the Ten Fiends Precious Techniques—even combining the divine abilities of the Pureblood Vicious Beasts she currently possessed would produce power beyond imagination.

An ordinary Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator would probably be casually blasted into pieces scattered east and west.

The next instant, Shi Zhao moved, using the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art to set six great Precious Techniques in motion.

Around her, five great ferocious beasts manifested together: a Five-Colored Peacock, a Golden-Winged Roc, a Bian, a Suanni, and a True Hou. Alongside them appeared the Grass Character Sword Art she had just mastered.

Before her slender, delicate hand could strike down, all the surrounding rocks exploded, breaking apart and turning to dust.

Blazing divine radiance blossomed. Once everything settled, the shattered mountain forest had vanished, leaving only an empty basin with ash drifting down.

"Willow Deity, save me!"

At the entrance to Stone Village, the girl wore a miserable expression, tears brimming in her large eyes, on the verge of spilling.

Her left sleeve had burst apart. Her entire arm was covered in fissures and dripping blood, as though countless swords and knives had slashed it. Several strange, lingering types of energy were mixed into the wounds as well.

"Big Sister, what happened to you?" Little Shi Hao turned pale with fright at the sight.

"A little accident during cultivation." Shi Zhao ground her teeth, feeling rather frustrated. She had not even chosen a full set of pureblood Precious Techniques, yet she had still injured herself.

"Big Sister, does it still hurt?" Seeing his sister's frustration, Little Shi Hao struggled for a long while before squeezing out this concerned question. It nearly made Shi Zhao laugh in exasperation.

So this child really had put every last bit of his intelligence into cultivation and fighting.

"I'm fine. Be good and go cultivate." She helplessly sent him away.

"What astonishing sword energy."

The Willow Deity sensed it and extended a tender branch, which gradually began to glow green.

A crystalline drop of sap appeared on the branch, like a bead of jade dew. It shone with radiance and released waves of sweet fragrance, immediately refreshing Shi Zhao's mind and spirit.

The tender branch drooped and gently brushed her left arm. Those hideous wounds quickly disappeared. Then the willow branch swayed lightly, and another drop of sap appeared, rolling among the tender buds and restoring the girl's skin to its fair softness.

"To think you could unleash that heavenly art at your level of cultivation." The Willow Deity had already guessed what had happened and was somewhat surprised.

"Your cultivation is still shallow. Do not use that heavenly art for now, or you will injure yourself before you can kill your enemy," the Willow Deity cautioned.

Shi Zhao nodded, her large eyes darting about as she produced a sheet of silver paper like someone presenting a treasure.

"Willow Deity, as your most faithful believer, I'd like to exchange this sword art for your Precious Technique. That way, I won't have to worry about getting hurt again."

That was a lie!

She was neither a believer nor particularly faithful.

Even if she said nothing now and did not offer the Grass Character Sword Art in exchange, the Willow Deity would very likely teach her the great method someday. Still, she would never pass up such a fine opportunity to draw closer.

Wasn't this a chance to rack up the Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit's favor?

Unfortunately, the Willow Deity seemed to see through her intentions at a glance.

But the Willow Deity did not care.

In fact, Shi Zhao knew the Willow Deity could see through her. What mattered was that she had shown her sincerity.

"It is actually this sword art!" After curling a branch around the silver sheet, the Willow Deity was deeply shaken. It was unexpectedly the Grass Character Sword Art-even the Willow Deity wanted to obtain this art.

"Come here. I will teach you a Precious Technique," the Willow Deity said.

Shi Zhao stepped forward. A willow branch lightly touched her brow, transmitting a Precious Technique.

"Huh?!" But her eyes immediately widened.

Why was this Precious Technique

a hundred million little bits different from what I imagined?

Wait, where was my Willow Deity Method? Why had it turned into some Sacrificial Dance?

"As my most faithful believer, I shall teach you this method, which you may use to call upon me." A faint hint of teasing actually entered the Willow Deity's usually unruffled voice.

"Are you satisfied?"

Shi Zhao: "..."

She was still too young. She had let her guard down, never expecting the Willow Deity to know that she knew the Willow Deity would not mind her deliberate ploy.

"Bite off too much, and you cannot chew it all. You already possess enough Precious Techniques; excess is no better than deficiency. For now, you should focus on breaking your limits and advancing your cultivation realm."

"As for my method, you cannot cultivate it when your realm is too low. When the time comes, I will naturally teach it to you. There is no need to rush. Settle your mind."

The reminder brought Shi Zhao to her senses, and clarity returned to her heart.