The disciples of the Righteous Qi Sect all started with the basics. Basic saber techniques, spear techniques, sword techniques, fist techniques, finger techniques, and palm techniques were required learning for virtually every disciple.
Having inherited his predecessor's memories, he already knew most of these fundamentals. But for the sake of his future development, he still had to practice them anew. Only when his eyes, mind, and hands worked as one could he lay a solid foundation.
The basic sword technique had six levels, progressing from shallow to profound.
Because it was a basic sword technique, most disciples in the sect practiced only the first three levels.
Even most elders had mastered only the first five levels. Very few disciples cultivated the basic sword technique to the pinnacle of the sixth level.
After all, there was far too much to learn on the path of immortal cultivation, while time was precious and resources were limited.
Few people would waste their time and energy on seemingly unremarkable Basic Cultivation Methods. Most sought arts and spells with powerful attacks that could quickly raise their cultivation.
Only because Li Dalong had read countless transmigration novels before crossing over, and had his predecessor's cultivation experience, did he understand just how important the fundamentals were.
Only with a firm foundation could he achieve twice the results with half the effort in whatever he learned afterward and have greater potential for growth. Even a towering building rose from level ground-an eternal truth.
The basic sword technique demanded gradual progress, cultivating one solid step at a time. There were no shortcuts.
The sword was the sovereign of all weapons, standing above every other blade.
The Righteous Qi Art cultivated a vast, upright qi, while the sword embodied a keen edge: better to break than yield, better to snap than bend, indomitable and fearless. Whatever obstruction or resistance lay ahead, there was no need to hesitate or overthink.
As long as he trusted the sword in his hand, that sword alone would let him cut through thorns and brambles, advance courageously, and reach the pinnacle of the sword's path.
After finishing his practice, Li Dalong stopped to reflect carefully. The Righteous Qi Sect's Basic Cultivation Method was indeed not so simple. Intent, form, and moves combined, each linking with the next to unleash greater power.
Now, when he used the basic sword technique, its power was more than twice that of his fellow disciples, and his movements were smoother and more natural.
By extending this approach to more advanced cultivation arts later on, he could also learn faster and unleash greater power.
At this point, Li Dalong had gained a deeper understanding of and insight into cultivation and martial arts! His confidence had grown as well.
It was late at night now, and Li Dalong did not continue cultivating. He lay on the cultivation couch he had casually cleaned and gazed at the starry sky outside. This world had no industrial pollution, and the star-filled heavens seemed especially high and beautiful.
Looking back on everything since his transmigration, he had spent the entire day caught between danger and cultivation.
Fortunately, the system had helped him weather the crisis and given him limitless possibilities for the future.
Only by using the unique environment of the Forbidden Grounds of the Rear Mountain to lie low and develop could he survive in this complicated world of immortal cultivation.
Having decided on his path forward, Li Dalong fell asleep, exhausted.
When the morning sun slowly rose, a thin layer of spiritual qi shrouded the valley of the Back Mountain like a light veil. The scenery deep within the valley was indistinct, seeming to drift nearer and farther through the ethereal mist, hovering just beyond reach, full of mystery and beauty. Li Dalong lay on the cultivation couch, gazing dreamily at the scenery outside.
"Ding. Would you like to check in at the forbidden grounds?" A system notification jolted Li Dalong out of his daze.
"Check in."
Li Dalong answered eagerly. The system was the very foundation of his survival in the cultivation world.
"Check-in successful. Reward: one Marrow-Washing Pill."
"A Marrow-Washing Pill! Now that's something good, just right for someone in the Qi Refining Realm. A single Marrow-Washing Pill could fetch over a thousand mid-grade spirit stones at an outside market, and they're still hard to buy. Whenever one appears, it's practically snatched up immediately.
"Exchanging for one at the Righteous Qi Sect's Pill Hall also costs a thousand mid-grade spirit stones. You also need enough sect contribution points. You can't simply get one whenever you want."
The Marrow-Washing Pill was a miraculous pill that could quickly supply large amounts of spiritual power, while transforming the meridians and cleansing the marrow to improve a cultivator's physique and cultivation aptitude.
Qi entered the hundred meridians, and refining qi into the body brought one into the Qi Refining Realm.
Drawing qi into the marrow and transforming the bones like a divine dragon brought one into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The Marrow-Washing Pill could supply large amounts of spiritual power, rapidly purify the marrow, transform one's root bone, and allow one to shed mortality and enter the immortal path.
Once cultivators reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, they became vastly different. Their physique changed, and their physical strength and other attributes underwent fundamental transformations, completing the groundwork for shedding mortality and entering the immortal path. Their lifespan also reached around 180 years, roughly twice that of an ordinary mortal.
As the system's voice faded, Li Dalong immediately grew excited. Yesterday's experiences had left him desperate to improve his strength. His cultivation had already reached the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, so after taking this Marrow-Washing Pill, he could attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
As soon as the pill appeared in his hand, Li Dalong swallowed it, sat cross-legged, and began his attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The moment the pill entered his mouth, a flood of spiritual power surged into his dantian. Li Dalong then began guiding it along the route prescribed by his cultivation art, sending it from his dantian through his meridians and into every limb and bone. After several complete cycles, he smoothly broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The instant Li Dalong stopped cultivating, he smelled a nauseating stench. Opening his eyes, he discovered that his entire body was coated in a layer of foul-smelling black sludge.
It looks like this foul-smelling black sludge is the impurities expelled from my body after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
I didn't expect to have so many impurities inside me.
Li Dalong suddenly remembered that this was what happened when immortal cultivators cleansed their marrow during their breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm. They expelled impurities, transformed their root bone, and made their physique clearer and more natural, completing their transition from mortal to immortal.
"I really can't get used to this stench all over me."
Li Dalong shook his head with a wry smile, then circulated his spiritual power and cast a simple cleansing spell on himself, leaving his whole body clean and refreshed.
The Forbidden Grounds of the Rear Mountain were even larger than he had imagined. The area by the entrance was merely where relatively low-ranking disciples had once lived and cultivated.
Farther inside were many other areas and peaks where core elders and supreme elders had once lived and cultivated. Since he had achieved Foundation Establishment today, he could take a break and explore deeper inside.
After all, he would be living here for a long time, so he needed to get a clear understanding of the place.
And so Li Dalong slowly walked deeper into the forbidden grounds. He saw that the entrance was a small valley, with abandoned cave dwellings at the feet of the mountains on both sides and farther up their slopes.
Many of the cave dwellings had collapsed or been destroyed. Though countless years had passed, traces of the great battle were still visible. The scars left by bombardments of spells and slashing weapons remained clear.
Continuing deeper inside, he rounded a valley and headed toward two towering mountains that pierced the clouds.
Before reaching their feet, he encountered a restriction. The area ahead had been sealed off, and all he could see was a dense black mist covering it.
The black mist churned as though trapped beneath a glass dome, yet not the slightest wisp escaped. That alone showed how powerful the restriction was.
Before you continue