Li Dalong extended his divine sense into the jade slip containing the Yin-Yang Ninefold Splendor Sword-Controlling Art and began studying its contents.
"As expected of a sword-controlling art created by the founding patriarch of the Righteous Qi Sect. It truly is exquisitely profound."
According to the jade slip, the Yin-Yang Ninefold Splendor Sword-Controlling Art consisted of four levels. Once all four were mastered, yin and yang would blend, and the practitioner would become one with heaven, unleashing the art's greatest power.
At this, Li Dalong eagerly began cultivating the first level of the Yin-Yang Ninefold Splendor Sword-Controlling Art, the Swordsmanship Stage: a sword in the hand, a sword in the heart.
The first step in cultivating the sword-controlling art was to establish a connection with his Top-Grade Flying Sword, the Azure Cloud Sword.
Only by connecting with the flying sword through spiritual power and divine sense, familiarizing himself with its structure, and gaining its recognition could he wield it as naturally as his own arm.
As Li Dalong poured a steady stream of spiritual power into the flying sword, shimmering light began flowing over the previously dormant Azure Cloud Sword, and vitality emerged across its surface. Seeing the sword begin to change, he increased the flow of spiritual power. His divine sense also entered the sword, examining its structure and communicating with it. Before long, he had established a mysterious connection with it.
As the shimmering light on its surface grew brighter, the flying sword gave a soft hum, broke free of Li Dalong's hand, and floated before him. After bobbing up and down a few times, it began circling him joyfully, like a child cheering and jumping after receiving a lollipop. With that, he had gained the Azure Cloud Sword's recognition.
His ability to gain the Azure Cloud Sword's recognition so quickly was also connected to his Innate Spirit Body. Pure and unblemished, an Innate Spirit Body radiated a natural aura that made these nature-loving spiritual artifacts eager to draw close. This would give him a considerable advantage in obtaining heavenly treasures and earthly wonders in the cultivation world in the future.
In the days that followed, Li Dalong devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivating the Yin-Yang Ninefold Splendor Sword-Controlling Art.
The first level of the Yin-Yang Ninefold Splendor Sword-Controlling Art was the Ignorance Stage: no sword in the hand, no sword in the heart. This was also the easiest level to master.
The second level was the Swordsmanship Stage: a sword in the hand, a sword in the heart. Upon mastering the first level and taking their first steps through the door, practitioners began with no understanding of what a sword truly was, filled with curiosity about swordsmanship. At this point, they began learning and understanding how to use a flying sword, practicing according to its sword moves. The first level emphasized moves, circulating spiritual power along the paths dictated by those moves to strengthen the flying sword's power.
With Li Dalong's aptitude and comprehension, he soon mastered the second level.
Li Dalong swept his hand toward a boulder at the foot of the mountain. A streak of sword light howled from the tip of the Top-Grade Flying Sword, the Azure Cloud Sword, and struck the boulder. With an explosive bang, the boulder shattered, sending fragments flying in all directions.
"As expected of a sword-controlling art. Its power really is extraordinary." This was only the second level, yet it was already so powerful. Among cultivators at the same realm, it already stood at the very top. Even most cultivators at the peak of the Gold Core Realm could not wield such power.
And he had not even used his full strength. Had he done so, the entire boulder would have been reduced to dust. Once he mastered the fourth level, sending his sword a thousand miles to slay a powerful enemy, granting life with one thought and delivering death with another, would be effortless.
However, whether cultivation methods or magical arts, the further one progressed, the harder they became to master, with the difficulty multiplying.
To fully master all four levels of the Yin-Yang Ninefold Splendor Sword-Controlling Art, he would first have to raise his cultivation to the Nascent Soul Realm. He was still a long way from that realm. Cultivation became even harder after reaching the Golden Core Realm, requiring far more spiritual energy than the Foundation Establishment Realm and much more time to accumulate spiritual power.
He still had to make the most of his time cultivating and raise his cultivation realm.
Cultivation knew no years; every day, every moment had to be seized!
Just as Li Dalong was about to immerse himself in cultivation again, footsteps sounded outside the forbidden grounds. A moment later, the gate opened.
Li Dalong looked up toward the entrance and saw a young man in brocade robes walk slowly inside. He was tall and powerfully built, with handsome features and a dignified bearing. It was none other than his third junior brother, Zhou Yong.
"Eldest senior brother!"
Zhou Yong called out excitedly when he saw Li Dalong.
"What brings you here?"
Li Dalong looked at his third junior brother in mild surprise as he asked.
Under normal circumstances, members of the Righteous Qi Sect were forbidden from entering the Forbidden Grounds of the Rear Mountain without permission. Anyone who entered without the approval of an elder or someone of higher rank would be punished under the sect's rules.
"Eldest senior brother, Master gave me permission to visit you."
Zhou Yong spoke eagerly. Then he hesitated for a moment before continuing slowly, "Eldest senior brother, I've become the Righteous Qi Sect's Dao Son."
"Junior brother, congratulations on becoming the Dao Son."
Li Dalong smiled and offered his congratulations.
"Eldest senior brother, you don't blame me, do you?" Zhou Yong watched Li Dalong cautiously as he asked in a low voice.
"Why would I?"
"You becoming the sect's Dao Son couldn't be better. At the very least, it's better than someone else taking that position."
"Of the three of us, our second junior brother is gone now, leaving only you by Master's side. You must be diligent and help Master more. Don't slack off in your cultivation, either. Cultivation is the foundation of everything," Li Dalong told Zhou Yong.
"Eldest senior brother, I kept feeling guilty before. And after what happened to you, there was so much to deal with in the sect. There's been unrest both within and outside the sect, and Master has been under tremendous pressure. That's why it took me so long to visit you."
"Eldest senior brother, please don't blame me," Zhou Yong explained guiltily.
"It's all right. I'm already very happy that you could come."
"I also know that many of the sect's elders want to drag Master down from his position. Be careful yourself. Don't come to see me unless you need to. I'm doing well!" Li Dalong waved his hand to show that it was fine. He knew very well that for his third junior brother to come to the Back Mountain today, both Zhou Yong and their master had already endured enormous pressure from multiple sides.
"Eldest senior brother, please don't blame Master, either."
"After you came to the Back Mountain, much more of Master's hair turned white, and he became much quieter. Master raised all of us. He's the sect master, and now the sect is beset by difficulties both inside and out. There's little he can do, either."
"Junior brother, don't worry. I don't hate Master. If anything is to blame, it's our lack of strength. Otherwise, our second junior brother wouldn't have died. If we were powerful enough, let's see who would still dare look down on us or make things difficult for us."
"Junior brother, you'll have to cultivate even harder than before. Only then will you be able to help Master."
Zhou Yong noticed that his eldest senior brother's temperament had become much calmer than before, with less of his former forcefulness and impulsiveness.
"Eldest senior brother, since you have nothing else to do here, try cultivating again. Once I become stronger, I'll help you search for better pills."
"This is a Dantian-Replenishing Pill that Master paid a great price to obtain outside the sect. It should be able to repair your dantian and meridians. There are also the Qi-Gathering Pills I've saved up, along with some spirit fruits containing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. I hope you can recover your cultivation and health as soon as possible, senior brother."
As Zhou Yong spoke, he took out the pills and several dozen spirit fruits.
"A low-grade Dantian-Replenishing Pill and high-grade Qi-Gathering Pills."
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