Twenty Years of Hard Cultivation

Yun Qingyao began personally teaching Lu Ren.

That night, Yun Qingyao slept in Lu Ren's bed while Lu Ren had to sleep on the floor.

At the hour of the Rabbit, just as dawn was breaking, Yun Qingyao pulled Lu Ren up to cultivate.

During meals, Yun Qingyao ate with Lu Ren in the dining hall of the beginner's area, drawing the attention of surrounding disciples.

"Why is the Saintess always with Lu Ren?"

"I heard the Saintess is teaching Lu Ren sword techniques, hoping to showcase them at the new disciple sparring event!"

"Lu Ren has a Scrap Bloodline. Even though he's opened one Spiritual Aperture, there's no way he can cultivate sword techniques, right?"

Many beginner disciples found it unbelievable.

"Lu Ren, did you hear that? Those people don't believe you can cultivate it. You absolutely must work hard!" Yun Qingyao said earnestly.

"Master, I will work hard!" Lu Ren nodded.

Lu Ren naturally wouldn't slack off at all. This Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill was, after all, a Human Tier High-grade sword skill. If he had to cultivate it himself, given his talent, he wouldn't know how long it would take to even get started, or if he'd ever get started at all. Now, with Yun Qingyao teaching him, the cultivation threshold would be significantly lowered.

Yun Qingyao personally taught him for three days, and Lu Ren finally learned it. He could barely execute the three stances of the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill, but his movements were very awkward.

Seeing this, Yun Qingyao felt a pang of self-reproach. She had considered that a Scrap Bloodline would be weak, but she hadn't expected it to be so weak. For someone with such poor talent, persisting in cultivating a martial skill for a month was already very diligent. If it were her, with such poor talent, she would have given up long ago.

Perhaps I shouldn't have forced him to cultivate. With such a useless talent, even someone like Ancient Emperor Tuoshe couldn't cultivate it, could he? Yun Qingyao sighed inwardly.

Yun Qingyao decided to have Lu Ren give up on the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill and instead practice simple basic sword techniques: slash, chop, thrust, and parry! She was full of confidence, believing that with her Seventh-grade Bloodline, even if Lu Ren's talent was worse, she could help him get started with her self-created sword skill. But she had underestimated Lu Ren's Scrap Bloodline. Now, all she could do was have Lu Ren cram and practice basic sword techniques.

With the upcoming sparring event between the two major sects' new disciples, their Qingyun Sect had no hope of winning. They could only rely on Lu Ren, this Scrap Bloodline, to salvage some dignity. It was still incredible for a Scrap Bloodline to be able to cultivate basic sword techniques.

Four days later, under Yun Qingyao's supervision, Lu Ren finally managed to cultivate the basic sword techniques. His slashes, chops, thrusts, and parries all carried considerable force.

"Lu Ren, the Fire Spirit Sword is yours to keep. No matter how your cultivation path unfolds, you will always be my disciple. Rest well today, do your best tomorrow, and just showcase your basic sword skills!" Yun Qingyao patted Lu Ren's shoulders a few times before leaving.

Lu Ren watched his master's retreating figure, a slight smile on his lips. "Master, tomorrow, I will make you proud!" Since Yun Qingyao didn't believe he had opened seven Spiritual Apertures, he would wait for tomorrow's new disciple sparring event to surprise everyone.

Back in the dormitory, Lu Ren immediately entered the Nameless Treasure Pagoda. The Spirit Rice inside the pagoda could support his cultivation for twenty years.

"Master cares about me so much. Tomorrow, no matter what, I must defeat that disciple with the Sixth-grade Bloodline!" Lu Ren's eyes were sharp as he clenched his fists tightly. However, his opponent had a Sixth-grade Bloodline, while he had a Scrap Bloodline. Even if he cultivated three Human Tier low-grade martial arts to perfection, he might not be a match for his opponent. He had witnessed Qin Yu's strength; she was also a genius with a Sixth-grade Bloodline. With his current strength, he was far from being Qin Yu's match.

"In twenty years, I must get started with the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill!" Lu Ren gripped the Fire Spirit Sword and continued practicing from the basic sword techniques. Slash, chop, thrust, parry! Lu Ren spent a full year, tediously practicing slash, chop, thrust, and parry! Now, when Lu Ren wielded his sword, his momentum was full, and each strike delivered astonishing power.

Whoosh! Lu Ren slashed a giant rock in front of him with his sword. The rock split in two as if it were made of tofu. Lu Ren had practiced the four basic sword moves to the point of perfection, even transcending their limitations.

"Let's begin cultivating the first stance of the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill, 'Trace Movement'!" Lu Ren recalled the scene of Yun Qingyao personally teaching him and began to wield his long sword. At first, Lu Ren's movements were still stiff and clumsy, but compared to before, his sword techniques were much smoother, without any blockages, bringing a sense of natural progression. Lu Ren began to cultivate assiduously. Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Ren's sword-dancing speed grew faster and faster, his movements fluid and natural. Suddenly, he swung his sword, the blade moving like a swift snake, and then thrust forward, piercing a large rock in front of him, creating a hole.

Sheathing his sword and standing still, Lu Ren's face showed surprise and joy.

Seven years. He had actually managed to cultivate the first stance of the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill.

This sword skill was comparable to a Human Tier High-grade Martial Skill, and with his talent, he shouldn't have been able to cultivate it.

Lu Ren had even prepared to spend ten years just to master the first stance.

"Perhaps it's because Master taught me in person!"

Lu Ren took a deep breath and continued to practice the second stance, "Unfettered."

He swung his sword again and again, gradually going from awkwardness to proficiency.

Twelve years passed.

Lu Ren's sword light, like clouds moving across the sky, rapidly contracted, condensing into a single point before piercing outward.

The large rock before him, after being pierced with a hole, suddenly exploded, turning into fragments that scattered around.

"I actually cultivated the second stance too!"

Lu Ren's face lit up with joy.

Twenty years of arduous training to cultivate both stances of the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill far exceeded Lu Ren's expectations.

After leaving the Pagoda Space, Lu Ren went to the mess hall for dinner.

"Tomorrow, the Imperial Dao Sect is bringing three newly recruited disciples to our Qingyun Sect for a spar. I heard they've recruited a genius with a Sixth-grade Bloodline who opened seven Spiritual Apertures in just a month and a half!"

"Among our batch of new disciples, Yang Rong and Zhao Yi have the strongest talent, and they've only opened six Spiritual Apertures so far!"

"We're going to lose again in this spar!"

During their idle chatter, many disciples looked dejected.

The development of a sect requires geniuses to drive it. For the past few years, no disciples from the Qingyun Sect had won first place in major competitions, naturally causing families to send their kin to the other three major sects.

In recent years, the Qingyun Sect had only managed to recruit one disciple with a Sixth-grade Bloodline, Qin Yu, while the other three major sects recruited one or two disciples with Sixth-grade Bloodlines almost every year.

Lu Ren, who was listening intently, was about to get up after finishing his meal when a hand pressed him down.

Lu Ren looked up and saw a boy of about seventeen, with a stern face and chiseled features, standing with a man and a woman beside him.

Before Lu Ren could speak, the boy interrupted him, saying, "I am Zhao Yi. You should remember me!"

Lu Ren nodded and said, "I know you, the genius with the Fifth-grade Bloodline. What do you need me for?"

Zhao Yi sized up Lu Ren for a long time before saying, "I just came to advise you to stay away from the Saintess. If possible, you should proactively sever your master-disciple relationship with her!"