Early the next morning, as Ye Xuan prepared to check in, he noticed a large group of outer disciples flying overhead on swords, hurrying into the distance.
"Senior brother, may I ask where you're all going?"
Ye Xuan rose and followed the crowd, cupping his fists as he asked an outer disciple beside him.
"On the first day of every month, an outer sect elder or an inner disciple gives a lecture at Dao Preaching Peak. Today, Senior Sister Wu Yuehua from the inner sect is explaining Azure Feather Swordsmanship."
When he mentioned Wu Yuehua, a trace of reverence appeared in the outer disciple's eyes, along with a trace of admiration.
"A lecture at Dao Preaching Peak."
Ye Xuan had heard about the monthly lectures at Dao Preaching Peak before, but servant disciples were not allowed inside. He could only gaze at the ocean and sigh. Now that he had become an outer disciple, he could naturally attend as well.
"This seems like a good place to check in."
Ye Xuan followed the crowd to Dao Preaching Peak. By then, the plaza was already a sea of people.
Ye Xuan casually found a corner and sat down, closing his eyes to rest while listening to the discussions around him.
"Have you heard? Senior Sister Wu Yuehua is giving today's lecture!"
"Hehe, of course I have. Senior Sister Wu is one of the most popular female disciples in the inner sect, with beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms. Her suitors could circle the Dao Sect ten times over. Why else do you think so many people came to listen today?"
"Back then, Senior Sister Wu entered the inner sect by taking first place in the outer sect tournament. In just ten years, she broke through all the way to the Foundation Establishment peak stage. Now, she's only one step away from Core Formation."
"Senior Sister Wu is here!"
Ye Xuan opened his eyes and saw a white-robed fairy stepping through the air toward them, drawing cheers from the plaza.
Wu Yuehua could be called the most beautiful person Ye Xuan had ever seen. Even the celebrities of his previous life could not compare to a tenth of her beauty, and the sight of her left him dazed for a moment.
"So strong!"
Ye Xuan soon recovered from his brief daze. He felt a powerful pressure coming from Wu Yuehua; even from far away, he could sense her formidable Sword Intent.
"Hiss, I heard Senior Sister Wu had cultivated a Sword Heart. To think it was actually true!"
"Once you cultivate a Sword Heart, the sword springs from the heart, and wielder and sword become one. You can achieve a thorough understanding of any swordsmanship, and comprehending Sword Intent follows as naturally as water flowing into a channel!"
Wu Yuehua landed on the raised platform, her piercing, swordlike gaze sweeping across the plaza. Not a single person dared meet her eyes.
"Today, I will explain Azure Feather Swordsmanship!"
Wu Yuehua's voice was rather cool. Though not loud, it drowned out the clamor throughout the plaza, conveying her insights clearly to everyone's ears.
Seeing Wu Yuehua get straight to the point, Ye Xuan immediately checked in.
[Ding!] [Check-in successful!] [Host's first check-in at Dao Preaching Peak. Congratulations, host, you have obtained an Innate Sword Heart!] [Claim the check-in reward now?]
"An Innate Sword Heart?"
"Claim the reward."
Having just learned the benefits of a Sword Heart from the surrounding outer disciples, Ye Xuan could hardly wait to claim his check-in reward.
Countless insights into the sword Dao arose in Ye Xuan's heart. He felt that as long as he picked up a sword, he could execute exquisite swordsmanship.
While everyone else struggled to ponder Wu Yuehua's lecture, Ye Xuan had already grasped all her insights into Azure Feather Swordsmanship, even though he had never studied it before.
More than half a month had passed since Wu Yuehua's lecture, and Ye Xuan had left his footprints on all the nearby peaks.
Over that time, Ye Xuan's cultivation had broken through to the Foundation Establishment middle stage, and he had obtained quite a few good things from checking in.
Checking in at the flame vent on Blazing Fire Peak had earned him a high-grade fire Spirit Root.
At Wood Moon Peak's Spirit Artifact Pavilion, he had checked in and obtained a supreme-grade Law Artifact sword-Waning Moon.
His second check-in at the Scripture Pavilion had earned him the first four levels of Azure Feather Swordsmanship.
Moreover, by posting missions, Ye Xuan had also learned talisman crafting, formations, and artifact refining. His gains had been plentiful indeed.
Host: Ye Xuan Age: 16 Aptitude: high-grade Spirit Roots: wood, fire; crippled Spirit Roots: metal, water, earth Realm: Foundation Establishment middle stage Cultivation methods: Chaos Dao Scripture, level one; Wind Thunder Step; Azure Feather Swordsmanship, level four; Qi Refining Formula; Black Tiger Fist; Lesser Cloud and Rain Formula. Skills: pill refining (level 1), talisman crafting (level 1), formations (level 1), artifact refining (level 1), Innate Sword Heart Items: Waning Moon
Ye Xuan's strength could now be said to have increased enormously. He could no longer be compared to who he had been a month ago.
Now, he was confident he could remain undefeated in a head-on confrontation with Wu Yuehua, and might even defeat her by relying on his own abundant Spiritual Qi.
Azure Feather Peak.
Ling Ziling stood at the summit, gazing calmly into the distance.
Over the past month, she had turned the entire Azure Feather Dao Sect upside down without finding any hidden expert.
She had sounded out several elders, but they all said that no senior from the sect held a position in the Immortal Alliance. This left Ling Ziling somewhat puzzled.
Who was the person who would sweep away the demonic sect with a single sword strike a hundred years later?
A month had passed since her last simulation. The simulator's fortune points had now reached 3,000, enough for Ling Ziling to run one simulation.
"Simulate Qi Yue!"
Qi Yue was the seventh elder's name.
Ling Ziling had thought long and hard about this simulation before finally choosing to simulate the seventh elder.
According to the results of her previous simulation, the seventh elder would be ambushed by the demonic sect next year and ultimately die in battle.
One reason for simulating the seventh elder was to identify the unknown force behind the attack so she could prepare early.
The other was that Ling Ziling now possessed a Spirit Breaking Pill, a precious pill for breaking through to the Spirit Transformation realm. Quite a few cultivators in the sect were at the Nascent Soul peak stage, and she wanted to know whether the seventh elder could reach the Spirit Transformation realm by taking it.
[Ding, beginning simulation!] [Simulation subject: seventh elder, Qi Yue!] [Age 0: You are born into an ordinary family. Your mother dies in childbirth.] [Age 5: Your father dies of illness. You are driven out of your clan and left to wander the streets.] [Age 11: An immortal sect recruits disciples. You are found to possess a high-grade Spirit Root and successfully enter the Azure Feather Dao Sect's inner sect.] [Age 15: You successfully establish your foundation and are accepted as a disciple by an inner sect elder.] [Age 60: You successfully form your core and become an inner sect deacon.] [Age 182: You fail to break through to Nascent Soul! You are in no hurry and begin focusing on recovering from your injuries.] [Age 195: You fail to break through to Nascent Soul! You grow somewhat anxious. A stranger within the sect approaches you, promising to help you break through to Nascent Soul, but you must do something for him. You refuse.]
At this point, Ling Ziling's gaze sharpened.
[Age 212: You once again fail to break through to Nascent Soul, and someone approaches you again. This time, after hesitating for several days, you agree. With the stranger's help, you break through to Nascent Soul, but he never asks you to do anything. You secretly investigate the stranger but find no clues.] [Age 220: Your cultivation progresses slowly, and you begin concentrating on handling sect affairs.] [Age 230: Just as you have forgotten your promise to the stranger, he comes to see you. He invites you to accompany him to an ancient Spirit Transformation tomb, and you agree.] [Age 231: The stranger is an undercover agent of the Blood Demon Sect. Inside the ancient tomb, a Blood Seal is planted in you, leaving you in a state worse than death. Three months later, he asks you to send a sect distress call to the surrounding area. You do not want to die, so you agree.] [Age 231: The sect master's wife comes to your rescue, is ambushed by the Blood Demon Sect, and dies!]