The Cottage.
Lu Changsheng casually pointed toward the bamboo huts and said, "Pick whichever room you like."
Ye Qiubai nodded. After settling in, he came before Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng sat in a reclining chair and waved his hand.
A sword and a pill appeared before Ye Qiubai.
"Since you've taken me as your master, I don't have anything particularly good to give you. I'll give you this Azure Cloud Sword to send you straight into the azure clouds."
The sight of the Azure Cloud Sword startled Ye Qiubai.
Even concealed within its sheath, the Azure Cloud Sword had a faint, keen Sword Intent constantly swirling around it.
When he held it, he could sense the Great Dao of the Sword and even vaguely gained some insight!
Could cultivation methods and weapons connected to the Dao possibly be ordinary?
What would it look like once drawn?
At this thought, Ye Qiubai wanted to draw the sword.
"I'd advise you not to draw it. As you are now, you still can't withstand this sword's intent."
Only upon hearing this did Ye Qiubai abandon the idea.
"Master, this is too precious. I can't accept it."
With a solemn expression, Ye Qiubai held out the sword.
Lu Changsheng glanced at Ye Qiubai and said, "Since I've given it to you, keep it. And that pill can resolve the problem with your body."
With that, Lu Changsheng extended a finger and touched Ye Qiubai between the brows.
Streams of information about a cultivation method entered Ye Qiubai's mind.
The Primordial Sword Scripture.
Transform the Dantian into a sword, forge the meridians with swords.
Achieve a supreme sword physique.
Its profundity was something Ye Qiubai had rarely encountered in his life.
Neither his lineage's cultivation methods nor those he had seen during his travels amounted to even one ten-thousandth of this Primordial Sword Scripture.
Waves surged in Ye Qiubai's heart. He nodded and stopped declining, placing the Fortune Pill in his mouth and sitting cross-legged to comprehend the cultivation method!
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng nodded and walked into the wooden hut.
"System, what's the disciple development mission?"
[Development mission activated. Within three days, have Ye Qiubai comprehend Sword Intent and cultivate to at least the Golden Core Realm. Upon reaching the targets, the host will receive rewards based on the degree of completion.]
Sword Intent?
Though it was nothing much to him-after all, he hadn't spent these twenty years merely eating and waiting to die-how was a novice like Ye Qiubai supposed to comprehend Sword Intent within three days?
And then there's the Golden Core Realm. Three days to get Ye Qiubai, who's starting from zero, back to the Golden Core Realm...
Fuck, are you making things difficult for me?
But he had finally managed to activate a mission. How could Lu Changsheng give up so quickly?
With this in mind, he began devising a hell-level training regimen.
Sword Intent depended on comprehension.
Cultivation realm?
Even if I have to bury him in pills, I'll push him up there!
With that, Lu Changsheng took out his pill furnace. With a beckoning gesture, pill fire sprang to life.
One medicinal herb after another, their fragrances contained within, was tossed inside...
One of the three days soon passed.
Ye Qiubai, who was sitting cross-legged outside, suddenly opened his eyes. A vortex of spiritual power appeared around him, constantly drawing more in with Ye Qiubai at its center!
Lu Changsheng also stepped out of the thatched hut at that moment. With a flick of his finger, several array flags flew in different directions, and an array immediately enveloped the entire Cottage!
"Array, rise."
The moment his words fell.
The surrounding spiritual power surged madly into the Cottage.
The vortex of spiritual power around Ye Qiubai grew even more substantial.
His cultivation realm also climbed without stopping!
Third level of Qi Refining!
Sixth level!
Ninth level!
Foundation Establishment Realm!
And his presence still did not stop rising. After entering the Foundation Establishment Realm, it only stopped upon reaching the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm!
He was just one step away from entering the Golden Core Realm!
Ye Qiubai opened his eyes, casually picked up a branch, and performed one sword technique after another.
They were precisely the sword techniques from the Primordial Sword Scripture.
When Ye Qiubai stopped, he could feel that both his talent and strength far surpassed what they had been.
One could say that Lu Changsheng had given him a new life.
Putting down the branch, Ye Qiubai dropped heavily to both knees and solemnly said to Lu Changsheng, "Once I've taken my revenge, I will remain by your side and serve you, Master!"
Lu Changsheng held out a hand and lifted Ye Qiubai without touching him.
"All right, keep cultivating. Here are a few pills. Try to break through to the Golden Core Realm and comprehend Sword Intent within these two days."
Looking at the pills in Lu Changsheng's hand, Ye Qiubai was once again shocked.
A Pure Yang Crimson Blood Pill, a Spirit Concentration Pill, and an Essence Cultivation Pill.
These three kinds of pills could only be encountered by chance, not sought at will, throughout the entire Southern Region.
The alchemists capable of refining these three kinds of pills could be counted on one hand.
They truly were things one could only encounter by chance, not seek at will.
"Master, these are too precious!"
Yet Lu Changsheng casually tossed the three pills to Ye Qiubai without a care. "What's so precious about them? I refined a furnaceful. If they're not enough, come get more."
A furnaceful...
Since when had these pills become as cheap as candy...
But remembering Lu Changsheng's earlier demands, he couldn't help giving a wry smile.
The Golden Core Realm was one thing.
But Sword Intent wasn't something he could break through to just because he wanted to.
Some people spent their entire lives pondering it without ever mastering Sword Intent.
But there was no use thinking about that now. Ye Qiubai's gaze grew resolute, and he resumed cultivating.
As he swallowed the pills one after another, his strength began rapidly increasing.
At the same time, streams of Sword-Ray began revolving around his body.
Within his body, the cries of swords thundered!
By the cliff, a Willow Tree watched the scene, her branches rustling.
"This boy has decent talent... Only the Primordial Sword Physique could meet the conditions for cultivating the Primordial Sword Scripture."
On a nearby branch, Little Bird, with her fiery-red wings, watched the scene with a hint of gravity in her eyes as well.
Another day passed.
Ye Qiubai sat atop a rock.
Suddenly, a powerful presence erupted.
Sword Qi roared around Ye Qiubai.
Before long, his presence withdrew.
Golden Core Realm!
Ye Qiubai stood up.
Though he had now reached the Golden Core Realm, how was he to comprehend Sword Intent, a concept that could only be encountered by chance, not sought at will?
His eyes swept aside, landing on the painting on the wooden table. Curious, he couldn't help walking over.
It was precisely that painting of a Sword Immortal performing a sword dance.
And Ye Qiubai stood before that painting for an entire night.
Throughout that night, Sword Qi swirled around Ye Qiubai.
The Sword Qi grew increasingly substantial, and even the Azure Cloud Sword in his hand began revealing a faint Sword-Ray.
Lu Changsheng walked out of the thatched hut, stretched, and saw the scene.
Oh?
He's reached the threshold of Sword Intent?
Lu Changsheng couldn't help nodding and said, "A silver saddle gleams upon a white horse, swift and sweeping as a shooting star."
As though Ye Qiubai had heard him, Sword Qi began howling through the space!
"One man slain every ten steps, a thousand miles without a pause. The deed done, he brushes off his robes and leaves, concealing deep his deeds and name."
The instant his words fell.
Ye Qiubai abruptly opened his eyes, and the Sword-Ray from the Azure Cloud Sword in his hand blazed brilliantly.
A will of the Sword Dao shot skyward from within Ye Qiubai!
The commotion was so great that it alarmed the entire Hidden Dao Academy!
"This is... Sword Intent!"
"Has another Sword Practitioner emerged?"
The Martial Academy, Sword Hall.
A woman in red was meditating. At that moment, she also opened her eyes and looked toward the direction where Sword Intent thundered.
"The Hidden Dao Academy truly lives up to its reputation..."
Then she remembered how Lu Changsheng had previously turned her away, yet instead accepted an ordinary young man as his disciple.
"I'll make you regret not taking me as your disciple."
With that, she closed her eyes and continued contemplating the blood-red longsword before her.
Only by comprehending Sword Intent did one become a Sword Practitioner.
And at that very moment.
A series of voices also sounded in Lu Changsheng's mind.
[Development mission complete.] [The host has obtained the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Grand Array, Sword Dao Principles, and one thousand years of cultivation.]