A man of his word

Zhou Wuji's White Rainbow Sword was exceptionally sharp, and he had also perfected the Xiaoxiang Sword. This move, Falling Goose Sword, was as swift as lightning.

Even if the evil spirits were prepared, they would still find it difficult to avoid this sword strike.

Having succeeded with his sword strike, Zhou Wuji then unleashed the Blazing Sunset Sword, completely destroying the evil spirit.

In the blink of an eye, the evil spirit was reduced to countless fragments, utterly and irrevocably dead.

The Daoists present were at least Seventh Rank, and all of them were Yuheng Sword cultivators, so they could naturally see the power of Zhou Wuji's two sword strikes.

The first sword strike, in particular, was like a divine spell, arriving without warning yet with lightning speed.

Everyone was very confident in their Swordsmanship, yet they all thought they couldn't avoid this strike.

In other words, if they fought Zhou Wuji, they would die the moment Zhou Wuji drew his sword.

Upon realizing this, the many Daoists were initially shocked, but also filled with dread.

Her Wuleng eyes were also filled with astonishment. She could see even more clearly the power of Zhou Wuji's sword strike; it was incredibly fast, and the sword and Qi moved in unison, with the Sword Intent being pure and condensed as one.

Even if she were prepared, she wouldn't dare say she could stop it.

She had heard her grandmaster say that Zhou Wuji was already Sixth Rank. But she never expected that Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship had reached such a sublime level, far surpassing hers.

The shattered, malevolent fragments slowly coalesced and merged, transforming into a crimson bead the size of a peanut.

The bead was somewhat cloudy, but inside were countless tiny, ray-like runes.

Zhou Wuji glanced at the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment and confirmed that the evil spirit was dead and could be converted into five taels and three mace of Origin Mystic Essence.

He already possessed four strands of Origin Mystic Essence, but dared not use them and could only store them away for the time being.

The nature of this bead left behind by the evil spirit is unknown.

Evil spirits and demons may condense into crystal cores after they die. These are the central hubs through which they circulate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and under certain conditions, they may manifest as real material forms.

However, this bead actually contains various runes, making it seem like Law Artifact crafted by someone.

Just then, Zhou Wuji sensed that someone was watching him from afar.

He Mind Mirror to reflect his image, but found no trace of the other person.

That sinister aura must belong to Devil Cultivator, most likely Xue Ying from the Heavenly Ghost Sect.

His ability to detect the other party's aura is also due to his cultivation of the Sword Heart and the coordination between it and the Mind Mirror, making his perception increasingly acute.

Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and even the Mind Mirror couldn't reflect the other person's location.

While the method of using the Big Dipper as Eyes is good, it consumes too much True Qi and makes it impossible to search over a wide area.

Zhou Wuji calmly sheathed his sword, his face expressionless. He cupped his hands in a salute to Wuleng and smiled, "I seized the opportunity and got a good deal. Junior sister, please don't be offended."

Wuleng heard the title "Junior Sister" again, but it didn't sound jarring anymore. Since he was less skilled than her, he had nothing to say about being called "Junior Sister."

She felt very uncomfortable. Zhou Wuji a disciple of Tianshu, so how could his Swordsmanship be so superb? Even though she specialized in Swordsmanship, she couldn't compare to him.

However, there was a clear difference in their Swordsmanship, which she had to admit.

Wuleng respectfully returned the greeting with clasped hands. "Senior Brother Wuji's Swordsmanship is superb, far beyond my reach. I admire you."

"Junior Sister Northern Dipper Seven Star Sword is incredibly profound and unpredictable. If I'm not mistaken, this Swordsmanship should be the Yaoguang Sword. Impressive, impressive."

Zhou Wuji made no attempt to hide his envy. He didn't know much about the Northern Dipper Seven Star Sword, but judging from the changes in the Sword Intent and aura of the Sword Wuleng, he knew it must be the Yaoguang Sword.

It can only be said that the mastery of the Wuleng Swordsmanship is still too shallow. If classified by level, this kind of Swordsmanship can only be barely considered a mastery. It already has such power, which shows how powerful the Yaoguang Sword is.

Even the mighty Xiaoxiang Sword has reached its limit.

In terms of Swordsmanship rank, the Xiaoxiang Sword is not even comparable to the Northern Dipper Seven Star Sword...

Zhihe arrived as well. He looked at the crimson bead on the ground, a strange expression appearing on his face.

Zhou Wuji bowed respectfully and asked, "Abbot, this was left behind by an evil spirit. I wonder what its origin is?"

Zhihe flicked his sleeve and put away the bead. He held it in his hand and examined it carefully for a while, but he didn't recognize the runes inside.

There are currently only four types of runes passed down in Daoism, while Buddhism also has several runes in circulation.

In addition, many other types of runes have been passed down from ancient times.

For example, the Snake and Insect Seal Script originally used snakes and insects to represent the changes in heaven and earth, and later became a special script for witchcraft.

Zhihe knew little about runes; he couldn't even recognize all four types of runes passed down by the Daoist school.

But he was certain that the runes condensed within the bead were very special, unlike those used by the major schools of thought in the world.

"If the evil spirit was left behind by a cultivator, the situation becomes a bit complicated..."

A cultivator wouldn't leave behind an evil spirit for no reason; it's more likely that there's some treasure hidden underground, or an underground cave abode, or something else entirely.

Getting rid of this evil spirit isn't the end of the story; it might actually bring more trouble!

Zhihe sighed inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged. He said to Zhou Wuji, "You did well."

He then turned to Wuleng and the others and said, "You've all worked hard. Wait a few more days until the water fills the pit, then we'll return to the Lower Court."

Originally, dealing with the evil spirits would have been the end of the matter, but to avoid any trouble, the pit was filled with water.

It's easy to fill a large pit with water, but it's difficult to pump the water out.

Whatever's underground, let's just use water to suppress it for now.

The Daoist priests bowed in agreement, all looking relaxed; this arduous task was finally coming to an end...

Zhihe returned to his own tent.

To his surprise, Zhou Wuji actually followed him.

Zhihe couldn't help but laugh, "Passing on the Dharma is no small matter. We need to return to the Lower Court to take an oath before the statue of the Northern Emperor, and there are some rituals to prepare."

"Besides, we should wait until the debate is over; don't rush it."

"Abbot, I am eager to learn the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps. But I have other business to attend to."

Zhou Wuji said directly, "Just now I sensed someone spying on me from a distance. The aura was sinister; it must be Devil Cultivator."

"Oh?"

Zhihe was slightly surprised. He and the others from the Lower Court had once again set up an altar to subdue the evil spirit, yet there were still Devil Cultivator daring to spy on them from the sidelines?

Are you sure?

"I'm sure." Zhou Wuji nodded with absolute certainty.

He had known for a long time that Xue Ying of the Heavenly Ghost Sect was in Wu Household Village, but he had never found any trace of her, so he didn't say much.

Having discovered the trail, he naturally wanted to inform Zhihe to prevent any trouble.

Zhihe sighed helplessly, "Those Devil Cultivator are really restless. I understand. Be careful when you get back..."

Zhihe gave him a few words of advice. After spending these days together, he found that Zhou Wuji was indeed smart and capable.

Leaving aside his Swordsmanship, his ability to get things done far surpasses that of many of his disciples.

Unfortunately, Zhou Wuji was not from the Yuheng Lineage. He could take care of Zhou Wuji, but he could not give him important responsibilities.

Zhou Wuji returned to his tent. Yang Tie Ying was still awake, heard the noise and hurriedly came out to greet him.

"Master, you were amazing just now! You stunned and dumbfounded all the guys from the Yuheng Lineage!"

Yang Tie Ying's praise was extremely sincere. He had just witnessed his master slaying evil spirits with his sword, which terrified all the Daoist priests in Yuheng.

The group of people, who had initially looked down on him with arrogance, now treated him with more politeness and respect after that sword strike.

Yang Tie Ying was young and impetuous, and he was most afraid of being looked down upon. Seeing the Daoist priests of Yuheng act arrogantly at first and then obsequiously, he felt extremely happy and proud.

When Master returns, he will naturally be praised to the skies.

Zhou Wuji laughed. This apprentice wasn't very well-educated, but he was sincere and could provide a lot of emotional value.

There was no need for modesty with his own apprentice; he casually waved his hand and said, "Such a trivial matter is not worth mentioning, and you don't need to go out and brag about it."

"This evil spirit is so powerful that even the abbot can't do anything about it."

Yang Tie Ying also felt indignant on behalf of her master, saying, "If it weren't for my master's intervention, the evil spirit would not only have killed someone, but it would have also escaped."

"Hahahaha... that's not necessarily true." Zhou Wuji laughed loudly.

After the matter was settled, Zhou Wuji returned to the Lower Court with Zhihe the next day. Yang Tie Ying also accompanied them.

As for the others, they had to wait until the pit was filled with water before they could return.

Daoist Yiding also stayed behind, mainly because Devil Cultivator were lurking, and someone had to be present at the altar.

On the way back to the Lower Court, Zhou Wuji talked to Zhihe again, asking him to teach him the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps ahead of time.

His reasoning was simple: learning the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps would increase his chances of winning in debates.

Zhihe hesitated for a moment and then surprisingly agreed.

The main reason was that he saw Zhou Wuji's sword strike when he killed the evil spirit; the Swordsmanship was extremely sharp and swift, far surpassing Wuleng Leng's.

The Law Artifact is not permitted in debates, Zhou Wuji's White Rainbow Sword, though excellent, is of no use.

Passing the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps to Zhou Wuji in advance was indeed very beneficial in winning the debate.

Taking advantage of the fact that he was not present, Zhihe held a ritual to transmit the Dharma at the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall that very night, passing on the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps to Zhou Wuji.

He gave Zhou Wuji a small jade pendant containing the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps stored using the Water Mirror Method.

Zhihe did not allow Zhou Wuji to take him away; he could only study in the main hall.

Clearly, Zhihe lacked the ability of True Person Zhihua to directly transmit Secret Method using Divine Sense.

Zhou Wuji didn't mind at all; it was good that Zhihe could keep his word!

His Divine Sense was so strong that he could remember it after seeing it only once.

However, in order not to appear too monstrous, Zhou Wuji still examined the jade tablet for more than two hours before returning it to Zhihe.

"Since you've cultivated this technique, it's best not to use it in front of your fellow disciples lightly, lest you cause trouble."

Zhihe still gave a word of advice: the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps he taught were limited to the Fifth Rank rank, and should not be easily passed on to outsiders.

If the elders of the Yuheng Lineage find out, trouble is bound to ensue.

Zhou Wuji solemnly agreed.

Back in the stone house, Zhou Wuji opened the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment and first put two ounces of Origin Profound Spirit into the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps.

By the time the purple light dissipated, Zhou Wuji had become exceptionally proficient in the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps.

The Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps actually consists of eight steps: Northern Pole, Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang.

Each step corresponds to Big Dipper Seven Stars, and each step brings a corresponding change in Law Power.

This footwork originated from the most authentic "Stepping the Dipper" of the Northern Pole Sect. After being supplemented and refined by Yuheng Lineage, it became the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps, which is unique to the Yuheng Lineage.

Using this footwork in conjunction with various sword techniques creates the complete Northern Dipper Seven Star Sword.

Zhihe transmitted a set of footwork techniques, but without corresponding sword techniques, and therefore without corresponding Law Power transformations.

The Orthodox God of footwork is only about 20-30% left.

Fortunately, he had the Tianji Sword in his possession; at the very least, he could still master the Tianji Step.

Zhou Wuji found the footwork very useful, so he transformed Zhang Yunfeng's three taels and three qian destiny into the Origin Profound Spirit and continued to apply it to the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps.

This was also the last three-ounce-plus destiny he had.

When the purple light dissipated, the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps had been advanced to the proficiency level.

Only then could Zhou Wuji be considered to have mastered the Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps and develop his own understanding of the technique.

The Big Northern Dipper Seven Star Steps and the North Pole Step are the most difficult. The Tianshu Step is the foundation of all footwork variations. The Tianxuan is the method of concealing one's presence. The Tianji is a delicate method of changing direction and moving within a small area.

Tianquan is the method of escape, Yuheng is the method of pursuit, Kaiyang is the method of accumulating power, Yaoguang the method of unleashing power.

Each step corresponds to a complex and intricate method, but fortunately, he learned the Tianji Sword and mastered the subtle operation of Yin-Yang, Water, and Fire Law Power, which allowed him to resonate with the Tianji Step and achieve profound mastery in this step...