In the small courtyard, sword glares flashed brilliantly, sword shadows danced rapidly, and the clashing of blades filled the air, accompanied by flying sparks.
Two figures leaped and evaded, their longswords as extensions of their arms. One wielded a versatile and enigmatic technique, while the other favored simplicity and unparalleled sharpness.
After a fierce exchange, both sheathed their swords.
They were Chen Zong and Chen Chuyun.
"Brother," Chen Chuyun said solemnly, a hint of pride in his eyes, "your mastery of sword technique is now equal to mine."
During their sparring match, neither had used any ranked martial arts. Instead, they freely applied variations of the Foundation Establishment Sword Technique, adapting to the situation without rigidly adhering to set forms.
Chen Zong's sword technique excelled in flexibility and adaptability, capable of seamlessly shifting between styles like a true all-rounder. Chen Chuyun's technique, however, discarded ornamentation for simplicity and directness, each strike razor-sharp, as if forged solely for slaughter.
"As for sword technique," Chen Chuyun continued, "there's nothing more I can teach you. Now that my internal injuries have healed, I must focus on enhancing my cultivation base."
A martial artist's strength is built upon two pillars: cultivation base and martial arts. Neither can be neglected.
A high cultivation base paired with mediocre martial arts skills can prevent a practitioner from fully unleashing their potential, leaving them weaker than they could be. Conversely, exceptional martial arts skills with a weak cultivation base can temporarily surpass one's limits, but the foundation of power remains limited.
Chen Zong's sword technique had already surpassed many of his peers, but he lacked in cultivation.
"I have a Greater Crimson Blood Pill," Chen Chuyun said, handing Chen Zong a crimson pill. "For its duration, it will double the effectiveness of your Qi Blood cultivation."
The Greater Crimson Blood Pill was more potent than its Minor counterpart. Consuming one pill for ten days of cultivation would yield the equivalent of thirty days' worth of progress.
Chen Chuyun departed, needing to cultivate herself and unable to stay with Chen Zong indefinitely.
After further cultivation, Chen Zong left the Small Courtyard and headed to the Dining Hall.
The Sword Radiance Hall's Dining Hall was spacious and offered a diverse range of dishes. Food was free, and one could eat as much as desired, though the fare was basic—wild beast meat, vegetables, rice, and steamed buns. For higher-quality fare, such as demon beast meat, soups simmered with aged medicinal herbs, or specially cultivated Tiger Tooth Rice, payment was required.
The better the food, the more pronounced its nourishing effects on a martial artist's body.
However, Chen Zong settled for free meals, as money was tight and he needed to budget carefully.
"He didn't even dare to compete and just forfeited? Eating at the same table as this kind of person is a disgrace."
Chen Zong had barely sat down when his dining companion snorted angrily and stormed off.
"I heard he even won first place in Wind Martial City's Battle of Heroes. Who knew he'd turn out to be such worthless trash?"
"Utter rubbish."
Like a pebble thrown into a pond, waves of scornful, mocking gazes converged on Chen Zong.
Unfazed, Chen Zong continued eating, focusing solely on his meal.
A few days prior, he had attended the competition at the Eight Directions Round Martial Arena. It had been an exhilarating spectacle, with several combatants so formidable that even if Chen Zong's internal injuries had fully healed and he fought at full strength, he couldn't have defeated them with absolute certainty.
In the end, Nangong Ao of the Nangong Clan from Supreme Martial Main City secured first place, Lei Jiu of Thunder Martial City took second, and Jin Zhongyue of Gold Martial City claimed third.
In previous years, Sword Radiance Hall's disciples had always secured at least one spot in the top three, a source of great prestige. But this year, they hadn't even entered the competition—not due to defeat, but by forfeiting without a fight.
To many, surrendering before the battle even began was tantamount to fleeing like a coward, a disgrace to the family. In the days since, disciples of the Sword Radiance Hall had been subjected to constant ridicule from other halls, and their discontent with Chen Zong had grown.
Chen Zong refused to explain himself, nor did he see any need to.
"If I were his father, I'd have slapped him to death long ago," someone suddenly spat angrily, drawing a piercing glare that could have pierced steel.
Chen Zong had risen without anyone noticing, his eyes as cold as a drawn sword.
"What, am I wrong? You cowardly deserter!" The man glared back, unwilling to back down.
"You can insult me however you like," Chen Zong said icily, "but you will not defile my family. Apologize, or draw your sword."
"You think I'm afraid of you..." The man shot to his feet, but a companion quickly pulled him back down and whispered something in his ear. The man's face paled, then he turned to Chen Zong with a forced smile. "My apologies! He's a bit sharp-tongued, but he means no harm. Don't take it to heart."
"Sorry, I didn't mean it," the man said casually, his apology lacking sincerity.
Chen Zong vaguely suspected that the apology was likely due to Sister Yun's intimidating reputation. Losing his appetite, he stood up and left.
"I still haven't reached the realm where external matters cannot disturb me," Chen Zong thought with a wry smile as he left the Dining Hall. He headed to the Hundred Medicines Pavilion to purchase medicinal ingredients and a Medicinal Cauldron for brewing Ice-Fire Tempering Membrane Ointment.
Though there was no discount, the price was still cheaper than Cauldron Heaven Pavilion—8,000 White Jade Coins per portion. Chen Zong bought three portions, leaving him with over 10,000 White Jade Coins as a reserve.
Drawing on past experience, he returned to his Small Courtyard, placed the Bronze Medicinal Cauldron in the kitchen, and began brewing the first batch of Ice-Fire Tempering Membrane Ointment.
Each batch required three days and three nights of brewing, during which Chen Zong could cultivate or rest without constant supervision.
After consuming a Greater Crimson Blood Pill, he resumed cultivating the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique. He could clearly feel his Qi Blood Power surging at a remarkable pace.
"At this rate, I'll definitely break through to the Sixth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm within a month," Chen Zong thought to himself.
For Chen Zong, every advancement in his cultivation base brought about a clear enhancement in his strength.
As a disciple of the Seven Luminaries Martial Academy, he was entitled to a free Minor Scarlet Blood Pill each month, along with a monthly opportunity to select a free mid-grade Human-Rank cultivation technique or martial art. Chen Zong decided to postpone making a selection for now.
He already possessed the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique, which far surpassed any mid-grade Human-Rank cultivation technique. As for sword techniques, the higher the grade, the more Qi Blood Power they consumed. At his current cultivation base of the Fifth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm, he feared he would exhaust his Qi Blood Power after just one or two uses of a mid-grade Human-Rank sword technique. For now, he had no need for such techniques.
Moreover, his Dividing Light Sword Technique, when cultivated to perfection, already possessed formidable power, and he also had the even more formidable True Secret Heavenly Light Cloud Shadow Sword.
For now, Chen Zong planned to preserve this opportunity and focus on breaking through his cultivation base.
Every disciple of the Seven Luminaries Martial Academy was diligent, either devoting every moment to cultivation or accepting missions to gain practical experience, seizing every opportunity to improve themselves, whether in cultivation or martial arts.
After the first day, Bai Yulou didn't cause any further trouble, perhaps deterred by the reputation of "Sister Yun." Chen Zong was content with the peace and focused on cultivating diligently.
After applying the Ice-Fire Tempering Membrane Ointment all over his body, Chen Zong began cultivating the Body Tempering Art. He alternated between icy cold and scorching heat nine times in succession, until the medicinal powder scattered and his skin tightened considerably.
After completing the Body Tempering Art, he moved on to practicing sword techniques, followed by the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique. Due to the effects of the Greater Crimson Blood Pill, Chen Zong spent more time on the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, half a month had passed since Chen Zong entered the Seven Luminaries Martial Academy.
He unleashed the Dividing Light Sword Technique, the sword glares flickering and scattering in seemingly chaotic patterns. Yet every glare remained under Chen Zong's complete control, converging and diverging with effortless mastery. Each glare carried immense power, their split and merge movements becoming increasingly unpredictable.
"Excellent! The Dividing Light Sword Technique has finally reached the Subtlety Realm," Chen Zong said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a smile.
This Subtlety Realm referred to both Dividing Light Shadowing and Dividing Light No Shadow having reached the Subtlety Realm. The two techniques had merged into one, capable of splitting and merging without distinction between their first and second layers.
Reaching the Subtlety Realm was due to his progress in sword techniques, as well as numerous sparring sessions with Chen Chuyun. Chen Chuyun had previously practiced the Dividing Light Sword Technique and had reached the Subtlety Realm earlier than Chen Zong.
Upon reaching the Subtlety Realm, Chen Zong gained a deeper understanding of the Dividing Light Sword Technique's subtleties. Vaguely, he sensed a connection between the Subtlety Realm version of the Dividing Light Sword Technique and the True Secret Realm version of the Heavenly Light Cloud Shadow Sword. He couldn't help but begin studying this connection in detail.
However, his understanding of the True Secret Realm was still too limited, and he couldn't find any leads.
He had begun cultivating the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique, and his cultivation base had now reached the peak of the Fifth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm. The next step was a breakthrough.
The Qi Blood Power surged through his body like a sword, circulating again and again. Suddenly, Chen Zong felt a fluctuation in his Qi Blood Power. He initially thought he was about to break through his cultivation base, but it turned out to be a breakthrough in the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique instead, reaching the third layer.
The third layer of the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique significantly increased both the speed of cultivation and recovery.
Thanks to his cultivation of the Body Tempering Art, Chen Zong's ability to withstand power had significantly increased. The Qi Blood Power of the third layer of the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique placed no strain on his body whatsoever.
After another cycle of the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique, the Qi Blood Power began to surge again. This time, it was a true breakthrough.
Sixth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm!
This layer was also known as "Qi Blood Like the Tide," as the Qi Blood surged through the body like a tidal wave.
Strands of Qi Blood arose and spread throughout his body, accumulating until they formed a surging tide.
As the Qi Blood circulated, Chen Zong immediately felt an overwhelming surge of power coursing through him.
His arm strength now reached a massive four thousand catties.
"With this cultivation base, my strength has greatly increased. Even without using the Heavenly Light Cloud Shadow Sword, I could now hold my own against ordinary practitioners at the Seventh Layer of the Qi Blood Realm," Chen Zong thought to himself.
Previously, without deploying the Heavenly Light Cloud Shadow Sword, he could dominate most practitioners at the Sixth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm but was still no match for those at the Seventh Layer.
"The gap between the Sixth and Seventh Layers of the Qi Blood Realm is far greater, not something that can be bridged in a short time."
"However, if I could train at the Boiling Blood Pool, I might be able to break through to the Seventh Layer of the Qi Blood Realm in a short time."
In the previous Battle of Heroes among the Martial Cities, one of the rewards for the top three competitors was the opportunity to cultivate in the Boiling Blood Pool at any time. Last year, Chen Chuyun used this chance to advance from the Peak Sixth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm to the Seventh Layer. Afterward, relying on his exceptional sword technique, he made rapid progress until he reached the Eighth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm.
Chen Zong had already applied for cultivation access to the Boiling Blood Pool at the Hundred Affairs Pavilion, paying a deposit of 10,000 White Jade Coins. With twelve people per batch, he was ranked in the 130th batch, meaning he would have to wait 129 days for his turn. He could expedite this by challenging someone ranked ahead of him and replacing them.
"I'll first cultivate to reach the Peak Sixth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm while taking on quick tasks to earn Jade Coins. Once my cultivation base breaks through to the Sixth Layer and my Dividing Light Sword Technique reaches the Subtlety Realm, I can visit the Sword Martial Pavilion to find a mid-grade Human-Rank cultivation technique or martial art to practice."
With this plan in mind, Chen Zong headed toward the Sword Martial Pavilion.