Chapter 32: Senior, I Will Definitely Not Disappoint You!
Editor: Atlas Studios
"That girl!"
Su'en looked touched. It seemed that his junior had been worried about his safety, so she had left the Heavenly Domain to search for him. There were a total of four entrances to the Heavenly Domain. He had taken the Purple Star Gate's cloud shuttle back, so he hadn't returned from where he had first left, and he and Ye Lingyun hadn't bumped into each other there.
"Stay here and practice your cultivation. I'll go find your senior." With that, Su'en flew towards the exit of the Heavenly Domain.
"When can I reach a realm that allows me to fly in the sky?" Chen Ziling's eyes were filled with envy and yearning as she watched Su'en's figure grow further and further away in the sky. Flying freely in the sky had always been her greatest dream; unfortunately, only those who had reached the Golden Core Realm could do so.
How many years would she have to cultivate before becoming like her senior?
...
After leaving the Heavenly Domain, Su'en searched along the route he had taken before.
Two hours later, he finally found Ye Lingyun. She was riding a spirit horse across the grassland, her eyes filled with worry.
"Junior!" Su'en's voice traveled down from the sky.
Ye Lingyun quickly stopped the horse and looked up. When she saw that it was Su'en, she relaxed.
"I can't believe you came out here looking for me. Do you have no faith in me, or were you worried about my safety?" Su'en asked as he floated to the ground, smiling.
"I do have faith in you, but I was a little worried, is all." Ye Lingyun fiddled with a lock of hair by her ear. "After all, you weren't back after a whole day."
"I took the Purple Star Sect's cloud shuttle back. They faced some delays, so they returned a little late!" Su'en said.
"Let's go back now."
"Alright." Ye Lingyun nodded.
Because they weren't in a rush, the two of them slowly walked back to the Heavenly Domain on the grassland. It also gave them a chance to admire the scenery along the way.
As they walked, Su'en told Ye Lingyun about the battles that had transpired yesterday.
"The Nether Temple. What kind of sect is it?" This was the first time Ye Lingyun had heard of this sect; it wasn't a familiar name.
"It's an assassination organization established by the Sky Demon Sect in Jingzhou. It was established specially to assassinate the most talented disciples of the Heavenly Domain," Su'en explained. He had learned this information from Gu Chuyao.
"If you leave the Heavenly Domain by yourself in the future, you must be vigilant. Don't be blind to trust every random stranger asking you for help. Over the years, many disciples in the Heavenly Domain have died because they let their guards down," he reminded.
"I understand." Ye Lingyun nodded, then asked, "Since the demon you fought is still alive, won't he come back to look for you?"
"He won't get that chance anytime soon." Su'en smiled and shook his head blithely. "Even for us cultivators, it's hard to come back swinging after losing half your body. Unless you have healing medicine refined by a high-level sect, you can't just automatically recover from such injuries, not without decades. But if he dares to come so many years later, I'll show him what true cruelty looks like."
Hearing her senior's boastful words, Ye Lingyun couldn't help but laugh. But she believed that he wasn't joking: with his cultivation speed, he would probably be at the Spirit Convocation Realm in a few decades, maybe even the Nascent Soul Realm.
"I almost forgot. This is for you." Something occurred to Su'en; he casually took out a new cultivation technique book and a small purple bottle.
This cultivation technique was the Divine Lightning Sword Technique that he had recorded down, and the small purple bottle was the Divine Lightning Breath that Gu Chuyao had given him. Previously, he hadn't given the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to Ye Lingyun because the aura of Divine Lightning was too rare. If one didn't encounter a special blessed land, one would not be able to cultivate the technique to perfection.
But it was different now. A thousand wisps of Divine Lightning was enough for Ye Lingyun to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to the second level!
"What's this?" Ye Lingyun asked. Where her senior was concerned, she knew that he was preparing to give her something as soon as he reached for the items.
"This cultivation technique is called the Divine Lightning Sword Technique. It's a low-grade Heaven Realm cultivation technique, and the sword technique which I used to cripple the cultivation of a Nether Saber Sect elder," Su'en said. "There are a thousand wisps of Divine Lightning Aura in this small bottle. It's enough for you to cultivate the technique to the second level."
Low-grade Divine Lightning? Ye Lingyun's beautiful eyes widened. Without realizing, her jaw hung slightly slack. High-grade Earth-rank cultivation techniques were already considered rare in the Heavenly Domain, but some powerful sects still had one or two.
However, Heaven Realm cultivation techniques were different. A stage meant a world of difference, and a Heaven Realm cultivation technique couldn't be compared to an Earth Realm cultivation technique. Currently, other than the few high-level sects, there were no records of the remaining sects having Heaven Realm cultivation techniques.
During the Chen family's martial arts contest, she had felt that the sword technique used by her senior was powerful. She had guessed that its grade should be above her Golden Lightning Sword Technique–maybe medium-grade or high-grade, but not a Heaven Realm cultivation technique!
"This cultivation technique is a sword technique cultivated by the Divine Lightning Sword Master of our Dao Sect. If you cultivate it to perfection, you can connect with the divine lightning in the sky!" Su'en said.
"Connect with…?" Ye Lingyun asked, looking at the small purple bottle in her hand. "Senior, what level have you reached?"
"I've already cultivated the technique to the perfected third major level!" From Ye Lingyun's question, Su'en knew what she was thinking. If he said that he had only cultivated the technique to its first level, his junior would probably reject him, and it would take half a day to change her mind. He might as well say that he had cultivated the technique to perfection.
As expected, Ye Lingyun said no more after hearing his reply.
"The Heavenly Domain Ceremony is coming soon. Work hard in your cultivation. Our Dao Sect can't always be at the bottom. It's time we rose in the ranks!"
After giving the two items to Ye Lingyun, Su'en turned and looked into the distance. In the horizon were mountains and dangerous terrain. Su'en's eyes blazed with determination.
The look in his gaze was inspiring and contagious. A sentiment of a different sort blossomed in Ye Lingyun's heart, and she tightened her grip on the small purple bottle in her hand.
"Senior, don't worry. I won't disappoint you!"
Chapter 33: Declaration of Peace by the Nether Saber Sect!
Editor: Atlas Studios
[Ding!]
[The transfer has succeeded!]
[Triggered Twentyfold Critical Critical Compensation!]
[Obtained Divine Lightning Aura*20,000]
The system prompt sounded in Su'en's mind.
Twentyfold? Still acceptable, he supposed. At least, better than a tenfold Critical Compensation.
He had only cultivated the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to its first level and still needed about 11,000 Divine Lightning Breaths. If it had been a tenfold Critical Compensation, he would still need about 1,000 more points to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to perfection. However, there was no more Divine Lightning Breath in the Dao Sect.
"I won't be able to use up all this Divine Lightning Breath. I'll give the rest to my junior."
...
Traveling at a moderate speed, they both reached the Heavenly Domain.
"Senior, this is a letter from the Nether Saber Sect." A disciple approached them once they had returned to the Daoist Square.
"The Nether Saber Sect?" Su'en gave a slight frown. Were they demanding an explanation, or issuing another special challenge? He had crippled a Golden Core Realm elder, and entering the Golden Core Realm was considered a formidable achievement amongst the Nether Saber Sect's ranks.
'What does it say?' Su'en asked.
"I haven't opened the letter yet. Senior, take a look!" The disciple brought the letter to Su'en. After he opened the letter and briefly scanned its contents, it disappeared on its own.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. How typical of the Nether Saber Sect."
Su'en smacked his lips.The Nether Saber Sect had expressed their apologies for an elder of theirs interfering with a dispute between disciples, but they had already lost the elder in questions. They hoped that both sides would not harbor any further hatred. Essentially, the equivalent of an apology. However, from beginning to end, the letter mentioned nothing about compensation.
"Looks like the Nether Saber Sect is still a little unhappy with me for crippling one of their elders!" Su'en muttered to himself.
The sect was, admittedly, rather clever. The rules of the Heavenly Domain were clear: Any elder who attacked a disciple had already violated the law. If the Nether Saber Sect still wanted to take revenge, the entire sect would probably be chased out of the Heavenly Domain. Similar incidents had happened before.
Although the Nether Saber Sect promised not to disturb me anymore, I still need to increase my cultivation. Su'en's gaze grew serious. If my cultivation level reaches the Spirit Convocation Realm, I won't have to worry about the Nether Saber Sect at all.
He needed to become stronger!
In this world, cultivation was everything. One whose cultivation was weak had no pride to speak of. Abiding by the rules was one thing, but why not be the one to make the rules in the first place?
After taking a deep breath, Su'en decided to continue his seclusion. This time, he had to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to perfection!
With that in mind, Su'en headed for his courtyard. However, before going into seclusion, he had to take care of matters involving Chen Ziling. Between their natural talent, Chen Ziling held the edge. If he nurtured her well, she might become the backbone of the Dao Sect in the future.
Su'en found Chen Ziling and led her to a new courtyard about the size of his own.
"This is the high-grade Profound-rank sword technique of the Dao Sect: the Mystic Lightning Sword Technique. When you're more or less done cultivating it, I'll give you a higher-level cultivation technique." Su'en took out a cultivation technique book.
High-grade Profound-rank!
Chen Ziling was full of excitement. She hadn't imagined that she would be able to cultivate such a high-level sword technique as soon as she entered the Dao Sect. The highest-level cultivation technique amongst her family was only a Yellow Rank one! As expected of a sect in the Heavenly Domain, their cultivation techniques were of a much higher level.
And her senior had said that there would be higher-level cultivation techniques in the future. Wouldn't that mean an Earth-rank cultivation technique?
"There are many medicinal pills and spiritual plants in this spatial ring. It should last you through your cultivation for more than half a year."
Su'en took out another ring. The Meru Ring was a ring with special properties of space: it could store items that were larger than itself, because it was made from Meru Stone. The Meru Stone's unique trait was akin to a void, allowing items to enter another space and be stored there. It was even said that spiritual plants would not lose their medicinal properties after being placed inside for a long time.
Lifeless things like pills and spiritual plants could be stored inside, but not living creatures. Once, someone had specially placed some creatures inside and released them all at a certain time. The result? All of them had died, with no survivors. From then on, no one put their pets in their spatial rings anymore. Of course, there were some who didn't believe the tale and still chose to put their pets inside–to their eventual regret, of course.
This spatial ring was quite precious in the secular world, but almost everyone had one in the Heavenly Domain.
"Senior, are you going into seclusion again?" After Chen Ziling took the items, she stared at Su'en with wide eyes.
"How did you know?" Su'en was surprised.
"That's what you've been doing most of the year."
"How clever." Su'en patted her head, feeling her sleek, dark waves of hair. "As for how long it will take for you to enter seclusion, I don't know, but you have to work hard at cultivating. I hope that when I come out of seclusion, you will have already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm."
"I will, Senior, don't worry!" Chen Ziling replied with a smile.
"Okay!" Su'en smiled back, nodded, and left Chen Ziling's courtyard.
There was still half a year until the Heavenly Domain Ceremony. He needed to become more powerful, or he wouldn't be able to compete with the true prodigies of the high-level sects. After the position of the Heaven Lord had alternated between different sects for so many years, one could imagine how many resources they had accumulated, and what kind of realm their disciples would be at!
Su'en shook his head, pushing the thoughts from his mind, and took out the system's compensation for the Divine Lightning Breath.
A total of 20,000 ingots were placed in a purple box. With so many wisps of Divine Lightning Breath together, even contained in the box from the system, he could still feel their powerful, destructive aura.
"My seclusion begins now!"
Su'en opened the purple box a fraction and channeled the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, slowly guiding the Diving Lightning Breath into his body.
Wisps of lightning entered his vast Energy Sea, rushing towards his sword embryo like lightning in the sky, and getting absorbed bit by bit. As more and more lightning entered the sword embryo, the latter's illusory figure began to slowly materialize.
A terrifying aura gradually appeared around Su'en–accumulating strength, just like a caterpillar that was about to break out of its cocoon and become a butterfly!
-- Gift
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