Chapter 43: Acquiring the Flying Swords

Within the Xuanxin Sect, whenever an Inner Sect Disciple broke through a major cultivation stage, they needed to immediately report to their Master and receive the corresponding resource rewards. This was another motivational method of the Xuanxin Sect and it was very popular…

Even though Lu Hangzhi knew his Master had already witnessed his breakthrough, he shamelessly went to the Golden Jade Hall to report, claiming it was to thank his Master for his subtle guidance.

Chen Ji looked exasperated.

This disciple… he had just recently gifted him a vat of precious potion, and immediately after breaking through, he was back to squeeze another piece of flesh out of him.

“Fortunately, disciples like you aren’t too common, otherwise, the savings of this Golden Jade Hall really wouldn’t withstand the drain.”

Even so, Chen Ji felt quite satisfied with this junior disciple.

In just over three months, he had firmly mastered the foundations for practicing the “Seven-Seven Sword Formation”, and his cultivation had surged from Early Third Grade to Fifth-Grade Cultivation.

“In the future, do not practice the Spirit Forging Technique so recklessly. This time, aided by the medicinal bath, it significantly enhanced your physical strength… However, preparing a single medicinal bath requires hundreds of rare herbs. I only prepared one per disciple. Next time you inflict serious damage to your vitality, I won’t care whether you live or die,” Chen Ji warned with a deliberately stern voice.

Lu Hangzhi nodded obligingly.

“I will remember your advice, Master. I’ll be more careful next time.”

‘Be more careful next time’?

What did that mean?

Chen Ji stared at Lu Hangzhi with a probing look, wondering if this kid was playing word games with him.

Lu Hangzhi swiftly changed the subject.

“By the way, Master, I heard that Inner Sect Disciples receive substantial resource incentives for each major breakthrough. I take the liberty to request some embryo materials for flying swords.”

Chen Ji nodded seriously.

“The Seven-Seven Sword Formation has high demands on the quality and number of flying swords. Don’t worry. I’ve already prepared ten sets of forging materials for you. That’s the maximum allocation I can grant. As for the rest, you’ll have to earn sect contributions to exchange for them,” Chen Ji stated firmly.

Lu Hangzhi was overjoyed.

Ten sets of flying sword materials, plus the four sets he had ‘borrowed’ from Senior Brother Xiong Qi, were more than enough to achieve the second layer of the Seven-Seven Sword Formation.

“Thank you, Master.”

After asking a few more questions about sword formations, Lu Hangzhi took his leave.

“Junior Brother Hangzhi.”

“Senior Brother.”

Along the way, he encountered many Inner Sect Disciples coming to the Golden Jade Hall to apply for training rooms. They greeted him, and he nodded politely in return each time.

Ever since Chen Ji personally led the True Disciples to eliminate the Yellow Spring Demon’s minions and purge over a dozen Marketplaces, the Inner Sect Disciples of the Xuanxin Sect gradually learned that Lu Hangzhi had slain a Fourth-Grade Ghost Cultivator. Few took him as just another new Inner Sect Disciple anymore; they treated him more as an equal.

Lu Hangzhi didn’t return directly to his residence. Clutching the flying sword embryos obtained from his Master, he headed straight for the training room and immediately started forging.

Although his body had recovered to an unprecedented peak condition and his control over the Spirit Forging Technique was improving, he dared not practice as wildly and recklessly as before. While hammering to refine the sword embryos and simultaneously temper his body, he closely monitored his own state.

Good!

This medicinal bath hadn’t just advanced him to Fifth Grade; it more than doubled his physical strength as well. The hundred-jin hammer felt light in his hands, swinging it took little effort, and every strike landed with a clear, sharp clang.

Additionally!

His Spiritual Power Pool had expanded by more than double, extending his endurance by over twice…

Clang! Clang! Clang! After a sustained bout of forging, Lu Hangzhi didn’t feel tired at all. Instead, his spirits soared.

“That’s strange.”

A thousand strikes flew past.

Apart from needing to replenish his Magic Power a few times, his body felt no significant strain.

Continue!

Taking a deep breath, Lu Hangzhi began a second round…

He repeated this cycle several times. All impurities were thoroughly expelled from the embryos, his body started to sweat lightly as if he had just finished a warm-up exercise, and he felt excellent.

“What’s going on?”

Lu Hangzhi hesitated.

Chen Ji, secretly watching this scene, sighed wearily. Ordinary disciples took half a year to fully finish this Body Tempering task. This little monster had done it in a single day… Well, the later stages were even easier with Xiao Mu and Xiao Ying assisting. He’d probably master the Seven-Seven Sword Formation very soon. Ah, forget it. Let the Elders worry about this during the grand competition in two months.

Chen Ji decisively withdrew his Spiritual Sense – out of sight, out of mind.

Inside the Artifact Refining room.

Lu Hangzhi’s expression turned serious.

After repeatedly confirming his body wasn’t overloaded, he gritted his teeth and purified three flying sword embryos at once. Then, he forcibly made himself rest for half an hour, using the time to contemplate the Seven-Seven Sword Formation… before starting again…

He repeated this pattern.

All ten sets of sword embryos were quickly finished!

He threw the sword embryos into the underground fire. Xiao Ying came willingly, ready to serve, and began teaching him fire control techniques.

“When you see signs of melting on an embryo, pull it out immediately. Hit it forty-nine times according to the Spirit Forging Technique, then put it back into the furnace. After repeating that ten times, let it fully melt… Pour it into the flying sword mold, inscribe the magic formation… And finally, perform the Blood Binding Recognition.”

Simple!

Drawing the formation was easy too. Having studied Five Elements Formations recently, he had some basic understanding already. It was mostly just memorizing and carving out an inscription for a Sword Control Art formation. Once the sword was Blood Bound, it would fly using only a little Magic Power.

Compared to the various foundational knowledge required for the Seven-Seven Sword Formation, drawing this formation was ridiculously easy.

One day later!

Fourteen molded flying sword blanks were completed.

Two more days passed…

Fourteen splendid Flying Swords lined up neatly on the workbench, sharp edges gleaming, Spiritual Energy roiling.

After swiftly performing the Blood Binding Recognition on the entire set of swords in one go, Lu Hangzhi stored them in his Qiankun Pouch and strode out of the Golden Jade Hall.

Finally, he could truly start practicing the Seven-Seven Sword Formation!

Top-Grade Spell, here I come!

Deep within the Golden Jade Hall, inside a training room, Chen Ji opened his eyes again. Watching Lu Hangzhi’s excited retreating back, a faint smile touched his lips.

“Seven-Seven Sword Formation requires seven swords to emerge and move at a single thought to count as the Minor Achievement stage. But to reach the major achievement stage and truly unleash its power of crossing realms to kill enemies requires the mind to be divided seven ways! Each subsequent layer becomes exponentially more difficult! Yet once mastered… the power increases geometrically! A spot among the True Disciples… is destined to be yours.”

The atmosphere inside Golden Jade Hall’s dwelling number seven was solemn. Lü’e, Cong Fang, and Ruan Qing held their breaths, not daring to make a sound as they stared intently at the seven or eight glittering Flying Swords neatly embedded in the ground before Lu Hangzhi.

Lü’e and Cong Fang understood why Hangzhi had been training relentlessly, forgetting sleep and food for months – it was all for today.

Ruan Qing, however, was visibly moved by the sight of seven high-quality Flying Swords glowing with Spiritual Energy. Truly fitting for the Golden Jade Hall’s rising star. While an ordinary disciple considered one flying sword standard equipment, Lu Hangzhi wielded seven from the outset. His wealth and resources were downright terrifying.

Each wore a different expression as they watched the swords and Lu Hangzhi without moving.

Lu Hangzhi closed his eyes, his hand forming a secret seal. After a moment of deep thought, he suddenly snapped them open and shouted sharply:

“Rise!”

Clang!

The first Flying Sword on the left trembled slightly, emitted a clear ring, then shot straight up into the air. Sword Qi crackled, filling the courtyard, the sharp edge palpable and demanding. The sword was named “Sharp Gold”. Its blank had been copper essence, forged with underground fire. It could pierce metal and split stone. The Spirit Forging Technique had purged all impurities, imbuing it with Spirit Fire. Its grade: a Sixth Rank Spiritual Artifact, approaching Magical Artifact level.

Such a Flying Sword wasn’t just rare in ordinary Marketplaces; it was scarce even within the Xuanxin Sect.

Hearing the sound, Ruan Qing and the other two raised their heads. They watched the Flying Sword streak through the sky for a lap above the courtyard, expressions turning puzzled.

There was no fixed target.

The Flying Sword displayed its sharpness but didn’t launch an attack. It whooshed across the courtyard sky at astounding speed before plunging back down with a swish…

…missing its original position by about two inches.

“Hmm.” Lu Hangzhi frowned slightly. After advancing to Fifth Grade, the attack speed of his Sword Control Art increased. Retrieving the sword perfectly was tricky; it hadn’t landed exactly where it started.

Let’s go again.

The Flying Sword shot into the sky. Swish! It landed back in place. Lu Hangzhi nodded with satisfaction. Only one inch off now. Continue! Ruan Qing was thoroughly speechless.

He had anticipated Lu Hangzhi practicing some profound spell technique and had hoped to glean some insights by watching. Instead, Lu Hangzhi’s performance utterly disappointed him… He was merely practicing basic Sword Control Art proficiency.

“Senior Brother Hangzhi, I was wondering…” Ruan Qing began.

“I won’t be using the Spirit Gathering Array for now. Feel free,” Lu Hangzhi replied without turning his head.

Ruan Qing was elated. Taking two steps as one, he rushed into the Spirit Gathering Array.

Unfazed, Lu Hangzhi remained standing, continuing to familiarize himself with the changes brought by his Fifth-Grade cultivation – mastering the Sword Control Art was a prerequisite for the Seven-Seven Sword Formation. Only by wielding his swords like extensions of his own limbs could he grasp the Formation’s subtleties faster. Otherwise, attacking difficult challenges blindly would result in achieving little with much effort.

Lu Hangzhi calmed his mind, persisting without complaint. Within less than half an hour, all seven Flying Swords surged from the ground, each returning precisely to its original position after exactly one second without the slightest deviation.

“That’s about it.” Lu Hangzhi let out a long sigh; it was time for the next step. This was the true challenge. According to the Seven-Seven Sword Formation’s requirements, progressing from focusing one thought on one task to dividing it between two tasks constituted progress. Then, step by step, the goal was to eventually divide his mind seven ways. Each improvement represented a significant leap in strength… But Lu Hangzhi knew:

While each step might seem small, the difficulty was unimaginable.

Yet Lu Hangzhi understood even better how powerful he would become if he mastered this art!

Ghost Weeping, the Ghost Cultivator who fell in Violet Cloud Town, had possessed the strength to challenge Fifth-Grade Cultivators. Yet, faced with the Seven-Seven Sword Formation – facing seven Fifth-Grade Cultivators simultaneously – he would have been utterly obliterated in an instant.

At this thought, Lu Hangzhi’s heart burned with fervor. Clang! A clear ring pierced the air. A Flying Sword shot upwards. Clang! Clang! One after another, three more swords rose unsurely into the air. They wobbled awkwardly under the straining exertion of his Spiritual Sense control, appearing far less crisp and lacking the imposing aura of the first sword.

“One Thought, Three Motions.”

“The road ahead is still long indeed.”

Lu Hangzhi sighed softly, though his face showed no discouragement at all. His tone shifted to self-motivation.

“One Thought, Three Motions is already quite good. If I can consolidate my current ability at ‘One Thought, Three Motions’, the breakthrough to ‘One Thought, Four Actions’ will naturally follow. Then, step by step, I will reach Minor Achievement and achieve the true mastery needed to deploy the Seven-Seven Sword Formation!”