A few days later. Inside the cave residence, Lu Yang sat upright on a meditation cushion. He formed a hand seal with his right hand, a dot of spiritual light gathering at his fingertip before finally transforming into a White Bone Flying Sword as thin as a cicada's wing.
The sword was a pale green-white, and when it vibrated, the sound of thunder echoed.
"Go!"
Lu Yang flicked his finger, and the White Bone Flying Sword instantly transformed into a magnificent bolt of silk several zhang long, shooting forth. The sword light whistled as if heavenly thunder was rolling through the sky!
"What a fine sword art!"
Seeing this, a look of joy appeared on Lu Yang's face. He then changed his hand seal, and the White Bone Flying Sword immediately split into two in mid-air. In the next second, Lu Yang's figure vanished from his spot, as if teleporting, and appeared directly where one of the sword lights was.
And as Lu Yang's hand seal changed, his figure seemed to transform into a bolt of lightning, moving freely between the two sword lights. After a long while, Lu Yang finally stopped, his face filled with excitement.
"Excellent! What an excellent Divine Firmament Sword-Riding True Art!"
This sword art was actually very simple. After a cultivator mastered it, they could split off sword lights and then instantly move to the location of one of those split sword lights. The higher one's magical power, the farther the distance one could move.
If the Sect Master of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion were to act personally, he could even sit within the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, teleport ten thousand li with a single sword strike, and easily take an enemy's head while chatting and laughing. This was even just the primary variation of the sword art.
Further up, it was said that one could truly manifest the might of divine firmament thunder from the sword light, but unfortunately, the contents of that part of the cultivation technique were beyond Lu Yang's reach. It wasn't that he couldn't plunder it, but that Yun Miaoqing herself didn't know it. But this was normal.
After all, if it were the complete Divine Firmament Sword-Riding True Art, it definitely couldn't be bought for a mere 1,000 contribution points. 10,000 points was more like it.
"Hmph, utterly foolish!"
A cold sneer came from behind. Lu Yang turned his head and saw the woman from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion looking at him with disgust, disdain, and contempt. After spending many days together, Lu Yang had come to understand her quite deeply.
The woman's name was Yun Miaoqing, an inner sect disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion. Her master was Daoist Shenxiao, and she specialized in the Divine Firmament Sword-Riding True Art. She once had a cultivation level of the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
Lu Yang looked at Yun Miaoqing and asked curiously, "Did I use the sword art incorrectly?" Hearing this, Yun Miaoqing turned her head away.
"Did you think I would tell you? Demon, even if you steal my sword art, it's just a clumsy imitation!"
"Why must you be like this?"
Lu Yang shook his head, walked over to Yun Miaoqing, and said with a helpless expression, "Are you sure you're not going to tell me? Or are you going to force me to use that again?"
"That..."
A delicate blush immediately spread across Yun Miaoqing's exquisite face. Her beautiful eyes glazed over for a moment, then she snapped back to clarity, staring at Lu Yang with deep hatred.
"Isn't it just that demonic art? Do you think I will yield?"
"Even though you say that... you've already yielded once before."
Lu Yang pointed to the mark on Yun Miaoqing's chest and said, "You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"Nonsense!"
Looking at the mark on her body, Yun Miaoqing bit her lip in humiliation.
"That time was only because you took advantage of my weakness!"
After speaking, she tightened her grip on the pendant around her neck. It was a small, exquisitely crafted white jade sword, a magical sword that only disciples of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion could possess. Its function was the same as Lu Yang's disciple token.
"I am a disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, and my hatred for the demonic path is irreconcilable. That will never change!"
"No matter how powerful your demonic art is, the human heart will not be changed by the seduction of these evil and heretical ways."
"My loyalty to the Sword Pavilion will absolutely never waver."
"I swear on my magical sword!"
As her voice fell, Yun Miaoqing clenched her silver teeth and looked at Lu Yang with a determined gaze, like a pure lotus flower stuck deep in the mud yet remaining unstained. Another day later. Inside the cave residence, Lu Yang sat on the meditation cushion, his five centers facing the heavens.
After a long time, Lu Yang heavily exhaled a breath of turbid qi. At the same time, Yun Miaoqing raised her swan-like, fair neck and let out a long, leisurely sigh.
"You've actually mastered the Divine Firmament Sword-Riding True Art quite skillfully. There aren't any major problems. If there are any, they lie with external objects..."
Yun Miaoqing's face was flushed red as she spoke weakly. Under Lu Yang's severe interrogation, she had finally begged for mercy.
When Lu Yang asked her again, she just snorted coldly and then obediently said: "We disciples of the Sword Pavilion, once we enter the Qi Refining Realm, will use a secret art from the sect to take an essence of metal, supplement it with various external medicines, and refine a sword pellet.
All the sword arts in the Sword Pavilion require the assistance of a sword pellet to display their full power. The higher the quality of the sword pellet, the greater the might of the sword art." After Yun Miaoqing's explanation, Lu Yang finally understood.
Currently, when he cultivated the Divine Firmament Sword-Riding True Art, he could only split off two sword lights, and the effect was limited to teleportation. His speed was fast, but his attack power was lacking. However, once he had the support of a sword pellet, the number of sword lights Lu Yang could split off would at least double.
At the same time, he could also merge his body with the sword pellet, unleashing astonishing slashing attacks while moving amidst the sword lights. With this, he could be said to have the complete upper hand when fighting others.
In a direct confrontation, Lu Yang would only need to control the sword pellet and split off sword lights in all directions. Once the opponent was surrounded by the sword lights, it would be as if they had fallen into his trap.
Thereafter, no matter what techniques the opponent used, he could easily evade them and attack from another direction, leaving them exhausted from parrying. After a few rounds of this back-and-forth, the opponent would naturally reveal a fatal flaw. At that point, he would deliver a full-powered slash, and the opponent would basically be doomed.
"That is why we disciples of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion are number one in combat South of the River!"
Speaking of this, a look of pride appeared on Yun Miaoqing's face. However, in the next second, as Lu Yang moved forcefully, the pride on her face instantly vanished, replaced by a blush, and she couldn't help but let out a nasal sound. Yun Miaoqing's beautiful eyes were tightly shut.
She waited silently for a moment, but found that Lu Yang had stopped moving again. She squirmed a little restlessly, then opened her eyes: "Demon, you..." Lu Yang stood up and got dressed.
"So the difference lies in the sword pellet. I know the refinement method now... Hmm, there's nothing else for you. Go and rest."
Yun Miaoqing: "???" Suddenly separated, the only emotion left on Yun Miaoqing's face was bewilderment. Is he kidding?
It's over just like that? What about the plundering? In the next second, she suddenly came to her senses and subconsciously tightened her grip on the magical sword around her neck.
"No, this is for the best... I am a disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion..."
"Time to earn some money."
Walking out of the cave residence, Lu Yang began to think about the future.
"I only have 50 contribution points right now. After deducting 30 points for this month's cave residence rent, if I don't earn more, I'll have to move back to the Joyful Union Hall next month."
In the Primordial Saint Sect, there were many ways to earn contribution points. These included, but were not limited to, receiving salaries for holding various positions within the sect, selling personal items, receiving rewards for completing bounties, and sect missions, and so on.
"But for a 'three-no' disciple like me with no backer, no property, and no strength, I have no connections to get a sect position, most of my personal items are worthless, and I don't have the ability to complete high-priced bounties. The only option is to take on sect missions and work for the sect just to barely make a living..."
The more Lu Yang thought about it, the angrier he became. I'm already a cultivator, and I still have to work?