Chapter 120: Killing Origin Sword Art
After a night passed, Tianxuan City had already been draped in a layer of silver frost.
With the end of the first auction, Tianxuan City once again became lively.
Lin Chang’an also returned to his cave abode, fully satisfied.
This time, he had won a second-rank premium-grade Alchemy Furnace, several alchemical spirit herbs, and even an alchemy formula for a second-rank Detoxification Pill.
And this sword art—he could consider it a bountiful harvest.
As for the hustle and bustle of Tianxuan City, following the conclusion of the first auction, the first wave was composed of cultivators preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, swarming in to rent secluded cultivation caves.
Of course, even more cultivators were quietly preparing for the next two rounds.
But Lin Chang’an no longer had the mind to pay attention to all this. What he wanted most now was to return to his cave abode and carefully study the high-priced demonic secret art he had just obtained.
Inside the cave abode.
“Killing Origin Sword Art, a demonic secret art. Due to being incomplete, this sword art that can be cultivated to the Golden Core Realm lacks an important heart method portion and only retains the operational method…”
As he read the secret art recorded on the jade slip, Lin Chang’an grew increasingly shocked.
No wonder this group of veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators all showed interest when they heard it came from that three-hundred-year-old predecessor.
This turned out to be a secret art that infused one’s body with baleful energy to condense an indestructible sword light.
“When initially trained, one could emit sword light with a mere raise of the hand. Its power can rival ordinary premium-grade magical artifacts, and when assisted with demonic spirit artifacts, its might multiplies.
By mid-Foundation Establishment, one can cultivate the accompanying divine ability ‘Giant Sword Technique’, whose power increases with advancement in rank…”
Having finished reading this demonic secret art, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but be shocked. It was indeed powerful, but the price—ordinary cultivators truly could not bear it.
“This sword art differs from ordinary cultivation methods—true essence flows in reverse, baleful energy invades the body. Every time this secret art is activated in battle, it harms the user first, often damaging the meridians beyond what a cultivator can withstand, requiring use of Meridian-Protection Pills…”
Wasn’t this a secret art that harmed both oneself and others—a demonic technique that killed a thousand enemies while wounding eight hundred of one’s own?
Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but marvel.
“As expected of demonic means. It’s a pity that the key heart method to protect the meridians is missing, greatly increasing the difficulty of cultivating this secret art.”
At the same time, Lin Chang’an took out a cultivation classic from the Yue Kingdom, which he had specifically gone to purchase after the auction.
Not only him, but many cultivators wanted to understand more—after all, no one could guarantee what treasures might appear in the next two auctions.
Sure enough, there was a record of this Blood Fiend Sword True Lord.
“Using this demonic sword art, he swept through the Yue Kingdom, harming himself before harming others. Due to baleful energy damaging his meridians and gradually transforming into blood-colored sword light, he earned the title of Blood Fiend Sword Lord, and was once renowned.
Even the top rogue cultivator of the time, Master Lu, was slightly inferior in fame. Unfortunately, he later journeyed to the Sea Abyss of Beasts and vanished without a trace.”
Looking at this legend from three hundred years ago, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“It is recorded that this predecessor possessed a spiritual body, with a constitution and meridians innately stronger than others, which allowed him to cultivate this secret art. But my Regenerative Body isn’t inferior either.”
At this moment, Lin Chang’an seemed to have found a way to fully utilize his Regenerative Body.
According to the secret art, each activation inflicted meridian damage—over time, the pain would be unbearable, and only someone with immense willpower could cultivate it.
Harming oneself before harming the enemy—cultivators who practiced this art often went mad and lost control in the end.
“Isn’t that perfect.”
After fully comprehending the secret art, Lin Chang’an felt not fear, but joy.
“With my Regenerative Body, it seems I’m best suited to cultivate such demonic, self-harming cultivation methods.”
As long as it didn’t consume lifespan or cause irreversible yin-yang imbalance, he could endure it all.
“A single divine technique like the Giant Sword Technique is worth five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones—this cultivation method is well worth the price.”
However, divine abilities of this kind were generally hard to master.
Many Foundation Establishment cultivators had cultivated for decades without success, ultimately having to give up in frustration.
“Refine!”
Having thoroughly studied the demonic secret art, Lin Chang’an revealed a resolute expression.
Once mastered, this secret art would compensate for his shortcoming in regular combat techniques.
“Regenerative Body, now let me see where your limits lie!”
…
After the wind and snow in Tianxuan City, a breeze of spring ushered in a scene of vibrant life and renewal.
Two months later.
【Killing Origin Sword Art (Proficient 85/500)】
Inside the cave abode, Lin Chang’an slowly opened his eyes, enduring the ripping pain coursing through his meridians.
“As expected of a demonic cultivation method—progress is indeed swift.”
The other cultivation methods he had previously practiced had progressed painfully slow. It had to be a demonic technique—barely trained, and it already reached Proficient rather than just Beginner.
“No wonder this method was shelved for so long—it truly isn’t something ordinary people can cultivate.”
Rubbing his temples, he shook his head, feeling the pain from meridian injuries due to cultivation.
Were it not for the clear sensation of his Regenerative Body constantly healing him, he truly wouldn’t have dared to continue.
After all, even Foundation Establishment cultivators needed time to recuperate from meridian injuries—and severe damage could even cause regression in cultivation.
“Sword light, huh!”
With a wave of his hand, a streak of green sword light instantly etched a deep mark into the cave wall, bringing a satisfied smile to Lin Chang’an’s face.
“Indeed, demonic cultivation methods are defined by their easy entry, fast training, and great power.”
Lin Chang’an then took out a second-rank mid-grade Vajra Talisman.
In a flash, the Golden Light Talisman transformed into a golden radiance shield three zhang away from Lin Chang’an.
“Let me first test how strong the sword light is when combined with a spirit artifact.”
With anticipation written all over his face, Lin Chang’an retrieved the Green Bamboo Sword, which had already advanced to a spirit artifact, from his Storage Pouch.
He activated the sword art, and in an instant, an even sharper green sword light flashed out.
‘Ding!’ A crisp clang resounded.
The golden light shield instantly deformed. Though it withstood the sword light, it noticeably dimmed.
Lin Chang’an struck twice more. Finally, on the third strike, the golden shield shattered under pressure.
“Three strikes! Only three strikes to shatter a second-rank mid-grade Vajra Talisman!”
Seeing the result, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.
Blood Spirit Thorn paired with a flying needle-type spirit artifact might achieve pinpoint strikes to break defenses.
But flying needles naturally countered protective light and the Blood Spirit Thorn had too many limitations.
Whereas this was now his regular attack.
“At this level, I might already pose a threat to mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.”
Lin Chang’an felt somewhat reassured. With more strength, he had more peace of mind.
Now, with his myriad techniques and a second-rank spirit pet, even ordinary mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle against him.
“But that last sword light carried a hint of blood energy.”
After the excitement, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but frown slightly.
Due to cultivating this secret art, his meridians had suffered serious damage. Before they could heal, he tested the sword light’s power again.
Originally, the wood-type cultivation method he practiced produced pale green mana. But due to his injured meridians, it now carried a faint blood hue.
At last, he understood why that three-hundred-year-old predecessor was called the Blood Fiend Sword Lord.
“I really wonder what kind of spiritual body that predecessor had, to cultivate all the way to the Golden Core Realm.”
Lin Chang’an sighed with emotion. The world of cultivation had far too many dazzlingly talented cultivators—many were legends of their era.
For him to succeed in cultivating this secret art, aside from his Regenerative Body, it was also due to the exceptionally pure mana from his ancient cultivation method.
That was how he so smoothly completed the entry phase.
But even for him, he could not recklessly use this sword art in battle. If the consumption became too great, even the Regenerative Body would start draining his life force.
“Next is to recover the internal injuries, then refine pills and resume cultivation.”
…
As the spring breeze blew, following the end of the second auction in Tianxuan City, a piece of news shattered the calm.
“Something major happened. The Palace of Blazing Fire officially announced that the spiritual land of Tianxuan City was originally discovered by both the Palace of Blazing Fire and the Xuanyin Pavilion, but was stolen by Master Lu.
Now they’ve issued a bounty to the outside world—every Talisman Master and Alchemist under Tianxuan City’s jurisdiction has been listed.”
“What! Impossible, I’m an Alchemist too!” a cultivator exclaimed in terror upon hearing the news.
Instead, a cultivator beside him directly mocked, “You’re overthinking it. Those listed in the bounty notice must have skills at first-rank premium-grade or above to qualify.”
“As for you, fellow Daoist…”
For a moment, the face of that drifting cultivator turned red with embarrassment, but he didn’t know how to refute it.
At that moment, he didn’t know whether to feel lucky or angry.
Once this bounty notice was released, the entire Tianxuan City exploded into heated discussion.
Although Tianxuan City also issued countermeasures in response.
Juxian Tower.
“Brother Lin, the outside is in chaos now. A first-rank premium-grade skill cultivator has a bounty of four thousand Spirit Stones—two would nearly be enough for a Foundation Establishment Pill.”
Shen Lie’s expression was somewhat panicked, which made Wei Buyi—who had just broken through to first-rank premium-grade—widen his eyes.
“Damn it, I just broke through!”
After years of arduous cultivation, Wei Buyi had a legacy of alchemists in his ancestry. His father was once a first-rank premium-grade Alchemist.
He finally broke through to first-rank premium-grade Alchemist, and now he was told there was a bounty on his head.
And it was worth four thousand Spirit Stones.
He had just achieved his breakthrough and hadn’t even had time to celebrate, only to be doused with cold water.
“Looks like the bounty offered by the Palace of Blazing Fire really is tempting.”
But upon hearing it, Lin Chang’an frowned slightly. Previously, Yun Yao had already warned him, so he wasn’t unprepared.
“Brother Lin, you’re at the Foundation Establishment Realm and a second-rank mid-grade Talisman Master. The bounty on you includes one spirit artifact, five Foundation Establishment Pills, and one high-grade cultivation method. Moreover, any cultivator who kills you can join the Palace of Blazing Fire and receive their protection.”
That was indeed a significant bounty.
Everyone knew that cultivators with skills generally had far more resources than ordinary cultivators. Now, with a bounty issued, wasn’t this blatant temptation?
“Seems like I’m quite valuable. The Palace of Blazing Fire only targeted Tianxuan City—truly ruthless tactics.”
Even Lin Chang’an had to admit he was impressed by the tactics of the Palace of Blazing Fire.
With the release of this bounty notice, he could already imagine the internal crisis within Tianxuan City.
This clearly aimed to stir internal unrest within Tianxuan City. The cultivators who actually claimed the rewards were likely to join the Palace of Blazing Fire to avoid retaliation.
In doing so, the Palace of Blazing Fire would gain free manpower.
It seemed like they were giving out bounties, but weren’t both the people and the bounty ultimately joining the Palace of Blazing Fire?
This was a stratagem in plain sight.
It also highlighted the shortcomings of drifting cultivators.
Drifting cultivators had always been a scattered force. Even though Master Lu managed to gather them under Tianxuan City, he couldn’t change their scattered nature.
This was different from sect and clan cultivators, who had been raised from youth to view their sect or clan as their root.
“A turbulent time indeed.”
Lin Chang’an shook his head helplessly, while Wei Buyi looked even more bitter.
The counter-bounty measures by Tianxuan City against the Palace of Blazing Fire clearly lacked sufficient weight.
That was a fundamental disparity.
“Brother Wei, you just broke through to first-rank premium-grade Alchemist. Fortunately, the news hasn’t gotten out yet.”
Shen Lie turned and said to Wei Buyi with lingering fear.
Originally, this gathering was to celebrate Wei Buyi’s breakthrough, but now the wine had taken on a bitter taste.
“Brother Shen, easy for you to say!”
Wei Buyi glared in frustration. “Am I worried for myself? I’m worried Tianxuan City is about to fall into chaos again.”
At the wine table, Lin Chang’an shook his head inwardly. Though this seemed like bad news on the surface, a deeper analysis suggested that at least the Yue Kingdom wouldn’t immediately engage in a large-scale open war.
“Let’s stabilize the situation for now. If things really start to go south, we’ll need to make early preparations.”
The minds of everyone had already drifted from the banquet. Lin Chang’an began pondering his escape plan.
Which route would be the safest? After all, as long as there was a bounty on his head, even if he fled to another kingdom, others would covet him.
After all, as a second-rank mid-grade Talisman Master, he was essentially a fat prize.
But if he surrendered to a faction, they absolutely wouldn’t allow him the kind of freedom he currently enjoyed.
“In the end, everything still depends on strength. If I had Golden Core strength now, even if it were the False Golden Core Realm, I wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Finally, Lin Chang’an shook his head inwardly. At the same time, this news also threw Tianxuan City into disarray.
Although the auctions in Tianxuan City were still ongoing and the city remained lively on the surface,
the attention of cultivators had largely shifted to the bounties.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, it wasn’t as bad, but for some Qi Refining cultivators with skills, their expressions had all drastically changed.
...
As time flew by, the Yue Kingdom's situation remained turbulent.
Following the bounty notices issued by the Palace of Blazing Fire and the Shensword Sect, Tianxuan City indeed experienced significant unrest.
Cultivator Robbers sprang up everywhere. Someone who had been a close friend just yesterday could suddenly become a Cultivator Robber after going out together.
Even various new fishing tactics began appearing one after another.
For example, three to five late-stage Qi Refining cultivators would claim to have discovered a spirit herb, a demon beast, or even ruins of a cultivator’s cave abode. They would call friends and secretly form a Demon-Hunting Squad.
Only upon arrival would the target realize that the prey was themselves.
Especially skilled cultivators preparing for Foundation Establishment became especially prized targets.
Because in order to reach Foundation Establishment, they had to leave the city.
And with demon cores becoming increasingly rare, without taking risks, they might not even get the chance to break through.
For a time, panic spread through Tianxuan City. Many cultivators had already been killed.
At the same time, quite a few cultivators earned tremendous profits and immediately joined the Palace of Blazing Fire, using the blood and resources of others to step into Foundation Establishment. There were many such cases.
Inside the cave abode.
【Lifespan: 64/217】
【Realm: Early Foundation Establishment (50/100)】
“Due to nourishment from wood-attribute cultivation methods, lifespan has gradually increased by two years, and the cultivation speed is quite decent.”
Three years had left no marks on Lin Chang’an. At this time, his cultivation method had grown ever more refined, and his lifespan had increased slightly as well.
“A major realm advancement grants lifespan extension as expected. At the same time, refinement of cultivation also leads to minor increases, especially with wood-attribute techniques.”
Thinking of his own lifespan, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but sigh. His Life-bound Spirit Plant had devoured thirty years from him.
Otherwise, his current lifespan would have exceeded two hundred and fifty years by now.
Based on the traits of this ancient cultivation method, by late-stage Foundation Establishment, his lifespan might reach an astonishing three hundred-plus years.
“It’s just that in the past two years, while spirit herbs and Spirit Fruits for alchemy are still relatively manageable—since there’s never a shortage of risk-takers among cultivators—the demon cores are becoming increasingly rare.”
Looking at the dwindling pile of pills, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but furrow his brows.