Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
In just seven days, Chen Ye had advanced to the Second-Layer of the Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique!
The more he cultivated, the more surprised Chen Ye was.
This sect-method was indeed different from the magic practiced by Loose Cultivators!
Compared to ordinary Tier One Upper Grade magic, it placed greater importance on a cultivator’s long-term development.
It is divided into six layers in total:
First-Layer: Micro-Lan. Initial understanding of sword nature, one with the sword.
Second-Layer: Surfing. Sword follows the heart’s movements, showing initial sharpness.
Third-Layer: Surging Waves. Initial formation of sword momentum, extraordinary and surging.
Fourth-Layer: Inverted Sea. Exerting full force to overturn the sea, sword pressure like the tide.
Fifth-Layer: Thunderbolt. Sword whistle breaking through the sky, sound like thunder.
Sixth-Layer: Ningyuan. Sword Intent condensing into gang, tranquil and towering like mountains.
Chen Ye now understood why the Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique was considered the most difficult Flying Sword Technique to cultivate in Lingyin Sect, comparable to the top-tier flying sword techniques of the Refining God Sect.
It is because this swordsmanship technique, strictly speaking, has only four layers.
The remaining two layers are further developments of Sword Intent.
They correspond to the realms of Sword Qi Thunder Sound and Sword Qi Condensing Gang!
According to Li Yanfeng, the legendary True Man Baili comprehended Sword Intent at a young age and cultivated this sword technique to the Fifth-Layer, truly possessing exceptional talent!
Chen Ye glanced at the panel:
[Minor Achievement in Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique: 55/100]
At this moment, guidance from Li Yanfeng was no longer of much help to him.
Fortunately, he did not require comprehension; with diligent practice, he would eventually reach the Sixth-Layer or even higher.
Chen Ye strapped the Iron Sword to his back.
Since he had achieved Minor Achievement in the Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique, it was time to prepare for breaking through to the late-stage Qi Cultivation.
However, the Qi Nourishing Pill was now inadequate.
After all, Qi Nourishing Pill is mostly used by cultivators in the early and middle stages of Qi Cultivation, and it is one of the lowest-tier pills.
The poor effect of Qi Nourishing Pill previously was not just due to medication resistance but more because his cultivation was not what it used to be.
One cannot continue to cultivate with pills suitable for Fourth-Layer Qi Cultivation when already at Sixth-Layer Qi Cultivation.
"Lingyin Sect has an exclusive pill, the Solid Essence Pill, which is far more effective than the Qi Nourishing Pill and is usually supplied only to Inner Sect disciples. Within the sect, the disciples at Danxia Peak also refine and sell them, with each priced at five Spirit Stones."
Chen Ye pondered for a while; the price of five Spirit Stones was hardly worth consuming a Tier One Upper Grade Qi Nourishing Pill, which, although less effective, had milder side effects.
But Chen Ye had a unique advantage and cultivated various arts swiftly; why make himself suffer in terms of resources?
"It’s time to learn some Alchemy! Hmm... Conveniently, I am also a Spirit Plant Master, managing so many medicinal gardens..."
This was an unspoken rule among Spirit Plant Masters, taking some Spiritual Medicine when managing medicinal gardens without causing harm.
Chen Ye opened the door.
Welcoming him was the fresh air of Luoli Courtyard and the abundance of Spiritual Power.
The house had its Spirit Gathering Array, so Chen Ye arranged the Spirit Gathering Array acquired from Formless Ghost Market within the small courtyard.
This way, his apprentice could cultivate in a small courtyard with better scenery.
Just as he stepped out the door, he keenly sensed that the Spiritual Qi in the courtyard seemed livelier than usual, faintly misty with water vapor.
Chen Ye focused his gaze, landing on his eldest apprentice sitting cross-legged under the pear tree.
Zhiwei was wearing the same simple pale blue skirt today, her long black hair loosely held up by a green jade hairpin, with a few strands falling on her smooth forehead.
Her eyes were tightly closed, her small body straightened, her expression focused, surrounded by a faint, visually detectable water-blue light.
The light was gentle and pure, carrying a hint of refreshing chill.
Strands of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi were being absorbed by her at a speed far surpassing usual, forming a small Qi vortex around her.
"Hmm?" Chen Ye raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling a bit surprised.
Zhiwei usually diligently cultivates the Frost Splendor Record, but has never shown such obvious Spiritual Power fluctuation. What was happening today...
He softened his steps, slowly walking to a nearby spot next to Zhiwei and observed carefully.
He saw beads of sweat forming on Zhiwei’s small nose tip, her long eyelashes gently trembling, currently at a critical moment of cultivation.
The water-blue glow around her grew increasingly intense, showing signs of a breakthrough.
Chen Ye felt moved, immediately holding his breath and concentrating his spirit, not daring to disturb.
Time passed bit by bit, as the fluctuation of Spiritual Qi in the courtyard grew more intense.
Zhiwei’s brows slightly furrowed, seemingly enduring some pain, yet she gritted her teeth, fully rotating her inner Spiritual Power, attacking the invisible bottleneck.
Finally—
"Buzz!"
A faint buzzing sound emanated from Zhiwei, and then the water-blue glow around her violently surged!
A flow of Spiritual Power far more refined and pure than before spread out from her small body like a tide!
Success!
Chen Ye rejoiced in his heart, showing a pleased smile on his face.
He could clearly sense that the Spiritual Power within Zhiwei’s Dantian had successfully broken through its original restriction, reaching a new height!
Second-Layer Qi Cultivation!
Although in the early stage of Qi Cultivation, particularly the first two layers are easy to break through, any cultivator with a spiritual root can generally smoothly progress to the Third-Layer.
But this girl had only been exposed to cultivation for a month and managed to break through two layers consecutively!
"Phew..."
Zhiwei exhaled deeply, slowly opening her eyes.
Chen Ye wondered if it was just his illusion,
after the breakthrough, Zhiwei’s gaze seemed a bit colder.
But fortunately, the big girl soon calmly spoke, her tone carrying a small sense of pride: "Master. Zhiwei reached Second-Layer Qi Cultivation."
Chen Ye laughed heartily, genuinely happy.
The day he could rely on Zhiwei’s talent was getting closer!
With Zhiwei’s current Two Spiritual Root physique, combined with her exceptional comprehension.
She might break through to Foundation Establishment by the age of twenty!
This sounded exaggerated, virtually impossible among Loose Cultivators.
But in a Major Sect, it’s not rare.
For example, Bai Susu’s deceased father, a Gold Series Single Spiritual Root, broke Lingyin Sect’s record by reaching Foundation Establishment at twenty-four.
Even Mao Qingzhu, with Water and Wood Dual Spiritual Roots, established his foundation at the age of thirty-one.
Of course, now Lingyin Sect’s fastest record is held by Bai Susu, who succeeded in Foundation Establishment at the tender age of nineteen!
Chen Ye was already lost in his fantasies.
In twenty years, Zhiwei would break through to Foundation Establishment, and in sixty years to the Golden Core.
By then, he would be able to cling to his Golden Core disciple’s thigh!
"Master! Please stop laughing, I’m so scared of Qing Jun..."
The little girl shivered as she shrank behind the pear tree,
After her master laughed heartily, he couldn’t stop letting out a creepy laugh, causing Qing Jun’s skin to crawl!
This was too eerie!
Did Master perhaps become possessed?
The little girl picked up the Xiaohan Sword and stealthily slipped behind Chen Ye.
Squinting her eyes, she aimed at the back of Chen Ye’s head, ready to strike: "Ehh... huh?"
Before she could yell out, Chen Ye picked her up:
"You little girl, are you trying to murder your master?"
The little girl was lifted into the air, both her small hands clutching the Xiaohan Sword tightly,
and spoke righteously, "But Master, your laugh was so strange, just like... just like Old Man Zhang next door used to laugh, with green light almost shooting from his eyes!!"
Old Man Zhang?
Chen Ye felt a bit of a subtle embarrassment, as he had always looked down on people like Taoist Zhang.
To think his disciple would even think he was like him!!
When people get embarrassed, they tend to act busy.
He was no exception, putting Qing Jun down, and reached out to continually rub Zhiwei’s fluffy head:
"Not bad, not bad, our Zhiwei is truly a cultivation prodigy, reaching the Second Layer of Qi Cultivation so quickly, whereas back in my day, it took half a year!"
Zhiwei was a bit embarrassed by the praise: "Zhiwei is just lucky, that’s all."
Saying that, for once she didn’t turn her head but let Chen Ye pat her on the head.
"It’s not luck, my disciple, the most excellent in the world, is a natural!"
Chen Ye’s words were firm and heartfelt.
Zhiwei’s eyelashes trembled slightly, not expecting her master to have such confidence in them.
Qing Jun, who had been hiding behind the pear tree, also came running over with her short legs, looking up, "Master, is Qing Jun also the most excellent disciple?"
Chen Ye paused for a moment:
"Of course!"
"How dare you!! Why did Master pause?"
Qing Jun was angry!
...
After some laughing and playing around, Chen Ye instructed his disciples to cultivate diligently at home without slacking off, while he set off for Baiqi Garden.
Baiqi Garden still looked desolate and bleak, but after his tidying up over the past few days, much of the rampant weeds had been cleared, revealing some outlines of the former medicinal plot.
The dim spirit plants also began to gradually emit a spiritual light.
Wearing his golden Taoist robe, Chen Ye first patrolled the garden, inspecting the condition of the Emotion Crossing Sect’s spiritual medicines.
These demonic path spirit plants were indeed tenacious, maintaining their vitality even in the sparse spiritual energy environment.
[Ganlin Nourishing Technique Great Success: 2/100]
In these eight days of managing the medicinal garden, Chen Ye had been using the Ganlin Nourishing Technique to nourish the spirit plants for a long time, successfully cultivating this technique to Great Success!
With a wave of Chen Ye’s hand, he no longer needed to use the Rain Traveling Shuttle to perform the Cloud Rain Technique over the medicinal field.
At the same time, among the spirit rain, there were light green droplets filled with vitality.
And this, naturally, was the Ganlin Nourishing Technique!
After reaching Great Success, Chen Ye was able to perform the Ganlin Nourishing Technique while casting the Spirit Rain Technique.
Just as Chen Ye was diligently tending to these "dangerous items," he keenly sensed a few sneaky energies coming from outside the garden.
Sure enough, behind the half-human-height herbs at the entrance of Baiqi Garden, there were faintly several figures peeking towards him.
Judging by their attire, they were Outer Sect disciples from the Herb Peak.
"What are those guys up to again?" Chen Ye wondered.
He remembered a few days ago, some Outer Sect disciples had been lurking outside Baiqi Garden, but fled in panic when he caught them.
Why are they back today?
And there seemed to be more of them.
Chen Ye sneered inwardly but didn’t care too much.
These Outer Sect disciples mostly held cultivation levels at the early or middle period of Qi Cultivation, posing no threat to him.
Chen Ye simply wanted to peacefully manage Baiqi Garden, and research these demonic path spiritual medicines, to see if he could gain any insights from them, or perhaps... secretly pocket a few to prepare for learning alchemy.
However, what Chen Ye did not know was that the Outer Sect disciples gathered there today were not there for him at all.
It was due to a heavily circulated "secret" at Herb Peak—Miss Bai Susu from the Bai Family, was said to be visiting Baiqi Garden today!
Today was the memorial day of True Man Baili.
Every memorial day, Bai Susu would come to Baiqi Garden, to maintain the spirit plant essence qi and clean the garden with her own hands.
"Hey, do you guys think that Steward Chen will have bad luck today?"
A ferret-eyed disciple whispered, his tone full of glee at others’ misfortune.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, that Steward Chen is likely in for it. But it’s for the best, what with him taking such a ’leisurely’ task from the moment he arrived, never interacting with other stewards or disciples, acting so arrogant, he should suffer a bit!"
Another disciple spoke with dissatisfaction.
"Wait, look at his Cloud Rain Technique... doesn’t it seem like he’s also performing the Ganlin Nourishing Technique simultaneously?"
Suddenly, a disciple in the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation looked uncertain and surprised.
Indeed, the Ganlin Nourishing Technique often augmented the Cloud Rain Technique.
But this required performers to have profound accomplishments in both arts.
Among us disciples of Herb Peak, those with such achievements are very few.
But this Loose Cultivator, how can he?
"Maybe we just saw it wrong... anyway, let’s just enjoy the show."
The disciple scratched his head, whispered,
"Hehe... it’s been a while since we’ve seen Junior Martial Uncle Bai."
His words made a few disciples simultaneously feel a bit embarrassed.
Indeed.
Even though Bai Susu was known as the Little Demoness, and short in stature,
she was very beautiful...
Her popularity in the sect was second to none!