“That feels great. Once you’ve mastered it, we can spar a bit.” From the mere description of the exchange, nothing substantial could be seen. Jiang Zhiwei withdrew her gaze and smiled, expressing anticipation.
Without hesitation, Meng Qi walked toward the central glowing pillar where ethereal energy was swirling and chose to proceed with the exchange.
A flash of light passed, and a thin, deep-blue secret manual appeared in Meng Qi’s hand. A sharp sword intent could vaguely be felt, as if every character inscribed in the sword technique were imbued with a cutting edge!
Flipping through a few pages casually, Meng Qi decided not to exchange for any other items, leaving the remaining 980 Virtue Points for future use.
At this moment, Jiang Zhiwei, who had already stated her intention, stepped into the misty column of light with the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword, the Peach Spirit core, the Metal Essence of Geng, and the Sword Brocade Grass to enhance her treasure weapon.
A brilliant and pure light erupted, dazzling Meng Qi and others with a blinding white. When everything faded, the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword in Jiang Zhiwei’s hand had become even sharper, exuding an aura as if it could pierce the heavens, with an added quality that repelled evil and darkness.
“It’s already close to the upper-grade quality; I still need to get used to it,” Jiang Zhiwei said with a charming smile, her mood clearly uplifted.
Although the refining cost this time was only 600 points, the materials alone had nearly cost 5,000 points. Logically speaking, it would have been better to gather a few more Virtue Points and directly exchange for an upper-grade treasure weapon. However, since this was a weapon she was deeply attuned to, and it was only a half-step away from upper-grade quality, spending nearly a thousand additional Virtue Points was worth eliminating the risk of refining failure.
She closed her eyes for a moment, her beautiful face seemingly glowing with a radiant light, then suddenly exclaimed in delight: “It has gained the ability to borrow the sword’s distant sensing!”
“Hmm?” Meng Qi expressed confusion, though he could roughly guess it was a mutation caused by refining the Peach Spirit core of the Thousand-Mile Eye.
The supernatural abilities of the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Hearing Ear primarily stemmed from innate talents, so it was natural for these powers to manifest in their core materials.
Jiang Zhiwei opened her eyes, their luster shining brightly: “With the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword, I can now remotely ‘see’ things two to three hundred miles away, though I cannot hear any sounds.”
“That’s really great!” Meng Qi and Zhao Heng exclaimed in unison. This was essentially a weakened version of the Thousand-Mile Eye, comparable to the sensing ability of a half-step Dharmakaya body.
In addition, the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword inherited the properties of peach wood, gaining an enhanced ability to suppress evil and ghostly entities. Its inherent sharpness and sword qi had also naturally been strengthened.
After calming her excitement, Jiang Zhiwei looked again at the central light column: “Now that we’ve reached the Third Heaven, we must comprehend the inner and outer worlds, touch the Dao principles, and weave them into our Dharma Forms. Thus, external resources cannot be lacking.”
She had always pursued the path of observing various sword techniques to cultivate her own sword intent, and her refined Dharma Form was the “Supreme Sword Sovereign Manifestation,” derived from the “Supreme Dao Body.”
“So, you’re planning to exchange for external sword techniques?” Meng Qi asked with a smile.
“Yes,” Jiang Zhiwei nodded. “Previously, when I opened my apertures, the external sword techniques I exchanged for were only the general outline plus one or two forms, making it hard to grasp the full picture. Therefore, I need to complete them.”
As she spoke, she spent 4,000 Virtue Points to complete the remaining four forms of the “Emerald Moon Descending Immortal Sword,” and 5,000 points to acquire the “Twenty-Three Sword Annihilations,” making the Sacred Spirit Sword Technique nearly complete, leaving only 180 Virtue Points remaining.
“Senior Brother Qi, besides the Dark Chaos Crystal, what else are you planning to exchange?” Seeing Jiang Zhiwei finish her exchanges, Meng Qi turned to Qi Zhengyan.
He was on the verge of unifying his internal and external energies, and the sixth layer of the “Cosmic Mirror,” the “Dark Chaos,” had to be exchanged—it served as the bridge connecting the inner essence and outward manifestation, costing 2,000 Virtue Points.
Qi Zhengyan hesitated slightly before replying: “My sect specializes in sword techniques, as do I personally. Previously, the various techniques inherent to the Hun Tian Bao Jian differed somewhat from sword techniques, requiring great effort to integrate. Only after gaining insights from observing the wordless stele did I manage to overcome these obstacles. Therefore, I plan to exchange for a technique that transforms Hun Tian energy into sword qi, to complement our sect’s sword techniques.”
If he reached the external manifestation stage, he would be qualified to view the “Immortal-Given Longevity Sword,” so how could he waste this opportunity!
“Hun Tian Evil Sword?” Jiang Zhiwei and Meng Qi exclaimed in unison.
This was a technique mastered by a powerful cultivator, utilizing the Hun Tian Bao Jian to its fullest potential. It ingeniously converted the energy of each layer into sword qi, refining it into sword techniques. Currently, it encompassed only the first seven layers, with one technique per layer, and an eighth form that synthesized all seven techniques. Although it had not yet reached the Dharma Body stage, it was still exceptional among external manifestation methods. Rooted in the Hun Tian Bao Jian and built upon this foundation, the required Virtue Points were relatively modest. Jiang Zhiwei had once spoken highly of it.
Qi Zhengyan gave a barely perceptible nod: “Exactly. I plan to exchange for the main formula and the first five forms.”
The main formula of the “Hun Tian Evil Sword” cost 1,000 Virtue Points, explaining the method of transforming Hun Tian energy into sword qi. The subsequent formulas were specific sword techniques, each of the first six costing 500 points, and the eighth form, combining all seven, costing 1,000 points.
“Good. Through this, the Hun Tian Bao Jian can be linked with the Huanhua Sword Sect’s techniques, allowing infinite transformations to exist within one’s heart,” Jiang Zhiwei praised.
Meng Qi also nodded: “In reality, using Hun Tian energy to secretly drive sword techniques, while in the cycle of rebirth, using sword techniques to explain Hun Tian energy. Ordinary people won’t easily discern your origins.”
Without further ado, Qi Zhengyan directly exchanged for an unremarkable, chaos-like crystal, along with the main formula and the first five forms of the Hun Tian Evil Sword, totaling 5,500 Virtue Points, leaving him with 280 remaining.
“I also plan to complete the external manifestation techniques I previously exchanged, to avoid having only one or two isolated moves that don’t form a cohesive whole,” Zhao Heng said, having already planned his course of action based on Jiang Zhiwei’s example.
During the Aperture-opening stage, a single external manifestation move was a lethal technique, a trump card. However, upon reaching the External Manifestation stage, merely possessing one or two relatively weak external manifestation techniques was inadequate. They were too isolated, lacking support and coordination, making them easy for enemies to counter. Of course, if Zhao Heng had sword skills on par with Jiang Zhiwei’s, he could integrate these isolated external manifestation moves into his own swordplay system, effortlessly combining them with different sword techniques at the right moment, seamlessly merging them into a cohesive whole.
—Before reaching the external manifestation stage, Meng Qi’s sword and saber techniques, gained through extraordinary encounters and guidance, had nearly caught up with Jiang Zhiwei’s. However, after breaking through, Jiang Zhiwei gained insights from studying the “Tai Shang Sword Sutra,” pulling ahead of Meng Qi once again. Nevertheless, Meng Qi focused on the “Ba Jiu Divine Skill” and the “Primordial Golden Chapter,” and his actual combat power might still slightly surpass Jiang Zhiwei’s, with a more terrifying burst of power in a short time.
“Completing the Emperor Sword Technique?” Meng Qi asked casually, careful not to add “or the ones you previously exchanged.”
Zhao Heng had never spoken much about the techniques he had exchanged for in the past, so Meng Qi did not press him for details.
“Yes, it suits me very well,” Zhao Heng replied. He spent 4,800 Virtue Points to complete the second through seventh forms of the Emperor Sword Technique, each representing a distinct nature of the True Dragon Sword, leaving only the Dharmakaya-level eighth and ninth forms unexchanged.
Immediately afterward, he exchanged for an item to aid in cultivating the “Imperial Seal,” worth 1,500 Virtue Points, to accelerate the refinement of his acupoints and break through to the Second Heaven as soon as possible.
Everyone had their own plans, while only Ruan Yushu spoke little, quietly observing.
“Yushu, what do you plan to exchange for?” Meng Qi asked with concern.
Ruan Yushu pursed her lips slightly: “Within a few months, I will break through to the external manifestation stage. Reviewing more musical scores would only confuse my mind. I have already selected some rare treasures for cultivation and am not lacking temporarily. My Phoenix Resting Zither is already a treasure weapon…”
She seemed somewhat troubled, as there was nothing she particularly wanted to exchange for.
As Meng Qi was about to think further, he heard Ruan Yushu continue: “Therefore, I plan to exchange for a technique to enhance the range of my zither sounds.”
“You’ve already decided and still said all that beforehand…” Meng Qi’s lips twitched slightly, his expression slightly embarrassed, then puzzled: “Enhance the range of the sound?”
“My current zither sounds can affect opponents within one or two miles, but beyond that, they are ineffective. After learning this external manifestation-level technique, I will be able to influence enemies within four or five miles,” Ruan Yushu explained.
“So powerful?” Meng Qi and Zhao Heng were both astonished.
Zither sounds were naturally long-range attacks. With this technique, it would become even more exaggerated. Perhaps in the future, people would hear the sound but rarely see her!
Ruan Yushu nodded solemnly: “Exactly that powerful.”
As she spoke, she flipped through the exchange list in her hand for everyone to see. This technique was called the “Thousand-Mile Killing Sound,” a rare one indeed, worth 6,000 Virtue Points!
Upon hearing Ruan Yushu’s response, Meng Qi and the others were momentarily speechless, only able to urge her to exchange for it quickly.
After finishing all this, the group paid the previously extracted 400 Virtue Points to the Six Dao, exchanging for intelligence on the next mission.
This time, the Six Paths Reincarnation was fair and impartial, its voice calm and distant: “Journey to the West mission: On the Five-Finger Mountain, a fragment of Heaven will appear. Prevent the demon race from obtaining its core. Success will reward 3,500 Virtue Points, while failure will result in the corresponding deduction.”
“Commencement time: One year from now.”
Journey to the West! Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei exchanged glances, recalling unpleasant memories—Zhang Yuanshan, Fu Zhenzhen, and Luo Shengyi…
After a while, Meng Qi exhaled and said: “The dangers of the Journey to the West go without saying. This time, it also involves a fragment of Heaven. We all need to prepare well within this year.”
Who knows which familiar demon we will encounter this time, what familiar things we will obtain, or whether we will have another chance to enter Ling Mountain…
Jiang Zhiwei and the others silently nodded, their mood for idle chatter gone, intending to return.
At this moment, Meng Qi suddenly remembered something and said: “The general outline of the ‘ palm of the Tathagata’ is currently at Lanke Temple. I can bring people to experience it. Do you want to go?”
Qi Zhengyan shook his head: “Buddhist techniques are of no use to me.”
He refused decisively, without the slightest hesitation, a stark contrast to the Qi Zhengyan of the past who had even considered exchanging for hand techniques he wasn’t skilled in just to survive, showing a fundamental transformation.
“That’s true. Combining the Hun Tian technique with the Huanhua method is already enough to keep you occupied, let alone focusing on breaking through,” Meng Qi nodded lightly in agreement. Suddenly, a mischievous grin flashed across his face: “Senior Brother Qi, I wonder what Dharma Form you will manifest. Will it be Nuwa’s True Body?”
Qi Zhengyan’s temple twitched slightly as he forcibly turned his head away.
“Alright, once I’ve studied and mastered my current sword techniques, you can take me to experience it,” Jiang Zhiwei said, not minding Buddhist techniques at all, her expression relaxed and composed.
As long as it was related to sword techniques, she wanted to take a look, for it might inspire deeper insights into sword principles, allowing her to create her own external manifestation sword techniques.
“I’ll focus on breaking through first before listening to the Buddhist sounds,” Ruan Yushu also held a similar attitude, embracing inclusiveness and open-mindedness, treating all techniques and zither sounds without discrimination.
Zhao Heng frowned for a moment: “Buddhism greatly contradicts my path, and I can’t extricate myself, so I’ll pass.”
That’s because you don’t know about the Crown Prince “Buddha Emperor” incident… Meng Qi muttered to himself. However, such cases were exceptions, and Zhao Heng’s concerns were quite reasonable. Since he didn’t want to see it, Meng Qi didn’t insist.
After chatting for a bit, they each returned. As Meng Qi looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside, a slight worry crept back into his heart:
“How will I resolve the karma of the Nine Heavens Thunder God…”
Recently, he had already begun to sense this karma growing increasingly heavy, starting to affect him personally!
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