The divine ability achieved upon mastering the final three layers of the sword art is called the “Sword Shadow Light-Splitting Technique.” The prerequisite for cultivating this technique is possessing a flying sword-type magical treasure, though a flying dagger would also suffice.
Once mastered, this technique allows the user to conjure an illusionary sword shadow identical to the flying sword by harnessing its sword light during combat. This shadow can confuse enemies’ vision and attack alongside the original sword. Initially, the sword shadow only possesses one-tenth of the original sword’s power, but its strength increases as the sword art’s layers advance. By the ninth layer, it reaches one-third of the original sword’s power.
Moreover, during cultivation, more than one sword shadow can be conjured. Starting from the seventh layer, an additional sword shadow can be refined with each subsequent layer. Thus, when the Qingyuan Sword Art is perfected, three sword shadows identical in appearance to the flying sword but with one-third of its power can be summoned simultaneously.
At first glance, this “Sword Light Shadow-Splitting Technique” seems quite impressive and worth cultivating.
However, Han Li had already learned that none of the many Foundation Establishment cultivators in Yellow Maple Valley had truly delved deeply into this technique. There had to be significant hidden drawbacks! He deeply regretted not investigating the reasons earlier, assuming he would never practice the Qingyuan Sword Art and thus carelessly overlooking the details.
Now, even though Han Li knew this technique was problematic, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and practice it, hoping it wouldn’t lead to dire consequences like Qi deviation.
Still, he consoled himself with the thought that others, though not mastering it deeply, had practiced up to two or three layers without issue. Perhaps practicing it slightly wouldn’t be too harmful.
With this self-reassurance, Han Li reluctantly followed the Qingyuan Sword Art’s method to absorb the impending medicinal energy within his body.
After just one cycle of circulating the technique, he felt a sudden surge—the sensation of absorbing the medicinal power and drastically increasing his magic power was so exhilarating he nearly cried out.
Immersed in this euphoria, Han Li continued cycling the technique repeatedly, his consciousness gradually drifting away.
He had no idea how long he meditated, but when he finally absorbed the last trace of medicinal power, he awoke from this wondrous experience.
Upon regaining clarity, Han Li was momentarily dazed before abruptly standing up. He narrowed his eyes, tilted his head in thought, and suddenly raised his arm, gesturing in front of himself. Instantly, a foot-long, faint blue sword beam shot from his finger, emanating a chilling, razor-sharp aura.
Instead of delight, Han Li wore a bitter smile at the sight of this cold light. With a sudden flick of his arm, the blue light surged dramatically, extending to over ten feet—almost piercing the stone wall opposite him.
“This is bad! I didn’t expect the residual medicinal power to be so strong. It actually pushed the sword art to the fourth layer. I wonder if this will cause problems!” Han Li muttered, his expression shifting uneasily.
“Whatever! At most, I’ll just stop practicing this sword art from now on!” he murmured, lowering his arm as the blue sword beam vanished.
Yet, curiosity got the better of him. He picked up the “Qingyuan Sword Art” manual and flipped to the section about the Body Protection Sword Shield, memorizing it after a few reads.
After a moment of contemplation, Han Li closed his eyes, then suddenly snapped them open. A peculiar shield appeared around his body.
The shield was entirely blue, similar in size to a typical defensive barrier, but its surface wasn’t smooth. Instead, it was covered in thorny, hedgehog-like spikes, exuding a faint, sinister aura.
“Is this the Body Protection Sword Shield?” Han Li examined the spiked shield in surprise.
“The sword art says this shield can automatically release sword beams to counterattack enemies. Too bad I can’t test it now!” he thought with some regret.
After moving his limbs and thoroughly inspecting his internal true energy without finding any issues, Han Li felt relieved. He gathered his belongings and left the Earthfire Room, only to immediately run into the ugly-faced man.
Recalling the man’s stunned expression upon seeing him, Han Li couldn’t help but smile to himself mid-flight.
By then, dawn had just broken. Han Li returned to Hundred Herbs Garden without encountering anyone.
Earlier, he had excused himself to find a place to undergo closed-door cultivation for Foundation Establishment, so he had returned the garden to the old man, who was visibly displeased and gave him quite the glare.
When Han Li entered the garden, the old man was meditating in front of his hut, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Without even opening his eyes, he accurately called out Han Li’s name—unsurprising, since aside from the old man, only Han Li could freely enter and exit the garden’s restrictions.
However, the moment “Uncle Ma” spoke Han Li’s name, he sensed something and abruptly opened his eyes, staring at Han Li in disbelief.
“You actually succeeded in Foundation Establishment?”
“Uncle Ma, I was fortunate enough to reach Foundation Establishment,” Han Li said with a slight bow and a light smile.
Though stunned for a moment, the old man soon regained his composure but kept muttering, “Incredible! You actually made it to Foundation Establishment!”
After a few more murmurs, his expression turned serious. “Since you’re now a Foundation Establishment cultivator, drop the ‘Uncle’ title. From now on, we’ll address each other as fellow disciples. I’m slightly older, so if you don’t mind, you can call me Senior Brother Ma.”
Han Li nodded with a smile and did not object. In the world of cultivation, seniority was determined by one’s level of cultivation, and there was no need for false modesty.
The old man—now Senior Brother Ma—invited Han Li into his hut. They sat at a table, and Ma brewed a pot of fine tea.
Soon after sitting down, Senior Brother Ma eagerly asked about Han Li’s Foundation Establishment process.
Naturally, Han Li didn’t reveal the whole truth, but he honestly mentioned using the Earthfire Room for cultivation, as any investigation would easily uncover this. He simply said he had rented a room at Yue Lu Palace’s Earthfire Room, taken the Foundation Establishment Pill awarded by his sect, and secluded himself for nearly a year before somehow succeeding.
Senior Brother Ma listened intently, marveling at the story.
After hearing Han Li’s altered version, he blinked and said, “Junior Brother Han, from what you’ve said, your process wasn’t much different from others. For someone with your aptitude to succeed, I’d say you hit the jackpot—even a one percent chance worked in your favor!” Having known Han Li for years, Senior Brother Ma spoke bluntly, not hiding his envy and even showing a hint of jealousy.
“Haha! I guess I was just lucky. I never expected it to be this easy to reach Foundation Establishment,” Han Li replied cheerfully.
“Still, now that you’ve succeeded, you should report to the sect leader so he can register your name. That way, you’ll be treated as a high-level disciple and receive a generous annual spirit stone stipend,” Senior Brother Ma said half-jokingly.
“Thank you for the advice, Senior Brother,” Han Li said sincerely.
“It’s nothing. After all these years together, I’ll do my best to guide you where needed,” Senior Brother Ma waved dismissively.
“Actually, the biggest benefit after Foundation Establishment is that the sect allows disciples to open their own cave dwellings anywhere in Tai Yue Mountain for solitary cultivation. Additionally…”
Senior Brother Ma went on to explain many things Han Li should know and be cautious about after reaching Foundation Establishment, and Han Li listened attentively.
After covering these points and chatting a bit more, Han Li couldn’t resist asking about the “Qingyuan Sword Art.”
“Qingyuan Sword Art!” Senior Brother Ma’s face showed surprise.
After giving Han Li a deep look, he didn’t press for details but pondered and said, “I’ve heard some things about the Qingyuan Sword Art and have practiced up to the third layer myself. This sword art isn’t originally from our Yellow Maple Valley. It was the signature technique of a sect called Profound Sword Sect, which our sect destroyed many years ago. Originally, it had thirteen layers, not nine. Rumor has it that as the Profound Sword Sect faced annihilation, its leader tried to destroy the manual on the spot. But our sect’s elders acted quickly and managed to salvage half of it—the other half was lost. So, the version we have now is incomplete! At most, it can be cultivated up to the Core Formation stage, with no further techniques beyond that. The complete version supposedly even included techniques for the Nascent Soul stage, but who knows if that’s true?”
Senior Brother Ma shook his head, took a sip of tea, and continued, “Despite lacking subsequent techniques, the Qingyuan Sword Art is still quite powerful compared to other top-tier techniques. Its instant-cast sword beams and Body Protection Sword Shield are particularly popular among Foundation Establishment disciples. If it were easier to cultivate, many in our sect would adopt it as their main technique. After all, Nascent Soul stage techniques are too distant for most of us to ever use.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage