18: The techniques also differ, one being the foundation and the other the sharpest weapon!

Inside the Hall of Inheriting Skills, the brilliance of the Jade Wall faded, returning to its tranquil, ancient state.

Chu Xuanjin's words, "crashed against the window," fell lightly, yet they caused Wang Duojin to shudder violently.

He dared not ask further, merely gazing at his Revered Master's calm and composed back, his awe deepening in his heart.

To dismiss an act of espionage capable of annihilating an ordinary Sect as nothing more than a fly hitting a window—what immense power and grandeur was this?

"Enough."

Chu Xuanjin turned around, his gaze sweeping slowly over the three Disciples.

"Within the Jade Wall, how did it feel?"

Wang Duojin was the first to speak, patting his chest with lingering fear.

"Revered Master, that place was too wicked! This Disciple felt as if his Divine Soul had been crushed hundreds of times! However..."

He chuckled, a look of pride appearing on his face.

"In the end, this Disciple still managed to calculate the path of survival and break that Starry Killing Formation!"

Su Linger also said softly, "This Disciple also gained some insight, understanding what Revered Master meant by 'vitality'."

Chu Xuanjin's gaze finally fell upon Ye Chenfeng.

"Chenfeng, what about you?"

Ye Chenfeng stepped forward, bowing respectfully, his expression serious.

"Replying to Revered Master, in the Jade Wall, this Disciple beheaded his Heart Demon Incarnation and gained insights into the sword Dao."

He paused, lifting his head, though a trace of confusion lingered in his eyes.

"But this Disciple also discovered something."

"Speak."

"This Disciple possesses a supreme Cultivation Technique but is like a three-year-old child wielding a ten-thousand-pound hammer," Ye Chenfeng's voice was steady and clear.

"This Disciple can sense the peerless sword moves contained within the Chaos Sword Scripture, yet cannot execute a single one.

During the battle with the Blazing Fire Sect Elder earlier, it looked impressive, but in reality... I was merely crudely channeling spiritual energy into the sword, relying on the tyrannical nature of the Cultivation Technique itself to luckily win."

He tightened his grip on his sword.

"That was not this Disciple's sword; it was the Cultivation Technique's sword.

If I were to encounter a powerful enemy of the same Rank again, this Disciple... would undoubtedly be defeated."

Hearing this, Su Linger nodded vigorously as well.

"This Disciple is the same.

The ice arts in the divine scripture are unfathomably profound, but this Disciple can only condense a few ice petals, unable to even shape an ice thorn, let alone the Divine Abilities within."

Wang Duojin also put away his playful grin and scratched his head.

"Revered Master, me too.

I can calculate the changes in Formations and find the entrance and exit, but if I were to set up a Formation myself, I would be completely blind; I cannot even set up the simplest Spirit Gathering Formation."

After the three finished speaking, they all looked at Chu Xuanjin eagerly, waiting for their Revered Master to resolve their doubts.

A trace of approval appeared on Chu Xuanjin's face.

"Very good.

That you can realize this proves that your Comprehension Ability has not disappointed this Revered Master."

He paced over to the three of them.

"A divine rank Cultivation Technique is the Foundation of your cultivation and the ladder to the heavens for you to attain the Dao and become an Emperor in the future.

It determines how high and how far you can go."

"But it is not the sharp blade in your hands."

"You are currently like people who possess an endless treasure vault but lack the key to open its gate."

Seeing the confused looks in his three Disciples' eyes, he thought for a moment and changed his phrasing.

"Let's put it this way: your accounts, talent, and Bloodline are all top-tier, comparable to an SSR level."

"But your Rank is too low, your equipment slots are empty, and you haven't added a single skill point.

With insufficient level, you naturally cannot play well."

"Acc... ount?"

"SSR?"

"Ran... k?"

The three looked at each other; they understood every word, but when put together, it sounded as profound as some other set of Great Dao truths.

Wang Duojin took out his abacus, subconsciously wanting to divine the meaning of these words, but he found the heavenly secrets to be in a state of Chaos, with no way to calculate them.

The look he gave his Revered Master became increasingly inscrutable.

Chu Xuanjin watched their bewildered expressions and chuckled inwardly.

Sometimes, being too rigid loses the fun.

He coughed lightly, hiding the smile at the corner of his mouth, and resumed his demeanor as an expert.

"In short, what you need are Martial Skills and Divine Abilities that match your current Realm."

Wang Duojin's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Revered Master, then do you... have any in your collection?"

As soon as he said this, Ye Chenfeng and Su Linger also cast expectant gazes.

In their hearts, their Revered Master was omnipotent and capable of anything; surely, producing a few earth-shattering Martial Skills would be a simple matter?

Unexpectedly, Chu Xuanjin was uncharacteristically silent for a moment.

He turned around, facing away from the three, looking up at the clouds drifting outside the Hall of Inheriting Skills, his voice carrying a trace of distant vicissitudes.

"Collection..."

He whispered these two words, as if lost in long-forgotten memories.

"When this Revered Master was young, I was also arrogant about my talent.

With one person and one sword, I traveled across this Azure Cloud Continent.

I had obtained a Legacy in an ancient Secret Realm and beheaded a flood Dragon on the shores of the East Sea... My collection at that time, while not enough to fill this Hall of Inheriting Skills, could be considered quite abundant."

His voice was very soft, yet it made the three Disciples' hearts sway, as if they could see their Revered Master's spirited and peerless demeanor from back then.

Chu Xuanjin's tone shifted, carrying a hint of desolation and loneliness.

"But that one Bottleneck trapped me for a hundred years."

"A hundred years of time, grinding away, my Dao Heart nearly collapsed."

"In order to break through for that sliver of life, any Heaven Rank sword technique, any Earth Rank secret art, any Magic Treasure that could be exchanged for resources... I traded them all for Medicinal Pills, for that one sliver of faint hope."

He turned around slowly, spread his hands, and looked calm.

"Now, other than you few, this Revered Master has nothing left but this empty Divine Mountain Immortal Sect."

Chu Xuanjin thought to himself: "Actually, I just forgot about this, and my pockets really are empty.

The treasures returned by the System are more awesome than the last, but they are bound, so I can't give them away."

The three Disciples looked at their Revered Master's expression, which was calm yet tinged with loneliness, and their hearts were shaken.

They had never imagined that someone as powerful as their Revered Master had also experienced such a struggle and powerlessness in the past.

To exhaust all family wealth for the path of the Dao.

What kind of courage and determination was this!

For a moment, the reverence the three felt for their Revered Master in their hearts rose to a new level.

Ye Chenfeng bowed, his voice resonant and powerful.

"Revered Master, this Disciple does not need Heaven Rank or Earth Rank, as long as I have a sharp blade, that is enough!"

"This Disciple too!" Su Linger and Wang Duojin echoed in unison.

"Good."

Chu Xuanjin looked at them, a gratified smile appearing on his face.

"Heaven Rank and Earth Rank, this Revered Master truly cannot produce at the moment."

He changed the subject.

"But some ordinary little trinkets, I still have."

With a thought, he began to search through his storage ring, which had already been rummaged through countless times.

A moment later, he took out three unremarkable Jade Slips.

One was cyan, one was white, and one was earthy yellow.

The spiritual energy fluctuations flowing on them hovered at most at the Low or Medium Grade of the Profound Rank.

"Chenfeng, your sword Dao is already established.

This is the 'Wind Chasing Sword Art', a Medium Grade Profound Rank technique.

Its strength lies in the word 'fast', which is perfect for you."

"Linger, you are just beginning to learn ice arts.

This is the 'Ice Sealing Technique', a Low Grade Profound Rank technique.

It can condense an ice prison to trap targets; low-Rank Cultivators can be directly frozen into ice blocks."

"Duojin, your study of Formations needs to start from scratch.

This is the 'Elementary Understanding of Formation Dao', a High Grade Yellow Rank technique.

It records the methods for setting up dozens of basic Formations."

He flicked the three Jade Slips toward the three Disciples respectively.

"This..."

The three took the Jade Slips, looking at these "simple" little trinkets compared to the previous divine techniques and Immortal Artifacts, and were momentarily stunned.

Chu Xuanjin watched their expressions and chuckled inwardly, though his face remained serious.

"What? Disdainful?"

"No! We dare not!" The three shuddered in fear and quickly gripped the Jade Slips tightly.

"This Disciple thanks Revered Master for bestowing the techniques!"

"Hmm." Chu Xuanjin nodded with satisfaction.

"Remember, a ten-thousand-foot tower rises from the ground; do not be overly ambitious."

He walked with his hands behind his back to the entrance of the main hall again, looking at the scenery outside the mountain.

"Moreover, this Sect is ultimately too empty."

He paused, his voice becoming distant.

"We cannot always stay on this mountain.

In a few days..."

He almost blurted out "go out to travel and play," but as the words reached his lips, he forcibly turned them around.

"...It is time to go down the mountain and gain experience again."

"True techniques of slaughter are realized between life and death, not read from books."

He turned his head to look at the three thoughtful Disciples.

"All of you return.

First, have this Revered Master's 'little trinkets' thoroughly comprehended."

"Yes, Revered Master!"

The three bowed and withdrew, each holding their "simple" Jade Slip, and returned to their residences.

Inside the Hall of Inheriting Skills, only Chu Xuanjin remained.

The smile at the corner of his mouth could no longer be hidden.

【 Ding! Host has bestowed upon Disciple Ye Chenfeng a Medium Grade Profound Rank sword technique... 】

【 Ding! Host has bestowed upon Disciple Su Linger a Low Grade Profound Rank technique... 】

【 Ding! Host has bestowed upon Disciple Wang Duojin a High Grade Yellow Rank Formation guide... 】

A series of System notification sounds played a symphony of harvest in his mind.