64: Chapter 64 Golden Entry: Sword Heart Clarity

That pearly white spiritual light pierced through the dissipating sinister aura, striking Li Cheng's glabella with the precision of lightning.

Li Cheng's body stiffened abruptly, and the sinister Spiritual Qi surging wildly around him instantly dissipated. His right hand, tightly gripping the ghost banner, hung limply. The ferocity and unwillingness on his face were gradually replaced by dead silence. His eyes lost all their luster, and a tiny pearly white mark at his glabella slowly faded away.

With just a single move, Li Cheng was thoroughly insta-killed. His body collapsed softly, his aura vanished instantly, and even his Divine Soul was completely annihilated by the pearly white spiritual light, leaving not a trace behind.

The entire Mission Hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

All the Disciples widened their eyes, holding their breath. Their faces were full of incredulous astonishment, their gazes fixed tightly on Fairy Qingling, while monstrous waves surged in their hearts.

They had long known that Fairy Qingling was a Golden Core powerhouse.

But they had never seen Fairy Qingling make a move.

Yet now, Fairy Qingling had simply raised her hand and slain the evil cultivator Li Cheng.

Fairy Qingling ignored the crowd's gazes, her eyes falling upon the ghost banner that had dropped beside Li Cheng.

With a gentle beckon of her jade hand, without using any powerful Spiritual Qi, the pitch-black ghost banner seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, landing in her hand.

Fairy Qingling grasped the ghost banner lightly and gave it a gentle wave. A streak of pearly white spiritual light was injected into the ghost banner, and the lingering sinister aura upon it was instantly and thoroughly purified.

After finishing all this, Fairy Qingling turned slowly, her gaze falling upon Hu Nan, who stood bowed to the side.

At this moment, Hu Nan's expression remained calm, neither humble nor pushy, showing no signs of panic from the intense battle just now.

A trace of imperceptible approval flashed in Fairy Qingling's cold, clear eyes as she said: "You have done well. If you had not uncovered Li Cheng's background and reported his whereabouts, allowing him to hide within the Sect and commit evil, surely more Disciples would have suffered."

As her voice fell, Fairy Qingling waved her jade hand again, and a yellowed Secret Manual and a bulging cloth bag slowly landed in front of Hu Nan.

On the cover of the Secret Manual, the four ancient characters "Gale Sword Technique" were written, and the cloth bag contained ten crystal-clear Spirit Stones, rich in Spiritual Qi and faintly emitting a soft light.

"This 'Gale Sword Technique', along with these ten Spirit Stones, is your reward." Fairy Qingling's tone remained flat: "Cultivate well, and if there is an opportunity in the future, you may render further service to our Sect."

Hu Nan quickly bowed in salute: "Thank you for the reward, Fairy."

Fairy Qingling nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the Disciples and deacons in the hall, and she ordered in a cold tone: "Li Cheng is dead, so this matter ends here. Deacons, attend to your duties and pacify the Disciples in the hall."

"Yes, we will strictly follow the Fairy's instructions!" The deacons on the high platform bowed to accept the order, their tones respectful.

Fairy Qingling said no more and, taking Jiang Lijuan with her, walked out of the Mission Hall.

… The days of Cultivation passed very quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the new year arrived.

In the small courtyard, Qin Changsheng was dressed in blue martial attire, surrounded by swirling Spiritual Qi. With his eyes closed, he sat cross-legged on a bluestone in the courtyard. His aura was steady and concentrated, having undergone earth-shaking changes compared to a few months ago.

Since slaying the evil cultivator Li Cheng and receiving Fairy Qingling's reward, he had been cultivating in seclusion, never stepping a foot outside the small courtyard, pouring all his energy into improving his Cultivation and practicing sword techniques.

[Name: Qin Changsheng]

[Lifespan: 25 / +∞]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 7 (5800 / 7000)]

[Cultivation Technique: Qi Gathering Art (Perfection)]

[Spell: Fireball Technique (Major Achievement 1921 / 5000)]

[Gale Sword Technique: Major Achievement 15 / 5000]

[Smoke Shadow Evasive Footwork: Perfection]

[Fireball Talisman Crafting: 1991 / 3000 Major Achievement]

[Qi Gathering Pill Refining: 125 / 2000 Minor Achievement]

[Spiritual Root: High Grade Five-Element Spiritual Root]

[traits: Cultivation, Storage Space, External Incarnation, Immortality, Substitute Death, Breath Concealment, Exchange]

[trait Draw Count: 1]

After several months of Cultivation, Qin Changsheng had raised his proficiency to 5,800.

He only needed about two more months of Cultivation to reach Qi Refining Stage 8.

However, the most impressive was the Gale Sword Technique.

After several months of bitter Cultivation, he had brought the Gale Sword Technique to Major Achievement.

Qin Changsheng slowly stood up, and with a movement of his body, a green steel sword appeared in his hand. The blade was bright, emitting a faint cold light; it was the sword he used for daily practice.

Qin Changsheng swayed his body, and his figure instantly became blurred, leaving behind only streaks of green afterimages.

Sword shadows flew, the wind whistled, and the green steel sword in his hand seemed to have a life of its own. Every move and every stance was fluid and natural, without the slightest hesitation or awkwardness.

As the sword moves were swung, sharp Sword Qi burst forth like a gale and a rainstorm, sweeping through the entire courtyard. The weeds in the courtyard were instantly severed by the Sword Qi, rubble was shattered into powder, and deep and shallow sword marks were left on the ground, exuding a bone-chilling cold.

Unlike the awkwardness from a few months ago, Qin Changsheng had now practiced the "Gale Sword Technique" to the realm of Major Achievement.

His figure was as light as a swallow, his sword moves as fast as lightning, and every strike was precise and sharp. He could both unleash the extreme Speed advantage of the sword technique and balance it with power within the sharp Sword Qi.

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Changsheng abruptly sheathed his sword, landing steadily.

After sheathing the sword, Qin Changsheng's gaze turned to his attribute panel.

It was now a new year, and Qin Changsheng could once again draw a new trait.

If he could obtain a powerful trait, he would be able to win the Outer Sect competition with ease.

Qin Changsheng took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let his mind slowly sink into his Sea of Consciousness.

[Ding, drawing a new trait!]

A moment later, a brilliant golden spiritual light suddenly erupted, illuminating the entire Sea of Consciousness. A trait that was entirely gilded and engraved with ancient sword patterns slowly emerged, surrounded by a faint Sword Qi. Compared to his original traits, the aura of this new trait was even sharper and purer!

On the trait, a line of ancient characters slowly appeared: [Sword Heart Clarity]

[Sword Heart Clarity: Golden Trait, 1. Sword Technique: Sword technique Cultivation Speed increased by three times,]

[2. Power: Sword technique power increased by three times]

[3. Sword Qi: When unleashing sword techniques, there is a probability of releasing Sword Qi]

[4. Mana: When unleashing sword techniques, mana consumption is reduced by 50%]

[5. Golden Trait Sword Heart Clarity: Effects synchronized to all External Incarnations]

Looking at all the effects on the Golden Trait, Qin Changsheng's mind was shaken.

This [Sword Heart Clarity] trait was simply tailor-made for him. Every effect precisely hit his current weaknesses, especially the "synchronized to all External Incarnations" part, which exceeded his expectations.

At the same time, an unprecedented insight into the Dao of the sword instantly flooded into his mind.

He did not hesitate any longer, stood up slowly, and with a movement of his body, began to execute the "Gale Sword Technique".

The sword moves that had already reached Major Achievement in the past now felt completely different when executed.

The flow of Spiritual Qi, which previously required deliberate control, now became natural and seamless. The sense of stagnation in sword technique practice completely disappeared, and the connection between every move and stance was smoother than ever before. The Speed was visibly increased, far exceeding three times the Speed of the past.

Amidst the flying sword shadows, the sharp Sword Qi was no longer unleashed inadvertently but could be autonomously controlled and released at will by him.

Qin Changsheng flicked his wrist slightly and swung the green steel sword gently. A condensed golden Sword Qi suddenly erupted, carrying the sound of breaking through the air, and precisely struck the stone in the courtyard. With a "crack" sound, the stone was instantly severed by the Sword Qi. The cut was smooth and even, far more powerful than when he had executed the sword technique in the past. Clearly, the power boost brought by the trait had already taken effect.

What surprised him even more was that the mana consumption during the execution of the sword technique had indeed been reduced by 50%. In the past, executing the "Gale Sword Technique" at full strength for a quarter of an hour would consume nearly half of his mana, but now, he had executed it continuously for half an hour, his aura remained steady, and his mana consumption was less than 20%. The Spiritual Qi around him remained abundant, and without the need for deliberate adjustment, he could continue to maintain high-intensity sword technique execution.

"Great! This [Sword Heart Clarity] trait truly lives up to its reputation!" Qin Changsheng was overjoyed and sheathed his sword, standing still.

Originally, Qin Changsheng did not have much confidence in winning the Outer Sect competition. But with the Golden Trait Sword Heart Clarity, Qin Changsheng now had 70% confidence.

At the same time, Qin Changsheng also discovered that a panel for his Incarnation had appeared beside his own panel.

[External Incarnation: Hu Nan]

[trait Buff: Golden Trait Sword Heart Clarity]

[Status: Blood Demon Blood Curse]

Seeing the status below the External Incarnation Hu Nan, Qin Changsheng was somewhat surprised.

Qin Changsheng knew this Blood Curse very well. It was a secret technique of the Blood Demon Sect. It could significantly reduce the lifespan of the target. Qin Changsheng had also been targeted by the Blood Demon Sect's Spell several times. However, Qin Changsheng possessed the Golden Trait Immortality. This Blood Curse from the Blood Demon Sect had absolutely no effect on Qin Changsheng.

But soon, Qin Changsheng understood why the Blood Demon Sect did this. After all, Hu Nan's Cultivation progress was truly too fast. It would surely attract the attention of the Blood Demon Sect. The Blood Demon Sect feared that Hu Nan would disrupt their plans, so they decided to use the Blood Demon Blood Curse on Hu Nan. However, this time the Blood Demon Sect would fail again. After all, Hu Nan was just an External Incarnation and had no lifespan whatsoever. This Blood Demon Blood Curse was completely useless against him. The person from the Blood Demon Sect who released the Blood Curse would likely suffer a backlash and die.

Immediately after, Qin Changsheng withdrew his gaze and began planning for this year.

The primary task was to collect enough Spiritual Plants to refine Qi Gathering Pills, or to find a Cultivation Technique that increases Cultivation by consuming lifespan. He was now at the Late Stage of Qi Refining Stage 7, and to win the Outer Sect competition, he must Cultivate to at least Qi Refining Stage 9. Qi Gathering Pills could quickly replenish Spiritual Qi, stabilize Cultivation, and help him break through Bottlenecks, avoiding missed opportunities for Breakthroughs due to insufficient Spiritual Qi. Since Qin Changsheng possessed the Golden Trait Immortality, Cultivation Techniques that consume lifespan to increase Cultivation were the most suitable for him.

Secondly, he must find a long sword Magical Artifact of Yellow Grade High Grade or above. Now that he had the [Sword Heart Clarity] trait buff and his sword technique had reached Major Achievement, he was still using an ordinary green steel sword. Ordinary ironware simply could not fully bear his condensed Sword Qi, nor could it fully unleash the power of his sword technique; it might even be damaged during high-intensity execution. A suitable long sword Magical Artifact was now the key to improving his combat power.

[Magical Artifacts are divided into four Ranks: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. Each Rank is further divided into High Grade, Medium Grade, and Low Grade, with Low Grade being the lowest and High Grade being the highest.]