206: The Azure Origin Sword Technique and Investment in the Mahayana Stage

At the bottom of the River Styx, Qing Yuan Palace.

There was none of the eerie ghostly Qi of the outside world; instead, it was a paradise of singing birds and fragrant flowers. Emerald bamboo groves swayed with the wind, clear streams gurgled, and a faint scent of sandalwood filled the air.

When Zhou Wannian (Han Li) woke up, he found himself lying on a warm and smooth green jade bed.

"Warning. Host restart successful. System self-check in progress..."

"Environment scan failed. Energy level: Unknown. Threat level: Extremely lethal."

"Suggestion: Stay still, don't court death."

Tie Zhu's usually cold electronic voice, which now carried a hint of "following one's heart," echoed in his mind.

Zhou Wannian's heart jolted, and he became instantly alert. He sat up abruptly, his Divine Sense instinctively sweeping the surroundings.

"Awake?"

An aged yet gentle voice came from deep within the bamboo forest.

Zhou Wannian looked toward the source of the sound.

Beside a winding stream, an old man wearing an azure scholar's robe, with a withered face but three strands of long beard, sat cross-legged on a green rock. A chessboard was set before him; he held black in his left hand and white in his right, playing against himself.

There was not a trace of Spiritual Pressure on him, making him look just like a mundane schoolteacher.

But at that moment, the Yuan Ci Five Elements Mountain and Evil-Warding Divine Thunder within Zhou Wannian's body went completely silent, as if they had encountered their Dominator and dared not make the slightest move.

Returning to simplicity, the Mahayana realm.

"Junior Li Feiyu thanks Senior for saving my life."

Zhou Wannian took a deep breath, stepped off the jade bed, and bowed respectfully. In the face of absolute power, maintaining politeness was the first Law of survival.

"Li Feiyu?"

The old man placed a piece, looked up with a half-smile, and a sharp glint flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

"A nice name, but the Cultivation Technique you practice is the 'Qing Yuan Sword Art' that I casually tossed into the Lower Realm back then."

"Since you have practiced my sword art, you can be considered half a Named Disciple of mine."

"Do you still want to use a fake name?"

Zhou Wannian's heart shook.

As expected, it was that legendary number one Mahayana of the Human Race—Qing Yuanzi!

"Cough, cough." Zhou Wannian rubbed his nose awkwardly and reverted to his real name, "Junior Han Li greets Senior Qing Yuanzi."

"Han Li..."

Qing Yuanzi put down the chess piece and looked Han Li up and down.

"Not bad, truly not bad."

"Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, yet possessing a Physical Body comparable to the Void Refining Stage, with two heaven-reaching spirit treasures hidden inside, and even a long-extinct Xing Beast."

"What surprises me even more is..."

Qing Yuanzi pointed at Zhou Wannian's Dantian.

"You actually used an incomplete technique like the 'Qing Yuan Sword Art' to Cultivate the 'Great Geng Sword Formation'."

"Do you know why I didn't leave the latter half of the sword art in the Human Realm back then?"

"Why?" Zhou Wannian asked.

"Because it's too expensive," Qing Yuanzi sighed. "Just the 'geng essence' required for those seventy-two Flying Swords is something even the great clans of the Spirit Realm might not be able to gather. Back then, I thought the Lower Realm was a backwater where no one could possibly Revered Master it, so I didn't leave the rest."

"I didn't expect..."

Qing Yuanzi looked at Zhou Wannian with a strange expression.

"You kid are quite the tycoon."

Zhou Wannian's mouth twitched.

Could he say that all this geng essence was obtained through swindling... oh no, through his own hard work in the Human Realm?

"Senior overpraises me; Junior was just lucky."

"Luck is also a form of strength."

Qing Yuanzi waved his large sleeve.

Swish!

A green Jade Slip flew into Zhou Wannian's hand.

"Since there is fate between us, I shall grant you a stroke of fortune."

"This is the Complete Manual of the 'Qing Yuan Sword Art', leading straight to the Mahayana stage."

"It contains the 'New Qing Yuan Sword Art', the 'Chun Li Sword Formation' (an advanced version of the Great Geng Sword Formation), and the arrangement methods for the 'Pan Long Sword Formation'."

Zhou Wannian gripped the Jade Slip, his heart filled with wild joy.

"This is the core Legacy of the Mahayana stage! With this, his attack power would no longer have an upper limit!"

"Thank you, Revered Master!" Zhou Wannian immediately changed his address; he had to cling tightly to this powerful support.

"Don't be so quick to call me Revered Master."

Qing Yuanzi waved his hand, his expression becoming serious.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

"I am giving you the technique and saving your life because I have something I need you to do."

"Please speak, Senior."

"Every thousand years, I face a Great Heavenly Tribulation. Although I have some means, the next tribulation's power will double. I need some special Materials to set up a defensive grand formation."

Qing Yuanzi pointed upward.

"Since you could sneak into the Earth Abyss, it shows you have your ways."

"I want you to collect all the Materials on the list within three hundred years and send them back here."

"As a reward..."

With a flick of his wrist, a jade bottle filled with milky-white liquid flew toward Zhou Wannian.

"This is 'Styx Divine Milk'."

"The stuff those four little demons (the Four Great Demon Kings) outside are fighting tooth and nail for."

"This one bottle is enough to cleanse your marrow and refine your bones, purifying your magic power tenfold. It will not only instantly complete the conversion of Spirit Realm spiritual power but also help you directly break through the Soul Transformation Stage Bottleneck!"

Zhou Wannian caught the jade bottle, and as he felt the surging life energy within, his breathing quickened.

Is this the generosity of a Mahayana stage expert?

A single move and it's top-tier divine gear plus a max-level experience pack!

"I accept this deal!" Zhou Wannian said decisively.

"Very good."

Qing Yuanzi nodded with satisfaction.

"Those four little demons are still crashing around blindly in the Styx Forbidden Land; they can't enter here."

"You can leave the Earth Abyss directly and return to the surface through my private teleportation formation."

"However..."

Qing Yuanzi suddenly remembered something and looked at Zhou Wannian.

"Those seventy-two Flying Swords of yours are refined from 'Golden Thunder Bamboo', right?"

"Exactly."

"The material is good, but the refining technique is too crude."

Qing Yuanzi shook his head with some disdain.

"It's simply a waste of a heavenly treasure."

"Leave the swords for a day. I'm idle anyway, so I'll help you re-refine them."

"I'll add some 'Taiyi Thunder Crystal' and 'Heavenly River Sand' so you don't embarrass me when you take them out in the future."

Zhou Wannian was stunned.

A Mahayana stage big shot is personally helping me refine artifacts?

This service... is just too good!

"Thank you, Revered Master! May Revered Master live as long as the heavens!"

Without a word, Zhou Wannian released seventy-two green bamboo bee cloud swords with a whistle, respectfully placing them before Qing Yuanzi... A day later.

Zhou Wannian stood before an ancient teleportation formation in the Qing Yuan Palace.

At this moment, his aura had undergone an earth-shaking change.

After consuming the Styx Divine Milk, he had not only completely adapted to the Laws of the Spirit Realm, but his cultivation had naturally broken through to the Early Soul Transformation Stage!

This was a genuine Soul Transformation, not the previous disguise.

And his seventy-two Flying Swords, after being refined by Qing Yuanzi, had each shrunk by thirty percent, but the sword bodies were even more crystal clear, with golden thunder dragons faintly moving on the surface.

[green bamboo bee cloud sword · Mahayana Enhanced Version].

Their power had increased at least fivefold!

"Go on."

Qing Yuanzi waved his hand as if shooing a fly.

"In three hundred years, don't forget my Materials."

"Junior will certainly not fail you!"

Zhou Wannian bowed deeply and stepped into the teleportation formation.

Buzz—

A flash of white light, and the figure disappeared.

Qing Yuanzi looked at the empty teleportation formation, picked up a chess piece again, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"The Human Race... finally has another interesting little fellow."

"I hope you can live until then."

...Fei Ling Clan, Tian Peng Clan Holy Land.

The Saint trial had ended. The Saints and Saintesses of the other clans had already returned, and news about "a fierce man who slaughtered demon kings appearing in the Earth Abyss" was spreading wildly among the seventy-two branches of the Fei Ling Clan.

Inside the Tian Peng Clan hall.

The Grand Elder was pacing anxiously. Although Lei Lan had returned and brought back the Legacy, that "Li Feiyu" had gone missing.

"It's over, it's over! If Young Master Li doesn't return, who will represent us in the final 'Holy Lord's Judgment'?"

Just then.

"Boom!"

The Restriction above the hall was suddenly broken, leaving a large hole.

A blue-gold sword rainbow fell like a meteorite from beyond the heavens, stabbing heavily into the center of the hall.

The Sword Qi dissipated.

Zhou Wannian, with wings on his back and emitting a suffocating Soul Transformation Stage Spiritual Pressure, walked out proudly.

"Grand Elder, what's the rush?"

Zhou Wannian patted the dust off himself (actually the residue from the teleportation).

"I just got lost down there and happened to..."

"...have a cup of tea with that Senior Qing Yuanzi."

"By the way..."

An extra Storage Pouch appeared in Zhou Wannian's hand, and he tossed it to the Grand Elder.

"Here are the 'Styx Crystals' and 'Yin Condensing Grass' you wanted... oh, and a few demon king teeth."

"Is this enough to complete the task?"

The entire place was deathly silent.

The Grand Elder tremblingly opened the Storage Pouch, took a look, and nearly fainted.

The things inside... were enough to buy half of the Tian Peng Clan!

"Enough! More than enough!"

"Young Master Li! You are the savior of my Tian Peng Clan!"

Zhou Wannian smiled slightly, his gaze crossing the crowd to look at the distant horizon.

"Since it's enough, then get ready."

"I'm going to participate in that 'Holy Lord's Judgment' or whatever it's called."

"And then..."

"I'm going to borrow your Fei Ling Clan's super teleportation formation to go to the Land of Three Sovereigns and Seven Demons of the Human Race."

"That is my true stage."