Jinglian saw that the apprentice-acknowledgment ceremony was finished, and she suddenly frowned.
“Your cultivation...”
“A peak fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator, with high-grade Lightning Spiritual Root talent. In any great sect, you would be cherished as a rare treasure, yet you only have this much cultivation?”
“Never mind, stretch out your hand,” Jinglian said.
Shen Qingci did as she was told and stretched out her right hand.
Jinglian placed two fingers on her wrist pulse, and threads of icy sword qi seeped into her meridians. The sword qi circulated once through Shen Qingci's body, from her dantian to her sea of qi, from her Ren meridian to her Du meridian, not even sparing the most obscure collateral meridians.
With every acupuncture point it passed, Jinglian's brow relaxed a bit more.
By the time she withdrew her fingers, the disdain on her face had completely vanished, replaced by a complex expression that was hard to describe.
“Your meridians... who laid the foundation for you?”
“An elder in my clan,” Shen Qingci replied calmly.
“Your Shen family is certainly willing to spare no expense.” A rare look of approval appeared on Jinglian's face. “Your meridians have been widened to more than twice that of others in the same rank, your spiritual energy is condensed, and your dantian is stable. This foundation is more solid than those at the Foundation Establishment stage who piled up their cultivation with pills.”
She paused for a moment, suddenly realizing something, and a look of understanding filled her eyes as she looked at Shen Qingci.
“Did your family intentionally suppress your cultivation?”
These words played right into Shen Qingci's hands.
She had been worrying about how to explain why her peak fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation did not match her high-grade Lightning Spiritual Root talent, and her wonderful master had just handed her a perfect excuse on a silver platter.
She neither admitted nor denied it, merely lowering her head slightly, handling the silence with perfect timing.
“No wonder.” Jinglian leaned back onto the stone bed, her tone becoming much more certain. “I was just wondering how a high-grade Lightning Spiritual Root seed could only be at the fifth level of Qi Refining.”
“So they have been suppressing it all along to prevent you from breaking through. Your family is certainly patient. With a foundation polished this solidly, they probably didn't want you to suffer from any instability in your cultivation.”
She stood up, brushed her sleeves, and spoke in an unquestionable tone: “Now that you are under this master's tutelage, there is no need to suppress it anymore.”
“Your foundation and meridians have been polished very well. Break through when you need to, and do not delay your cultivation progress.”
“Your disciple obeys.”
“Alright, let's move past this.” Jinglian sat back down. With a slight flip of her right hand, a long sword appeared out of thin air in her palm.
The blade was only three fingers wide, completely devoid of any patterns, and even the handguard was of the simplest design. The cold light of the night-luminescent pearls on the ceiling of the cave dwelling fell upon the blade, reflecting a faint green glow.
“Mystic-grade High-rank, Jinglei. I obtained this sword two hundred years ago from the ruined dwelling of an old friend in the Northern Region.”
“The sword core was forged from the heartwood of lightning-struck wood. Heavenly thunder was drawn into the furnace during its tempering, and on the day the sword was completed, it shattered the refining furnace. After my old friend fell, Jinglei lay in the ruined dwelling for five hundred years, yet its spirituality never dissipated. I have never found a new master for it because this sword is highly selective.”
“If one does not possess a Lightning Spiritual Root, they will be burned by electrical arcs the moment they grasp the hilt.”
She held the sword out to Shen Qingci.
Shen Qingci received it with both hands.
The hilt felt slightly cool to the touch, and a numbing current surged up her arm from her palm. It did not hurt; instead, it felt as if the sword were testing her.
The result of the test seemed quite good, as the green glow on the blade brightened a bit more.
“It seems it approves of you.” The corners of Jinglian's lips curved slightly. “A Mystic-grade High-rank sword does not have a complete sword spirit, only a vague spirituality. Once you can fully master it, Jinglei's power will not be inferior to an ordinary Earth-grade Low-rank sword.”
“With your current cultivation, you cannot yet master a sword with a sword spirit. When you form your Nascent Soul in the future, this master will get you an Earth-grade Mid-rank immortal sword.”
Shen Qingci stored the sword into her storage ring and bowed once more. “Qingci thanks Master for your profound favor.”
“Alright, don't be in such a hurry to thank me.” Jinglian leaned back on the stone bed, her tone softening. “There is something I must make clear to you. With your family background, you probably do not lack cultivation methods.”
“The items the Shen family prepared for you are likely of a higher grade than what I can offer. This master won't embarrass herself by bringing them out.”
“But since you have joined Wanjian Peak, you must learn the skills of Wanjian Peak. This master made her name with a set of seven sword techniques—the Seven Styles of Awakening. It is an Earth-grade Mid-rank technique, and you will begin practicing it from the Foundation Establishment stage.”
“The first style can be learned at Foundation Establishment, while the seventh style can only be executed at the Soul Transformation stage. This master will teach you all seven styles. However, you must first lay a solid foundation. Before reaching Foundation Establishment, you must master the basic sword stances.”
“Horse stance, gripping the sword, thrusting, sheathing... swing your sword at least three thousand times a day. Once your sword qi is condensed and solid, you can begin learning the first style of Awakening.”
Shen Qingci listened attentively.
The Seven Styles of Awakening. In the later parts of the original novel, Jinglian used this set of sword techniques to sweep through peers of the same rank in both the Southern and Northern Regions. Even the male lead, Lu Beichen, had suffered a loss against one of its styles.
An Earth-grade Mid-rank sword technique would be enough to make Soul Transformation and Void Refining cultivators fight to the death in the outside world.
Yet, her master had promised it to her so casually.
“Your disciple will keep this in mind.”
“That Enshrined Guardian of yours,” Jinglian suddenly changed the subject, “possesses a single Metal Spiritual Root, a solid foundation at the Nascent Soul stage, and even has the prototype of a sword domain.”
“Such talent is enough to establish a sect of her own in the outside world. Let her register at Wanjian Peak's Hall of Enshrined Guardians as an honorary Enshrined Guardian. Aside from the sect's forbidden grounds, she may roam freely within the sect.”
“If she has nothing else to do, she can also come to my cave dwelling. I would like to learn a thing or two about her achievements in the metal-attribute sword path.”
Shen Qingci silently noted this down for Shen Hanzhou. Being personally guided by a Soul Transformation sword cultivator would only benefit Shen Hanzhou's progress in the Dao of the sword.
“Your disciple thanks Master on Hanzhou's behalf.”
Jinglian waved her hand and walked to the entrance of the cave dwelling. Below the stone steps outside, two grey-clothed miscellaneous chores workers were waiting, standing with their hands at their sides, having been summoned at some unknown time.
“Go and clean up the cave dwelling three miles to the east, and arrange it according to the specifications of a personal disciple. Spirit stones, prayer mats, and spirit-gathering arrays must not be lacking,” Jinglian instructed. “In addition, inform the Hall of Enshrined Guardians that Wanjian Peak has added a new honorary Enshrined Guardian surnamed Shen, a female metal-attribute sword cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage. Her residence will be right next to the personal disciple's cave dwelling.”
The miscellaneous chores workers accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew.
Jinglian looked back at her, slipping a jade slip out of her sleeve and tossing it over. The jade slip felt warm in her hand, with the words “Azure Cloud Record” carved on the front.
“Before reaching Foundation Establishment, all newly admitted disciples, whether inner sect or personal, must attend the Dharma Academy to study basic courses.”
“Sect rules, common knowledge of the cultivation world, introductions to various cultivation arts, and a few practical basic spells. I will give you three days to rest. In three days, you will enter the Dharma Academy alongside the new disciples from this year's disciple recruitment assembly.”
“When the time comes, don't skip classes just because of your good family background.”
Shen Qingci stored the jade slip into her storage ring. “Your disciple understands.”
“Your Enshrined Guardian is still in the side hall of Lanyun Hall; someone will lead her over later. Go wait at your cave dwelling.”
Shen Qingci bowed and exited the cave dwelling.
Walking eastward along the mountain path, three miles was not very far. Before she even arrived, she saw three elegant seal characters carved on the stone wall of the cave entrance: “Yunqi Cave.” The brushstrokes hid a hint of sword intent, which was likely a tradition of Wanjian Peak.
On the stone steps beside the characters stood two grey-clothed female disciples with their hands lowered. Both appeared to have a cultivation of the fourth level of Qi Refining. They had delicate features and calm expressions, showing at a glance that they were efficient and capable.
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