Chapter 180: The Thirteen Sword Forms, Shrinking the Earth to an Inch
“Being the Sect Master of the Heavenly Blade Sect doesn’t seem all that hard.”
You worked at it for three days straight, only to find that everything in the sect ran perfectly on its own, with no room for you to contribute at all.
You had assumed that with a new Sect Master taking office, the outside factions would target the sect because of it. Instead, you found that all the major powers were on remarkably friendly terms.
Of course, you also knew that all of this was thanks to those Ancestors behind the sect, men whose ages no one could guess.
As long as the Ancestors were fine, the sect would not fall for a single day.
“Sect Master! Someone from the Li imperial family has arrived!” An Elder came forward and reported.
“Someone from the imperial family?” You pondered silently for a moment, then said, “Bring them in.”
“Sect Master Ye, we meet again.” The one who had come from the Li imperial family was none other than Princess Anle.
You glanced at Princess Anle and smiled. “It has been several years. The Princess’s cultivation has advanced again.”
“Sect Master Ye jests. This Empress’s meager cultivation amounts to nothing before you, Sect Master Ye,” Princess Anle said modestly.
“Might I ask what brings the Princess here?”
“I have come this time for a friendly exchange between my imperial family’s juniors and your sect’s disciples.”
“Cultivation is like a boat against the current; if it does not advance, it retreats.”
“Having the disciples of both houses spar will be good for broadening their horizons.”
“No problem!” You agreed, thinking to yourself, I’d like to see what medicine you’re selling in that gourd of yours.
“Sect Master Ye is straightforward. Then one month from now, This Empress will bring the disciples here.” Princess Anle departed.
“Sect Master, this… should we summon the Core Disciples, just in case?” the newly appointed Vice Sect Master said hesitantly.
“No need. Spread the word. Whoever can defeat an imperial family junior will be richly rewarded!” you ordered.
“By the way, where is Xiao Fan?”
“He has already been taken notice of by Ancestor Qingshan and accepted as a Core Disciple. He is not in the sect at present.”
“Fine, understood.”
You left the sect hall and headed for the sect’s Library Pavilion. As Sect Master, you held full authority here.
As my cultivation rises, the power of Earth-Rank techniques is starting to look a little insufficient.
It’s time to cultivate some Heaven-Rank techniques.
I just wonder whether there are any Immortal-rank cultivation arts in this Heavenly Blade Sect.
You went straight to the top floor. Before, you’d had no choice. Now you only wanted the best.
“Heaven-Rank Upper-Grade Technique, the Three Forms of World-Opening. Hiss!”
“What a pity. It’s actually a blade technique.” You shook your head. You had better blade techniques, and besides, you didn’t particularly want to practice the blade for now.
“Heaven-Rank Upper-Grade Technique, the Yin-Yang Divine Palm.”
“This technique requires an extremely profound comprehension of the Dao of Yin and Yang. That’s a bit troublesome.”
“Heaven-Rank Upper-Grade Technique, the Thirteen Sword Forms. Hmm?”
You looked at the sword art before you. Though its name was utterly unremarkable, it contained the truth of the great Dao being perfectly simple.
You immediately pocketed the jade slip of this technique, intending to cultivate it once you returned.
You flipped through every technique on the top floor, and found no others suited to you.
“Elder Sun, are these all the techniques our Heavenly Blade Sect has?” You returned to the bottom floor and asked the Elder guarding the Library Pavilion.
“Replying to the Sect Master, they are basically all here. There are still some techniques related to inheritances, but those are all in the hands of the various Ancestors.”
“Fine, This Sect Master understands.” You clicked your tongue twice. It seemed that even a great sect like the Heavenly Blade Sect would not put its top techniques out in the open.
“Uh, I recall that Sect Master Mo, in his day, also had quite a few inheritance techniques in his hands. Did he not pass them to you?” Elder Sun reminded.
“What?!!” You were dumbfounded. Mo Yang hadn’t told you about this before he died. He’d just tossed you a token and that was it.
Suddenly, your eyes lit up. You took out the Sect Master token and sent your Primordial Spirit power into it, and sure enough, you discovered a restriction.
“Many thanks for the reminder, Elder Sun. I will be going now.”
You returned to the Sect Master’s cave residence and began trying to break the restriction.
The next day, you gave up. A restriction of this level was simply not something your current self could break.
Just what is inside there? To lay down such a powerful restriction, isn’t this just making things hard for me?
There was nothing you could do about that, so in the end you chose to ask for outside help.
“Ancestor Kongling, might I trouble you to take a look at how to break the restriction in this token?” In the Formation Hall, you found Ancestor Kongling, with whom you had some acquaintance: a Seventh-Rank Formation Master, a mighty expert of the Fusion realm.
Ancestor Kongling examined it for a while, then said, “This was set up by that old fellow Mo Yang, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right!” You nodded and asked, “Can it be broken?”
“It can be done, but…” Ancestor Kongling hesitated for a moment.
“This is a matter between you Sect Masters. This Ancestor should not interfere.”
“That is not quite right. What is inside concerns the future of the entire sect!”
“If I am to carry the Heavenly Blade Sect to greater heights, I must obtain it!”
After a bout of your smooth talking, Ancestor Kongling finally agreed.
Arriving at a secret chamber, Ancestor Kongling laid down a formation, then began breaking the restriction.
“Done!” Three days later, Ancestor Kongling exclaimed.
Taking back the token, you sent your divine sense into it, and discovered two techniques, along with one divine ability.
“Shrinking the Earth to an Inch!”
“This divine ability technique requires mastering the Laws of Time and Space before it can be cultivated.”
“What a coincidence. I happen to have mastered both of these Laws.”
The other two techniques were of no use to you, so you planned to use them as prizes for the victors of the spar with the imperial family juniors.
“Many thanks, Ancestor Kongling. What is inside is very useful to me.”
“It’s nothing. Just lead the sect well and carry it to greater heights.” Ancestor Kongling waved his hand.
“If there is nothing else, Sect Master may go first. This Ancestor has expended quite a bit and needs to rest.”
You left the secret chamber and began cultivating the Thirteen Sword Forms, as well as the divine ability Shrinking the Earth to an Inch.
Holding an ordinary spirit sword, you practiced day and night without rest.
The technique was of the great Dao being perfectly simple, yet as you cultivated it, you could not grasp its deeper meaning at all. You could only swing the long sword in your hand again and again, following the contents of the technique.
Half a month passed. On this day, a sudden insight stirred in your heart, and you quickened the speed of your sword swings.
An indescribable, inexplicable feeling surged through your mind.
You swung out a perfectly ordinary sword strike, and the wooden post before you, one that could withstand a full-power strike from the Return-to-Void realm, was cleaved clean in two at the waist.
“Just like that, I’ve entered the door?” Looking at the long sword in your hand, insight stirred in your heart.