Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 145 Sword Qi Forge and Entering the Finals (Long Chapter, Please Subscribe)
Late at night, a cool breeze was blowing in the courtyard.

As Zhou Ling focused his thoughts, a red magic sword shot out, radiating a fiery red sword light that shone brightly in the darkness, like a blazing furnace.

"This is the power of sword energy when you comprehend sword intent!"

"It can also incorporate beast flames, making its power completely different from before."

Zhou Ling let out a soft breath, her face filled with excitement.

His unexpected comprehension of the Burning Sword Intent also unlocked the first Five Elements Sword Meridian of the Five Elements Sword Technique, the Fire Attribute Sword Meridian, the Sword Qi Furnace.

The sword energy furnace is formed by condensing fiery sword energy. Once the sword energy furnace is completed, it can incinerate and refine the opponent's attack.

Having mastered this sword energy furnace, he was fully capable of competing with ordinary Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators.

"If the beast flames are integrated into the meridian circulation, their power may not be weaker than Jin Sheng's sword energy."

Zhou Ling stroked his chin, pondering.

Before comprehending the sword intent, he had been practicing the Five Elements Sword Technique, but he was unable to open up the circulation of the sword technique's meridians.

Even with control over the spirit flame, one cannot merge with it.

Now, the Five Elements Sword Technique meridians have been opened, and the first sword technique cultivation cycle, the Sword Qi Furnace, has been formed.

By using the power of burning sword intent, the power of condensed sword energy is completely different.

Before condensing sword intent, the sword energy unleashed is just ordinary sword energy.

Of course, this excludes sword energy enhanced with the sword attribute.

Most sword cultivators can develop a certain amount of sword energy through diligent practice.

But the sword energy generated by comprehending sword intent is different.

After all, comprehending sword intent is extremely difficult. In Lingxia Immortal City, sword cultivators who can enter the first realm of sword dao are probably even rarer than second-grade technique masters.

To comprehend the essence of swordsmanship, one needs not only sufficient talent but also a swordsmanship technique of a certain grade.

In addition, one must have a thorough grasp of the sword techniques and be able to comprehend the sword intent that suits oneself.

In fact, the true power of the sword begins to be revealed only after one has grasped the essence of the sword.

With a slight thought, Zhou Ling unleashed a sharp sword aura from his fiery sword energy, leaving a deep mark on the ground even though it was nearly half a zhang away from the ground.

After retrieving his magic sword, Zhou Ling pondered, "If I can integrate beast flames into the sword intent after comprehending it, the power of the Five Elements Sword Technique will definitely increase by another level."

"Just like the Five Elements Qianyang True Technique, it can integrate five spiritual flames on the basis of opening the cycle of five sword beams. Its power is absolutely terrifying!"

"Now, with the help of the sword qi furnace, I already have the strength to fight against a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator. If I were to integrate beast flames, I might even be able to withstand one or two attacks from a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"However, let's first use this assessment to verify the power of the Sword Qi Furnace!"

"Furthermore, the new talent [Thunder Aura] that I've condensed today can also generate a certain amount of thunder attack enhancement!"

······.

Among all the spells, lightning magic is the most powerful, but also the most difficult to learn.

After all, lightning spirit roots are extremely rare.

Now that I have this [Thunderous Aura] talent, I can condense the power of thunder for both attack and defense.

"However, since there is no lightning-attribute spiritual energy within his body, the power of this [Thunderous Aura] is probably not very strong!"

Zhou Ling thought to himself.

"Perhaps the situation will be different when [Thunderous Aura] reaches the second level."

"Or, after entering the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy, find a lightning-attribute cultivation technique to practice on your own!"

Zhou Ling's mind raced with thoughts, but he quickly dismissed them.

I am only a spiritual root with the five elements attribute.

However, [Thunderous Aura] is merely a talent; cultivating thunder magic in this way is extremely difficult.

It's obviously impossible to achieve anything in a short period of time.

Unless something changes after the [Thunderous Aura] is upgraded, it's simply not suitable to not have a thunder-attribute spiritual root.

Zhou Ling exhaled and stopped thinking about it.

Being able to condense [Thunderous Qi] to assist in attack and defense is already quite good; there's no way to think about anything more.

Because his next opponent, Nan Feng, was skilled in mental attacks, Zhou Ling did not choose [Illusion Simulation] again.

After experiencing the power of the sword energy furnace, he returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

In recent days, he has consumed a considerable number of Qi-Melting Pills with two-stage patterns, and his cultivation level has improved rapidly. He now has fifty-nine spiritual acupoints in his body, and is only one step away from the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Of course, breaking through from the mid-stage of Qi Refining to the late-stage of Qi Refining is a significant bottleneck for Qi Refining cultivators.

Some people may not be able to make a breakthrough even after more than half a year.

Individual cultivators without resources may not be able to break through for two or three years.

However, Zhou Ling is currently cultivating the "Five Elements Qianyang True Technique," which is of a high grade. In addition, he has the assistance of "Born with Talent," so while there are bottlenecks, they are not too much of an obstacle.

He was confident that he could break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining within the next one or two months.

······.

Early the next morning.

Zhou Ling and his family then arrived at the Lingxia Sect Square.

The red sun rises on the horizon, creating a dazzling spectacle.

On a cool summer morning, a gentle breeze blows and the air is exceptionally fresh.

Although only four disciples participated in today's semi-finals, many people are still paying attention.

They arrived at the plaza area early, and many Taoist instructors brought their disciples to watch.

The square was also unusually lively, with even more people than yesterday's quarterfinal match.

Zhou Ling followed He Zijian and the other two to the judges' table.

The air was thick with a heavy, tense atmosphere.

Six powerful figures with auras were already seated on the judges' panel.

Besides the admission instructors from the four major academies, there were also Zhou Ling's old acquaintances, Steward Qin and Lu Yunxi.

"Disciples, today is the day to determine the champion. We will draw lots to determine the winners for the final round."

"According to the ranking order of the competition, Jin Sheng will draw the jade slip first."

"Then came He Zijian, Nan Feng, and Zhou Ling."

The ancient instructor of Tianxia Taoist Academy gently moved her jade hand, and spread out four crystal-clear jade slips in front of the judges' table.

"The player who drew number one will face off against number four."

"Number Two vs. Number Three".

"Yes, senior!" Jin Sheng walked over confidently and then reached for the jade slip closest to him.

Next was He Zijian, who chose the second jade slip.

When it was Nanfeng's turn, he hesitated for a moment before taking the last jade slip.

The remaining third jade slip naturally belonged to Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling took the jade slip and focused his attention on it, where three words appeared.

In other words, he is contestant number three, and his next opponent is contestant number two.

"I wonder who our opponent will be?"

Zhou Ling thought to himself, "I hope I don't run into He Zijian."

He had no fear when facing Jin Sheng and was ready to fight with all his might.

However, if they were to fight He Zijian with all their might, the outcome would most likely be a draw.

It's almost impossible to beat Jin Sheng in the afternoon's final.

Of course, he could also simply give up and admit defeat.

"If I were to face Brother He, I'd just admit defeat!"

Zhou Ling thought to himself.

He then handed the jade slip back to the ancient instructor.

"Number One, Jin Sheng."

"Zhou Ling, number two."

"Number Three, Nanfeng".

"Number four, He Zijian."

"According to the original rules, Zhou Ling (number two) and Nan Feng (number three) will compete in the first match!"

"Then Jin Sheng, number one, and He Zijian, number four, will compete in the second match."

"The winners of the two competitions will compete in the final this afternoon, and the winner will be the champion of this assessment."

"The benefits of being the leader are numerous. Not only can one choose any academy, but one can also receive rewards from the academy."

"Of course, there are other benefits as well. For example, it will give you a lot of advantages when you want to enter departments such as the Heavenly Crafts Bureau in the future!"

The ancient instructor announced slowly.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling felt relieved. This battle situation was just too ideal!

Being able to avoid Jin Sheng and He Zijian and face Nan Feng is his best opportunity.

Since I never thought about winning the championship, I wondered how much benefit it would bring.

He hadn't inquired about it in detail.

Now it feels like this leader isn't so far away from me.

Now it seems that it's only a step away.

Of course, it's not that easy.

The other three are no easy opponents.

"Great!"

A joyful and excited voice came from beside him. Zhou Ling turned his head and saw that it was the boy named Nan Feng who spoke.

He seemed excited and delighted to have encountered Zhou Ling in this round.

The young man was upright, dressed in a black robe, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth and a face full of smiles.

"Is it worth being so happy to face me?"

Zhou Ling shook his head slightly; it seemed everyone thought he was the weakest of the four.

However, this is normal, since I am only at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The others were all at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

It's practically impossible for someone at the sixth level of Qi Refining to defeat someone at the ninth level!
"Alright, go back and prepare now. The first match will begin in a quarter of an hour!"

Instructor Gu smiled and spoke to the four of them.

The four immediately stepped down from the judges' panel.

Zhou Ling returned to the rest area and told his parents about the match.

Hearing that they hadn't been matched against He Zijian, Li Ru and the others breathed a sigh of relief, since He Zijian had a very good relationship with the Zhou family.

The distillery has been able to reach its current scale thanks in large part to the business support of the He family's distillery.

"I never expected that Zhou Ling, a mere sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, could make it into the top four. It's truly surprising!"

On the judges' panel, Instructor Hu picked up his teacup, took a sip of the spiritual tea, and smiled with a relaxed expression.

He was now feeling smug about his decisive decision to give the special recruitment quota to Zhou Ling a couple of days ago.

My judgment was indeed excellent.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Hu, if Zhou Ling wins the championship, he can also choose other Daoist academies."

Instructor Xiao chuckled.

He inquired about it yesterday and found out that Zhou Ling had indeed been cultivating at the Xixia Dao Academy.

He usually gets good grades, but I never expected him to be this outstanding.

Moreover, he was a rogue cultivator, and he had already prepared a gift, which he believed would move Zhou Ling.

However, we'll have to wait until Zhou Ling wins this match.

Upon hearing this, Instructor Hu paused for a moment, then shook his head. "With Zhou Ling's inscription skills, he naturally knows which place is most suitable for him!"

However, I was also somewhat wary.

After all, Tianxia Dao Academy is the number one Dao Academy in the Dao Alliance, and its skills in weapon crafting and alchemy are not much worse than those of Xuanyuan Dao Academy.

However, the ancient instructor was quite arrogant and had no intention of competing with other Taoist academies for disciples.

In her view, Tianxia Taoist Academy was the biggest brand, requiring no further explanation.

Moreover, Zhou Ling's aptitude is average, and he doesn't even reach the level of breaking through the Heavenly Xia Academy's techniques.

As for the Nine Heavens Sword Academy, it goes without saying that they only recruit disciples with outstanding swordsmanship talent.

Since the assessment began, Zhou Ling has not been seen using his magic sword against his enemies.

Therefore, the Nine Heavens Sword Academy can be ruled out.

But think about it, it was already difficult for Zhou Ling to enter the top four, and it would be almost impossible for him to win the championship.

Of course, the situation in the arena can change in an instant. In this round, Jin Sheng and He Zijian, the two strongest disciples, met first.

It's hard to say what kind of sparks will fly.

"Station number one, Zhou Ling versus Nan Feng, begin!"

Soon after, the ancient bell rang, and the judges announced the results on the competition stage.

Zhou Ling looked at the boy opposite him; he was rather thin, with bright, piercing eyes.

However, when the divine sense swept over, it only felt that the person was surrounded by a layer of transparent bubbles, making him appear blurry and impossible for the divine sense to penetrate.

The other party was also secretly sizing up Zhou Ling.

Perhaps confirming that he was indeed at the sixth level of Qi Refining, his face relaxed slightly.

"Kid, you'd better admit defeat. You can't withstand my soul attack!"

Looking at Zhou Ling, Nan Feng spoke in a rather arrogant tone.

However, what he said was true; there are very few methods for cultivating the soul.

Zhou Ling was a rogue cultivator, so it was even less likely that he possessed any spiritual cultivation techniques.

Therefore, the power of the soul cannot be that strong.

It's a pity he didn't know about Zhou Ling's refining of the Soul Imprint. After all, not many people knew about it, only Deacon Qin and the He Zijian siblings.

Therefore, no one outside knew about Zhou Ling's powerful spiritual cultivation.

Zhou Ling remained calm. Now that he had condensed a sword energy furnace and possessed techniques such as the Hundred Swords Formation, he was not afraid of anyone, whether they were at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining.

He was even able to handle attacks from the opponent's spiritual senses.

Now, his goal for this competition has been raised again: to win the championship and obtain more resources.

Therefore, we must go all out.

"Please enlighten me!"

Zhou Ling smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"act recklessly!"

Nan Feng smirked and said, "Today, I'll show you just how big the difference is between the ninth level of Qi Refining and the sixth level!"

After speaking, Nan Feng moved his hand, and dense fire spiritual power condensed into three fiery sword energies.

These sword energies were half a zhang long, each accompanied by a swirling vortex of flame.

"go!"

Flaming sword energy condensed, and Nan Feng shouted sharply, waving his hand at Zhou Ling.

Three fiery sword techniques were arranged in a triangular formation, fiercely striking towards Zhou Ling.

Watching the fiery sword slowly approach from afar.

Zhou Ling was taken aback. Wasn't this kid good at soul attacks?

Why would someone play with fire? Are they just being lazy and have nothing better to do?

Immediately, flames roared into his hands, accompanied by flashes of lightning.

"Fire and Thunder in the Palm!"

Four fire thunderbolts instantly condensed in Zhou Ling's hand, and with a wave of his hand, he fiercely bombarded the fiery sword energy.

[You are currently casting the Palm Fire and Thunder technique. Thunder Aura +1, Palm Fire and Thunder Proficiency +1]

[You are currently casting the Palm Fire and Thunder technique. Thunder Aura +1, Palm Fire and Thunder Proficiency +1]

Three bolts of fire and lightning, along with three streams of fiery sword energy, bombarded each other fiercely.

The sounds of booming echoed and then faded away.

The other attack struck Nan Feng at an astonishing speed, but was blocked by the defensive shield formed by his robe.

"They were actually able to condense four bolts of fire and lightning!"

Nan Feng's gaze sharpened, and he snorted coldly. His fire sword technique was merely a combination of three sword energies.

Moreover, it contains about 80% of his strength, which is enough to crush an ordinary Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator.

Not only did he block it, but the opponent also had the strength to launch a counterattack.

The power of Zhou Ling's attack was truly beyond his expectations.

His expression immediately darkened, and he dared not hold back any longer, patting the storage bag at his waist.

Immediately, a black compass floated in front of him.

The compass was covered with inscriptions, shimmering with a dark light, and exuded an astonishing aura.

A cold glint flashed in Nan Feng's eyes, and he chanted an incantation. The compass flew up in front of him and spun in the air.

A fiery shield several meters high was formed and descended upon Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling looked wary; attacking the flame shield with the fire thunder in his palm would consume too much energy.

Not worth the candle.

"Flaming Sword, Slash!"

Zhou Ling also patted his storage bag, and the Flame Sword shot out, its flames blazing, sword energy spewing out, mixed with a trace of thunderous energy, and fiercely slashed at the flame shield that was coming from the sky.

"boom!"

The two collided violently in mid-air, sending up a shower of scorching flames, and the flames on the compass blazed brightly.

The flame shield then expanded, about to engulf the flaming sword.

"Zhou Ling is in danger now!"

Upon seeing this, Instructor Xiao on the judging panel shook his head.

"This black compass was specially crafted by the Nan family for Nan Feng. During its forging, it incorporated soul wood that could shield divine sense."

"Zhou Ling's magic sword going in is like a lamb entering a tiger's den!"

Instructor Hu also shook his head.

However, Zhou Ling's performance was already quite satisfactory.

Even if they lose, it's normal. Inscription masters still need to devote more energy to weapon crafting.

After all, with the power of this black compass, even a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining would not be able to withstand it.

Moreover, Zhou Ling was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Even if he had abundant spiritual power, his soul power could not possibly contend with Nan Feng, who cultivated the secret art of soul cultivation.

"This black compass was originally prepared for Jin Sheng and He Zijian, but now it's being used against you. You have every reason to be proud!"

Nan Feng smiled proudly, then waved his hand, and two more fiery sword energies condensed and bombarded Zhou Ling.

He cultivates a fire-attribute technique called the Fire Splitting Technique.

His flaming sword energy is his strongest magical attack, possessing considerable power while consuming relatively little energy.

Zhou Ling's expression also darkened. At this moment, he was fully controlling the Flame Sword to deal with the Flame Shield.

The inability to condense the fire and lightning in one's palm immediately is a weakness of low cultivation level.

He could only hastily activate the black robe on his body, condensing a defensive light shield.

"boom!"

The first fiery sword energy slammed into the defensive light shield, causing it to tremble.

Then came another booming sound, and the second fiery sword beam also crashed down.

"boom!"

The originally shimmering defensive shield shattered instantly, and the black robe became dull and lifeless.

Zhou Ling felt a pang of heartache; this black robe was incredibly valuable.

It's ruined just like that.

However, it was worth the price, as it blocked those two fierce sword attacks.

At this moment, Zhou Ling was still able to control the flaming sword, which was enveloped by the flaming compass, with ease.

It's hard for anyone to imagine that his spiritual sense is no weaker than Nan Feng's.

The Black Compass's isolating power was not enough to sever his connection with the Flame Sword.

The damage to his black robe bought him time to react.

"Hundred Swords Formation!"

With a furious roar, Chen Ling immediately unleashed the Hundred Swords Formation, causing four other magical swords of different attributes to appear around him, their sword lights gleaming.

Before him, countless sword shadows coalesced, forming a dazzling sword net.

The sword light was dense and terrifying!
"What?! This is a sword formation!"

"How could this kid's soul condense so many sword beams at once?"

Instructor Xiao's gaze sharpened, his expression one of utter shock.

The other instructors were also quite surprised.

"This kid is a sword cultivator?"

"His spiritual power is still so strong!"

No wonder they were shocked, given their knowledge and cultivation; Zhou Ling's performance was simply too exaggerated.

Repairing second-tier inscriptions, mastering late-stage first-tier body refinement, and instantly casting fire and lightning secret techniques—these things require a great deal of time and arduous training to achieve.

Now that he has mastered the Hundred Swords Formation, a sword formation of astonishing power, it means that he is a sword cultivator of considerable strength.

What terrifying talent for cultivation!
Based on his cultivation talent alone, Zhou Ling is no less than the genius disciples of the four major academies.

"This kid really is a rogue cultivator!"

Looking at Zhou Ling's harmless face, Instructor Hu's face also showed a happy smile.

I made a lot of money this time!
"I never expected the Lingxia Immortal City disciples to be so talented this time!"

Even the demanding ancient instructors showed their approval.

Based on the talent that Jin Sheng, He Zijian, and Zhou Ling have shown so far, they have great potential and a high chance of reaching the Golden Core stage.

Even though Zhou Ling's spiritual root is ordinary, his talent for cultivation is enough to make up for it.

"How could he be so strong!"

Nanfeng looked on incredulously!
They dared not show the slightest contempt.

He originally thought that he was incredibly lucky to be facing someone who was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

After all, if he successfully avoided the two major opponents, He Zijian and Jin Sheng, he would definitely be able to enter the finals.

Moreover, regardless of who wins this battle, both of them will undoubtedly suffer enormous losses.

This is a huge benefit for me.

The afternoon's final match also gave me a slight boost in confidence.

Unexpectedly, this rogue cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining was so troublesome.

Their combat strength doesn't seem to be much weaker than He Zijian's!
He then unleashed another burst of magical power, injecting it into the compass.

The compass shone brightly, and the enveloping flame shield grew larger, its power becoming increasingly formidable.

Zhou Ling's gaze sharpened; he sensed that the connection between the Flame Sword and him was gradually weakening.

[You have truly mastered the magic sword; Sword Control +1, Hundred Swords Formation Proficiency +1]

With the emergence of the [Sword Control] talent, Zhou Ling felt a significant increase in his connection with the Flame Sword.

"Break it for me!"

Zhou Ling quickly manipulated the sword net to bombard the compass.

Rumble!
As the sword beams fell like a rain of swords, the flame shield was finally destroyed, and the flaming sword shot out, shining with sword light, and merged into the Hundred Swords Formation.

"Compass Fire Blade!"

Seeing the flame shield broken, Nan Feng's expression became increasingly solemn, and he continuously channeled spiritual energy into the compass from a distance.

Suddenly, flames burst forth from the black compass, like an eruption of molten lava, with surging beams of fire shooting out from it.

Instantly, a flaming blade materialized and shot towards the sword net.

"snort!"

Staring at the compass, Zhou Ling remained expressionless. He used his divine sense to control the five converging Five Elements Magic Swords, condensing dozens of sword beams that resembled waves of sword energy, each wave more powerful and orderly than the last.

Rumble!
The sword's powerful beam shattered the flaming blades in succession.

As it pounded down like a storm, a loud thud was heard.

The black compass suddenly dimmed.

"not good!"

Nan Feng exclaimed in surprise, not expecting the opponent's sword formation to be so terrifying.

With a thought, the power of the soul surged forth from the sea of ​​consciousness.

Originally, I was going to conserve my spiritual power to prepare for the final match in the afternoon. But now it seems that without using my spiritual power, I simply cannot defeat this kid.

"hold head high!"

Suddenly, Zhou Ling felt a sharp and alarming sound wave resound in his sea of ​​consciousness, launching a fierce attack on his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Such a powerful sonic attack!"

"What a pity! I'm afraid Zhou Ling won't be able to stop him!"

Instructor Xiao shook his head with a hint of regret.

On the dueling platform, sword light flashed, and Zhou Ling's expression was extremely solemn.

"Let's see how you handle this!"

Only after confirming that Zhou Ling had been attacked by the soul wave did Nan Feng's expression relax slightly. He gathered the remaining 30% of his spiritual power, preparing to activate the compass one last time to defeat Zhou Ling.
In this battle, he used all his trump cards. Even if he wins, he will not have any advantage against Jin Sheng or He Zijian in the afternoon.

Especially now that I'm using a soul attack, I won't be fully recovered by the afternoon. If I force it to be used again then, the power will be less than 70%.

But there was no other way; without using his soul attack, he had no chance of winning this battle.

Puff puff!
At that moment, a series of "puff puff puff" sounds rang out.

"how is this possible?"

Nan Feng felt a sharp pain in his mind.

At this moment, a divine soul blade condensed within Zhou Ling's sea of ​​consciousness, relentlessly shattering his divine soul sound waves one after another.

"what!"

Nan Feng let out a scream and collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.

Clearly, Zhou Ling's attack had caused considerable damage to his soul; had Zhou Ling not shown mercy, he would probably have been crippled.

With a soft thud, the compass, which was not controlled by magic, fell directly from the sky.

"this?"

"What's happening here?"

Everyone was stunned by what they saw. How could Nanfeng, who had been in a dominant position, suddenly lose?
"Zhou Ling's spiritual sense is actually stronger than Nan Feng's! That's unbelievable!"

A moment later, Instructor Xiao exclaimed in disbelief.

Even his spiritual cultivation is so powerful; his talent is definitely no less than that of any genius disciple.

This is what all the judges were thinking at that moment.

"Competition Platform Number One, Zhou Lingsheng!"

At this moment, the judges' voices finally rang out.

Zhou Ling exhaled, sheathed the five magic swords, and then slowly walked off the competition platform.

Nan Feng stared blankly at Zhou Ling's figure, realizing that he had actually lost!
(End of this chapter)