I'm caught in the cycle of endless competition, you're waiting for me in the apocalypse.

The abbot has gone into seclusion to attempt to break through to the Golden Core stage!

The next day, the entire Taoist temple was notified that Master Zou was going into seclusion, and the duration was uncertain. The other elders then took over the tasks.

More than a month has passed since I began my spiritual practice. As early summer arrived, the vibrant mountains were filled with spiritual energy.

An Xin remained the same as always, either cultivating or on the path of cultivation. She had now reached the third stage of body tempering: the late stage of tendon refining. Tendon refining aims to strengthen the tendons and ligaments, increasing their strength and speed, as well as enhancing their flexibility and elasticity. To complement her cultivation, she even had Di Ting retrieve a set of basic yoga techniques from the Scroll of Fortune.

She practices for an hour every night before going for herbal baths. Yoga also involves meditation, breath control, and contemplation, so this method of achieving mind-body unity is very much to her liking. Now she even drags Fang Yinuo to practice with her.

Physical training, abundant spiritual energy, and the accumulation and integration of various knowledge have made An Xin increasingly outstanding and dazzling. Under her guidance, the young masters and ladies are also extremely diligent, and their cultivation speed is advancing by leaps and bounds. Wei Ran has already reached the advanced stage of Qi Refining and is preparing to sprint towards Foundation Establishment, while the other companions have all reached the initial stage of Qi Refining and are about to break through as well.

An Xin uses her spiritual power to manipulate objects daily, from large to small, and has now reached the point where she can thread a needle. Di has heard that this is the best way to practice the combination of mental and spiritual power.

After threading 10 needles with silky smoothness, An Xin decided to try flying on a sword when she went to the training platform in the afternoon. So during her lunch break, she and Di Ting rummaged through the scroll of blessings for magical artifacts.

"Xiao Jiu, how about we grab a sword? I'd like to practice my swordsmanship while I'm at it?"

"I think you could take another knife; dual swords would be so cool."

An Xin was tempted and was considering whether to choose a Tang sword or a Xiuchun knife...

"Xinxin, what do you think of this Tang Mo Dao?"

"Take a look. There are many styles of Mo Dao. I don't want the standard Mo Dao with a double-edged long handle."

"Look, this one is different. It's a specially made Mo Dao (陌刀) belonging to a fierce general from the Tang Dynasty. It's 2.5 meters long and weighs 10 kilograms. It's the divine weapon that my fierce brother used to kill foreign enemies!"

"Why did you recommend two swords to me that are both deadly weapons of war! It's already terrifying enough for a petite girl like me to wield a weapon of death, and you even want me to use this modified horse-slaying sword... Are you preparing me for the battlefield?"

"If it weren't for your exceptional strength and speed, I wouldn't have recommended this knife to you. It's historically documented; it can cut down several people with a single strike. Isn't that impressive..."

Is it a special offer item?

"Ah, you figured it out..."

"It's pretty cool, and it would be perfect with the 'One Slash to Slay the Thief' technique. Hey, hey, hey~ what kind of magic weapon is that?" An Xin pointed to a white jade plate with a curved top.

"This is a Ruyi Hu (pronounced with a fourth tone). Hu is a wooden or bamboo tablet that ministers used to hold when attending court in ancient times. It was mainly used to record the content to be presented at court. Although this one is made of white jade, it is a bit pricey."

"Let's see what its purpose is?"

"It can be made bigger or smaller, wider or narrower at will."

"That's it? That's all? Then why is it a bit pricey?"

"It is a growth-type magic weapon. It is currently only at the level of a spirit treasure, but it will become a treasure weapon, a Dao weapon, and a celestial weapon as it is upgraded in the future."

How do I advance to the next rank?

"It should be that after finding rare minerals or other treasures, it can be forged and smelted to upgrade its rank. Most importantly, this kind of magical artifact that can grow will slowly develop sentience."

"There's never been a magic weapon refiner in this world, so I guess I'll just have to use this as my Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel)~ Alright, this will do, anyway, my luck stat is much higher now~"

"We still can't spend it recklessly, after all, we still need to collect a certain amount."

"Good~"

Having acquired the Ruyi Guanban (a type of ceremonial tablet) and the Modao (a type of long-handled sword), An Xin was in a good mood. He then ostentatiously wielded the tablet in one hand and the Modao in the other as he went to the training platform.

"Damn, junior sister, what are you doing?" A senior brother was surprised when he saw An Xin and what she was holding.

"Junior Sister, what kind of sword is that? It's so long! It's so cool!"

Wow! That's so cool!

On the training platform, the senior brothers began to gather around An Xin, their eyes shining and chattering excitedly.

"Um... I recently wanted to practice with a new weapon, so I chose a sword!" An Xin regretted her high profile a little. She should have come over at midnight. Now, she was being stared at so intently by her senior brothers, who were practically glowing with admiration. It was incredibly embarrassing.

"Wow, junior sister, you're amazing! That knife must be over two meters long, can you even swing it?"

"I just got this knife today and haven't tried it yet, so I'm so excited that I ran over here. Is Uncle Zheng here? I'd like to ask him for some advice."

"No, he'll be here around 3 o'clock. Uncle Zou is in seclusion, so he's busy."

"Oh, I know a little swordsmanship. I don't know if this sword is suitable for me, but I'll give it a try first." An Xin happened to see her second senior brother, so she winked and gestured for him to get her the Ruyi tablet. She then picked up her sword and walked to the center of the training platform.

The senior students instinctively formed a large circle around her, all holding their breath as they watched the petite girl in the center of the arena. The knife was simply too long; it looked really difficult to handle.

An Xin gripped the sword with both hands, following the characteristics of the Mo Dao (陌刀), primarily using slashing, chopping, and thrusting techniques. Once she was familiar with the feel of the Mo Dao, she practiced the "slashing" move from the novel "One Slash to Slay a Thief" with it.

The petite girl, wielding a long sword, moved with swift and graceful movements, each move clean, crisp, and awe-inspiring. The surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.

At this moment, Qi Mingxuan, standing in the crowd, felt a surge of emotion in his eyes, deeply imprinting this scene of the spirited young girl in his heart.

Gu Shuohan, standing at the back of the crowd, was shocked by the scene. This girl…

Having finished her stance, An Xin stood in the center of the arena, the sunlight shining brightly on her. The knife she held in her hand gleamed coldly.

"Junior Sister, you wield that sword so well! It's really cool! Can I see it? This sword is so awesome!" The senior brother was so excited that he became incoherent.

"Yes, junior sister, the temple doesn't have a knife like that. The senior brothers are envious..."

Men really can't resist such cool and stylish cold weapons. An Xin didn't want to spoil everyone's fun, so she said, "Okay, you can take a look. Just be careful. This knife is an old artifact. It has been on the battlefield and soaked in blood. It has a menacing aura. Be careful not to hurt yourself or others."

She then walked over to her second senior brother, Li Qingchuan, took the Ruyi tablet, and handed him the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword). Li Qingchuan's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. But just as he received the Mo Dao, he stumbled and almost fell, but An Xin reacted quickly and caught him.

Li Qingchuan steadied himself and looked at An Xin with wide eyes: "Junior sister... how did you wield that knife? It must weigh 20 pounds, right? How did you handle it so lightly?"

"Second Brother, I lift stone weights every day!"

"Alright, it seems I, as a senior brother, also need to start practicing, otherwise I won't have the face to face Master."

"Hahaha~ Senior brothers, take your time watching, I'm going to fly over there on my magical artifact."

Hearing that An Xin was going to fly using an object, the senior brothers were eager to try it again, but they were also reluctant to part with the sword... What a difficult choice! So they surrounded Li Qingchuan, waiting for him to pass the sword down, but their eyes were all fixed on An Xin, who had already walked to the edge of the training platform.

An Xin held the Ruyi tablet, and with a thought, the white jade tablet transformed into the size of a skateboard and floated 20 centimeters off the ground.

—Hey~ This board is great, it really suits my needs.

She lightly leaped onto the board, took a moment to adjust, and then slowly moved the board up and down, forward and backward, and left and right. Once she regained her balance, her spiritual power doubled, and with a slight bend in her knees and a shift in her center of gravity, "whoosh—" she flew away!

Ahhh! ! !

Junior sister can fly on objects now?!

My junior sister flew away!!!

The senior students on the field were dumbfounded.

When Master Zheng arrived at the training platform, he saw a group of disciples gazing into the distance.

"What are you looking at?" Master Zheng patted the last disciple in the crowd who was peering out.

"Junior Sister is flying with Senior Brother Li!" The disciple answered without turning around, searching for the figure in the air.

"Wow—that was awesome!" With a shout, An Xin led Li Qingchuan back to the training platform on the Ruyi Scepter. Everyone gathered around, asking Li Qingchuan how it felt. Some even wanted An Xin to help them try it out, but most of the senior brothers blushed and suppressed their thoughts when they saw their petite junior sister.

"Ahem..." Master Zheng coughed, his fist pressed to his lips, and said, "Um, junior nephew, are you flying on your sword?"

"Uncle Zheng, you've arrived~ It's not flying on a sword, it's flying with objects. This is my Ruyi Scepter, I use this to fly~" She jumped off the scepter, walked to Master Zheng, and with a thought, the scepter returned to its original form and flew into her hand.

"Ah? It's a magic weapon?" Master Zheng took it and examined it carefully.

"Well, it just means it can change size at will."

"That's a good thing too. No one can refine magic weapons nowadays; they're only passed down from the ancients. They're very rare."

"Yes, that's right." As he spoke, a senior brother carefully held up the Mo Dao (a type of long sword) and handed it to An Xin. After thanking him, An Xin shyly walked to the side.

"Ah! Is this an improved Mo Dao? It can shatter men and horses with a single strike?" Master Zheng stared wide-eyed at the knife.

"Good eye! Good knowledge! This is an old item, it's been on the battlefield." An Xin took the tablet and handed the knife to Master Zheng.

The moment Master Zheng got his hands on the knife, he was no longer at ease. Its weight and the aura of bloodlust made it a truly ferocious weapon for the battlefield! So he immediately carried the knife away from the crowd and walked out of the crowd until he was in a safe area before he gripped the knife with both hands and began to swing it.

However, after only a few swings, he sheepishly stopped, shook his head, looked at the knife, then turned to look at An Xin, inwardly groaning. He couldn't control the knife; its weight was secondary, but he had absolutely no way to control its bloodthirsty aura.

"Junior nephew, this blade... its bloodthirsty aura is too strong, it might affect the user's mind!"

"Ah... I didn't know that. I just played with it and didn't notice anything unusual. It's similar to my other Miao sword."

"Okay, then if there are any problems, you must tell me. If it's not right, don't use this knife anymore!" Seeing An Xin obediently nod, Master Zheng could only stop there.