Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 101 Changes in the Nebula Compass

"By the way, Dean Jiang told me you're lacking Azure Gold Sand, how many grains would you like?"

Yu Ziqi said casually.

"Ten grains—I need ten more grains of Azure Nether Gold Sand to forge the sword."

Lu Li quickly replied.

I didn't expect the dean to be so thoughtful, having already explained the matter in advance, saving him the trouble of figuring out how to bring it up.

"Not many. I'll have someone send them to you after I return to the temple. Think about it carefully. Such spiritual items are nothing more than something a Grandmaster of the Dharma Body can easily pick up, but they are unattainable for most sects."

Yu Ziqi spoke casually, drawing his ancient longsword.

"This sword was bestowed upon me by my master. It is a fine piece among high-grade weapons. I have seen only two or three weapons in the martial world that are superior to it, but in Louguan, it doesn't even rank in the top twenty."

"If you are not willing to take the military examination route, you can only see which of the five great families is willing to sponsor you, but their conditions are much harsher than those of the royal family."

Lu Li nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, Master Yu. From now on, I would like to try to walk this path on my own."

It's understandable that others are worried because they don't know he has the Nebula Compass and the myriad worlds as his backing.

In fact, not to mention the Nebula Palace with its ever-increasing number of exchange options, the four Compass Worlds that have already appeared are an inexhaustible treasure trove.

His strength is currently relatively weak; it will be time for him to truly unleash his potential once he reaches the Refinement of Spirit cultivation level.

Putting aside other factors, given the existence of real historical records to refer to, he could have easily gained countless benefits from the Northern Wei world.

For example, a blessed land was discovered in Beihai County not long after the founding of the Great Chu Dynasty a thousand years ago.

Inside were treasures left by immortals, and rare flowers and herbs. Unfortunately, the preparations were not thorough enough. It was treated as an ordinary secret realm. Only the outer treasures were taken, which triggered the restriction, causing the blessed land to sink into the void and never be found again.

Those who discovered the blessed land at that time also began to cultivate their spiritual power.

With proper planning, one can certainly seek wealth and honor amidst danger and become the first person to enter the blessed land.

"That's fine, free and unrestrained. But when you receive favors from others, you always have to pay a price—"

Yu Ziqi didn't delve deeper; different stages of life always bring different perspectives.

"I can't teach you anything about the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Manual. Maybe in ten years I'll have to turn around and ask you for advice. The path of cultivation doesn't involve the fundamentals of Louguan, but I can give you a couple of pointers so you don't go astray in the future."

"The path of refining the spirit is a path of constantly negating oneself and making continuous adjustments, so that the inner world can be as close as possible to the laws of heaven and earth. Only in this way, when one reaches the end, is it possible to merge the physical body and the primordial spirit, and to condense a Dharma form according to the cultivation method and the individual's inner world."

"At this point, one can be said to have reached the half-step Dharma body—the world is vast, and one can go anywhere."

"When the three are combined, they become the Dharma Body, also known as the Grandmaster of the True Person Realm. One person can influence the situation of the world. In fact, there are further divisions within the True Person Realm. When the Dharma Body is perfected, one becomes a Grandmaster. Above that, one can glimpse the realm of immortals. However, the Great Dao has shifted, and in today's world, it is unknown which family still has a true immortal figure."

Lu Li returned to the house and sat there quietly for a long time before he finally relaxed.

Yu Ziqi spoke to him at length about the Dharma Body, about key points that are easily overlooked on the path of refining the spirit, and about the misconceptions about condensing the Dharma Form.

This might be common knowledge for the direct descendants of Louguan, but for him, it was priceless knowledge.

At least, Lu Li now has a general idea of ​​high-end combat power in the real world, instead of relying entirely on guesswork.

"Everything else is too far away. The most urgent task is to find a superior cultivation technique that can replace the White Dew and Autumn Frost Technique. The Six Void Circulation Heart Method is not suitable for me. The two paths Master Yu mentioned are also difficult. It seems that I have to find a way from the Northern Wei world."

"

Yu Ziqi suggested that he sign up for the martial arts examination because the strongest martial art of Bailu Academy, the Zhouliu Liuxu Heart Method, and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique were not compatible.

Forced cultivation is certainly possible, but if one harbors the lofty ambition of condensing a Dharma body, one cannot ignore the potential hidden dangers.

If we're talking about the most suitable one, it would be the Four Seasons Formless Skill created by Wu Cheng, a senior from Shigu Academy. He was the author of the Seventy-Two Seasonal Phenomena Chart.

This technique grasps the four seasons and contains the universe, emphasizing following the natural order and endless cycles.

It perfectly matches the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique and can even greatly help in condensing the Yin-Yang Dharma Body of the Four Seasons.

However, it would be difficult to get Shigu Academy to agree to pass on the techniques.

The Great Chu royal family is wealthy and powerful, and their collection of martial arts techniques is comparable to that of any top sect, giving them a great chance of finding substitutes.

Lu Li's original plan was to refine his spirit and then cultivate the Six Void Circulation Heart Method, so he was not in a hurry at all.

Now, reminded by Yu Ziqi, I realize I was being presumptuous and need to put this matter on the expedited agenda.

"After checking back, we'll see if there were any famous cultivation techniques for the Four Seasons True Meaning during the Northern Wei period, and then we'll plan how to implement them after they're transmitted to the Northern Wei world."

Lu Li secretly noted that there were quite a few such miscellaneous books on martial arts from previous dynasties.

Previously, I only paid attention to the famous Dharma Body Master from the late Northern Wei Dynasty, and I didn't pay enough attention to various martial arts.

However, there is one good thing: the unified dynasty has a much stronger control over the Grandmasters than it does today. There is no need to hide the names of the Venerables, and even the Heavenly Ranking has to be concealed.

The records about the Dharmakaya Master are quite detailed.

In the following days, he returned to his old ways, going back and forth between several locations.

Only when the Seven Apertures Exquisite Sword Heart sent a vague message—"Today is auspicious, easy to break through realms"—did he slowly sit down and examine his inner self.

The pine smoke compound melts instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a clear stream that flows through the limbs and bones.

The internal energy from various acupoints was drawn out, one after another, forming a surging wave that rushed towards the invisible bottleneck.

The gate to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment stood there, seemingly impregnable, unmoved despite being impacted by internal force time and time again.

Instead, it caused excruciating tearing pain in the body, and the facial features became distorted.

Fortunately, this pine smoke Qi-regulating pill has the effect of harmonizing internal energy and temporarily enhancing the resilience of the meridians.

Many martial artists fail to break through their limits after several attempts, becoming exhausted and unable to continue.

Not only is it a waste of time, but it could also leave you with injuries.

Just then, Lu Li suddenly opened his eyes and let out a sharp shriek, but no sound came out.

A surge of sword intent rose from his chest, and with a slash into the void, it sounded as if a mirror was shattering.

boom!

With the bottleneck broken, the quality and quantity of newly generated internal energy are elevated to a higher level with each breath, permeating the meridians and improving the physical body.

At the same time, his eyes lit up, signifying the opening of his eye apertures and the arrival of the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Although the Seven Apertures Exquisite Sword Heart has replaced many of the functions of the eye apertures, the simple enhancement of eyesight is still of great use.

For example, at this moment he can see ants crawling on the ground several meters away outside through the crack in the window.

The ultimate goal is to be able to discern the content of characters as fine as a grain of rice even when placed ten feet away.

At the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, the eyes, ears, and mouth have all opened simultaneously, which can be considered a minor miracle.

However, cultivation aptitude is a real problem. Despite much preparation, breaking through to the next realm is still incredibly difficult.

Lu Li got up and moved around, getting familiar with his increasingly stronger physical body and surging internal energy.

For a swordsman of his caliber, even the slightest deviation can lead to drastically different outcomes.

After spending several days at the Guanyu Sword Pavilion, I finally managed to fully master the power of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage before the Nebula Compass was activated.

After a peaceful breakfast, Lu Li returned to the small house, where he made the usual arrangements, revealing the Nebula Compass on the back of his left hand.

Nebulae flicker and fade, universes are born and destroyed between the compasses, creating indescribable dazzling brilliance through friction.

There was only a moment of calm when the starlight and clouds converged around the compass.

"I hope I won't be teleported to an unfamiliar world. Let me stay in the Compass World a little longer and gather some resources."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room was empty.

A short while later, Nan Henshui arrived. He knocked on the door several times but received no response. He paced around outside the house twice before sighing and leaving.

Nebula Hall.

As soon as Lu Li stepped in, he sensed something was amiss. Before the teleportation began, he had already learned about the information for this compass world.

"The blood of Heyin has not yet dried, and the flames of war have already been ignited in the Six Garrisons. The court's discipline is like a rotten rope, and the administration is corrupt. Rebellions are rising up like sparks in various places, keeping the Northern Wei army busy."

"The military governors of the six towns colluded with the Khan of the desert, intending to take advantage of the situation to start a rebellion, seize territory and declare themselves kings. They sent their elite soldiers and desert swordsmen to assassinate the governor of Heyin County, frame the rebel army, and cause chaos in the city, thus creating an excuse for mobilizing a large army to invade the county."

"Protect Prefect Cui Xu until the arrival of the special envoy from the Imperial City Guard of the Divine Capital, and you will be rewarded with five hundred merits."

"Side quest: Go to the Capital to participate in the Yuanlong Tournament — The Yuanlong Tournament has ended, the quest has failed, and there are no rewards or penalties."

When the loud voice rang out, Lu Li almost thought he had misheard.

Knowing the compass world and mission details in advance is of great benefit to the subsequent process.

Based on this information, targeted adjustments can be made.

To his surprise, he discovered that this mission was not mandatory and there was no punishment for elimination.

"Is this the case from now on, or is this mission special, hence the relaxed restrictions?"

Upon learning that he would be transported to the Northern Wei world, Lu Li was generally satisfied, especially since the mission location was in the relatively familiar Heyin County.

However, it is impossible for the prefect to be without a Spirit Refinement Guardian by his side, which indirectly proves that the assassins and desert swordsmen sent by the Six Garrisons Governor were most likely Spirit Refinement experts.

Although his cultivation has greatly improved in recent days, and it is completely different from when he was teleported to the Northern Wei world last time, the Nebula Compass is still overestimating him when it comes to stopping the Refining God Assassin.

"There must be other areas where I can leverage my resources; it just depends on whether I can discover them—but even if I fail, there's no punishment. Does this mean they're tacitly allowing me to stand aside and observe how things change?"

Lu Li quickly analyzed the historical facts and considered which other forces in Heyin County, besides the imperial court and the Six Garrisons, were worth paying attention to at this point in time.

Experience shows that only by deeply engaging in the process can one be motivated to complete subsequent tasks and reap the greatest rewards.

If one merely observes from the sidelines, wouldn't that be tantamount to a cursory visit to the Northern Wei world, wasting an opportunity to activate the Nebula Compass?

"There should be no Dharma Body in Heyin County. The more famous sect is called Tianyi Sect. Unless they do something extraordinary, those below the Dharma Body level are not qualified to be recorded in history."

Lu Li had no choice but to give up on finding an advantage through real history and could only wait and see after entering the world of Northern Wei.