Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 96 Refining the Sword Heart

The Luo family, Guangyu Hall.

Lu Li sent an invitation yesterday, saying he would visit today, but he did not meet the Luo clan leader.

Even Luo Liben's father, the same stout and smiling Luo patriarch who resembled a Maitreya Buddha, did not appear.

A private banquet was held, with Luo Xianzhe as the host and Fatty Luo as the guest of honor.

Before setting off for the Crimson Fire Secret Realm, Lu Li paid a visit, and the Luo Clan Chief even came out to meet him.

It makes no sense that once he returns and his status has risen significantly, Luo's way of treating guests would change.

Luo Xianzhe and Fatty Luo remained as enthusiastic as ever, unchanged.

"Good lad, I knew you were capable, but I didn't expect you to be this capable—"

Luo Xianzhe's expression remained calm, but he couldn't hide his shock.

"When I traveled through Wu County, I was not as glamorous as you. When I arrived in Haiyan, I wanted to visit a family that had been related to the Luo family by marriage. On the surface, I was very polite and there was nothing wrong with me. But one day I overheard them calling me a country bumpkin in private, and their tone was contemptuous. I was so angry that I brought them out that very day."

"I was even thinking of showing off when I passed by his house after making it onto the list of successful people—but in the past three years, I've lost more than I've won, and I haven't even gotten close to the top of the list!"

Lu Li drank the tea in place of wine in one gulp: "Wu County has always been like this, and the trend is even more pronounced in this dynasty—now that you have advanced to the Refinement of Spirit, the petty people who mocked you behind your back back then have long since disappeared."

"That person is my cousin. He sent me a message two years ago, saying that he had achieved oneness with heaven and man and advanced to the Refining God realm."

Luo Xianzhe looked embarrassed, and the wine in his mouth no longer tasted good.

In a few years, the gap between their cultivation levels will likely widen significantly.

Lu Li felt awkward for a moment, but fortunately, Fatty Luo changed the subject in time.

"Young Master Lu, how long are you planning to stay this time? That dead fish face you defeated has gone back to his hometown to recuperate, and Xue Huai Ren has also left the academy, saying he wants to seek a breakthrough in his Foundation Establishment state of mind."

"I should stay here for a while. The burglary bureau is keeping an eye on me. I've gained a lot from this trip, and I need to digest it properly."

Just then, a group of beautiful young women walked in. The one in the lead said in a boisterous manner, "This is Lu Li? All he has is a mouth and two eyes. Grandpa praised him to the skies, but he's nothing special!"

"How dare you! Ah Luan, is this a place for you?"

Luo Xianzhe's face turned ashen. He shouted and then turned to Lu Li, saying, "My sister's only daughter has been spoiled since she was a child. Please don't mind her."

Lu Li seemed to be deep in thought, and when she saw Fatty Luo winking at her, she understood: "Miss is innocent and straightforward, a truly enviable personality."

"I'm sorry you had to see this."

Luo Xianzhe smiled bitterly to himself, knowing that his thoughts had been seen through, and politely declined.

Since the news of Lu Li's appearance on the Human Ranking came, he, his father, and his elder brother have discussed many times how to get closer to this rising star.

Arranged marriage was naturally the first choice.

The eldest branch of the Luo family has no eligible daughters of legitimate birth, so they are using a concubine's daughter for marriage alliances, but their statuses are not equal.

As for the other families, it's impossible that they would have helped others find outside assistance.

Just then, his granddaughter Guo Luan came back to visit her family. Her mother was the younger sister of Luo Xianzhi and his brother. She died of illness a few years after getting married, and the whole family doted on Guo Luan.

He immediately thought of a new marriage partner, which led to this private banquet as a test.

Before he could even speak, Guo Wan, having heard the commotion, rushed over on her own.

"My father dotes on A-Luan and once said he would prepare a dowry for her. It just so happens that the Luo family does not have a skilled swordsman, so he will take this cicada song, ten manors outside the city, and ten shops inside the city as the dowry to take to her future husband's family. The Guo family is also a famous scholarly family, with three generations of people holding official positions of the fifth rank or above. Her father is currently the registrar of a county in Kuaiji and will be promoted to magistrate after the New Year."

Luo Xianzhe wanted to try harder, so he pointed to the cicada chirping that Lu Li had just returned.

After all, such a marriage partner is unique in the entire Yuzhang County, and once missed, there will be no more.

Lu Li simply smiled without saying a word. No matter what, he would never let a mid-grade weapon determine his marriage.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Luo Xianzhe said no more.

His father also doesn't need to show up, lest it damage the harmony.

Instead, Lu Li listened to one sentence and after a while said, "During this trip to the secret realm, I also killed a disciple of Yingtian Academy and confiscated a low-grade magic weapon longsword—if Cicada's Cry remains unused in the Luo Clan, I am willing to exchange it for the Raging Waves Blade and other items."

"This is exchanging a knife for a sword—"

Luo Xianzhe was about to refuse, but then he thought of Lu Li's potential and the situation of the eldest son's family, and swallowed his words.

"Let my family discuss it and I'll give you an answer."

"Okay, I'll wait for your message, senior."

Seeing hope of preserving the cicadas' song, Lu Li smiled.

Keeping that Raging Wave Blade would be pointless for him; he wouldn't use it to learn another sword technique.

Reselling and then acquiring suitable swords is not only time-consuming and laborious, but the results may also be unsatisfactory.

It's better to skip the middleman and go straight for the cicadas' song, even if it means paying a higher price.

As the banquet drew to a close, a servant in a blue robe and a small cap ran into the courtyard and handed over a note.

After reading it, Luo Xianzhe cursed loudly: "Disaster! Zhai Baishi escaped from the border, and Prince Xuanwei personally went to the front line, but unfortunately he was a step too late and was stopped by the Great Zhou's military god. The two fought a hundred battles on the border, and the aftershocks collapsed two passes, causing three rivers to change course. Prince Xuanwei returned wounded, with hundreds of sword wounds on his body, but he did not shed a drop of blood."

"Number one on the Earth Ranking, terrifyingly so!"

Lu Li gasped; this name was like a nightmare for children on the border.

The Great Zhou God of War was originally just a scout in the border army, who only knew the most basic North Wind Sword Technique and fought against demons for forty years.

During this period, his achievements were enough to allow him to switch to studying the Great Zhou Demon-Slaying Sword Scripture, but he gave it up.

Forty years later, he still only knew the North Wind Sword Technique.

However, the warriors of Great Chu had to admit that the God of War of Great Zhou was the closest thing to a Grandmaster in the world.

He once withstood a palm strike from the Grandmaster of the Boling Cui Clan, and with his sword, he killed a direct descendant of the Cui Clan at the Refining Spirit stage. He then turned around and joined forces with the Grandmaster of the Great Zhou Dynasty, forcing the Cui Clan to swallow the bitter pill.

The power of the once-leading Boling Cui family was firmly confined to the city, and they were forbidden from interfering in any affairs outside Anping County.

The fact that someone with only a half-step Dharma body could participate in a battle between grandmasters and still be able to play a role is unprecedented in hundreds of years.

Boling Cui suffered in silence, and was relentlessly pressured, his power and influence were diminished.

Ultimately, they had no choice but to migrate westward as a whole clan, returning the entire Boling Prefecture to the Great Zhou Dynasty—a first in a thousand years.

He can only feel at ease if he is stationed alone at the border, as both the Prince of Xuanwei of the Great Chu and the General Jingyuan are present.

Dugu Yi, the God of War of the Great Zhou Dynasty, ranked first on the Earthly Ranking.

"How serious are Prince Xuanwei's injuries?"

Lu Li's first thought was whether the Great Zhou cavalry's southward march would be brought forward, leaving Prince Xuanwei no time to recover from his injuries.

Regardless of whether there will be any gains, as long as we buy Zhai Baishi some time, once he also becomes a half-step Dharma Body, the situation will become even more difficult.

By then, Yuzhang County will be inevitably ravaged by war, and countless lives will be lost. He will no longer have the environment to continue his cultivation.

"It shouldn't be a big problem. The half-step Dharma Body has already begun to integrate the physical body and primordial spirit, and condense the Dharma Form—as long as the source is not damaged, the Dharma Form can bear the injury, and it will not have a significant impact on combat power."

Luo Xianzhe also looked solemn, as the Luo family of Yuzhang was the first to be affected.

Others might be able to back down, but the Luo family's foundation is there, and even the slightest disturbance would be a huge loss.

"But this battle between the two will affect the irrigation of tens of thousands of acres of farmland after spring, and next year's food supply will only be more strained."

After leaving Guangyu Hall, Lu Li felt heavy-hearted and decided to bring forward the time for refining the Seven Aperture Exquisite Sword Heart.

The sword heart must be held under the tongue for forty-nine days without speaking, otherwise all previous efforts will be in vain.

My original plan was to clean up my affairs, find a reason to go out for a walk or visit friends, and disappear for a month or two.

Otherwise, if you can't speak during this time, people will immediately notice your abnormality.

But the chain reaction caused by Zhai Baishi's incident continues.

To cover for him, Dugu Yi injured the Prince of Xuanwei of the Great Chu. The aftermath of the battle between the two half-step Dharma Body cultivators caused a reduction in the yield of tens of thousands of acres of farmland.

As for the Great Zhou, whether it was to seize grain, relieve internal pressure, or buy time for Zhai Baishi, they needed a series of wars that would keep the Great Chu busy.

I am in this situation, but I am not much better off than the average person. I can only passively go with the flow.

In order to accomplish more when that day arrives, Lu Li's thirst for strength has reached a new level.

He needs greater strength to protect himself, to protect the people he cares about, and to protect the land beneath his feet.

Without notifying anyone, Lu Li shouldered a simple bag, left the city, climbed a desolate mountain, and found a wooden house by following what was not a road, relying on his memory.

This place used to be a place for lumberjacks to rest. With the development of arms manufacturing, the residents of Pengcheng began to get used to burning coal instead of firewood.

Correspondingly, the number of people going up the mountain to cut down trees has almost disappeared.

This wooden house was a desolate place that Lu Li unintentionally found when he first entered Bailu Academy, when he was feeling most lonely and uneasy and had shut himself off.

Here, stripped of all prestige, no one boasts of being a master among humans; only countless birds and small animals keep you company.

Without dazzling temptations, his progress would be interrupted, and he would face a variety of choices.

There is no need to worry about the situation; we are isolated from the world and do not receive the latest intelligence.

Living in seclusion, free from intrigue and backstabbing, is perfect for refining the Seven Aperture Exquisite Sword Heart.

Take two days to adjust your mindset. Once you feel you've reached your peak in all aspects, take out the transparent crystal. The seven golden veins on it seem to have their own life force, pulsating rhythmically.

The sword's essence entered my mouth, icy cold and sharp, like a piece of slippery jelly.

After only a quarter of an hour of silence, those golden veins seemed to connect to the skin under the tongue, pulsating in response to the heartbeat, and a faint, indescribable power seeped into the internal organs.

If one could see inside, one would see seven golden threads simultaneously climbing up Lu Li's heart.

It's just that the screen is much weaker and much smaller.

The heart became stronger and stronger, and the circulating blood turned a light gold color in sync.

That was all on the first day.

On the tenth day, a piece of the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Sword Immortal's mouth suddenly disappeared.

At the same time, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

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