Chapter 7: Divine Firmament Sword-Control True Manual

A few days later.

Inside the cave dwelling, Lu Yang sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. His right hand performed a hand seal, and a point of spiritual light condensed at his fingertips, finally transforming into a white bone flying sword as thin as a cicada's wing.

The sword was a pale bluish-white, and its resonance sounded like rolling thunder.

"Go!"

With a flick of his finger, the white bone flying sword instantly transformed into a magnificent, several-丈-long streak of light that shot forth, its whistling sword-light sounding like heavenly thunder rolling through the sky.

"A fine sword technique!"

Seeing this, a hint of joy surfaced on Lu Yang's face. He then shifted his hand seal, and the white bone flying sword immediately split into two in mid-air.

In the next second, Lu Yang's figure vanished from his original position as if he had teleported, appearing directly where one of the streaks of sword-light was located. As the seals in his hands changed, his figure seemed to turn into a bolt of lightning, maneuvering freely between the two streaks of light.

After a long while, Lu Yang finally stopped, his face filled with excitement.

"Good! What a magnificent Divine Firmament Sword-Control True Art!"

This sword technique was actually quite simple: once a practitioner mastered it, they could split their sword-light and then instantaneously teleport into the split sword-light.

The higher the magical power, the greater the distance of the teleportation.

If the Sect Leader of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion were to act personally, they could even sit within the Pavilion and teleport ten thousand miles with a single sword strike, taking an enemy's head amidst casual conversation.

And this was merely the elementary variation of the technique.

It was said that at higher levels, one could truly manifest the divine thunderous might of the Divine Firmament within the sword-light. Unfortunately, that part of the cultivation method was beyond Lu Yang's reach.

It wasn't that he couldn't extract it, but rather that Yun Miaocheng herself didn't know it.

However, this was normal. After all, if it were the complete *Divine Firmament Sword-Control True Art*, a mere 1,000 contribution points certainly wouldn't be enough to buy it; 10,000 would be more realistic.

"Hmph, utterly foolish!"

A cold sneer came from behind. Lu Yang turned around to see the woman from the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion looking at him with a face full of disgust, disdain, and contempt.

After spending several days together, Lu Yang had gained a relatively deep understanding of her.

The woman's name was Yun Miaocheng, an inner disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion. She studied under Perfected Divine Firmament, specialized in the Divine Firmament Sword-Control True Art, and had once possessed a cultivation level of the sixth layer of Qi Refinement.

Lu Yang looked at Yun Miaocheng and asked curiously, "I used my sword technique incorrectly."

Hearing this, Yun Miaocheng turned her head away. "Do you think I would tell you? You demon, even if you stole my sword technique, you are merely imitating a cat to draw a tiger!"

"Why bother?"

Lu Yang shook his head and walked up to Yun Miaocheng, looking helpless. "Are you sure you won't tell me? Or are you trying to force me to use *that* again?"

"*That*..."

Yun Miaocheng stared intensely at Lu Yang.

"It's just that demonic art. Do you think I will submit?"

"Though you say that... you have already submitted once before, you know." Lu Yang pointed to the emblem on Yun Miaocheng's chest and said, "You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"You're lying!"

Looking at the mark on her body, Yun Miaocheng pursed her lips in humiliation. "That time was merely you taking advantage of my vulnerability!"

Having said that, she tightly gripped the pendant around her neck.

It was an exquisitely crafted small white jade sword, a dharma sword that only disciples of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion could possess, serving the same purpose as Lu Yang's disciple token.

"I am a disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, and I am irreconcilable with the demonic path. This will never change!"

"No matter how powerful your demonic art is, the human heart will not be swayed by the enchantments of these heterodox paths."

"My loyalty to the Sword Pavilion will never waver."

"I swear upon my dharma sword!"

As her voice fell, Yun Miaocheng clenched her teeth and looked at Lu Yang with a determined gaze, appearing like a pure lotus flower sinking into the mud yet remaining untainted.

Another day passed.

Inside the cave dwelling, Lu Yang sat cross-legged on the prayer mat in the "five hearts facing heaven" posture.

After a long time, Lu Yang finally exhaled a heavy breath of turbid air.

"You have actually mastered the Divine Firmament Sword-Control True Art quite proficiently. There aren't any major issues. Even if there are, they lie with external objects..."

Yun Miaocheng said weakly.

Under Lu Yang's "interrogation," she had finally begged for mercy. When Lu Yang questioned her again, she merely gave a cold snort and then answered submissively

"As long as our Sword Pavilion disciples enter the Qi Refinement stage, they use a sect secret method to extract golden essence, supplemented by various external medicines, to refine a Sword Pill. All sword techniques in the Sword Pavilion require the assistance of a Sword Pill to reach their full potential. The higher the quality of the Sword Pill, the greater the power of the sword technique."

Through Yun Miaocheng's explanation, Lu Yang finally understood.

Currently, while practicing the Divine Firmament Sword-Control True Art, he could only split into two streaks of sword-light, and the effect was limited to teleportation. While he was fast, his offensive power was insufficient.

However, once bolstered by a Sword Pill, the number of sword-light streaks Lu Yang could split into would at least double.

At the same time, he could merge his body with the Sword Pill, allowing him to unleash devastating strikes while maneuvering between the streaks of light. With this, he would hold a massive advantage in combat.

In a direct fight, Lu Yang would only need to command the Sword Pill and then split sword-light in all directions; the opponent, surrounded by sword-light, would be like a fish in a barrel.

No matter what methods the opponent employed thereafter, he could easily evade them and strike from another direction, forcing them into a desperate defense. After a few rounds of such maneuvering, the opponent would naturally reveal a fatal flaw, at which point a full-strength strike would make their escape impossible.

"That is why we disciples of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion are the number one in combat in the Jiangnan region!"

At this point, a look of pride surfaced on Yun Miaocheng's face.

"You demon, you..."

Lu Yang stood up. "So the deficiency was in the Sword Pill. I also know the refinement method now... well, I have no more business with you. Go rest."

Yun Miaocheng: "???"

Is this a joke? It's over just like that?

What about the interrogation?

In the next second, she snapped back to her senses and instinctively gripped the dharma sword around her neck. "No, this is fine... I am a disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion..."

"I need to make some money."

Walking out of the cave dwelling, Lu Yang began to contemplate his future.

"I only have 50 contribution points right now. After deducting 30 points for this month's rent, if I don't make more money, I'll have to move back to the Hehuan Hall next month."

In the Primordial Saint Sect, there were many ways to earn contribution points.

These included, but were not limited to, salaries from various sect positions, selling personal items, rewards for completing bounties, and sect missions.

"But for a 'three-no' disciple like me—no backing, no assets, and no strength—I have no connections for sect positions, most of my personal items are worthless, and I lack the ability to complete high-priced bounties. My only choice is to take on sect missions and work for the sect just to scrape by..."

The more Lu Yang thought about it, the angrier he became.

I'm a cultivator, and I still have to work a job?

(End of Chapter)