Chapter 19: Comprehending

A mighty sword aura suddenly erupted from Su Yuan's body, soaring skyward! He charged upstream against the Silver Spirit Falls! Like a golden swordfish, he fought his way upward! Initially full of power, he leaped forward rapidly, covering half the distance in an instant. Yet the force was waning, the tremendous sword aura rapidly depleting. But Su Yuan continuously contemplated the Silver Spirit Falls' artistic conception, generating waves of sword aura that endlessly supported the golden swordfish's upstream struggle! The sword aura surged repeatedly, charging, charging, charging again! Occasionally pushed back by the powerful silver waterfall, only to climb even higher with Su Yuan's relentless assaults! Little Li stood nearby cheering for Su Yuan, her sparkling eyes filled with anticipation. "You can do it, you must succeed!" Little Li prayed silently. As if hearing her encouragement, Su Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, releasing another burst of sword aura that merged with the previous one, finally conquering the Silver Spirit Falls and reaching the clouds. The remaining sword aura underwent a magnificent transformation, condensing into a golden spark of conceptual light that instantly crossed the sky and entered Su Yuan's forehead. A golden sword mark appeared between Su Yuan's brows, radiating sharp sword radiance! At this moment, Su Yuan established a faint connection with Silver Spirit Falls, faintly sensing he had gained qualification to re-enter the secret realm! Turning to Little Li with a gentle smile, Su Yuan said softly, "I did it!" "Congratulations!" Little Li rejoiced sincerely. Su Yuan smiled, checking the remaining time on his entry permit - barely an hour left. But he wasn't in a hurry to cultivate. Recalling the contents of the "Burning Wood Spirit Tempering Technique," he began modifying the technique! A top-grade Yellow Tier technique was still too weak! In his "Transcendent" state, armed with understanding of two "Momentums" and one "Concept," revising the Burning Wood Spirit Tempering Technique felt divinely inspired! The energy circulation paths became extremely complex yet flawlessly smooth, the flowing spiritual energy no longer ordinary but directly replaced with Mystic Truth Qi! He integrated the "Mystic Truth Derivation Art" into the "Burning Wood Spirit Tempering Technique," elevating its grade by several levels - Su Yuan estimated it might now qualify as a Heaven Tier technique! Though just a low-grade Heaven Tier! Normally, only techniques at the Nascent Soul level involved "Concepts," but Su Yuan had first comprehended the "Concept," then reverse-engineered the technique to match his current cultivation stage, accelerating his progress! After completing the modifications, Su Yuan finally began his breakthrough! The eighth and ninth spiritual nodes shattered effortlessly at his will. Then he constructed Triple Mystic Truth Talismans within both new nodes. Immediately, all nine nodes connected, forming a complete cycle where Mystic Truth Qi circulated endlessly, with both recovery and circulation speeds multiplied several times! Within his dantian, Su Yuan constructed a small golden cauldron, its surface engraved with a tiny golden sword! Beneath the cauldron, green wood representing Wood Momentum burned with warm flames, continuously tempering the red fire! Inside the cauldron, Mystic Truth Qi churned and refined, transforming into deeper Mystic Truth Qi already showing signs of vaporization! Pushing forward, Su Yuan continued opening spiritual nodes. In the blink of an eye, he consumed eighty percent of his Mystic Truth Qi! Opening nine spiritual nodes in one go! Reaching peak Qi Refining fourth layer, he established another nine-node cycle. At this point, the entry permit's effect expired. Three days of continuous cultivation left Su Yuan mentally exhausted. When the cooldown began, dizziness overwhelmed him and he collapsed backward. Little Li rushed over, catching Su Yuan and laying him on a soft fur blanket. Staring intently at the instantly sleeping Su Yuan, she seemed fascinated by what kind of monster he was. Morning. Su Yuan felt something fluffy tickling his nose. Opening his eyes quickly, he saw Little Li hastily retracting her paw. She scampered behind a tree like a startled rabbit, unaware her rapidly wagging tail remained visible. "Alright, Little Li, I'm awake! Where are you?" Su Yuan called with a laugh. "Huh? You're awake? Lazybones!" Little Li emerged nonchalantly. Su Yuan grinned, "So, how about that? Impressed? I've passed your ninth test, right? Though barely, I did grasp something!" Little Li's mouth twitched, unsure how to respond. Should she tell him he'd misunderstood the requirements? "Ahem, ahem, consider it passed!" Little Li nodded. "Finally complete!" Su Yuan sighed as if a weight had lifted. Then Little Li produced a jade box from her embrace, offering it to Su Yuan. "What's this? Your treasured possession? Haha, just kidding! You shouldn't really give it to me!" Su Yuan waved, signaling her to take it back. "No, this isn't my treasure. It's the inheritance reward left by the Founder. You passed the test, so it's yours!" Little Li explained. "Inheritance reward?" Su Yuan's eyes widened, "But the Peak Master said all rewards were gone?" "Almost all were taken, but one reward for the ninth literary challenge remained! Those muscle-headed disciples thought they'd taken everything - hilarious!" Little Li laughed heartily. "You didn't tell them?" Su Yuan asked. "It's the Founder's test - I couldn't reveal it!" Little Li shook her head. Su Yuan nodded, first instinctively shielding them both with Mystic Truth barriers before opening the jade box. Inside lay three inheritance jade slips. "Three?" Su Yuan exclaimed. "Mm. The formation masterpiece 'Thousand Formations Art,' the talisman masterpiece 'Talisman Guides Heaven and Earth,' and the sword masterpiece 'Sword Resonance.' Our Founder's Daoist name was Ten Extremes Wanderer - he had ten masterpieces. The Seven Extremes Sect only inherited seven," Little Li recounted knowledgeably. Su Yuan inhaled sharply, "All for me? Isn't this favoritism, giving me three at once?" Little Li rolled her eyes, "You comprehended three universal truths - doesn't three rewards make sense?" She looked up nervously, as if expecting something. But nothing happened, so she lifted her head even higher! Noticing her reaction and seeing no punishment, Su Yuan promptly pocketed the jade slips. He coughed, "Well, time's almost up..." Little Li immediately drooped. "You're leaving?" "Yeah, about time," Su Yuan said. "Oh," Little Li nodded quietly. "Don't worry, I've gained access to the secret realm. I'll visit often and bring outside delicacies!" Su Yuan laughed. "Really? You better not forget the roast duck you promised!" Little Li's eyes sparkled. "Of course!" Su Yuan nodded. After thinking, he added, "Later, I'll try becoming the Immortal Seed Valley Master - then I can enter anytime!" Little Li immediately said, "Then you must work hard! That old man is at False Core realm, one step from Golden Core. If he doesn't break through soon, his lifespan will end. In about ten years he'll leave to take his chances, vacating the position!" "That old man's only at peak Foundation Establishment? All that flamboyance comes from being stuck at the Golden Core bottleneck with pent-up energy?" Su Yuan mocked the Valley Master. In the following days, Su Yuan played with Little Li while familiarizing himself with Momentum and Concept before bidding farewell. Under Little Li's reluctant gaze, Su Yuan stepped through the silver light gate. As he crossed the threshold, Nine colored lights shot skyward. Instantly, a figure materialized, pressing down to contain the lights around the gate, Quickly planting dozens of formation flags to conceal the spectacle. When the lights faded, Su Yuan saw a slovenly old Daoist examining him curiously. "You are...?" Su Yuan blinked. "Me? I am the Seven Extremes Sect's most peerless genius across millennia, the one who once carved through nineteen continents, the legendary Slayer of Myriad Beings - the mighty Nascent Soul expert, Elder Nangong!" The old Daoist boasted proudly, then tripped and fell hard on his backside. "Ow! My old back!" he wailed, seemingly genuinely hurt. Su Yuan glanced at nearby cleaning tools, then at the disheveled old man, skepticism written on his face. "What's that look for? Doubting me? I'll show you my swordsmanship!" The old man stood, forming hand seals as a chipped, miniature flying sword wobbled up, then suddenly shot toward a nearby rock with a "bang," leaving a bowl-sized crater. "See? Amazing right? A new seedling like you's never seen real magic! This is sword magic! Incredible!" "Amazing! Spectacular!" Su Yuan clapped, realizing the old man mistook him for a new disciple - new batches must be arriving at Immortal Seed Valley. Who else would young people here be? "Ahem, old timer, take it easy. At your age, focus on health! Tai Chi and walks suit you better!" "Tai Chi?" "Hey, I've got time - let me teach you!" Su Yuan immediately struck a Tai Chi pose on the spot, mixing together the Tai Chi moves he'd seen old men practicing in the park in his past life with the ones he’d watched in short videos, and taught the whole mishmash to the old Daoist. The instruction lasted two full quarter-hours! "Got it?" Su Yuan asked calmly. The old man stared as if at an idiot, "I'm an immortal cultivator! You're peddling mortal martial arts? Think I'm a fool?!" "You don't understand - Tai Chi embodies yin-yang, bagua, and five elements' cosmic truths. Mastering even a fraction could fix your back! Reach true proficiency, and slaying immortals becomes possible!" Su Yuan laughed heartily. "Really?" The old man seemed tempted. Su Yuan patted his shoulder with an encouraging look. "Trust me, I respect elders - never lie!" Without blinking. "Maybe I'll try?!" The old man grew more interested. "Want another demonstration?" "Pah! I memorized it!" "Great! I'm off then - see you!" Su Yuan bid farewell, strolling away casually - only then noticing his drenched palms and back.