Chapter 76: The End of the Inner Sect Disciple Assessment

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The End of the Inner Sect Disciple Assessment

"Brother, this is an Advanced Magic technique—the Divine Movement Technique. Master asked me to give it to you."

Yang Haichen handed the cultivation technique for the Divine Movement Technique to Liu Chen, who accepted it with a serious expression. He didn’t know why the Grand Elder wanted to give it to him, but since Senior Brother Yang had already brought it over, he couldn’t very well refuse.

"Brother, could you please explain something for me? What is Advanced Magic?"

Liu Chen put away the cultivation technique and couldn’t help but ask. When he first received magic from his master, he’d been told they were all Basic Magic Techniques. His master had never mentioned that magic was divided into different levels.

"Magic is divided into..."

Yang Haichen repeated everything his master had told him, adding at the end, "Brother, if you ever run into a cultivator who has evolved a Basic Magic Technique into their own unique style, just use the Divine Movement Technique and run."

"Thank you for clearing that up, Brother."

After hearing about the different tiers of magic, Liu Chen thanked Senior Brother Yang. Senior Brother Yang was quite considerate. He even explained the distinctions between the Early Stage, Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Peak within each realm. This gave Liu Chen a much clearer understanding of his own level.

The proficiency gained from achieving Body Tempering Perfection in the Purple Bamboo Scripture had undoubtedly set him on the path to the summit, making him a Cultivator at Body Tempering Peak.

This gave Liu Chen even more confidence in his ability to deal with the Nangong Family.

Senior Brother Yang soon left with two portions of Spiritual Cuisine. On his way back to the kitchen, Liu Chen shook his head. He didn’t let himself get carried away by the fact that he was at Body Tempering Peak and possessed two unique techniques equivalent to Advanced Magic.

He wanted more. Previously, he hadn’t fully grasped the concept of "unique" techniques and wasn’t sure if the effort to upgrade a Basic Magic Technique to that level would be worth it compared to simply learning a stronger technique. Now, he no longer had to worry.

’So the next step is simple. I need to upgrade a few more magic techniques to the unique level before the Inner Sect trials.’

’There are twenty days left, give or take. That should be enough time.’

He no longer needed to practice the Withering Skill and Recovery Technique. Liu Chen dedicated the time he’d freed up to practicing the Sword Control Technique. It was currently his strongest Attacking Skill, and he intended for it to remain his strongest in the future.

It was also the technique closest to reaching the unique level. No matter how he looked at it, Liu Chen was determined to make it the next one he upgraded.

The commotion over the Spiritual Cuisine sales, sparked by Senior Brother Yang’s return, gradually died down. The True Disciples who hoped to trade Protective Magic for the food had to give up for the time being, as Liu Chen was only accepting Magical Artifacts.

In the blink of an eye, it was August 14th. With only two days left in the Inner Sect Disciple assessment, the atmosphere in the Purple Cloud Valley plaza grew tense. By now, more than twenty names had appeared on the light screen.

But many Stewards and Elders kept their eyes fixed on the center of the plaza, waiting expectantly for the figures they hoped to see.

None of this had anything to do with Purple Bamboo Peak. Once the supply of Spiritual Cuisine was restored to one portion a day, the peak returned to its usual tranquility. While the True Disciples on Purple Bamboo Peak might not have many Spirit Stones left, those who were barred from entry during the assessment certainly did.

The True Disciples were not inflexible. They simply asked familiar True Disciples on Purple Bamboo Peak to buy the Spiritual Cuisine on their behalf. Yang Haichen didn’t even have to leave the peak; the food would be snapped up by other True Disciples.

「Afternoon, August 14th. Deep in the bamboo forest.」

The Bamboo Sword, which had previously only danced around Liu Chen, shot outward under his control. The range of his Sword Control Technique abruptly expanded from three meters to fifty. A feeling of having achieved complete mastery washed over him.

Scenes of performing Basic Sword Skills with his Sword Control Technique evolved and reassembled in his mind. In the end, the Sword Control Technique fully absorbed the Basic Sword Skill, giving rise to ten fundamental sword techniques now centered around Sword Control.

Some of these new Sword Control-based techniques were similar to the original Basic Sword Skills, while others were completely different. But undeniably, any debate about how much power could be unleashed by performing Swordsmanship via Sword Control was now over.

These basic techniques born from Sword Control were, in essence, a completely new form of Swordsmanship. Every move could be executed with its full power.

His moment of insight ended, and Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes. The Bamboo Sword in the forest abruptly accelerated, becoming a streak of light that, with incredible speed, pierced every single bamboo leaf within a fifty-meter radius of him.

’I can only really test the Thrusting Sword Technique. The other moves either cause too much of a commotion or are defensive counters.’

With a flick of his finger, Liu Chen turned the countless leaves skewered on the Bamboo Sword to ash. ’There’s another significant improvement once a technique becomes unique,’ he mused. ’You no longer need to chant Spells or form Dharma Seals. You can cast and retract the magic at will, with just a thought.’

[Sword Control Technique: Unique]

The corresponding prompt for the Sword Control Technique appeared. Liu Chen glanced at it instinctively before continuing to practice with the Bamboo Sword. He was now practicing the Cyan Lotus Demon-Slaying Sword Upper Chapter.

The Cyan Lotus Demon-Slaying Sword Upper Chapter contained only three stances.

First Stance: Cyan Lotus Awakening. Use stillness to counter motion, waiting for the right moment to act.

Second Stance: Lotus Shadow Flowing Light. Use softness to overcome hardness in a continuous, unceasing flow.

Third Stance: Lotus Platform Dustless. Pure and undefiled, untouched by a single speck of dust.

Of the three Swordsmanship stances, only Lotus Shadow Flowing Light was an offensive killing move. However, Liu Chen’s favorite was Lotus Platform Dustless. Compared to the opportunistic waiting of Cyan Lotus Awakening, Lotus Platform Dustless was an absolute defense, which perfectly suited his disposition.

Unless he could counter with a decisive, one-hit kill, Liu Chen would rather remain on the defensive indefinitely.

The Cyan Lotus Demon-Slaying Sword would be the next combat technique Liu Chen focused on improving. It was well-balanced between offense and defense. Plus, if he could cultivate it to the unique level using Sword Control, it might evolve into its own unique Sword Control version, just as his Basic Sword Skills had.

The tense and agonizing two days finally passed. As midnight struck on August 16th, the light screen sealed shut. Immediately after, streaks of light appeared in the plaza as the Outer Sect Disciples who had failed to pass the assessment were teleported out.

Mo Xuan closed his eyes as he watched the scene unfold. When he had taken the assessment, Purple Cloud Valley hadn’t possessed such means. The trials had been life-threatening. But ever since his younger sister visited, the sect’s facilities had been upgraded across the board.

’It was obvious the Mo Family had provided all this,’ he thought. ’I just wonder how many years the Sect Leader signed away in that Spirit Contract. A Teleportation Array like this couldn’t have been cheap for Purple Cloud Valley.’

"The Inner Sect Disciple assessment has concluded. Those whose names are on the list are hereby promoted to Inner Sect Disciple, effective immediately."

"I am pleased to witness the birth of Purple Cloud Valley’s new generation of Inner Sect Disciples. But I am even more pleased that all of you have returned alive. I hope you will all continue to strive, and that next year, I will see every one of your names on that list!"

The Purple Cloud Valley Sect Leader rose and addressed the somewhat dejected Outer Sect Disciples below. Even he recognized some familiar faces among them—disciples who had tried time and time again to pass the assessment.

It was cruel, he knew, but he couldn’t just promote them to Inner Sect Disciple. ’If they can’t even pass the assessment,’ he thought, ’then taking on sect missions as an Inner Sect Disciple would be a death sentence.’