This secret art divided a cultivator's aptitude into several tiers, each with its upper limit.
From lowest to highest, they were: Lower Grade, Mid-Lower Grade, Mid Grade, Mid-Upper Grade, Upper Grade, Superior Grade, and Supreme Grade, seven tiers in all.
A Lower Grade aptitude generally belonged to five-spiritual-root cultivators with extremely poor comprehension, and subpar spiritual energy conversion. Without some extraordinary stroke of luck, their entire lifetime's achievements would likely stall in the late Qi Refinement stage, unable to even condense a Dao Foundation.
Mid-Lower Grade aptitude was usually found in cultivators with four or five spiritual roots. Their comprehension was mediocre, but their absorption and conversion of spiritual energy were better. With the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill, they might just break through before their vitality declined at age sixty.
Mid-grade aptitude typically meant three spiritual roots. These cultivators learned spells faster, and if they found a compatible cultivation method, they could efficiently convert absorbed spiritual energy into spiritual power. Their odds of reaching Foundation Establishment were high, and with opportunities, even the Purple Mansion stage was within reach.
Mid-Upper Grade differed from Mid Grade mainly in having stronger comprehension. At this point, the number of spiritual roots mattered less. Their chances of entering the Purple Mansion stage were greater, and with effort, they could expect to reach the Golden Core realm.
Upper Grade aptitude cultivators almost all had the potential to form a Golden Core, but now comprehension and mental state outweighed even spiritual root quality unless, of course, they were born with the legendary Heavenly Spiritual Root.
Those with Superior Grade aptitude were virtually guaranteed to reach the Golden Core stage unless something went seriously wrong, and their prospects were limitless if they had opportunities.
As for those with Supreme Grade aptitude, their future achievements could no longer be predicted.
Naturally, this was only a reference point. There were countless uncontrollable factors, and evaluations could change over time.
Still, the value of this knowledge could not be underestimated, especially for a clan, as it allowed them to uncover and nurture hidden talent instead of letting it go to waste.
Thinking of this, Song Changsheng suddenly grew curious about which tier his aptitude would fall under.
From a conventional perspective, he possessed dual Water and Fire spiritual roots, placing him squarely in the middle tier.
But if his exceptional comprehension was taken into account… could he perhaps be rated as Upper Grade?
He decided to find out immediately. Placing his right hand over his Baihui acupoint, a flicker of spiritual light flashed, revealing his condition in full detail.
The final result: Mid-Upper Grade.
Song Changsheng took the result calmly. He had always had a clear understanding of his aptitude without the Dao Scripture and the many opportunities he'd encountered; his achievements would likely have stopped at the Purple Mansion stage.
But… would his future truly stop there?
He didn't think so. With his current cultivation speed, there were fewer than five people in the entire Great Qi cultivation world who could surpass him.
Ten years ago, such a thought would have been unthinkable.
But wasn't that the essence of cultivation?
To struggle against Heaven.
To struggle against Earth.
To struggle against men.
He believed in neither Heaven nor Fate.
"I wonder what rating Qingxi and Qingxing would get?" Song Changsheng rubbed his chin, deciding to test them once they finished their comprehension.
At that moment, his gaze landed on the sleeping Xiao Lingyun, and his brows furrowed.
Pulling the boy's thumb from his mouth with a pop, he grumbled, "Was this little one deprived of sleep in his past life? Still hasn't woken up after all this time… the beast milk I prepared is going to spoil."
If Song Lingyun could speak, he would surely cry and protest. It's not that I don't want to wake up! It's not that I don't want the beast milk!
I fainted from hunger, alright?
The baby's heart was full of grievances at having such an unreliable 'dad.'
Song Changsheng put away the Taiji Diagram, picked up Xiao Lingyun, and left the meditation room. Handing the key back to a Heavenly Sword Sect disciple on duty outside, he asked, "How many days of comprehension time remain?"
"Two days. Most of the fellow Daoists who came to the Sword Stele Forest have already gone down the mountain."
"It's already been three days…"
Song Changsheng was startled. He had thought his closed-door cultivation had lasted only a dozen hours, but three days had passed.
"Then Lingyun's been hungry for three days?"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, he scrambled to make amends. After a flurry of activity, Xiao Lingyun finally ate his fill and fell back into deep sleep.
Song Changsheng quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, reminding himself never to make such a mistake again.
Back at the Sword Stele Forest, Song Qingxi ran up immediately, pouting. "Where did you go? I couldn't find you anywhere. I've been sitting here all day!"
"I had some insights and went into seclusion for a few days. How was your harvest?"
Song Qingxi eagerly reported, "I mastered a second-tier sword technique!"
"Very good. Clever girl." Song Changsheng patted her soft head encouragingly, then turned his gaze to Song Qingxing, who was holding the Traceless Sword.
Song Qingxing lifted his chin slightly and said coolly, "I've gained a little."
Seeing that all three of them had gained something, Old Ghost Redfire suddenly felt his face burning with embarrassment.
Though he had followed his instincts to find a third-tier sword technique that suited him, after days of contemplation, he had gained nothing.
He had no choice but to give up and turn to a blank stone stele instead. Yet after several more days, all he managed to comprehend was a cultivation insight left by a predecessor, one meant for the Foundation Establishment stage, which was of absolutely no use to him.
In contrast to the others, he seemed downright useless.
Fortunately, Song Changsheng had no intention of questioning him. Seeing that the two juniors had each gained something, Song nodded with satisfaction and said,
"Not a wasted trip, after all. Since we're all finished here, let's prepare to return to the clan. The demon clans of the Ten-Thousand Mountains have launched a large-scale invasion, and I still can't feel at ease about the situation back home."
Just then, a young Foundation Establishment cultivator in the robes of the Heavenly Sword Sect approached.
Unlike the other disciples, whose faces were full of pride, this man wore a warm, sunny smile.
"Are you fellow Daoists preparing to descend the mountain?" he cupped his hands toward Song Changsheng and the others, his smile practically beaming.
Song returned the gesture, puzzled.
"We are. May I ask what business you have with us, fellow Daoist?"
The young cultivator's smile was as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhu Ming, currently serving as a deacon of the sect. I see that all of you are highly talented dragons and phoenixes among men. I wonder if you would care to step aside and have a word?"
Song Changsheng frowned.
No one climbs the Three Treasures Hall without a reason.
For him to be so courteous, he must be after something.
"If you have business, just say it. I still have pressing matters to attend to," Song said bluntly. He was in a hurry to return to the clan and had no time for pleasantries.
Zhu Ming hadn't expected such directness. He was momentarily taken aback, then kept his smile.
"In that case, I'll speak plainly.
I've observed that all of you have exceptional talent in the way of the sword, achieving results in just a few short days. Truly, you put me to shame.
Our Heavenly Sword Sect has always welcomed talents from all quarters. I wonder, do you already have a master's?"
The meaning was obvious; he was here to recruit them.
This was standard practice for the Heavenly Sword Sect, and Song had heard of it before. He felt no real hostility toward the offer, but still replied politely,
"We appreciate your kind intentions, fellow Daoist, but we are of a family lineage and have no plans to take a master."
With that, Song prepared to leave with his companions.
To his surprise, Zhu Ming stepped in front of them again, still smiling.
"Fellow Daoist, I humbly suggest that a matter as important as choosing a master should be left to these two young friends to decide for themselves. Wouldn't you agree?"
Hearing this, Song's brow furrowed. He didn't like it; he had already declined, yet the man kept pressing.
But then he noticed the way Zhu Ming was looking at Song Qingxing, and realization dawned.
So, his target is Qingxing! The fox, paying New Year's greetings to the hen, had no good intentions at all!
Still, Zhu Ming's words gave him no grounds for outright refusal. Choosing a master was a matter for the individual, and even elders had no right to overstep.
"Xi'er, Xing'er, you've heard what Deacon Zhu said. The choice is yours. The clan will not interfere," Song said calmly, turning to the two juniors.
"Xi'er's not going anywhere," Song Qingxi declared immediately. She had grown up in the clan; it was her root, and she would never abandon it.
Seeing her refusal so decisive, Zhu Ming's expression shifted slightly. But since she wasn't his target anyway, he quickly turned to the silent Song Qingxing.
"Young friend, don't be too hasty in deciding. At least hear my offer first.
If you join my Heavenly Sword Sect, you may immediately enter the Sword Pool and choose a divine weapon. Our sect master will personally take you as a disciple and fully support you in breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage. Reaching the Golden Core realm may not be impossible, either."
It was an undeniably tempting offer. The Heavenly Sword Sect's sect master was a Purple Mansion cultivator; to enter his tutelage was a dream countless people chased.
For some reason, Song Changsheng suddenly felt nervous. Could Song Qingxing resist such a lure?
After all, the Heavenly Sword Sect was the foremost sword sect in the Great Qi cultivation world. The help they could offer far surpassed what the Song clan could provide.
Given Qingxing's naturally aloof temperament, it wouldn't be strange for him to abandon the clan for the sake of his path.
Zhu Ming, too, was nervous. Recruiting Qingxing was an order given personally by the sect master. If he could pull it off, his standing in the sect would surely rise.
Are these chips enough to sway him? Should I sweeten the deal further?
"Boring."
To Zhu Ming's astonishment, Song Qingxing didn't even look at him, just dropped the word and started walking down the mountain.
"This…" Zhu Ming was dumbfounded.
Even with such generous conditions, the rejection had been that blunt.
"Fellow Daoist Zhu, you heard them. Neither of my juniors has any wish to take a master's. Please, we're heading down the mountain," Song Changsheng said with a slight smile, his mood much improved.
Zhu Ming sighed and cupped his hands.
"My apologies for being presumptuous. Farewell, fellow Daoists."
Seeing he wasn't going to press further, Song gave a small nod. At least he has some boundaries.
"We'll take our leave, then."
Once they were off the mountain, Song Changsheng suddenly burst out laughing.
"Uncle, what's so funny?" Song Qingxi asked, puzzled.
Song just smiled and changed the subject.
"I still need to find a few spirit items that can nourish the soul. We'll stay in Ten-Thousand Swords City for a few days, then return to the clan."
After finding an inn to settle in, Song Changsheng immediately began scouring the major shops of Ten-Thousand Swords City for spirit items that could nourish the soul.
Such soul-nourishing items weren't particularly rare, but after two full days of searching, he had only managed to acquire a few low-grade ones like Soul-Nurturing Grass and Soul-Returning Liquid.
Fortunately, the jade slip he possessed would accept anything, no matter the grade, so long as it had a soul-nourishing effect. With no better option, he decided to win by sheer quantity.
In total, he spent nearly thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones, sweeping several shops clean of all their stock.
He then made a trip to the black market and bought more soul-nourishing items, spending over another ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. In just a short while, his coin pouch had shrunk by more than half.
Thankfully, his efforts weren't in vain. Although the cost was steep, the results were tangible; he had advanced the process of awakening the artifact spirit to one percent.
Yes, just one percent.
On the side of the jade slip was a narrow groove, and according to the notes left by his cheap old master, the artifact spirit would awaken only when that groove was filled with a glowing light.
Yet, after spending over forty thousand low-grade spirit stones to gather all those spirit items, the groove now only glimmered with the faintest trace of light.
Calling it "one percent" was already being generous.
"At this rate, wouldn't it take hundreds of thousands of spirit stones to wake the artifact spirit?" Song Changsheng couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle.
Still, considering the artifact's grade, he found some comfort in telling himself that the greater the investment, the greater the return.
When all was done, it was already the seventeenth day of the tenth month, the day the Sword Stele Forest opened again. The flow of people in the city had noticeably increased.
But that had nothing to do with Song Changsheng and his companions; they were preparing for the journey home.
However, just as they reached the city gates, Song Changsheng was startled to see several Heavenly Sword Sect disciples standing guard, their faces stern and murderous, as if searching for someone.
Those who had been planning to leave the city were being ordered back, the atmosphere tense and on high alert.
Song Changsheng's heart sank sharply. What's going on? Has the Golden Crow Sect launched an attack?
"Hey, fellow Daoists, it's you! Didn't expect to see you stuck inside the city, too. Seems we're in the same boat, huh?"
A tall, burly young cultivator walked over. He wore a long robe, seven differently colored jade pendants, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple dangling from his waist, and carried a folded fan in his hand, looking quite flamboyant.
But what truly stunned Song Changsheng was the figure trailing behind him, a round, plump giant panda.
Are there giant pandas in this world?
"And this fellow Daoist is…?"
Old Ghost Redfire quickly stepped forward to explain.
Song Changsheng instantly understood it was someone who had crossed paths with Song Qingxi and the others once before.
Noting that the man's cultivation was no joke and that his words suggested he knew something, Song Changsheng cupped his hands politely.
"I am Song Changsheng. May I ask, Fellow Daoist Pi, do you know what's happened in Ten-Thousand Swords City? Why has the city suddenly been sealed off?"
Pi Xiu looked at him in surprise.
"You don't know?"
"I've been in seclusion these past two days. I truly don't."
"Ah, well, this time it's no small matter. Last night, some evildoer snuck into the Heavenly Sword Sect and stole the Wordless Stele."
"What?"
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