After returning to Jingxian Manor, Ye Liangchen summoned the Pure鈞 Sword and began practicing Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind Swordplay.
"Starting Stance Extending Sword, Immortal Guiding the Way, Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg, Left Bow Evenly Divided, Root Intersecting Sword, Horizontal Chop Standing Alone, Lifting Step Holding Sword, Right Bow Even Step Thrust, Returning Horse Sword, Vertical Chop Huashan, Raising Fire Burning Heaven… Myriad Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind."
"Swish, swish, swish…"
Ye Liangchen recited the incantations while practicing the sword moves, and the long sword in his hand produced blooming sword flowers, ever-changing and incredibly dazzling.
In the Douluo World, a Spirit is actually equivalent to a person's soul manifestation and is closely connected to their own soul, and since the Pure鈞 Sword is Ye Liangchen's Spirit, he can make the sword follow his will.
As Ye Liangchen practiced, he gradually reached a state of self-forgetfulness, as if only he existed between heaven and earth.
"Swish, swish, swish…"
Ye Liangchen's practice also aroused the curiosity of Shui Lingfeng, Mu Qingxue, and others, who came to Jingxian Manor one after another, watching from afar the exquisite swordplay Ye Liangchen was performing.
"This Xiao Jiahuo's talent is too heaven-defying; he's practicing such profound swordplay more and more exquisitely. It seems we can't teach him anything."
Su Lin smiled. Nominally, she was Ye Liangchen's teacher, but she couldn't teach him anything.
"This is probably the talent brought by his Sword Soul! Ye Feng's Spirit was also a sword, and his comprehension of the Way of the Sword surpassed even Sword Douluo. It seems this talent has been perfectly inherited by Xiao Jiahuo."
Lan Xiaodie and her sister recalled Ye Feng's talent back then, thinking, "As expected of his offspring!"
Shui Lingfeng reminded everyone, "Alright! Let's not disturb Xiao Jiahuo anymore. Let him cultivate in peace. Everyone also needs to work hard to improve their strength, hoping to help him in the future."
Now with the help of the miraculous Hun Yuan Art, Shui Lingfeng's hope for rebuilding the Sect grew stronger. If the core members around her could all reach the Titled Douluo realm, they could help Xiao Jiahuo.
Ye Liangchen didn't mind these people watching his cultivation. Anyway, these cultivation methods were not a secret to them. He just didn't know to what extent they could cultivate. Ye Liangchen felt that no matter how much others cultivated, they wouldn't be as powerful as him. After all, they were older and had already passed the best age for cultivation.
After finishing the Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind Swordplay, Ye Liangchen rested for a while, then took out Five Elements Mysterious Steps and Deity Forging Art from his game backpack. He hadn't had time to cultivate these two supreme martial arts yet, and planned to practice them thoroughly today.
Five Elements Mysterious Steps is an infinitely profound light body movement technique, similar to Lingbo Weibu. For the Douluo World, it is simply a divine skill.
Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track is also a profound movement technique, with its dodging, shifting, and ghost-like steps, it is very applicable whether used in combat or for escaping.
Now that Ye Liangchen was practicing Five Elements Mysterious Steps, when he faced Tang San, they would see whose movement technique was superior.
"Stepping on the Two Extremes, Metal and Wood are firm, Phoenix dances in the nine heavens, perched in water,
Body in the universe, mind in Qian and Li, Hidden Dragon not to be used, fire soaring into the sky,
All phenomena return to the origin, Earth connects longitude and latitude, Five Elements transform into perplexing steps."
Ye Liangchen looked at the incantation for Five Elements Mysterious Steps, and according to the footwork in the diagram, he began to practice step by step.
"Swish, swish…"
As Ye Liangchen deepened his understanding of the movement technique, he practiced with more vigor, his movements graceful, his robes fluttering, his actions infinitely varied. He practiced to perfection, gradually reaching a state of self-forgetfulness.
For some unknown reason, Ye Liangchen could quickly master the cultivation methods brought by the game. This was probably due to his cheat-like abilities, with the blessing of a protagonist's halo.
An hour later, Ye Liangchen concluded his practice, feeling his steps were very light, with a sensation of being as light as a swallow.
Immediately after, he began to comprehend the Refining Spirit Art. Ye Liangchen was very much looking forward to this cultivation method for cultivating the soul and mental force.
The Refining Spirit Art has a total of seven layers. For each layer cultivated, the divine soul and mental force will grow by 20%. Cultivating three layers allows one to see through all illusions. Reaching five layers allows one to launch divine soul attacks. The seventh layer allows one to transform with the divine soul.
After carefully reading the general outline of the Refining Spirit Art, Ye Liangchen felt that it was similar to the Deity Forging Art cultivated by Old Devil Han. If that were truly the case, then it would be formidable.
"Hands embracing the Zi-Wu Art, four gates tightly shut, guarding the center,
All thoughts return to one, entering the void, sensing and understanding, true meaning arises."
According to the diagram, Ye Liangchen sat cross-legged, his right thumb pinching the middle finger of his right hand into the Wu character art, his left thumb entering his right hand, pinching the Zi character art of his right hand, his left hand embracing his right hand, forming the embracing Zi-Wu Art, palms facing upwards, naturally placed between his legs below his navel.
The four gates are tightly shut (meaning eyes do not see, nose does not smell, mouth does not speak, ears do not hear).
All attachments are still, the mind guards the center, and over time, all thoughts return to one thought, and one thought returns to no thought.
Ye Liangchen sat quietly, holding this thoughtlessness, calmly comprehending. An hour later, he suddenly felt a burst of joy, a tingling sensation throughout his body, all attachments purified, his mind clear and empty. He immediately felt his spiritual platform clear, and even though his eyes were closed, it was as if all things around him could not escape his perception, though this perception was still only vague and not clear.
"Whoosh, whoosh…"
"As expected of the Daoist Refining Spirit Art, it's truly incredible. If I cultivate it to mastery, I'll be able to perceive everything just by using my divine consciousness, even with my eyes closed."
After an hour of cultivation, Ye Liangchen found his mind much sharper. This was only his first time cultivating, and he had already gained so much; it was very good.
"Cultivation isn't something that can be achieved overnight. I'll rest for a bit first."
Ye Liangchen brewed a pot of tea, sat in the pavilion, and slowly savored it, enjoying the tranquility. He thought, "Compared to the miserable working life of my previous life, this is what true living is."
At this moment, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er had finished class. The two of them carried three boxes of food and walked into Jingxian Manor. Seeing Ye Liangchen sitting in the pavilion, they immediately hopped over and placed the food on the stone table.
"Two elder sisters, you're done with class." Ye Liangchen greeted the two girls.
"Xiao Chen Didi! Let's eat first!"
"Thank you, elder sister."
The three Xiao Jiahuo happily ate dinner in the pavilion. The academy's food was very rich, with a lot of meat, which was excellent for students who were still growing.
The peaceful days passed one by one, and Ye Liangchen was completely immersed in this life. Every day was cultivation, eating, and sleeping. Sometimes he would leave the manor to go to the academy square to look at beautiful women, and life was full of fun.
…
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years passed. Ye Liangchen was now 8 years old.
In these two years, Ye Liangchen had grown much taller, almost 1.6 meters, and had also become much handsomer, but the childishness on his face had not yet faded, as he was only 8 years old after all.
Now, Ye Liangchen's strength was several times greater than when he was 6 years old. Five Elements Divine Fist, Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms Welcoming the Wind Swordplay, Celestial Flight, and Five Elements Mysterious Steps had all been cultivated to the minor accomplishment level. As for the Refining Spirit Art, it had reached the second layer.
Although Ye Liangchen spent most of his time cultivating those profound martial arts in the past two years and cultivated Hun Yuan Art relatively little, his spirit power still reached level 20.
One morning, inside Jingxian Manor, Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, Xue Wu, Yu Hairou, Qiu Ruoshui, Gu Qingbo, and Shen Yu Liu were learning swordplay, while Ye Liangchen sat in the distance guiding them.
Initially, only Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er followed Ye Liangchen to learn. Later, after Xue Wu and the other girls witnessed Ye Liangchen's exquisite swordplay, they all went to the Tianshui City weapon shop to buy swords and then learned swordplay from Ye Liangchen.
These were all good sisters of Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, and also good partners for the future Soul Master Competition. Ye Liangchen simply taught them all together. As for how much they could learn, it depended on their own comprehension.
Two years of growth had also made these girls much taller and more beautiful. Especially Xue Wu, who was already 12 years old, almost like an adult beauty. She also had short hair, looking both pretty and cool, with a feeling of a 'tough girl'.
Yu Hairou, Qiu Ruoshui, and Gu Qingbo were one year younger than Xue Wu, but they were similar to her, having all grown into graceful beauties. As for Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and Shen Yu Liu, they were a bit younger, but they were also like girls next door who were just starting to grow up. In a few more years, these girls would become the most beautiful girl group on the Douluo Continent.
"Swish, swish, swish…"
Ye Liangchen watched these girls perform, feeling as if they were dancing, their graceful figures like beautiful butterflies fluttering among flowers.
Suddenly, Ye Liangchen remembered the sword dance of Sword Fairy Gongsun Da Niang, especially her "One Dance of the Sword Instrument Shakes the Four Directions," which was truly exquisite.
The prototype of Gongsun Li in the game King of Glory also came from Gongsun Da Niang. If Shui Bing'er and these girls were to wear Gongsun Li's attire and dance, it would definitely be breathtaking.
Ye Liangchen closed his eyes, thinking about Gongsun Li's dance moves, intending to choreograph them in the future and definitely make these girls try them.
"Xiao Chen Didi! How do you think we just practiced?"
"Xiao Chen Didi, what are you thinking about?"
Just as Ye Liangchen was lost in thought, several clear and pleasant voices sounded beside him, immediately startling him awake. He saw Shui Yue'er hugging one of his arms and even pinching his face with her hand.
"Are you done practicing?" Ye Liangchen slowly asked, also using his hand to push away a certain girl's restless small hand.
"Xiao Chen! Didn't you watch us just now?" Shui Yue'er reached out and touched Ye Liangchen's forehead, asking with a playful smile.
"Xiao Chen Didi! We, a group of beauties, are right in front of you, and you actually zoned out." Xue Wu, Yu Hairou, and the others rubbed their foreheads, thinking this Xiao Jiahuo was really unreliable.
"I watched, and you all practiced very well. Keep up the good work." Ye Liangchen chuckled. Of course, he had to praise beauties.
"Girls, well done."
Just then, Lan Xiaodie, dressed in a black tight-fitting suit, walked into Jingxian Manor with a smiling face.
"Aunt Lan, you're here."
Ye Liangchen knew that Lan Xiaodie had come to find him, definitely to help him obtain his second spirit ring.
"Good day, Dean!"
Xue Wu, Yu Hairou, and the others, as juniors, all sweetly greeted Lan Xiaodie.
In these two years, these girls, by cultivating the upper part of the Hun Yuan Art, had all reached the Spirit Grandmaster realm, and all of them had obtained their second spirit ring. Among them, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er had reached level 24 and 26 respectively, and Xue Wu had reached level 27. She was the oldest, so her spirit power was naturally a bit higher than everyone else's. The other four were all above level 23.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, with the cheat-like assistance of foundation establishment pill and Body Tempering Pill, plus their cultivation of the complete Five Elements Divine Fist, had greatly enhanced their physical strength. Their second spirit ring also broke the age limit, reaching 900 years. As for Xue Wu and the others, although they also cultivated the complete Five Elements Fist, Ye Liangchen did not use pills to give them a cheat-like boost, so they were far behind Shui Bing'er and her sister, and their second spirit ring could only follow the standard age limit.
In fact, in Ye Liangchen's opinion, these girls, having cultivated the complete Five Elements Fist, could all absorb spirit rings of 800 years or more. Shui Bing'er and her sister could even absorb thousand-year spirit rings, but Lan Xiaodie dared not take the risk, only allowing the two girls to absorb 900-year spirit rings.
However, although these girls' spirit power increased very quickly, they couldn't defeat Ye Liangchen. A few days ago, they had a sparring match, and the result was that all seven of them were defeated by Xiao Jiahuo alone.
In fact, it wasn't that these girls were weak, but that Ye Liangchen was too powerful. Especially when he unleashed his Five Elements Mysterious Steps, coupled with his exquisite swordplay, these girls only lasted seven or eight rounds before they were all defeated.
"Mom! This time, when you go to get Xiao Chen Didi his second spirit ring, can we go together?" Shui Bing'er looked at her mother's attire, knowing she was preparing to get Ye Liangchen his second spirit ring. She really wanted to go along.
Shui Yue'er, Xue Wu, and the others also looked on eagerly, wanting to go out with them.
"The journey is long and will take up too much of your time. You should still focus on cultivating! Besides, all seven of you couldn't even defeat Xiao Chen alone, do you still have the nerve to be playful?" Lan Xiaodie chuckled.
"That's because Xiao Chen Didi is too powerful. If we were fighting other Spirit Masters of the same level, we would definitely win." Shui Bing'er, Xue Wu, and the others were very unconvinced about their defeat to Ye Liangchen.
"Hehe…! Defeated means defeated! Don't make excuses."
"Xiao Chen! Go quickly and change into your usual clothes, then we'll depart."
Lan Xiaodie saw through these girls' playful thoughts at a glance and directly refused them. Since seven of them couldn't defeat Ye Liangchen alone, Lan Xiaodie naturally wouldn't let them waste time; she had to make them seize the time to cultivate.
"Goodbye, elder sisters."
Ye Liangchen waved to Shui Bing'er and the others, quickly ran back into the house, took off his light blue school uniform, changed into white clothes, and also threw a few pieces of clothing into his spirit tool for later washing.
"Xiao Chen Didi, goodbye, come back soon."
Seeing Ye Liangchen and Lan Xiaodie walk out of the manor, these girls had no choice but to stay in the academy and cultivate obediently.
After leaving the manor, Ye Liangchen found Shui Lingfeng also dressed in a black tight-fitting suit, waiting outside the door, which surprised him greatly.
"Grandma Dean! Why are you here too?"
Shui Lingfeng stroked Ye Liangchen's head and said with a chuckle, "Grandma has nothing to do, so I'll accompany you on this trip."
"Aunt Lan! Are we still going to Star Dou Forest this time?" Ye Liangchen asked.
"Yes! Only there will it be easier to help you find a suitable spirit ring." Lan Xiaodie smiled. To obtain a spirit ring for Xiao Jiahuo, they naturally had to find the best one.
With the blessing of the foundation establishment pill, Shui Lingfeng and Lan Xiaodie had both reached level 86 spirit power in these two years. It was estimated that in a few more years, they would be able to break through to Titled Douluo.
When the three of them arrived at the school gate, they saw Su Lin had prepared a carriage, just like last time.
"Teacher Su Lin! I've troubled you again." Ye Liangchen greeted the woman.
"Xiao Chen is so well-behaved."
"Senior Sister! Teacher! Get in the carriage!"
Su Lin smiled at the three, inviting them into the carriage, while she continued her work as the coachman.
"Xiao Chen! Based on your Life Blessing Spirit Ability, we have found several suitable auxiliary Spirit Beasts: Three-Leaf Begonia, Silver-Patterned Tree, Jade Swan, Snow Swan, and Pink Lady. Among them, Three-Leaf Begonia and Silver-Patterned Tree are plant-type Spirit Beasts, while the others are animal-type Spirit Beasts. Which type of Spirit Beast do you want?"
Upon hearing Lan Xiaodie and Shui Lingfeng mention the Jade Swan, Ye Liangchen was immediately startled. He thought to himself that he dared not kill this kind of Spirit Beast, otherwise Bi Ji's 40-meter long blade would immediately come chopping down. Moreover, Jade Swans themselves were rare, and he might not even encounter one.
"Aunt Lan! Jade Swans are too rare, I probably won't encounter one. The remaining Spirit Beasts are all fine."
Ye Liangchen wasn't too concerned about the other types of Spirit Beasts. He was just a bit worried that if he got lucky and encountered a Jade Swan, and then Lan Xiaodie and the others killed it, that would be troublesome.
"Hmm! Jade Swans are indeed too rare, almost never seen, only existing in legends. So, let's not hold out any hope and just choose from the other types of Spirit Beasts."
Lan Xiaodie and Shui Lingfeng also felt that finding a Jade Swan was almost impossible.
To reach their destination as quickly as possible, everyone sped up along the way, taking only 12 days to arrive at Star Dou Forest.
During this journey, Ye Liangchen did not encounter anything new or strange, especially none of the main characters appeared. It seemed he would have to wait until he left school later to meet those people.