Chapter 55: Extinction Sword Art
"Forget it." Lin Feng didn't want to think too much about it. It seemed that Liu Fei held a very high status and had an extraordinary identity among this group of people.
"I don't have a powerful faction backing me. The only one I can rely on is myself." Looking at the backs of those people, Lin Feng's gaze was firm. This time, upon his return, he planned to participate in the sect's inner sect competition and enter the inner sect.
Urging his horse up the mountain, the two disciple guards at the gate kept their heads bowed very low. These were the same two who had intercepted Lin Feng last time and had been taught a lesson.
The Cloud Sea Sect was still filled with an atmosphere of cultivation. Everyone trained hard, craving strength. Especially after the annual year-end, the sect would hold a major competition. In this competition, some powerful outer sect disciples could cross over into the inner sect and become true disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect.
Moreover, it was said that some talented inner sect disciples could directly undergo certain assessments. If they passed, they could become core disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect, an incomparable honor.
One must know that the Cloud Sea Sect, as a powerful force in the Snow Moon Kingdom, produced core disciples who were outstanding young elites, respected wherever they went. In a small city like Yangzhou City, even the city lord would treat a core disciple of the Cloud Sea Sect with courtesy.
This was also the reason why most people in the Lin Clan, including the Supreme Elder, wanted Lin Badao to take the position. Once Lin Qian gained power and became a core disciple of the Hao Yue Sect, it would be an honor for the Lin Clan, bringing glory to their ancestors. If Lin Qian achieved even higher status, she might one day become an elder-level figure of the Hao Yue Sect, allowing the Lin Clan to rise to prominence along with her.
Unfortunately, Lin Feng's appearance had left the Lin Clan members in a state of torment.
Returning to the sect, Lin Feng washed off the dust of travel, changed into a set of Cloud Sea Sect disciple robes, walked out of his room, and headed to the Star Pavilion.
Having reached the Spirit Martial Realm, he needed more profound techniques and martial skills to unleash greater combat power.
"Elder Bei." Entering the Star Pavilion, Lin Feng saw Elder Bei, as usual, lazily sitting there, like an old man in his twilight years.
But Lin Feng had been fortunate enough to witness Elder Bei's spirited side, so he naturally knew this was just one facet of Elder Bei. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Lin Feng would have found it hard to believe that the same person could have such a drastic difference in temperament.
A gleam of light flashed in Elder Bei's lazy eyes. He looked up and, for once, revealed a faint smile. "You're back."
"Yeah, I've come to pick some techniques and martial skills." Lin Feng nodded with a smile.
"Go to the second floor." Elder Bei said indifferently.
"Thank you, Elder Bei. I'll trouble you to keep time for me." Lin Feng's purpose in coming this time was the second floor. However, the Cloud Sea Sect had a rule: only those at the Spirit Martial Realm and inner sect disciples could go to the second floor. Moreover, before becoming an inner sect disciple, even if one had the strength of the Spirit Martial Realm, they were only allowed to stay on the second floor for the duration of one incense stick's burn. In other words, they had to choose suitable techniques and martial skills within that time.
One incense stick's time was far too short for selecting techniques and martial skills. The Star Pavilion had so many kinds of techniques and martial skills—how could one easily find something both powerful and suitable? But rules were rules, and no one dared to break them. Therefore, everyone in the Cloud Sea Sect aspired to become inner sect disciples, so they could stay on the second floor as long as they wanted and find the most suitable techniques and martial skills.
"No need. As long as you don't go to the third floor, you can stay as long as you like." Elder Bei said indifferently.
Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then a smile curled at the corner of his mouth. Sure enough, there were always back doors to be found everywhere.
"Thank you, Elder Bei."
Lin Feng didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped into the Star Pavilion and headed toward the stairs to the second floor.
"Brat, if it weren't for worrying that your realm couldn't keep up, I'd let you go to the third floor, let alone the second." Elder Bei shook his head with a smile as he watched Lin Feng's retreating figure, muttering to himself: "The Bell and Drum Cliff, eight drums sounding together—you broke the long-silent history of the Cloud Sea Sect. How could the mere Star Pavilion not be open for you to come and go freely?"
Elder Bei thought this way, but many outer sect disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect didn't see it that way. Seeing Lin Feng wearing outer sect disciple robes yet walking straight up the stairs to the second floor of the Star Pavilion, many people on the first floor narrowed their eyes.
"Who is that guy? How dare he go to the second floor?"
"I don't know. He's clearly an outer sect disciple. Does he have the strength of the Spirit Martial Realm?"
Envious looks flashed in the eyes of the people on the first floor. Good techniques not only allowed martial artists to accelerate their cultivation speed and continuously climb to higher realms but also gave them greater combat power. High-grade martial skills could directly show advantages in battle—who wouldn't want that?
Techniques and martial skills were ranked from high to low as Heaven Grade, Earth Grade, Profound Grade, and Yellow Grade, each further divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. The first floor of the Star Pavilion contained only Yellow Grade techniques and martial skills, while the second floor held higher Profound Grade techniques and martial skills, which were extremely powerful.
The second floor of the Star Pavilion was quieter than the first, with fewer people. Everyone was quietly browsing, looking for techniques and martial skills they liked.
At that moment, someone near the stairs saw Lin Feng come up and shot him a disdainful glance, ignoring him.
"The number of techniques and martial skills here is slightly less than on the first floor." Lin Feng scanned the second floor. The higher the grade of techniques and martial skills, the rarer and more valuable they were, so naturally, they were harder to obtain. It was only reasonable that there were fewer here than on the first floor.
"Let's pick a technique first." Lin Feng found the bookshelf for techniques and began to browse through them.
"Pure Origin Art, Profound Grade, Middle Tier. Condenses the heaven and earth origin energy absorbed into the body, transforming it into pure origin power. It can enrich the flesh and blood, expand the meridians, and when cultivated to the highest realm, can form powerful and pure true origin."
"Note: This technique is suitable for any martial soul owner to cultivate. It cannot directly enhance combat power, and its cultivation difficulty is very high. It requires step-by-step strengthening of the bones, tendons, and blood, and building up internal needs. Those with insufficient talent will not only fail to speed up cultivation but will instead have their cultivation progress hindered."
This was a technique Lin Feng had flipped through. There were also annotations from predecessors, advising later generations to consider carefully before choosing.
"You're the one." Lin Feng said to himself, as if he hadn't seen the reminder in the annotations. He directly put the technique away, choosing this rarely cultivated method.
Lin Feng didn't even glance at any other technique. With the experience of a past life, he understood the importance of a solid foundation. The path of martial arts was like building a tall building. If the foundation wasn't firm, one might fall into an irredeemable abyss. Conversely, with a stable foundation, one could stand firm against any storm.
The Pure Origin Art might seem useless, but in Lin Feng's eyes, it was different. This was truly a good technique.
"Now I need to pick a few martial skills." Lin Feng then went to the area for martial skills and began flipping through them continuously.
"Withered Wood Finger."
"Burning Flame Art."
"Cold Ice Soft Palm."
Lin Feng browsed through them one by one, then put them down again, unable to find any martial skill that satisfied him.
"Eight Wastelands Palm, Profound Grade, Lower Tier. When cultivated to the highest realm, the palm shakes the eight wastelands and sweeps across the six directions. The sky is filled with palm prints, leaving no place to hide."
At this moment, Lin Feng saw a palm technique and paused slightly in his steps.
"I'll take this one." Lin Feng put away the Eight Wastelands Palm, but he didn't leave. With his talent, cultivating one martial skill wouldn't take too long. He needed two martial skills to assist in battle.
After searching for a while longer, Lin Feng saw a martial skill called the Extinction Sword Art. Its attack was extremely powerful, a Profound Grade, Middle Tier martial skill. However, the requirements were very high. Only those with a sword martial soul could comprehend it, and it also required someone with exceptional talent who could grasp a trace of sword momentum. Ideally, one should be able to draw the sword without desire, without attachment, without mind, without emotion.
These harsh conditions were enough to crush the fantasies of too many people.
"You're the one." A flash of excitement passed through Lin Feng's eyes. This Extinction Sword Art seemed tailor-made for him. Sword momentum—he had already comprehended it, and it should be more than just a trace. As for being without desire, without attachment, without mind, without emotion—wasn't that exactly the state he was in when he unlocked the first seal of the Heavenly Radiance Martial Soul?
This martial skill seemed born for him.
As for the so-called requirement that only those with a sword martial soul could cultivate it, Lin Feng simply ignored it. Ridiculous—did having a sword martial soul necessarily mean one understood the sword better than him?