Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

The sudden arrival of the Divine Flame Sect stirred up emotions within the Primordial Sword Sect.

In the past, the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect had been the dominant force, with everyone looking up to them. But now, with the division into two sects, it became evident that a significant alignment issue had arisen.

Naturally, the Primordial Sword Sect had contemplated this matter, as it was inevitable and couldn’t be avoided. Therefore, the Primordial Sword Sect had already done some mental preparation.

However, when the Divine Flame Sect’s representatives arrived, it still made people uneasy to some extent.

This was a subconscious reaction when facing a much stronger force than oneself. Because a mishandling of the situation could lead to a great disaster, it was easy for people to feel anxious.

Inside the main hall of the Primordial Sword Sect, the elders were lined up on both sides, and Qu Qingsheng sat in the high seat, looking down at Wu Hongwen.

Wu Hongwen’s cultivation was not exceptional; he was only at the early stage of the Aperture Tempering realm. However, at this moment, despite being under the scrutiny of more than ten peers of the same level, he showed no signs of discomfort.

“I wonder why your sect has sent you here. What is the purpose?” Qu Qingsheng asked Wu Hongwen with a solemn tone.

“An alliance, to jointly resist the brutal rule of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect over the years!” Wu Hongwen looked at Qu Qingsheng, his voice sharp.

Upon hearing Wu Hongwen’s voice, many elders in the hall furrowed their brows slightly. Wu Hongwen’s aura, combined with his voice, easily brought to mind a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

“The actions of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect over the years cannot be described as brutal,” Qu Qingsheng said, shaking his head slightly.

This was a truthful statement. Although the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect was overbearing, it still offered some benefits to the surrounding sects.

Most of the time, the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect treated the neighboring sects as subordinate sects and called upon them when they needed assistance.

It was because of this that these sects hadn’t considered leaving the area and establishing their own sects elsewhere.

The resources around Immortal Cloud City were abundant, but if there was no room to survive and prosper, even abundant resources wouldn’t keep the sects from leaving and seeking opportunities elsewhere.

“Perhaps it was acceptable in the past, but in the future, the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect will undoubtedly consolidate all resources and cultivate new Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts within its ranks. At that time, do you think, Sect Leader Qu, that the other sects will still have room to develop?” A cold smile appeared on Wu Hongwen’s face.

Qu Qingsheng’s brows furrowed slightly. Wu Hongwen had pointed out some valid issues.

From the recent actions of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, it was clear that they were eager for new talents within their sect, particularly Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts who could succeed them.

In this situation, the resources that were previously overlooked may gradually be reclaimed rather than shared with other sects.

However, for such a situation to occur, it would require several years, and the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s Aperture Tempering realm experts would have to remain at their peak without further breakthroughs.

“Sect Leader Qu, you probably also hope that the Primordial Sword Sect can grow and even return to its former glory, right? But by staying under the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, the Primordial Sword Sect will have no hope,” Wu Hongwen said, locking eyes with Qu Qingsheng.

He continued, “And Sect Leader Qu, are you not curious about how our Divine Flame Sect has developed such strength over these years?”

Upon hearing these words, the expressions of many elders in the hall became serious.

The conflict between the Divine Flame Sect and the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect could be traced back many years, and determining right from wrong had become impossible. Furthermore, the Divine Flame Sect had been a strong sect in the past.

The current grandeur with which the Divine Flame Sect had returned led some to speculate whether they had recovered the sect’s hidden treasures from the past and used them to develop secretly.

“If you are willing to speak, we will certainly listen attentively,” Wu Guangyin said solemnly from the side.

“If the Primordial Sword Sect is willing to form an alliance, these secrets will naturally be shared with you,” Wu Hongwen added.

As Wu Hongwen finished speaking and observed the changing expressions of those in the Primordial Sword Sect, he suddenly changed the topic, saying, “But I’ll mention one thing only, and it won’t hurt. Have you heard of the Strange Heart Realm?”

“Strange Heart Realm?”

Wu Hongwen of the Divine Flame Sect had left half an hour ago, and after receiving the sect’s message, Chen Fei rushed back from Immortal Cloud City, coming directly to Feng Xiupu’s courtyard.

“Well, the Strange Heart Realm. The rise of the Divine Flame Sect is closely related to the Strange Heart Realm. However, the person didn’t go into detail, only mentioning that if we are willing to form an alliance, they can take us to explore the Strange Heart Realm,” Feng Xiupu said with a slight frown, speaking in a low voice.

“Do our sect members have any knowledge of the Strange Heart Realm?” Chen Fei asked quietly.

Chen Fei was familiar with the Strange Heart Realm himself; he had been maintaining a pattern of entering it for about ten days once in a while to temper his mental power.

However, as Chen Fei had broken through to the Aperture Tempering realm, the intangible contamination in the Strange Heart Realm had become much less effective on him. Therefore, the tempering effect was far less pronounced than when he was in the Visceral Tempering realm.

But from this, it could also be seen that reaching the Aperture Tempering realm provided a foundation for freely moving within the Strange Heart Realm without having to rely on the Heart Candle. This reduced the time constraints considerably.

Chen Fei had thought about exploring the Strange Heart Realm on his own during his visits, but he ultimately dismissed the idea.

Back when he was in the Visceral Tempering realm, he and Si Yuanhai had embarked on a long-distance journey to rescue him.

At that time, they felt that the Strange Heart Realm was eerie and mysterious, and they could vaguely sense danger coming from a distance.

Now that he had reached the Aperture Tempering realm, although he had the foundation to move freely within the Strange Heart Realm, he dared not venture recklessly.

The more he sensed danger from afar, the less he dared to take risks.

Certainly, there are likely many secrets within the Strange Heart Realm, and perhaps some valuable treasures, but the danger is very real. Chen Fei’s strength was steadily increasing, and there was no need for him to take risks within the Strange Heart Realm.

“Our sect has some records about the Strange Heart Realm, but they are not comprehensive. Even the rumored Strange Tamers cannot claim to have a deep understanding of the Strange Heart Realm,” Feng Xiupu replied, shaking his head.

Chen Fei furrowed his brow and pondered. The Divine Flame Sect had deliberately mentioned the Strange Heart Realm, suggesting that they had gained significant knowledge or resources from it.

Chen Fei suddenly recalled his encounter with Shi Xueqin from the Divine Flame Sect. He remembered that when Shi Xueqin first saw Si Yuanhai, her expression had undergone a significant transformation.

This change was more akin to a display of greed, a deep desire for Si Yuanhai’s unique constitution.

Si Yuanhai’s constitution was directly related to the Strange Heart Realm, and it seemed that the Divine Flame Sect was making significant moves in that realm to garner such interest.

ii

So, what will be our sect’s stance towards the Divine Flame Sect in the future?” Chen Fei asked.

When two tigers fight, one will get injured. But clearly, both of these fierce tigers didn’t want any bystanders and required others to join their side to feel secure.

“We won’t give a direct response to the Divine Flame Sect, but our sect will most likely stand with the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect,” Feng Xiupu replied in a hushed tone.

Chen Fei nodded slightly, finding this decision to be reasonable. After all, they had been this way for many years.

The Immortal Cloud Sword Sect had only been weakened, not completely defeated. Moreover, the Primordial Sword Sect was very close to the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect. If they were to lean toward the Divine Flame Sect, they would likely face the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s anger first.

“The Divine Flame Sect has also sent people to other sects, and most responses have been ambiguous, but they seem to lean toward the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect,” Feng Xiupu added.

Each sect had its own channels of information, so when the Divine Flame Sect’s emissaries came to persuade them to form an alliance, everyone learned about it immediately, including the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.

Therefore, as soon as the emissaries of the Divine Flame Sect left, Wu Guangyin went to the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect to explain the situation.

Early the next morning, news of the Divine Flame Sect’s lobbying efforts among various sects had already spread throughout Immortal Cloud City. As people discussed and speculated on what the Divine Flame Sect’s next move might be, another piece of news came to light.

The Divine Flame Sect had begun recruiting rogue cultivators from all the surrounding areas, particularly those at the Aperture Tempering realm.

As long as these cultivators were willing to join the Divine Flame Sect, they would be provided with half of the Aperture Tempering realm cultivation technique, and if they achieved certain accomplishments, the entire technique would be taught to them.

This cultivation technique was none other than the Sealing Divine Technique.

The Sealing Divine Technique opened up eighty-three acupoints, and if a rogue cultivator chose to cultivate it, it would only consume a small amount of their vital energy, causing no significant harm to their vitality.

Moreover, if they joined the Divine Flame Sect and accomplished significant feats, they might even have the chance to learn the sect’s foundational technique, the Divine Flame Scripture.

This news sent shockwaves throughout the region.

Rogue cultivators’ greatest dilemma, aside from resources, was finding suitable cultivation techniques. Many sects viewed rogue cultivators with caution.

For example, while the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect occasionally accepted rogue cultivators at the Aperture Tempering realm, the treatment and benefits they received were nowhere near what the sect’s disciples enjoyed.

The cultivation technique provided to rogue cultivators was a technique that opened seventy-five acupoints, and even if they mastered it, they would only reach the late Aperture Tempering realm.

In contrast, the Sealing Divine Technique directly opened eighty-three acupoints, surpassing even the cultivation techniques passed down by the current Primordial Sword Sect. The Zhongyuan Sword technique, when mastered, only opened eighty acupoints, leaving members of the Primordial Sword Sect with mixed feelings.

This enticement naturally stirred the hearts of rogue cultivators who were struggling due to their lack of suitable cultivation techniques.

As for the Divine Flame Sect’s foundational technique, the Divine Flame Scripture, the number of acupoints it opened remained unknown, but it was undoubtedly the sect’s most top-tier inheritance. For non-core disciples, it was impossible to catch a glimpse of its true essence.

However, this time, the Divine Flame Sect had decided to reveal it.

Most rogue cultivators wouldn’t necessarily rush to the Divine Flame Sect solely for the Divine Flame Scripture, as they understood that significant accomplishments were at the discretion of the Divine Flame Sect itself.

Joining the sect wasn’t about trying to deceive them; otherwise, it would surely lead to a backlash from rogue cultivators.

Rogue cultivators sought to strengthen themselves, not to become victims of deceit. Thus, the Divine Flame Sect had no reason to engage in dishonesty.

With this news from the Divine Flame Sect, emotions ran high, and many rogue cultivators were drawn to the idea of joining the sect to obtain the Sealing Divine Technique, even if the journey came with risks..