Chapter 138: Chapter 128: Ten Directions Netherworld Refining Hell Profound Skill (2)

"Junior Brother, go on in. I’ll wait for you outside the hall," the paper man said with a gentle smile, a world apart from the real Gao Chong.

Fang Cheng cupped his fists in thanks, then walked to the front of the hall, bowed, and said, "Disciple Fang Cheng, here to cultivate a sect technique."

The doors to the Scripture Pavilion hall slowly swung open, and a voice said, "I just heard the bell, and here you are. You seem to be an impatient one."

Fang Cheng looked up and saw that just inside the main hall stood a magnificent and ornate screen, upon which were inscribed tens of thousands of characters in a sprawling script.

Seated cross-legged on a jade mat at the foot of the screen was a plainly dressed, long-bearded old man, who was watching him with a grin.

Fang Cheng walked into the hall, offered a salute, and said, "Greetings, Elder."

The Elder waved his hand, and the hall doors closed. He then said, "Since you have passed the Inner Sect trial, you may choose one of our sect’s nine great cornerstone techniques to cultivate. Follow me."

With that, the Elder stood up and led Fang Cheng around the screen and deeper into the hall.

The circular main hall had no windows and was utterly silent.

In the center of the hall stood a row of nine Stone Steles. The surrounding walls were carved with over a thousand neat niches, which held jade slips, scripture scrolls, Golems, and stone fragments...

Fang Cheng scanned his surroundings curiously. It was different from what he had imagined; the Yinluo Sect’s Scripture Pavilion was quite spacious. Aside from the nine Stone Steles, all the other legacy Secret Techniques were stored in the niches along the walls.

The two of them arrived before the first Stone Stele. It was shrouded in a halo of light, obscuring its contents. The Elder began his introduction, "This is one of the nine great techniques, the Celestial Ghost Talisman Scripture. It follows the way of the Talisman and can be cultivated all the way to the Life Soul Realm."

Fang Cheng nodded and said, "This Disciple wishes to cultivate the Netherworld Sword Technique."

The Elder, now in a talkative mood, said, "The Netherworld Sword Technique is on the last Stone Stele. As we walk over, I’ll introduce you to the other techniques along the way."

Fang Cheng didn’t dare say more and simply offered his thanks.

The Elder spoke as they walked, "This second great technique is the Netherworld Banner. It follows the way of the Artifact Cultivator. It devours and refines souls, possesses immense power, and can also be cultivated to the Life Soul Realm."

"The third great technique is the Nine Netherworlds Fire Technique, which is a fire-based method."

"The fourth is the Netherworld Dharma Body. It follows the way of Body Refining. After reaching the minor accomplishment stage, you can turn your body incorporeal."

"The fifth through seventh great techniques are the Bone Daoist Palace, the White Bone Relic, and the Bridge of Helplessness. These all follow the way of the Artifact Cultivator. Cultivating the Bone Daoist Palace grants abundant Magical Power and control over the power of sealing and suppression. The White Bone Relic is endlessly versatile with complex methods. The Bridge of Helplessness allows for unhindered Flying Escape, making it a supreme treasure for fleeing."

"The eighth great technique is the Netherworld Purgatory Divine Light. Once mastered, it can strip away a Cultivator’s flesh and blood, as well as their magic treasures. It is exceedingly domineering."

"And the ninth great technique is the Netherworld Sword Technique you wish to cultivate. Its sword light is faint, formless, and traceless, as if emerging from the Nether Hell itself. It is a supreme Slaughter Technique."

They arrived before the ninth Stone Stele, and the Elder said, "These nine great techniques all originate from a single Ancient Strange Skill called the Ten Directions Netherworld Refining Hell Profound Skill. If you can cultivate all nine techniques to the Life Soul Realm and then refine the nine resulting Life Souls into one, you will form the Purgatory Dharma Aspect!"

Fang Cheng was inwardly shaken. Now he understood why the Elder had insisted on introducing all nine of the sect’s great cornerstone techniques.

’This is the true foundation of the Yinluo Sect!’

’The nine great techniques of the Yinluo Sect are surely a Demon Dao legacy a cut above the Li Hen Demon Light!’

The Elder took out a Jade Pendant and waved it at the ninth Stone Stele. The halo of light on the stele vanished, and a profound Sword Technique appeared before Fang Cheng’s eyes.

The Elder said, "This was personally carved by our sect’s founding patriarch and contains a wisp of its true-intent legacy. You may comprehend it here for three days. How much you grasp will depend on your own fortune."

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[Talisman Master] Fang Cheng

[Divine Power Technique]

Netherworld Sword Technique · Entry (0/5000)

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Creation Points: 20576

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged before the Stone Stele, comprehending the Sword Technique while simultaneously inspecting the mysterious Golden Talisman in his sea of consciousness.

Among the Cultivation Techniques he had encountered before, the one that required the most Creation Points for the Entry stage was the Nine Heavens Cold Ice Technique, needing a full 2,300 points.

The Li Hen Demon Light required 2,000 Creation Points for its Entry stage.

’And now, it seems the nine great cornerstone techniques of the Yinluo Sect are clearly superior to both of those Cultivation Techniques!’

Without hesitation, Fang Cheng chose to add points to raise his level of comprehension.

Netherworld Sword Technique · Minor Accomplishment (0/13000)

Creation Points: 15576

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Netherworld Sword Technique · Major Accomplishment (2576/50000)

Creation Points: 0

...

In an instant, waves of insights surged into Fang Cheng’s sea of consciousness.

Countless methods for cultivating the Netherworld Sword Technique and engaging enemies were branded into his divine soul, as if he had personally experienced them all!

He sat perfectly still in meditation, unmoving, striving to digest these insights.

「Three days later.」

The Elder guarding the Scripture Pavilion appeared silently behind him. Seeing that Fang Cheng was in a state of "epiphany," he couldn’t help but stroke his beard and nod in approval.

However, the time was up, and he couldn’t very well break the sect’s rules. He took a Jade Bell from his sleeve and shook it gently by Fang Cheng’s ear.

DING!

The clear, crisp ring seemed to travel from another, distant world.

Fang Cheng slowly awoke and gradually opened his eyes. When he saw the Inner Sect Elder standing before him, he realized his comprehension time was over.

He stood up and asked, "Elder, has the three-day limit been reached?"

The Elder nodded, looking Fang Cheng up and down with a smile. "You have the potential to become a True Disciple, kid. When the day comes for you to choose a master, you should consider my Demon Refining Pavilion lineage."

Fang Cheng said respectfully, "Thank you for the guidance, Elder. This Disciple will remember it."

The Elder chuckled. "Alright, go back and cultivate well. We will meet again if fate allows."

Fang Cheng saluted and took his leave.

The Elder stood before the Netherworld Sword Technique’s Stone Stele, watching it silently for a while. Finally, with a sigh, he restored the glowing restriction, concealing the contents of the stele once more.

When Fang Cheng exited the Scripture Pavilion, Gao Chong’s paper man avatar immediately walked up and asked, "Junior Brother, how did your comprehension go?"

"It was acceptable," Fang Cheng replied.

The paper man consoled him, "The Netherworld Sword Technique is profound and obscure, known as the most difficult of the nine great techniques to cultivate. You only need to memorize the contents of the Stone Stele for now; you can study it slowly later on."

Fang Cheng smiled. ’The personality of this paper man really is as different from the real Gao Chong as heaven is from earth.’

The paper man asked again, "Where else do you need to go, Junior Brother? I can take you there."

Fang Cheng took out his Inner Sect Disciple Identity Token and probed it with his Divine Sense. Learning the location of his Cave Mansion on Yinluo Island, he said to the paper man, "I’ll have to trouble you to take me back to my Cave Mansion, Senior Brother."

He then told the paper man the location of his Cave Mansion.

Yinluo Island was covered in restrictions, and since he hadn’t had the chance to study the Inner Sect Disciple’s jade slip in detail, he naturally didn’t dare to wander around randomly.

Hearing this, the paper man laughed. "You’re too polite, Junior Brother."

With that, it once again transformed into a gust of yin wind, sweeping Fang Cheng up and flying away from the Scripture Pavilion.

A short while later, the yin wind descended by the edge of a mountain cliff on the southern side of Yinluo Island. Below, on the sheer cliff face, were more than a dozen stone platforms jutting out from the rock.

"Junior Brother, this is your Cave Mansion," the paper man said, having returned to its original form as it looked down.

Fang Cheng bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Senior Brother. Why not come into my Cave Mansion and rest for a moment?"

The paper man waved a hand and said in a sagely tone, "No need. I’ve been out for several days and should report back to my true self. The mountains are high and the rivers are long; we’ll meet again if fate wills it."

With that, it floated lightly into the sky and flew straight toward Zhenyuan Hall.

Fang Cheng rode his Escape Light and landed on a stone platform on the eastern side of the cliff face.

The stone platform was about thirty feet across. Beyond it lay the vast and boundless Abyssal Marsh, and looking south, he could faintly make out the silhouette of the Dragon Spine Archipelago.

On the other side of the platform, set into the sheer cliff face, were two tall stone doors carved with images of Wild Beasts. The light of a restriction flickered over the doors—it was clearly a First-tier Top-grade Array.

’So these are the sect’s benefits...’

Fang Cheng planned to use this time to cultivate diligently and completely convert the Magical Power from his Cyan Yuan Demon Tree Skill into that of the Netherworld Sword Technique.

If he returned to Xiaocang Island, he would inevitably be busy with social obligations. It was better to enter secluded cultivation here for a while first.

He took out his Identity Token and poured a stream of Magical Power into it. The Token flared with brilliant light, causing the restriction on the Cave Mansion’s doors to react.

The restriction quietly dissipated.

Fang Cheng pushed open the doors and entered the Cave Mansion. It was spacious and comfortable inside, with gorgeous decorations. All the furnishings were brand new, and it was tastefully adorned with numerous Spirit Flowers and exotic plants.

The Spiritual Qi within the cave was even denser than on Cyan Demon Cliff of Cangwu Mountain on Xiaocang Island!

He wrote a letter and sent it to Ye Yan via Golden Sword, informing her of his seclusion.

Afterwards, he reactivated the Cave Mansion’s restriction, walked into the Quiet Chamber, sat down cross-legged, took out an Upper-Grade Spirit Stone, and began to cultivate.

With his current level of comprehension of the Netherworld Sword Technique, converting the Magical Power he had cultivated from the Cyan Yuan Demon Tree Skill would not be difficult.

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