The Beichen Sword Sect, true to its name, specializes in the refinement of sword energy.
Unlike other sects that typically convert Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi to temper muscles, polish the body, and refine the Five Elements Dao Qi of the Taoist body.
Sword energy stores the refined True Qi in special acupuncture points, compresses and purifies it repeatedly, forms it into a sword shape, and emits it as a high-speed Qi blade, dedicated to slaughter and polishing as a special variant.
Therefore, the potency of sword energy is not significantly related to one's realm or cultivation. Even a child who has just started Qi refining, just by repeatedly honing a meridian and a breath of Qi, can cultivate sword energy. Moreover, the longer the training, the higher the purity of the sword energy, and the Qi blade becomes extremely sharp, capable of slicing hair and cutting iron like mud, with unparalleled sharpness.
However, no matter how pure the refined sword energy is, it is only temporarily powerful. No matter how much is refined, once it's shot out, it's gone. If it can't be recovered in time, it must be refined anew, making it impractical for cultivation. Therefore, it is primarily used in combat.
Moreover, the secret practice of sword energy is extremely dangerous. Any slight mistake could lead to the fate of those Guangxia Mountain children, being pierced by the Qi sword energy and dying.
Even with the Beichen Sword Sect's secret teachings, which allow special cultivation routes using sword energy to boost the speed of one's own cultivation, this technique of quenching the sword in acupuncture points and meridians is, to some extent, redundant.
After all, the rate and limit at which the human body absorbs Qi are already restricted. Instead of spending effort continuously quenching, it is better to refine the root bone several more times to improve overall cultivation.
Thus, typically in the inner sect, sword energy is only used when breaking through realms during secluded practice for forced cultivation growth. Regular disciples often only practice halfway.
For example, the Divine Gang Qi Refining Sword Technique focuses on Qi refining first, then refining the root bone and Taoist body, similar to other Mystic Sects. Only during combat do they employ the method of forming Qi into a sword, spewing a breath of sword energy against the enemy.
Even Yue Peng, who has cultivated beside Immortal Chen since childhood, from being a sword attendant to Foundation Establishment and Sword Transmission, after forty to fifty years of hard work, has waited to gather enough Heavenly Materials to form a core, has also trained in this method.
Not to mention the entire Nine Yin Mountain, who dares to release sword energy as frequently as Tie Dan? And daring to repeatedly draw it back and use it again??
If any error occurs, either the head might get chopped off, or the meridians get damaged, becoming a cripple. Even if only a sword mark remains within, achieving the Great Dao would be difficult, only to undergo reincarnation after soldier disintegration.
Initially, there were concerns that this found boy, despite having high comprehension and good root bone, couldn't read or understand reason, behaving like a mischievous child, making teaching troublesome.
To everyone's surprise, Tie Dan inexplicably grasped what sword techniques, sword moves, and Qi circulation commandments after a single view, and mastered them after being taught once, quietly learning on his own and refining the Sword Casting Skill to peak completion, as if born with such knowledge, reincarnated as an old monster. If not for his master witnessing him without problem, one might think Tie Dan was possessed by someone from a Demon Sect.
Previously on Guangxia Mountain, when Tie Dan and Jian Jia were evenly matched in sparring, one couldn't easily perceive his prowess, but now, witnessing this boy amidst the demon horde, unleashed various slaughter, even much more complex type with just one breath of sword energy, even Yue Peng found it hard to ascertain.
Could it be that this boy is truly naturally gifted in the Sword Dao? Or is the sect's sword energy secret truly so mighty?
Unable to hold back, Yue Peng asked, and Tie Dan answered honestly.
"I won't."
"Won't? Won't do what?"
"Only half refined, becoming Qi, not yet a sword, I won't."
When Yue Peng observed Tie Dan practicing firsthand, he understood.
Oh, this boy's breathing speed is normal, and the efficiency of refining breath is about the same as other children, but when it comes to forging sword energy, it's incredibly fast, as if there's no hesitation or delay, spiritual breath just circulates in the meridian once, and instantly the sword energy is refined, as if it's his natural talent...
"Oh… no! Is Qi refining and sword casting really that simple?"
Yue Peng felt his view of the world severely shaken.
To know, if refining Qi into a sword were this easy, why would those of the same sword sect die so miserably?
With their throats and intestines twisted, they sever their bellies, all because the Qi wasn't properly refined, the sword wasn't cast formed, leading to broken sword marks running irregularly through their meridians.
Tie Dan was perplexed, and Yue Peng exhausted. Though tales often speak of some kind of Heavenly Pride Daoist, Tie Dan's level seems too excessive.
You say he's a Dao Seed, yet he doesn't have the beastly and monstrous innate talent like those Immortal King heirs. But to call his innate talent common, he indeed possesses a unique sword casting talent.
So is he inherently… a sword seed?
"Fine, carry on with your own pace."
When it comes to inner cultivation, everyone's natural talent varies, and that the same Qi Refining Technique can evolve into the nine major sects when imparted by Xuan Nu explains it.
And considering sword energy cultivation is both fierce and sharp, since Tie Dan is still alive and kicking, Yue Peng couldn't justifiably interfere much.
So now it was Tie Dan's turn to inquire,
"Senior brother, these, is it the yellow rat…"
"Yes, so large, they can travel underground and shape-shift, using demonic magic and illusions to confuse people, are these not monsters?"
Yue Peng scanned the chaotic remains, all indistinct flesh and blood, with no formed inner core in sight.
"In earlier years, Guangxia Mountain was occupied by this clan, led by an old demon with a thousand years of Daoist cultivation, who wreaked havoc everywhere, severing Dui Kun Road, and threatening the State Mansion for tribute, while the Demon Palace sent troops, just burrowing into the mountain ravines. These rugged mountains and dense forests made army advances and defenses difficult, posing significant threats.
Later, master slew that fierce demon with a sword, taking the position here.
These are its offspring, leftover remnants that hadn't matured back then, let loose to scatter. But over these years, these creatures have grown again, even nearing human form.
Seems they have their own teachings, likely that old demon also had other secret lairs in the mountains. If they aren't periodically exterminated, they would inevitably cause disaster."
Tie Dan understood,
"Oh, patrolling the mountain…"
Isn't this supposed to be your duty, senior brother?
Under Tie Dan's gaze, Yue Peng uncomfortably replied,
"What do you understand? If you don't help me finish my task first, how will I find time to help you seek the Foundation Establishment Treasure?
By the way, have you decided what big treasure to use for Foundation Establishment?"
Tie Dan was already familiar with the Sword Casting Skill,
"Gold Essence Iron Seed."
Yue Peng nodded, this boy's entire being is like a Sword Bone, naturally a sword attendant child, refining Divine Gang Gold Pill, naturally best with Gold Essence Mysterious Iron and Heavenly Materials like the Outer Heaven Meteor refined and purified by Alchemy Technique.
Suddenly noticing Tie Dan was still dissecting corpses, pulling out a bunch of rat meat eggs, intending to wrap them in cloth to carry as if a squirrel hoarding nuts, Yue Peng just shook his head,
"Don't waste your effort, these Demon Cores are so mixed, it's hardly useful unless refined in a Pill Furnace for a decade. But our sword sect doesn't have a pill furnace, and no alchemist of another sect would want such trash, by then it'd be long rotten. Just pick out some good ones for soup or stew, and burn the rest."
Tie Dan furrowed his brows, "Pill Master…"
"We don't have one to practice alchemy, besides, on Guangxia Mountain, there's only Yanzi Cave's high-concentration Spiritual Spring Spring, meant for the sword casting furnace, no space for a pill furnace."
Yue Peng wasn't comfortable saying more.
In fact, Guangxia Mountain was quite impoverished. And it wasn't just Yanzi Cave, the entire Beichen Sword Sect was quite poor.
After all, there's a saying among the Mystic Sect.
Three generations of poverty from alchemy, destroying a sect from sword casting.
To cultivate a competent Pill Master, a sect needs to dedicate at least three generations of disciples to supply resources, collecting Heavenly Materials, and consuming tremendous resources to nurture an Alchemy Master, thus ensuring a stable Alchemy Dao lineage for the sect.
But sword casting a flying sword truly gambles with the sect's fate, using countless resources, hundreds of years of refining and polishing just to have a chance of success. If the furnace explodes, it's hundreds of years of hard work wasted.
Of course, successfully casting a flying sword boosts the sect's vitality significantly. The flying sword magical treasure would not only bolster the inner sect's strength, but also facilitate exchanges with major forces for other resources, becoming a top-tier Mystic Sect.
But such endeavors are destined with both fortune and disaster.
Should an enviable sword be snatched, it leads to sect annihilation woes.
Tie Dan, "Why cast, then?"
Yue Peng rolled his eyes,
"Those swords in the furnace are not from our Guangxia Mountain, Yanzi Cave's sword casting furnace specifically quenches swords, tending to the secondary swords sent by Sword Immortals of the main sect.
Since all sword casting furnaces on Cloud Platform Peak of the main sect are used for sword casting, occupying the Dao Meridian.
If a Sword Monarch suffers damage in a duel, the sword is sent here to the Spiritual Spring Sword Pool for polishing and nurturing, and our master merely oversees it."
When Tie Dan heard this, he deflated internally.
So poor…
Yue Peng observed Tie Dan's thoughts, quickly saying,
"No, don't rush! Elixir pills will come, flying swords will come, everything will be there! Good days are ahead!
Come, come, come! Senior brother will take you to gather Iron Seed!"
"…Gather? Isn't it dig?"
Tie Dan frowned, usually considering Mysterious Iron Gold Essence, with no Pill Master to refine it, and without money to purchase directly, wasn't it generally excavated from Cave Heaven Blessed Land, Underground Spiritual Cave Mine…
Yue Peng, "Sigh, Treasure Caves are deeply buried in Nine Nether, who has the leisure to hand-dig miles underground? Senior brother will take you to pick up ready ones!"