Chapter One Hundred and Thirty: Guidance

Li Sibai began cultivating the wind techniques he had obtained in Technique Alley in the Shen-class classroom of Nebula Pavilion.

The contents of a book immediately surfaced in his mind. It was called Wind Dance, and among all the wind techniques he had found in Technique Alley, it was the one Li Sibai liked best.

Although this was a three-star wind technique, it did not focus on a single spell. Instead, it began with the most basic method of cultivating wind-attributed true energy. Li Sibai had been captivated when he first read it.

From the very beginning, Wind Dance explained how to control wind-attributed true energy and circulate it outside the body. Normally, once true energy left its source, it would quickly dissipate and merge with the air around it, making it impossible to preserve outside the body.

However, by following the method taught in Wind Dance, the true energy could guide the surrounding air to change, forming various patterns of airflow and producing different effects.

Wind was formed by the movement of air. Ordinary currents could only make people feel cool, but only when air spun at tremendous speed could wind unleash its greatest destructive power.

Li Sibai calmed his mind and began attempting to guide the vital energy within his body to circulate outside it.

Streams of pure vital energy flowed outward, yet there was none of the reaction he had imagined. The air remained completely still, and the energy soon vanished without a trace.

“Hm?”

Li Sibai furrowed his brows. Thinking that he had used the wrong method, he tried again.

This time, he increased the amount of vital energy he released. A thin sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, but the result was still the same. There was not the slightest disturbance in the air, let alone a whirlwind.

Only then did Li Sibai stop and take a breath, recalling what had just happened.

At that moment, a crisp cough sounded, and an old man with a white beard walked in.

Li Sibai recognized him at once. It was his master, Adept Cloudspirit.

This master of his was as elusive as a legendary dragon. Ever since imparting the Primordial Formula to Li Sibai, he had not appeared again.

Li Sibai had tried asking around, but it seemed that no one had ever heard of his master. No one knew who Adept Cloudspirit was, and the Shen-class classroom itself appeared to have been vacant for a long time. This made Li Sibai all the more puzzled.

“Master! You’ve come!”

Not daring to be negligent, Li Sibai hurried forward several steps, knelt on both knees, and saluted.

Adept Cloudspirit nodded. “I had matters to attend to recently and could not look after you. How is your cultivation of the Primordial Formula? Practice it for me.”

At a glance, a master could identify a disciple’s problems simply by watching him cultivate.

Li Sibai promptly rose, sat cross-legged, and began circulating the Primordial Formula.

Before long, the true energy and battle energy within his body began to circulate wildly. Steam rose continuously from his head, while a layer of golden mist enveloped his body.

After the frenzied circulation reached a certain balance, Li Sibai gradually became still, entering a state of profound meditation.

Adept Cloudspirit watched him and nodded repeatedly from the side. He seemed about to smile, but restrained himself.

“Very good, very good. I did not expect you to master the mental cultivation method of the first layer in such a short time. What about the rest? Have you practiced the sword technique, movement technique, and fist technique? Show them to me.”

Li Sibai’s face reddened. Although he had been extremely diligent lately, he had also had many matters to attend to. He had only glanced through the other techniques contained in the Primordial Formula and had not studied them in depth. Now that his master had asked, he could only answer honestly.

Adept Cloudspirit’s expression darkened after hearing this, as though he was somewhat displeased.

“What were you cultivating before I arrived?”

Li Sibai did not dare hide anything and replied truthfully, “A wind technique I learned in Technique Alley. One of its three-star techniques, Wind Dance.”

“You went to Technique Alley? No wonder.”

Adept Cloudspirit nodded, as though he had understood something.

“Wind Dance is indeed a good wind technique, but…”

He deliberately paused before continuing, “Do you know why you failed to cultivate Wind Dance just now?”

Li Sibai shook his head and looked at Adept Cloudspirit in confusion. He had formed a few suspicions while recalling what had happened, but he was not certain of them. Now that his master had brought it up, he fell into thought once more.

Seeing him ponder, Adept Cloudspirit was in no hurry. He brewed a pot of tea at his seat nearby and waited patiently.

After a moment, Li Sibai seemed to have thought of something. His eyes brightened as he asked, “Master, could it be because I used vital energy to cultivate Wind Dance?”

Adept Cloudspirit smiled at his words.

“Correct.”

Having received confirmation, Li Sibai’s heart jolted. Could his master have already realized that he possessed battle energy?

At that thought, fragments of the past surfaced in his mind.

The Primordial Formula sought to make two currents of true energy intertwine—one positive and one negative. When they merged through their entanglement, they produced an astonishing effect and became vital energy.

Yet when Li Sibai cultivated, he did not possess two currents of true energy, one positive and one negative. Instead, true energy and battle energy intertwined. That was why he had cultivated the first layer of the Primordial Formula faster than others and found it easier to master.

As for Wind Dance, there was no doubt that his true energy possessed the wind attribute; this had been tested. But what about battle energy? Li Sibai did not know whether battle energy possessed an attribute. If it did, would the vital energy formed by their fusion still retain the wind attribute? If it did not, what effect would the fusion have on the vital energy? All of this would affect his cultivation of Wind Dance through vital energy.

But this was his secret. How had his master discovered it?

Li Sibai found himself caught in a dilemma. Did his master know everything, or was he merely testing him? Should he confess, or pretend not to understand?

If he admitted it, would he be treated as an aberration because he possessed battle energy? Would he be expelled from the Celestial Sword Sect?

The more Li Sibai thought about it, the more frightened he became. Since awakening the battle energy within his body, this was the first time he had felt so helpless.

Adept Cloudspirit remained silent, drinking tea beside him while watching the changes in Li Sibai’s expression. At one moment it was gloomy; at the next, bright. His own mind was turning over matters as well.

In the end, Adept Cloudspirit broke the silence with a sigh.

“Try using true energy next time. However, this technique is still not powerful enough for you. For now, focus on practicing the other techniques of the first layer of the Primordial Formula. Do not let yourself become distracted. I will return in a month to test your progress.”

With that, he rose and prepared to leave.

Seeing that his master was unwilling to expose the matter and had instead pointed him toward a path forward, Li Sibai felt deeply grateful. He hurriedly knelt and bowed in thanks.

Although this master had spent little time instructing him, every lesson had been precisely what he needed. Not only had he taught Li Sibai such a formidable technique as the Primordial Formula, he had also shown him the road ahead. The thought of concealing the truth from him filled Li Sibai with an urge to confess everything.

In the end, however, he restrained himself.

Then another matter suddenly came to mind.

“Master, do you know about the Inner Sect Tournament? May I participate?”

End of Chapter