Over a dozen jade slips rested within this grid. The techniques recorded within were not purely techniques, but martial arts meant to be executed in tandem with a weapon.

Naturally, to practice such martial techniques, one required a matching blade.

These were no mundane mortal weapons, but Pseudo-Artifacts.

While lacking the profound arrays of true Magical Artifacts, their materials were forged to withstand the violent surging of Spiritual Qi.

A strike unleashed through a Pseudo-Artifact vastly outstripped the might of ordinary steel or a bare technique.

Naturally, such Pseudo-Artifacts became mere chicken ribs to cultivators who had stepped into Foundation Establishment.

A Foundation Establishment master could shatter them with their bare hands.

Yet, among those still struggling in the Qi Condensation realm, Pseudo-Artifacts were fiercely coveted.

Sweeping his Divine Sense over the jade slips, Xu Changshou settled upon a manual titled the Five Elements Sword.

To cultivate this art to perfection, one required the five elemental attributes of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth to draw out its ultimate lethality.

Because it demanded the harmonization of all five elements, it reigned supreme among the dozen manuals offered.

Bearing a Ten-Element Mixed Spirit Root, Xu Changshou was more than equipped to practice the Five Elements Sword.

While a muddied spirit root inherently doomed a cultivator to an agonizingly slow advancement, it was not without its distinct advantages.

Whether concocting pills, drafting talismans, or comprehending techniques, Xu Changshou possessed an overwhelming edge.

Take the techniques within the Complete Book of Techniques, for instance. He alone could master every single technique recorded within its pages-a feat impossible for anyone else.

In the eyes of an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator, the lethality of the Five Elements Sword was absolute terror.

But to Xu Changshou's ruthless pragmatism, it was merely passable.

Even if he stood at the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation, unleashing the pinnacle strike of the Five Elements Sword would only match the raw destructive might of a single Sharp Gold Talisman.

It wasn't arrogance that elevated his standards; it was the sheer volume of lethal talismans he had drafted. The horrors contained within those slips of yellow paper were beyond the reckoning of common Qi Condensation disciples.

Weakness is acceptable. Talismans are finite; I need to bleed my enemies with my own two hands if necessary.

Consoling himself with this grim truth, Xu Changshou gripped the jade slip of the Five Elements Sword. "Senior Brother, how many Spirit Stones for this?"

"Thirty."

Sss-

"So steep!"

Xu Changshou gnashed his teeth. A common cultivator would have to bleed themselves dry for this.

The elderly disciple waved a hand nonchalantly. "The deadlier the art, the heavier the price. This is a cultivator's life-preserving trump card. Of course it bleeds your purse. If every street rat could buy it, would you even dare rely on it?"

"..."

Bereft of a rebuttal, Xu Changshou paid the thirty Spirit Stones and hurriedly departed.

He then arrived before the weapon pavilion's counter.

Presiding over the wares was a crone with frost-white hair.

"Senior Sister, I require a sword. A Pseudo-Artifact, preferably one forged to channel the five elemental attributes."

Xu Changshou stated his demands with cold precision.

"We do."

The crone nodded, turning to retrieve a distinctly unremarkable, pitch-black blade from beneath the counter. "This blade is named the Five Clouds Sword. It acts as a vessel for all five elements."

"The price in Spirit Stones?"

"One hundred and eight."

Sss-

Xu Changshou inhaled a sharp breath of cold air. He hadn't expected a mere Pseudo-Artifact to demand such exorbitant wealth.

Yet, a cold logic prevailed. It bore the title of "Artifact"; how could anything touching upon the profound Dao of artifacts be acquired for a pittance?

"I'll take it."

Xu Changshou gritted his teeth, parting with one hundred and eight Spirit Stones.

Descending Duty Peak, Xu Changshou took a grim inventory of his wealth. A meager three hundred and twenty-two Spirit Stones remained.

His accumulated fortune had been savagely butchered.

Returning to his desolate courtyard.

Xu Changshou drew the Five Clouds Sword. Gathering Spiritual Qi into his palm, he forcefully poured his essence into the hilt.

The pitch-black steel erupted with brilliance. A five-colored radiance flowed across the blade like liquid dawn, mesmerizing and lethal.

"I see. Small wonder it bears the name Five Clouds Sword."

Drawing his old, fine-steel longsword, Xu Changshou brought the two blades together in a testing clash.

Clang-Crack!

The hardened fine steel instantly shattered into useless shrapnel.

Xu Changshou nodded, a cold satisfaction in his eyes. Worthy of the title Pseudo-Artifact-it possessed the necessary resilience to survive a slaughter.

Sheathing the Five Clouds Sword, Xu Changshou delved into the foundational techniques within the Complete Book of Techniques. Though their raw destructive power was lacking, their utility in the arduous grind of cultivation was undeniable.

Fireball Technique.

Water Manipulation Technique.

Wind Manipulation Technique.

Lightning Strike Technique.

Earth Spirit Technique.

Ice Sculpture Technique...

Xu Changshou submerged his consciousness into the vast ocean of mystical arts. Before a single day had passed, he had bent every technique to his will.

Night fell.

Xu Changshou turned his unyielding focus toward the Five Elements Sword.

The art consisted of five foundational strikes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Only by mastering these core forms could one attempt to weave them together.

For instance, forcing the opposing natures of Water and Fire into a singular thrust birthed the Water-Fire Sword.

So long as a cultivator's spirit root harbored the five elements, the permutations were endless.

The more elements forcibly bound together, the more devastating the fallout. The absolute zenith of this art was the titular Five Elements Sword-a flawless, lethal fusion of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Grasping the brutal logic behind the Five Elements Sword, Xu Changshou commenced his arduous practice.

Single-attribute strikes were simple enough to execute, but layering them was a treacherous endeavor. Fusing two or three elements demanded a razor-thin point of equilibrium; a single misstep, and the gathered Spiritual Qi would violently disperse.

A night of relentless exhaustion passed.

Xu Changshou had subjugated the five basic forms, and even the volatile Water-Fire Sword was beginning to manifest a lethal edge.

The following dawn marked a scheduled day of rest.

Xu Changshou and Ye Shanhu rendezvoused at the bustling market of Danxia Peak. They each purchased a puppet horse, alongside various miscellaneous survival provisions.

Two days later.

Early morning.

A pair of fiery Red-Scaled Horses departed from the mist-shrouded base of Front Gate Peak.

Atop the beasts sat a man and a woman-Xu Changshou and Ye Shanhu.

Over the span of two days, Xu Changshou had thoroughly mastered every combinatorial strike, falling short only of the ultimate technique: the Five Elements Sword.

"Hehehe, Junior Brother Xu, this is wonderful! We've finally escaped those restrictive arrays!"

"Indeed, Senior Sister Ye. Only now do I realize how magnificent the vistas beyond the Sect truly are."

"Naturally! We've been sealed within the Sect for ten arduous years. I was on the verge of madness."

"The mortal realm is vast and free. Even the mundane winds carry a scent of sweetness."

"Hahaha, isn't that a slight exaggeration, Senior Sister Ye?"

Exchanging banter, the two spurred their mounts, leaving the imposing Green Immortal Mountain Range far behind.

Though Ye Shanhu possessed a White Jade Boat, activating a flying artifact would draw unwanted, predatory eyes. Thus, they opted for the grounded obscurity of puppet horses.

"Senior Sister Ye, my departure is not solely for leisure. Martial Uncle Li Daotu entrusted me with a mission to the Huosang Kingdom to retrieve..."

Now safely beyond the Sect's sweeping senses, Xu Changshou outlined the harrowing task Li Daotu had thrust upon him.

"What? The mortal royals of the Huosang Kingdom actually birthed an Exceptional Spirit Root?" Ye Shanhu gasped in sheer disbelief.

"Do you know the exact nature of the root?"

"I do not."

"How deeply bizarre!"

Ye Shanhu furrowed her delicate brows. "A mortal of such terrifying potential... why would the Sect dispatch a mere ninth-layer Qi Condensation disciple like yourself to secure them?"

"Senior Sister Ye, you also find it highly illogical?" Xu Changshou asked grimly.

Ye Shanhu analyzed the politics at play. "Not entirely illogical. If rival sects remain ignorant of this heaven-defying talent, using you as a mundane smokescreen while true experts shadow your every step... that aligns with standard Sect scheming."

Xu Changshou's brows locked together. "Senior Sister Ye, are you implying Martial Uncle Li has deployed unseen protectors to guard the Exceptional Spirit Root?"

Ye Shanhu nodded gravely. "It is highly probable. An Exceptional Spirit Root dictates the future providence of a Sect. He would not leave this to the whims of fate. It is entirely possible that Martial Uncle Li Daotu is personally stalking the shadows to ensure their survival."

"What? You're saying Martial Uncle Li might be watching us right now?" Xu Changshou's cold composure cracked, and he couldn't suppress an involuntary, paranoid glance toward the endless, oppressive heavens above.