After Wu Yong finished sharing, he slightly raised his hand in a gesture of acknowledgment and said with a smile, "That concludes my sharing of insights. Please feel free to add anything I may have missed. Now, I'd like to invite you all to share your own understanding."
As soon as he finished speaking, a cultivator took the lead, sharing his cultivation experiences and insights from the past year.
Immediately, everyone echoed his sentiments, and the private room became lively again, with everyone expressing their opinions.
Listening closely, the most discussed topic was the essential sword-flying technique for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
After all, having just entered the Foundation Establishment realm, sword-flying was not only a symbol of a cultivator's status but also an essential skill for future travel and training.
Some admitted that their sword-flying technique was just at the beginner level; they could barely control their flying swords and take to the air, but struggled to control speed and direction, easily losing their balance.
Others said that although they had made some progress, they couldn't move at will, and prolonged sword-flying consumed a large amount of spiritual energy.
In the courtyard, Qin Changsheng listened calmly to everyone's sharing, his gaze occasionally shifting to Lin Hao, Jiang Lijuan, Wu Yong, and others, gradually forming a judgment in his mind.
He discovered that even Lin Hao, Jiang Lijuan, and Wu Yong, whose cultivation was relatively outstanding, had only reached the minor completion stage of sword flight.
Lin Hao's sword flight was crisp and clean, but lacked agility, making it difficult to handle complex terrain; Jiang Lijuan's sword flight was stable, but slow, and her spiritual energy was consumed too quickly; Wu Yong was average, with no obvious weaknesses, but also no outstanding strengths.
Looking around the entire private room, not a single person had cultivated sword flight to the major completion stage, let alone the perfect stage.
In contrast, his own sword flight had already broken through its constraints and reached the perfect stage.
When wielding a sword, he could be as swift as lightning and as stable as a rock, controlling speed and direction at will. Even during prolonged sword flight, he could minimize spiritual energy consumption and even flexibly unleash spells while flying, seamlessly integrating offense and defense.
The root of all this wasn't his superior talent or greater diligence, but rather the golden attribute he possessed: [Sword Heart Clarity].
This golden attribute granted him unparalleled comprehension of sword-related techniques. Whether it was sword flight or various sword moves, he could quickly grasp their essence, applying them in different situations. His cultivation speed far surpassed that of cultivators of the same level, even allowing him to avoid many pitfalls in cultivation, achieving twice the results with half the effort.
Lin Hao noticed that everyone else had spoken, except for Hu Nan, who remained standing motionless.
He then asked, "Junior Brother Hu, everyone was talking about sword control techniques just now. I wonder how far you've progressed in your sword flight skills over the past year?"
As soon as he finished speaking, several gazes turned to Hu Nan, some curious, others observing.
Hu Nan slowly raised his eyes and said, "I'm ashamed to say, I've only recently entered the Foundation Establishment realm, and my sword flight skills are just beginning. I can barely control my flying sword to take off, and I can't even control the direction and speed freely."
"I'm not very talented, but I've already mastered sword flight to a minor level!" Upon hearing this, Lin Hao's arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised pride.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile playing on his lips, believing he had finally won back some ground.
After all, he had been thoroughly humiliated by Hu Nan at last year's Foundation Establishment Ceremony.
Some surrounding cultivators nodded secretly, some looked envious, while others remained indifferent, simply observing quietly without interjecting.
Qin Changsheng smiled faintly upon hearing this, saying nothing more.
After all, he had already mastered the art of sword flight to perfection.
He looked down on someone like Lin Hao, who had only reached the minor completion stage of sword flight.
"Fellow disciples, besides discussing cultivation experiences, I have something I'd like to discuss with you all today. We've only been in the sect for a short time, and our understanding of the surrounding area is limited. Why not take this opportunity to share what you know about the area or recent major events, so we can exchange information and be more prepared?" Wu Yong continued.
As soon as Wu Yong finished speaking, the private room immediately became lively.
A cultivator sitting in the corner spoke first, his tone urgent: "Let me go first! A few days ago, I went down the mountain to buy medicinal pills and heard that a Foundation Establishment demonic beast appeared in the valley to the west, killing many Qi Refining cultivators!"
Another cultivator quickly added, his expression grave: "I've heard about that too. Besides, it seems many demonic beasts are gathering near Qingyun Lake."
"Especially on the night of the full moon, there are a lot of demonic beasts there!"
The crowd chattered, each sharing what they knew—the unusual activity in the villages below the mountain, the tracks of demonic beasts around the sect, and rumors about disciples from other sects. Their tone was filled with worry or curiosity.
Qin Changsheng, far away in the courtyard, silently noted down the information they received.
Just as everyone was talking animatedly, Lin Hao suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter was hearty and tinged with disdain, instantly drowning out the others' words and drawing everyone's attention to him.
"Lin Hao, what are you laughing at?" A Foundation Establishment cultivator looked at Lin Hao with suspicion.
"Hahaha, what are you all talking about? What's the big deal?" Lin Hao leaned back slightly, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips, his tone arrogant.
Upon hearing this, the crowd reacted in various ways. Some showed displeasure, while others were curious about why Lin Hao was so arrogant.
Wu Yong quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "Brother Lin, judging from your words, you must know something earth-shattering? Please, Brother Lin, enlighten us so we can prepare."
Seeing everyone was captivated by him, Lin Hao's smug expression deepened. He took a sip of tea before saying, "Did you know that a master weapon refiner from the Imperial Sword Manor will be coming to our Heavenly Sword Sect the day after tomorrow?"
"What? A master weapon refiner?"
"A master weapon refiner! Why would such a person come to our Heavenly Sword Sect?"
"How is this possible?"
As soon as Lin Hao finished speaking, the private room erupted in commotion. Everyone looked shocked and puzzled, bombarding him with questions.
Master weapon refiners were extremely rare, each possessing extraordinary skills. Ordinary sects could hardly invite them. For one to come to the Heavenly Sword Sect on his own initiative was astonishing.
Moreover, this master weapon refiner was from the Imperial Sword Manor.
Seeing the crowd's anxious expressions, Lin Hao felt increasingly smug. He raised his hand to signal them to quiet down and slowly said, "Please be patient, everyone. This master craftsman isn't here at the sect's invitation, but to find a treasure."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the astonished faces of the crowd, and continued, "The master craftsman has already declared that whoever can help him find this treasure will receive a generous reward."
"A
book on crafting a natal magic weapon and an invitation to the Sword Control Pool!"
ReadBestsellers
These words instantly silenced the private room, followed by an even louder murmur of discussion.
A natal magic weapon was fundamental for these newly Foundation Establishment cultivators.
If they could possess one, their strength would increase dramatically.
The invitation granted free entry to the Sword Control Pool; either one was enough to drive anyone mad.
"Brother Lin, what treasure does this master craftsman need?"
"Brother Lin, tell us quickly!"
"Yes, yes, so we can prepare!"
The crowd chattered, their questions rising and falling.
Lin Hao, seeing their impatient expressions, grew even more smug.
"Please be patient, everyone. The treasure the master craftsman is looking for isn't some ethereal rare treasure, but a piece of thousand-year-old black iron."
"Thousand-year-old black iron?" Upon hearing this, the crowd was initially stunned, repeating those four words in hushed tones. Their excitement and eagerness gradually faded, replaced by astonishment and solemnity, finally turning into disappointment.
Because thousand-year-old black iron is extremely rare, and practically impossible to obtain.
This thousand-year-old black iron is the core material for forging top-tier magical artifacts. Its formation is extremely difficult; it requires a thousand years of nurturing in a cold, underground place to solidify.
Let alone these Foundation Establishment cultivators, even most of the Golden Core experts in the sect have only heard of its name and have never actually seen it, let alone possessed it.