Chapter 5

As mentioned before, the Divine Blue Sect occupies a vast area in the Celestial Jade Domain. The distance between the outer and inner gates is tens of thousands of kilometers. Even for Xiao Ming, a peak Golden Core cultivator, traveling this distance would take a long time.

To make transportation more efficient, the sect has built numerous teleportation arrays. These arrays allow disciples to travel quickly by paying a small fee in spiritual stones.

Xiao Ming arrived at one of these teleportation arrays. After handing over some spiritual stones, he was instantly transported to the mountain range where the Pavilion of Thousand Techniques rested. The pavilion stood majestically on a misty peak, its jade spires glowing softly.

At the entrance, Xiao Ming approached an elder guarding the pavilion. Bowing respectfully, he said,

"Elder, I have broken through to Golden Core and would like to select techniques from the Pavilion of Thousand Techniques."

The elder, a white-bearded man with sharp eyes, opened them slowly. A flash of light crossed his gaze as he looked at Xiao Ming.

"Peak Golden Core stage? Not bad, not bad. It seems you've had some extraordinary opportunities. Advancing from the second stage of Core Formation to peak Golden Core in just two months is remarkable."

This elder recognized Xiao Ming immediately. Xiao Ming had become somewhat famous among the Inner Gate disciples, not only for his handsome appearance but also for his unique temperament. Many had mistakenly thought he was a core disciple in the past.

"Thank you, Elder. I was just fortunate," Xiao Ming replied humbly.

The elder nodded approvingly at his respectful attitude.

"Inner disciples may go to the second floor. You're allowed to choose one cultivation technique and one martial arts technique. Go ahead."

After bowing again, Xiao Ming walked toward the second floor.

Upon entering, he was greeted by an awe-inspiring sight. Shelves filled with qi-filled scrolls and jade slips hummed with ancient energy. Lanterns floated in the air, casting a gentle glow over etched runes and glowing artifacts.

In the Celestial Jade Domain, techniques were ranked by their quality: Common, Mystic, Earth, Heaven, King, and Emperor. Each rank was further divided into lower, middle, advanced, and top levels. As an inner disciple, Xiao Ming was allowed to choose techniques up to the King rank.

Previously, due to his limited talent, Xiao Ming had practiced only a lower-level Earth-rank technique. However, with the Devil's Heart enhancing his comprehension abilities, he was now confident in mastering even top-level King-rank techniques.

In the pavilion, there are quite a number of king-level techniques

.Iron Mountain Breathing Technique: lower king rank technique

Focuses on fortifying the body like an unyielding mountain, enhancing physical defense and resilience.

Crimson Wave Swordplay: mid-level king-rank technique

A sword technique that unleashes arcing waves of energy, combining precision with devastating area-of-effect damage.

Heaven-Splitting Sword Art: top level king rank technique 

A legendary sword technique capable of splitting the skies, concentrating immense qi into a single unstoppable slash

After some careful consideration, Xiao Ming chose two techniques:

Celestial Veil Technique (Top King Rank): This technique strengthens the body's defense and purifies spiritual energy.Starfall Palm (King Rank, Secret Technique): A devastating palm technique that unleashes overwhelming destructive power.

After selecting his techniques, Xiao Ming registered them at the Deacon Hall and was assigned a personal cave dwelling.

Upon arriving at his new cave, Xiao Ming couldn't help but marvel. It was ten times larger than his previous cave in the outer gate, and the concentration of qi was far higher. This entire mountain peak was now his territory.

However, Xiao Ming quickly calmed himself. He had little time to waste. Within a month, he needed to reach at least the peak of Nascent Soul. For others, this would be impossible, but with the system's help, it was definitely achievable.

Xiao Ming immediately began cultivating the Celestial Veil Technique. Thanks to the Devil's Heart and his enhanced comprehension, he made rapid progress. Within five days, the spiritual energy in his body transformed into a scarlet-gold color, and even his Golden Core radiated this vibrant hue. His energy was now over ten times purer than before, significantly increasing his strength without a change in cultivation level.

"This technique, combined with the Devil's Heart, has enhanced my cultivation speed and strength dramatically," Xiao Ming thought, satisfied.

The Devil's Heart now had upgraded properties:

Heals injuries 

Increases comprehension 

Boosts cultivation speed

Improves strength (3x)

With these results, Xiao Ming moved on to practicing the Starfall Palm. Secret techniques were notoriously difficult to master, but their power was unparalleled. It took Xiao Ming seven days to fully understand the technique.

On the seventh day, Xiao Ming rose into the air, his hands forming complex seals.

"Starfall Palm!" he shouted.

A massive energy palm, nearly 500 meters wide, formed in front of him. With a single motion, it slammed into a nearby mountain.

BOOM!

The mountain, towering over a thousand meters, crumbled under the devastating force. The shockwave rippled through the surrounding mountain range, leaving Xiao Ming momentarily stunned by the power. But soon, a satisfied smile spread across his face. He had successfully mastered the Starfall Palm.

Meanwhile, among the towering peaks of the inner gate...

Bam!

The gate to a secluded cave burst open, and a figure stepped out. His aura was dark and oppressive, his wolf-like eyes glowing with malice. This was Chen Yuan, the elder brother of Chen Han and a peak Golden Core cultivator.

As soon as Chen Yuan emerged, a group of disciples rushed to greet him. One of them, a young man, bowed deeply.

"Senior Brother Chen Yuan, I must inform you that your younger brother, Chen Han, was killed by Xiao Ming." one of the inner disciples told the entire story of what had happened.

hearing all this Chen Yuan's expression remained calm, but his eyes grew colder, sending shivers down the spines of the disciples.

"So, my brother was killed by that man?" Chen Yuan asked in an eerily calm tone.

"Yes, Senior Brother. Xiao Ming has already broken through to Golden Core and become an inner disciple. What should we do?"

Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed, his killing intent palpable. "Since he killed my brother, he must also die."