Chapter 24: sword sect

Lu Fan journeyed to Dawnblade City, a bustling hub renowned for its vibrant markets and diverse cultivation resources. The city was under the jurisdiction of the Sword Sect, a prominent and influential sect known for its strict adherence to martial discipline and cultivation excellence. The Sword Sect managed the allocation of spiritual veins in the region, making Dawnblade City a strategic destination for cultivators seeking to establish their own families or markets. Lu Fan's objective was to negotiate the rental of a Level 2 spiritual vein to support his burgeoning cultivation family. To fund this endeavor, he planned to sell several low-level Foundation Building weapons he had crafted, leveraging his skills to secure the necessary resources for his new venture.

Upon arriving in Dawnblade City, Lu Fan decided to gather information before proceeding with his plans. He checked into a local inn and sought out an information broker to learn about the current state of the Sword Sect.

In a dimly lit corner of the inn, Lu Fan met with the broker, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes.

Lu Fan: "I'm interested in the Sword Sect's current standing and their policies on spiritual veins."

Broker: "The Sword Sect is quite formidable. They boast numerous Golden Core experts and are led by a Nascent Soul ancestor. Regarding spiritual veins, they offer Level 1 veins for direct purchase. However, Level 2 veins are available only for rent. If you're willing to invest heavily, there's an option to upgrade a spiritual vein to a higher grade."

Armed with this knowledge, Lu Fan felt more prepared to approach the Sword Sect for his endeavors.

As Lu Fan contemplated the prospect of renting or purchasing a spiritual vein, he realized that such actions would inevitably bring him to the attention of the Sword Sect. This association could pose significant risks; in times of conflict, sects often conscript independent cultivators as expendable forces. Moreover, established spiritual veins typically have nearby inhabitants, making it challenging to discreetly implement his unique cultivation methods, such as his power grid. To maintain autonomy and secrecy, Lu Fan concluded that he needed to locate an isolated spiritual vein, preferably one accompanied by a substantial waterfall, to establish his cultivation base without external interference.

As Lu Fan strategized his next steps, he considered the challenges of acquiring a spiritual vein through conventional means, which would expose him to the Sword Sect's scrutiny. Recalling tales of cultivators discovering hidden spiritual veins in remote mortal regions, he envisioned finding such a vein and upgrading it to suit his needs. This approach would allow him to establish a concealed cultivation base, free from external oversight.

To fund this endeavor, Lu Fan sold several Foundation Building weapons to the Moonlight Pavilion, amassing substantial wealth. With these resources, he procured essential items:

Formation plates for concealment and defense.

A manual detailing methods to upgrade spiritual veins.

Level 1 manuals on pill refining, formation techniques, and talisman crafting.

A Level 2 weapon refining manual.

Escape talismans, including earth escape and attack variants.

A Foundation Realm body tempering manual titled Totem Art.

The Level 3 chapter of the Blazing Sun Sutra.

He allocated the remaining funds to purchase various pills to aid his cultivation. Having exhausted his financial resources, Lu Fan chose to stay at the inn for a few days to plan his next steps.

Recognizing the need to avoid attention and potential conflicts with other cultivators, Lu Fan decided to extend his stay in Dawnblade City. Anticipating that a prolonged presence would attract scrutiny, he sold another Foundation Building weapon to fund the rental of a Level 2 cultivation cave for a year. Within this secluded environment, he focused on advancing his Qi cultivation, reaching Level 7 after several months of diligent practice.

Turning his attention to the Totem Art manual, Lu Fan discovered that this technique involved harnessing beast souls to inscribe totems onto his body, thereby enhancing his physical strength. However, he noted a significant drawback: the resentment harbored by these beast souls could pose challenges during cultivation. This resentment, if not properly managed, might lead to inner turmoil or impede his progress. Determined to overcome this obstacle, Lu Fan resolved to find methods to purify or appease the beast souls' resentment, ensuring the successful integration of their power into his cultivation.

As Lu Fan continued his Qi cultivation, an idea struck him: why not inscribe a sun totem on his body to harness its power? He attempted the inscription, but unexpectedly, the electrical energy within him reacted violently, eradicating the sun totem. This incident revealed a profound insight: while his Qi was aligned with the mini-sun, his physical body resonated with thunder energy. This inherent discord between the sun's fiery essence and the electric nature of his body prevented the harmonious integration of the sun totem.

Seeking to enhance his physical strength through the Totem Art, Lu Fan acquired the soul of a Level 2 beast and attempted to inscribe its totem onto his body. However, upon manifestation, his inherent electrical energy eradicated the totem and the beast soul's resentment, leaving behind pure soul energy. This residual energy was then absorbed, unexpectedly bolstering his soul strength. This outcome revealed a unique synergy between his body's electrical nature and soul refinement, presenting new avenues for his cultivation.

Lu Fan discovered that by channeling his body's inherent electrical energy, he could rapidly refine beast souls. Traditionally, cultivators employ alchemical techniques to process beast souls into pills, a method that can be time-consuming and may not fully eliminate the souls' lingering resentment. In contrast, Lu Fan's thunder-based approach not only expedited the refinement process but also effectively cleansed the beast souls of any residual negativity. This innovative technique allowed him to absorb pure soul energy more efficiently, thereby enhancing his cultivation.

Recognizing the purifying properties of Heavenly Thunder, known for cleansing impurities, Lu Fan understood that his own electrical energy shared this purifying tendency. Leveraging this, he continued to refine early Foundation Building weapons, selling them to fund the acquisition of beast souls. This approach not only enhanced his cultivation resources but also allowed him to utilize his unique abilities to their fullest potential.