Chapter 48: The Life of Cultivation

Led by the senior brother, the three of them navigated the winding corridors and arrived before the Law Enforcement Hall. The interior was solemn and majestic, with a bronze bell hanging in the center. Its melodious chime seemed capable of cleansing all distracting thoughts from one's mind.

Next, they stepped into the Pavilion of Techniques. The pavilion housed tens of thousands of books, each emitting a faint glow like an ocean of knowledge, causing anyone to involuntarily lose themselves in its depths.

"Senior brother, are there any differences among these cultivation techniques?"

"Junior brother need not be impatient. Once you officially take a master, someone will be assigned to guide you in choosing the technique that suits you best. If you are fortunate enough to be selected by a sect elder as a personal disciple, your rise will be meteoric, and you will lack nothing in cultivation insights, spiritual treasures, or elixirs."

"Ordinary disciples within the sect receive fixed assigned tasks every year to earn contribution points, which can be exchanged for whatever they need. The fastest way to earn points is by fighting in the arena; improving your ranking will grant you corresponding rewards."

Not long after the group walked out of the Pavilion of Techniques, a crowd of sect elders dressed in long robes and bearing majestic expressions descended before them. Their eyes burned like torches as they stared at the three youths with unconcealed joy.

Fatty Xu trembled slightly as a kind-faced ordinary elder slowly stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder. "Little chubby one, you have an affinity with the wood element. Would you be willing to follow me in studying the art of flora cultivation? This old man is Wood Spirit."

A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Fatty Xu's eyes, and he nodded hastily.

As for Liu An, a golden light flashed around his body, and a long sword flew over on its own, hovering above his head. The sect's supreme elder stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound. "Boy, your sword intent is indomitable. Follow me to practice metal-element swordsmanship, and you will surely achieve greatness in the future. This old man is Chu Xiong."

"This subordinate is willing."

With a wave of his sleeve, Liu An's figure vanished abruptly, reappearing instantly beside the supreme elder.

Meanwhile, Lin Luomei sensed a chill approaching. An elder clad in ice-blue robes smiled slightly at her and tapped a fingertip in the air, causing the surrounding atmosphere to condense into frost. "The path of ice requires a heart as calm as still water. Are you willing? I am Master Miaoyu."

Lin Luomei readily accepted, her body seemingly enveloped by a thin layer of frost, signaling the official commencement of her journey into ice-element cultivation.

Thus, the three officially stepped into the world of immortal cultivation.

Fatty Xu was led to a vibrant herb garden, where the air was rich with medicinal fragrance, and spiritual herbs of all colors competed in beauty.

His master, a kind-faced elder, gently stroked a spiritual herb, causing its leaves to emit a soft radiance.

"Disciple, you will reside here from now on. Every day, you must tend to these spiritual herbs and elixirs, and gain enlightenment through them. Every month, I will give you a bottle of floral essence for you to ingest and refine."

Sitting cross-legged with an archaic jade slip in his palm, Fatty Xu listened as the elder softly chanted the incantation. The mysteries of the Flora Art slowly unfolded within the jade slip, and a vital life force seemed to dance at his fingertips, resonating with the spiritual herbs in the garden. Amidst the verdant glow, he gradually immersed himself in the profound secrets of plant growth.

Liu An was brought by the supreme elder to a mist-shrouded peak, where a simple yet extraordinary cave dwelling stood.

Outside the cave, a golden sword floated in the air, its tip lightly touching the void, radiating an intimidating sword intent. Standing with his hands behind his back within the sword array, the supreme elder said to Liu An in a deep voice, "The path of swordsmanship lies in the heart and the intent. Watch closely!" With a flick of his sleeve, ten thousand swords rang out in unison, their sword light slicing through the sea of clouds like a dragon and cleaving it in two with magnificent momentum.

Flabbergasted, Liu An felt a fierce fighting spirit ignite in his chest. He dropped to his knees and solemnly received a golden long sword. The blade trembled slightly, as if responding to his determination. From that day onward, Liu An practiced metal-element swordsmanship day and night in the cave dwelling, the interplay of sword shadows and moonlight reflecting his unyielding silhouette.

Following the ice-blue-robed elder, Lin Luomei stepped into a crystal-clear ice palace. The interior was piercingly cold yet exceptionally pure, with every icicle seemingly containing the fundamental principles of heaven and earth.

With a wave of the elder's sleeve, the surrounding chill surged forward, transforming into an ice phoenix that danced gracefully around Lin Luomei, bringing alternating sensations of piercing cold and refreshing clarity.

She was led to a lotus platform carved from ice and seated upon it. Closing her eyes and centering her mind, the elder formed hand seals.

Instantly, Lin Luomei felt a gentle chill rise from her dantian, coursing through her meridians and eventually gathering in her palm. With a gentle wave, tiny ice crystals condensed, flashing with a frigid light—marking the official launch of her cultivation of ice-element arts.

"You must remember that entering my sect requires you to purge your desires and remain unburdened by romantic entanglements. Do you understand?" Master Miaoyu instructed Lin Luomei sternly.

"This disciple will firmly engrave Master's teachings in her heart," Lin Luomei replied, executing a respectful disciple's bow.

Inside Liu An's cave dwelling, spiritual energy drifted like threads, converging into an unceasingly rotating vortex.

With his eyes closed and mind focused, his body was wrapped in a faint golden aura—the sign of sword Qi circulating and condensing within him.

In his daily medicinal baths, rare herbs were transformed into nourishing liquids that nurtured his physical body and soul, propelling his cultivation forward by leaps and bounds.

In less than a month, a sound like a shattering bottleneck echoed within him, and his cultivation advanced to the next level.

At this moment, holding the golden long sword with its tip lightly touching the ground, the blade vibrated slightly, emitting a dragon-like hum.

With a clear whistle from him, the sword incantation was activated, and the sword light surged drastically, transforming into a golden dragon that coiled within the cave dwelling. The majestic momentum was enough to make anyone's heart flutter.

Liu An's figure moved like a shadow, blending seamlessly with the sword light. The mastery of his swordsmanship had reached perfection.

Before long, his master, Chu Xiong, stepped on a flying sword and arrived outside Liu An's cave dwelling.

"Disciple, have you broken through?"

Quickly tidying his appearance, Liu An stepped out of the cave, opened the protective barrier, and paid respects to his master.

"Reporting to Master, this disciple has broken through to the next realm."

"Good, very good. Rest for a period now; too much is as bad as too little, and cultivation also requires a balance of tension and relaxation."

"Yes, Master."

After giving his instructions and inspecting Liu An to ensure his physical condition was excellent, Chu Xiong transformed into a streak of light and departed.

With his successful cultivation putting him in high spirits, Liu An decided to share this joy with Fatty Xu first.

Taking a winding path through the lush forest, he arrived at the vibrant herb garden. However, the scene before him made his brow furrow tightly.

Fatty Xu was drenched in sweat as he hauled a heavy basket of spiritual soil, while several disciples dressed in sect attire stood idly nearby, giving orders with playful and disdainful expressions on their faces.

"Fatty Xu, move faster! Stop dragging your feet!" shouted one disciple loudly, waving a whip in the air as if it might strike down at any moment.

Gasping for breath, Fatty Xu wiped sweat from his cheeks as it soaked his clothes, yet he dared not slack off in the slightest.

Though his eyes were filled with exhaustion and helplessness, he gritted his teeth and persevered. Seeing this, fury ignited in Liu An's heart.

"Is this how the few of you treat your fellow sect brothers?"

"Let's see who is shouting and roaring in the herb garden."