Chapter 70 - 70: New Policy
Time flew by in the world of cultivation, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
At a certain courtyard in Azure Dragon Peak.
In the center of the backyard of the courtyard, there was a stone pillar of the size that two people could encircle, painted with mysterious silver runes.
Around the stone pillar, within a ten-meter radius, there was a layer of faint silver spirit light.
If one stood fifteen meters away from the stone pillar and did not look closely, it would be difficult to even notice the spirit light.
Using it, a special space had been created within a ten-meter radius of the stone pillar as its core.
This was a formation.
And this stone pillar was the formation’s core.
The formation core and the formation plate were both central controls of the formations, with the differences being that the formation core was generally fixed, while the formation plate could be moved.
The formation in the backyard was called the Spirit Lock Array.
It was a commonly seen formation used for isolating fluctuations in spirit energy.
At this moment, within the formation, Han Yi sat cross-legged. Around him, four rays of light danced wildly like spirit snakes, intertwining to form a light net. The light net seemed brilliant, yet it concealed deadly traps.
If anyone inadvertently stepped into the light net, they would be pierced by the light and would meet a gruesome death.
That was because these four rays of light were actually four incredibly fast daggers.
They were called the Wind Demon Daggers, a middle-grade magical tool.
At some moment, the four darting daggers suddenly changed. Around the daggers, a flame-red circle appeared, resembling a meteor falling and turning into a fireball. At this moment, the daggers seemed to be coated with divine flames.
Fire borrowing the strength of the wind, the wind enhancing the power of fire; the already extremely fast daggers became even faster, its speed increasing by another 30%.
Their power doubled or more as compared to before.
Within the formation, spirit light surged, and murderous intent swirled.
Outside the formation, the courtyard was peaceful, and flowers blossomed beautifully.
A moment later.
Han Yi retrieved his magical tools and walked outwards. After reaching a position ten meters away from the stone pillar, he continued to walk forward. As he took a step, the surrounding fluctuations in spirit energy changed drastically.
Inside the formation, the spirit energy had not yet subsided, while outside the formation, the courtyard was peaceful all year round.
Han Yi had purchased this formation two years ago.
In order to practice his skills, he made a lot of noise, which was inconvenient in the courtyard, so he came up with this method and spent a lot of money to buy a Soul Locking Array.
After three years, he could already control the fourth Wind Demon Dagger.
He could wield them as effortlessly as if they were his own arms, truly following his heart’s command.
He concealed the four daggers in hidden places on his body during normal times.
Meanwhile, he still wore the Shadowless Sword at his waist.
Over the three years, he had completely refined this middle-grade sword tool. When it was controlled with the Sword Control Skill, it was even more powerful than a single Wind Demon Dagger.
In other words, the Wind Demon Daggers were most suitable for his surprise attacks and assassination strategies. In contrast, the Shadowless Sword was his primary skill and was more suitable for face-to-face confrontation with enemies.
Apart from this, he had chosen a fire attributed sword secret, the Departing Fire Sword Formula, not long ago.
What he had just been cultivating with the daggers was the Departing Fire Sword Formula. Practicing the sword secret allowed him to increase the power of the daggers, controlled by his Sword Control Skill by more than twice.
Sword Control Skill allowed for the control of magical tools and belonged to the category of skills, it could make sword tools move.
As for sword secrets, they belonged to the category of abilities, capable of unleashing special powers after the sword tools were set in motion.
These were two different concepts.
Just like how Alchemy Skill was a skill, but during actual pill refining, one needed not only Alchemy Skill but also pill formulas. And sword secrets were like pill formulas.
Strictly speaking, within the Proficiency Panel’s skill module,
Alchemy Skill, Sword Control Skill, and Talisman Making Skill were all in the category of skills.
While Spirit Void Finger, Light Body Technique, Fire Shield Skill, and Turtle Breath Skill were in the category of abilities.
In the past, when Han Yi used Sword Control Skill to control the daggers, he only used skills, which was straightforward and primitive.
But as he entered the Inner Peak and broadened his horizons, he also had a deeper understanding of his own skills. He increasingly understood that skills were the foundation, while abilities displayed power, and both were indispensable.
Thus, he changed his mind and added a new skill, Departing Fire Sword Formula.
This Sword Secret is a fire attribute sword technique, divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part is suitable for cultivation at the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation, while the lower part is suitable for Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators.
Moreover, he didn’t spend any extra money on this sword technique but applied to Azure Dragon Palace for it and was granted it for free.
Just like his transfer cultivation technique, after stepping into the Inner Peak and becoming an Inner Sect disciple, the sect’s cultivation of you is comprehensive.
Inner Sect disciples can get one transfer cultivation technique for free, choose one free skill, obtain one basic robe for free, and periodically go to designated locations for free to listen to Foundation Establishment Elders, and even Golden Core Stage Supreme Elders’ immortal teachings…
Compared to the Outer Sect, the Inner Peak environment is more stable, and cultivation resources are richer. No wonder all Outer Peak disciples are vying to enter the Inner Peak.
However, three years later, Han Yi’s view of “Inner Peak being more stable” had somewhat wavered.
That’s because, seven days ago, the sect announced a “new policy”.
Azure Dragon Peak, Immortal Pavilion.
On a jade-colored square table, there are two bottles of spirit wine and four jade cups.
Next to the wine table, four figures sat down in sequence.
Han Yi was among them.
Apart from him, the other three were Luo Yunzhou, Yan Ru, and Qi Hong.
The Immortal Pavilion is a celestial room on Azure Dragon Peak. Unlike the Ascending Immortal Pavilion, which is a high-end experience, the Immortal Pavilion only provides regular spirit wine and a beautiful view of the vast cloud sea near the edge of Azure Dragon Peak.
Over the years, the good-relationship-builder Luo Yunzhou occasionally invited Han Yi for a drink to build rapport. Although he could only afford to invite him to the Ascending Immortal Pavilion once, he was a frequent visitor to the Immortal Pavilion.
Yan Ru, who had advanced to the seventh level of Qi Cultivation, seized an Inner Peak quota with the sixth level and entered Azure Dragon Peak. She also occasionally contacted Han Yi during these years.
As for the other female cultivator named Qi Hong, she was not a disciple of Azure Dragon Peak but of Vermilion Bird Peak. Her mother, whom Han Yi had met once, was one of the three managers who had assessed him when he returned to the sect from his mission.
However, some years ago, during a battle with the Blood God Sect, that manager died, and her body was never found.
Inner Peak disciples who had interacted with each other also had their small circles. Although Han Yi spent most of his time in intensive cultivation, it did not prevent him from fitting into such groups, as he deeply understood the importance of information.
“The new policy is a revolution,” Han Yi said.
“Senior Brother Han, what is a revolution?” Qi Hong, with a raised eyebrow, asked with an puzzled expression.
Luo Yunzhou and Yan Ru also looked over.
“Revolution refers to the transition from old to new, changing the old and bringing forth the new,” Han Yi explained briefly.
At the side, Luo Yunzhou nodded thoughtfully: “Indeed.”
“Under the new policy, we Inner Sect disciples can no longer enjoy the initial ease.”
Everyone’s faces were complicated.
All of this was due to the “new policy” issued by the Xuandan Sect seven days ago.
With one stone stirring up a thousand waves, the gigantic and complex machinery of the Xuandan Sect began to accelerate along a new track.
For a moment, the four of them fell silent.
Han Yi looked out at the fairyland view outside the window with his thoughts swirling.
Among the new policies announced by the sect seven days ago, there were two core regulations related to Inner Peak disciples.
The first regulation was that all Inner Peak disciples had to go to the Evil Mountain Range within six months, kill an evil beast of the same level, and hand in the core part of the evil beast as a certificate to the sect.
Of course, when submitting the core part of the evil beast, it can be converted into points and not taken from the disciples for free.
The second regulation was that the sect established Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings. Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators are on the Heaven List, Late Stage of Qi Cultivation is in the Earth Ranking, and Middle Stage of Qi Cultivating is on the Human List.
Not to mention the Heaven and Human Lists, the Earth Ranking for the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation depends on combat points earned on the Combat Platform. Win one match, gain one point; lose one match, lose one point.
Those who rank higher in the Earth Ranking receive more cultivation resources each year, while those who rank lower are squeezed and have their resources compressed.
The regulation also has detailed rules, mandating that all Inner Peak disciples must go on the Combat Platform at least three times a year, either accepting challenges or challenging others.
Cultivation resources are updated annually.
Combat points are calculated every three years, and those with less than ten points after three years will have their Inner Peak residence rights revoked and be sent to the Outer Peak.
At the same time, there are similar policies for the Outer Peak disciples. Those who rank higher in the Outer Peak, regardless of their realm, can replace Inner Peak disciples and move to the Inner Peak.
In simple terms, this new policy means “being able to go up and down”.
With the announcement of the new policy, the sect was in turmoil..