"Interesting!"
Diao Yadong slowly spoke, "How are Mo Hai, Wang Yunqi, and Qi Yun doing lately?"
"Mo Hai has already reached the peak of the fifth level of Qi Condensation, just one step away from the sixth. Wang Yunqi successfully refined the Huihuan Pill the other day. The Huihuan Pill is a superior grade among first-grade pills; she only needs one more opportunity, and she'll probably be able to enter the ranks of second-grade alchemists. As for Qi Yun, he's currently attempting to refine a high-grade mortal weapon!"
"Don't worry about Mo Hai. Even if Mo Yang reaches the fourth level, he's far from being his match!"
Diao Yadong analyzed. "As for Wang Yunqi, she has integrated beast fire, and her alchemy talent is already comparable to Miao Xianyu's, so there's even less to worry about. Qi Yun is a weapon-refining genius; Qi Ming is far inferior to him!"
"Instructor Diao is right. Mu Yun's three-battle challenge to you is practically suicide!"
"Alright, you may leave. Make sure the three of them aren't careless. This battle is our Advanced Class Three's moment to showcase our strength; it must be perfect!"
"Understood!"
...
That day, Mo Yang finished his training and returned to the academy, only to be summoned to the training room by Mu Yun.
"For the last ten days, don't go out. Stay in the training room and spar with me!" Looking at Mo Yang, Mu Yun said directly, "Take this intermediate-level Yellow Rank martial art, the Azure Cloud Sword Technique, and practice it. Master it within ten days, and you should be able to compete with Mo Hai!"
Hearing Mu Yun's words, Mo Yang felt a surge of excitement.
The Azure Cloud Sword Technique, mastered in ten days, enough to rival Mo Hai!
His hands trembled slightly as Mo Yang took the sword manual from Mu Yun.
However, when he opened the manual, Mo Yang raised an eyebrow, almost spitting out blood.
"Instructor Mu, are you sure you're not kidding me?"
"What's wrong?"
"What kind of Azure Cloud Sword Technique is this? The illustrations and moves on the manual are twisted and distorted, the handwriting is even more unbearable to look at, and... and the ink isn't even dry!"
*Bang!*
Before Mo Yang could finish speaking, he was hit again by Mu Yun's club.
"Just look at it, stop with the nonsense!" Mu Yun snorted. "If you can't master it within ten days, I'll make you one of those people on the sword manual."
"Ah? But these characters..." "
Ahem... Time was short, so the teacher didn't draw it very well. I'll write it properly for you later!"
Mu Yun blushed and turned to leave.
It wasn't that Mu Yun didn't want to draw it well, but drawing ordinary martial arts techniques and sword manuals required strong mental support.
This Azure Cloud Sword Technique was a rather advanced martial art that Mu Yun encountered when he first entered the martial arts world in his previous life.
With his current strength, being able to draw it was already remarkable.
Aesthetically pleasing, however, was impossible!
On the other
side, Qin Mengyao took the sword manual and, upon seeing the illustrations, immediately scoffed.
But after a moment, the smile on Qin Mengyao's face gradually faded.
"The Azure Cloud Sword Technique consists of three forms, each further divided into three sub-forms. The first form is 'Soaring Azure Clouds,' the second is 'Beyond Azure Clouds,' and the third is 'Azure Clouds Setting Sun!'
"
Looking at the sword manual, Qin Mengyao's face gradually became serious.
"Instructor Qin, is there a problem?" Seeing the change in Qin Mengyao's expression, Mo Yang also sensed something was amiss.
"No...no problem!"
Putting down the sword manual, Qin Mengyao looked at Mo Yang and said earnestly, "Mo Yang, this sword manual, I just want to tell you, if it were auctioned at the Saint Pill Pavilion, it would fetch at least 50,000 low-grade spirit stones!"
50,000 low-grade spirit stones !
Mo Yang was stunned, staring at Qin Mengyao in disbelief.
A typical mid-level Yellow Rank martial art is rarely worth 10,000 low-grade spirit stones; how could this seemingly crooked Azure Cloud Sword Technique be worth so much?
"Don't underestimate it. Once you master all three forms, Instructor Qin guarantees you'll win!"
With that, Qin Mengyao gracefully departed.
Her heart was still filled with turmoil!
The Azure Cloud Sword Technique!
Her current ability to cultivate the Ice Phoenix Divine Soul is vastly different from before, and her understanding of certain things is also incomparable.
This Azure Cloud Sword Technique, although a mid-level Yellow Rank martial skill, is far more powerful than it appears.
As an instructor at the Northern Cloud Academy, Qin Mengyao has extensive experience. She knows that the Azure Cloud Sword Technique doesn't even exist in Northern Cloud City.
The Mu family has never possessed it either.
After all, it's only a mid-level Yellow Rank martial skill; the Qin family wouldn't bother to conceal it so meticulously.
Yet Mu Yun suddenly brought it out today, and it was clearly hand-carved by him.
How did he obtain this martial skill?
Could it be a martial skill he created himself?
Upon closer examination, Qin Mengyao felt only disbelief.
If Mu Yun truly created a mid-level Yellow Rank martial skill, then his power is simply inconceivable.
Alchemy, weapon forging, creating martial skills—Qin Mengyao even suspected that there was nothing Mu Yun couldn't do.
Entering the training room, Mu Yun once again practiced the first move of the Heaven-Mending Sword Dao, the Shadow-Mending Sword.
He had practiced this move countless times, yet he still couldn't grasp its essence.
This was the first time in many years that he had faced such
a problem.
However, given Mu Yun's personality, giving up was clearly impossible.
"Shadow-Mending Sword, Shadow Technique!"
He thrust out the sword, but the shadow remained in place, as if nothing had changed.
It wasn't until late at night that Mu Yun slowly stopped practicing and walked into the weapon-refining room.
Inside the weapon-refining room, various pieces of metal were displayed on wooden shelves.
These metals were silver, white, or gray.
Inside the weapon-refining room, Qi Ming stood bent over in front of the alchemy furnace, holding several pieces of metal in his hands, his eyes fixed on the furnace, occasionally observing the changes within the fire.
The scorching flames made Qi Ming's face flushed red, and beads of sweat dripped down his face, but his eyes remained fixed on the furnace.
The furnaces used for weapon crafting and alchemy differ significantly in many ways.
Weapon crafting first requires creating a model of the weapon in a furnace, and then the weapon craftsman forges it and incorporates inscriptions before it can unleash its power.
At this moment, Qi Ming was refining a weapon.
Seeing Qi Ming's focused expression, Mu Yun nodded slightly and left the refining room.
Through his instruction over the past few days, Mu Yun had discovered that Qi Ming possessed a unique understanding of weapon refining.
However, Qi Ming lacked experience in crafting inscriptions.
For a weapon refiner, learning inscriptions was not something that could be accomplished overnight.
However, Mu Yun had devised a solution.
The next day, early in the morning, Mu Yun pulled Qi Ming up and brought him to the refining room.
"Qi Ming, I think you've realized these past few days that with your inscription cultivation methods, it's very difficult to surpass Qi Yun!"
Mu Yun said earnestly. "Not to mention that Qi Ming can now refine mid-grade mortal weapons, his understanding and mastery of inscriptions far surpasses yours!"
"So, your mentor has come up with a solution for you!"
Mu Yun said, picking up four spirit plates.
Spirit plates were carved from spirit crystals.
They were indispensable for weapon refiners.
Weapon refiners need to condense runes to forge weapons, and the skill of refining these runes requires a spirit board.
True essence is condensed into runes, forming a small array, which is then embedded within the spirit board to preserve the runes' activity. When the weapon is forged and solidified, the runes can be embedded into it, activating them and causing the weapon to undergo a true transformation.
A weapon without runes is merely a piece of ordinary iron.
Only weapons with runes can be considered divine weapons.
"Watch closely!"
Mu Yun spoke again.
With a flick of his finger, true essence condensed.
A hissing sound rang out as Mu Yun spoke, "The world is full of complex and diverse inscriptions, countless in number, but there are two types of inscriptions that are unique!"
"Enhancing inscriptions and auxiliary inscriptions!"
"Enhancing inscriptions can further strengthen the existing inscriptions within a weapon and the weapon itself, while auxiliary inscriptions can facilitate the perfect fusion of inscriptions and the weapon!"
"To put it another way!" Mu Yun explained while inscribing something on the spirit board, "If you are forging a fire-attribute sword, you need a fire spirit inscription. When you fuse the fire spirit inscription with the sword, the sword is complete, and your weapon forging is finished!"
"But now, if you integrate an enhancing inscription into the sword, it will increase the sword's attributes and power to a certain extent, at least by 30%. If you integrate an auxiliary inscription, it will increase the fusion between the sword itself and the fire spirit inscription, further increasing the sword's power!"
"Enhancing inscriptions and auxiliary inscriptions are inscriptions that enhance the power of inscriptions, understand?"
After speaking, Mu Yun stopped.
Before the two figures stood two spirit boards, densely covered with inscriptions.
The inscriptions appeared incredibly complex, yet also seemingly simple.
Looking at Qi Ming, Mu Yun patiently explained, "These two inscriptions are unlike anything you'd find anywhere else in the entire Heavenly Fortune Continent. I created them myself, but their effect is enough to allow you to defeat Qi Yun!"
"However, mastering them is extremely difficult. Use them as reference as you can these next few days!"
"Instructor Mu..."
"Hmm?"
"Is that so?"
Just as Mu Yun was talking to himself, a voice sounded from behind.
Turning around, Mu Yun stared blankly at the third spirit board.
Martial artists below the Condensation Realm do not possess true essence within their bodies. This is the function of the spirit board: to store true essence for martial artists below the seventh level to condense inscriptions.
"Did you draw this?"
Mu Yun asked, stunned, looking at the inscriptions on the spirit board.
"Yes... isn't this very strange!" Seeing Mu Yun's discomposure, Qi Ming lowered his head in shame.
"Damn it, a genius!"
Mu Yun couldn't help but curse, "Qi Ming, you're a fucking genius!"
To his astonishment, Qi Ming had copied the inscription he'd made in one go—it was simply genius!
"Huh?"
Completely bewildered by Mu Yun's reaction, Qi Ming stood there dumbfounded.
"A genius?"
But he clearly remembered that just half a month ago, Mu Yun had smacked him on the head and called him trash!