180 - We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 180: Rumors of the Second Elder Xue Kui Taking on a Disciple On the second day of arriving at the Myriad Dao Sect, Xiao Mo awoke early. That day, Xue Kui handed Xiao Mo a wooden sword. "From today onwards, you'll use this wooden sword for your practice," Xue Kui said carelessly as he stood atop the mountain. "The sword technique I'm teaching you is called the 'Blood Demon Sword Technique.' As you practice it, the bloodthirst will pierce your heart and invade your bones. If you cannot withstand it, you'll become a pool of blood. But if you manage to endure, your cultivation speed will surpass others of similar aptitude by far. "Xiao Mo, your innate potential is commendable, but practicing this sword technique requires more than just good natural talent. This is an extremely domineering technique; if your temperament is weak and your willpower falters, you'll easily fall into madness the deeper you delve. At that point, I'll have no qualms about ending your life myself. "Moreover, the greater your aura of bloodthirst, the more potent your sword techniques will become. Killing is the best way to enhance this aura," Xue Kui elaborated. Hearing these words, Xiao Mo's brows furrowed. Xue Kui smirked, "Who you kill and how many you kill is your business. All I care about is that your progress meets my standards. As I've said, if your cultivation level doesn't meet my expectations, I'll kill you. I won't waste any more effort on you. Is there anything else you want to ask?" "How many have died before I came along?" Xiao Mo queried. "Taking on a disciple is a cumbersome task," Xue Kui admitted. "I've never taken on a disciple before, so you are my first. Any more questions?" "None." "Then let's begin practice. Watch carefully, I'll demonstrate the first move of the Blood Demon Sword Technique only once!" With those words, Xue Kui picked up a wooden sword as well. Every morning thereafter, Xue Kui would personally oversee Xiao Mo's practice of the Blood Demon Sword Technique. In addition, Xue Kui also prepared medicinal baths for Xiao Mo each day. At first, practicing the technique inflicted unbearable pain on Xiao Mo, even worse than when he drank the Dragon Thunder Elixir. However, every time Xiao Mo saw Jiang Xin standing nearby, he forced himself to persevere. After each practice session, Jiang Xin would rush forward to wipe Xiao Mo's sweat, massaging his shoulders and back. She knew she couldn't do much else, so she attended to his daily needs meticulously. After two months, Xiao Mo advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining. His astonishing progress left him in disbelief, unsure whether it was due to the Blood Demon Sword Technique or an extraordinarily high innate talent in this lifetime. Regardless, all Xiao Mo could do was focus on advancing. Xue Kui set goals for Xiao Mo. After each period of training, Xiao Mo had to reach a certain level of cultivation; the sword technique had to be honed to a specific degree, lest he be killed. Fortunately, Xiao Mo's talent was sufficient to meet Xue Kui's stringent requirements, sometimes even surpassing them, leaving Xue Kui baffled by the ten-year-old's formidable mind. However, as the days of rigorous practice went by, Xiao Mo noticed an increasing aggression within himself, influenced by the Blood Demon Sword Technique. After each session, he would battle a strong urge to fight and shed blood. Despite this, he endeavored to suppress it. On the seventy-fifth day of his cultivation journey, Xiao Mo successfully overcame the Lightning Tribulation and underwent Foundation Establishment by consuming a Foundation Building Pill. A task that many cultivators may never achieve in a lifetime, Xiao Mo accomplished in under three months. On the day Xiao Mo established his foundation, Xue Kui handed him a Tang Hengdao—a Grade Four magical weapon named the Spirit-Absorbing Blade. As Xiao Mo practiced with it, the sword would continuously absorb his spiritual energy, becoming heavier the longer he wielded it. "From today, you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator. You can now freely move about the Myriad Dao Sect. On that note, head to Myriad Dao Town and fetch me a jug of Sanguoluo Wine from the Blind Man's Wine Shop in the northern part of the town," Xue Kui said, tossing a pouch of spirit stones and a wine gourd to Xiao Mo before yawning and heading back to the courtyard. Jiang Xin wished to accompany Xiao Mo, but he declined. As the Myriad Dao Sect is a demonic sect, he decided to first explore the outside environment solo. If he deemed it safe, only then would he bring Jiang Xin along. Descending the mountain, Xiao Mo flew to Myriad Dao Town, a vast settlement within the sect's territory, larger than the royal capital of an average empire, featuring taverns, inns, casinos, and brothels—much like any mundane city. However, the ladies of "Myriad Flower Pavilion" in the town are more enchanting than their mortal counterparts, practicing dual cultivation to ascend in their paths. Walking down the street, Xiao Mo attracted plenty of stares, largely directed at the "Blood Quest Peak" token at his waist. He bought some clothes for Jiang Xin, gauging her size, along with some snacks like pastries and candied hawthorn to break the monotony of the fasting pills they had been living on. Finally, he found the "Blind Man's Wine Shop" in the northern part of town, instructing the waiter to fill the wine gourd with Sanguoluo Wine while pulling up a chair to sit nearby. Just then, a conversation from the adjacent table reached his ears. "Have you heard that Second Elder Xue Kui has taken on a disciple?" asked a debonair-looking sword cultivator named Wang Weijun. "Indeed," nodded a cultivator named Li Chen. "I was quite surprised too when I heard it. Who would've thought the indomitable Elder Xue Kui would take on a disciple?" "Scoff," Wang Weijun chuckled coldly. "What's so indomitable about her? Compared to my master, Xue Kui is nothing." "True, compared to the Grand Elder, Second Elder Xue Kui is no match. But brother Wang, Xue Kui's figure and looks, they're something else," Li Chen said with a knowing grin. "Just you wait, brother Wang. Xue Kui offended my master; she won't have a good end. When my master ascends and becomes the sect leader, he'll take her as his concubine. As his final disciple, who knows, maybe I'll even..." Before Wang Weijun could finish, their words were abruptly cut off as they sensed an ominous presence. They sprang from their seats. "Boom!" A blood-red sword aura descended from above, splintering the table and chairs into pieces.