Chapter 218: Defects and Advantages

Senior Brother Ma paused here, a look of regret appearing on his face, and then continued:

"But unfortunately, this sword art has an unbearable defect after practicing it to a deep level. From the fourth layer onwards, when using the Azure Essence Sword Art as a cultivation technique to inhale the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, a strange phenomenon of qi dissipation will occur every few days; the magic power refined by this technique in the previous few days will inexplicably dissipate by a portion. This truly leaves one at a loss!"

"The dissipation speed of the fourth layer of the sword art is not yet terrifying; only one-tenth of the newly refined magic power will dissipate. If one works slightly harder, ordinary cultivators can also make up for it! But if one steps into the fifth or sixth layer, then the dissipation of spiritual energy will become terrifying, continuing to expand the dissipation of the hard-refined magic power at a rate of one-tenth per layer. That is to say, the fifth layer of the sword art will dissipate two-tenths of the newly refined magic power. The sixth layer will dissipate three-tenths. In this way, who would dare to practice the Azure Essence Sword Art?"

"Moreover, the Azure Essence Sword Art practiced by the disciples of our sect has never exceeded the sixth layer in the past. Above the sixth layer, it requires one to be a Core Formation cultivator to practice it. But looking at this cultivation technique, by the sixth layer, nearly one-third of the spiritual energy has already dissipated. These high-level people, how would they dare to take such a strange risk!"

"One must know that for cultivation techniques after the Core Formation stage, every layer of advancement is extremely difficult! And this Azure Essence Sword Art is even more difficult to practice, making them spend ten or even dozens of years taking this risk to do this foolish thing. No one would do it! What's more, this Azure Essence Sword Art is both incomplete and not an immortal technique! There is not enough motivation to make them take this risk."

"However, the sword qi divine ability of this sword art is indeed very practical, and it would be a pity to just give it up. Therefore, some people only practiced the first three layers of the Azure Essence Sword Art, completely using it as an auxiliary method. In this way, there is no need to fear qi dissipation, and one can continue to use the sword qi divine ability. Of course, even if one only practices the sword qi divine ability, it still requires these disciples to spend four or five years practicing this sword art alone."

After listening to the little old man's long-winded speech, Han Li was left dumbfounded. After coming to his senses, he only felt a belly full of unpleasantness!

No way, he had already practiced the fourth layer of the sword art! According to this, if he wanted to continue practicing the Azure Essence Sword Art in the future, the magic power he refined would be lost by one-tenth for no reason. And with the deepening of the layers, the dissipated magic power would increase again!

How could he practice like this?

However, since things had been made so clear, he certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to continue practicing this sword art. The practice of the Azure Essence Sword Art would end here.

Not long after Han Li made this decision, what the little old man said next made Han Li's heart move, somewhat unexpectedly!

"This Azure Essence Sword Art has such major defects, but it still has its unique features. Otherwise, it wouldn't have become a sect-protecting technique of a sect back then." The little old man pursed his lips and suddenly said with emotion.

"I have heard people say that although this sword art is incomparably slow to practice, every layer of this sword art can have the miraculous effect of expanding meridians and deepening the dantian. It will make cultivators who have practiced this sword art have magic power that is deeper than other cultivators of the same tier."

"But how much deeper exactly? That depends on the layer of the sword art practiced."

"But according to the narration of that senior disciple who was the only one to practice the Azure Essence Sword Art to the sixth layer, he, who had already practiced the sixth layer of the sword art and was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, had nearly one-third more magic power than other cultivators. This extra magic power happened to be the same as the dissipation ratio of the magic power currently refined by the Azure Essence Sword Art. Such a coincidence, one cannot help but say that this sword art truly has some mysteries!"

The little old man seemed to have truly studied this Azure Essence Sword Art quite a bit, and the more he spoke, the more enthusiastic he became. Later on, he even had the tendency to spit and dance with excitement, making Han Li quickly bring up other matters and forcibly brush past the Azure Essence Sword Art, which allowed this Senior Brother Ma to return to some normalcy.

For Han Li, no matter what other mysteries this sword art had, he wouldn't practice it.

One must know that his aptitude was poor to begin with, and if he were to deliberately practice this incomparably slow and incomplete technique, then unless he didn't want to reach Core Formation at all, his brain must have truly been flooded with water.

As for those normal cultivation techniques, Han Li estimated that if he could find some more pill recipes, perhaps reaching Core Formation in this life wasn't entirely without a tiny possibility!

Next, after chatting with the little old man for a while, Han Li bid farewell and left.

Now that he had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, he naturally couldn't continue to watch the medicine garden for the other party, so he returned to the thatched hut he originally lived in, packed up slightly, and drifted away.

At this time, the sky was bright, which was just the right time for him to go to the Discussion Hall to handle his affairs.

Han Li, who had just succeeded in Foundation Establishment, still hadn't fully subsided from the excitement in his heart. He only wanted to handle his affairs well and immediately open up a cave dwelling of his own!

Han Li had been looking forward to this for a long time! After all, once he had his own territory, he wouldn't have to be sneaky about doing things anymore and could openly do anything in his own place.

The more Han Li thought about it, the more excited he became, and without realizing it, he piloted his magic tool and flew to the Discussion Hall.

The two young disciples guarding the main gate clearly didn't recognize Han Li, but the two of them could see Han Li's Foundation Establishment status at a glance. In this way, they naturally didn't dare to neglect him just because of Han Li's youth!

Therefore, the two of them stepped forward together and immediately bowed and saluted:

"This Uncle-Master, is there anything the juniors can help you with?"

"Uncle-Master?"

Upon hearing this, Han Li found it somewhat funny. If he had met these two a year ago, he probably would have had to call the other party Senior Brother! Now, with his status greatly increased after Foundation Establishment, he had immediately become an elder! This truly made Han Li somewhat unaccustomed.

However, seeing people of similar age to himself greeting and saluting him, the feeling was truly not bad!

"Is Sect Master Zhong here? I have something to see him about!" Han Li said in a grand manner.

Upon hearing this, the two Qi Condensation disciples couldn't help but look at each other, and then the one on the right replied:

"The Sect Master has gone to the Hundred Machines Hall to handle affairs, but he should be back soon! Why don't you wait in the hall for a moment, Uncle-Master?"

Han Li frowned slightly, but immediately returned to normal, saying in an indifferent tone:

"Alright! Since that is the case, I will wait for a while!"

"Okay! Please this way, Uncle-Master!"

The other person was also very clever; he took two steps back and began to lead the way for Han Li.

Han Li followed this person, passed through the hall, and was brought into a slightly larger hall. This room was not only clean and tidy, but also had some calligraphy and paintings hanging on the four walls, revealing a scholarly and elegant atmosphere.

"Uncle-Master, please rest here for a moment. Once the Sect Master returns, the disciple will immediately report to him!" The young man brewed a pot of fragrant tea for Han Li skillfully and then retreated.

Han Li looked at the young man's retreating figure, nodded, but then shook his head!

The reason he nodded first was that he felt the young man's eye for detail and demeanor were both highly satisfactory, without a single flaw; it seemed he had undergone special training to have such outstanding performance!

And he shook his head because he felt some sorrow for these low-tier disciples!

A cultivator not honestly and bitterly practicing their cultivation technique, but instead having to act like a mortal servant in the secular world, standing guard here, serving tea and water—it was truly a pity!

Thinking about it now, if he hadn't used a Foundation Establishment Pill to bribe the old man surnamed Ye back then, his situation probably wouldn't have been any better than this person's. He would have had to bow when he should bow and speak humbly when he should speak humbly, and perhaps he would have been even more dissatisfied!

Just as Han Li was tasting the fragrant tea in the room, with a thousand thoughts in his heart, Sect Master Zhong returned before long.

When he heard from the gate-guarding disciples that a young Foundation Establishment cultivator was looking for him, he couldn't help but feel slightly surprised. Because from the gate-guarding disciples' description, he was completely unfamiliar with this person and hadn't found anyone similar among the hundreds of Foundation Establishment disciples.

"Twenty-five or twenty-six years old, skin somewhat dark, ordinary appearance—who could this be?" Zhong Lingdao walked toward the guest hall where Han Li was, with three parts astonishment and two parts curiosity.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw a young man of medium build, wearing the Yellow Maple Valley uniform, with his back to him, facing a painting of ten thousand flowers on the wall, watching with great interest!

However, clearly, the commotion of Sect Master Zhong entering the room made the other party hear him. So this person immediately turned around, bowed and saluted him:

"Sect Master Senior Brother! Junior Brother Han Li, pays his respects to the Sect Master!"

"Han Li?"

Upon hearing this name, Sect Master Zhong felt it was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it before! But after carefully looking at the other party, apart from being somewhat familiar, he didn't remember who the other party was at all. This made him sweat in his heart, and he couldn't help but reveal a trace of embarrassment on his face.

"Han... Junior Brother Han, please sit down, no need to be polite! As the Sect Master, I have some things to handle and came a moment late; Junior Brother, don't take offense!"

Zhong Lingdao was also an old fox who had seen countless storms and waves; he casually mumbled a few words and easily brushed off the awkward atmosphere of not recognizing the other party.

Han Li was not surprised that this Sect Master Zhong didn't recognize him!

One must know that when Han Li met this person, that was five years ago. At that time, he was only a Qi Condensation disciple with poor aptitude; the other party naturally wouldn't take him to heart, let alone have any deep impression of him.

If the other party had truly recognized him at a glance, Han Li would have been the one greatly surprised!

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