Li Guanqi's eyes flashed with a sharp glint as he opened them.
He hadn't expected the power of the Purple Sun Hall to be so immense, many times stronger than the Great Xia Sword Sect.
The Purple Sun Hall was renowned throughout the Great Xia Domain.
It seemed that the strongest competitors this time would be the disciples of the Purple Sun Hall.
He stored these thoughts deep in his heart, not paying too much attention to them.
In his view, the opportunity to compete with the chosen ones from other Sects was an exciting prospect in itself.
As for the results he could achieve, that would depend on the overall strength of a Sect.
The next morning, Li Guanqi awoke from his cultivation refreshed, exhaling a breath of stale air.
With the Primordial Energy inside him becoming increasingly pure, his spirit had greatly improved.
The control of spiritual energy was more intuitive, without any sense of obstruction.
Li Guanqi flew on his sword with his eyes closed, feeling the breeze beside him and the cranes calling in his ears.
His mind was incredibly tranquil, even though he had been killed three times in the Illusionary Realm of Baihao the night before.
He had grown accustomed to such experiences, and while still averse to them, he couldn't change it.
His only choice was to desperately improve his strength; the longer he could endure, the less frequently he would die in the illusion.
However, the Sword Spirit often reminded him not to activate the Illusionary Realm of Baihao too frequently.
Not only was it a significant mental strain for both of them,
But more importantly, the Sword Spirit worried that spending too much time in the illusion,
With the increasing number of deaths, that unreal sensation of dying,
Would diminish his reverence for death in real combat.
But to the Sword Spirit's relief, he was aware of this issue.
During the three illusions yesterday, he had several impulses to risk his life for victory.
That's why he chose not to enter the illusion again and instead focused on quiet cultivation.
When Li Guanqi arrived at the summit of Heavenly Pillar Peak, Gu Ran was already waiting there early.
Before they could greet each other, a rustling sound reached their ears.
"Watch it, Blind, can't you see I'm sweeping here?"
Li Guanqi turned to see a disheveled man in a grey robe.
The man was unkempt and emitted a sour stench.
Through his messy hair, Li Guanqi could vaguely make out the man's features.
It was a weather-beaten face, slightly dark with a scruffy beard.
But it had to be said, the man's face was truly handsome, with a rugged masculine appeal.
Yet his eyes were slightly hollow, the corners bloodshot, reeking of alcohol.
Swoosh!
The broken broom kept sweeping towards Li Guanqi's feet.
Gu Ran pulled him aside, whispering, "Don't provoke Old Gao… he's got a fierce temper, let's head to the Scripture Pavilion."
Li Guanqi, however, smiled and bowed to the man, "Drink less, it's bad for your health."
As he turned to leave, the silent Gao Qiwen softly spoke.
"With your skills, you're going to the Centennial competition among a hundred Sects? You won't even know how you died."
Li Guanqi paused but continued towards the back mountain.
Although he didn't know what the man had been through, he wouldn't miss this opportunity to compete.
He wanted to see a broader sky and face stronger opponents.
With this chance at hand, he was determined not to give up.
Gao Qiwen lowered his head, silently watching Li Guanqi's retreating figure without saying more.
He just leaned on his crutch, quietly sweeping the dust off the ground.
Rustle…
His sweeping slowed down.
He murmured softly, "Ling Daoyan, are you really okay with letting him participate?"
"There are many Sects that hold grudges against the Great Xia Sword Sect. If he also…"
An aged voice slowly rose to his ear.
"Qiwen, stepping onto the path of immortality, some things can't be dissuaded."
"If I stop him this time, perhaps it will break the young lad's spirit."
Swoosh!
Gao Qiwen moved step by step, leaning on his crutch.
Beneath the hair that covered his face was a look of unwillingness, his eyes flickering with thoughts.
Soon, the two arrived at the Scripture Pavilion on the back mountain, a place considered forbidden within the Sect.
Before entering the Scripture Pavilion, they had to pass through a bamboo forest, its bamboo a vibrant green, like jade.
It was personally planted by the Sect Master, Lu Kangnian, years ago.
Li Guanqi stood before the bamboo forest, tossing his Identity Jade Token into the air.
Instantly, the token emitted a soft glow, and the bamboo forest parted on its own, revealing a pathway.
Li Guanqi softly said, "Let's go."
Before long, they arrived in front of a massive pavilion.
This Scripture Pavilion was the true heart of the Sect, where even Inner Disciples were not allowed on regular days.
Sure enough, Li Guanqi saw the Old Man he had met before.
Approaching the Old Man, Li Guanqi bowed with a smile, "Disciple Li Guanqi greets Elder Ling."
The Old Man's eyes were bleary, his body reeking of alcohol, but he smiled at Li Guanqi, "It's you again, kid. Go on in."
With a wave of his hand, the doors behind him slowly opened.
A wave of ancient bookishness mixed with rich spiritual energy rushed towards them.
The Old Man sat in his rocking chair, eyes closed, softly saying, "These are all ancient texts, handle them with care."
"You may each choose one movement technique and one sword technique."
They both bowed respectfully to the Old Man and then entered the pavilion.
The shelves holding the techniques were thirty meters high!
And there were dozens of such densely packed shelves.
Even Li Guanqi, who had been prepared, was shocked by the sheer number of books.
Gu Ran, also here for the first time, was stunned, unsure of what to do.
Li Guanqi, however, purposefully headed towards the shelf labeled with sword techniques.
He was clear in his mind that even if he had access to more advanced sword techniques, it was unnecessary.
His purpose here was not to choose a technique of high rank but one that suited him.
Li Guanqi called out with his heart, "Sword Spirit, I want to choose a sword technique that can bring out my full strength. Do you have any suggestions?"
The Sword Spirit glanced at all the ancient texts on the shelf and pointed towards a tattered old book at the very bottom.
Li Guanqi frowned, unsure why a technique placed at the bottom would catch the Sword Spirit's attention.
Climbing down the ladder, Li Guanqi reached for the ancient text.
The cover read 'Purple Micro Demonic Sword!'
But when he opened the text, he found that the technique only contained the first two moves.
Li Guanqi, however, changed his perspective and murmured, "Just two moves, yet it's kept in this pavilion!"
A smile formed on Li Guanqi's lips as he communicated with his heart, "Sword Spirit, can you complete the remaining moves and the mental cultivation method?"
The Sword Spirit's voice, full of pride, slowly came through.
"A mere Earth-level technique, what's there not to complete? Choose it."
"This set of sword techniques will allow you to maximize your current sword speed, and combined with your affinity for lightning, the lethality is also acceptable."