Blind Spot
Chapter 537 - 493 Practice Session Three

Chapter 537: 493 Practice Session Three

The evening breeze fluttered.

At the base of the Faceless Sword Sect, in the living area for the many common disciples.

A groups of Sword Sect disciples were gathered, laughing and chatting as they exchanged sword techniques.

Most of them were older because the ten-year trial period forcibly widened the gap between them and the direct disciples.

Therefore, to balance the relationship and foster camaraderie, the Sword Sect mandated that direct disciples must visit the outer area every other year to interact and resolve questions with the common disciples.

Of course, speaking of resolving questions, it was actually giving the common disciples an opportunity, a chance to challenge the direct disciples.

Should a challenge be successful, they could immediately qualify to be promoted to a direct disciple.

After all, one can only see so much of a person’s talent from the surface; the deeper layers needed time to slowly reveal themselves, and some unique talents might not be visible for a long time.

Such opportunities served as a remedy.

Presently, in the vast outer courtyard, a group of direct disciples sat together, separate from the rest. Their seats were arranged with many somewhat worn wooden chairs and tables, where they sat idly, bored as they waited for others to seek guidance or to challenge them.

"As long as we sit here for a full day, we can go back. Just pray that no one challenges you...."

A young disciple with deep blue eyes said lazily, resting his chin in his hand.

"What’s there to fear? Even the people of the Four Junior Swords aren’t saying anything. With them here, it’ll never be our turn."

Next to him, a female direct disciple spoke unconcernedly.

"How do you figure?" The male disciple with deep blue eyes was somewhat surprised.

"Usually, there are a few challenges at the beginning, but most aim for the weakest ranking. The rest of the time is spent seeking advice, which naturally targets the strongest. The Four Junior Swords are the most powerful of our generation. It’s us in the middle who end up being mere placeholders," said the female direct disciple, who appeared to be only fourteen or fifteen years old and seemed rather experienced. Clearly, she had participated in such events more than once.

"That makes sense...." The blue-eyed male nodded immediately.

"Actually, among the white-clothed disciples, there is also a detailed ranking, generally based on the results of the Sword Sect’s grand competition, so there’s no need to worry. Just wait and enjoy the show," the female direct disciple said with a smile.

"Speaking of which, have they found those people who went missing after the trials?" Another head joined the conversation, belonging to a plain-looking girl with bright eyes.

Hearing this, both fell silent and shook their heads slightly.

The trials were dangerous, and not just because of demon beasts. Hidden dangers and minions lurking in the shadows also threatened these newcomers’ lives at all times.

The Four Sects were not invincible, and many opposing forces operated in the shadows, needing to be suppressed at times.

The largest such opposing force was a secret organization known as An Xiang, rumored to consist entirely of traitors and spies from various sects. Its composition was extremely secretive, with vague connections to demon beasts.

"This time, even two members of the Four Junior Swords sustained serious injuries during the trials. Those two missing juniors... I’m afraid..."

The others felt a heavy weight in their hearts as they instinctively turned their gaze towards the four people sitting in the centre.

Bai Lu, Bai He, Zhao Yuan, Qiu Chen.

The current ranking had been adjusted according to the results of the trials.

The strongest was Bai Lu, followed by Bai He, then Zhao Yuan and Qiu Chen, who were tied.

Bai Lu was Li Chengyi, sitting cross-legged on a mat, his mind tranquil as he continuously contemplated the Third Layer of the Holy Spirit Technique.

He aimed to combine the Evil Flower version and the original version, which naturally required plenty of time and effort.

A formidable looking, strong squirrel stood quietly behind him, arms folded across his chest, eyes closed in meditation.

"What time is it now?"

Li Chengyi opened his eyes and asked softly.

The squirrel, Volcano, looked up at the sky and replied in a muted tone.

"Four in the afternoon."

"That means it’s almost over. We can go back at six," Li Chengyi said with a smile.

"Excuse me, Brother Bai Lu, I’m Ding Yuan. I’d like to ask about the starting move of Faceless Sword Technique in Purgatory..."

At this moment, a shy-looking girl with a ponytail approached, holding a sword and seeking guidance.

"How to increase the speed of the initial move, coordinating the locking of the target with the action of striking? Actually, it’s quite simple...."

Li Chengyi explained calmly and clearly in his own words, making it easy for the girl to understand.

Her expression lit up with sudden realization.

After asking two more questions about the Water Smoke Sword Technique, she reluctantly turned and left. The rules stated that each person could only seek advice for ten minutes at a time.

Following that, as if a valve had been opened, one common disciple after another began approaching the Four Junior Swords for advice.

Occasionally, someone would come up to challenge, but not them; rather, it was the last few direct disciples who were selected.

Li Chengyi wore a smile, readily clarifying any questions brought to him. His in-depth yet straightforward method and his gentle, friendly demeanor made him very popular among the common disciples.

The remaining Four Junior Swords, sitting by his side and occasionally listening to the questions, sometimes found themselves quite enlightened as well.

"So impressive...." Bai He whispered in admiration, "As expected of Bai Lu, who returned from the trials with a perfect record. His talent and perception must only be second to that of Master Qing Kong from the past, right?"

"Speaking of which, have you noticed that Bai Lu actually resembles Senior Brother Qing Kong quite a bit?" Qiu Chen muttered softly.

"Resemble what? How could he ever compare to our Senior Brother?" Zhao Yuan’s beautiful eyes were filled with dissatisfaction.

"They’re both very approachable and well-liked by everyone," Qiu Chen whispered back.

"And they’re both... handsome!" She was the kind of girl who was slow on the uptake and sweetly naive, her fair face stealing glances at Li Chengyi from an angle slightly behind, already showing signs of infatuation.

It had to be said that after purifying his bloodline, Li Chengyi’s appearance had improved significantly. In place of his previous simple and sturdy heroic air, he now bore many traits of the perfect beautiful boy.

Pure white skin, features growing even more symmetrical and perfect, and a handsomeness tinged with a hint of a faint and stern temperament—this was a special transformation that followed the amalgamation of the King of Shadow Dragons’ aura with his own.

In fact, at this moment, his true form was no longer that of an ordinary person, but rather the transformed version of his own Giant White Deer entity, which he had changed entirely to fuse with his first Martial Arts Imprint.

To say he was a Giant White Deer wasn’t quite accurate. More precisely, he should be described as a mixed-blood human with the appearance of a Giant White Deer.

For the traits of the White Deer that he bore were self-induced growths meant to deceive the Spirit of the True Seal in the past...

"You don’t know a thing!" snapped Zhao Yuan, her anger flaring. She couldn’t stand Qiu Chen’s increasingly lovesick foolishness, and here she was, shamelessly ranking alongside her among the Four Junior Swords—she considered it a disgrace!

"What, you want to fight?" retorted Qiu Chen, instantly offended.

"Come on, then! Draw your sword!" Zhao Yuan was also someone with a quick temper.

The two women stood up instantly; their figures flashed as they found an open space and began fighting outright.

Soon there was a clanging symphony of sword clashes; clearly, this was not their first bout. Judging by their skilled movements and their careful control of the resulting destructive ripples, both were extremely familiar with each other’s techniques and habits.

Seeing this, Bai He lightly nudged Li Chengyi.

"They’re at it again."

"..." Li Chengyi was at a loss for words; his acute hearing meant he had long been aware of Qiu Chen’s admiration for him. And for some unknown reason, Zhao Yuan was still dissatisfied with him.

He had intended to pretend he hadn’t seen anything, but now that Bai He had pointed it out, he could only turn to look.

"They know their own limits, no need to worry," he said.

"But they’re fighting because of you," Bai He added.

"Actually, sparring like this can enhance their combat experience," Li Chengyi noted, unmoved.

"..." Bai He sighed, looking over at the two women; seeing that they indeed exercised restraint, he shook his head and chose not to interfere.

"Alright then." Taking advantage of a momentary break as one of the pupils finished their questions, he pondered briefly and then asked out of curiosity,

"Bai Lu, have you passed the third layer of the Faceless Sword Technique yet? Have you obtained the Holy Spirit Technique? How is it coming along?"

"That’s a secret. You’ll find out during the grand competition," Li Chengyi said with a smile.

He was already getting a handle on the fusion of the third layer of the Holy Spirit Technique. Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to progress so fast, but... who would have guessed he’d specifically seek out a special boost that greatly accelerated the integration process?

His natural talent had already earned him a wealth of incidental knowledge from his Flower Language Ability.

Now, armed with new Flower Language at his side, his understanding and refinement of the techniques had been greatly enhanced.

Having dismissed another seeker of guidance, Li Chengyi picked up his bamboo-insulated mug and gently sipped the hot tea inside.

He then focused his attention on the Mark of the Evil Flower on the back of his hand.

There, a new Divine Flower Position glowed with a soft goose-yellow light.

In that faint yellow, streaks of fine dark brown occasionally interspersed.

Strangely enough, this soft yellow light was completely different from that of the Sunflower, exuding a particularly pure aura.

’If only variants were easier to find... This Flower Language is simply the perfect complement to the Faceless Sword Sect’s cultivation,’ Li Chengyi mused to himself, his consciousness resting on the new mark.

The tenth main flower—Snow Lotus.

’Snow Lotus: A perennial herb that often grows on hillsides, valleys, cracks in rocks, and beside water in high-altitude areas, viewed by many tribes as an embodiment of sanctity and pure resilience. Its nature and flavor are bitter and warm, with the ability to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and relieve pain, and to some extent, fight cancer.’

’Flower Language: Sanctity (Passive ability, no need for activation, it can greatly purify the mind, enhance focus, increase comprehension by 100%, and purify all abnormal mental side effects).

The Snow Lotus, the sacred flower of the snowy mountains, was the rare and exceptional bloom Li Chengyi had acquired from the Suyue Sect—a millennium-aged specimen.

After much consideration, although there were other exotic flowers and herbs with formidable Flower Language present there, none suited him better than the Snow Lotus.

The greatest issue of the Faceless Sword Sect was the potential mental disturbances caused by their techniques, and at the same time, he was in need of fusing a newly created Holy Spirit Technique tailored to himself.

Thus, the enhancement of comprehension and focus was like timely rain.

This was also why, upon his return to the sect, he was able to make quick breakthroughs in his technique.

The effect of doubling his comprehension not only enabled progress in the Holy Spirit Technique but also offered immense help with any other technique he cultivated.

’It won’t be long now... The side effects of the Holy Spirit Technique have been confirmed; they seem to emerge naturally during cultivation. That’s why the Evil Flower’s version requires cultivating the Holy Infant, which then directly absorbs half of the power. In this way, the Holy Infant bears all the side effects.’

’The main reason why the Holy Infant can cultivate so rapidly is that the Holy Spirit Technique they practice is actually a simplified version, retaining only two parts: one that causes side effects and another that enhances power.’