"Heart-Splitting Sword Lock?"

Yu Ci pressed his lips tightly together as the Water Mirror collapsed, the images from moments before still seeming to flow before his eyes—He Qing meticulously driving the Passing Water Sword into his chest, the blood-colored rune patterns becoming increasingly glaring. Nearly four feet of the sword blade had penetrated him, yet there was no sign of it emerging from his back. It was as if the blade had coiled up inside, or had been simply swallowed whole.

Xing Tian, however, had just recalled something, "That's right, He Qing hails from the He Family of East Lake. It's not surprising that she's versed in this curse technique."

"The He family?"

"Younger generations should really catch up on their studies. The He Family of East Lake has quite a reputation in the East; an ancestor was once a Great Thunderbolt Tribulation Cultivator, and they backed a significant business. They lived quite prosperously until they slighted Lu Chen when he established his sect on Dongyang Mountain. A single punch reduced them to dust, leading to their decline. Nowadays... well, they must still have some foundation left."

Xing Tian felt a bit embarrassed; its knowledge was limited within the sect, comprised mostly of outdated information or events of great significance. It once didn't even recognize Ye Bin, the leader of a sect, so it wasn't really in a position to criticize Yu Ci.

So it quickly got to the point, "The so-called Heart-Splitting Sword Lock should actually be termed the Heart-Rending Curse Lock, a type of curse pact formed with the spirit of a cursed instrument. Take this instance: the Passing Water Sword is the cursed instrument, now placed across the heart, He Qing binds herself to the sword with a Curse Technique Oath, invoking the power of the curse oath to refine it. As for its effects..."

Xing Tian paused to consider, then continued, "From now on, all Heart Demon Calamity Fiends will be absorbed and refined by the Sacrificial Instrument. As long as the Sacrificial Instrument remains intact, there's no need to worry about the inner demons or Thunderbolt Tribulations tormenting one's heart. This stabilizing effect on one's mental defenses is top-notch."

"What of it?" Yu Ci, who wore the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade and was accompanied by the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form, was not particularly impressed by this.

Xing Tian let out a cold laugh, "What of it? Try undergoing a single Heavenly Thunderbolt Tribulation and see for yourself. Outer Realm Sky Demons swarm like flies, drawn to the stench. Lifeless Thought Demons and Gathering Yin Sha Demons are of such a low level that they don't even qualify to approach, at the very least it would be Outer Sky Calamity Demons or even Dharma Ending Demon Lords taking turns to attack. They bring about creation and destruction in a thought, formless and traceless, morphing into countless illusions. A slight misstep, getting 'lost' within them, leads to the destruction of one's Dao Foundation. Worse yet, being possessed by a Sky Demon, trapped and enslaved in one's Physical Spirit—death becomes a luxury. Who wouldn't fear that?"

"With this curse lock, all varieties of Heart Demon Calamity Counts can be absorbed and refined. One only needs to withstand the tangible Thunderbolt Tribulations such as blades, water, fire, and lightning. Isn't the chance of success more than doubled?" Yu Ci responded indifferently, "Such a marvelous method should be pursued by everyone in the world."

Xing Tian also laughed, "Indeed, from the term 'heart-splitting' alone, one can perceive the issue. First, for the cursed instrument to exert its power, one must offer up half of their own vitality, as well as sacrifice the five emotions of 'joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and resentment.' The spirit of the cursed instrument will then choose any two of these for what is called 'Spirit Awakening.' It's fair to say that one will no longer be a complete person thereafter. Moreover, one must nourish it daily with vital essence, as if nurturing a blood-sucking demon in one's own heart, until one is utterly drained."

"The second point is, since it involves 'staking a curse and swearing an oath,' the more severe the oath, the better, to resonate with the spirit of the cursed instrument and reflect the will of the heavens. Once the oath is broken, the backlash is extremely powerful, and one cannot escape unscathed.

"Furthermore, this method demands a high-quality cursed instrument. No matter the quality of the instruments in the world, it is exceedingly difficult to fend off the Heart Demon Calamity Count for long. In the end, it all comes down to one word: 'destruction.' It's just a matter of sooner or later. When that time comes, it will result in both the destruction of the instrument and the death of the individual."

Xing Tian elaborated at length and in detail, but after listening, Yu Ci expressed his doubts, "It still seems like a loss not worth the gain. Is He Qing so desperate?"

"That's a question for your Temple Master."

Yu Ci's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"The Passing Water Sword is his personal sword, and he has already reached the stage of Heart-Sword Spiritual Connection. For He Qing to complete the Heart-Splitting Sword Lock, she cannot bypass him. Seeing how adeptly He Qing wields this sword, the preliminary preparations must have been quite thorough. I'm afraid your Temple Master has been assisting her for some time."

Yu Ci was taken aback.

"The oath He Qing has sworn must be in agreement with Yu Zhou. Such a grand oath directly determines the path she will take..."

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Xing Tian sighed for the second time, "That's why both of them are formidable characters. I now understand why Fang Hui chose He Qing back then. This woman indeed possesses the ruthlessness to be harsh on herself. Without such determination, even with Fang Hui's support, how could she have leaped into the Realm of the True Being within seventy years? As for He Qing, Yu Zhou is even more surprising. When he strikes, he aims for the vitals without contention, truly the disposition of a swordsman!"

"Speculative nonsense!"

Yu Ci completely disagreed, finding Xing Tian's judgment to be a gross misrepresentation. Given Yu Zhou's temperament, how could he propose such harsh conditions...

It was then that he suddenly remembered something, "Wait, if there's a Heart-Sword Spiritual Connection, then the Temple Master..."

"I and Xuan Huang are both clairvoyant, and what does that have to do with Qu Wu's Thunderbolt Tribulation or the venerable Yuan Dao?"

Xing Tian knew immediately what was on his mind and rejected the idea outright: "The so-called Sword Spirit within the Passing Water Sword is nothing more than a spirit energized by Yu Zhou's sword aura. It might contain a fragment of his soul, but by now it has long since dissipated into the chaos. If it were a complete soul transformed into a spirit, it wouldn't be assistance; it would be adding disorder."

Yu Ci took a deep breath and said, "I understand."

With those words, he stopped dwelling on the matter and firmly committed the details of the "Heart-Splitting Sword Lock" to memory. He then addressed the Power Guardian Saint, "Senior, we are nearly at the summit. Is there someone over there?"

The Power Guardian Saint responded with his typically vague tone, giving an affirmative answer.

"Still those two? I suppose they might not wish to meet with me. I'll just greet you, Senior, and ask for a favor. Would you please inquire whether Yu Ci, a disciple of the Empirical Department's External Division, may use the Star Plucking Main Tower for seclusive cultivation? Would that be convenient?"

Covering a distance of nearly a hundred miles to convey a message was but a moment's thought for the Power Guardian Saint. Soon enough, an affirmative response came from the other side.

Yu Ci smiled and continued to ascend. Xing Tian's voice reached his ears, "He Qing has only recently advanced in rank. Her foundation is not yet stable and she will need some time to recuperate, so she is happy to owe you this favor. In half a month, the Empirical Department will begin the final exertions of their method deduction."

Xing Tian's words were tinged with mockery, yet also a hint of sentimentality: "For seventy years, these two have played out countless variations, patching and mending. Their scope may be a bit limited, but for the Lichen Sect, their contributions are unparalleled, and for the Empirical Department, needless to say, if they succeed, the completion of the method will ensure the prosperity and longevity of the department."

"Who would have thought you still held some sentiment for the Lichen Sect?"

"I'm merely reminding you that if you act recklessly, without regard for the consequences, it's one thing if you fail. But if your actions truly interfere with their deductions and destroy the Empirical Department's hope, you will not escape the infamy of being the 'Sect's Common Enemy.' Your fellow sect members and friends that you've made during this time in the Sect may see you as an enemy to be swiftly eliminated. Of course, before that happens, there's a ninety-nine percent chance you'd already be dead..."

"What do I care!"

Yu Ci replied with a slight smile, "Having come this far step by step, what can be achieved by looking back and worrying now?"

************

Within the Star Plucking Main Tower, amidst the Tri-Element Convergence, winds blew from all directions. Inside the tower, the external Primordial Qi was so pure and abundant it was beyond belief, forming an invisible 'tide' that flowed ceaselessly. With the meticulously arranged Rune Array already in place within the tower, Yu Ci was able to exert a certain level of control over this 'tide' of Primordial Qi, adjusting it according to the progress of his cultivation to achieve the best results.

Certainly, there were benefits, but Yu Ci was well aware that cultivating here would attract far more attention than elsewhere. Time was not on his side, and with his current level of cultivation, there wasn't the slightest hope of achieving his goal. Moreover, forming the Golden Elixir with the "Primordial Life Golden Talisman" was not something that could be accomplished in a mere ten days or half a month.

Therefore, he had to seize one or even several decisive techniques within a short span of time.

Within the Inner Void of the Heart, the Fish-Dragon Outer Form coiled around the Life Death Talisman. Its horned head was wreathed in smoke, breathing in and out uncertainly, hissing as it did so. This was the Ten Yin Transforming Radiance Veil, already refined to the fifth heavenly layer.

Having been cultivated to this extent, when wielded by Yu Ci, the God Slaying Sting it released already possessed the embryonic form of being able to penetrate anything without resistance, to enter every crevice. However, its power was still somewhat inferior to when it had been in the hands of Nan Songzi, which only fueled his desire to truly master this method. Once fully mastered, the subtlety and intricacies of its transformation would be enough to overcome the gap between his and Nan Songzi's cultivation levels.

Controlling the Heart Demon's Evil Energy was always a headache-inducing issue, and Yu Ci had previously ended in failure.

But this time, with a clear heart and mind from breaking through the confusion and the looming pressure of a life-and-death situation, he finally maintained a sliver of icy calm amidst the layers of Heart Demon's Evil Energy and began to attempt to expand his influence, initiating a deeper transformation.

He had been sitting in meditation for two days straight.

At this moment, both his state of mind and the enveloping Heart Demon's Evil Energy were relatively calm. As the saying goes, in utmost stillness comes the thought of motion; those dangerous "entities" were all teetering on the brink of a critical point of eruption. The God Slaying Sting, a secret technique from the Ten Yin Transforming Radiance Veil, was about to bring this imminent "explosion" fully under his control, forming an unstoppable sword aura.

However, at this crucial juncture, an extremely subtle change gently nudged this precarious balance.

"What's going on?" The moment the Heart Demon's Evil Energy went out of control, Yu Ci's thoughts locked onto that point, which, as the trigger, was bearing the brunt of the Heart Demon's Evil Energy's direct assault.

Something miraculous occurred! The two distinct forces, which had been clearly separated, suddenly converged at that point. It felt as though a lasso had been thrown onto a runaway steed, bringing it under control. The brief technique from the Ten Yin Transforming Radiance Veil flashed through his mind, perfectly aligning with the situation before him.

Had the God Slaying Sting been successfully transformed?

Yu Ci, however, could not afford to revel in the joy of his first successful transformation. He abruptly opened his eyes and with a flick of his wrist, a round object fell from his Storage Ring. It rolled on the ground and came to a stop, with the bright red Demon Eye facing him squarely.

"Is it you?"