Lu Yi quickly devoured his steamed buns, grabbed his longsword, and stepped into the small courtyard. He assumed a stance and began practicing the White Cloud Sword Technique.
As a sect practicing the way of immortality, even its basic techniques were far superior to mundane martial arts. The White Cloud Sword Technique embodies the fleeting nature of clouds, with unpredictable and fluid movements, as smooth as flowing water during execution.
Lu Yi's mastery of the White Cloud Sword Technique was at Level 2, according to the system’s grading. In terms of cultivation standards, this equated to the “Minor Achievement” stage. Each swing of his sword stirred sharp gusts of wind.
While Lu Yi immersed himself in his practice, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi finished breakfast and stepped out of the hall. Watching Lu Yi practice earnestly in the courtyard, both couldn’t help but smile.
Wang Siqi remarked softly, “Yi’er has a remarkable talent for techniques. He’s already reached the Minor Achievement stage of the White Cloud Sword Technique. If he achieves the Major Achievement stage, he might place within the top 5,000 in the grand competition.”
Lu Gaoyang chuckled proudly. “Well, whose son do you think he is?”
Wang Siqi gave him a sidelong glance and retorted with a sneer, “Without me, could you have even had him?”
Lu Gaoyang laughed dryly. “Of course, the credit is all yours, my dear wife.”
Only then did Wang Siqi nod with satisfaction. “Alright, let’s get to work. Don’t disturb Yi’er’s practice.”
As outer sect stewards, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi had their own responsibilities to attend to.
Unaware that his parents had already left, Lu Yi remained engrossed in practicing the White Cloud Sword Technique.
After completing one full set of the technique, Lu Yi checked the task progress: 1/10. Excitement bubbled up inside him, and he continued practicing with renewed vigor.
One set after another, Lu Yi practiced ten times in total.
By the time he was done, his entire body was drenched in sweat, and he collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. Even though he was at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, practicing the White Cloud Sword Technique ten times in a row was exhausting. However, the thought of the task reward filled him with motivation, leaving no room for rest.
After completing the ten sets, Lu Yi felt as if his arms were too heavy to lift. He glanced at the system panel.
[Current Task]: Practice the White Cloud Sword Technique ten times (Progress: 10/10)
Reward: +1 level to the White Cloud Sword Technique
Task Complete.
Claim reward? Yes/No
Feeling exhilarated, Lu Yi promptly selected "Yes."
As soon as he made his choice, an influx of information flooded his mind. It contained intricate details about the White Cloud Sword Technique: how to wield the sword, circulate spiritual energy, regulate breathing, and maximize the technique’s power.
This information seemed to engrave itself into his mind, becoming second nature.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Once he absorbed the knowledge, Lu Yi opened his eyes and casually swung his sword.
Shhh!
A faint slicing sound echoed as a sliver of sword energy materialized along the blade. Where it passed, a clear mark was etched into the stone-paved ground.
Lu Yi's eyes widened in amazement.
“What power! This is far stronger than the Level 2 White Cloud Sword Technique. This must be approaching the Major Achievement stage!”
“If the Level 3 technique is already this formidable, what about Levels 4 and 5? Wouldn’t that surpass the Major Achievement stage? Perhaps even reach transcendence or ultimate perfection?”
Filled with anticipation, Lu Yi grinned to himself. By assigning tasks to himself daily, he could likely elevate the White Cloud Sword Technique to incredible heights within a month. With such mastery, he might achieve a high rank in the sect competition—maybe even break into the top ten and gain entry to the inner sect far earlier than expected.
Moreover, the rewards for performing well in the outer sect competition were bound to be substantial!
At this moment, Bai Lingling approached. “Young Master, it’s time to eat.”
“Oh, alright.”
Exhausted from practicing the White Cloud Sword Technique all morning, Lu Yi decided to rest and recover his strength after lunch before resuming his training in the afternoon.
----------------------------------------
After lunch, Lu Yi returned to his room to rest.
With the sword technique task completed, there was still the outer sect assessment task to handle, but it wasn’t feasible yet. He needed to find more tasks for himself.
Wait… an idea suddenly struck him.
Clenching his fist, Lu Yi coughed lightly into his hand and declared, “This afternoon, I will practice the White Cloud Footwork ten times!”
As soon as he spoke, his system panel updated.
[Task]:
Practice the White Cloud Footwork ten times (Progress: 0/10)
Reward: Enhanced comprehension of White Cloud Footwork.
Accept? Yes/No
“Wow!” Lu Yi was overjoyed, feeling as though he had unlocked a new dimension. “I can actually assign tasks to myself?!”
To test further, he coughed and declared, “Next, I’ll step forward with my left foot!”
He stared expectantly at the panel. Silence. No response.
Unwilling to give up, he added, “I’ll take a two-meter step next!”
Still, nothing happened.
Disappointed, Lu Yi realized that mundane actions didn’t qualify as tasks, possibly because they were too simple or unrelated to cultivation.
Shrugging it off, he grinned. “Even so, the fact that I can assign tasks for cultivation is incredible. Too much greed invites misfortune, after all.”
However, he soon noticed something odd: practicing the White Cloud Sword Technique ten times upgraded it by one level, but practicing the White Cloud Footwork merely enhanced comprehension.
Pondering for a moment, he realized why. His White Cloud Footwork was already at Level 3, a level higher than the Level 2 sword technique. The higher the skill level, the more effort required for improvement.
Just like in games, higher-level skills demanded more experience points to level up. Completing the same task yielded the same experience, so while low-level skills could improve, high-level ones might not.
Understanding this, Lu Yi accepted that self-assigned tasks would become progressively more demanding.
Nonetheless, compared to the slow process of comprehending techniques unaided, this method was much faster.
From today onward, I, Lu Yi, am a peerless genius!
Content with his progress, Lu Yi rested before diving into practicing White Cloud Footwork.
Although the task wasn’t particularly challenging, it was physically demanding. By evening, he had completed it successfully.
----------------------------------------
After dinner with his parents and Bai Lingling, everyone retired to their rooms for the night.
In the world of cultivators, nights were typically reserved for cultivation. For Lu Yi, it was no different.
Seated cross-legged in his room, he assigned himself a new task: “Practice the White Cloud Qi Guiding Technique ten times.”
This technique, also at Level 2, offered a similar reward: a level increase upon task completion.
Qi refinement required circulating spiritual energy through one’s body to absorb it from the environment. The more gifted the cultivator, the stronger the technique, and the deeper their comprehension, the more efficient the absorption process.
Lu Yi’s Level 2 White Cloud Qi Guiding Technique was relatively slow, but completing ten cycles overnight was manageable.
As he practiced, he felt his cultivation level rise bit by bit. By the time he completed ten cycles, dawn was breaking.
Claiming the reward, a surge of new insights about the technique filled his mind, significantly enhancing his understanding.