The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#340 - Lifeline

Realizing the impending disaster, Lu Jing's expression became increasingly unsightly.

If the refresh of Secret Power was like Internal Force, starting with a twelve-hour cycle, then counting from the moment Secret Power appeared in his upper dantian until now, more than an hour had passed.

Which meant he only had less than eleven hours left to use.

And the most crucial thing was that when facing the trouble with Internal Force before, Lu Jing could still try to quench his thirst with poison, using meridian冲 穴(冲穴 is left untranslated) to quickly consume the excess Internal Force in his dantian.

Although doing so would cause the Internal Force to become even more abundant the next time it refreshed, it was ultimately a life-saving method for him when he was desperate, equivalent to insurance.

But now Lu Jing didn't know if Secret Power had a similar solution. Anyway, relying solely on the paper-cutting spell he had just learned, even if he cut paper for a whole day, he couldn't use up the large amount of Secret Power filling his Niwan Palace.

In addition, he had always deliberately avoided things related to Secret Power, and now the bitter consequences were gradually appearing, causing his understanding of Secret Power to be very limited.

In short, Lu Jing couldn't even find a general direction to solve the problem.

So he could only turn to Xuan Ji beside him for help again.

"The most Secret Power-consuming thing?"

Xuan Ji's expression became even more strange, "All the methods of cultivators rely on Secret Power to be realized. Whether it's spells, formations, or talismans, they all require Secret Power to function. Usually, the more powerful the spells, formations, and talismans, the more intense the consumption of Secret Power.

"Some particularly powerful spells, formations, and talismans even require several cultivators to join forces to cast them."

"Let me guess, these spells, formations, and talismans are also very difficult to learn," Lu Jing asked.

"That's for sure," Xuan Ji nodded.

Lu Jing knew that he couldn't go down this path, at least not for now. He had spent a full hour learning even the most basic paper-cutting spell, and more difficult spells would inevitably take even longer.

"Is there any other way, something simpler that a beginner can use?"

This time, Xuan Ji also frowned. She had read almost all the Secret Power books in the collection, and anything related to cultivation basically couldn't escape the rules she had mentioned before.

"Sword Control Technique might work," Xuan Ji said softly.

"Sword Control Technique is known as the head of all techniques, with immense power, but it's not difficult to get started. It can even be said to be the simplest of all spells, but cultivation requires too much Secret Power, it's like a bottomless pit.

"Usually, cultivators who practice Sword Control Technique, even if they don't learn any other spells and only specialize in this technique, it will take at least three years to achieve a little success, and the power will not be apparent at first. It will only gradually catch up with other cultivators after six or seven years, and it will only be considered barely entry-level after ten years, allowing them to wield their swords to slay evil. But to achieve the state of using the sword like an arm and controlling it at will, it will take at least another ten years of practice.

"And reaching this point is not the end. This is the most terrifying thing about Sword Control Technique. Its power will continue to increase with the time of sword nurturing, without end. There was once a very powerful senior in the Si Tian Jian who relied on Sword Control Technique to dominate the world, unmatched. Although he only had one sword in his hand, he could break all the techniques in the world.

"However, Sword Control Technique is ultimately too difficult to practice. Now, fewer and fewer people can endure the loneliness to practice Sword Control Technique. Besides that," Xuan Ji said here, with a look of embarrassment on her face.

"There is a set of Sword Control Technique cultivation methods in the collection, but it's in the forbidden book area on the top floor. According to the rules of the academy, without the permission of the Director of Studies or the Yellow Court Director, I can't lend you that book to read."

"Sword Control Technique?" Lu Jing was reminded of something when he heard this.

Speaking of which, he seemed to have a Sword Control Technique himself... It was what Gu Zhongling taught him in Another Heaven. However, Lu Jing didn't have Secret Power at that time, and he didn't plan to cultivate Secret Power, so after leaving Another Heaven, he threw this Sword Control Technique to the back of his mind.

He didn't expect it to become his lifesaver now.

Lu Jing quickly found the Sword Control Technique called Clear Light Moon Shadow Sword in his memory. Fortunately, the past time was not too long, and he still remembered it clearly.

This Sword Control Technique is divided into two parts, upper and lower. The upper part talks about sword nurturing, and the lower part is about sword control. Sword control is too far away for Lu Jing and is of no use.

So he mainly looked at the sword nurturing part. Although in Xuan Ji's mouth, Sword Control Technique is not difficult to get started, it is mainly aimed at those students in the academy who have already completed foundation building.

For Lu Jing, it was obviously still beyond the syllabus, making him confused. Fortunately, with the experience of cultivating the paper-cutting technique before, Lu Jing still asked Xuan Ji for advice while guessing, and it took him another half an hour to roughly understand what the sword nurturing chapter was about.

Then, before he could catch his breath, he discovered a very serious problem.

— He didn't have a sword!

Sword Control Technique, first of all, you need a sword to start practicing.

And the sword used in Sword Control Technique is not the kind of ordinary iron sword that costs a few taels of silver and can be seen everywhere on the street, even those priceless swords on the weapon spectrum are not suitable.

It must be a specially made flying sword.

So Lu Jing hurriedly ran to the cave where Chi was located.

As soon as he entered the door, he felt an astonishing heat wave. Just at the entrance of the cave, the temperature was conservatively estimated to be over sixty degrees.

And the deeper he went, the more astonishing the temperature became.

Until he came to the belly of the mountain, the heat wave inside was almost suffocating, and Chi was standing in the center of this heat wave, bare-chested, pulling the bellows. The giant furnace in front of her, as tall as four people, was burning red.

Chi's entire spirit was concentrated on the thing in the furnace. She didn't even notice Lu Jing walking in, and she didn't plan to put on any clothes.

Lu Jing consciously turned around. Although he was anxious, he could see that Chi was at a critical juncture, so he could only wait aside. With the Fire Scale Armor on his body, he was not afraid of the heat wave here.

Until a quarter of an hour later, Chi completed the casting, pouring the metal solution in the giant furnace into the prepared mold, and then turned to look at Lu Jing.

"What's the matter?"

Lu Jing didn't turn his head, "You said before that I could ask you to make two things, I've decided what I want."

"What do you want me to make for you?" Chi walked to the pool, scooped up a basin of water and poured it directly over her head, washing away the sweat on her body, and then put on her top again.

"A flying sword, but I don't need you to make it for me, just a ready-made one will do. I need it urgently, I can pay for it."

Chi didn't immediately agree or refuse Lu Jing's request, but asked, "You want to buy a flying sword? Do you know how much a flying sword costs?"