Fifth Layer of Beginning realm

All the disciples, who had finished selecting their cultivation methods or martial skills, came to present their choices to the security elder. The security elder will review the materials the disciples presented to him; he will either advise the disciples to exchange some of the materials for another suitable cultivation method or martial skill, or he will nod in approval at their choices.

When it was Yang Ling's turn, she showed the security elder the materials she had chosen. The security elder frowned at Yang Ling's choices, and he told her, "Return the splitting sun sword cultivation method and the movement martial skill you chose, girl." I advise you to start from the basics. "To be successful in cultivation, a cultivator must always take one step at a time." You mustn't rush things; many cultivators had fallen in their cultivation path because they were impatient."

Yang Ling nodded and gave the elder an elegant smile. The hearts of Ming Dong and the male disciples who saw her elegant smile skipped a beat, and they looked at her in a daze. Yang Ling then said, "Thank you for your advice, elder." "I have already mastered a basic sword art, so I am confident in my ability to cultivate this sword cultivation method, and I am eager to try out this movement martial skill." 

The security elder sighed in disappointment, but he nodded to Yang Ling. He presented Yang Ling with one copy of the splitting sun sword cultivation method, a copy of the scorching fiery lotuses cultivation method, and finally, a copy of the illusionary shooting star movement martial skill. Yang Ling cupped her fist, thanked the security elder, and then she and the rest of the disciples returned to their own dwellings.

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In Yang Ling Room

Yang Ling sat in her room, engrossed in reading the copy of the scorching-fiery-lotuses cultivation method. Her frown deepened as she read more, prompting her to ask the sword spirit, "What should I do now, sword spirit?" According to this cultivation method, in order for me to be able to cultivate this method, I am required to create scorching, fiery lotuses seeds in my Dantian. To do that, I will need a large amount of natural resources that contain fire Yuan spirit energy to create these seeds."

The sword spirit sighed and said, "You really don't know the basics of cultivation. You need to spend some time here in the library reading, girl. To answer your question, there are places rich in specific Yuan spirit energy, such as ice Yuan spirit energy, water Yuan spirit energy, and so on."

"In order to find a place rich with fire Yuan spirit energy, your best bet is to go to somewhere where volcanoes reside, and in these locations you will find natural resources that are rich with fire Yuan spirit energy."

"For now, you just need to focus on enhancing your cultivation by using your mutated spirit and mastering the sword cultivation method you just received from the outer martial hall." Once you have attained a sufficient level of strength, we can move forward in searching for natural resources that contain the fire Yuan spirit energy.

Yang Ling nodded her head and then asked, "Alright, but how do I cultivate using the mutated spirit?" The sword spirit began its explanation, saying, "Unlike normal cultivators, you have two Dantians." In one of those Dantians, your mutated spirit resides. To start comprehending your mutated spirit, you will need to focus your consciousness on that Dantian. What I'm going to do now is direct your consciousness towards your mutated spirit. You need to memorize this feeling so that whenever you wish to cultivate using your mutated spirit, you can do it independently."

Yang Ling nodded her head in understanding, and she closed her eyes. The sword spirit started pulling Yang Ling's consciousness towards her mutated spirit, Dantian.

Yang Ling could feel a strong holy sensation, which was very sharp and could cut anything in its path.

In a moment, Yang Ling found herself face-to-face with her mutated spirit. The Immortal Divine Sword was huge, and she was small like an ant compared to the sword in front of her, which pointed upward with all of its glory. Yang Ling had a feeling that the aura of the Immortal Divine Sword could cut her in half by itself; it was so sharp that she had never felt anything like this before, but then she remembered how Huang Ah sent a golden sword, Qi, to save her from the four-tailed fox. The sword Qi felt very similar to the Immortal Divine Sword aura, but quite different at the same time.

After closely studying the Immortal Divine Sword aura, Yang Ling's eyes widened in surprise, and she thought to herself, "I understand; all swords have their own auras; I can use sword auras to attack." "Huang Ah combined her Yuan spirit energy with her sword aura to create sword Qi."

Suddenly, the Immortal Divine Sword shone brightly in a silver light, "SSSSSHHHHNNNNGGGGGG." It also started trembling violently, and a fierce sword hum resounded from it.

Yang Ling felt a tremendous amount of energy filling her. The sword spirit narrowed her eyes, then smiled. "You never cease to surprise me, girl. Things are getting interesting. "It took you this short amount of time to enter the cultivation path and breakthrough to the fifth layer of the beginning realm."

After a few moments, the immortal divine sword stopped trembling, shining, and humming. Yang Ling's consciousness left her Dantian. She opened her eyes, and she asked loudly, "What the hell happened?"

The sword spirit then appeared in front of Yang Ling and gave her a smile. "You entered the beginning realm and made a huge breakthrough in your cultivation by reaching the fifth layer of the beginning realm."

This surprised Yang Ling, who looked at the sword spirit in confusion and said, "Hold on, isn't the beginning realm the first realm for those who cultivate the Yuan spirit cultivation path?"

The sword spirit nodded and said, "Yes, despite the fact that the two paths of cultivation are different, the names of their realms are the same. Let me explain to you in detail how things work for the two cultivation paths."

"I will not repeat what your martial house master told you, but I will tell you what he didn't tell you: when those cultivators who walk the Yuan Spirit Path fight, they can use the Yuan Spirit energy that they absorbed to fight."

"However, the mutated spirit path is completely different. "When you are successful in comprehending part of a mutated spirit, the mutated spirit will provide you with the energy to make a breakthrough." The sword spirit explained this to Yang Ling.

Yang Ling closed her eyes and began to recall the martial house master's words about mutated spirits, along with the understanding she gained when the sword spirit pulled her consciousness towards her own mutated spirit. "Sword auras," she thought to herself. She then started to remember how the immortal divine sword felt.

The sword spirit's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Yang Ling's body coated with a silvery, pure sword aura. The sharp, silvery sword aura turned the floor she was sitting on into powder.

The sword spirit yelled, "Yang Ling, stop! You are destroying your dwelling." The sword spirit forced Yang Ling to open her eyes, and when she did, the pure sword aura that had been coating her body vanished.

Yang Ling was shocked when she saw the floor she was sitting on turn into powder. "What the hell had happened?" 

"It appears that you unlocked an ability of your mutated spirit that enables you to produce a sword aura. However, your lack of control led to the destruction of the floor you were sitting on." I suggest you start training to control this ability as soon as possible. The sword spirit explained.

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Yang Ling thought about it and nodded her head. She left her dwelling and reported to Ming Dong that she destroyed the floor in her room when she was training by mistake. She paid three Yuan stones for the damage she caused, then she went to a secluded training field to train her control over the ability she unlocked from her mutated spirit.

Tian Jian's elegant female student was following Yang Ling to the training field discreetly; however, she didn't know that Cheng Chong noticed her, and he narrowed his eyes in anger. "Damn it; because of that bitch, I can't show myself to Yang Ling." "If I show myself, Che Lisha will be suspicious of me, and I will draw attention to myself." "I need to wait for Yang Ling. When she leaves the martial house to do some missions, then I will invite her to join the Scorching Sun sect."

After making up his mind, Cheng Chong turned around and left for his own dwelling.

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In The Training Field

Yang Ling closed her eyes and was going to start practicing controlling the ability she unlocked from her mutated spirit, but the sword spirit interrupted her. "Girl, we are being followed."

Yang Ling raised her eye brows and asked in a low tone, "By whom?" The sword spirit said, "Someone in the knight realm should be careful." Yang Ling nodded and told the sword spirit, "Don't worry; I don't think anyone will dare attack a disciple inside the martial house." "When I return to my dwelling, I will read the martial house's rules and regulations." The sword spirit nodded her head in approval.

Yang Ling began summoning her sword aura, only to discover that it differed from her mutated spirit's sword aura. With a frown, she silently asked herself, "What's going on?" "Why is the sword aura different from the sword aura of my mutated spirit?"

When the sword spirit heard Yang Ling's inquiry, she got interested in the question and asked her, "How is your mutated spirit's sword aura different?" Yang Ling gave her answer right away: "My mutated spirit sword aura felt holy, but this sword aura feels pure sword aura."

The sword spirit thought for a moment, then said to Yang Ling, "I have a theory but am not sure if it is the right answer. I think you will need to comprehend the holy aura. Maybe the holy aura is one of your mutated spirit abilities."

Yang Ling thought about the sword spirit theory and nodded her head. She then said to the sword spirit, "Alright, but first, let me train in controlling this sword aura." The sword spirit nodded her head in approval.

Yang Ling then started training to control the mutated spirit ability that she had unlocked.

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With Che Lisha

Che Lisha was shocked when she saw Yang Ling coating her entire body with a pure silvery sword aura. She had never seen anything like this before, so she decided to look deeply at Yang Ling. She couldn't believe what she sensed. She took a deep breath and said to herself in a low voice, "It has been only one day since she awakened her veins, bloodline, and mutated spirit. I need to report this to master."

Che Lisha quickly left to report to Tian Jian what she saw and sensed.