Chapter Twelve: Mysterious Silk

In the Easy Garden, within the Easy Sky Pavilion, nine people were currently gathered. These nine individuals included the Headmaster Xuan Yu True Person and the four Sect Masters. The remaining four were disciples from each of the four academies: Li Hongfei from the Qian Academy, Zhang Aoxue from the Kun Academy, Lu Yun from the Yang Academy, and Lin Yunfeng from the Yin Academy.

When True Person Xuan Yu returned this morning, he immediately learned about the events from the previous day through True Person Qian Yuan. Consequently, he promptly summoned the four Sect Masters and the four most outstanding disciples. Among them, Li Hongfei, around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, possessed a striking handsomeness, and his eyes held a concealed divine light. His cultivation level was remarkably astonishing. Li Hongfei sported a faintly disdainful smile, exuding an exceptionally aloof demeanor. He paid no attention to Lu Yun and Lin Yunfeng, keeping his gaze fixed on Zhang Aoxue with a superior attitude.

Observing everyone, True Person Xuan Yu began, "Unexpectedly, this incident occurred the moment I left. Perhaps it is fate. Yesterday, I went to the Confucian Garden for a while and had a discussion with Sage Haoyun. Judging from the current situation in our two academies, we must make an effort. Otherwise, winning the Martial Arts Conference one year from now won't be as easy. Sage Haoyun also revealed some information, stating that rumors from the Dao Garden suggest that recent celestial changes are occurring, and the Big Dipper has started reversing. There seems to be an impending disaster, so everyone must be vigilant. What happened here yesterday already hints at the imminent chaos. We must be cautious and prevent unnecessary incidents. Now, do any of you have any opinions or ideas? Speak up; let's discuss together."

Senior Monk Jingyue softly said, "I wonder if Senior Brother learned about the situation of disciples from other academies during your visit to the Confucian Garden. Who are the formidable opponents we'll face one year from now? Also, about the treasure sword Aoxue obtained this time, please inspect it carefully to see if you can deduce its origins."

True Person Xuan Yu responded, "Based on the information I acquired yesterday from Sage Haoyun, each of the six academies has several outstanding young talents participating in the upcoming Martial Arts Conference. It's said that the Sword Art Academy has three exceptionally outstanding individuals, with the most famous being a person named Sword Dustless. Rumor has it that he has already mastered the top-notch 'Nine Techniques of the Heavenly Sword,' reaching the eighth technique. One year from now, it's likely he'll achieve perfection, which is exceptionally rare. As for the Bodhi Academy, there are also two mysterious and supremely skilled young talents, both possessing unparalleled Buddhist techniques.

"As for the Dao Garden, Confucian Garden, and Phoenix Academy, each has produced two or three highly outstanding individuals. Therefore, this Martial Arts Conference will be highly challenging. To secure a position in the conference, we'll need to be diligent. Additionally, Sage Haoyun mentioned something, and according to the rumors he received from the Dao Garden, recent celestial phenomena indicate that the Big Dipper has started reversing. There is an impending disaster approaching the mortal realm, and everyone must stay vigilant. Judging from what happened here yesterday, we've already received a subtle hint. The chaos is imminent. We must handle this situation immediately. Xuan Yin Junior Brother will head to Shu South tomorrow to address the frequent occurrences of ghosts and spirits. It's essential to manage this situation properly and prevent it from escalating. The world is on the brink of chaos. At this critical moment, we must remain vigilant and elevate our cultivation to be prepared for the unexpected. Now, if any of you have other matters, feel free to bring them up. Otherwise, return to your practice and focus on improving your cultivation."

True Person Qian Yuan interjected, "How many individuals will Easy Garden send to participate in the Martial Arts Conference one year from now? Thinking about the past fifty years, each time we participated, we ended up at the bottom, bringing shame to Easy Garden. I believe this time won't be the same as before. Fifty years, how swiftly time passes!"

True Person Xuan Yu sighed lightly, "Sending four individuals to participate should be enough. More participants won't necessarily be useful. What's crucial is their level of cultivation. I hope that each of you, who is standing here today as disciples, will undergo a significant transformation in one year. Your individual cultivation levels should advance to a new stage, giving us a chance to compete with the top talents from the other five academies and bring glory to Easy Garden. Work hard, and I hope you won't disappoint me. Now, the four of you can leave."

After leaving the Easy Sky Pavilion, Lu Yun approached Li Hongfei and said, "Hello, Senior Brother Li. I am Lu Yun, who joined the academy a year ago. I hope Senior Brother will take care of me in the future." Li Hongfei nodded slightly without responding, displaying an air of arrogance. He glanced at Zhang Aoxue and then left.

Seeing him leave, Lin Yunfeng couldn't accept it and said, "What's there to be proud of? He just practiced for a few more years. Lu Yun, don't mind him. You have achieved so much in just one year. Give it a few more years, and you'll surpass him. Why is he so arrogant? Acting cold and indifferent, I don't even want to bother with him. What's so special about him? Speaking bluntly, when it comes to capturing ghosts and spirits, he is far behind me."

Lu Yun smiled, "You're impulsive. Senior Brother might just have such a personality. Once you get to know him more after spending time together, it won't be like this. Let's go back to our respective places and focus on cultivation. Senior Sister Aoxue, take care. I hope we'll have another chance to hunt demons together in the future."

Zhang Aoxue glanced at the two, softly said, "Hopefully, Junior Brothers, take care, and work hard. With your current cultivation levels compared to Senior Brother Li, there is still a considerable gap. You will understand it in the future." After that, she turned and gracefully left.

Time passes much faster for cultivators than ordinary people. In the blink of an eye, three months have passed. During this time, Lu Yun has been diligently practicing under the supervision of True Person Ziyang. In these three months, Lu Yun's "Twelve Techniques of the Easy Sky" has reached the tenth technique, and the "Rending Fire Heaven Gang Sword Technique" can unleash its full power. True Person Ziyang was extremely pleased with Lu Yun's progress, praising him incessantly and investing all his attention in him.

However, during these three months, the region around Shu South continued to experience frequent appearances of ghosts and spirits. True Person Xuan Yin had gone there three times but could only temporarily suppress the situation. Once he left, the spirits and ghosts reappeared in large numbers, causing great trouble for Easy Garden. Only when True Person Xuan Yu personally intervened did he manage to close the passage, temporarily putting a stop to the matter.

Moreover, reports from the cultivation world indicated a rising

 number of demonic activities in various places. The Six Academies, particularly the leading Sword Art Academy, had issued warnings to the entire cultivation world, urging everyone to stay vigilant against the unpredictable changes. Many renowned figures in the cultivation world had rushed to locations with demonic disturbances, trying to curb the rampant behavior of demons and monsters.

In Easy Garden, within the Yang Academy, True Person Ziyang looked at Lu Yun with a smiling face and said, "Your achievements have exceeded my expectations. It's truly amazing. For the past three months, I haven't told anyone about your progress. I want them to be surprised when they find out, letting them know that our Yang Academy is not easy to deal with. Now that your sword techniques are complete, you just need to focus on practicing the corresponding techniques. Your future path depends on you. If you have any needs, feel free to tell me, and I will do my best to fulfill your wishes."

Lu Yun looked at True Person Ziyang, smiling slightly, "I remember that Senior Brother Xuan Yin once used a technique called the 'Easy Sky Soul-Shaking Technique' to seal the icy pond. I wonder if Master knows that technique? Also, Sister Aoxue mentioned that our Easy Garden has four great secret techniques. I'm curious about them. Could Master tell me more about this aspect?"

True Person Ziyang's expression turned slightly grim, looking at the sky as he sighed lightly, "Since you're curious, I'll tell you. In Easy Garden, there are indeed four great secret techniques, with each academy possessing one. As for the Pian Academy, we have the only secret technique called 'Easy Sky Soul-Shaking Technique.' It has been passed down for a thousand years, and no one has successfully cultivated it. So, among the four academies in Easy Garden, we are considered the weakest. Throughout the years, no outstanding talents have emerged from the Yang Academy. That's why we've been ranked at the bottom among the Qian, Kun, Yin, and Yang Academies."

Lu Yun expressed surprise, "Why is that? Could it be that our Yang Academy's secret technique is incomplete, or is there another reason? Why has no one succeeded in cultivating it all these years?"

True Person Ziyang sighed lightly, "For so many years, you are the only outstanding person in our Yang Academy. Since you're interested, I'll let you take a look at the technique. I hope you'll gain something and change the history of our Yang Academy, which has had no one succeed in cultivating the secret technique. Come, I'll let you see it. Hopefully, you'll understand." Saying this, he led Lu Yun into his room.

In the room, True Person Ziyang carefully took out a small jade box from the inner chamber, about the size of a palm. Gently opening the jade box, Lu Yun looked closely at the contents inside. Surprisingly, it was just a piece of dark red silk, adorned with numerous patterns and characters, unfortunately too blurry to discern.

True Person Ziyang handed the silk to Lu Yun and spoke, "Recorded on this is our sect's secret technique - the 'Five Thunders Heavenly Decree!' For centuries, aside from being able to clearly see the five characters of the Five Thunders Heavenly Decree, everything else remains extremely vague, making it impossible for anyone to comprehend. No one has successfully cultivated it in a thousand years. The hidden mysteries within this silk have remained unsolved. I hope you can gain something from it. Take it back and be sure not to lose it. Return it to me three months later."

Lu Yun, holding the magical silk that constantly changed colors, contemplated it in his hands. Before coming here, his master mentioned this "Five Thunders Heavenly Decree," claiming it to be an extremely masculine technique capable of suppressing all Yin and evil creatures in the world. Now, it seemed indeed mysterious and beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

Lu Yun softly said, "Thank you, Master. I'll go back and examine it, hoping to find some clues that can help unravel the mystery of this silk." With that, he left.

Back in his room, Lu Yun closed all doors and windows, took out the mystical silk, and examined it carefully. The silk radiated a flowing brilliance, with a mysterious aura concealing something, making it difficult to perceive. Lu Yun gently held the silk and attempted to infuse it with the True Yuan of the Easy Sky technique to see if there were any results. As he did, the silk slowly emitted a dark cyan light, but unfortunately, the patterns and characters remained indistinct.

Lu Yun withdrew his True Yuan, and the silk returned to its original state. It was truly peculiar. After some contemplation, Lu Yun decided to try the "Mind Without Traces" technique from the Demon Sect, using mental waves to explore the secrets of the silk. He emitted seven waves of mental waves, each with a different frequency ranging from 240 times per blink to 18,000 times per blink, exploring in seven different segments.

Lu Yun felt that six of his mental waves were instantly reflected back. Only the one with the highest frequency, 18,000 times per blink, continued to explore rapidly. Delighted yet surprised, Lu Yun knew this method was effective but understood that he needed to enhance the frequency of his mental waves. Unexpectedly, the silk possessed an extremely high-frequency mental wave that defied all his attempts at exploration. No wonder the patterns and characters on it were impossible to see.

Calmly lying on the bed, Lu Yun's eyes suddenly flickered with a black brilliance, appearing quite strange. Despite the setback, Lu Yun was unwilling to give up. He decided to utilize the Demon Sect's "Mind Without Traces" technique again, trying to probe the silk's secrets with mental waves. Lu Yun instantly sent out seven waves of mental waves, with frequencies ranging from 240 times per blink to an astonishing 108,000 times per blink, exploring in seven different segments.

Lu Yun felt that six of his mental waves were reflected back again, but the one with the highest frequency, 108,000 times per blink, continued its high-speed exploration. Delighted, Lu Yun realized this method was effective, but he still needed to further improve the frequency. He raised the frequency of his mental waves to an incredible 240,000 times per blink. This time, he barely managed to break through the silk's mental defense, catching a glimpse of some patterns and characters. Unfortunately, Lu Yun could only sustain it for a moment before having to give up.

Looking at himself, drenched in sweat and clothes soaked through, Lu Yun felt exhausted. He had not anticipated that the silk possessed such an extraordinarily high-frequency mental wave, resisting all his efforts even when he exerted his full strength. It seemed that he still had a long way to go in his cultivation. At this moment, Lu Yun had officially entered the ninth realm of the cultivation world - the initial stage of the Immortality realm. In terms of cultivation, he was already outstanding, comparable to True Person Ziyang and even surpassing him, considering his young age.

Taking a moment to recover the expended True Yuan, Lu Yun saw various colors of spiritual energy swiftly gathering around him, rushing into his body. If anyone had witnessed this scene, they would be astounded. This was Lu Yun's family's unique skill - the Taiji Infinite. The Taiji Infinite was divided into nine layers, and Lu Yun had reached the seventh layer, "Harmony of Heaven and Earth." In this realm, he could absorb the hidden spiritual energy in the air to instantly recover lost True Yuan, a speed that other techniques could not match.

Lu Yun, having entered the "Harmony of Heaven and Earth" realm, had greatly advanced his cultivation. Now, he could absorb the surrounding spiritual energy, making it disappear in an instant. Lu Yun quickly recovered and once again looked at the mysterious silk in his hands.

From that day on, Lu Yun, in his quest to unravel the mystery of the silk, diligently practiced various techniques while elevating the frequency of his mental waves. Three months passed in the blink of an eye. At this point, Lu Yun successfully deciphered the mystery of the silk and obtained the core technique of the "Five Thunders Heavenly Decree." Simultaneously, his mental waves underwent a qualitative leap. He could now emit mental waves at a frequency of 248,000 times per blink, allowing him to sense and explore all things at an incredible level.

Returning the silk to True Person Ziyang, Lu Yun whispered, "This object is mysterious, and it took some time to decipher. In the three months I've been here, I've discovered some clues. Unfortunately, due to my limited abilities, I couldn't unravel it completely." True Person Ziyang's face lit up with joy, eagerly asking, "What did you say? You found some clues? What is it? Tell me quickly." Clearly overjoyed, True Person Ziyang was practically bursting with excitement.

Lu Yun whispered, "Disciple has realized that the flowing brilliance on this silk is actually a layer of True Yuan, or you can say, a layer of highly difficult-to-break, rapidly rotating airflow waves. As long as we can break through this airflow, we can detect the patterns and characters inside and thereby master the technique on it. This layer of airflow is likely a restriction left by an ancestor, extremely difficult to decipher. The ancestor who left this restriction might be an immortal who ascended to the Dao, or else the restriction wouldn't be so domineering and challenging to unravel. This is just a humble opinion of the disciple, and I dare not assert it as absolute truth."

Ziyang heard this and pondered deeply. After a while, he muttered to himself, "So, we've been misunderstanding all along. We've always thought that by infusing our True Yuan into it, the ever-changing brilliance would gradually become clear, revealing the patterns and characters. Unexpectedly, we've misunderstood. What we need to do is figure out how to break through this layer of brilliance, making it disappear so that we can see the patterns and characters above."

True Person Ziyang suddenly looked up and said, "Lu Yun, thank you for your insight. You can go and cultivate now; I will go find the Senior Brother in charge." With that, he hastily left the room, heading towards the Easy Sky Pavilion.

Watching True Person Ziyang's departing figure, Lu Yun smiled faintly. He turned his right palm, and instantly, a sparkling lightning ball appeared, radiating a dazzling brilliance. With a flip of his hand, the lightning ball disappeared in an instant. Lu Yun smiled calmly and walked out.

Once outside the room, Lu Yun glanced around to ensure no one was present. He smiled faintly, and in an instant, his body transformed into a streak of azure light, appearing in the sky, silently hovering thousands of zhang above Easy Manor. It was his first time standing in the void like this, and Lu Yun felt a peculiar sensation, as if the heavens and earth were beneath his feet. With a slight expansion of his hands, Lu Yun stopped within the clouds, gazing at the vast expanse of white cloud sea. Unable to resist, a low but incredibly distant whistle emanated from him.

Suddenly, Lu Yun's body erupted in a burst of radiance, initially displaying five-colored brilliance followed by a seven-colored rosy glow, instantly appearing on him. At this moment, Lu Yun resembled a luminous sphere emitting seven colors, beautiful and mysterious. The white clouds around him also caught a layer of the seven-colored rosy glow, creating a beautiful scene. Unfortunately, the duration was extremely brief, disappearing in just a moment.

Lu Yun, in the clouds, gazed at the surrounding beauty, feeling extremely delighted. Looking down at Easy Manor, Lu Yun's eyes initially revealed a calm smile, but soon turned pensive as he carefully scrutinized the surroundings. From this vantage point, he could clearly see the overall layout of Easy Manor, something he hadn't paid attention to before. The entire Easy Manor was shrouded in a multicolored rosy glow, something invisible to ordinary eyes. Yet, Lu Yun's profound cultivation allowed him to perceive the glow vividly.

What surprised Lu Yun the most was not the rosy glow; after all, it was common for Easy Manor, as one of the six renowned institutions in the cultivation world, to have formations set up around its location. What truly astonished him was the faint glow of spiritual energy hidden beneath the rosy glow, something even cultivators would find difficult to detect. In this moment, Lu Yun truly understood why Easy Manor was situated here and remained prosperous throughout the millennia. The place where Easy Manor was established was the main artery of a spiritual vein, albeit somewhat scattered and appearing weak, it was still a rarity in the world.

At this moment, Lu Yun recalled the words of his ancestors. His forefather had once said that there were a total of nine major spiritual veins in the world. Apart from the first three, which were concentrated and impenetrable, the remaining six were like the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, with countless branches spreading across the beautiful mountains and waters. The location where Easy Manor was established happened to be the main trunk of a spiritual vein. It was no wonder that for so many years, Easy Manor could produce outstanding talents at regular intervals. It seemed likely that the other five of the six great institutions also had similar situations, hidden beside spiritual veins.

Raising his head slightly, Lu Yun looked at the sky. In his eyes, there was a hint of determination and a faintly arrogant smile, reflected on his handsome face. With hands slightly folded behind him, Lu Yun stood quietly amidst the white clouds, gazing at the heavens. At this moment, he seemed to be challenging the sky. His slender figure, his cold and proud expression, gradually revealed his determination to contend against the heavens.

Lu Yun, a young man aspiring to contend against the heavens, stood silently between heaven and earth. The surrounding clouds were ethereal, and the rosy glow flashed, reflecting seven different rays of light. It was beautiful, but unfortunately, this moment of beauty went unnoticed by anyone.