Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

He saw the accumulated water on the ground suddenly rise, converging in the air into a humanoid figure that looked like a lean Daoist.

Even though his specific facial features were indistinct, the figure stood with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a green pine, almost exuding the aura of an immortal Daoist.

“There’s no need to ask for my name,” the figure said in a clear voice. “Are you the one with the Innate Sword Bone?”

“Yes, may I ask if this place is the deadlock trial?” Ling Yunpo was about to ask “May I know the senior’s name” when he suddenly remembered the figure’s words “no need to ask” and promptly changed his question.

“Indeed.” The Daoist spread his arms, and the water at his feet began to boil fiercely.

Amidst the churning water, a white-golden Immortal Sword slowly ascended, its hilt rising to the Daoist’s hand where he deftly grasped it.

As he took hold of the hilt, the water that formed his arm also began to boil violently, leaving Ling Yunpo astonished—what rank of Fire System Immortal Sword could possibly possess such terrifying heat?

“This sword is a projection of the Sun True Obscure Sword, with a sealed whisper of its true essence left behind,” the Daoist said calmly. “You must have heard of the Sun True Obscure before, right?”

“I have,” Ling Yunpo replied with an expressionless face, yet his heart was deeply shocked.

The Sun True Obscure Sword? What kind of trick is this?

Even as a mere projection, this is one of the Supreme Immortal Swords, the Sun True Obscure!

Not to mention it contains a whisper of true essence… Even if it includes a mere sliver, or half, a quarter, or even an eighth of its essence, how could I ever withstand it?

I haven’t even formed my Golden Core yet!

This trial’s final deadlock is too outrageous. It would be better to just strike me dead with a bolt of Heavenly Thunder directly.

“The essence descends, dividing light, opening the murky darkness,” the Daoist held the sword horizontally, his gaze sweeping over its blazing brilliance, his eyes growing fervent. “Transforming and refining the yin spirit, melting away lingering karma.”

“This Sun True Obscure was forged by our human ancestor Fuxi, from a strand of pure and profoundly masculine Innate Pure Qi when heaven and earth first divided. The day the sword took shape, there was no rival in all the lands.”

“Keep blowing,” the Green Duckweed Sword remarked sarcastically. “What do you mean ‘no rivals’? Isn’t there the Tai Yin Suming Sword?”

“Shut up, Qing Ping,” Ling Yunpo said despairingly. “They’re wielding the Sun True Obscure Sword. Let them boast how they wish… We can’t beat them anyway.”

“For ordinary cultivators at your rank, it would be impossible to withstand a single blow from it,” the Daoist raised the Sun True Obscure Sword above his head, suddenly bursting into laughter. “But as an Innate Sword Bone, you have the unique honor of challenging it!”

“Come! If you can withstand my single strike, then you shall be deemed to have passed this trial!”

The figure waved the Sun True Obscure Sword with force to one side, all the water at his feet boiling over, the air filling with a scorching smell, even the light distorting in the rising heat.

Feeling the heatwave hitting his face, Ling Yunpo’s heart sank.

Can I refuse?

No. Then what’s the point of talking?

He had no choice but to squint his eyes and grab the Green Duckweed Sword in his hand. A moment of circulating True Yuan around the sword, turning it into the Water System, brought a much-needed coolness to his body.

“Here goes, Qing Ping, Thunderbane,” he said, determined.

“Charge, charge, charge!” Thunderbane Sword cried out ready to meet its fate.

“Don’t hold back. Go all out,” Green Duckweed Sword also advised.

Ling Yunpo did not respond but instantly executed Unity of Body and Sword, merging with the Green Duckweed Sword into a streak of light, and rushed toward the Daoist!

……

Within a cavern in a thousand-zhang deep valley.

Several Golden Core True People from Kunlun had come down with the old Daoist.

They saw that what was once the entrance to the secret realm was now replaced by rock once more.

“This is the place,” the old Daoist pointed ahead and said, “Back then, those two friends from Shushan used the Thunder Attribute Flying Sword spell to blast the rocks and successfully entered the secret realm.”

The Golden Core True People looked at each other for a moment, then a middle-aged nun stepped forward and drew a purple bronze hairpin from her hair.

Because of the high risks and dangers of cultivating the Five Thunder True Law, scarcely any Kunlun cultivators practice it nowadays, but there are many Magical Treasures sealed with Thunder Method spells.

The nun thrust the purple copper hairpin forward, and several purple thunder balls suddenly appeared out of thin air, exploding towards the rocks ahead.

With a thunderous boom, the rocks parted, revealing the entrance shrouded in a light membrane.

There really is a secret realm here!

The Kunlun True Persons exchanged glances again, each reading the delight in the others’ eyes.

Before anyone could speak, the light membrane suddenly rippled.

Afterward, An Zhisu stepped out from within, her expression slightly surprised as she looked at the Kunlun Cultivators outside.

“Are you a Shushan disciple?” the middle-aged nun who had attacked first asked.

An Zhisu didn’t make a sound, merely nodding in acknowledgment, her gaze swiftly sweeping the surroundings, her heart suddenly plummeting into an icy abyss.

No junior brother…

The light membrane rippled again, and Ling Yunpo also stepped out from it.

“Junior brother!” An Zhisu exclaimed with joy, quickly rushing over to him and grabbing his hand to check for any injuries.

“Senior sister, I’m alright,” Ling Yunpo patted her hand and with his gaze landing on the distant Kunlun True Persons, he involuntarily cursed inwardly.

The Disciplinary Hall’s Shenxiao True Person, as well as the Purple Green True Person and the Scattered Sun True Person, why had these three come here?

Seeing the old Taoist standing by respectfully, Ling Yunpo immediately guessed the answer and stepped forward to greet them with a bow:

“Shushan’s Ling Yunpo, greets the three seniors.”

The atmosphere, which had become somewhat stiff due to An Zhisu’s lack of response, relaxed once again with Ling Yunpo’s gesture of respect.

The Scattered Sun True Person, well-versed in social pleasantries, immediately smoothed things over with a laugh:

“It is said that Shushan has four sword immortal geniuses, whose names together read ‘Duan Shan, Fenhai, Sui Yue, Po Yun’. You must be the Po Yun Sword Immortal, right?”

“Shouldn’t it be Ling Poyun?” the middle-aged nun, who was the Shenxiao True Person from the Disciplinary Hall, frowned and asked doubtfully.

“Indeed, it’s ‘Ling Yunpo’,” Scattered Sun True Person laughed heartily, “Perhaps it’s just that Shushan wanted the names to be symmetrical and roll off the tongue. Anyway, these two are undoubtedly true Shushan disciples.”

Ling Yunpo could only offer an awkward laugh, while An Zhisu seemed somewhat irritated, her eyebrows slightly raised.

“Do you two have any time to answer a few questions for us?” Shenxiao True Person gestured invitingly with a hand.

“We have been away from our Sect for too long, and if we do not return soon, I fear the elders will come looking for us,” said An Zhisu lightly.

She was subtly hinting to them that their trip to Yangzhou Kuaiji County had already been reported back to Shushan.

If we were to be silenced here, suddenly disappear, and then the discovery of a secret realm at Mount Tianmu by Kunlun were to emerge, Shushan would inevitably make the connection.

Shenxiao True Person caught the wary undertone in her words and casually replied with a smile:

“Don’t worry, we have already notified your Sect’s Jade Capital Sect Leader and the Master of Xuandu from the Penglai Yuqing View about the existence of this secret realm.”

“How to further explore this realm will require mutual discussion amongst the Three Sects to formulate a plan… Our visit here was merely to take the lead in exploring the secret realm.”

“Mutual discussion amongst the Three Sects?” An Zhisu’s eyes widened in confusion.

Ling Yunpo, however, quickly guessed the reason:

We have entered the secret realm, so it would be impossible for Shushan to cover it up.

Mount Tianmu is located in Yangzhou’s Kuaiji County, which according to the legal division of the Clarify Cult, falls within the sphere of influence of the Penglai Jade Pure View.

Opting not to attempt an arrogant monopoly, but instead seeking to get involved as discoverers with the intention of joint exploration or even leading the development of the secret realm, speaks to the confidence of the Kunlun Taiqing Sect as the leader of the Orthodox Sects!

“That would be most excellent,” Ling Yunpo agreed, smiling, “If there are any questions, I shall not hesitate to answer.”

Senior sister doesn’t know who Shenxiao True Person is, so it’s natural for her to be cautious and wary.

But I am well aware that this True Person is one of the most straightforward and upright characters in Kunlun, so one can assuredly engage with him!