Sacrificial Artifact System: From Bell-ringer to the Ancestral Patriarch

"The Pure Sword Body is indeed peculiar."

Li Qian felt his body resonating faintly with the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi with each breath.

This was a sign of the Pure Sword Body absorbing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.

If he wished... he could now break through the barrier between the Postnatal and the Innate Realm, stepping into the Innate Realm.

Normally, there are three ways for a Postnatal Martial Artist at their limit to enter the Innate Realm.

One way is to use Perfect Level Inner Qi to break through the Heavenly Spirit Acupoint at the top of the head, creating a channel between man and heaven, allowing the absorption of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi into the body, merging with Postnatal Qi, and ultimately transforming it into True Qi.

However, the risk is substantial.

A slight mishap could damage the brain, and there's a certain failure rate.

Unless one's Root Bone qualifications are high enough, the breakthrough would be relatively simple.

The second method is to comprehend Martial Intent before entering the Innate Realm, using Martial Intent as a medium to guide Inner Qi to break through the Heavenly Spirit Acupoint, which poses little risk and has almost no chance of failure.

This requires a high level of comprehension.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to comprehend Martial Intent in advance.

The third method is to consume an Innate Pill to forcefully open the Heavenly Spirit Acupoint... but the drawback is obvious; it is said that it's very difficult to advance one's Cultivation Realm further, limiting one's future potential, also known as Half-step Innate.

Those who resort to the third method... are often Postnatal Martial Artists with mediocre Root Bone qualifications and comprehension.

For many Postnatal Martial Artists, being able to achieve Innate status, even if only Half-step Innate, is already satisfying enough.

Moreover... Innate Pills are in themselves very precious.

Without enough financial resources and connections, it's not certain one could even buy them.

But now, after Li Qian cultivated the Pure Sword Body, it was as if his body could naturally absorb Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.

This was outrageous.

Moreover, his whole body could absorb Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the efficiency of which was countless times higher than that of an ordinary Innate.

He has not yet achieved Innate, but Li Qian already almost understood why it was called Perfect Innate.

This might only be one of the advantages.

"Then let's break through."

Li Qian looked up at the sky, his eyes lifting.

A full moon hung high, spilling its silver radiance and rendering the world hazy.

He took a deep breath and for the first time began to operate the Heartless Sword Technique.

Since reaching the Perfect Postnatal state, he had not practiced the Heartless Sword Technique.

At most, he would practice the Five Elements Swordsmanship.

Even after such a long time without practicing the Heartless Sword Technique, there was no sense of obstruction when he operated his Inner Strength.

No, it ran even smoother than before.

There was only one term he could use to describe it.

Silky smooth.

"Indeed, after cultivating the Pure Sword Body, operating the Heartless Sword Technique has become even more silky smooth."

Li Qian was very satisfied in his heart.

After practicing one set of the Heartless Sword Technique, the robust Inner Qi in his body circulated a Grand Circulation within the Pure Sword Body, and the boundless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi surrounding him, as if suddenly breaking through a barrier, rushed frantically into his body through all the acupoints.

A layer of peculiar luminescence began to emerge on his body.

This was the halo produced by the overwhelming Heaven and Earth Essence Qi under the illumination of moonlight.

As the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi entered his body, influenced by the Pure Sword Body, it merged with the Postnatal Inner Qi, forming a new kind of power.

True Qi.

Or, Innate True Qi, to be exact.

This Innate True Qi, like strands of silver-white silk, rapidly branched throughout the meridians all over his body.

...

Meanwhile, in a wooden hut hundreds of meters away from the Bell Platform.

Zhou Buping was trying to cultivate.

Although his injuries had largely healed.

Recovering the damaged Qi Sea was not that easy.

The same was true for Sword Intent.

Cultivation decline and the waning of Sword Intent had already become facts.

"Alas, it's still not working."

Zhou Buping opened his eyes and sighed.

The Innate True Qi in his Qi Sea was too difficult to mobilize.

Forcing it would cause indescribable pain.

The same was true when trying to use the Heartless Sword Intent.

His Lifebound Sword Intent had already collapsed.

His current level of Sword Intent was equivalent to a mere illusion... or perhaps even less, because he couldn't even mobilize his Sword Intent.

Suddenly, his expression changed slightly as he looked up in the direction of the bell tower.

Although he couldn't mobilize his Sword Intent or Innate True Qi, as a seasoned expert of the Innate Realm, he was very sensitive to the essence qi of heaven and earth.

At this moment, he could sense a strong convergence of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in the direction of the bell tower.

"What is this?"

He seemed to think of something, hurriedly ran out of the wooden hut, and forgot to put on his boots, his feet bare.

Swiftly, he arrived at a high place about a hundred meters away from the bell tower, clearly seeing the Chen Bell Platform shrouded in moonlight.

At this moment, the Chen Bell Platform was faintly converging moonlight, forming a dim and strange sea of light, as if the moonlight was flowing.

"This is the breakthrough phenomenon of the Innate Realm..."

Zhou Buping muttered to himself, "Could it be that he has cultivated the Pure Sword Body?"

He had never asked Li Qian about his progress with the Pure Sword Body, simply not wanting to pressure him.

Another possibility was that Li Qian could no longer suppress his cultivation and had to break through to the Innate Realm.

If it were the latter, it would mean that the attempt to achieve Perfect Innate had failed.

With a bit of trepidation, Zhou Buping did not approach, but just watched from afar.

Disturbing someone during their breakthrough into the Innate Realm is not allowed.

When disciples of the Divine Sword Sect break through to the Innate Realm, there are often elders present to protect them.

After a long time, the strange Innate Phenomenon gradually disappeared, and the intense fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi completely settled down.

Only then did Zhou Buping walk towards the bell tower.

"Master."

Li Qian's voice came from the bell tower.

Then, a figure floated down and appeared before Zhou Buping.

"Why did you suddenly break through to the Innate Realm?"

Zhou Buping couldn't wait to ask.

"Master, I suddenly perfected my Pure Sword Body and tried to break through... I didn't expect to just break through."

Li Qian quickly explained.

"What, you really cultivated the Pure Sword Body?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Buping's voice began to tremble.

How long had it been since Li Qian had comprehended the Pure Sword Body in the Sword Grinding Cave?

It should have been five years and one month.

"Yes."

Li Qian nodded.

He was actually quite moved.

It had taken him a full five years to perfect the Pure Sword Body.

Unknowingly, he had turned twenty-five years old.

And he had been in this world for more than nine years.

From a servant disciple with no cultivation, he had practiced step by step to achieve Perfect Innate.

It certainly hadn't been easy!

"Good, good, good..."

Zhou Buping repeated three times: "Li Qian, regarding becoming Perfect Innate, you must not let a third person know, understand?"

"Master, why is that?"

Li Qian asked curiously.

Even if his master hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't reveal his attainment of Perfect Innate.

He was just very curious as to what exactly his master feared.

"Your teacher once told you, those who achieve Perfect Innate will surely reach the Martial Saint Realm in the future... This rumor is not only in our Divine Sword Sect, but even in other countries of the great empire. Once the news of your achievement of Perfect Innate spreads, you will definitely become a target, and no power will tolerate the existence of a Perfect Innate in our Divine Sword Sect."

Zhou Buping let out a sigh.

In fact, he had more to say that he didn't reveal: even within the Divine Sword Sect... there may be people who harbor such thoughts.

....