Yun Heng looked at the number, feeling in high spirits.
She had spent half a year in secluded cultivation within the Xuanxiao Sect without taking a single step outside her courtyard. Now that she had formed her Golden Core in one stroke, not only had she deepened the sect's apprehension toward her, but she had also replenished her stash of Awe Points.
Not bad. This wasn't a loss at all.
The ten-pull button beneath the wheel was already lit up.
Yun Heng did not hesitate.
“Ten-pull.”
【Do you wish to consume nine hundred Awe Points to perform ten card draws?】
“Draw.”
【Awe Points -900.】
【Current Awe Points: 100.】
The wheel lit up.
Having done a ten-pull once before, Yun Heng was far steadier this time. She watched the thirty slots spin rapidly through the light until the first ray settled down.
【Two-Star Item Card: Breath-Concealing Array Plate.】
A palm-sized black array plate floated out from the light screen.
Fine patterns were carved into its surface, with an ash-white spirit stone embedded at its center. Its spiritual glow was not intense, but remarkably steady.
【Once deployed, it can isolate outside inspection and conceal spiritual breath fluctuations within the courtyard. Anyone below the Nascent Soul realm cannot pry inside, and even Soul Transformation cultivators will find it difficult to detect unusual movements unless they forcibly break the array.】
This item came at just the right time. Being inside the Xuanxiao Sect, she had countlessly many eyes watching her every move.
Earlier, she had not dared to summon the Shadow Guards for fear of creating too much of a stir. With the Breath-Concealing Array Plate in hand, many things would become far more convenient.
The second ray of light fell.
【Three-Star Heritage Card: Profound Bone Body-Forging Art.】
A dark-gold jade slip appeared within the light screen.
【Refine bones and temper meridians, strengthen sinews and cleanse marrow. Upon reaching Minor Mastery, one's physical body strength will far surpass cultivators of the same realm.】
The Tianheng Guiyuan Art cultivated internal breath, while the Tianheng Sword Art cultivated offensive strikes.
However, her current body still possessed the foundation of her original self. Even though she had formed a Golden Core, she might not hold an advantage in close-quarters combat. The Profound Bone Body-Forging Art happened to make up for this shortcoming.
The third ray of light lit up.
【One-Star Item Card: One bottle of Rejuvenation Pills.】
【Can rapidly stop bleeding, reconnect meridians, and suppress injuries.】
The fourth ray.
【One-Star Item Card: Three Barrier-Breaking Talismans.】
【Can break low-grade restrictions, confusing mists, and illusion arrays.】
The fifth ray.
【One-Star Item Card: One Substitute Paper Figurine.】
A thin paper figurine floated out in the light screen. It had no facial features on its paper face, but a dot of cinnabar was marked on its chest.
【Can take a non-lethal spell on behalf of the host. Destroyed after use.】
When the sixth ray of light fell, the light screen suddenly flashed several times in succession.
【One-Star Character Card: One squad of Golden Armored Guards.】
【Count: 20.】
【Cultivation: Peak Golden Core.】
The seventh ray followed closely behind.
【One-Star Character Card: One squad of Golden Armored Guards.】
【Count: 20.】
The eighth ray.
【One-Star Character Card: One squad of Golden Armored Guards.】
The ninth ray.
【One-Star Character Card: One squad of Golden Armored Guards.】
The tenth ray.
【One-Star Character Card: One squad of Golden Armored Guards.】
Five Character Cards hung side by side in the light screen.
On each card stood a row of armored cultivators. Clad in golden armor with long halberds resting against the ground, their faces were blurred, yet their aura was as uniform as a single unsheathed blade.
Did she... just get her own army?
One hundred guards at Peak Golden Core. In terms of cultivation realm alone, they were currently equal to her. But in terms of numbers, they were already enough to suppress many small sects.
Yun Heng let out a breath, her lips curling upward.
She retrieved the Breath-Concealing Array Plate. As it settled into her palm, it felt cold and heavy.
Following the System's prompts, Yun Heng placed the array plate at the intersection of spiritual veins in the four corners of her room. She then used the broken jade to guide a strand of spiritual energy into the array's core.
The ash-white spirit stone glowed faintly. In the next moment, a barely visible layer of spiritual light spread outward from the room, passing through doors and windows to cover the entire guest courtyard.
Outside the courtyard, the sound of the wind blew as before, but inside, it felt as if a world of its own had been carved out. Even the dust settling inside the copper burner on the table seemed lighter than before.
Standing inside the array, Yun Heng tried circulating her spiritual energy. This time, her spiritual breath did not disperse outward, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Summon the Shadow Guards.”
The light screen vibrated as five black Character Cards floated up from the System panel, unfolding one by one before Yun Heng.
The room's lamps flickered as five silhouettes landed silently on the floor.
All five were dressed in dark outfits covered by light armor, short blades at their waists, and cloaks with dark patterns draping behind their shoulders. Their heights varied slightly, but their presence was so perfectly concealed that they looked as if they had stepped out of the shadows.
The leader had a very faint old scar beneath his left eye.
The second was slimmer, with silver threads hidden within his sleeves.
The third carried a longbow on his back, its body dark and subdued.
The fourth wore dual blades at his waist.
The fifth looked the youngest, with a cold, indifferent countenance.
Upon appearing, the five did not look around, nor did they hesitate in the slightest. They dropped to one knee in unison.
“This subordinate greets the Young Lord.”
Yun Heng was stunned for a moment by their greeting.
She had heard the title "Young Lord" once before from Yun Zhao's mouth. However, having five late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators kneeling in front of her all at once felt entirely different.
She looked at them and remained silent for a short while.
“Rise.”
The five stood up upon command, their movements so uniform there was virtually no deviation.
A subtle thought arose in Yun Heng's mind. There's really no need to act like robots.
The leading Shadow Guard lowered his head. “This subordinate is Xuan Yi. Xuan Er, Xuan San, Xuan Si, and Xuan Wu are all present. From now on, we await the Young Lord's command.”
Yun Heng looked toward the System light screen.
【Shadow Guard: Can be summoned to accompany the host at any time long-term.】
【Current Status: Bound to Master.】
【Can be recalled into the Shadow Command or assigned as outer guards.】
Yun Heng felt relieved. What she lacked most right now were people she could rely on continuously.
Five late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, even if they could not openly appear within the Xuanxiao Sect, were enough for her to arrange many matters in secret.
Yun Heng looked at Xuan Yi.
“You need not reveal yourselves normally. Remain in the shadows and do not let the Xuanxiao Sect detect you.”
Xuan Yi lowered his head. “Understood.”
“If anyone tries to pry into this courtyard, simply block them outside the array.”
The five Shadow Guards lowered their heads simultaneously.
“This subordinate understands.”
Yun Heng raised her hand, storing away the Shadow Command.
The five silhouettes faded away as if swallowed by the night, leaving only the Breath-Concealing Array Plate still glowing faintly in the corner.
Yun Heng sat back on her couch and brought out the Profound Bone Body-Forging Art.
Pressing the jade slip against her brow, an unfamiliar incantation flooded into her sea of consciousness.
This cultivation technique was far more unrefined than the Tianheng Guiyuan Art. It did not emphasize the harmonious flow of spiritual breath, but rather the tempering of bone, refining of sinew, and cleansing of meridians. During cultivation, one had to repeatedly wash over bones and meridians with spiritual energy, inflicting pain far exceeding ordinary meditation and breathing.
Yun Heng knit her brows tightly. With just a single glance, she knew this would be hard to practice.
The Tianheng Sword Art focused on defeating enemies in a single strike. If her body could not withstand the backlash of the sword Qi, then no matter how quickly she mastered the sword art, she would only end up harming herself.
She first memorized the introductory chapter of the Profound Bone Body-Forging Art, then opened the Tianheng Sword Art.
During her last secluded cultivation, she had only reached Beginner mastery in the First Chapter of the Tianheng Sword Art.
Now that she had formed a Golden Core, she could finally continue reading further.
The sword art manual unfolded.
The first section was still "A Line of Frost."
There were second and third sections behind it, but the characters following were obscured by a faint layer of light mist. The System gave no notification of missing parts, indicating that the sword art manual itself was complete, but her cultivation and realm were not yet high enough for her to view them.
Yun Heng's gaze returned to the first section. The initial chapter was not complex, but it was exceptionally difficult.
It held only a single requirement:
Condense a single line of sword Qi.
This single line of sword Qi was not about quantity or speed, but purity. When spiritual energy entered the sword, it could neither disperse nor falter. Otherwise, before the sword Qi even launched, one's own meridians would suffer the backlash first.
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