Chapter 56: Broken Moon Sword Manual, Moon Beast Meat
The fourth High-Grade Sword Dao Talent was finally found!
This meant that Lu Changfeng could successfully fuse his first Supreme Talent!
Lu Changfeng suppressed the joy in his heart.
Yane Song stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Sect Leader, Senior Master, I have brought Elder Lu!"
Luo Tianhao waved his hand casually. "You are dismissed. Elder Lu, do you play chess? Come over and give me some pointers!"
Luo Tianhao had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and his demeanor was just as bold and casual.
His bearing was indeed a perfect match for the Sword Hero Talent.
Yane Song took his leave, and Lu Changfeng stepped forward.
"My chess skills are hardly good enough to presume to advise you, Sect Leader. But if I may join in the fun and observe, it would be a great opportunity for me to learn a thing or two."
Luo Tianhao smiled and pointed at Lu Changfeng. "You’re a clever one. There’s a hidden meaning in your words, isn’t there? Don’t worry, the Broken Moon Sect won’t expect you to contribute for nothing. If you ever need anything, you can come find me directly. Within Jiangnan Prefecture, our Broken Moon Sect still has some say."
As soon as Luo Tianhao finished speaking, he cried out in frustration as the white-haired old man cut off his last chance to survive on the board.
The white-haired old man beamed, calm and unhurried.
"I’m done, I’m done playing!"
Luo Tianhao swept the game pieces aside. "Come, Elder Lu, let’s go talk over there." He then stood and pulled Lu Changfeng to one side of the old pavilion.
The location was superb, offering a panoramic view of the entire Broken Moon Sect.
’This saves me some trouble! Sect Leader Luo really knows what he’s doing!’
Seizing the moment Luo Tianhao grabbed him, Lu Changfeng initiated the copy.
This was his third time using it this year.
He successfully copied Luo Tianhao’s Sword Hero Talent.
To avoid any accidents during the fusion process or anyone noticing something was amiss, Lu Changfeng held back. Though he was itching to do it, he did not initiate the fusion right away.
"Elder Lu, what do you think of my Broken Moon Sect?" Luo Tianhao asked, gesturing toward the scenery of the sect below.
Lu Changfeng pulled his attention back from his interface. He glanced at the vista below and nodded seriously. "The Broken Moon Sect is truly worthy of its thousand-year history. Its grand atmosphere leaves me in awe."
Luo Tianhao waved his hand dismissively. "None of this ’junior’ business. On the path of the Martial Arts, the accomplished take precedence. Besides, you’re already an Elder of the sect. From now on, we can consider ourselves peers."
After a pause, a hint of worry appeared on Luo Tianhao’s face. "Sigh... Although the Broken Moon Sect has a thousand-year history and was once one of the most distinguished sects in Jiangnan Prefecture, the Martial Arts Realm is now teeming with new talent. Our sect has a deep foundation, but we have yet to find a suitable successor to take my place."
Lu Changfeng replied, "Surely that can’t be. From what I’ve seen, the Broken Moon Sect is full of talented Disciples. I imagine the True Disciples must be a very gifted group."
Luo Tianhao didn’t take the bait, changing the subject instead. "I listened in on your lecture for the Broken Moon Disciples today, Elder Lu."
"It was very good. It resonated with them and strengthened the Disciples’ conviction to delve deeper into the Martial Arts."
"For you to create such outstanding Swordsmanship on your own shows your immense natural talent. No one in the Broken Moon Sect can compare to you."
Luo Tianhao first declared that no one in the sect was his equal, then proceeded to heap praise on him. Lu Changfeng naturally understood what he was getting at.
He wanted to hear Lu Changfeng state his position personally.
"Sect Leader, I am already an Honored Guest Elder of the Broken Moon Sect. Naturally, that makes me a part of it," Lu Changfeng replied, making his stance clear.
Luo Tianhao nodded in satisfaction, then took out two items and handed them over.
A heavy tome and a ring of keys.
"The Broken Moon Sword Manual, and the keys to your Elder’s courtyard in the sect. I’ll have someone clean it daily. You’re welcome to come back and live here in secluded cultivation whenever you wish. The Broken Moon Sect is far from the world’s conflicts and is usually very peaceful—perfect for quiet cultivation."
"This..." Lu Changfeng hesitated.
’The Broken Moon Sword Manual is the very foundation of the sect. Is he really just handing it to me?’
’With such a generous gift, Luo Tianhao must truly value me. He really wants to bind me to the Broken Moon Sect.’
Luo Tianhao gave Lu Changfeng a teasing look. "What’s wrong? Didn’t you just say you were part of the Broken Moon Sect? With your talent, you are more than qualified to study the Broken Moon Sword Manual."
Lu Changfeng took a shallow breath and accepted both the manual and the keys.
"Thank you for your great kindness, Sect Leader."
Luo Tianhao waved his hand. "You’re too kind. I hear you’re ambitious about progressing further in the Blood Forging Realm. That shows spirit, but remember to know when to stop."
"When you leave, I’ll have someone prepare some of our sect’s Exotic Beast Meat for you to take with you. Break through the Blood Forging Seventh Layer as soon as you can and then try to advance to the Tendon Transformation realm."
"In this era, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy is no longer dense enough for us to reach the levels of the ancients."
Having already accepted the Broken Moon Sword Manual, Lu Changfeng wasn’t about to act polite over some mere Exotic Beast Meat.
He expressed his thanks and nodded in acceptance.
As for his cultivation in the Blood Forging Realm, Lu Changfeng had the Fengtian Body Forging Technique. Besides, he was only nineteen this year—still young.
To fully inherit the Fengtian Saber Technique, reaching the Blood Forging Ninth Layer was the first step.
Barring any surprises, he had no intention of abandoning his goal of reaching the Blood Forging Ninth Layer.
The necessary discussions had been had, the gifts had been given, and the rewards had been taken.
Lu Changfeng took his leave and departed.
Luo Tianhao didn’t try to detain him, simply watching as Lu Changfeng’s figure grew smaller in the distance.
"Sect Leader, was it not a bit impulsive to give him the complete Broken Moon Secret Manual?" the gray-haired old man asked. He had risen at some point and was now standing beside Luo Tianhao.
Luo Tianhao shook his head. "It’s a gamble. Sometimes, a single, peerless genius can determine the future of a sect. Besides, the bloodline inheritance of our Broken Moon Sect has been severed for so long... let him have a try."
A trace of resentment flashed in Luo Tianhao’s eyes. If the bloodline inheritance hadn’t been severed, he might have been able to advance even further!
The Broken Moon Sect might even have ranked among the top ten sects in all of Song Country!
But alas, without the bloodline, one could not complete the Rebirth. He was destined to remain stuck at the level of a common mortal.
...
Lu Changfeng walked back down the bluestone path, with Yane Song accompanying him the whole way.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Yane Song handed Lu Changfeng a bag of Exotic Beast Meat.
"Elder Lu, this is the High-Grade Moon Beast Meat that the Sect Leader asked me to give you."
"The Broken Moon Sect’s Moon Beast Meat is born from the essence of the sun and moon. Its effects are extraordinary. Among all the Exotic Beast Meat recipes in Jiangnan Prefecture, it ranks in the top three. When you consume it, be sure to watch your portions!"
Yane Song’s specific instructions made Lu Changfeng regard the Moon Beast Meat with a bit more gravity.
"Thank you for the warning! Please, Elder Yane, you don’t need to accompany me any further."
The carriage driver was already waiting at the foot of the mountain.
As Yane Song watched, Lu Changfeng stepped into the carriage.
The driver cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly set off in the direction of Jiangzhou City.
「More than an hour later.」
The carriage stopped in front of the Changle Martial Arts Hall.
Lu Changfeng casually tossed the driver a few pieces of silver. The driver didn’t refuse, accepting the silver with a word of thanks to the Elder.
Chunzhu came jogging out of the Martial Arts Hall.
"How did it go? They didn’t give you a hard time, did they?" Chunzhu asked, looking Lu Changfeng over from head to toe.
Lu Changfeng smiled and shook his head. "I’m fine. The Broken Moon Sect genuinely wants to win me over."
Chunzhu frowned slightly. "You should still be careful."
Lu Changfeng nodded. "I know."
"Oh, right. Gongsun Wu is still waiting for you in the Martial Arts Hall. He said he’s arranged your next match," Chunzhu said.
Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow. ’It’s arranged? Is it the First Swordsman, Sikong Jue, or the First Saber Master, Hu Wan?’
Lu Changfeng strode into the Martial Arts Hall.