The divine ability gained from mastering the final three layers of the sword art was called the Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique. Its cultivation required one to possess a flying sword-type artifact first, though a flying blade would do as well.
Once mastered, this divine ability could use the light of a flying sword to conjure another sword shadow identical to the original. It could confuse an enemy's vision and attack alongside the main body. Although a newly formed sword shadow possessed only one-tenth of the original's power, its might would increase as the sword art advanced. By the ninth layer, it would possess one-third of the original's power.
Moreover, cultivation did not limit the sword shadow to a single copy. Beginning at the seventh layer, each advance by one layer allowed one additional sword shadow to be refined. Thus, once the Azure Essence Sword Art was cultivated to its utmost level, it could produce three sword shadows that looked exactly like the flying sword, each possessing one-third of its power.
In that case, this Sword Light Shadow-Splitting Technique seemed rather decent and worth cultivating.
But Han Li already knew that among the many Foundation Establishment cultivators in Yellow Maple Valley, not one had truly cultivated it deeply. There had to be more to the matter than met the eye! He therefore regretted bitterly that he had not investigated the reason more carefully back then. He had simply assumed he would never cultivate the Azure Essence Sword Art and had carelessly brushed the matter aside.
Now, although Han Li knew perfectly well that there was something seriously wrong with this technique, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and give it a try. He only hoped that it did not have some hidden consequence like cultivation deviation.
Still, he had thought it over. Although the others had not cultivated it deeply, they did seem to possess two or three layers of it. In that case, cultivating it a little should not cause any major problems.
Clinging to this self-consoling thought, Han Li reluctantly followed the method of the Azure Essence Sword Art and began absorbing the medicinal power that was about to erupt inside him.
After the technique completed just one simple cycle, Han Li felt a boom. The sensation of absorbing the medicinal power and causing his magic power to surge was so refreshing that he almost cried out in pleasure!
Immersed in this exquisite feeling, Han Li unconsciously let the technique circulate again and again, while his consciousness gradually wandered beyond the heavens.
No one knew how long he had been meditating. When Han Li absorbed the last trace of medicinal power within his body, he finally awoke from that wonderful experience.
After regaining consciousness, Han Li was dazed for a moment. Then, without a word, he stood up. Narrowing his eyes, he tilted his head in thought, then suddenly raised his arm and gestured in front of him. A section of misty azure sword glow, more than a foot long, shot from his finger. It radiated a biting chill and looked incomparably sharp.
Seeing this cold gleam, Han Li was not happy at all. Instead, he broke into a bitter smile! Then he suddenly flung his arm, and the azure light abruptly swelled, becoming more than ten feet long and nearly stabbing into the stone wall opposite him.
"This is bad. I never expected the residual medicinal power to be so strong. It actually let me refine the sword art to the fourth layer in one go. I wonder if this will cause any trouble!" Han Li muttered, his expression shifting between gloom and brightness.
"Forget it. At worst, I just won't cultivate this sword art anymore!" Han Li muttered to himself. He lowered his arm, and the azure sword glow vanished.
However, Han Li's curiosity had been thoroughly aroused. He still picked up the copy of the Azure Essence Sword Art, flipped to the technique for the protective sword shield, and committed it to memory several times.
Next, Han Li lowered his head and pondered for a moment. He closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them wide. A strange protective shield had already appeared around his body.
The shield was azure all over and about the same size as an ordinary defensive barrier. But its surface was no longer smooth as usual; instead, it bristled with spikes like a hedgehog. A faint, baleful aura seemed to seep from it.
"This is the protective sword shield?" Han Li examined the spiked shield around him carefully, somewhat surprised.
"The sword art says this shield can release sword glow on its own to counterattack enemies. What a pity I can't test it right now!" Han Li thought, feeling rather regretful.
After that, Han Li moved his hands and feet about and carefully examined the true essence within his body once more. Only after discovering that there was truly nothing amiss did he safely pack up his belongings and leave the Earth Fire Room. He then ran straight into the ugly man!
Recalling the ugly man's astonished expression when he had seen him, Han Li could not help smiling knowingly as he flew through the air.
By then, dawn had just broken. Han Li returned to the Hundred Herbs Garden without encountering a single person.
Back then, he had used the excuse of finding a place to enter seclusion and establish his foundation, so the medicine garden had naturally been returned to the little old man. This had left the other party thoroughly displeased, and the old man had glared at him and blown his beard for quite some time.
When Han Li entered the garden, the little old man was sitting with his eyes closed in front of the thatched hut, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Although he did not open his eyes, he still called Han Li by name with perfect accuracy. It was no wonder—the restrictions around the Hundred Herbs Garden could be entered and exited freely by no one besides the little old man and Han Li.
But the moment this Martial Uncle Ma had called out Han Li's name, he suddenly sensed something, opened his eyes, and stared at Han Li in disbelief.
"You actually succeeded in Foundation Establishment?"
"Martial Uncle Ma, this disciple did indeed enter the Foundation Establishment stage by a stroke of luck!" Han Li bowed and saluted, speaking with a light laugh.
The little old man remained astonished for a while, but gradually returned to normal. Even so, he continued muttering:
"It's unbelievable! You really entered the Foundation Establishment stage!"
After grumbling a couple of times, his expression suddenly turned solemn.
"Since you're also a Foundation Establishment cultivator now, stop calling me Martial Uncle. From now on, let's address each other as senior and junior brothers! I'm a little older than you, so if you don't mind, just call me Senior Brother Ma!"
Hearing this, Han Li nodded with a smile and did not object. Dividing seniority by cultivation realm was customary in the cultivation world. There was no need for false modesty!
Afterward, the little old man—now Han Li's Senior Brother Ma—entered the hut with Han Li. They sat down on opposite sides of a table and brewed a pot of fine tea.
Not long after sitting down, the little old man eagerly asked Han Li about the process of his Foundation Establishment.
Han Li naturally would not tell him the truth. However, he did not hide the fact that he had established his foundation in the Earth Fire Room, honestly revealing it to him. With even a little investigation, the other party could easily find out about it anyway.
He merely said that he had rented an Earth Fire Room at Yuelu Hall, taken the Foundation Establishment Pill awarded by the sect, and entered seclusion there for nearly a year. Somehow, he had then succeeded by sheer luck.
The little old man listened intently to Han Li's account, clicking his tongue in amazement without pause.
After hearing this alternate version of the story, he blinked and said:
"Junior Brother Han! From what you've said, your Foundation Establishment process was more or less the same as everyone else's! To succeed with such aptitude, all I can say is that Junior Brother got unbelievably lucky. You somehow hit even a one-percent chance!" The little old man had become thoroughly familiar with Han Li over the past few years, so he spoke bluntly, making no attempt to hide his envy. An unmistakable look of jealousy even appeared on his face.
"Hehe! I suppose that means the stars were shining on me. I never expected to enter the Foundation Establishment stage so easily either!" Han Li laughed jovially.
"Still, now that you've succeeded in Foundation Establishment, you should go pay the Sect Leader a visit and have Sect Leader Zhong register your name in the records! After that, you'll receive the treatment given to a high-level disciple, and the spirit stones you collect each year won't be a small number!" the little old man said jokingly.
"Thank you for pointing that out, Senior Brother!" Han Li said sincerely, his expression shifting when he heard this.
"It's nothing! In any case, we've spent so many years together. Anything you ought to know, I'll do my best to tell you." The little old man waved his hand dismissively.
"Actually, after Foundation Establishment, the greatest benefit our sect provides is allowing Foundation Establishment disciples to open their own caves and cultivate alone anywhere in the Taiyue Mountain Range! And there's also..."
After that, the little old man explained in detail many matters Han Li should pay attention to after entering the Foundation Establishment stage, making Han Li nod repeatedly as he listened.
But after the other party finished explaining these matters and chatted casually with Han Li for a few more moments, Han Li still could not resist asking him about the Azure Essence Sword Art.
"The Azure Essence Sword Art?" Surprise flashed across the little old man's face.
But after giving Han Li a deep look, he did not ask any questions. Instead, he thought for a moment before speaking:
"I have indeed heard a few things about the Azure Essence Sword Art, and I've cultivated three layers myself. This sword art is not a cultivation technique originally belonging to our Yellow Maple Valley. It was the secret art that guarded the sect of the Profound Sword Sect, a sect our sect destroyed many years ago. Moreover, it originally had not nine layers, but thirteen. They say that when the Profound Sword Sect's leader saw that the sect's destruction was imminent, he actually tried to destroy the sword manual on the spot. But several of our sect's ancestors were quick to act and forcibly snatched half the cultivation method from his hands. The other half was destroyed and lost forever. Thus, the Azure Essence Sword Art passed down by our sect is merely an incomplete copy! At most, it can be cultivated to the Core Formation stage, after which there is no continuation. As for the complete sword art, I've heard that it even contains cultivation methods for the Deity Transformation stage. I just don't know whether that's true."
The little old man shook his head and swayed as he spoke. He reached out to pick up the teacup before him, took a small sip, and continued:
"Although the Azure Essence Sword Art lacks the later cultivation methods and is somewhat inferior to other first-rate techniques, its power is actually quite impressive! Its sword glow and protective sword shield, in particular, can be released instantaneously, making it highly sought after by many Foundation Establishment fellow disciples. So, if it were relatively easy to cultivate, quite a few people in the sect would still be willing to make this sword art their primary cultivation method! After all, Nascent Soul stage techniques are far too distant from us. We could never use them anyway."