Chu Li gave Lu Zhengjun a sideways look and snorted. Then, he carefully placed the jade pendant into his pocket.
Naturally, he knew of the pendant’s origin.
Nonetheless, he used a special technique to transform it. The original pendant did not have such features.
He did this to put Hua Tianyang’s concerns to rest. After leaving Conscience Hall yesterday, he thought of all sorts of methods to get through the second stage and to sneak in. As a result, Chu Li’s idea materialized in the form of the jade pendant.
He hypnotized himself and produced this pendant as a means of distraction. Now, he managed to get through the stage successfully.
“You’re now an inner cliff disciple. Come with me,” Lu Zhengjun said in a low voice.
Chu Li nodded.
Lu Zhengjun led him upwards and they passed through a forest. A breathtaking piece of scenery revealed itself to them. The landscape was populated by connecting towers and gazebos with antique and painstakingly carved arches. The buildings were huge, stunning and magnificent.
The towers were approximately hundreds of meters tall and rose up towards the sky.
It was as if Chu Li had arrived at Jian An City, except for the fact that the current place was larger, grander and more beautiful.
This place was completely different from the forest at the outer cliff. It seemed to represent the contrast between the big city in Fu Dynasty and the villages in rural areas.
Lu Zhengjun noticed Chu Li’s surprise and smiled. “The purpose of the outer cliff is to make sure everyone stays focused as they train instead of getting distracted by material desires. As for the inner cliff, they don’t have to bother themselves with the trivial problems that occur in the real world. In spite of such luxury, they can still train properly.”
Chu Li nodded.
Lu Zhengjun spoke, “When you’re free, you can take a stroll here and admire the scenery. This place’s grandeur and beauty surpass that of Fairy’s Capital. These buildings have been passed down for thousands of years and the buildings within Fairy’s Capital are nothing compared to these.”
Chu Li shook his head. “Where do I stay? I wish to cultivate the Spirit Crane Technique as soon as possible!”
“Excellent!” Lu Zhengjun nodded in approval. “Looks like you have a brave and determined heart. Very well, follow me!”
He brought Chu Li to a trail covered with pebbles and both men passed by majestic and ancient buildings before arriving at a quaint and serene courtyard. The plum trees in the courtyard were sturdy and robust like a muscular arm.
The faint aroma of the plum blossoms wafted in the air.
“This is where you will be staying.” Lu Zhengjun smiled. “What do you think?”
“Not bad, not bad.” Chu Li nodded inattentively. “Will I live alone?”
“Yes,” Lu Zhengjun replied. “This is to prevent all of you from disturbing each other. The neighboring courtyards are occupied. To your east is Zhao Tianxing whereas to your west is Xu Zhiguang. Both of them are experts among the inner cliff disciples.”
Chu Li nodded. “When can I begin cultivating the Spirit Crane Technique?”
“Tomorrow,” Lu Zhengjun answered, “Tomorrow, you’ll receive your waist tag and you can enter the Sutra Library with it. You can cultivate any sort of technique you wish. Just remember not to be greedy!”
Chu Li let out a sigh of relief.
“Have a rest and practice your Fillip Swift Thunder. This technique is amazing. It can alter various situations in a battle,” Lu Zhengjun explained.
Chu Li nodded.
Lu Zhengjun said, “It’s time for me to cultivate in isolation too. Once you’ve entered the inner cliff, I have fulfilled my wish and I can cultivate in peace. As for any remaining matters, I’m sure you can handle them on your own.”
“…” Chu Li wanted to say something, but he stopped himself and merely nodded.
Lu Zhengjun smiled, waved his arm and left.
Chu Li frowned as he watched Lu Zhengjun disappear through the entrance, then he heaved a sigh.
Finally, he was gone, or else Chu Li would have felt uneasy.
He sat by the stone table under the plum tree and inhaled deeply. After that, a smile appeared on his face. His efforts were not in vain. In the end, he still managed to enter the inner cliff and got one step closer to the Spirit Crane Technique. He could take another step on the path to becoming an Enlightened Master!
The joy he felt when he thought of this could not be expressed with words. Chu Li could not wait to return to the Public House at once, lift up Xiao Qi and spin her around to celebrate.
However, he was at the inner cliff right now. It was a place that was much closer to Heaven and God Pill. Chu Li did not dare fool around, so he could only withhold his excitement and remain here until he learned the Spirit Crane Technique.
“Haha…” Zhao Tianxing stood at the entrance with cupped fists and a laugh.
Chu Li returned the salute.
He realized the Zhao Tianxing in Green Deer Cliff was a totally different person from the one outside of the cliff. The current Zhao Tianxing was a pleasant and generous person. He lacked the prior hostility and defensiveness but seemed to be more open and broad-hearted.
“Junior Brother Lu, we are brothers from now on.” Zhao Tianxing grinned. “If there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to ask me!”
Chu Li cupped his fists. “Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao.”
“Junior Brother Lu, you might become our youth champion one day. I must curry favor with you,” Zhao Tianxing joked.
Chu Li shook his head. “It’s fine.”
“Anyone who steps into the inner cliff from the outer cliff is a youth champion. You are no different, Junior Brother Lu. However, I won’t admit defeat that easily and will find a way to best you,” Zhao Tianxing said.
Chu Li replied, “Alright, you try to best me while I make sure that doesn’t happen. Sounds fun.”
“Exactly,” Zhao Tianxing spoke, “Back in the day, a few of my fellow disciples tried to best me. At last, it’s my turn to best someone else. Interesting, no?”
Chu Li grinned.
Soon, Zhao Tianxing left. Chu Li unsheathed his sword and began to cultivate the Great Heaven-deriving Sword Technique.
He wanted to integrate the Great Heaven-deriving Sword Technique into his original sword technique. By doing so, he could balance his speed and precision. It was an extremely challenging process, but once he succeeded, the might of his sword technique would be incredible.
After practicing his sword technique for a while, he started to cultivate the Fillip Swift Thunder. Time passed by quickly and it was soon the next day.
At dawn, while he was busy training with his sword, Zhao Tianxing came by once again and handed Chu Li a wooden tag.
The tag’s material was unusually tough and gave off a faint, pleasant smell.
Chu Li possessed the All-Knowing Scripture and had an incredibly sharp sense of smell. He could detect a person who bore this wooden tag a mile away. Moreover, the smell could calm one’s soul, hence it was evident that this was no ordinary wood. It could be the legendary Sky Towering Wood.
If the tag was indeed made out of that wood, it would have many other wonderful uses.
“Junior Brother Lu, let’s go! Come with me, I know you can’t wait to visit the Sutra Library!” Zhao Tianxing grinned.
Chu Li cupped his fists and followed Zhao Tianxing out of the courtyard. They walked for about a mile before reaching a tall building.
Both men stood at the foot of the building. He realized the building was constructed out of a type of black-colored metal. It towered over them and they felt tiny and insignificant as they stood before it.
“What technique are you looking for?” Zhao Tianxing asked.
Chu Li answered, “The Spirit Crane Technique.”
“Oh, a Foundation Building Technique. Are you going to learn the martial arts of Green Deer Cliff from scratch?”
“Yes.”
“Do you plan to learn Dancing Cranes at Ninth Heaven after mastering the Spirit Crane Technique?” Zhao Tianxing enquired with a smile. “You ought to make haste. The Spirit Crane Technique is not an easy technique to learn. We learned it since we were children and it took us years before we mastered one level.”
Chu Li nodded.
“Logically, the greater your mastery of the Spirit Crane Technique, the easier it is for you to cultivate Dancing Cranes at Ninth Heaven. Unfortunately, it takes a very long time to master the first technique. Most people begin to cultivate Dancing Cranes at Ninth Heaven after mastering one level of the Spirit Crane Technique. How many levels do you intend to master?”
“All of them,” Chu Li replied.
Zhao Tianxing laughed and shook his head.
Chu Li was puzzled. “What are you laughing about, Senior Brother Zhao?”
“It’s impossible for you to master all levels as our heart techniques are incomplete,” Zhao Tianxing explained, “You can only master up to the first six levels, the last three levels are gone.”
