The Taoist ancestor is Cthulhu

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"Sword Qi Basics Intro"

Just from the name alone, it wasn't anything like those "Stellar Constellations Return-to-Origin Subduing Evil Xuanming Casting Embryo Divine Techniques", a completely different style. Plus, you didn't even need to open it, it was clear at a glance.

The color was all wrong too!

Unlike the ink Bamboo scriptures of the Five Elements Escape Technique, these bamboo slips were yellow, feeling like a woven bamboo mat, evidently often perused, to the point of being a bit frayed.

Then Li Fan looked up at the shelf from where Little Fatty Prince had taken a book, only to see a stack of such yellow, worn slips everywhere, offering titles like "Intermediate Sword Arts Guidance", "Advanced Sword Techniques Explained" and "Practical Sword Tricks Drills", lined up under the entry for "Bamboo Mountain Sword", seemingly a set of four volumes.

Do you get that look on the face of a fox who's hiding something, Li Fan?

"What the hell are you competing for when there are still some on that shelf!"

Li Fan pointed to a bunch of "Sword Qi Basics Intro" on the shelf and cursed at his right hand.

The right hand raised its index finger, shook it, pointed to "Sword Qi Basics Intro", raised a thumb, pointed to "Intermediate Sword Arts Guidance", spread its hand and wavered a bit, making a so-so gesture, then for the sword techniques and tricks that followed, it simply thumbed down and stomped.

Li Fan looked at his right hand with a fake gaze, as if it were adding its own drama.

System, what on earth is going on here?

'Xuantian Sword Intent appraises Bamboo Mountain's Sword Path, deeming Sword Qi Basics Intro passable, Sword Arts Guidance so-so, and both sword techniques and tricks as meticulously picked trash.'

"I damn well know what it's trying to convey! I'm asking where this Xuantian Sword Intent came from! Ah! Is it the one from the draw!?"

Was it the tiny sword that had drilled into his right palm, which he originally thought was just an illusion?

'When the host first drew a prize outside of the service area, the prize could not be delivered. Xuantian Sword Intent actively offered to serve as the prize and has signed a contract with the system; the host can now use it normally.'

...Hold on, can any prize drawn by the system just casually sign a contract on the spot?

At that moment, Li Fan's right forearm also raised, gesturing at him vigorously, four fingers together, thumb opening and closing rapidly, mimicking a duck's speech. It pointed here and there while gesturing, first to the sky, then to the door outside, then to Li Fan's nose, subsequently at the bamboo slips, and finally made a throat-slitting gesture, brimming with murderous intent.

What......

'Xuantian Sword Intent says it was once trapped by the ethereal stars, greatly diminishing its strength. Just now, it could not bear being provoked by the flying sword's light at the entrance. It deems the host's aptitude adequate and wishes to guide your cultivation so you can eventually sever that ink sword in revenge.'

Wow, what kind of sword intent is this, holding such a grudge...

"...Hold on, system, help me translate this. I can only take two Daoist Scriptures, and I came here to look for foundational and Golden Core cultivation techniques. Hey, watch out!"

But Xuantian Sword Intent was much quicker on the uptake than Li Fan, signaling an 'ok' and promptly controlling his right hand to charge forward, nearly dislocating Li Fan's shoulder.

Helpless, Li Fan was dragged by his right hand to another bookshelf, where he swiftly grabbed an ink-colored slip and stuffed it into Li Fan's arms.

What is this now?

"Dark Moon Five Ghost Sword Divine Concealment Secret Refinement Outline".

'Li Fan's mood dropped a bit'

The right hand, beside him, raised three fingers and started gesturing frantically.

'Xuantian Sword Intent says the Ink Sword's sword arts before the Golden Core phase are considered among the top three in the world, but the sword techniques after reaching the Golden Core phase are among the bottom three.

This Five Ghost Sword isn't all that either but includes methods for cultivating the qi of the five elements' swords, and it also happens to be the rare God Concealing Technique. Practicing this before reaching the Golden Core phase should suffice. Better ones can be exchanged later.'

Ink Sword? Sword Ghost? God Concealment?

...Forget it, Li Fan didn't recognize a single term on these cultivation scriptures, so any choice would do; at least Xuantian Sword Intent was the expert here.

So Li Fan walked out of the scripture tower with a yellow slip and a roll of ink scrolls in hand.

Circling past the gleaming treasure sword from before, he saw just outside the courtyard, Little Fatty Prince standing akimbo, telling a martial figure who resembled a deity from a temple, tall and imposing with a leopard's head and eyes, an ape's back and wasp's waist, a crane's stance and praying mantis's form, standing nearly nine feet tall, "Your Highness, Grand Emperor! It's him! He stole my opportunity, and he hit my face!"

Upon hearing this, the martial figure shot an eagle-eyed glare at Li Fan that seemed to command awe without anger.

'Li Fan's mood dropped a bit'

Li Fan's right hand defiantly flipped the middle finger.

Hey, enough already! That guy is coming over with fists the size of sandbags!

Before Li Fan could even speak up for himself, Master Wangshu was already by his side, casting just a glance at the martial figure, "And which mountain god might you be, to dare intimidate this true person's disciple?"

The warrior seemed to notice Master Wangshu just then and, surprised, suddenly kneeled to the ground, kowtowing with practiced ease that was almost infuriating, "This humble deity did not realize the true person had arrived, my apologies for not greeting you from afar! My sinful pupil has offended your disciple, I ask for your forgiveness!"

Little Fatty Prince too was taken aback, looking back and forth between his royal uncle and the true person in front of him. Without another word, he was about to bow in a standard kowtow but seemed to be held up by an air wall, his face turning red with the struggle to kneel down.

Master Wangshu looked at the palm print on Little Fatty's face, then at Li Fan, "You hit him? Did he offend you?"

Li Fan hurriedly shook his head, "No, no, I didn't hit him... it was my hand that hit him."

The warrior and the little prince both inhaled sharply.

Master Wangshu furrowed her brows, "Qingyue, you must not oppress your peers, nor should you resort to killing mortals without cause..."

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