This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

With Lu Qingshan's extensive gaming experience, he naturally knew several methods to train his Divine Sense.

However, those methods were time-consuming and some distance away from Zhenjiang Prefecture, and at the moment, he simply couldn't spare the time for them.

After all, one must eat one bite at a time, and such matters could not be rushed; he still had many more important things to do.

Lu Qingshan turned his gaze to the two new skills in the skill bar.

[Liuyan Sword Control Technique]lv1（0/600）

[Flying Sword Technique]lv1（0/600）

Although he had initially mastered these two skills using experience points and various casting techniques had lingered in his mind, it was still not enough.

There were many details that Lu Qingshan needed to test and understand.

For example, at what height Flying Sword Technique was most comfortable to fly.

For instance, with his current cultivation level, how high he could fly using Sword Control Technique, how long he could maintain it, or which angle was most energy-efficient to ascend, among other things.

He needed to constantly explore and familiarize himself with these aspects, as the system could not teach him that.

If a critical moment came and he found himself ignorant of these abilities, it would be too late.

Lu Qingshan naturally would not let such confusion happen to him.

The difference between a high player and a regular player largely laid in these details.

...

The boundless mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, a lush green expanse like an endless ocean.

This was a mountain range outside Zhenjiang City.

Lu Qingshan, having left Zhenjiang City, flew directly to this mountain range with his Sword Control Technique.

This mountain range was desolate, and after being scoured by cultivators from Zhenjiang City in recent years, no ferocious demon beasts lingered, making it ideal for Lu Qingshan to test his Sword Control and Flying Sword Techniques.

...

Lu Qingshan first ascended in spirals at a forty-five degree angle, which was the most common ascent angle for sword cultivators.

Looking up at a ninety-degree angle and ascending vertically was quick but challenging and extremely draining on spiritual power. At his current level of spiritual robustness, he was not yet capable of it.

Lu Qingshan slowly increased his altitude to about four thousand zhang, at which point the rapid depletion of his spiritual power became unbearable for him.

He promptly reduced his altitude.

At a height of four thousand zhang, if his spiritual power was depleted and could no longer support his Sword Control Technique, falling from such a great height would surely turn him into a pile of mush.

In the earlier stages of the "Nine Heavens" game, incidents where sword cultivators fell to their deaths had occurred.

Some sword cultivator players, who had just mastered the Sword Control Technique, took too much risk without testing their limit, recklessly soaring thousands of zhang high, also not monitoring their spiritual power consumption, calling themselves Ghost Fire Sword Cultivators.

It was thrilling, but once their spiritual power depleted, they exited the Sword Control state, resulting in a free fall from thousands of zhang high.

Generally speaking, when sword cultivators used the Sword Control Technique for travel, maintaining a height of a thousand zhang was most appropriate.

Firstly, the viewpoint was sufficiently broad and unobstructed, avoiding the awkward situation of crashing head-on into a mountain peak without time to react.

Secondly, this height allowed for a consumption of spiritual power that was in an optimal state.

Lastly, at this height, they remained unseen by ordinary people on the ground, avoiding some troubles.

Additionally, given his current level of Sword Control Technique and cultivation, a speed of thirty meters per second was the optimal speed for travel.

This speed translated to one hundred and eight kilometers per hour, not too slow for travel.

Most importantly, the rate of spiritual power consumption at this speed, offset by Lu Qingshan's own spiritual power recovery rate, could allow him to fly smoothly for ten hours without needing to take a pill to replenish his spiritual power.

For a cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, this was considered quite enduring.

It also owed thanks to the Returning Ruins Scripture effect of +100% Spiritual Power Recovery Speed, which significantly enhanced Lu Qingshan's endurance compared to other cultivators of the same level.

At this stage, Lu Qingshan also tested the limit speed of the Liuyan Sword Control Technique, which was about one fifth the speed of sound.

However, if he controlled the sword at this speed, his spiritual power would be quickly depleted.

With his current maximum spiritual power value, he could support his sword control technique at its limit speed for about the duration of half a cup of tea.

It was only in the most intense battles that one would use the Liuyan Sword Control Technique at its limit speed, it was certainly not feasible to use such speed for regular travel.

Given the current skill level, the performance of the Liuyan Sword Control Technique was enough to show that Dantai Qingrun had not treated him perfunctorily, the technique was indeed a decent Sword Control Technique.

As for the Liuyan effects that appeared when the Liuyan Sword Control Technique reached a certain speed, they were just flashy without any additional effects, not worth mentioning.

...

After testing the Sword Control Technique, Lu Qingshan switched to the Peach Wood Sword to support his own sword control state and used the Crying Soul Sword to test his own Flying Sword Technique.

This was also a characteristic of a Sword Cultivator.

Any high-rank Sword Cultivator would start with at least two swords.

One to maintain the Sword Control Technique, and another to employ the Flying Sword.

If there was a Sword Cultivator who had learned the Cloning Soul Technique, then the number of Flying Swords they could control was innumerable.

With a single thought, dense swarms of Flying Swords would emerge like a plague of locusts, capable of forming various sword arrays, unpredictable and mystifying.

Of course, these were considerations for later stages, Lu Qingshan didn't need to think about that just yet.

Lu Qingshan slowly descended, maintaining himself at a low altitude, his gaze fixed on an ancient sky-reaching tree not far away.

The robust trunk was as thick as three people could encircle, shooting straight into the sky, with enormous plant roots intertwined on the ground.

With a thought, Lu Qingshan divided a stream of spiritual power from his Dantian toward the Niwan Palace in his brow, carrying a hint of Divine Sense, quickly attaching it to the Crying Soul Sword.

A misty blue light flickered over the Crying Soul Sword, and with a whoosh, it shot out, heading straight for the ancient sky-reaching tree.

Boom—

Wood chips flew everywhere.

An opening the size of a fist appeared on the trunk of the ancient sky-reaching tree.

The trunk, thick enough to require three people to encircle, was penetrated instantaneously.

And the Crying Soul Sword still had power to spare.

If this sword were to be used on a human body, one could imagine its power.

Lu Qingshan didn't stop the testing, his fingers remotely directed the Crying Soul Sword as it rampaged back and forth through the forest.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

After a series of ferocious attacks ravaging a small area in the Primordial Ancient Forest, Lu Qingshan finally understood the upper limits of his current Flying Sword Technique.

The effective attack range was forty Zhang, beyond that distance, he could not precisely control the Flying Sword.

When fully activated, the speed of the Flying Sword could reach up to one-third the speed of sound, far surpassing any projectile spell from the same level of Dharma Cultivator.

This was while he had just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage and his Flying Sword Technique was only at level 1.

One could imagine, if the skill level of the Flying Sword Technique increased, the speed of the Flying Sword would reach astonishing levels, easily breaking the sound barrier.

But this was normal, speed was inherently a feature of the Flying Sword.

Lu Qingshan glanced at his own depletion, his spiritual power consumption was still bearable, but the consumption of Divine Sense was quite substantial.

With his current 10 points of Divine Sense, even in his best condition, if he fully activated the Flying Sword, he could only launch ten Flying Swords before running out of energy.

...

Having completed the tests for both the Sword Control Technique and the Flying Sword Technique, Lu Qingshan finally withdrew contentedly.

A typical Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, after advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, would at least need one to two years to practice the Sword Control Technique and the Flying Sword Technique before initially obtaining the combat power of a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.

However, with experience points, Lu Qingshan could complete in one day the journey that would normally take a conventional Sword Cultivator one to two years.