The most crucial step for the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword involved visualization—projecting the thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Stars within his mind and merging that vision with the sword forms as he executed them.
This was the easiest part for Li Muzhan; having cultivated the Heavenly Man Divine Illumination Sutra, he could almost achieve the state of turning the illusory into reality.
He stood with his feet slightly apart, knees gently bent, holding his long sword in a peculiar stance, the tip angled sharply toward the sky. His left hand, held in a sword jue, remained motionless on the ground like a wooden stake. After an hour, he began to move, the long sword drawing slow arcs. The nearby flowers and grass swayed gently, dancing in response to the blade’s movement.
Li Muzhan slightly lowered his eyelids. His green robes fluttered as he engaged in dual concentration: one part utterly immersed in visualization, the other guiding the sweep of the sword.
The Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword demanded not only profound spiritual power and visions as tangible as substance but also the ability to multitask—qualities few possessed.
Li Muzhan’s intuition proved accurate once more; this lineage of Heavenly Secret Sword Arts was indeed suited for him, as if custom-made, for he possessed every stringent prerequisite required along the path.
The Star of Heaven’s Leader (Tian Kui Xing) flickered in his mind. As his sword strokes moved, the Tian Kui Star gradually brightened. A strange tremor resonated from the sky, followed by an invisible force channeling directly into his sword. The blade began to emit a faint, ethereal glow, easily overlooked unless one looked closely.
As the long sword continued its slow movements, the power from the heavens kept pouring in. The hazy brilliance on the blade slowly retracted into the steel, becoming undetectable, yet the invisible power intensified, spreading outward. The green bamboo rustled and swayed dramatically along with the sword’s motion—a truly magnificent sight.
Li Muzhan felt this strange energy surge through him, suddenly filled with soaring confidence, as if anything could be cleaved by a single stroke, unstoppable and fearless.
Driven by inspiration, he swung his sword with a soft "Chih!" A barely perceptible flash of light traced across the surface, and a thin line appeared on the bluestone floor.
He leaned in to examine it; it was a hairline fissure, only as deep as an extended finger—like a willow branch had been branded onto the stone.
Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled. He hadn't expected such power from that single strike. These bluestones were specifically laid for the martial arts training grounds, fired through a special process to be exceptionally tough; even a forceful chop with a blade usually only left a shallow mark, never such a deep indentation.
The might of the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword was undeniably remarkable. This was merely him having just begun, grasping the initial threshold. If he truly mastered it, the power would increase tenfold at least; who could withstand a single blow?
Li Muzhan frowned in contemplation, growing ever more aware of the sword technique’s mystique. Martial arts were an endless ocean; his goal to exhaust the mysteries of heaven and earth was still a long and arduous road.
Previously, had someone spoken of Star Power, he would have been half-skeptical. Only upon reaching this stage did he realize the genuine existence of Star Power—how many other forces in this world remained unknown, unused?
The more he encountered supreme martial arts, the smaller he felt. Being the greatest in his original world did not guarantee the same in another.
Especially in this world, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was so dense, allowing strange powers to manifest, giving rise to endless, esoteric martial arts, none of which could be underestimated.
His earlier Soul Transformation Palm, and now the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword, both surpassed his imagination, illuminating his path and deepening his infatuation with the allure of martial mastery, making it impossible to pull away.
Practicing the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword was mentally taxing. Wisps of Star Power wrapped around the blade, slowly permeating his body, nourishing it. Far from depleting stamina, it instead replenished it.
Li Muzhan concentrated for a moment, then proceeded to practice the remaining thirty-five forms, visualizing each one before slowly executing the sword swings.
Fortunately, each movement was not complex; the sword forms were simple, demanding only absolute precision. Any slight deviation would prevent the reception of Star Power.
Some sword movements easily absorbed Star Power, while others required repeated practice several times before succeeding. When he reached the final form, the Star Power that had been injected into the blade suddenly shifted direction, pouring into his Tianmen (Celestial Gate), akin to a sudden enlightenment or a drop of sweet nectar.
As the Star Power entered, it was as if a flickering oil lamp was suddenly refilled; it blazed intensely. His spirit was instantly restored and even amplified. The world before his eyes brightened by another layer; his senses were acutely sharp. A gentle breeze brushed his skin, causing the fine hairs to ripple like wheat in a field. Sunlight warmed his body, and threads of heat drilled into his pores, integrating with his viscera, strengthening his physique.
He dismissed these strange sensations and ran through all thirty-six forms again from beginning to end. This time, the Star Power manifested with greater density, and his spirit felt lighter.
He practiced again and again until there was no further discernible increase in benefit. Knowing it was time to stop for the day, he slowly ceased.
He remained immersed in the Star Power, repeating the motions day after day, gaining a little more each time. Slowly, his internal energy underwent a qualitative transformation, permeated by the Star Power.
Star Power was entirely different from internal energy—purer and more dominant, subtle yet absolute. Wherever the Star Power passed, the internal energy found no place to reside.
As he practiced the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword, the Star Power gradually seeped from the blade into his body, as if his body itself was transforming into a sword, slowly being remodeled by the Star Power. This Star Power obeyed him more readily than his internal energy ever had.
Time slipped by unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. One morning, Li Muzhan arrived at the main hall to request an audience with Huang Ningtian.
Huang Ningtian was currently raging in the hall. He heard the shouting clearly from outside the doors. Though curious, he did not use his Void Eye; he held little concern for the Mingjing Sect, which was already rich in masters and had no need of his intervention.
Moments later, he was summoned by Huang Ningtian. By the time Li Muzhan entered, Huang Ningtian had calmed down, staring at him sternly: “Wuji, have you been in seclusion practicing the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword?”
Li Muzhan nodded: “Yes, Sect Master. I have succeeded in mastering the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword and wish to view the Big Dipper Divine Sword.”
“You mastered the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword?” Huang Ningtian’s eyes widened, and he frowned: “Wuji, you aren't joking, are you?”
Li Muzhan smiled and handed over the purple wooden box: “If the Sect Master does not believe me, I can demonstrate it.”
“Good, good.” Huang Ningtian’s grim expression instantly brightened, and he chuckled heartily: “If you truly mastered the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword, we can finally hold our heads high!”
Li Muzhan smiled, drew his sword, and slowly began the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword movements. The subtle, soft Star Power gradually gathered, an ocean of energy enveloping him.
Huang Ningtian was forced to retreat, step by step. As Li Muzhan’s sword forms flowed, he backed six paces, feeling an overwhelming pressure.
He burst into a wide smile. Though he had never witnessed true Star Power, Li Muzhan’s manifestations were no different—hidden yet formidable, irresistible.
Soon, Li Muzhan completed the full display of the thirty-six forms. The layout of the entire hall had changed; within a three-zhang radius around him, nothing else existed, forcing even Huang Ningtian to fall back far away.
As soon as he concluded his stance, Huang Ningtian rushed forward, clapping enthusiastically: “Excellent, excellent! It truly is the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword!”
Li Muzhan smiled: “I have only just begun. I believe viewing the Big Dipper Divine Sword would further benefit my understanding of the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword.”
“But the Big Dipper Divine Sword is reputed to be much harder to learn, supposedly requiring one to master the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword to perfection first!” Huang Ningtian countered.
Li Muzhan chuckled: “I only wish to examine it for reference; it’s fine if I cannot master it.”
“Hmm, that is true.” Huang Ningtian nodded thoughtfully. In the past, he would never have agreed, but things were different now. Li Muzhan mastering the Heavenly Dipper Divine Sword made him the second Mingjing Sect disciple in history to do so; he best not restrict him.
“Thank you, Sect Master!” Li Muzhan beamed.