One sword cheat

Chapter 2 Sword Slashes Aptitude

In fact, it wasn't just Shangqing Palace; some higher-ups realized this and began investigating other Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries.

To everyone's astonishment, they discovered that these cunning old foxes who liked to keep a low profile were all incredibly good at hiding their true strength, and had quietly grown into powerful forces that were no longer to be trifled with.

Thus, in addition to the government, conglomerates, and powerful families, a fourth emerging force appeared—the sects!

That period was very turbulent, with both the economy and public security in a very bad state. Even the price of oil rose by three dollars. In the end, everyone reached an agreement and things became harmonious.

The only thing that hasn't come down yet is oil prices.

Far away.

The Shangqing Palace admits only a few students each year, and they are divided into the outer palace and the inner palace.

The outer palace was responsible for receiving tourists and handling the incense offerings of the former Taoist temple, while the inner palace was the students' training ground.

However, Chen Ren had read online that there weren't many students in the inner palace, supposedly because the spiritual energy was scarce, and they had gone to other places with more spiritual energy.

Chen Ren was catching his breath in front of the outer palace. The test fee was one hundred. The person in charge of the test was an old Taoist priest who sat in a makeshift wooden house and made connections with the guests.

Because it's cheap, quite a few people come to test it. 100 yuan isn't much, but you have to queue.

"I'm so lucky today, it's actually Master Liu who came to test me."

"Yes, Master Liu has the best temper and is very patient when he speaks. The young Taoist priest who did the test last time was not easy to talk to; all he said was 'pass' or 'no'."

The surrounding tourists' eyes lit up, and Chen Ren's eyes lit up even more when he heard this.

He can't even afford to eat, where would he get a hundred yuan?

The tests conducted by Master Liu at Shangqing Palace are different from those in other places. They not only consider your aptitude but also whether your birth time is suitable. If it is suitable, you stay; if not, you leave.

Chen Ren, being a bachelor, borrowed a pen from the side, picked up a sign, wrote some words on it, placed it in front of him, and then plopped down on it.

He did just ask for money when he was short of it.

[Ding: Sword Drawing Value +2]

[Sword Drawing Value: 100/100]

Losing face is nothing unusual for Chen Ren, who is used to it, all for the sake of drawing sword points.

Cardboard sign: "Kind people, give me some money to pass the test, and afterwards I'll tell you my untold story of entanglement and grudges with the 'pig-butchering scam princess'."

Chen Ren had enough points to draw his sword and was about to reduce his debt to zero when he suddenly heard Master Liu answering everyone's questions about aptitude. A flash of inspiration struck him...

Master Liu had already caught a glimpse of Chen Ren out of the corner of his eye, a smile playing on his lips. After a pause, he continued:

"Talent is not as magical as people think. It's just that there are five elements in the heavens and five energies in the human body."

"The Book of Qin Shi Huang, which he cast in iron, contains the words of the sages of the Hundred Schools of Thought."

"The five elements and five energies interact with each other."

"The five elements are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Some are pure and some are impure. The impure ones are suitable for cultivating martial arts, while the pure ones are suitable for cultivating immortality."

"Martial arts practitioners refine their skills with turbid and excessive energy. When things reach their extreme, they will reverse. When they cultivate to the extreme, they generate pure energy, reversing their innate nature and thus attaining longevity."

"Those who pursue immortality are primarily those who are pure and virtuous. By eliminating impurities and preserving purity, and by cultivating pure yang within, they can naturally achieve longevity."

"As for aptitude, it is the Qi of the Five Elements. The more prominent one Qi is, the deeper the connection with that element of the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth, and that is aptitude. The more prominent one Qi is, the better the aptitude."

These words enlightened many people.

They had learned about these things in textbooks before, but only in description, without detailed explanations.

Master Liu's words were like a ray of sunshine clearing away the clouds, earning him a thumbs up from many.

"We made the right choice coming to Qingcheng Mountain today!"

"No wonder he's a Taoist priest. If my teacher were like him, would he have failed to get into university?"

"Aha! This is the legendary one-sentence truth!"

Their faces were filled with emotion, but Chen Ren was lost in thought, unconsciously putting away the tips in front of him.

Many people, in an attempt to win over Master Liu, deliberately displayed their kindness, thus benefiting him.

He didn't ask for more. After collecting 130 yuan, he went to the side to buy a piece of bread and a bottle of water. After eating, he took the remaining 105 yuan to test it.

So this is what qualifications are.

Previously, Chen Ren had no concept of qualifications at all, because he came later, had not studied them, and the information available online was restricted by the authorities.

After all, only a minority of people cultivate; the vast majority of people still have to maintain the operation of this world, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Upon hearing these theories, Chen Ren's mind, which was about to slash at the debt to zero, was abruptly halted.

This is the consequence of not participating in the training; I didn't know many common-sense things.

If one's aptitude is determined by the five elements, then one should look at the prominence of one particular element.

So his aptitude is not good because his five elements are too unbalanced?

If one's aptitude is simply outstanding in one aspect, then... if one's aptitude is completely eliminated, will it also improve?

But people live on the five vital energies. If one of the vital energies is completely cut off, will the person die?

"Old Taoist Master, if someone only possesses one of the five elements and five energies, does that make them an unparalleled genius?"

He turned around and shouted a question, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

The girl who was being assessed looked a little unhappy upon hearing this, since Master Liu's hand was already on hers.

If I get distracted while answering, will my prediction be inaccurate?

[Ding: Sword Drawing Value +1]

Chen Ren's eyes flickered. This also has sword-drawing value, because of him?

Master Liu was multitasking, conducting the test while saying:

"Theoretically speaking, that's true; the purer the aptitude, the better."

"But... if a person lacks the five vital energies, it's like having one of the five internal organs missing; they will die."

He bluntly told Chen Ren, "Talent is the harmony between a person's five vital energies and the five elements of heaven and earth. If someone only has one vital energy that connects with heaven and earth, then that person is a true peerless genius."

I'm glad I asked one more question...

Chen Ren's lips twitched. In his mind, the sword that was originally intended to cut off all the water vapor in his body was decisively raised, changing from cutting off the energy to cutting off the connection!

Draw your sword! Sever the connection between the water vapor within his body and the water element of heaven and earth!

In an instant, he felt a lightness in his body, as if some heaviness around him had faded away.

The qualifications have definitely changed!

Chen Ren remained calm and waited for everyone to move forward one by one, then obediently joined the queue.

If this isn't an illusion, and severing the connection really works, then this cheat code probably won't be useless anymore!

Basically no one passed the test; their qualifications were mostly below average, meaning they were ordinary people.

To cultivate, one must at least reach the Ding level.

As the line moved forward, it was finally Chen Ren's turn. Chen Ren was excited, after all, he was still burdened with more than 140 million yuan in debt. If he couldn't get into Shangqing Palace, this sanctuary, he would have to be sold to Chunxi Road.

Master Liu was very interested in this interesting little fellow and smiled as he placed his hand on the boy's wrist.

"You little rascal, you're something else. You haven't been studying lately, have you? Why are you suddenly thinking about testing your aptitude again?"

After all, everyone here has been educated and has gone through assessments; now it's all about having fun and feeling resentful.

Only a very small number of people actually pass; it's all due to the negligence of the examiners at the time.

Chen Ren awkwardly lied, "I was just curious."

Is he going to say that he's a millionaire in debt and is here to escape his creditors?

The old Taoist priest raised his hand, as if taking a pulse, and a warm current flowed from the priest's fingertips into Chen Ren's meridians.

The next second, the smile on Master Liu's face quickly vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

Chen Ren's heart tightened. Had something gone wrong? Or had his cheat ability been seen?

No, because the Calamity Sword does not exist in reality, but is merely a figment of the imagination in one's closed mind.

At this moment, the Taoist priest, who had been sitting lazily, actually sat up straight.

"Your aptitude for immortality was originally of the lowest level, with balanced five elements, but... but why..."

The tourists queuing behind him also noticed something was wrong.

"Master, what's wrong with him? Is it a terminal illness?"

Sword drawing skill +1!

It's not the Taoist priest's smile that's scary, it's his frown. Anyone would panic in that situation.

"That shouldn't be the case."

The Taoist priest frowned and looked at Chen Ren's face again.

"Please provide your manufacturing date."

He started calculating with his fingers, which made Chen Ren even more panicked. It wasn't because of the cheat system.

Damn... Did he really cut the wrong thing? Just like when he cut off the marriage alliance back then?

"What's wrong with the Taoist priest?"

Someone else asked, "Am I really going to die?"

"You toad-like fools! You'd better shut up!"

Chen Ren rolled his eyes and cursed, but in his mind he was wondering if he would have another chance to travel through time if he died this time.