Azure Essence Sword Art

## Presentation

This sword art is common in Han Li's Mortal World. Nearly all the Foundation Establishment disciples of Yellow Maple Valley has refined two or three layers of this technique. However, none continued to cultivate deeper than three layers. Continuous cultivation will compress the Qi, making one's power a lot stronger when compared to people of the same level. This effect is compounded when one continues to cultivate this art into the late layers.

## Origin

“
“This Azure Essence Sword Art, I truly have heard others talk about it, and a few have actually cultivated it to the third layer. This sword art is not actually a technique from our Yellow Maple Valley; instead, it is a technique from a sect that we had extinguished many years ago called the Profound Sword Sect. In addition, it originally was not nine layers, but rather thirteen. Reportedly, when the Profound Sword Sect’s Sect Master saw that his sect was about to be extinguished, he wanted to destroy the sword art right then and there, but a few of the Martial Ancestors from our sect were not slow in making a movement, forcefully seizing half of the technique. The remaining half was destroyed and lost forever. Thus, the version of the “Azure Essence Sword Art” being circulated is only a fraction of the whole! At most, one can cultivate it to the Core Formation stage before there is simply no way to continue cultivating it. From hearsay, the complete sword art could be cultivated even up to Deity Transformation stage, but who knows if that is true or not?— Ma
„

Qing Yuanzi is the original creator of this art, and created it in the Mortal Realm before ascending.

## Layers

This original Azure Essence Sword Art (青元剑诀) spanned through thirteen layers. Furthermore, for every three layers cultivated, one could use a divine ability exclusive to that sword art. The new Azure Essence Sword Art adds additional layers up to Integration Level cultivation base.

### Original Azure Essence Sword Art

1. **Layers 1-3: Qi Condensation**
	* After cultivating the first three layers, without using a magic tool, one could use a single palm to release a sword streak about three meters long. Its power was capable of contending against high-grade magic tools.
2. **Layers 4-6: Foundation Establishment**
	* Cultivation of the middle three layers would allow one to release a protective sword shield on one's body in an instant. Its power was about as strong as an elementary mid-grade defensive talisman, but its strength lay in the counterattack sword streak that would be released upon impact.
3. **Layers 7-9: Core Formation**
	* For each of these layers, one would be able to use the ***Swordshadow Phantasm Technique*** to produce an illusory sword shadow that contained a fraction of the actual sword's strength. Each additional layer gained, adds an extra sword shadow, for up to 3 sword shadows at layer 9.
4. **Layers 10-12: Nascent Soul**
	* By cultivating these layers, one has met the requirements for the ***Aureate Sword Formation***. The slip details the use of Auric Essence and arranging sets of 36 or 72 swords for a Small and Grand Aureate Sword Formation respectively. The formation strength can easily allow one to hold off and contend against enemies an entire stage above.
5. **Layer 13: Early Deity Transformation**
	* The original sword art only went up to this final 13th layer, as after achieving this layer and leaving behind the sword art, its creator Qing Yuanzi ascended to the Spirit World. At this layer one can use the Grand Aureate Sword Formation without any strain.

### New Azure Essence Sword Art

1. **Layer 14-17: Spatial Tempering**
	* **Spring Dawn** is a sword formation thatallows one to create a true illusion using one's formidable compressed Qi and spiritual sense.
	* **Azure Coil** is a sword formation which improves on the Great Aged Sword Formation that the Grand Aureate Sword Formation from layer 10-12 is based on. By following special refining procedures, the might can be exponentially increased to allow one to easily deal with cultivators even in the Integration Level.

## Background

The Golden Page Han Li got made him learn the complete magic art, all thirteen layers of the **Azure Essence Sword Art** without any gaps or lost sections. It could even be cultivated all the way until the legendary Deity Transformation stage without question.

After Qing Yuanzi ascended to the Spirit World, he ran wild as he was able to easily beat opponents of the same level, and even those a few stages above him. He was finally struck to kill by a group of Integration Level experts, and his body was destroyed, only leaving his primordial soul. By luck he was able to acquire a Chang Yuan race body, and after merging with the owner's soul, half of his identity as Qing Yuanzi was lost. By obtaining this new body, his cultivation advanced to Great Ascension Level, but his identity became distorted, and he went on by his new identity of Ginger. However, when Han Li later stumbled into him, he provided the new and updated Azure Essence Sword Art that can be used all the way until the early Integration Level stage. As such, the further compounding Qi compression benefits and new Divine Techniques have breathed new life into this art.

## Defect

Cultivators using this technique will see their spiritual power disappear from time to time. This strange phenomena increases the more one cultivate it.

## Links and References

1. ↑ Chapter 280 (Novel)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 1524 (Novel)
3. ↑ Chapter 1552-1553