Chapter 43: Jiang Ding

Jiang Ding opened the new edition of the Sword Refining Method.

The requirements remained unchanged: top-grade versions used Broken Law Immortal Gold and Taiqing Divine Iron; the monkey version used thousand-year Soul-Nourishing Wood and No.21 Synthetic Geng Metal; the core inscription still used the Great Sun Spirit Gathering Array, unique to the Great Sun Sword Pavilion, unchanged.

But the content within had undergone some changes.

“Symbol Sword, Wooden Sword, Iron Sword—three tiers…”

Jiang Ding’s heart stirred; this drew from the Seven Mysteries Sect’s “Divine Thunder Hundred-Step Flying Sword,” yet the content was entirely different, far more refined and complex.

“Legends say that in certain realms, celestial treasures and their forging techniques mutually enhance each other—could the Array Spirit have deduced this based on that principle?”

Upon closer inspection, it was extraordinarily complex—dozens of times more so than the “Divine Thunder Hundred-Step Flying Sword” or the “Song Family Hundred-Step Flying Sword.”

Yet there was a strange sense of familiarity; many problems he had once deemed utterly incomprehensible, after repeated contemplation, suddenly became clear.

“After all, one is already ‘naturally aligned with the Dao’—what need is there for effort?”

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“Not only that, the quality of inner strength is slowly improving; efficiency will rise even further in the future.”

This was a special wood-affinity cultivation method, with some healing effects, balanced and mild, unlikely to cause qi deviation, involving one thousand and eighty meridians.

Jiang Ding made no comment, casually taking the book offered to him.

The more Jiang Ding studied, the more he marveled: “If there were multiple such methods, even the most dull-witted person, through cross-referencing, could reach a genius level in academic studies?”

Jiang Ding searched the library and indeed found papers describing this phenomenon.

In breathing, walking, sitting, and lying, inner strength flowed naturally through the meridians, requiring no conscious effort to direct.

After an unknown length of time, he suddenly heard a crisp snap.

“Qing Yuan Gong.”

Jiang Ding’s heart tightened; his gaze returned to the method, reading carefully, determined to memorize every word and constantly ponder it.

Jiang Ding fell into thought.

Inner strength surged into it; a flicker of spiritual light vanished instantly, and the talisman floated slightly in midair.

The small courtyard, noon sunlight spilling beneath the tree shade.

Academically, this is termed—Dao Awakening Poison.

“First-tier Floating Array—finally completed.”

A square table, a young man in blue robes with a sword at his side, holding a talisman brush, continuously writing and drawing on paper, soon covering a wide circle with dense, twisted symbols.

He felt deep sympathy for these oppressed common folk; if he could help casually, he would.

“Master, I’ve obtained a cultivation method, but I simply cannot enter it—please guide me…” Han Lin’s face flushed deeper, his voice barely a whisper, too ashamed to face anyone.

Jiang Ding explained in detail, yet in his mind he recalled a cultivation structure.

Jiang Ding glanced at the time—good, it was past twelve, not work hours.

He cultivated while contemplating the method, only reluctantly leaving the library past eleven at night.

“The Symbol Sword’s power equals the impact of a flying bird; if replaced with a top-grade metal talisman, its sharpness and speed would increase further—usable.” DONG DONG DONG! Jiang Ding’s expression turned startled.

“One method involves visualizing, according to the method’s contemplation diagram, an invisible ‘qi’ within the body—this is the Sensing Qi stage; prolonged visualization deepens gradually until the false becomes real, and true inner strength is born within the blood and qi.”

This method is mainstream in immortal sects.

The method itself was not difficult; it contained some unfamiliar specialized terms, but context made their meanings clear.

He himself found it hard to voice—someone took you in, allowed you to train martial arts, and yet you dare to overstep? It was utterly uncouth! “Speak.”

This was already among the top-tier inner strength methods in Yue Kingdom. Jiang Ding spoke slowly: “One method refines the human body, tempering sinews, bones, and skin; when pushed to its extreme, essence overflows naturally, giving rise to inner qi, which then becomes inner strength—this is the superior method, its inner strength more attuned to the cultivator.”

This guy had incredible luck.

Jiang Ding did not ask where he was confused; instead, he explained the entire method from beginning to end.

“The ‘Qing Yuan Gong’ follows the latter path; at its end is the Qingyun True Immortal’s Dao-Enlightenment Diagram—this is also a viable path. Compared to the former, it carries some risk, but may achieve even greater results…”

After skimming through it completely in a few minutes, he had a solid understanding.

“Enter.”

Jiang Ding awoke from his trance, feeling inner strength spontaneously circulating through his entire body—more than double the speed, his dantian’s qi vortex spinning faster and more stable, refining inner strength quality with higher efficiency.

“Incredible—it’s as if someone created, in a short time, a Dao-chosen child favored by heaven and earth!”

The door opened, but it was not Huang De’s short, stout figure; instead, a plain-faced young man entered nervously, head bowed, too afraid to look up.

As if… this method had been born specifically for him!

“Next is the Great Sun Sword Pavilion’s unique first-tier Great Sun Spirit Gathering Array, the first-tier Flying Array, plus the already mastered Special Sharp Metal Array—combine all four, fold them together, and you have the Symbol Sword of the ‘Great Sun Seed Sword Refining Method’!”

“But there are risks—if overly reliant upon, academic performance will surge explosively for a time, then halt completely, robbing one of all drive and instinct to explore the unknown; a deeper inferential method is required.”

“Within twelve days at most, you’ll reach the ‘Small Heavenly Cycle’ realm.”

“Take a look.”

“Master, I have a request,” Han Lin said, gritting his teeth.

The inner strength method “Huang Lang Jin” obtained from Long Shi also contained this structure—one earth-affinity, one wood-affinity, both converting naturally absorbed spiritual energy into inner strength.

Though the two methods differed in rank, this aspect was identical.

Jiang Ding glanced at the earnest young man before him.

Jiang Ding was exhilarated, carefully sensing the changes in his inner strength: “The efficiency of inner qi generation increased, the efficiency of nourishing and refining meridians increased—now I can refine over forty fine side-meridians per day, doubled.”

Jiang Ding felt his inner strength drop by six-tenths, then steadily replenished under the vortex of the Grand-Level method’s realm—he was deeply pleased.

Mostly seen among youths of great families, those obsessed with prodigy titles, lazy to strive, or compelled by family demands—miscellaneous reasons that ultimately trapped them permanently at some early realm.

What surprised him was Han Lin’s photographic memory—he remembered everything after one explanation, and even asked him about specific points he hadn’t understood.

Without cultivation, he had already reached the method’s state of perfect harmony—every word and action naturally aligned with its highest realm, returning to simplicity.

…

“The ‘Ju Ying Takeoff Sword Art’ has reached Grand Completion!”

Spirit Root Qi Transformation Structure!

These two arrays were naturally far harder than the Sharp Metal Array and Floating Array, but with his growing understanding of the Sword Refining Method, he was confident he could inscribe them all.

“Inner strength has two ways of arising.”

!.

Four-spirit-root cultivators train one or two tenths faster; three-spirit-root cultivators gain four or five tenths faster; two-spirit-root cultivators gain double speed! If all inner strength methods had this structure, then those with better spirit roots would train faster.

“Could this… be deliberately released by some immortal sect as a means of selecting disciples?”

Jiang Ding speculated.

His heart tightened—he must be more cautious in the future, never casually revealing artifacts from immortal sects.

(End of Chapter)