Chapter 100: 100. Chapter 100

100. Chapter 100

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These are the "Three Great Heavenly Kings" of the Beihai Sword Sect.

With the addition of Bai Tian, they finally had enough people for a game of mahjong.

The Beihai Sword Sect opens its mountain gates once every fifteen years, which resulted in many of the disciples present having come up the mountain in their childhood; the scarcity of female sword cultivators also meant they had little experience interacting with women their own age. Although they would gather to discuss which sect's female cultivators were prettier, it was too much to ask of them to step forward and strike up a conversation.

They didn't dare to approach, but secretly discussing them was fine, right?

Thus, whispers filled every corner of the Classroom. Atian sat upright in her seat, responding to every curious gaze cast her way with a polite smile; she truly possessed the demeanor of a refined young lady.

"Tap, tap, tap."

A series of footsteps approached from afar, and the buzzing discussion vanished instantly. A slender young man wearing a cyan outer robe stepped over the threshold, walking straight ahead until he reached the podium.

Only when he stood still did Atian see his appearance clearly. It was a face that could be called delicate, yet it carried a slight look of illness. Even though his posture was as straight as a sword, he inevitably gave the impression of being frail and sickly.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough..." The young man opened his mouth and let out a string of coughs, living up to the impression he gave others. "... Since there are new disciples, I shall introduce myself. My name is Li Ke, and I am one of the Elders of the Beihai Sword Sect, specifically responsible for the Enlightenment of disciples."

"Cultivators seek the Dao and longevity; they yearn for freedom and ease. Whether one is a Sword Cultivator, a Dharma Cultivator, or a Demonic Cultivator, one cannot avoid a single topic, which is—how does one seek the true immortal path?"

Having said this, Li Ke coughed a few more times. He took out a meditation cushion from somewhere and sat down, looking every bit like he was about to have a long, heart-to-heart talk.

"Those of our generation emphasize Life Dual Cultivation. 'Life' refers to character and temperament, while 'longevity' naturally refers to one's lifespan. Different Dao Lineages have different answers to this: Dharma Cultivators call it Drawing Qi into the Body, Demonic Cultivators call it Demonic Thought Connecting to Divinity, and we Sword Cultivators call it Testing Heaven with the Sword."

"There are Three Thousand Great Daos, and there is more than one path to the heavens, but ultimately, one must choose what is most suitable for oneself."

"Elder! Elder!" Atian raised her hand to ask, "Are there any commonalities between these Dao Lineages?"

Li Ke pondered for a moment upon hearing this and actually provided an answer, "There are. The first stage is called Qi Refining, and the second stage is called Foundation Establishment. However, after Foundation Establishment, we don't have any more; it all depends on one's Sword Cultivation attainment. The Dharma Cultivators have titles like Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, and Great Vehicle; they argue about who is superior based on these titles every day, and they don't even feel ashamed..."

This was likely a joke, and a burst of laughter erupted in the Classroom. Atian, however, did not laugh; these conventional common-sense facts of the cultivation world were all very novel to her.

"The methods of Dharma Cultivators and Demonic Cultivators can wait until Senior Brother Tan Tianming gives his lecture... cough, cough, cough, cough, cough... He is a proper Dharma Cultivator from the Taixuan Sect. All of you present possess Sword Bone, so I shall speak about us Sword Cultivators."

"Cough, Sword Cultivator, as the name implies, one's entire cultivation lies in the Sword. And where does the sword come from? A Sword Cultivator's sword is not made of common iron, but comes from within your own body. That's right, it is the Sword Bone nurtured within you."

"Only when the Sword Bone within you grows enough to condense into a physical form and leave your body can you be considered to have gained the opportunity for Sword Cultivator Entry, and your Sword Bone determines your Sword Heart."

After saying this, Li Ke suddenly stopped. He unhurriedly took a clean white handkerchief from his sleeve to cover his mouth, followed by a series of heart-wrenching coughs. The intensity was such that Atian worried he might cough out his own lungs.

"Elder Li practices the Sick Sword; he likes to spit blood and lie in bed whenever he has nothing to do. You'll get used to it," Zhao Kuo whispered to Bai Tian to explain.

"Sick Sword?" Atian blinked her eyes.

"It is said that once he draws his sword, a hundred-mile radius will be swept by a plague. Even cultivators will be affected, so Elder Li rarely leaves the mountain gate. Honestly, the sect has always used whether Elder Li makes a move or not to judge whether we are going to fight someone to the death."

Atian nodded in understanding. No matter where one is, weapons of mass destruction always serve as a deterrent.

While they were whispering, the "weapon of mass destruction" had stopped coughing and resumed his lecture.

"The Sword Bone is nurtured by the cultivator's essence, Qi, and spirit. It represents your origin, and the Life-bound Sword forged from the Sword Bone is born with its own name. Its name and power hint at your Sword Heart."

"The Sword Heart is the true heart of a Sword Cultivator. It is the Dao method most suitable for you. No matter how unexpected it may be, you must open your heart to accept it; otherwise, you are cutting yourself off from the path of Sword Cultivation. Look, I've been sickly every day, but haven't I still lived for hundreds of years?"

As he spoke, Li Ke's complexion turned a few shades paler.

"Other sects are betting on when Elder Li will kick the bucket, but he's actually just faking illness. The bookie for the betting pool is the Sect Master. Just from this one pool, we've emptied the pockets of those fat sheep." What Zhao Kuo said did not match his serious expression at all.

"Elder! Elder!" Atian raised her hand again, "How should we awaken our own Sword Bone!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many disciples groaned and buried their heads in their palms. Li Ke, however, had his eyes light up and didn't even care about coughing, praising, "Good question!"

"There is no shortcut to communicating with the Sword Bone," he stood up with a 'swish', a faint smile appearing on his pale face, "Only by dissecting oneself and liberating one's true nature is the only way out!"

"Everyone's understanding of themselves is one-sided and vague," he patted his own chest, his emotions becoming inexplicably high, "Calm your heart, and you will discover many versions of yourself that you never even imagined!"

"I know this sounds shameful, but you need to abandon your useless sense of shame, or you will be trapped deep within it and unable to extricate yourself. Come! Liberate your true nature! Just like when you all, in order for Xin Li to be elected the top of the 'Heaven and Earth Talent Ranking', didn't hesitate to dress in women's clothing to go and vote again!"

Before the words had even faded, a wail erupted in the Classroom.

Atian: It seems I've heard something incredible.

Zhao Kuo added woodenly, "As an aside, in order not to waste their elaborate disguises, they also went to boost his ranking on the 'Female Cultivators' Most Wanted to Spend the Night With' list."

"Regret? No, I don't regret it. Once you immerse yourself in the cult of Senior Brother, you will find that everything is relaxed and pleasant."

"This is why I already possess the 'Mountain Breaker', while they are still at Enlightenment."

The massive reaction from the male disciples drew a stern rebuke from Li Ke, who was frustrated by their lack of progress, "What are you howling about! You must accept that version of yourself that wears women's clothing! The shameful you, the embarrassed you, are all yourself! Otherwise, when will you ever discover your true heart and resonate with your Sword Bone! I don't want to see you bunch of long faces again next year!"

By the time the class ended, it was already noon. The male disciples, whose dark history had been exposed by Elder Li in front of the Junior Sister, filed out of the Classroom dejectedly. Atian, on the other hand, began to look forward to lunch in a relaxed and happy mood. Song Zhicheng, however, tugged on Zhao Kuo's sleeve, signaling him to stay behind.

"Senior Brother Zhao, after listening to the lecture today, I, your Junior Brother, have something I don't understand."

"Oh?" Zhao Kuo, who had finally managed to be called "Senior Brother", raised an eyebrow.

"Elder Li said we all possess Sword Bone, and he also mentioned the manifestations of those who have it. I consider myself to be outstanding in martial prowess, and even common blades cannot harm me, so I fit the description. However, when I run into Junior Sister Bai, I... I, oh no, I, your Junior Brother, am a grown man after all, and not being able to beat a little girl is just... is it that I am too weak, or is the grade of Junior Sister Bai's Sword Bone really that high?"

"Not bad, you've discovered her abnormality; you can be considered someone with a brain."

Zhao Kuo grinned, taking advantage of the fact that Song Zhicheng didn't know how cowardly he was in front of Bai Tian, and put on the airs of a Senior Brother.

"I asked Master about this, and he told me that the reason Junior Sister Bai is different from ordinary people is that her Sword Bone is already completed."

"Sword Bone... completed?"

"The Sword Bone, just like other parts of your body, matures slowly over time. Like you people who have just entered, most are at the stage of Sword Bone Germination or Sword Bone Forming. The Sword Bone inside your body has not yet reached the state where it can be formed into a sword and removed; it still needs to be slowly nurtured and cultivated. This is the Qi Refining Early Stage for us Sword Cultivators. Once your Sword Bone grows to the point where it can be removed, you can forge your own Life-bound Sword; that is the Qi Refining Middle Stage. The so-called Sword Bone Completed is the sign of the Qi Refining Late Stage. One step further is Foundation Establishment, which is when you are truly considered to have entered the path."

"And Junior Sister Bai, her Sword Bone has already grown to the point where it can be removed, which means she is equivalent to a cultivator at the Qi Refining Late Stage. A mortal like you is naturally no match for her."

Having said this, Zhao Kuo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"However, to show such abnormalities while still inside the body... the sword inside Junior Sister Bai's body is truly not an ordinary, vicious one..."

"Senior Brother Zhao! Senior Brother Song!" Atian's voice came from afar.

"Incredible, truly incredible."

Zhao Kuo walked toward the young girl who was waving at them, his hands behind his back and shaking his head.

As an abandoned orphan, Atian's life in Shengxian Town was neither good nor bad. Although she could only run around wearing dirty old clothes and straw sandals that were already half-rotted, the people here were still willing to give her a bite to eat and were willing to provide her with a bed that was reasonably warm on cold nights.

Even Master Bai didn't know that Atian and Bai Xinli had actually never spoken to each other. Their only intersection was a single glance at the entrance of the alley—Bai Xinli, who was being led by Master Bai, happened to turn his head and bumped right into Atian's curious gaze.

One was a little young master living in luxury, and the other was a little beggar sitting at the corner of the street. Their gazes met at a single point due to an accident, and then slid away from each other.