Chapter 13: 13. Chapter Thirteen

13. Chapter Thirteen

Thanks to Atian, Zhao Kuo and Song Zhicheng both managed to grab decent seats. Most disciples arrived at the Classroom after finishing their meal. Setting aside the unlucky ones who were wailing over the loss of their prized seats, the others took their places one after another. Those sitting around Bai Tian, in particular, didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

When assigning dormitories, Guo Huai had once said that the female disciples of the Beihai Sword Sect didn't even fill five rooms. In reality, after Atian moved in, the twentieth floor wasn't full either.

Aside from Bai Tian herself, the other three residents were Su Ying, who lived next door to Atian; Chen Zhi, who was out traveling; and Liu Yan, who was a permanent fixture at the Sword Scripture Pavilion.

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

With Bai Tian now among them, they finally had enough for a game of mahjong.

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

They didn't dare approach, but whispering among themselves was fine, right?

Thus, the sound of whispering filled every corner of the Classroom. Atian sat upright in her seat, returning every curious gaze directed at her with a polite smile—truly the picture of a refined young lady.

"Tap, tap, tap."

A series of footsteps approached from afar, and the buzzing discussion vanished instantly. A slender youth wearing a cyan outer robe stepped over the threshold and walked straight to the podium.

Not until he stood still did Atian see his appearance clearly. It was a face that could be called delicate, though it carried a slight look of illness. Even though his posture was like a Sword, it was hard not to get the impression of someone frail and sickly.

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

"Cultivators seek the Dao and longevity, yearning 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?"

At this point, Li Ke coughed a few more times. He took out a meditation cushion from somewhere and sat down, looking for all the world like he was about to have a heart-to-heart talk.

"Those of our generation emphasize Life Dual Cultivation. 'Life' refers to character and temperament, while 'life' naturally refers to 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 in the end, 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 gave an answer: "Yes. The first stage is called Qi Refining, and the second stage is called Foundation Establishment. However, after Foundation Establishment, we don't have those anymore; it all depends on one's Sword Cultivation. The Dharma Cultivators have titles like Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, and Great Vehicle. They aren't ashamed to argue about who is superior based on titles every single day..."

This was likely a joke, and a burst of laughter erupted in the Classroom. Atian, however, did not laugh; these conventional common senses 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 comes to teach... cough, cough, cough, cough, cough... He is a proper Dharma Cultivator from the Taixuan Sect. Everyone here possesses a 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 the opportunity to enter the path of a Sword Cultivator. 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 and covered his mouth, followed by a series of heart-wrenching coughs. The intensity was so violent that Atian worried he might cough his lungs out.

"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.

"Sick Sword?" Atian blinked.

"It is said that once he draws his Sword, a plague will sweep through a hundred miles, and even cultivators will fall victim to it. That's why Elder Li doesn't leave the mountain gate easily. Honestly, we've always used whether Elder Li makes a move or not to judge if we're going to fight to the death with someone."

Atian nodded in understanding. No matter where one was, weapons of mass destruction always served 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 by the Sword Bone is born with its own name. Its name and power hint at your Sword Heart."

"The Sword Heart is the original 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 the Sword Cultivator. 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 faking it. The bookie for the bets is the Sect Master. Just from this one pool, we've emptied the pockets of those fat sheep," Zhao Kuo said, his tone completely at odds with his serious expression.

"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 hands. Li Ke, however, had his eyes light up, and he didn't even care about coughing anymore, praising: "Good question!"

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

"Everyone's understanding of themselves is one-sided and blurry," he patted his own chest, his emotions becoming inexplicably high, "If you calm your heart, you will discover many versions of yourself 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 nature! Just like when you all, in order for Xin Li to be elected the head of the 'Heaven and Earth Talent Ranking', didn't hesitate to put on women's clothing to go and vote again!"

Before the words had even faded, a chorus of wails erupted in the Classroom.

Atian: It seems I've heard something incredible.

Zhao Kuo added blankly: "As an aside, in order to live up to their elaborate cross-dressing, they even went to boost the 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 Senior Brother cult, you'll find everything is easy and pleasant."

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

The huge reaction from the male disciples drew a reprimand from Li Ke, who was disappointed that they hadn't lived up to his expectations: "What are you howling about! You must accept that version of yourself in women's clothing! The shameful you, the embarrassing you, are all yourself! Otherwise, when will you ever discover your original heart and resonate with your Sword Bone! I don't want to see you lot with your mournful 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 their Junior Sister, walked out of the Classroom one by one, dejected. 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, there is one thing I do not understand."

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

"Elder Li said we all possess Sword Bones, and he also mentioned the signs of having one. I consider myself to be outstanding in martial prowess, and I am also immune to harm from ordinary swords, so I fit the criteria. However, when I run into Junior Sister Bai, I... I, oh no, I mean, as a grown man, it's too... is it that I am too weak, or is Junior Sister Bai's Sword Bone grade really that high?"

"Not bad, you have a brain if you can discover her abnormality."

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 the sect, most are at the Sword Bone Germination or Sword Bone Forming stage. The Sword Bone inside your body hasn't reached the state where it can be formed into a sword and taken out; it still needs to be slowly nurtured. This is the Qi Refining Early Stage for us Sword Cultivators. When your Sword Bone grows to the point where it can be taken out, 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, and that 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 taken out, which means she is equivalent to a cultivator at the Qi Refining Late Stage. Naturally, a mortal like you is no match for her."

Having said this, Zhao Kuo touched his chin thoughtfully.

"However, to show such an abnormality while it's still inside the body... that 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.