Chapter 31: 31. Chapter Thirty-One

31. Chapter Thirty-One

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However, she was effectively a scholar before she had even taken the elementary exam; she had to study the Four Books and Five Classics before she had even learned all the characters, and if she wanted to advance further, she would inevitably have to cram frantically.

"Elder Li Ke's Enlightenment class must continue," Su Ying took out a scroll and spread it on the table, then picked up a brush and began writing and drawing on it, "Hmm... as for Master's Star Astrology, Eight Trigrams, and Guide to Good Fortune, whoever chooses that is an idiot—cross it out, cross it out."

Atian sat obediently to the side, watching her maternal Senior Sister Su Ying help her select courses, not daring to even let out a deep breath.

Logically speaking, having successfully reached Foundation Establishment, she should have been able to withstand the power of "White Colt," but the problem was that she was a wild card who had reached Foundation Establishment in a muddled state; she possessed the cultivation of Foundation Establishment but didn't know how to use it at all, and the direct manifestation of this was—Wanjie had no scabbard.

A Life-bound Sword without a scabbard proved that a Sword Cultivator could not freely control their own power, and on top of that, Wanjie clearly wasn't a pushover; if Su Ying were to strike a sword at her at this moment, the consequences would truly be unpredictable.

Either way, if it wasn't her who was unlucky, it would be Bai Tian who was unlucky; judging by the gap in strength, the latter was more likely to be the unlucky one.

Of course, this little matter couldn't stump the Beihai Sword Sect; since she couldn't control it freely, wouldn't it be fine to just practice until she could?

"There are two paths laid out before you now: one is to accept Elder Luo Li's special instruction, and the other is to follow Senior Brother to learn the Sword-Nurturing and Blade-Concealing Technique," Su Ying said, counting on her fingers.

"Elder Luo Li?" Atian blinked her eyes.

"Oh, right, I forgot you haven't met her yet," Su Ying patted her forehead, the expression on her face quite complex, "Elder Luo Li is the only woman among our sect's five Elders; her Life-bound Sword is a very rare pair of twin swords, and as for her personality... you'll know once you see her in person."

"Oh, then I choose her." Atian gave her answer readily.

Such a swift decision made Su Ying pause; only after she reacted did she write a few strokes on the scroll. Seeing her bite the tip of her brush in hesitation, she asked the question anyway, "Speaking of which, you and Senior Brother have a marriage contract, right?"

"Mm." Atian nodded.

Hearing this, Su Ying sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just lamenting that even though I raised him, Senior Brother is indeed a disciple of the Beihai Sword Sect after all."

She had a complex look on her face when she said this.

"Meeting his fiancée, the first time he scared her until she collapsed, the second time he beat her up—this is truly so Beihai Sword Sect."

"So?" Atian tilted her head in confusion.

"So..." Su Ying became hesitant for the first time in her life, "Is it because he was too heavy-handed... that you didn't choose him?"

This island of bachelors in the Beihai Sword Sect had always been a difficult problem for the cultivation world; having finally waited for a cooked duck to arrive, she almost wanted to give a thumbs-up to Lady Bai. If the duck flew away just because Bai Xinli didn't know how to hold back, she would definitely rush to the Martial Arts Arena and strangle him.

"No." Atian shook her head decisively.

"Then why?" Now it was Su Ying's turn to be confused.

Just as Su Ying thought Bai Tian was going to spout some nonsense like "fiancés should see less of each other before marriage" or "a young lady from a good family shouldn't spend long periods with men," she saw her cheeks suddenly flush with two streaks of rosy clouds, and she actually became shy all of a sudden.

"Actually..." Atian covered half her face with her sleeve, "... I've joined the 'Worship Senior Brother' cult, so if I have to face him every day, it's just too embarrassing."

"... Ha?" Su Ying was truly dumbfounded this time.

"Because I like Senior Brother very much," Atian smiled with her eyes curved, "I like him so much I want to beat him flying."

Although she looked like a girl in the throes of spring when she said this, her eyes were frighteningly bright, and in an instant, she became sharp and dangerous, just like the black sword she held in her arms.

Su Ying opened her mouth, but in the end, she closed it again; a woman's intuition told her that this matter should not be probed further.

Although she had made the ambitious declaration of beating Bai Xinli flying, the chasm-like gap between the two still remained, and the first thing Atian had to do was go to class obediently.

Thus, with Wanjie on her back, Zhao Kuo held in her left hand, and Song Zhicheng held in her right, she appeared in Li Ke's class once again, amidst the terrified gazes of the other senior brothers.

"Yesterday, I spoke of liberating one's nature, and that very night someone succeeded in forging their sword; I am very gratified," Li Ke gave Atian an appreciative look, "If all of you could have your Enlightenment as easily as this, how much worry I would be saved!"

The male disciples who were senior brothers hung their heads one by one, looking like frost-bitten eggplants; thinking of their own scorched dormitories, their grief grew even deeper.

Although he was also a senior brother, Song Zhicheng, who was completely outside the blast radius, took advantage of everyone's distraction to secretly take off his shoe and pick at his foot.

Zhao Kuo, who also already possessed a Life-bound Sword, pinched his nose with an expressionless face.

"Since someone has advanced further, let us delve deeper into today's content," Li Ke sniffed nonchalantly, "The theme shall be 'Breaking Superstition, Entering Immortal Cultivation'."

"After successfully forging your sword, it does not mean you can heave a sigh of relief; Sword Cultivators often face a more important hurdle, which is determining their own path."

Li Ke's eyeballs rolled around.

"Zhao Kuo! You tell us, how does one determine one's own path?"

Caught off guard, Zhao Kuo had no choice but to release the hand he had been using to pinch his nose; a sour, foul stench immediately hit his crown, yet the culprit was still looking at him with an innocent face.

Zhao Kuo, whose brain ached from the stench, swayed his body and used his willpower to blurt out the answer: "Communicate with the Sword."

"Very good, sit down," Li Ke, who had nonchalantly set a trap for his grand-nephew, nodded with satisfaction, "Communicating with one's Life-bound Sword is indeed the most efficient method."

Having said this, he changed the subject, "However, those of us in this profession, besides seeking longevity, must also comprehend the Dao. And the Dao is the supreme principle between heaven and earth; it is the beginning and the end of all things. Your Sword Heart is inextricably linked to the Great Dao you wish to comprehend."

Atian nodded thoughtfully, yet she didn't understand what this had to do with breaking superstition.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough," after a series of coughs that made one suspect he was about to cough up his lungs, Li Ke extended two fingers and pointed at one of them, "Like me, I comprehend Life and Death, and Senior Brother Tan Tianming comprehends Fate; both are within the Three Thousand Great Daos. To choose one and walk it to the extreme is the moment one pushes open the Xiuxianmen."

Having said this, he pulled a small booklet from his robes and said with a smile, "A few days ago, I collected the Great Daos you privately yearn for; now let us see what they all are."

Many people's faces changed drastically the moment he pulled out the booklet, and upon hearing what he said, most couldn't help but let out wails. The old disciples of the Beihai Sword Sect all knew that once this monster Li Ke brought out his private notebook, a tragic and inhumane humiliation was about to descend.

Sure enough, he opened the booklet happily, flipped to the middle, and even forgot his habitual coughing, "Let me see, ah, the undisputed top of the list, having won with an overwhelming advantage, is—the Heartless Dao. The people who yearn for it are..."

As one name after another was read out, the disciples whose names were called covered their faces one after another, looking as if they wished they could crawl under the tables. Even Zhao Kuo, at Atian's side, stiffened his body; only Song Zhicheng was still happily picking at his foot—these days had been stifling him to death.

Atian, who didn't understand the mystery behind it, cast a curious gaze at the nervous Zhao Kuo. The latter, noticing this, squeezed out a stiff smile, "Ev-everyone has a time of youthful recklessness, Junior Sister Bai."

"I get it, I get it," Song Zhicheng turned his head, looking like someone who had been through it all, "When I was little and read those storybooks, the immortals in them also said they cultivated the Heartless Dao, but 'heartless' is clearly a state, how can it be a Dao?"

Zhao Kuo buried his head even lower.

By this time, Li Ke had finished reading that long list of names and was very satisfied with the group-destruction damage he had caused, "Very good, it seems you have all realized your mistakes; I am very gratified. Zhao Kuo! You tell us, where did you go wrong?"

Zhao Kuo, being called upon again, was practically about to cry; he deeply suspected that his own master was afraid he was having too comfortable a time with his punishment and had said something to Li Ke.

"Because..." he said with a mournful face, "the Heartless Dao is a term used by Dharma Cultivators."

"Correct, and also incorrect," Li Ke shook his head, "The Heartless Dao that the world spreads by hearsay is actually derived from the Taixuan Sect's 'Supreme Forgetting of Emotions.' It is not a principle, nor is it a cultivation method; it is the ideal state they pursue for their entire lives."

"'The sage forgets emotions, the lowest do not reach emotions.' This does not refer to a Heartless Dao without feelings, but rather a realm of having feelings yet not being tied down by them, not being trapped by them—a realm of being carefree and transcendent."

"Counting the successors of the Taixuan Sect, those who have finally reached the realm of 'Supreme Forgetting of Emotions' can be counted on one hand. You bunch of Sword Cultivators wanting to imitate them is simply having water in your brains!"

The disciples who had been angrily scolded as having "water in their brains" were nearly burying their heads into their knees.

"There are Three Thousand Great Daos, and the paths to the heavens have ten million variations; however, a true man lives in this world knowing what to do and what not to do. If you cannot even understand this principle, then leave the island of your own accord!"

Li Ke spoke these words with great severity; aside from his love for Eight Trigrams, this sickly Elder was a good-tempered senior most of the time, but this time, he was clearly truly angry.

His outburst was somewhat inexplicable, yet none of the disciples present were dissatisfied; instead, they all looked ashamed and mortified, which left Atian and Song Zhicheng completely bewildered.

"Because of the dispute over Sword Techniques that has continued since ancient times," Zhao Kuo said in a low voice while covering her face, "the Heartless Way is a lure deliberately tampered with and thrown out by the Dharma Cultivators, intended to confuse low-level Sword Cultivator disciples and ruin their foundations. This matter has dragged both us and the Taixuan Sect into it—killing two birds with one stone and sowing discord. I bet a cucumber that such a wicked idea was the work of the Fangxian Way."

The Heartless Dao, which advocates for having no desires and no cravings while being incomparably powerful, is a dark horse that has suddenly emerged in recent years and is indeed quite popular among young cultivators; after all, these people have shallow cultivation, weak minds, and little experience, making it the perfect time to set them up.

Sword Cultivators cannot practice the techniques of Dharma Cultivators, and Dharma Cultivators cannot practice the Sword Intent of Sword Cultivators; once this is confused, one may not feel it in the beginning, but in the middle and later stages, one will find the path becoming narrower and narrower until it is completely blocked and the road ahead is destroyed—for a cultivator, this is a hopeless future that cannot be described in words.