Chapter 52: 52. Chapter Fifty-Two

52. Chapter Fifty-Two

Guan San is currently stroking the server; please complete your subscription to defeat him! These are the "Three Great Heavenly Kings" of the Beihai Sword Sect.

With Atian here, they finally had enough people for a table 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 of their own age. Although they would gather to discuss which sect's female cultivators were prettier, it was too much to ask for them to step forward and strike up a conversation.

They didn't dare to approach, but surely they could whisper among themselves?

Consequently, whispers filled every corner of the Classroom. Atian sat upright in her seat, returning every curious gaze cast her way with a polite smile; she truly had 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 green outer robe stepped over the threshold. He walked straight ahead, heading directly 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 young man 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, and I am one of the Elders of the Beihai Sword Sect, specifically responsible for the Enlightenment of disciples."

"Cultivators seek to attain the Dao and longevity, and 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, and that is—how does one seek the True Immortal?"

Having said this, 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 prepared for 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 in the final analysis, 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?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ke pondered for a moment 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 any more; it all depends on one's Sword Cultivation attainment. The Dharma cultivators, on the other hand, have titles like Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, and Great Vehicle. They spend all day showing off their titles to determine who is superior; they aren't ashamed of it at all..."

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. 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 inside 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 of it made Atian worry that 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 explain to Bai Tian.

"Sick Sword?" Atian blinked.

"It is said that once he draws his sword, a hundred-mile radius will be swept by a plague, and even cultivators will be affected. That is why Elder Li does not easily leave the mountain gate. Honestly, the sect has always used whether or not Elder Li makes a move to judge if 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" over there 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 has its own name from birth. 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 the sword cultivator. Look, I am sickly every day, but haven't I still lived for several hundred 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 is actually faking his illness. The bookie running the bets 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 eyes that lit 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 true 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 that you never even imagined!"

"I know this sounds shameful, but you need to cast aside 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 to the top of the 'Heaven and Earth Talent Ranking', didn't hesitate to put on women's clothing and go 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 also went to pad the rankings for the 'Female Cultivator Most Wanted to Spend the Night With' list."

"Regret? No, I don't regret it. Once you are immersed in the Senior Brother cult, you will find that everything is relaxed and happy."

"This 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 self, the embarrassing self—they are all you! 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 their Junior Sister, walked out of the Classroom one after another, dejected. Atian, however, was happily looking forward to lunch. Song Zhicheng, on the other hand, 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 a Sword Bone, and he also described the manifestations of those who have one. I consider myself to be outstanding in martial prowess, and I am impervious to common blades, which fits the description. However, when I run into Junior Sister Bai, it's just... I, oh no, I, your Junior Brother, am a grown man after all, but to be unable to beat a little girl is just... Is it that I am too weak, or is Junior Sister Bai's Sword Bone grade really that high?"

"Not bad, to be able to discover her abnormality, you can be considered someone with a brain."

Zhao Kuo grinned, and relying on the fact that Song Zhicheng didn't know how cowardly he was in front of Atian, he 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 newcomers, most are at the Sword Bone Germination or Sword Bone Forming stage. The Sword Bone inside you hasn't reached the state where it can be formed into a sword and taken out; 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 taken out, you can forge your own Life-bound Sword; that is the Qi Refining Mid Stage. The so-called Sword Bone Completed is the mark 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. A mortal like you is naturally no match for her."

Having said this, Zhao Kuo touched his chin thoughtfully.

"However, to show such abnormality while it's still inside the body... that sword inside Junior Sister Bai's body is really not an ordinary vicious thing..."

"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.

Atian had been woken up by a rumbling sound like a mountain flood. In her grogginess, she subconsciously opened her mouth to say "Daddy? Mommy?", but she woke up abruptly before the words were even finished.

She was no longer at the Bai Fu in Guangkai Town.

She couldn't sleep anymore, so Atian lifted the quilt and got out of bed. She changed into the sect uniform that had been prepared last night and washed up simply. She hesitated for a moment in front of the box of jewelry Lady Bai had prepared on the vanity, but then resolutely closed the lid.

She hadn't forgotten the one that was still at the bottom of the sea.

Applying a bit of lip rouge to her lips, Atian stood up and warmed herself up; the moon-white gauze skirt given by Guo Huai was soft and fit well, making her feel as though she could easily perform a roundhouse kick.

Once finished washing and grooming, she could head out.

She tentatively pushed the door open, and then she knew where the rumbling sound that had woken her up came from.

The Beihai Sword Sect had a total of one thousand three hundred and six people; excluding the five Elders, including Sect Master Duan Xuan, there were one thousand three hundred and one disciples in total, and among these disciples, even after subtracting Bai Xinli, who was in long-term seclusion, and those currently out gaining experience, there were still hundreds living in this courtyard complex.

When Atian returned last night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, so she naturally felt nothing, but once morning arrived, the presence of these disciples became manifest.