Chapter 73: 73. Chapter 73

73. Chapter 73

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

Excluding Bai Tian herself, the other three residents were Su Ying, who lived next door to Atian, Chen Zhi, who was traveling abroad, and Liu Yan, who was stationed at the Sword Scripture Pavilion.

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

With Bai Tian here, they finally had enough for a table of mahjong.

The Beihai Sword Sect opened its 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, and 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 approach, but whispering behind her back was fine, right?

Thus, whispers filled every corner of the Classroom; Atian sat upright in her seat, returning every curious gaze cast her way with a polite smile—truly 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.

Not until he stood still did Atian clearly see the other's appearance; it was a face that could be called delicate, yet it carried a slight look of illness, and even though his posture was like a sword, it inevitably left one with 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, yearning 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?"

Speaking to this point, Li Ke coughed a few more times, took out a meditation cushion from who knows where, and sat down, looking for all the world like he was prepared for a heart-to-heart talk.

"Those of our generation emphasize Life Dual Cultivation; 'Life' refers to character and temperament, while 'span' naturally refers to longevity. 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?"

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. The Dharma Cultivators have titles like Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, and Great Vehicle; they argue over ranks every day, and they aren't even ashamed of it..."

This was likely a joke, and a burst of laughter erupted in the Classroom; Atian, however, did not laugh, as 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 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 gestated 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, unhurriedly taking a clean white handkerchief from his sleeve to cover his mouth, followed by a series of heart-wrenching coughs, the intensity of which made Atian worry 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.

"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, and even cultivators will fall victim to it. That is why Elder Li rarely leaves the mountain gate. Honestly, the sect has always used whether Elder Li moves his hand or not to judge if we are going to fight someone to the death."

Atian nodded in realization; 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 gestated 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 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 even paler.

"Other sects are betting on when Elder Li will kick the bucket, but he's actually faking his illness. The bookie running the bets is the Sect Master himself. Just from this one pool, we've emptied the pockets of those fat sheep," Zhao Kuo said, his words completely mismatched with his serious expression.

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

As soon as these words were spoken, many disciples groaned and buried their heads in their hands, but Li Ke's eyes lit up, and he 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 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 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 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 top 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 wail rose up 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 spam the ranking for 'Female Cultivator's Most Desired Overnight Companion'."

"Regret? No, I don't regret it. Once you immerse yourself 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 in Enlightenment."

The massive reaction from the male disciples drew a reprimand from Li Ke, who was disappointed that they wouldn't improve, "What are you howling about! You must accept that version of yourself that wears women's clothing! The shameful you, the embarrassed you—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-faced people 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, walked out of the Classroom one after another, dejected. Atian, on the other hand, began to look forward to lunch in a relaxed and happy mood, though Song Zhicheng 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 described the manifestations of those who have them. I consider myself to be both physically superior and immune to ordinary blades, yet when I encounter Junior Sister Bai, I... I, er, no, Junior Brother, I 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 Junior Sister Bai's Sword Bone grade truly that high?"

"Not bad, you've got enough brains to 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 newcomers, most are at the Sword Bone Germination or Sword Bone Forming stage; the Sword Bone within you hasn't reached the state where it can be formed into a sword and taken out, and it still needs to be slowly nurtured and gestated. 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 Middle Stage. The so-called Sword Bone Completed is the sign of the Qi Refining Late Stage. One step further is Foundation Establishment, and only then can you be considered truly initiated."

"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 in the Qi Refining Late Stage; a mortal like you is naturally no match for her."

Speaking to this point, Zhao Kuo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"However, to show such abnormality while it's still inside the body... the sword inside Junior Sister Bai's body is really 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.

With Bai Tian here, they finally had enough 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, and although they would gather together to discuss which sect's female cultivators were the prettiest, it was too much to ask for them to go up and strike up a conversation or try to get close.

If they didn't dare to go up, surely they could at least whisper about it, right?

Consequently, the sound of whispering filled every corner of the Classroom, while Atian sat upright in her seat, returning every curious gaze cast her way with a polite smile, truly displaying the demeanor of a refined young lady.

"Tap, tap, tap."

A series of footsteps approached from afar, and the buzzing discussion vanished without a trace; a slender young man wearing a cyan outer robe stepped over the threshold, walking straight ahead until he reached the podium.

Not until he stood still did Atian clearly see the other's appearance; it was a face that could be called delicate, though slightly sickly, and even though his posture was like a Sword, he inevitably left people with the impression of being frail and sickly.