Chapter 348: 357 Cultivating the Heart

The people from the Governor's Middle Army came in a rush and left in a rush; they didn't even stay in the Training Camp for half a day, nor did they eat, simply saying they had official business and leaving.

Dong Xingyu saw the two of them out, and Tang Zhao restored the classroom to its original state before sitting at the podium to grade the test papers.

Only after those two had left did Gui Ye slowly crawl out again, saying, "This kid is quite good at putting on airs. He's clearly just a greenhorn, so why does he speak with such an old-fashioned tone, as if he's lived longer than Old Gui?"

As it spoke, it turned its head to see Tang Zhao sitting at the podium grading the exam papers from the day before, checking and marking without pause, the flipping of the papers making a rustling sound.

They say flipping one's face is like flipping a book, but this book-flipping is much faster than face-flipping.

"Wait... can you even see clearly flipping that fast?"

Tang Zhao said, "I'm just checking the answers, it's very fast. I'm famously known for reading ten lines at a glance."

Of course... that wasn't true.

Tang Zhao had nothing extraordinary about his reading; he was just using his Glasses to cheat.

The Glasses scanned the answers to judge right from wrong, and Tang Zhao was only responsible for marking them. With his years of experience using the Glasses, he could already appropriately manipulate the content displayed on the lenses, which was enough to achieve this.

Having been the sole proctor for so many days, doing both Dream-Creating and lecturing, Teacher Tang was also very tired, okay? What was wrong with being a little lazy?

Gui Ye was half-doubting, but having spent many years with Tang Zhao, it knew he had many strange, unspeakable qualities, and its many years of life experience also told it: "Don't ask what you shouldn't."

So it decided to ask what it should: "What was that just now? How could you change the dream being read at will? The Youmeng Pillow can't do that. And... how could that attack be so real?"

The Youmeng Pillow has three Sword Techniques: Dream-Entering, Dream-Creating, and Dream-Reading. Among them, Dream-Creating can produce illusory dreams, and Dream-Reading can openly release the dreams created by Dream-Creating into illusions.

But Dream-Creating also has a process; it isn't something you can just create with a single thought. You must rest on the Youmeng Pillow and use your own mind to sketch the dream bit by bit. Rough dream creation is one thing, but to make it vivid and lifelike, one must sketch it in fine detail, which consumes a great deal of Mental Power.

It took Tang Zhao three days to create the dream for the last mock exam, and that was already thanks to him often using the Great Sun Divine Carriage to refine his Spirit; the time spent was considered very short.

But that dream just now was clearly summoned by Tang Zhao at will, and it even involved reality; this is something the Youmeng Pillow absolutely cannot do. False dreams and real projections are two different concepts.

"That, huh..."

Tang Zhao smiled and said, "It's a trick created by light."

Gui Ye was stunned at first, then immediately said, "Your Sword Image?"

Tang Zhao said, "Yes, what our vision sees is nothing more than the reflection of light, and the principle of illusions is the distortion and interference of light. If they can do it, naturally I can too."

That makes sense...

Are you kidding me?

Directly using Sword Art to create illusions versus using light to piece together an illusion bit by bit—are those the same thing?

The difference is like the difference between buying a car at a shop and building one yourself with sheet metal and a wrench.

And it has to be changed constantly. That's equivalent to having to adjust it non-stop; how much Heart Power must that involve?

Gui Ye asked again, "Fine, even if you can create illusions, then... that power..."

Can light create illusions, and can it also carry real power? Even the Youmeng Pillow's Sword Techniques can't do that. How can a mere Sword Image do it?

Tang Zhao said, "I simulated that too. This is one of the essences of the Sword Image. Light naturally carries energy; when the density is high, the intensity is naturally high, and when the density is low, it is harmless. As long as you know the principles, you can simulate combat. Whenever you condense light during a battle, it naturally has power."

"So that's how it is, you've already reached this stage." Gui Ye felt it was inconceivable, "However... what is the point of that?"

Exactly, this method sounds like a lot of effort, what is it for?

Everyone is watching the illusion; who pays attention to the energy?

"As for that... creating sound effects?" Tang Zhao smiled, "After all, light doesn't produce sound. If there's no energy interaction, you can only watch a silent play, and the sense of reality is greatly reduced..."

Seeing Gui Ye curl its lip, Tang Zhao laughed, "Just kidding. It's mainly to train my Sword Image."

The Sword Image is the key to realizing the Sword Heart. Chi Qianli reminded him to often call out the Sword Image to interact. Tang Zhao's Sword Image is light; he keeps his body surrounded by light at all times, and his Sword Heart has indeed grown slowly, but Tang Zhao felt it was still too slow and that doing more complex things would be better.

"My Sword Image is pretty good; it can do many things. Like those animals... divine beasts of the Inspector General, they can at most roll around and shake hands, what else can they do? Didn't you say I could actually reach this stage? It's because I often mobilize it that I can reach this stage so quickly. I started trying to use light to create simple phantoms back on the mountain, starting from simulating objects, then scenery, and even scenes. Now, constructing illusions doesn't take as much effort as it did at the beginning; it must be that my heart and the sword are gradually in tune."

"When the light follows my heart and I can create large-scale environments at any time, that should be when our hearts are in perfect harmony."

Gui Ye clicked its tongue in wonder and said, "Looking at your progress, it's really not far off. Perhaps you can create a miracle by becoming a Sword Hero in the shortest time."

Becoming a Sword Hero, huh...

Although he yearned for it, that was not Tang Zhao's ultimate goal.

When light carries enough energy and condenses layer by layer, perhaps he can reverse-engineer it from sunlight back to—the sun!

Having finished grading the test papers, Dong Xingyu returned from seeing the guests off, sat across from Tang Zhao, and said unhappily, "This bunch of people, every one of them is arrogant. Is the army so great? Is being a member of the Dare-to-Die Corps so great? My Land Inspection Division guards the homeland and keeps the peace, how is that not glorious? Speaking of sacrifice, how much has been sacrificed over these years? Why are they so arrogant and rude? Xiao Tang, what do you think of our students? Can they beat them this time?"

Tang Zhao pondered and said, "It's true that everyone has improved. But since we haven't seen their students, how can we say that so definitively?"

Over the past month or so, Tang Zhao had done his best. He taught his knowledge fairly to everyone, taught with all his might in class, patiently advised them after class, helped students measure their talents, tailored Art Tools and teaching plans for them, kept the common teaching facilities and aids well-maintained, and organized rich and colorful mock exams and field training without them having to step out the door.

As for the library reading he had agreed to before coming? There was simply no time; even the plan to audit lower-grade classes he had made before coming was hit-or-miss, and one could only say it had some effect. If it weren't for the fact that these courses would be available next year and he could come if he wanted, he would have almost used up his Canning Time.

Tang Zhao asked himself, he feared that even if three Instructors came together, they might not have done better.

Sometimes Tang Zhao thought, he was just a temp who would leave in two months, working himself to the bone to do all this with no benefit to himself; what exactly was he after?

But soon he laughed at himself: working hard to do what should be done, isn't that a matter of course?

Furthermore, since it seemed to be just a heavy responsibility, he could also find his own gains—training his Sword Heart.

It was not just about constructing complex illusions to train the Sword Heart, but also about cultivating his own heart in the process of teaching and learning with his peers.

This is what is called cultivating the heart and nurturing one's nature.

And the sword and the Sword Guest are originally one; how is cultivating one's own heart not cultivating the Sword Heart?

As the saying goes, it is easy to cultivate in the public service; for Tang Zhao, being an Instructor is also good for cultivation, just like carrying a sword and traveling thousands of miles, gaining insights in life-and-death battles—they are all forms of cultivation.

Dong Jiaoyu nodded; she had seen all of Tang Zhao's work, to the point that she often felt ashamed compared to him, and said, "You keep doing well, I will definitely tell the Mountain Chief about all the work you've done, and about adding the Insurance Technique Tool for the students taking the exam, one by one."

Tang Zhao said, "About adding the Technique Tool, let me explain it, shall I?"

Dong Jiaoyu said, "You haven't been to the Qianxian, so how can you be convincing when you say it's dangerous to take the exam there? If things go wrong, others might think you're afraid of hardship. I've been there, and I'm not leading the team this time, so the connection is smaller; it's more appropriate for me to say it."

Tang Zhao thought carefully and felt this made sense, saying, "Then I'll trouble you, Sister Dong. Sister Dong, you've been to the Qianxian?"

Dong Jiaoyu said, "Of course. I've been a Sword Guest for three years, and I only returned last year after serving half a year at the Qianxian."

Dong Cheng was twenty-seven this year and had been a Sword Guest for three years, meaning she became a Sword Guest at twenty-four. This was an early but not strange age in the Land Inspection Division.

The truly most talented elite of the Land Inspection Division all graduated from the Training Camp before the age of eighteen, entered local service, and after accumulating five or six years of merit, could apply to the headquarters for the Sword Trial.

If one encounters a matching sword during their first sword trial, they can become a Sword Guest at a young age. If they fail the first time, they generally must wait another five years to apply for a second attempt. A person can try at most three times before they can no longer apply. Basically, it is also unlikely they will become a Sword Guest. They can only search on their own or perform extraordinary deeds to have a glimmer of a chance.

Tang Zhao asked, "What is the Qianxian like?"

Dong Cheng said, "How should I describe it? It is another world, perhaps. It is a world of Chaos, desolation, and dilapidation. There... the Calamity Moon is present all twelve hours of the day, and it is filled with danger at every moment."

Tang Zhao listened with a grave expression, then pushed the Youmeng Pillow and said, "Sister Dong, please help us create a simulation field."

After agreeing on the time for Dream-Creating, Tang Zhao saw Dong Cheng off. He then saw Qin Yongcheng standing at the door.

Tang Zhao felt slightly surprised, followed by a bad premonition, and said, "Yongcheng, you just finished the mock exam, why not go back and rest?"

Qin Yongcheng closed the door, came before Tang Zhao, and bowed deeply.

Tang Zhao sighed inwardly, did not help him up, but stared at him and said, "Life and death hang by a thread, why go this far? Have you really thought it through?"

Qin Yongcheng's eyes were slightly red as he said, "Teacher. I have already thought it through; I will try my luck at Yinhuo Township."

Tang Zhao was not surprised; among his students, Qin Yongcheng's relationship with him was among the best, so how could he not know this young man's thoughts? He said, "Have you already chosen a Demon Cave?"

Qin Yongcheng said, "Ash Demon Cave. I feel the probability is highest there."

Tang Zhao had guessed as much; Ash... Ash, it aligned too well with the direction of his Inspiration. It was hard for him not to be tempted just by hearing the name.

He said softly, "You could have left quietly."

Qin Yongcheng said in a low voice, "How could I not bid you farewell? Your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain. If I left without permission and a student went missing from the Training Camp, wouldn't that implicate you? If I leave and no one notices, that is fine, but if I am discovered, you can declare me a rebel..."

Tang Zhao interrupted, "What are you saying? If a rebel appears in my camp, I won't be held responsible? Go if you must, just remember to come back for the exam."

Qin Yongcheng was stunned and said, "Once discovered, leaving the camp without permission means I can never return."

The hardest part of his decision was exactly this; once he left, the risk was not just the Demon Cave, but the camp itself. He could claim illness or even have companions help cover for him, but if he couldn't hide it, he would be expelled. By then, even if he obtained Inspiration, he would have lost the convenient path to becoming a Sword Guest.

By then, even if Tang Zhao were an Instructor, he could not change the outcome...

Tang Zhao said, "Alright, go ahead. No one will find out."