Chapter 112 - Arc 8: Wuling Immortal Sect | Chapter 112: Life On Xiaolu Peak
Translator: Lynn
With a gentle smile, Xu Ziqing stepped forward and addressed Yun Lie, “Yun Shixiong, I’m here.”
Yun Lie nodded in response, his instructions straightforward, “Practice the sword.”
The direct approach of his shixiong didn’t leave Xu Ziqing with much room for questioning. He quickly agreed, “Yes, Yun Shixiong.”
As they reached the center of the dojo, Xu Ziqing conjured a steel and wooden sword into his palm. Yun Lie did the same, holding a simple long sword.
Upon seeing Yun Lie’s ordinary-looking long sword, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but wonder if it was meant for sword practice. The sword lacked any divine glow or spiritual essence, making it seem like an ordinary weapon.
Seeing Xu Ziqing’s confusion, Yun Lie clarified, “When swinging the sword, you don’t rely on true energy; instead, use it as a way to temper the body.”
Though he didn’t fully comprehend the concept, Xu Ziqing trusted his shixiong and nodded in agreement. He was about to begin practicing with the steel and wooden sword when an unexpected force held him back, preventing him from lifting the weapon.
Turning to Yun Lie, he found him pointing a finger, pinning down the steel and wooden sword.
Slightly startled and puzzled, Xu Ziqing was even more confused when Yun Lie tossed another sword to him, instructing, “Use this sword to hone your skills.”
Accepting the new sword, Xu Ziqing found it heavy without the assistance of true energy. This surprised him.
Yun Lie clarified, “It’s made of thousand-year-old cold iron, weighing three hundred catties.”
Comparing his sword to Yun Lie’s, Xu Ziqing noticed the difference in thickness. The sword he held was slightly thinner.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “How much does Brother Yun’s sword weigh?”
Yun Lie replied, “Nine hundred catties.”
The difference in weight between his sword and Yun Lie’s was astonishing—it was three times heavier! Xu Ziqing clenched the long sword tightly, feeling a tinge of reluctance. However, he knew that he had to trust his shixiong’s judgment; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given him this sword in the first place.
Though he was initially unwilling, Xu Ziqing realized that swinging this sword thirty thousand times would become unbearable. He understood that he wouldn’t be able to switch to another sword until he could handle it as skillfully as his own arm and finger.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself. With renewed determination, he raised his arms and swung down the sword—yet this time, it felt different.
Back in Tenglong Peak’s cave, when he wielded the steel and wood sword, his movements were swift and seamless. That sword felt like an extension of his own body, devoid of any spiritual power but incredibly smooth.
In contrast, this cold iron sword felt alien, as though it had no connection to his arm. It seemed to return all his practiced skills to Yun Lie. The situation didn’t feel right.
Xu Ziqing clenched the hilt tightly and decided to start anew.
Yun Lie had once explained that the sword skills he learned were the four most basic moves of chopping, stabbing, and wiping. To truly grasp these moves, one needed to guide the sword’s momentum and practice diligently.
In theory, if Xu Ziqing practiced these moves thirty thousand times a day, he should improve significantly within a few years. After all, he had already spent a year diligently practicing these basic sword moves, and he believed he had made progress.
However, observing Yun Shixiong now, Xu Ziqing realized that merely tempering oneself with the sword was not enough.
Each sword in the world had different weights, requiring varying degrees of strength. The feeling of holding this newly acquired sword was also distinct from the one he was accustomed to. With so many variations, Xu Ziqing began to doubt if he truly knew that sword move.
Recalling Master’s words about Yun Shixiong sharpening his sword for ten years, Xu Ziqing understood that his journey to mastery would be a long and arduous one.
During those ten years, Yun Shixiong must have been persistent, constantly practicing the most basic sword moves and using ordinary long swords without relying on real essence or spiritual power. He dedicated himself to rigorous daily training.
Countless long swords and endless repetitions of sword moves—Xu Ziqing couldn’t fathom how much effort Yun Shixiong had invested in honing various sword tactics. With time and dedication, Yun Lie probably grasped the essence of the sword and understood the profound will contained within it. He must have known the kind of swordsmanship he wanted to pursue.
Thus, he persisted in practicing the “Sword Art of Ruthless Killing,” and after decades of relentless effort, Yun Shixiong was able to comprehend the sword intent so quickly.
Xu Ziqing took a slow breath. He realized that he had only been practicing the sword for a year, and in truth, he had not even truly begun to sharpen his sword. He couldn’t afford to be complacent or self-righteous in front of Yun Shixiong’s remarkable dedication.
After calming his mind, he reset his posture, raised his arm, and executed the sword move cleanly. He reminded himself that if Yun Shixiong was willing to guide and teach him, he must not disappoint him.
From dawn till dawn, on the newly emerged Xiaolu Peak, a tall man in plain clothes and a young man in a green shirt, who was half a head shorter, stood side by side. Their long reflections stretched beneath the slowly rising sun.
With identical postures and holding unremarkable swords devoid of any aura, the two cultivators who had clearly reached the realm of immortality looked like the most ordinary people, constantly practicing the most basic sword moves.
Their unwavering dedication and firmness were unshakable.
Xu Ziqing stepped out of the cave and contemplated descending the mountain. Behind him, lush grasses had grown on both sides of the cave, and a few slender trees swayed gracefully, creating a leisurely and beautiful scene.
These days, Xu Ziqing has been busy. Nights were dedicated to meditation, mornings to sword practice with Yun Lie, and the rest of the daytime was spent transforming the barren mountain into a picturesque haven.
After completing his 30,000 sword swings, he felt quite tired. Following a brief breath adjustment in the cave, he emerged to continue his work.
Walking down from Xu Ziqing’s cave, the mountain road, spanning about 100 feet, was now adorned with a layer of greenery that covered the once bare rocks, exuding tranquility without disturbing the eye. However, further down the mountain, the barrenness returned, even more unsightly compared to the top.
Unfazed, Xu Ziqing stood where the greenery met the barren soil, and with folded palms, he channeled the true essence from his dantian. He exhaled a small fist-sized cloud of green energy, a condensed manifestation of his understanding of the way of wood. Once it dispersed on the ground, no matter how infertile the land, it would thrive with vitality, making it perfect for vegetation growth.
The green essence rapidly seeped into the land on both sides, instantly infusing the dry mountain with life. The surroundings seemed moist, offering a delightful feeling as if life had been breathed into inanimate objects.
Yet, Xu Ziqing’s complexion paled slightly—he had expended most of his true essence in this act and couldn’t replicate it in the short term. He still had to use the remaining power to nurture the vegetation.
This unique ability was derived from the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique” after establishing his foundation, and it was now part of the “Ten Thousand Landscaping Technique.”
Ordinary cultivators could also give life to vegetation, but their creations lacked true vitality. They merely looked the same but were like lifeless replicas. Even after years of exposure to abundant aura, they wouldn’t develop spiritual wisdom like naturally formed plants, let alone practice.
However, the plants produced through the “Ten Thousand Landscaping Technique” were different. This extraordinary method allowed them to possess chaotic nature that could evolve into spiritual wisdom due to the influence of heaven and earth. They were considered one of the myriad spirits under the way of heaven, akin to naturally generated vegetation.
In the past, when Xu Ziqing fused the seeds into his dantian, he could effortlessly stimulate them using the wood energy within his body. But now, he relied on the ability of “Ten Thousand Landscaping Technique” to cultivate the seeds in the mountain, and their sheer number demanded considerable effort and energy.
The mountain was prepared, but now he needed the seeds.
Embarrassingly, Xu Ziqing had collected many spiritual herb seeds in the Linyuan secret realm, and some had also been transformed into his dantian. However, he refrained from uprooting the spirit grasses in the secret realm to avoid depleting them. As a result, he couldn’t transplant them elsewhere. As for the tree seeds, he did have them, but they were all valuable and had specific uses. If he planted them on both sides of the mountain road, it would reveal too much about his resources.
The ordinary spiritual grass seeds he collected, which he could readily exchange in the market, were not kept, but the rare ones were exceedingly precious. He intended to incorporate them into his dantian from the wood in the future, making it inconvenient to use them now.
Hence, when he initially contemplated beautifying Xiaolu Peak, Xu Ziqing found himself at a loss on how to proceed. However, he chuckled, feeling thankful for the person who had proved useful and offered great help.
At that moment, a grey and white spiritual bird swooped down from the sky, accompanied by a black-feathered eagle with golden plumage. Playfully, the two creatures chased each other until they reached the mountains.
The eagle landed on a giant tree branch and let out several calls. Meanwhile, the grey and white spirit bird transformed into a boy, his tall, handsome figure resembling that of a young lad. Although his eyes were nearly colorless, indicative of a spirit cultivator, he appeared quite elegant.
Once Yan Shuang steadied himself, he walked forward calmly, holding a storage bag with both hands and presented it with respect, raised above his head as an offering to Xu Ziqing. “To Mr. Xu, the seeds have already been taken,” he said.
With a smile, Xu Ziqing accepted the bag and replied, “Thanks for your hard work.”
It turned out that when Xu Ziqing was contemplating whether to visit the Zangbao Pavilion for seeds, the little boy in the form of the Shuangyan Bird Bird sensed his concerns and took the initiative to serve him. Collecting a plethora of seeds, he categorized them all before presenting them to Xu Ziqing.
Upon inquiring further, Xu Ziqing discovered that these seeds were sourced from various peaks and birds he had known before, which alleviated his worries. From then on, whenever the seeds ran low, Yan Shuang would provide more, showcasing his remarkable ability to handle affairs efficiently.
Now that he had the seeds, Xu Ziqing continued with his task. He reached into the storage bag, grabbed a handful of seeds, and tossed them into the air. In an instant, the seeds dispersed to both sides and gently fell onto the revived mountainsides.
With a faint blue glow enveloping his body, Xu Ziqing focused his energy on the places where the seeds had landed. In the blink of an eye, countless new shoots emerged from the ground, rapidly maturing into a dense forest. Relieved, he wiped away the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
Suddenly, a man in white appeared before him.
Xu Ziqing was slightly taken aback. “Yun Shixiong?” he uttered, puzzled.
Shouldn’t shixiong be refining his sword intent at this time? Why did he have time to come here today?
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