Chapter 686: Sword Two Notes
"Lin Yue, starting today, you will remain in the Sword Pavilion to cultivate in seclusion. Strive to reach the 'Yin-Yang Chaos' realm of Sword Two by the ninth day of the ninth month. If there is anything you do not understand, you may ask the nine Sword Bearers at any time, or you may ask me." said the Burial Moon Sword Saint.
Zhang Ruochen immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Sword Saint, this disciple can agree to represent the Liangyi Sect in the Sword Discussion Assembly, but this disciple also has one request."
"Speak." said the Burial Moon Sword Saint.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This disciple does not wish to cultivate within the Sword Pavilion."
Hearing this, Gai Tianjiao revealed an extremely puzzled expression. Immediately, she stood up, about to speak and ask.
The first time, Lin Yue refused to become a disciple of the Burial Moon Sword Saint. Although it was surprising, it was still within the realm of understanding.
But now, he had refused a second time, and moreover, he was unwilling to cultivate in the Sword Pavilion. Did he not know that many sword cultivators would break their heads trying to enter the Sword Pavilion to cultivate even once, yet they could not obtain such an opportunity?
The Burial Moon Sword Saint immediately raised his hand, signaling Gai Tianjiao to sit down first. Then, he looked back at Zhang Ruochen, a hint of confusion also appearing in his eyes. "Why? You must know that within the Sword Pavilion, there are various sword manuals, a vast amount of resources, and the nine Sword Bearers are available to guide you at any time."
"Furthermore, there is one point you might not know. Cultivating on the first floor of the Sword Pavilion, time flows twice as fast as the outside world. Cultivating on the second floor of the Sword Pavilion, time flows three times as fast as the outside world. With your current level of sword path attainment, you are already qualified to cultivate on the second floor of the Sword Pavilion."
"If you cultivate within the Sword Pavilion, you still have a sliver of a chance to reach the 'Yin-Yang Chaos' realm of Sword Two by the ninth day of the ninth month. If you do not cultivate within the Sword Pavilion, you will definitely have no chance whatsoever of reaching that realm."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was very firm. He spoke a sentence that left the Burial Moon Sword Saint not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Master, this disciple's heart is not here."
"Do you perhaps think that having you cultivate in the Sword Pavilion is like trapping you here?" The Burial Moon Sword Saint let out a loud laugh.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If a sword cultivator's heart is bound, no matter how abundant the external resources are, his cultivation speed will be extremely slow. Sword Saint, is not a sword cultivator's own state of mind the most important thing?"
Although the Burial Moon Sword Saint felt that Zhang Ruochen's reasoning was somewhat far-fetched, it left him speechless.
Because what Zhang Ruochen said was indeed correct. For a sword cultivator, the most important thing is their own state of mind. External resources are merely a form of assistance.
The higher one's cultivation, the more one can understand this point.
However, such words coming from the mouth of a young man would naturally seem unconvincing.
How could a mere young sword cultivator have reached such a realm?
Seeing that he possessed such awareness, the Burial Moon Sword Saint found it difficult to continue forcing him to stay in the Sword Pavilion. After pondering for a moment, he sent a token the size of a palm flying out. "In that case, accept this Sword Token first. Holding this Sword Token, you may freely enter and leave the Ancient God Mountain and come to the Sword Pavilion to cultivate whenever you wish."
Zhang Ruochen took the token and looked at it in his hand. On the surface of the token, there was a raised character for "Sword."
Inside the token, there was a powerful surge of Saint Qi, as if it contained a great river.
"With the Sword Token, one can freely enter and leave the Ancient God Mountain." Just this one condition alone was enough to show how extraordinary the meaning represented by the Sword Token was.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Sword Token and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Sword Saint, for your understanding."
The Burial Moon Sword Saint smiled. "You have conditions, and I naturally have conditions too. Starting today, you must cultivate in the Sword Pavilion for at least nine days each month. That request is not too excessive, is it?"
"Naturally, it is not excessive." Zhang Ruochen said.
"Lin Yue, on the first floor of the Sword Pavilion, there are many notes and insights left by past sages who cultivated Sword Two. You may borrow a few volumes to read; they should be of some help to you."
After giving his instructions, the Burial Moon Sword Saint dismissed Zhang Ruochen and Gai Tianjiao.
Walking out of Room Number Eighteen of the Qing Courtyard, Gai Tianjiao led Zhang Ruochen to retrieve the Sword Two notes. She looked at him several times, appearing as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
"What is it? Do you have something to say?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Gai Tianjiao laughed. "The opportunity to become a Sword Saint's disciple was given up by you just like that. Don't you regret it?"
"When I become a Sword Saint myself, I naturally won't regret it." Zhang Ruochen said, clasping his hands behind his back as he brushed past Gai Tianjiao and walked towards the bookshelves ahead.
Gai Tianjiao looked at Zhang Ruochen with considerable surprise. This person appeared gentle and refined like jade, yet within his heart, he was so sharp and aggressive.
On the first floor of the Sword Pavilion, many sword cultivators had left behind their insights on the sword path, recorded on scrolls, forming thick volumes of notes.
Each volume of notes was extremely precious, considered priceless treasures.
Zhang Ruochen stood beneath the bookshelves, looking out. The shelves were filled with books, each bearing the words "Sword Two." However, the names signed on each book were different.
"Sage Mingsu."
"Half-Saint Yao Long."
"Burial Moon Sword Saint."
...
Zhang Ruochen took down the volume compiled by the Burial Moon Sword Saint, held it in his hands, and began to flip through it.
According to the Burial Moon Sword Saint's interpretation, Sword Two represented "Yin and Yang."
One Yin and one Yang constituted the entire heaven and earth.
The Burial Moon Sword Saint divided Sword Two into five levels, which he called:
Yin-Yang Alternation.
Yin-Yang Chaos.
Yin-Yang Separation.
Yin-Yang Interfusion.
Yin-Yang Wuji.
Only by reaching Yin-Yang Wuji could one be considered to have achieved the Great Perfection of Sword Two.
The notes written by the Burial Moon Sword Saint were quite obscure. Zhang Ruochen spent a full two hours reading through "Sword Two" once. Moreover, he only understood about two-tenths of the content in the book.
Clearly, Sword Two was several times more profound than Sword One. Even with a Sword Saint's recorded insights, it was not something an ordinary person could comprehend.
Zhang Ruochen closed the book, tucked it under his arm, and began searching for notes left by other sword cultivators.
"Sword Emperor, Xue Hongchen."
Zhang Ruochen began flipping through the notes written by the Sword Emperor.
The Sword Emperor's understanding of Sword Two was quite similar to the Burial Moon Sword Saint's insights. However, in his view, Sword Two represented "Male and Female."
Yin and Yang represented the two attributes of heaven and earth, too detached from reality. For humans to cultivate it would certainly be very difficult.
Male and Female, however, were two manifestations of Yin and Yang, and also two manifestations of humanity. The union of male and female could give birth to new life, infusing the sword technique with vitality. Compared to Yin and Yang, it added another layer of variability.
The Sword Emperor also divided Sword Two into five levels.
Cultivating according to the Sword Emperor's method was indeed faster, but each time one advanced a level, one had to engage in Yin-Yang union with a woman.
That woman was called a "Sword Attendant."
To cultivate Sword Two to its Great Perfection, one would need at least five Sword Attendants.
Moreover, the five women who became Sword Attendants would also gain tremendous benefits, becoming top-tier experts among sword cultivators.
Looking at the Sword Emperor's notes, Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile. "The Sword Emperor truly was a romantic figure through the ages. Even in cultivating the sword path, he was so unconventional."
Zhang Ruochen knew quite a bit about the Sword Emperor. Although he was extremely romantic and had left behind many passionate legends in the Kunlun Realm, he had never forced any woman. Either it was mutual affection, or those women had willingly thrown themselves into his arms.
Zhang Ruochen still found it somewhat difficult to accept the Sword Emperor's cultivation method.
The Sword Emperor could "pass through a myriad of flowers without a single leaf touching his body," but Zhang Ruochen could not do the same. If he truly had a relationship with a certain woman, his life would probably gain another layer of attachment.
Nevertheless, the Sword Emperor's notes still contained many things worth learning, so Zhang Ruochen put them away.
"Compiled by Qiangu Nüdi."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes lit up. He took down a piece of green tortoise shell from the top of the bookshelf. On the tortoise shell were tiny ancient characters. Each character seemed to possess the penetrating power of a sword, able to imprint itself directly into one's mind.
He wondered if these characters were personally inscribed on the tortoise shell by Qiangu Nüdi herself.
Qiangu Nüdi's exposition on Sword Two was even more obscure and difficult to understand. Zhang Ruochen spent a full three hours reading it, only grasping about one-tenth of its content.
Qiangu Nüdi's understanding of Sword Two formed yet another system, differing in many ways from the notes of the Burial Moon Sword Saint and the Sword Emperor.
She believed that Sword Two represented "Day and Night."
During the day, one gazes at the blue sky and white clouds, cultivating the Day Sword.
During the night, one gazes at the bright moon and stars, cultivating the Night Sword.
When Day and Night merge into one, Sword Two reaches its Great Perfection. With a single sword strike, one could instantly reverse day and night, causing heaven and earth to change color.
Qiangu Nüdi's understanding of Sword Two was quite profound and mysterious, with many valuable points. Zhang Ruochen put it away, intending to take it back and slowly contemplate it.
Afterward, Zhang Ruochen flipped through some more books and discovered that the Burial Moon Sword Saint's system was the most widely circulated. It was neither as unorthodox as the Sword Emperor's system nor as obscure and abstruse as Qiangu Nüdi's system. Instead, it was widely accepted by sword cultivators across the world.
Having selected three volumes of notes, Zhang Ruochen then left the Sword Pavilion and returned to the square at the foot of the White Stone Sacred Cliff.
It was nighttime. A bright, clear moon hung in the sky. An invisible force seemed to push the clouds aside, revealing the dark blue sky.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the altar in the center of the square, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
That altar was thirty zhang tall, built from piled jade stones. Each jade stone was engraved with mystical patterns, emitting a faint glow under the moonlight.
Zhang Ruochen walked towards the altar, placed one hand on one of the jade stones, and released his Spiritual Power to begin investigating.
In the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, Zhang Ruochen had seen a Heaven and Earth Altar.
Therefore, he had some understanding of Heaven and Earth Altars.
As his Spiritual Power flowed across the altar, Zhang Ruochen examined all the inscriptions on every jade stone. He thought to himself, "This altar has no resemblance to a Heaven and Earth Altar. Could I have guessed wrong? No..."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen detected something quite incredible.
His Spiritual Power flowed over the surface of the altar without any abnormality.
However, when his Spiritual Power surged towards the base of the altar, it immediately lost contact, vanishing without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.
"Could... there be another world beneath the jade altar?"
Zhang Ruochen's heart was greatly shaken. He immediately used his Spiritual Power to continue investigating, and soon discovered an entrance at the northeast corner of the jade altar.
(Feitian Yu's WeChat public account: 5)