Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an was called over by Chen Qingdu, the old great sword immortal, again.

In reality, there was only a single senior belonging to the scholarly lineage standing atop the city wall, that being Zuo You. He wasn’t an innate sword talent, and he had actually started practicing sword techniques very late in life. Despite this, Zuo You had ultimately become the most skilled swordsman in the Majestic World.

Pei Qian was now a martial artist at the peak stage of the fourth tier, and she had sparred many times with Bai Lianshuang, a ninth tier martial artist, at the Ning Residence, allowing her cultivation barrier to gradually grow weaker. Cui Dongshan had been pulled aside by Chen Ping’an for a private conversation, and apart from the matter regarding the books, they had also discussed some matters pertaining to Pei Qian’s cultivation breakthrough.

Would they follow Chen Ping’an’s established plan, where Pei Qian would hastily leave and return to Stalactite Mountain after witnessing the stunning scenery of the Sword Qi Great Wall, marking her study trip as complete, or would they make some slight changes to the plan, having Pei Qian and Mr. Zhong stay at the Sword Qi Great Wall for slightly longer to further temper their physiques as martial artists?

Chen Ping’an leaned toward the former because he had absolutely no clue when the next large-scale battle would break out. However, Cui Dongshan suggested waiting until Pei Qian advanced to the fifth tier of martial arts before she left the Sword Qi Great Wall.

In any case, Mr. Zhong’s mindset was now open, and his martial arts talent was also outstanding, so staying at the Sword Qi Great Wall for longer would allow him to advance at a pace almost visible to the naked eye. Thus, it wouldn’t be a big problem for them to stay at the Sword Qi Great Wall for a period of time, as long as this period didn’t exceed half a year.

Even so, Chen Ping’an still felt slightly anxious. With Cui Dongshan by his side, however, his anxiousness was nothing more than just that.

Cao Qinglang was now a cultivator at the barrier of the Abode Tier, although he wasn’t a sword cultivator. Looking at his background, his pursuit of knowledge, and his studies, Cao Qinglang was actually quite similar to Zuo You, with both of them being calm and composed as they cultivated their bodies, their hearts, and their Dao.

Guo Zhujiu was the only daughter of Sword Immortal Guo Jia, and she was now a sword cultivator at the Sea Observation Tier. Her cultivation talent was exceptional, and if it weren’t for her being grounded at home back then, she should have been the one to face off against Lin Junbi during the first trial back then, someone who was very good at concealing his strength.

Guo Zhujiu was clearly an outstanding innate sword talent, yet after choosing a master, she surprisingly wanted to practice fist techniques instead. She wanted to learn paramount fist techniques that could summon booming thunder with a single punch.

”Pei Qian, do you know what the shortcoming of your self-created sword technique is?” Zuo You asked.

There was a sullen expression on Pei Qian’s face. She hadn’t imagined that her uncle master would dwell on her Deranged Demon Sword Technique so much. This technique was just for fun, and it truly wasn’t something worth studying or talking about.

What was the shortcoming? There was nothing good about the Deranged Demon Sword Technique to begin with! What did her uncle master want her to say? She was simply snacking on roasted seeds and blowing hot air in front of her companions, and she hadn’t dared to do this many times after arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Yet, why was her uncle master taking this so seriously?

Guo Zhujiu leaned backward and glanced at the back of Pei Qian’s head. Her senior sister wasn’t tall, and similarly, her courage truly wasn’t great. She would become dazed when she saw the old great sword immortal, and she wouldn’t dare to speak when she saw their uncle master. Looking at the current situation, Guo Zhujiu could be regarded as the pseudo-closing disciple of their master, so she needed to display some extra courage and dare to make up for what her senior sister lacked.

Zuo You didn’t pay any heed to Pei Qian’s timidness and hesitation, and he continued, ”Has any outsider told you before that your sword technique is too chaotic and complicated? And that it has a strong release but can’t be retracted?”

Pei Qian mustered her courage and replied in a quiet voice, ”No, Uncle Master, no one has ever commented on the good or the bad of my sword technique before.”

Pei Qian’s voice gradually trailed off as she continued, ”Only Big Sister Zhou, that sword immortal on the swing, offered some comments that I couldn’t understand. She gave me a present straight away during our first meeting, and I wasn’t able to turn it down even if I wanted to. After hearing about this, Master told me to properly thank Sword Immortal Zhou before I leave the Sword Qi Great Wall, and to promise her that I would learn that sword intent. I don’t dare to make any promises about how well I can learn that sword intent, but I’ll make sure to study it in earnest.”

Zuo You had never paid much attention to the intertwining golden threads formed from the many physical manifestations of sword intents belonging to Sword Immortal Zhou Cheng’s lineage, but since Chen Ping’an had already taught Pei Qian the necessary etiquette, there was no need for him to say any more. He simply revealed, ”Your master has praised your sword technique in front of me more than once, saying that he dares to make the claim that in terms of sword techniques alone, Pei Qian is the most similar to his first senior brother. So, I’ve always been very curious.”

Pei Qian hung her head in shame, feeling like she had betrayed her master’s high hopes for her. ”Sorry for disappointing you, Uncle Master.”

Zuo You smiled and said, ”It’s a fortunate thing that no one has dared to utter such nonsense to you before. Too chaotic? Unable to be retracted? Otherwise, as your uncle master, I would have truly needed to step forward and speak up for you.”

He pointed into the distance and continued, ”Pei Qian.”

Pei Qian raised her head and looked in the direction that Uncle Master Zuo You was pointing.

Cao Qinglang and Guo Zhujiu also gazed into the distance, yet they were unable to see things too clearly. Guo Zhujiu was able to see more compared to Cao Qinglang, not only because she possessed a higher cultivation base, but also because she was a sword cultivator.

There were times when innate sword talents indeed possessed the right to look down on all of the other Qi refiners in the world.

However, it was a shame that this was the Sword Qi Great Wall. Otherwise, if an exceptional innate sword talent like Guo Zhujiu were born in the Majestic World, where sword cultivators were relatively rare, would she not become a direct disciple of some immortal sect’s ancestral hall with ease? Would she not be a pillar talent whom the immortal sect would willingly spend a huge amount of natural treasures to cultivate?

Only Pei Qian, who couldn’t even be regarded as a Qi refiner, saw things more clearly than Sword Cultivator Guo Zhujiu. In the sky beyond the great wall, wisps of chaotic sword qi suddenly materialized between heaven and earth, rapidly twisting and moving around along irregular paths that were completely random and unpredictable.

In fact, more than half of the sword qi were colliding with each other, and it was as if Uncle Master Zuo You had casually tossed forth a gigantic net of sword qi after seeing a great demon passing by and treating it as nothing more than a small fish. However, this net of sword qi was extremely random and chaotic, and it was a huge strain for Pei Qian to look at.

For the sake of easing the strain on Pei Qian’s eyes, Zuo You went the extra step to raise a hand and lightly form a sword seal, causing the tens of thousands of wisps of sword qi in the distant sky to condense into a small orb the size of a fist.

”This orb is very small, but it’s more than enough to completely destroy the body and soul of a Nascent Tier cultivator with a single strike,” Zuo You said. ”This is the kind of state that you should pursue with your sword technique. It’s not that it’s too chaotic, but rather, it’s still not chaotic enough — far from enough. Only when you have a decent amount of sword qi, so much that it seems unreasonable, will you have enough sword qi.

”Normal sword cultivators shouldn’t even think about this, nor will your uncle master provide them with this kind of guidance. Guidance should be specifically tailored for each person, and talking about this sword technique is coincidentally very suitable for Pei Qian. Fighting to the death with an enemy isn’t the same as debating principles and reason, so is there any need to adhere to the rules and speak reason?

”If you want to kill someone, then simply pummel them to death. And if they want to draw their sword? Well, if you possess enough sword qi, then they’ll need to ask your sword qi first!”

Zuo You made a cutting motion with two fingers, splitting the snow-white orb of sword qi into two. A dazzling ray of light burst forth from the thin gap, eventually erupting loudly and dissipating like the rumbling thunder of spring. Astral winds swept by, creating a huge commotion that annihilated countless wisps of sword qi in the surrounding.

These wisps of sword qi would slowly regather over the years, and if the conditions were suitable, they might be manipulated by the remnant intents of some primordial sword immortals, after which they might be nurtured and transformed into pure wisps of sword intent like those possessed by Sword Immortal Zhou Cheng’s lineage. This would be like a rebirth, with a sword immortal’s sword intent given a second life hundreds or thousands of years after their death.

”This is the next goal you should pursue after you achieve initial mastery with your sword qi,” Zuo You said slowly. ”Even if I possess ten thousand pounds of force, if I’m able to kill someone with one pound or even one ounce of force, then that’s the option I’ll always take.”

”Uncle Master, can I choose not to kill other people?” Pei Qian asked carefully.

”You shouldn’t strike those who shouldn’t be killed with your sword no matter how lofty your sword techniques are,” Zuo You replied. ”You can feel free to kill those who walk the fine line of partly deserving death and partly not deserving death. However, remember to never spare those who deserve death, and don’t feel like you’re taking advantage of your position to pick on other people simply because you possess a higher cultivation base. Don’t feel like you can act nonchalantly and let them free with a casual smile. Things aren’t so simple.

”Those around you who appear weak can actually be regarded as top-notch elites in the Majestic World, and these powerful individuals pose a much bigger danger to society than ordinary people. You’ll slowly grow to understand this after you travel more through the martial world and interact more with cultivators from the mountains in the future. If people voluntarily run into your sword, and if your principles and reasons are correct enough and your sword techniques are lofty enough, then don’t hesitate and unleash your blade.”

Pei Qian wanted to say something, but she couldn’t help but hesitate.

”It’s naturally not enough for the scholarly lineage to focus on sword techniques alone,” Zuo You continued. ”At the same time, it’s nowhere near enough if the principles and reasons in your heart merely act as a form of consolation and self-reassurance. If that’s the case, what does it matter even if you possess the loftiest sword techniques in the world?”

Zuo You turned around and called, ”Cao Qinglang.”

Cao Qinglang immediately understood Zuo You’s intention and said, ”It looks like Uncle Master is talking about sword techniques, but in reality, he’s drawing parallels with principles and reasons. Our many thoughts race around and intertwine with each other, and either they clash with one another and disperse, or like Uncle Master’s orb of sword qi, they resonate and gather together, like those who share a similar Great Dao.

”This is similar to the formation of a person’s fundamental knowledge. When it comes to studying, one needs to tussle with sagely scriptures and noble principles, and one further needs to challenge one’s own heart, the world, and even heaven and earth. Those who ultimately succeed can become mighty pillars between heaven and earth, with their swords holding apart the skies and lands, allowing them to pass on the torches of the most profound teachings.”

Zuo You felt extremely satisfied, and he nodded and praised, ”Sure enough, you’re the most similar to me, so there’s no need for me to say too much to you. You’re able to understand all of this?”

Cao Qinglang smiled and nodded in response.

Zuo You turned around and asked Pei Qian, ”Are you going to be less receptive to your Uncle Master’s explanations about sword techniques because of my comments to Cao Qinglang?”

Pei Qian recalled her master’s teachings about treating others with sincerity, so she mustered her courage and replied, ”Feeling jealous is one matter, and learning sword techniques is another matter altogether. The two don’t conflict with each other.”

Zuo You nodded and said, ”Very well. That’s how it should be. It’s fate for the two of you to share the same master, and it’s not the case that you should become the exact same type of person who thinks the exact same way. In fact, there’s no requirement for disciples to all take after their masters, and they should have the freedom to speak and act of their own accord as long as they adhere to the fundamental principles.”

Zuo You turned his gaze to Guo Zhujiu, with the most simple-minded of the three most likely being this young girl. She was listening to their conversation and would most likely remember everything, but her eyes and mind were both hovering over to her ”master.” Her ears were pricked, and she planned to eavesdrop on the conversation between her master and the old great sword immortal. She naturally couldn’t hear anything, but this didn’t stop her from continuing to eavesdrop.

Guo Zhujiu immediately sat up straight upon noticing her uncle master’s gaze, and she put on a serious expression and stated, ”Each word spoken by Uncle Master is profound and hefty, and I’ll make sure to properly catch all of them.”

Pei Qian sighed in grief when she saw this. This young girl truly had no regard for her seniors and acted with complete impudence.

”Guo Zhujiu, do you know what it signifies to have learned fist techniques, become Chen Ping’an’s disciple, and entered into the genealogical records of Downtrodden Mountain?” Zuo You asked.

”I don’t know, Uncle Master!” Guo Zhujiu replied loudly.

She spoke in a direct and righteous manner.

Zuo You felt like she was also quite similar to the younger version of him. This was very good.

At this moment, however, he was standing here as a senior instead of a disciple, and he discovered that his master most likely hadn’t felt this kind of headache because of him before?

Indeed, even Zuo You couldn’t help but develop a slight headache at this moment. Forget about it. Chen Ping’an could deal with this headache himself.

However, the young girl had referred to him as uncle master, so he couldn’t let her call him this for nothing, right? Zuo You turned around to look at Cui Dongshan.

Cui Dongshan giddily ran over to the city wall and asked, ”What guidance do you have for me, Uncle Master?”

”Choose a few random immortal treasures and gift them to Guo Zhujiu on behalf of your master. Make sure these treasures aren’t too bad,” Zuo You replied.

Guo Zhujiu turned around slightly, holding up two fingers with one hand and three fingers with her other hand. As for whether she was giving Cui Dongshan a choice or asking for five immortal treasures in total, heavens knew what she was thinking, and heavens knew why she was thinking this.

Cui Dongshan flicked his wrist, and a string of treasured light circled in the air as a dazzling and colorful treasure-storage bracelet, a top-notch immortal treasure, was tossed toward Guo Zhujiu.

Guo Zhujiu caught the treasure-storage bracelet and exclaimed in astonishment, ”You’re genuinely giving this to me? I was just randomly asking for more, and I was planning to barter and haggle with Senior Brother.”

Even though the young girl said this, she didn’t hesitate at all as she smoothly wore the bracelet on her wrist.

Cui Dongshan smiled widely and explained, ”This is called the Five Treasure Bracelet, and it possesses a treasure forged from gold essence copper coins, the root of mountains and clouds, a jadeite bead that contains the essence of water fortune, lightning strike wood core, and a so-called lion insect refined by the Five Lightning Righteous Technique. This bracelet can be viewed as a treasured item of some Agrarian immortal in the Majestic World, and I was waiting for Junior Sister to open her mouth and ask me for a treasure. However, you didn’t ask the entire time, and your senior brother was truly becoming very anxious.”

”After we leave the city wall, I’ll return this bracelet to you when Uncle Master can’t see us anymore. Wearing it for a short moment is already good enough,” Guo Zhujiu secretly said to Cui Dongshan using her mind’s lake.

Cui Dongshan smiled and replied, ”There’s no need. Your senior brother is simply acting generous on behalf of someone else, in any case, and I can simply tell that old bastard that I’ve lost the Five Treasure Bracelet. This is a foolproof excuse. I can act generously for once, Junior Sister can receive a valuable treasure, and that old bastard can weep in pain — this is killing three birds with one stone.”

Guo Zhujiu was extremely confused. She shook her wrist, thinking that the dazzling and colorful bracelet was actually a little heavy.

This treasure was too valuable, so she needed to ask her master afterward whether she could accept it or not.

Cui Dongshan legitimately had a large number of treasures in his pockets.

When first arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Cui Dongshan had told the Daoist nun at the Daoist Saber Room that he was extremely poor, and that he had borrowed the Flowing Iridescent Boat from someone else. He hadn’t technically been wrong.

His soul had split into two, and since he owned the body, the treasures and minimization treasures theoretically belonged to Cui Chan.

In the end, Zuo You said to Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, and Guo Zhujiu, respectively, ”You can practice sword techniques often, but remember not to truly wield a sword for no good reason. You should indeed learn from your master regarding this point. What can you master if you don’t even understand the essence?

”The faster those around you progress, the more you shouldn’t feel anxious and frantic.

”I’ll visit your father for a chat.”