Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Bladedance stared at Alex with blade-like narrow eyes. “You want me to teach you my sword?” she asked, her voice cold, carrying with it an edge that could cut.

“Yes,” Alex said. “I wish to learn from you; whatever you can afford to teach, I’ll accept it.”

“I don’t give out my knowledge so easily,” Bladedance said. “I only teach my subordinates. Are you saying you want to join my cult?”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t want to join any cult. I just want your lesson.”

Bladedance snorted. “You’re quite bold to think I would teach you anything without me getting something in return. You’re a nobody to me.”

“I’m your savior in Hell,” Alex said. “That’s not a nobody.”

Bladedance’s smile faded a little. “Are you trying to intimidate me? I could stop right now and you would never get to leave Hell.”

Alex nodded. “So, isn’t it better if we work together?” he asked. “Help me train in sword, and we can leave here together.”

Bladedance frowned. She looked at him. “Can you even use a sword? I’ve never seen you fight.”

“I am a swordsman,” Alex gave a slightly offended look. “Part of the reason why I followed you in your soulless state was to see if I could learn anything from your swordplay.”

Bladedance raised her eyebrows. “And did you?”

“Not really,” Alex said. “But that wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t stay near you when you started fighting the beasts, and with how limited my senses are, I couldn’t make much use of the opportunity. If not, I would be well on my way to learning my Sword Heart too.”

Bladedance laughed out loud, a somewhat mocking laugh. “You, an alchemist, want to learn Sword Heart?” she asked.

Alex didn’t give any thought to her laughter and instead formed his Sword Domain. Flickering lights that were Sword Qi started forming all around him, incredibly thin and incredibly sharp.

Bladedance’s eyes perked up in surprise. “That’s… Sword Domain? You’ve already formed a Sword Domain?”

“I did so when I was a Saint,” Alex said.

“A Saint?” she asked. “That can’t be. Weren’t you from a lower world? That’s too early for even most of the regular swordsmen in the Immortal realm.”

“Maybe, but I still did it,” Alex said. “I learned Sword Domain back then and have perfected it as much as I can by now. But I can’t seem to continue anymore. I need to understand just what I need to be able to reach the Sword Heart.”

Bladedance’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve already reached Sword Domain anyway. Just go find your master again and have them teach you the rest.”

“I don’t have a master.”

“You… that can’t be true. How did you learn without a master?” she asked.

“I’ve never had a sword master. The closest would be a senior brother who taught me what a Sword Intent and Sword Qi were. After that, I have been learning all on my own. Godslayer has been aiding wherever I’m lacking, but he’s not really a swordsman himself, so he can only give me vague ideas.”

Bladedance frowned. Her intent suddenly flared, pressing into Alex. “Tell the truth. Have you not had a sword master before?” she asked.

“No,” Alex said, forced to speak the truth.

Wen Cheng would be the closest thing to a master of sword for him, but he was more regular cultivation and combat-oriented than just sword. Du Yuhan could perhaps be considered his sword master too, but he had only trained with the man for a few weeks before being left to his own devices.

He had learned here and there throughout his life, but never did he have someone who purely taught him how to use a sword.

Bladedance quickly took back her Intent, looking around immediately as if worried about some unknown danger. She breathed for a few seconds before turning back toward Alex, her eyes wide in shock.

“But… aren’t you an Alchemist?” she asked. “You said you won an Alchemy competition.”

Alex slowly stood up. “I did,” he said.

“Then how do you have the time to practice sword to this level while being an alchemist?” she asked.

Alex paused for a moment, seeing an opportunity. “Do you know how old I am?” he asked her.

“No,” she said, wondering if he had lived long enough to have time for two lifetimes. But then, she heard Alex’s answer.

“400,” he said.

“400… millennia?” she asked, trying to fill in the blanks he left, but that would be wrong. “Or do you mean 4 millennia?”

“4 centuries. 400 years,” Alex said.

The number made even less sense now. How could Alex possibly have been alive for only 400 years while having both a Sword Domain and great talent in Alchemy? Not to mention, he also had a Dao of Space.

“That… can’t be true,” she said. There were too many things he had done for him to have done in only 400 years. And of that, he had spent nearly a century in Hell itself.

That meant the Gods had come together and thrown him to Hell when he had merely been 300 years old.

“You may test me,” Alex said with confidence. “It is true.”

“But… how?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Luck and talent,” Alex said.

Bladedance couldn’t believe the words, and yet she couldn’t argue against them either. She was firsthand witnessing his talents, after all.

And yet, to have such talent. Perhaps…

“I can teach you some if you join my cult. I do not teach outsiders,” she said.

“I cannot join your cult,” Alex said. That mostly had to do with the oath he had spoken not allowing him to freely join other sects and organizations.

“I said I do not teach outsid—”

“I won’t join your cult, senior Bladedance,” Alex said quickly. “But I will not be an outsider either.”

Alex fell to his knees and slammed his head onto the sand, bowing before Bladedance.

“Senior Bladedance, no, Sword God! Please take me in as your disciple.”