"What was that...?"
Opening his eyes, An Jing saw that morning had already arrived. The others had yet to awaken. As An Jing subconsciously reached out to grasp something, the broken sword materialized from the void in response to his will, appearing in his palm to be gripped firmly.
By the time he came back to his senses, cold sweat drenched his forehead.
The broken sword hummed softly. Lowering his gaze, An Jing murmured under his breath, "Demon-Quelling... Evil-Vanquishing... Fuxie... Is that your name?"
"I do not remember."
The Sword Spirit spoke in an even, calm voice. "I am broken, and very few memories remain. Not only are there gaps, but many of them are contradictory and in conflict."
"...Why did you choose me?"
"The other children lacked such intense curiosity and drive to act. They were all overcome with terror, and they would all choose to forget."
The Sword Spirit let out a soft chuckle. "Yet you did neither, which was why I gave you a warning so that you wouldn't die so soon.
"What followed further proved how special you are—once you learned the truth, your only thought was to slaughter every last one of those villainous scoundrels.
"That is precisely what it means to 'vanquish evil.'
"And that is why I chose you."
"Should I call you Sister Fuxie, or Brother Fuxie?"
An Jing sighed softly. "How should I address you? If you have any cultivation methods, teach them to me as soon as possible. I'm trapped in a manor ruled by a Demon Sect, with a manor lord at the Inner Strengthening realm. Relying solely on Tranquil Sword Contemplation and a few basic martial arts probably won't be enough."
"Indeed. But do not call me brother or sister. I am a sword and possess no gender. Calling me the Sword Spirit is fine, as is Fuxie."
The Sword Spirit Fuxie said, "As for cultivation methods, I too wish to instruct you... I was once an immortal sword, and everything I know belongs to the profound arts of the immortal path. Though most of it has been lost, teaching you is no problem at all.
"However, following the Great Catastrophe, the Huaixu Realm abandoned the cultivation path of Spirit Root Qi Refining, replacing it with the current Destiny Pattern martial cultivation. There must be profound reasons behind this change, so I dare not give reckless guidance or presume to act as your master."
"Spirit Root Qi Refining?"
An Jing frowned slightly. Fortunately, he was half a scholar and faintly recalled seeing related records in the canonical texts of the Great Chen: "Drawing talismans, conferring registers, and commanding ghosts and spirits?"
"That was merely one facet of the ancient immortal path of qi refining,"
the Sword Spirit Fuxie clarified. "Likewise, in my era, martial cultivators were merely a branch of body refiners, all destined to eventually return to the orthodox path of qi refining.
"Yet the Huaixu Realm has evidently developed an entirely new martial heritage—profound, vast, and seemingly no lesser than the immortal path. That is precisely why I am reluctant to offer arbitrary guidance.
"I possess no dedicated martial cultivation arts in my memories. However, if you are willing to take a risk, I do have an idea."
At this point, Fuxie reminisced softly, "I know of a sword cultivator method called the Grand White Radiant Spirit Divine Restriction."
Having waited an eternity to finally find someone like An Jing who met its criteria, it had long since thought this through and now explained in detail: "This method condenses Killing Aura from qi, transforms Killing Aura into restrictions, and refines those restrictions into the flesh. It is a premier body-refining art for sword cultivators. Its entry threshold is extraordinarily steep, however. One must use pure Killing Aura to link with essence-qi, forging a Grand White Restriction Seed within the body, which is then nourished and cultivated with the essence of the five metals.
"Once mastered to great completion, one can achieve a supreme divine ability: the Grand White Disaster-Smiting Evil-Dispelling Indestructible Body.
"This method relies on no external forces, draws upon no spiritual balefulness, and remains purely an internal cultivation. Though grueling and demanding, its effectiveness remains completely consistent regardless of how the world's environment shifts.
"Pure Killing Aura is difficult to come by, but you have my sword's Killing Aura to serve as a guide. Provided you obtain sufficient resources, you can quickly achieve initial entry.
"Achieving entry through this to become a cultivator will grant you immunity to common blades, arrows, and even spells. It should be the most suitable path for this world."
After a moment's thought, Fuxie added, "However, the initial phase of this method requires vast amounts of refined dark iron, purple tin, and other refined metals. It drains resources to an extreme degree, which is why it is also known as the Grand White Gold-Devouring Divine Restriction.
"The only problem is that Suspended Fate Manor seems to lack any finely forged five metals."
"True."
Thinking of this, An Jing, who had grown rather excited while listening, promptly cooled down. "No matter how wonderful the technique, it is useless if I can't even cross the threshold."
"There will always be opportunities," the Sword Spirit consoled in turn. "Keep an eye out first. Suspended Fate Manor might have an armory, and there could very well be finely forged five metals stored there."
"Fair point. Thank you."
An Jing collected his emotions. By now, the other youths in the dormitory were waking up, and An Jing knew it was time to lead the morning training.
Everything proceeded as usual without the slightest change. Only Cang Linzu noticed something amiss, leaning in to whisper, "Boss, the corners of your eyes are a bit red. Didn't sleep well?"
"I just dreamed of the ones who left." An Jing smiled, patting him on the shoulder. Then, right after the boy blurted out in astonishment, 'Boss, you actually dream of them too?!', An Jing dragged him to the training grounds and put him through such an exhausting regimen that he was left gasping for breath, unable to utter another word.
In the afternoon, while leading team drills, An Jing ran into Manor Lord Yao, who happened to be on an inspection round.
The two exchanged glances.
The old man wore an encouraging smile, while An Jing met it with a placid gaze.
One side took this as a sign of obedience, or perhaps a display of callous apathy.
The other was waiting, biding his time in patient endurance.
Just like a fierce tiger crouching on a barren hill, holding back its claws and teeth in secret forbearance.
Time flowed on.
Because the numbers were finalized at twelve teams of nine—a total of one hundred and eight youths—the training routine at Suspended Fate Manor gradually settled into a steady rhythm. An Jing feigned calm and continued his daily life and practice for over a month without revealing the slightest flaw.
During this time, An Jing gained mastery over his Inner Breath bit by bit, meditating through Tranquil Sword Contemplation to maximize Suspended Fate Manor's resources and elevate both his Inner Breath and Blood Qi with peak efficiency.
Given his profound accumulation, his breakthrough had directly launched him into the realm of Inner Breath Like River, bypassing the weakest and slowest-growing stage of Inner Breath Like Silk. Consequently, his rate of nutrient absorption was nothing short of monstrous. Even with the extra food granted by his status as Eldest Senior Brother every day, he was always the first to finish, afterwards stating that he was still not full.
Originally, Suspended Fate Manor would never offer supplementary provisions. Yet under Manor Lord Yao's tacit approval, An Jing was allowed roughly three times the rations of an ordinary disciple each day. This astonishing appetite and digestive prowess filled all the apprentices of Suspended Fate Manor with profound awe, particularly since An Jing's physique showed no signs of bloating.
All of that food was converted entirely into fuel to propel An Jing's growth.
The Three Nurturings of Inner Breath were Silk, River, and Tide. The gulf between these three realms was immense.
Inner Breath Like Silk was like a drop of water in the summer heat—even if it could moisten the lips, it would quickly evaporate dry.
Just like when An Jing's mother had fought the bandits: after slaying seven men, she grew exhausted, allowing the bandit leader to find an opening and injure her.
Only when one's nurtured Inner Breath surpassed a certain threshold to become a surging river within the body, reaching the realm of Inner Breath Like River, would it resemble a pool of water that could endure beneath a blazing sun. One could then employ Inner Breath for sustained periods, becoming a true martial artist in every sense.
Originally, An Jing's Inner Breath had been only slightly superior to Inner Breath Like Silk, flowing like a gentle brook. Though it could be utilized for a short while, it lasted only about a minute or two.
Yet bolstered by the Demon Sect's resources, his Inner Breath grew steadily stronger, bringing the duration he could sustain its circulation close to three minutes.
Chapter 28