Better to Master One Art Than Know Ten Thousand

Yang Tieying's flattery was exceedingly blunt, even somewhat crude, yet it put Zhou Wuji in an excellent mood. Yang Tieying, however, was at a loss, having no idea why his master was laughing so heartily. Was he laughing at him, or at something else? Seeing Yang Tieying's embarrassment, Zhou Wuji patted his disciple's shoulder. "You have done well. I will have some free time ahead, so tomorrow I will teach you martial arts." "Ah... Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master..." During this recent period, Yang Tieying had been following Daoist Yiping to cultivate qi, but he had made little progress. He had longed to learn his master's swordsmanship all along, and now that his master finally had time, he was overjoyed to the point of stumbling over his words. Shangxing looked eagerly at Zhou Wuji. Everyone in the lower abbey now knew of Martial Uncle Zhou's superlative swordsmanship, and he too wished to learn the sword from him, yet he did not dare voice a plea. A sect had its own rules. Even within the same lineage, since he was not Zhou Wuji's disciple, he was not qualified to study under him. Zhou Wuji understood Shangxin's thoughts. He was quite fond of this clever youth, but the rules could not be lightly breached. The Dharma was not to be imparted lightly. He had taken Yang Tieying as a disciple to repay a favor to Yang Shuling, and Yang Shuling had also offered a substantial sum of gold. While Zhou Wuji did not care much about such things, casually passing on swordsmanship to Shangxin would be unfair to Yang Tieying. Without saying more, Zhou Wuji gave a couple of brief instructions and headed to the side hall to see Daoist Yiping. Daoist Yiping was quite pleased to see Zhou Wuji return. He had always felt that the Pacification Office was perilous, and even though Zhou Wuji had gone in the company of Zhiyuan, he had still harbored worries. The two exchanged a few words about the situation at the Pacification Office, and Zhou Wuji recounted Abbot Zhiyuan's words of caution to him. Daoist Yiping nodded in agreement. "The abbot is right. You have drawn far too much attention lately, which is not good for you. "The Five Dragons Gang's affairs involve far too many factions. If real trouble stirs, it will be even more disadvantageous to you." He let out a sigh laden with emotion. "In these past six months, you have been through far too much—slaying mutinous soldiers and demonic beasts one after another, and executing experts of both the Heavenly Ghost Sect and the Five Dragons Gang... "Every single battle was exceedingly fraught with danger, and every single one was enough to make a name that resonates far and wide!" Just as Zhou Wuji was about to explain, Daoist Yiping cut him off and said, "The most dangerous battle of my life was eliminating a seventh-rank baleful ghost. At the time, my hands and feet were trembling from terror; fortunately, the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder Method was formidable. "Ever since that battle, I knew that I was neither suited for combat nor fond of it." Speaking of this, Daoist Yiping felt no shame at all, radiating instead the tranquil calm of one who had seen through it all. He gave Zhou Wuji a deep, pointed look and warned, "There are clouds of experts in this world. Strong as your swordsmanship may be, you cannot win every time. "Lose just once, and you are gone!" "Martial Uncle speaks absolute truth. I am not trying to show off; it is simply that matters reached this point, leaving me no other path." Zhou Wuji knew Daoist Yiping meant well, and the logic was undeniably sound. Yet he possessed the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment and grew stronger with every battle—which was an entirely different matter from mere competitiveness. Changing the subject, he said, "One should indeed be like Abbot Zhiyuan—holding back until the decisive moment, and when he strikes, effortlessly taking Chen Dalu and suppressing the entire room." Daoist Yiping agreed wholeheartedly. "Indeed. The abbot's wisdom and Daoist arts are both profound." In his eyes, a cultivator ought to be like the abbot: rarely acting, but instantly overpowering the foe whenever he did. Zhou Wuji's habit of constantly drawing his sword to kill people, while formidable, lacked the graceful demeanor of a Daoist transcendent. Having steered the conversation here and seeing his martial uncle take the bait, Zhou Wuji seized the opportunity to ask, "Martial Uncle, how is the abbot's Golden Light Incantation so incredibly potent?" "The abbot has likely specialized solely in this incantation." Daoist Yiping remarked with deep admiration, "Better to master one art than know ten thousand. "In our Tianshu lineage, many predecessors took the path of dedicating themselves entirely to a single art or incantation. Once cultivated to the utmost pinnacle, the art becomes purely refined and the incantation reaches supreme perfection, wielding world-shaking divine might." Zhou Wuji agreed with the underlying truth, yet he still found Zhiyuan's Golden Light Incantation difficult to fathom. Even if the Golden Light Incantation were cultivated to perfection, it could never possess such divine might. He asked with a trace of doubt, "Can the Golden Light Incantation truly wield such power just by being brought to its peak?" "What the abbot cultivates is the Golden Light Divine Incantation—an authentic divine incantation of the Daoist gates, though each sect's methods of cultivation differ greatly." Understanding Zhou Wuji's confusion, Daoist Yiping explained in detail, "Only upon advancing to the sixth rank and receiving the bestowal of registers can one cultivate such high-order divine incantations." "So that's how it is," Zhou Wuji said, realization dawning upon him. Daoist Yiping comforted him, "You are already in the seventh rank; advancing to the sixth rank is only a matter of time. Do not rush..." Returning to his wing room, Zhou Wuji lay on his bed, opened the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, and sank into deep thought. He had already advanced to the sixth rank, yet he could not reveal it openly, which was somewhat exasperating. Had he known earlier that the sixth rank offered such benefits, he would not have minded pretending to be an unmatched prodigy. His natural talent for Daoist cultivation was mediocre, but with the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, who could compare to him? He had originally intended to keep a low profile and develop slowly, but looking back, he had perhaps overthought it. A sixth-rank at twenty-two was not entirely unheard of. It was just that his past aptitude had been so poor that he could not afford to advance too quickly! In the end, it was because he had been overly cautious, dreading that the slightest anomaly might lead someone to discover the supreme divine artifact in his possession. Upon the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, the progress of each of his arts was clearly displayed. Only three had truly reached perfection: the Fire Bell Incantation, the Rejuvenation Technique, and the Six Yang Dharma Eyes. His arts and martial skills still possessed immense room for improvement, so there was no need to rush into revealing his sixth-rank advancement. The foundation of the Golden Light Divine Incantation had to be the Golden Light Incantation. Since he had not even brought the Golden Light Incantation to perfection, he was still far from Zhiyuan's level. If he were to face Zhiyuan's Golden Light Incantation, he would likely struggle to break free as well. He had previously thought there was little difference between the sixth rank and the fifth rank, but that battle had completely shattered that perception. If Zhiyuan was already this powerful, how terrifying must Zhang Shiheng, a true fifth-rank, be? Reaching perfection in the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture had allowed him to observe numerous details in combat. It was not that Chen Dalu was weak; Zhiyuan's Golden Light Divine Incantation was simply overwhelming. Through that battle, Zhou Wuji had also come to realize the terror of fifth-rank experts. Zhiyuan was right; he had better stay prudent. He had reaped substantial rewards from this battle as well, slaying two seventh-rank experts, each yielding destiny patterns of over three liang. He had also killed Chen Dalu's mother Gu, which was enough to convert into three liang nine qian of Primordial Profound Essence. There was something off about this mother Gu, but since Chen Dalu had already been captured, the mother Gu was merely a minor matter... He still possessed two other Gu insects worth over three liang each. Using them would certainly enhance his physique substantially. After weighing his options, Zhou Wuji dared not act rashly. A stronger physique would inevitably cause his essence and blood to surge, which might easily push his Five Tigers Fist to advance into the sixth rank, leading to trouble. Even with the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture at perfection, he had yet to find a way to govern his martial arts through Daoist methods. Looking over his plentiful primordial profound spirit, Zhou Wuji decided to put it to use first. If nothing else, the Golden Light Incantation was genuinely useful and worth upgrading. He invested two destiny patterns of over two liang, pushing the Golden Light Incantation into the stage of transformation. Zhou Wuji glanced at the two destiny patterns of over three liang, ultimately reluctant to throw them in. The Golden Light Divine Incantation was indeed powerful, but he would not be able to learn it anytime soon. Pushing the Golden Light Incantation to perfection prematurely offered him little substantive benefit. After thorough consideration, Zhou Wuji chose to invest the two destiny patterns of over three liang into the Arctic Heavenly Tiangang Divine Incantation. He did not lack offensive methods—both his swordsmanship and the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword were exceptionally powerful. Moreover, the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder was not something that two destiny patterns of three liang could bring to completion. Better to master one art than know ten thousand. He had understood this principle long ago, but had lacked a profound appreciation for it. Only when Zhiyuan demonstrated it had he truly witnessed the divine might of extreme specialization. Though he possessed the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment and could cultivate various techniques and martial arts with ease, he still needed to focus his priorities. The two portions of primordial profound spirit exceeding three liang were directly funneled into the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation. A purple light unfurled a world, and Zhou Wuji immersed himself within, cultivating relentlessly. When Zhou Wuji opened his eyes, the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation had already reached the stage of transformation. Decades of unremitting practice had not only elevated the realm of the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation, but also granted Zhou Wuji a deeper understanding of the relationship between arts, techniques, and incantations. At the stage of transformation, the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation resonated with his seven gathered apertures to form an exceptionally stable spell matrix, enhancing the incantation's power by at least thirty percent and reducing its casting time to three breaths. At this stage, Zhou Wuji could control the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation with far greater nuance and precision. For instance, he could alter its outer form, or even turn the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation into a cloak of light to bind his enemies. Transforming the shape of a divine incantation was not a particularly novel concept. However, actually achieving it required a profound understanding of the incantation and meticulous, delicate control. Just like Zhiyuan! Zhou Wuji tested the Big Dipper Heavenly Astral Divine Incantation within his room and was thoroughly satisfied with the results of the upgrade. A casting time of three breaths, while still short of instant casting, was entirely practical for combat. Once he connected all nine apertures to form a complete upper dantian, he would be able to store spells within it, enabling instant casting in emergencies. However, he still needed considerable painstaking effort before reaching that stage. Fortunately, with the protection of the Heavenly Puppet and the instant-cast capability of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, he had enough to contest any sixth-rank expert. The following morning, Zhou Wuji led Yang Tieying to the side hall, where the spacious area offered ample room to practice fists and swords. Yang Tieying had been his disciple for some time, but this was Zhou Wuji's first formal session instructing him. He had Yang Tieying perform his family's martial arts: the Eagle Claw Art, the Eight Extremes Stance, and the Flying Eagle Spear. The Flying Eagle Spear was a short spear no longer than eight feet, which could be disassembled into dual spears for convenience when traveling the martial world. After all, carrying a long spear was exceedingly cumbersome and drew too much attention, inevitably attracting official scrutiny when passing through counties and cities. Yang Tieying had originally taken great pride in his family's spear technique, believing wielding a spear to be remarkably dashing. Only after witnessing his master slay foes with a sword did he realize the sublime subtleties of swordsmanship. Having finally gained the chance to learn the sword from his master today, Yang Tieying had even changed into a fresh Daoist robe. To showcase his martial skills, he put in immense effort. Having refined his Heart Mirror, Zhou Wuji could see through people with increasing clarity. Particularly since his martial realm far surpassed Yang Tieying's, he could perceive every aspect of him inside and out. This disciple was naturally endowed with strong sinews and bones and quick reflexes; though not a genius, he was excellent material for martial arts. With steady, grounded practice, he should be able to advance to the seventh rank before turning twenty-five. Observing his disciple's Eight Extremes Stance—from visualization, progressing through skin and flesh to sinews, bones, and internal organs, until refining qi—Zhou Wuji saw that it was indeed an authentic transmission of the Eight Extremes Sect. However, Yang Tieying's hidden force was not yet thoroughly practiced, lagging well behind Zhang Wuding. Dividing his attention to cultivate the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture under such circumstances was not ideal. Tailoring his instruction to Yang Tieying's circumstances, Zhou Wuji first taught him the basic sword forms of the Xiaoxiang Sword, and also went to Tianji Hall to order a custom thirty-jin heavy sword for him. A five-foot heavy sword could train both physical power and swordsmanship, suiting Yang Tieying perfectly. Over the days that followed, Zhou Wuji remained in Feixuan Hall all day long, guiding Yang Tieying's sword practice by day and reading books by night. With the Six Yang Dharma Eyes at perfection, he saved a great deal on candles. Occasionally, he would also visit Wuming at Tianshu Hall to drink tea, play the flute, and build rapport. In this peaceful, routine existence, time flowed by like running water. In what felt like the blink of an eye, the middle of the fifth month had already arrived. On this day, a Daoist boy came running over, announcing that the abbot requested his presence. Zhou Wuji hurried to Heart Inquest Hall and met Abbot Zhiyuan. Zhiyuan remained as he had always been: his aged face etched with wrinkles, his demeanor serene, with only a pair of eyes gleaming with sharp vitality. "Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the fifth month, the day of the sacrifice to the Dragon Lord at the Jiuyuan River. Zhang Shiheng and Zhang Banshan will both attend, as will Xinjue from Golden Leaf Temple. Dignitaries and influential figures from all factions will also be present. "Make your preparations and accompany me to the sacrificial ceremony tomorrow. My main intention is to introduce you to the key figures..."