Sword Heart

The subterranean qi aperture of Canglong Temple, Tianji Shenjun's hidden cave dwelling, the remnant yin dragon soul on Old Dragon Island, the sinkhole collapse in Wu Family Village... Connecting these events together, Zhou Wuji felt that Tianji Shenjun's words had not been spoken in vain; at the very least, Yunyang's earth veins were out of the ordinary. If the earth veins truly could transform into a dragon, what kind of upheaval would that bring? Would he be able to benefit from it? He knew very little about such matters, and it was nearly impossible to draw any firm conclusions from a few scattered words in those notes. Besides, the notes were so crude, and who even knew who had written them? Their authenticity remained questionable. Zhou Wuji went to Daoist Yiping to consult the old Daoist, who was fond of reading idle books, about dragon veins. "Martial Uncle, the books say that every five hundred years a true king shall rise, and also that every five hundred years the earth veins invert and the dragon vein shifts. Is there any truth to that?" Daoist Yiping stroked his beard and shook his head. "'Every five hundred years a true king shall rise' was a slogan coined when the current dynasty's Taizu began his uprising. Back then, our Daoist sects had already placed their bets on him early. "The Daoist sects spread that saying to emphasize that Taizu had risen by the Mandate of Heaven. In truth, it's not something to be taken too seriously..." "Oh?" Zhou Wuji was genuinely surprised. Martial Uncle Yiping actually knew the origin of the saying, and analyzed like that, it made a great deal of sense. He asked, "Is there no such thing as a dragon vein, then?" Daoist Yiping shook his head. "Who can speak with certainty about the workings of heaven and earth? Perhaps they exist, perhaps they don't. "Cultivators of our generation speak of defying heaven, yet also speak of resonance between heaven and humanity, and how the Dao models nature. "The two claims seem contradictory. Do you know why?" Zhou Wuji smiled; he had actually pondered this question before. He promptly replied, "Defying heaven refers to how mortals are bound to die, and we cultivators must break free from that mortal destiny of death. "Resonance between heaven and humanity and modeling nature mean that in pursuing the Dao, one must understand the principles of cosmic change and ride the momentum of heaven and earth to gain power. "The two appear contradictory, but in reality, one is the objective and the other is the method." Daoist Yiping was somewhat taken aback. His martial nephew was so young, yet possessed such profound insight—a genius indeed! The old Daoist nodded in approval. "Exactly so. The same goes for dragon veins. They are fundamentally the natural shifts of heaven and earth. When someone rides that momentum, reaps the benefits, soars into the sky, and establishes an empire, then to that person, it becomes a dragon vein." He added, "That said, our sect's Ziwei Doushu is no fake. "Divining destiny patterns, determining yin and yang, calculating the five elements—how sublime it is. Pinpointing the most suitable and advantageous shift amid cosmic upheavals is precisely what it means to locate a dragon vein..." Zhou Wuji nodded. Though the old Daoist covered both sides of the fence, his explanation was clear enough. Changes in the earth veins belonged to the natural way of heaven and earth; whether they constituted a dragon vein depended on how one interpreted and utilized them. He asked, "Ziwei Doushu sounds remarkable. Can I learn it?" "Ziwei Doushu is the specialty of the Tianquan lineage. Even if we tried to study it, we could only scratch the surface, which would be useless." Daoist Yiping shook his head once more and said to Zhou Wuji, "You are already practicing swordsmanship, concocting pills, and cultivating techniques. Better to concentrate on your cultivation first. Once you reach higher ranks in the future, it won't be too late to dabble in these arts." Zhou Wuji softly voiced his agreement. The old Daoist's reasoning was sound, though it didn't really apply to him. Yet as a member of the Tianshu lineage, he had no access to the supreme arts of the other branches anyway. There was no point in dwelling on it. Back in his room, Zhou Wuji decided to wait a little longer and see how things developed at Wu Family Village. If he could capture Ghost Sword Xue Ying and interrogate her about what had really happened, that would be ideal. Xue Ying was a Rank Five ghost cultivator; she shouldn't be much stronger than Cui Wancheng! He opened the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment: Zhang Banshan's destiny pattern was four liang six qian, and Zhang Yunfeng's was three liang three qian. There was also the Rank Six ghost soldier at four liang four qian. Keeping the ghost soldier served no purpose, so he directly converted it into primordial profound qi, increasing his total true qi by over thirty points—better than nothing, at best. The destiny pattern of four liang six qian was fairly valuable; he had originally planned to save it to upgrade the Northern Dipper Seven Stars Steps. However, considering that he would be going to Wu Family Village in a few days and clashing with Golden Leaf Temple, Zhou Wuji decided to enhance the Xiaoxiang Sword instead. This sword technique was the one he had practiced the longest, immersing himself deeply in its sword intent, and remained his primary combat method. Until he mastered the Northern Dipper Seven Stars Sword, he could not do without the Xiaoxiang Sword. The Xiaoxiang Sword was not merely a sword art; it represented his master's heritage and carried the memories of his upbringing. Purple light descended, and the small world unfolded... When Zhou Wuji opened his eyes once more, the Xiaoxiang Sword had reached the realm of perfection. He had fully comprehended the inner spirit of all eight sword intents of the Xiaoxiang Sword. In terms of this sword technique alone, he was likely far beyond his master. Daoist Yiyuan had created the Xiaoxiang Sword based on eight scenic vistas along the Xiaoxiang River, drawing upon the natural shifts of the river, sky, sun, and moon. The technique's upper limit had been restricted by Daoist Yiyuan's cultivation, capped around Rank Six. Yet his master had held the vastness of heaven and earth in his heart, and the core essence of the technique truly modeled the natural Dao. As the sword intent arose, it felt as though the river, rain, sun, and moon were contained within Zhou Wuji's chest; he could sense the grandeur in his master's heart that embraced heaven and earth. Without question, his master was a true swordsman. Though Zhou Wuji had possessed great sword skill before, swordsmanship to him had been no different from spells—merely a means of dealing with foes. Now, at last, he attained the awakening of a true swordsman. Zhou Wuji sat up and took hold of the White Rainbow Sword beside him. The White Rainbow Sword weighed seventeen jin, which suited his strength quite well. But previously, whenever he held the blade, there had always been a sense of estrangement. It was like sleeping with a strange woman: even if an intimate physical relationship existed, a vast distance separated their emotions and minds. That kind of distance could never be resolved simply by sharing a bed. Now that the Xiaoxiang Sword had attained perfection, holding the White Rainbow Sword brought a feeling of mutual harmony—unity between man and sword. He knew the sword's condition, the subtle shifts of the talismans inlaid within its core, and how the blade could best circulate and channel true qi. The White Rainbow Sword was like a beauty opening herself completely to him, fitting him seamlessly in both body and soul, establishing a deep and boundless resonance. Zhou Wuji sensed faintly that his mindset was a bit unusual, yet he felt exceptionally good. With the White Rainbow Sword in hand, a surge of absolute confidence welled up within him; it felt as though with this blade, he could cleave through any obstacle. Opening the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, he saw the notation of "Perfection" beside the Xiaoxiang Sword, followed by another label: "Sword Heart." There was no explanation for Sword Heart, but Zhou Wuji had formed a rough guess. He stepped out of the room and called over Yang Tieying, who was practicing with his sword in the courtyard. Yang Tieying looked bewildered, having no idea why his master had summoned him so abruptly. Ignoring his disciple's confusion, Zhou Wuji reached out and took Yang Tieying's Seven Stars Sword. The moment his hand touched the weapon, he sensed tiny, winding micro-cracks deep inside the blade and felt minute nicks along the edge. The Seven Stars Sword was like a weathered middle-aged man: seemingly dignified and presentable on the surface, but utterly exhausted on the inside. Yang Tieying stared anxiously at Zhou Wuji, terrified that his master was going to take the sword back. Not daring to utter a word, he felt so aggrieved he was on the verge of tears... Amused, Zhou Wuji tossed the Seven Stars Sword back to Yang Tieying. He had wanted to tease him, but remembering that Yang Tieying was an older boy who cared about saving face, he held back. "Go practice your sword." "Y-Yes, Master!" Overjoyed to have the Seven Stars Sword back, Yang Tieying hastily answered and scurried off to resume his practice. Zhou Wuji then went to Daoist Yiping's room, unhooked the sword hanging on the old Daoist's wall, and gave it a try. This sword was like a widow whose husband had died in her prime; having barely been drawn a couple of times, it had been sealed away inside its scabbard. Holding it, Zhou Wuji could even sense a sullen aura of unfulfilled longing... Seeing Zhou Wuji fiddling with his sword, Daoist Yiping asked curiously, "What's the matter?" Zhou Wuji hung the sword back up. He had intended to remind his martial uncle to practice his swordsmanship, but seeing Daoist Yiping lying lazily on his side, he swallowed his words. The old Daoist was well up in years; whether he practiced swordplay made little difference. Lying back in comfort suited him better. By comparing the three swords, Zhou Wuji grasped the meaning of Sword Heart: it allowed him to perceive the true condition of a blade, enabling instantaneous unity between wielder and sword. More precisely, Sword Heart was an exceptionally delicate shift in spiritual sense, allowing for a superior connection with the weapon. Or perhaps a higher realm of sword intent—one that not only commanded the sword, but also governed sword qi and the intricate transformations of sword techniques. That Sword Heart could even harmonize with the Rank Three White Rainbow Sword proved that its level was by no means low. Zhou Wuji felt a stir of emotion. The Xiaoxiang Sword created by his master possessed such wondrous utility once mastered to perfection. He wasn't sure whether this was due to his own natural talent in the way of the sword, the inherent depth of the technique itself, or the empowerment of the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment. Regardless, Zhou Wuji was thoroughly pleased with Sword Heart. With Sword Heart, he could fully integrate the Tianji Sword into the Xiaoxiang Sword, boosting the technique's power by thirty to fifty percent. This meant that an opponent like Cui Wancheng would not last two strikes against him. Martial artists like Zhang Banshan were even less of a match. While Rank Six martial artists were formidable in direct frontal combat, they could not withstand the White Rainbow Sword. Martial artists lacked adaptability and variation. His true qi cultivation and swordsmanship realm far surpassed Zhang Banshan's; in a direct clash, he could now kill Zhang Banshan with a single strike. Gazing at the White Rainbow Sword in his hand, Zhou Wuji couldn't help but feel a touch of pride. Though the Northern Dipper Seven Stars Sword was profound, his Xiaoxiang Sword was not inferior. Regrettably, now that his swordsmanship had reached perfection, he had no one to test his blade against... The image of Wu Leng flashed across his mind. That Rank Six swordswoman—just how capable was she? Zhou Wuji was merely curious; he didn't believe Wu Leng could compare to him... With Sword Heart, watching Yang Tieying practice swordplay allowed Zhou Wuji to spot his disciple's core problems immediately. The primary issue was that Yang Tieying had trained with spears in the past, which was fundamentally different from swords. Moreover, having abruptly condensed his spirit aperture and completed qi refinement, he had not yet learned to integrate his martial arts with true qi. When wielding a sword, his physical force would arrive before the true qi, or when the true qi arrived, his force would be misdirected. In the past, despite his high sword skill, Zhou Wuji could only teach step by step. Now, he could bypass all rigid routines, directly identifying Yang Tieying's flaws and helping him resolve the integration of true qi and hidden force. Having time to spare, Zhou Wuji spent several days instructing his disciple. Yang Tieying possessed excellent talent in both martial arts and Daoist cultivation. Under a few days of guidance, not only did Yang Tieying's swordplay advance by leaps and bounds, but his true qi cultivation also progressed significantly... On July 20, Zhou Wuji accompanied Zhihe to Wu Family Village. This time, Zhou Wuji brought Yang Tieying along. With Rank Eight Qi Ingestion paired with Rank Eight hidden force, he was already an expert among the Shang generation. With such a disciple around, Zhou Wuji wouldn't need to lift a finger for minor errands and chores. The canal at Wu Family Village had already been dug; the laborers were waiting for Zhihe's arrival before breaching the final section to divert the river water. The canal was crude, merely an earthen trench three feet deep, but it was sufficient for the sunken pit. As the river water slowly poured into the pit, plumes of white vapor rose from below. The Yunming River was a major waterway, and the steady torrent from upriver soon suppressed all the earthly fiend qi. Beneath the pit lay numerous tunnels that rapidly swallowed vast amounts of water. The people from the Lower Court stood watching nearby. Seeing the water swiftly seep underground with no visible change in the pit, several Daoists' expressions soured. Ding Li, the head constable of Yunming County, was also present, and he could not help but frown at the sight. He glanced involuntarily at Zhou Wuji. The idea had come from Zhou Wuji, expending considerable manpower and resources; if it failed, there would be hell to pay. Someone could not help murmuring, "If there's a bottomless abyss down there, all our efforts will have been for nothing." Zhou Wuji had previously surveyed it using the Northern Dipper as eyes technique; though deep, the subterranean tunnels were finite in space. Calculating the water's flow rate and the pit's area, he said with certainty to Zhihe, "Abbot, it will take at most five days to fill it completely. "In fact, it doesn't even need to be filled to the brim. Once the underground tunnels are flooded, the malevolent spirits will have nowhere to hide and will be forced to emerge..."