Upon re-entering the stone forest, Zhao Chun already had a bit of experience, but the shadow monkeys were cunning, still requiring her to be on guard. Furthermore, she noticed that this time upon entering the formation, the layout of the stone forest seemed different from the last.
Beneath the dense fog, she had no idea where her next step would land. When she finally passed through the forest, the stone stele under the pine tree starkly read: Zhao Chun, Mid Qi Refining Stage, seven quarters! She was a full quarter of an hour faster, yet she was still in a wretched state.
Zhao Chun frowned slightly, not quite satisfied with this result. But she discovered that this place, with its dangerous terrain and enemy attacks, was the perfect place to hone her swordsmanship and movement technique.
If before she had only intended to use the stone forest to break through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining, now it was like receiving sweet rain in a drought. She wanted to borrow this favorable wind to elevate her Swift-Walk Sword Technique and Snake-Form Step to a higher realm. If once was not enough, she would try again!
She was still financially well-off and could afford this expense. If the Swift-Walk Sword Technique could break through to Major Achievement, her combat prowess would once again increase greatly. Traversing the stone forest was extremely draining on her stamina.
Zhao Chun’s limit was no more than four times a day. Three days later, she could finally manage to cross the forest five times in one day. After half a month had passed, Zhao Chun's name had been recorded seventy-three times at the Threefold Stone Forest.
Her fastest time had reached four quarters. The changing layout of the stone forest and the harassment from the shadow monkeys remained her greatest obstacles. Tu An had become quite familiar with her.
Seeing her walk in early one morning, he waved the ink brush in his hand and called out, "Still five times today?" Zhao Chun tossed out a cloth pouch and grunted in response.
"In a few more days, it'll be a hundred times. I never see you rest. You're really made of iron."
For the past half-month, whenever she was tired, she would meditate and regulate her breath in the small pavilion. When she was hungry, she would take dry rations from her storage pouch to eat. At night, as was her routine, she would return to the stone cave to cultivate, unwavering day after day, which left Tu An utterly dumbfounded.
"In matters of cultivation, how can one afford to be lazy?"
Zhao Chun replied, her gaze fixed forward as she straightened the cuffs and hem of her clothes. There were other cultivators as diligent as her, but what Tu An saw more of were those who were half-hearted in their path, surrounded by mortal servants and indulging in pleasure all day.
Some strained with all their might, aiming straight for the heavens, while naturally, others were content with their current situation, adhering to the principle of seizing the day.
Most cultivators had high aspirations in their youth, cultivating diligently without pause every day, hoping to reach Foundation Establishment or even Core Formation, to be able to shatter mountains and rivers with a wave of a hand.
As their lifespans gradually shortened and they felt the path ahead was increasingly hopeless, they would turn their attention to the matters at hand. The old man who stood watch at night, also a colleague and senior of Tu An, heard his description of Zhao Chun as "a strange person with nothing but the word 'cultivation' in her heart."
He stroked his beard, clicked his tongue, and said, "I hope she can walk far, and not stop halfway down the road like the others..." Regardless of what these two thought, Zhao Chun herself had gained a great deal. Two days ago, her Snake-Form Step had reached Minor Achievement, and her time had jumped from six quarters straight to four.
The improvement in her movement technique made her travel much more lightly, and when she emerged from the formation, she no longer looked as wretched as before. If she could bring her Swift-Walk Sword Technique to Major Achievement, she might even be able to finish within two quarters! Zhao Chun gritted her teeth.
No matter how arduous this trial was, she was determined to overcome it. Cultivating with such self-abandonment, a month later, while she was in the middle of slashing at a shadow monkey, inspiration suddenly struck. She swung her sword in a perfectly fluid motion, and her Swift-Walk Sword Technique reached Major Achievement!
As mentioned before, in the Drifting Clouds World, reaching the Perfection realm in any magical art was extremely difficult, as it required grasping the true meaning of the art to the point of complete mastery. Therefore, the state of Major Achievement was considered the completion of a technique.
Zhao Chun's Swift-Walk Sword Technique reaching Major Achievement meant that in terms of pure technique, she had reached the apex. If she wanted to improve further, she would have to comprehend its true meaning, merging intent and technique, to break through to the Perfection realm. Zhao Chun had this thought, but she knew that realm was still too far away.
Being overly ambitious would only hinder her cultivation. Thus, she did not dwell on it for now. The realm of Major Achievement was more than enough for her to wield.
Moreover, she knew that among Qi Refining disciples, there were many at the Entry Level and Minor Achievement stages, but those who had reached Major Achievement in any magical art were few. This showed that she indeed possessed some talent in the way of swordsmanship.
What was particularly terrifying was that after her Swift-Walk Sword Technique reached Major Achievement, her speed through the formation had already fallen within one quarter, causing Tu An's expression to change repeatedly in astonishment. She also felt a change in herself.
She seemed to possess more of a sharp edge than before, like the edge of a sword, sharp and resilient. When she used her sword, a sword light would follow its movements. The shadow monkeys would often be annihilated upon contact, saving her a good deal of effort.
Instructor Zheng had taught her that swordsmanship and movement techniques supported and gave rise to each other. When stepping and swinging the sword, the sword's momentum must be true, the wind from the blade must be sharp, the eyes must follow the sword, and one's focus must be absolute.
As it is said, to practice the sword, first practice the fist. The fist is the source of all arts. Only when one has achieved proficiency in hand, eye, body, form, and step can one execute the five methods of the sword: striking, piercing, parrying, sweeping, and lifting.
With the Swift-Walk Sword Technique at Major Achievement and the Snake-Form Step at Minor Achievement, her torso, arms, and legs were unified, allowing Zhao Chun to execute several moves in the space of a single breath, a mere inch of movement pulling her entire body.
The breakthrough in her martial way techniques finally allowed her to feel the opportunity for her upper and lower dantians to resonate with each other. As she moved through the stone forest at extreme speed, her mind grew increasingly clear. The very instant a shadow monkey pounced, she could launch a counterattack!
Finally, after another month, Zhao Chun's upper and lower dantians exerted force in unison. They connected through her meridians, spiritual qi flowed between them, and a tremendous power suddenly erupted within her. The exhaustion that had pervaded her body vanished completely, and she burst out of the stone forest in half a quarter.
This time, she felt her strength was full to brimming, without the slightest trace of wretchedness. No wonder others called the sixth layer of Qi Refining the "Realm of Long Breath." The spiritual qi in her dantian had surged to more than double what it was before!
If she were to face Tu Mian now, although she still couldn't win, she could at least put up a defense and not be killed in a single blow. Returning to the small pavilion, although Tu An couldn't discern her cultivation base, he could tell from her expression and bearing that something was different.
He smiled and said, "This is... you've had a breakthrough?" Zhao Chun nodded.
"I've been here for over two months. I suppose you could say I've gained something."
Tu An understood then that she was preparing to leave. With a hint of disappointment, he said, "Congratulations." Menial laborers like them often worked a single job until old age.
Being unlucky enough to be assigned to a deserted place like the Threefold Stone Forest, it was rare to have someone to talk to. Zhao Chun said with a serious expression, "Guarding this place is more leisurely than other assignments, and few people come. If you were to cultivate with a focused mind, you might just make some progress."
Tu An was only eighteen or nineteen, his face quite youthful. Hearing this, his face immediately scrunched up. For him, cultivation was unbearably dull.
He replied repeatedly, "I know, I know." Seeing he had only half-listened, Zhao Chun shook her head slightly. Lian Jing toiled day and night, yet was still willing to find time to cultivate.
Tu An had almost nothing to do, yet was unwilling to quiet his mind. The contrast between the two was truly lamentable. Exiting the Threefold Stone Forest, the gray fog gradually thinned, and her field of vision suddenly opened up, causing a heroic spirit to surge in Zhao Chun's chest.
In less than three months, she had broken through from the fifth layer to the sixth, and two of her magical arts had also seen breakthroughs. The principle that the Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent was indeed true. To achieve greatness, one must have great endurance, bearing hardships that others cannot.
Only then can one soar straight up into the clouds and reach the highest heavens. Zhao Chun nodded, summoned her Smoke Boat, and headed for her residence. After resting and tidying up, she would go to Heartbreak Cliff again, ask Xu Feng to send word to Meng Han, and soon, she would set out for the Old Sect Ruins.
(End of this chapter)