After a stick of incense, the atmosphere returned to its usual calm.
Before Gu Wen could let his thoughts wander, Yu Hua pulled him aside to write down the "Luo Shen Fu" he had just composed.
Half a year had passed, and Gu Wen's calligraphy was still not very pleasing to the eye, but with the enhancement of his cultivation, it had at least escaped the realm of 'dog-scratched characters.' The hurried strokes carried a hint of swordplay charm, making it somewhat unique.
As the fragrant ink wafted through the air, their conversation returned to the initial topic.
Yu Hua said, "The fusion of the three swords of Buddhism, Daoism, and Demonic paths is the true understanding of the Sword Dao, and the reasons behind it are quite profound. You only need to know that the founder of Zhe Jian Mountain, Sword Master, first entered Buddhism through Daoism, then entered the Demonic path through Buddhism, stealing the methods of the three schools to comprehend the Dao and break through the Dao realm with the sword."
Gu Wen paused slightly, surprised as he asked, "Even after betraying two teachings, someone still took him in?"
This was not merely seeking knowledge; it was about stealing teachings and betraying doctrines.
"The bald monk loves to steal disciples, and the Demonic sect cares little for one's background," Yu Hua replied. "As long as one's talent is high enough and one is strong enough, even after entering the Demonic path, returning to the Dao sect is not impossible."
"..."
Gu Wen fell silent.
Indeed, cultivators were still human; no matter how high their cultivation, they had not transcended mortality.
As long as there were many people at the same level, compromises were inevitable, and one would inevitably be tainted by some mundane aspects.
This was a good thing for him; at least cultivators thought with normal logic.
"What happened next?"
"He was scorned as a slave of the three teachings. Later, when he entered the Dao realm and established the Zhe Jian Mountain's lineage, he directly became the Sword Master, and the great powers of the three teachings came to acknowledge him."
"Then why doesn't this method exist in Zhe Jian Mountain?"
"There are two theories. One is that this was an agreement between the three teachings and the Sword Master. In the world, those who attain the Dao are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, but there are still many old monsters among the three teachings. The second theory is that the true understanding of the Sword Dao is not a specific method; it is nearly akin to the Dao, and leaving behind techniques would only mislead future generations."
Yu Hua slightly turned his head to gaze at the green mountains outside, saying, "Can you reach the mountain peak by merely staring at the green mountains while walking? If future generations have the ability, they will naturally seek the three swords of Buddhism, Daoism, and Demonic paths."
Gu Wen suddenly understood; the realm of the true understanding of the Sword Dao was too high, and leaving it behind would likely only cause chaos within the sect.
As for warnings or any other means, in the span of cultivators crossing millennia, all warnings and contingencies would become ineffective.
Yu Hua hinted, "Indeed, some have found it."
Gu Wen, already wise from five years of tempering on Long Bridge, speculated, "Xiao Yunyi?"
Yu Hua nodded, "That's right. Zhe Jian Mountain has expended great effort to seek the three swords of Buddhism, Daoism, and Demonic paths for him, perhaps he has not yet attained the three layers of the Demonic sword. Before this, he was stronger than the Jade Sword Buddha, but to this day, he has already become slightly weaker than you."
"To wield the first sword of heaven and earth, one must bear its weight."
The fusion of the three swords of Buddhism, Daoism, and Demonic paths is one of the thirty-six methods to become immortal and is the strongest offensive technique in the world.
However, for an ordinary person to refine even one is already the stature of a Celestial Sovereign.
Gu Wen had already established his Yu Qing Dao foundation, and Yu Hua did not recommend that Gu Wen pursue the true understanding of the Sword Dao.
Even someone as strong as Xiao Yunyi, the current first prodigy of Zhe Jian Mountain and the most talented sword cultivator of the age, needed to pause in front of the true understanding of the Sword Dao.
If he diligently cultivated the Zhe Jian Dao foundation without seeking the true understanding of the Sword Dao, he would not have fallen to seventh place on the ranking list.
But Yu Hua would not say it outright; everything should be decided by Gu Wen himself.
He had the qualifications to cultivate the true understanding of the Sword Dao, but currently, he did not have the time.
If he were to advise him not to practice at this moment, it might affect his mindset, for Yu Hua knew that Gu Wen was very good at restraining himself, able to endure like drinking water when necessary.
Endurance was not necessarily a good thing.
Yet unexpectedly, Gu Wen asked her, "Can I practice it?"
Yu Hua replied, "It's not about whether you can or cannot, but whether you want to. If you practice, you will naturally succeed; it's just a matter of time."
He knew when to reveal his sharpness and when to remain humble, wise enough not to need guidance.
Sometimes, when facing risks, it was better to prioritize stability.
Although he had already begun to show his sharpness, he still had not fully matured; he was still that little loach.
"Regarding Tian Quan Mountain..."
"The quota is no longer limited. If you cannot go up, I will take you. Don't you still need to refine the jade pendant?"
"It may delay some time, but the Dharma form should be fine."
Gu Wen shook his head, estimating that the amount of Tian Sui he could currently obtain was enough to condense the Sword Dao Dharma form, while the remaining Tian Sui would be used to practice the two swords of Buddhism and Demonic paths.
Currently, his issue was no longer about cultivation but rather that his methods were not perfect enough.
He needed an external technique sufficient to compete with prodigies like the Jade Sword Buddha.
The three swords of Buddhism and Demonic paths were difficult to practice, but not so for Tian Sui.
Yu Hua merely smiled, saying nothing more, leaving it uncertain whether she believed him.
Then Gu Wen handed the letter from the Demonic sect's disciple to Yu Hua.
She glanced at it briefly before tossing it onto the table.
"The Demonic sect's disciple and Xiao Yunyi plan to set up a scheme, uniting me and the Jade Sword Buddha to block those old monsters outside. However, his relationship with the nun is quite poor, so he wants me to act as a bridge."
"Once the Sword Pool opens, the Sword Array will still activate, leaving only the path of ten thousand swords."
Gu Wen also took a look at the letter.
The content of the letter roughly stated that the Demonic sect's disciple and Xiao Yunyi felt that too many old monsters were being attracted, which might affect their chances at Tian Quan Mountain.
However, relying solely on the two of them was insufficient to contend with everyone.
Thus, they sought to recruit Yu Hua and the Jade Sword Buddha as allies, claiming that with the three of them—Demonic sect disciple, Jade Sword Buddha, and Xiao Yunyi—together, even a Celestial Sovereign would have to be wary.
And with Yu Hua's intervention, no one could rival her.
Yu Hua asked, "What do you think?"
Gu Wen nodded, "If we enter and then activate the Sword Array, it would indeed be advantageous for us. But don't they want the Immortal Elixir?"
"Younger and talented individuals generally won't recklessly throw themselves into danger." Yu Hua picked up the "Luo Shen Fu" that Gu Wen had just finished writing, her brow slightly furrowing, "If you think it's fine, then I will participate in this so-called Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic Sword Questioning Conference."
A month later, the Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic Sword Questioning Conference.
Two months later, the Tian Quan Mountain Sword Pool.
At this moment, Gu Wen had only reached the fourth level of the Dao foundation, and the Yu Qing Sword Technique was at the fifth level, still insufficient to compete with the prodigies of the three teachings.
But knowing his shortcomings and striving to catch up, learning as if he were falling behind, he feared losing out.
What he learned from the Jade Sword Buddha was not just about his deficiencies but also about completing his own cultivation.
If they continued to not appear, these flaws would still exist, and Gu Wen would instead fear their absence.
Cultivation was for the purpose of becoming immortal.
The next day.
Gu Wen specifically went out to meet He Qing and He Huan, confirming that they were safe while also inquiring about the Demonic sect's disciple.
The identity of the Demonic sect's disciple, Jun Yan, was unknown; all that was known was that his identity as a disciple had gained the recognition of the major Demonic path figures from the Four Abysses and Eight Caves.
It was rumored that he might be backed by a certain retired Demonic sect master.
Firstly, the Demonic sect disciple is not called He Jun Yan, but rather Jun Yan.
Secondly, he is not He Qing's elder brother.
Thirdly, he is not Lu Chan's elder brother, but rather her 'senior sister.'
Years ago, he disguised himself as a woman to enter Qian Feng Sect, stealing the secret techniques of Qian Feng Sect, which made his transformation techniques even more vivid.
During that time, he took great care of the newly initiated Lu Chan and has kept in contact ever since.
Jun Yan's elixirs came from Lu Chan.
He was a sworn enemy of the Jade Sword Buddha, and the two had fought for many years.
In the past, to hunt down Jun Yan, the Jade Sword Buddha single-handedly broke into the Demonic sect, defeating two abysses and four caves, and slaying a hundred thousand Demonic path cultivators, including thousands of geniuses and dozens of prodigies, all to find the hidden Jun Yan.
Although such a feat was predicated on the younger generation fighting while the old monsters did not intervene, it was enough to demonstrate the Jade Sword Buddha's unmatched strength among his peers.
As for why the two had enmity, no one knew; all that was known was that whenever Jun Yan appeared, the Jade Sword Buddha would undoubtedly strike him down with a single sword.
Gu Wen asked, "How do you identify transformation techniques?"
He Huan replied from the side, "You should ask the dead nun; she can always find me."
"..."
Gu Wen and He Qing were speechless.
The two of them looked at He Huan, who seemed to show no signs of any abnormality, from his aura of cultivation to his facial expressions and demeanor.
The feeling of someone close being replaced without one realizing it was chilling.
Disguised as He Huan, Jun Yan smiled, "No need to put on that expression; I rarely kill. On the contrary, the more strong ones who imitate me, the better. I hope they live; that way, my identity increases."
"There's no need to fear; I'm here to thank you. I didn't expect you to truly be able to invite that heavenly maiden."
He tossed a small bag of elixirs to Gu Wen, and in the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a palm-sized paper figure.
Gu Wen glanced at the bag, which still contained ten high-grade elixirs from yesterday, roughly equivalent to seven years of Tian Sui.
But he could not feel happy; this sense of helplessness was the most detestable, akin to when he faced Zhao Feng five years ago.
It was still a matter of insufficient cultivation!
Then Gu Wen and He Qing went to confirm He Huan's safety again, arriving at his residence and having a servant announce their arrival.
"Brother Hong Chen, Brother He, what brings you here?"
He Huan emerged somewhat disheveled, followed by nearly twenty women of various shapes and sizes, from fat to thin, beautiful to ugly, and even those with disabilities.
He Huan was not picky; the only criterion was how miserable their circumstances were.
It was He Qing's first time witnessing such a scene and expressed confusion regarding He Huan's preferences.
The two then began to quarrel again.
Further away, another group was engaged in a battle of techniques, creating waves that surged seven or eight meters along the river.
Luodu had another peaceful day.
After a day of commotion, Gu Wen finally returned to his room to cultivate.
After taking the second batch of elixirs and Jun Yan's gratitude, he had obtained fifty-seven years of Tian Sui.
He then went to find the Wine True Monarch and took three jars of spiritual wine, finishing them in one go, feeling a bit dizzy, bringing his Tian Sui total to sixty years.
Adding the original thirty years of Tian Sui, his final total reached ninety years.
The sixth level of the Yu Qing Sword Technique, entering the divine through intention, required eighty years of Tian Sui for the Yu Qing Sword God.
Eighty years of Tian Sui transformed into the furnace of heaven and earth, and the Jade Sword was refined within for ten days, emerging like a divine weapon.
Compared to the Zhao Lie Dharma form, its hardness surged from fifty-one to one hundred, with its power reaching seventy percent of the Zhao Lie Spear.
【Ten years of Tian Sui.】
【Buddha Sword, drawing from the great momentum of heaven and earth, can create three thousand worlds; one layer requires forty-five years of Tian Sui.】
【Demonic Sword, drawing from the yin of heaven and the turbid of earth, condensing a ten-thousand-foot sword body, splitting heaven and shattering earth; one layer requires forty-five years of Tian Sui.】
The requirements for the remaining two swords' Tian Sui decreased further.
(End of Chapter)