by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
"That's right. In fact, we have reported this to the Cloud Margin City a long time ago. Hopefully, they will send someone over to take the king weapon away from the Redwolf Bandits. Only then will the Green Bamboo Academy stand a chance against the bandits. Otherwise, it will be very hard for us to maintain the peace of the Green Bamboo Town," Luo Yongcheng said. He emptied a glass of liquor before continuing, "I was wondering if you were a disciple of Cloud Margin Pavilion sent here to deal with the Redwolf Bandits, but it seems you have no idea of what's going on here, huh?"
Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "I really wasn't aware of it all. Thank you for telling me, senior. Otherwise, it will be hard for me to complete the mission."
"Wait, you're still planning to complete the mission?" Luo Yongcheng was flabbergasted.
He thought that Xiang Shaoyun would change his mind after knowing the truth, but it would seem he was wrong.
"Of course. I have never stopped doing something I have set my mind on," Xiang Shaoyun said firmly.
Luo Yongcheng looked at Xiang Shaoyun with an approving gaze when he heard those words. Soon, Luo Yongcheng left, leaving Xiang Shaoyun resting alone in the residence. Xiang Shaoyun sat in the courtyard and circulated his cultivation method, activating all nine of his stars. He started to absorb the astral energy from nine corresponding stars up in the sky.
This was a night with a starry sky, an optimal time for cultivation. The twinkling stars in the sky appeared so very tiny, but the power contained within them was one everyone wished to obtain.
With his unique physique, Xiang Shaoyun was able to absorb a large amount of astral energy when he cultivated. Strands of sparkling and translucent energy latched on to his body, turning him into a brightly lit person. He looked incomparably exalted and divine.
The stars within him pulsed, and the astral energy coursed through his meridians like rivers. His acupoints all shone brightly, and even the dragon in his lightning bone had awakened. Combined, they all painted a picture of an ancient river of stars within his body.
The river of stars formed some sort of resonance with the stars in the sky above, causing Xiang Shaoyun's absorption speed to grow even faster. The nine stars shone brighter while the lightning energy in the lightning bone grew more concentrated.
After an entire night of meditation, morning arrived. Xiang Shaoyun finally woke up from his meditation after taking in the purple qi of the first rays of the sun. He felt completely refreshed, his exhaustion from yesterday gone without a trace.
"I've improved a lot this time, haha!" Xiang Shaoyun clenched his fists and laughed.
His astral energy absorption rate had always been faster than a regular person's. But without the battle he got himself into yesterday, he wouldn't have been able to absorb astral energy at the speed he had last night.
The one night of meditation had brought him into the mid second-stage from the initial second-stage. This rapid advancement was a result of the time he had recently spent tempering and suppressing his cultivation base. At this speed, he would probably need only about three months to reach the third stage. And if he could fight more intense battles, the speed would be even faster.
Today, Xiang Shaoyun did not plan to go look for the Redwolf Bandits, as he was going to practice an ultimate technique. This so-called ultimate technique wasn't exactly a battle technique. Rather, it was a state of mind, known as human weapon unity. Human weapon unity was a state where a cultivator became one with his weapon, allowing him to unleash an even greater combat strength.
Generally speaking, to enter this state, a cultivator had to know his weapon like the back of his hand. Moreover, a high level of compatibility between the cultivator and the weapon was required. Normally to unlock this state, in addition to a combination of numerous other factors, the cultivator needed a fate weapon they had personally nurtured and used in countless battles. They also needed to be familiar with the weapon's battle technique.
Since Xiang Shaoyun needed time to grow his cultivation level, trying to enter this state was one of the only ways he could still grow stronger rapidly. And the reason he suddenly decided to cultivate this mode was due to what he had heard from Luo Yongcheng.
The leader of Redwolf Bandits had a weapon capable of harming one's soul. He had to be prepared to face that. Simply put, during his battle with the Redwolf Bandit leader, he had to kill the leader as quickly as he could. By not giving the leader a chance to use the weapon, he would be able to reduce the harm he would suffer from the fight.
The Overlord Skyslaying Saber had been stored in the astral cosmos sea for a while now. Apart from undergoing the baptism of the gold lunar liquid, the saber had also undergone the nourishment of his astral energy and his vitality. A sort of connection had formed between him and the saber.
Although something still seemed to be missing, Xiang Shaoyun was confident he stood a chance at entering the human weapon unity state in his current condition. After wiping some of his own blood essence on the saber, he started swinging the saber around randomly, trying to capture the sensation of human weapon unity.
It was too bad this sensation was not something one could capture just because one wanted to. Fortunately, there was a place within the Green Bamboo Academy that would be optimal for Xiang Shaoyun to capture that feeling.
Chapter 156: Saber Intent
The basic moves of using a saber consisted of vertical slashes, horizontal slashes, slicing, stabbing, and so on. These basic moves were what Xiang Shaoyun was currently focused on rather than some complicated or advanced moves. He swung the saber around repeatedly; his moves flowed into each other smoothly, as if they were the most natural of moves. Only a true expert in the way of saber would be able to see their imperfections.
The saber moves in accordance to the body, the body moves in accordance to my will, the saber is akin to my body, my body and mind is one, moving as my heart desires... Xiang Shaoyun pondered on the saber without stop as he swung the saber around, trying his very best to fuse the Overlord Skyslaying Saber with his body and make it a part of him so as to enter the mode he desired.
Unfortunately, even though he understood what to do, the sensation he looked for was still nowhere to be found. It wasn't because of the low compatibility between him and the Overlord Skyslaying Saber. Rather, it was because there seemed to be a layer of fog obscuring his sense of direction and stopping him from entering that state.
This was the third day in a row he had been practicing the saber. Even the most basic of saber moves had been repeated over and over, yet he had nothing to show for his hard work.
Over the three days, Luo Yongcheng had visited Xiang Shaoyun occasionally, but when he saw Xiang Shaoyun practicing the saber, he did not disturb him. In any case, eliminating the Redwolf Bandits was a task that required some time. In accordance to the mission Xiang Shaoyun had accepted, he still had three months.
Today, Luo Yongcheng had personally arrived with some fine liquor and dishes. It seemed he was planning to have a drink with Xiang Shaoyun.
"Brother Xiang, this is the Green Bamboo Liquor brewed by the Green Bamboo Academy. I guarantee you will want more after tasting it," said Luo Yongcheng. They seemed much closer now than before.
As far as Luo Yongcheng was concerned, it was only a matter of time before a young genius like Xiang Shaoyun became a King Realm cultivator. Thus, maintaining a good relationship with Xiang Shaoyun was of utmost importance to Luo Yongcheng.
Xiang Shaoyun set the saber aside and took a sip of the liquor Luo Yongcheng offered. When he swallowed the liquor, he had a sensation that a clear spring was flowing within his body. He couldn't help but praise, "A fine liquor!"
It was indeed a rarely seen fine liquor. It was brewed using the morning dew gathered from bamboo leaves and green bamboo shoots. The liquor might not be particularly strong, but it was refreshing and cool, able to remove the exhaustion and stress one was feeling.
After training the saber for three days with nothing to show for
it, Xiang Shaoyun was getting agitated. This Green Bamboo Liquor had arrived just in time to cleanse him of his negative emotions, allowing him to loosen up somewhat.
"It's good that you like it. A lot of people complain that the liquor is too mild, but not many are aware of its merits," said Luo Yongcheng with a smile.
"For me, mood is very important when drinking. A person who is worrying about something will require a strong liquor. As the saying goes, drink the worry away. Without a strong liquor, how can one drink the worry away? As for a mild liquor, it is suited for someone who is feeling agitated—to calm one's mind and ease one's nerves. A mild liquor is more suited for the current me. Thank you very much, Brother Luo," said Xiang Shaoyun as he sipped on the liquor.
After calming himself, he reached a conclusion that practicing the saber was not something to be rushed. Instead, it was a process of accumulation. Only by constantly deepening one's comprehension of the saber would one be able to progress smoothly in the way of the saber.
It had only been a year since he had started cultivating. His time with the saber was even shorter. To rely on the little experience he had to accomplish human saber unity was simply wishful thinking.
"Haha, this is quite a surprise. So you are also a liquor connoisseur? I would have never guessed it." Luo Yongcheng smiled.
The two started their drinking session. Toward the end of the session, Luo Yongcheng finally broached the main topic, "Brother Xiang, I see that you have been practicing the saber for the past few days. How is it going, if you don't mind me asking?"
Xiang Shaoyun shook his head and smiled bitterly. "How is it that easy? I planned to first complete my saber before going to look for the Redwolf Bandits. But it seems like I will have to change my plan. I'll resume my hunt tomorrow."
"There's no rush for that. I'm here because there is a great opportunity I would like to offer you, brother," Luo Yongcheng said, his tone turning serious.
"Oh, what are we talking about here?" Xiang Shaoyun asked in astonishment. Opportunity was something any cultivator longed for. It was not something one could encounter easily. He couldn't help wondering if Luo Yongcheng had any hidden intentions.
"Brother Xiang is working hard to rid the Green Bamboo Town of the Redwolf Bandits. Your action will benefit the people of Green Bamboo Town. Thus, I naturally have to provide any benefit I can to you, brother, but whether you can grasp this opportunity in your hand will depend on your own comprehension ability," Luo Yongcheng said. He paused for a bit before resuming, "Within the Green Bamboo Academy is a place called the Saber Forest. There, a remarkable saber master once resided, leaving behind a saber intent from when he had comprehended the saber there. It might be the best place for you to comprehend the saber, my brother."
"Oh? There's such a good place here?" Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed.
The so-called saber intent was a more advanced saber concept. In truth, the human saber unity phase was also a sort of saber intent. The next phase after that would be the saber steering phase, a phase where one could freely control the saber to either fly around or kill enemies with only a thought. The final phase would be the saberless phase, a phase where every part of a person was a saber. One's every word, every motion, and every inch of body could itself be a saber. Xiang Shaoyun did not know which phase that saber intent was at, but the Saber Forest was nevertheless still a great place for him to comprehend the saber.
"That's right. But unfortunately, generation after generation, our disciples have failed to comprehend the saber intent there. Nowadays, it has been nothing more than an abandoned area in our academy," Luo Yongcheng sighed.
"Where is this Saber Forest? I ask that Brother Luo lead me there," Xiang Shaoyun asked impatiently.
"Hehe, of course I will bring you there. But..." Luo Yongcheng kept Xiang Shaoyun in suspense.
"But what? Please say it," Xiang Shaoyun asked. Inwardly, he mumbled, Sure enough, there is no free meal in the world.
"If you can comprehend the saber intent, I hope you can hold one lesson and share with us your experience when you had comprehended it," Luo Yongcheng said.
In other words, Xiang Shaoyun had to teach them what he comprehended from the saber intent. This was in fact a harsh request. Nobody would be willing to spit out something they had gained with hard work.
But Xiang Shaoyun agreed with no hesitation whatsoever. "I can agree to that."
So long as he could comprehend the saber intent, he did not mind sharing what he had learned.
"You are indeed a straightforward person! Come with me, then," Luo Yongcheng said with praise.
Thus, the two headed toward the Saber Forest in the academy. The Saber Forest was located at the back of the academy, which was a serene and secluded place filled with a lush forest of bamboo.
As they walked, Green Bamboo Academy students could be seen every now and then. This was one of their favorite cultivation spots as all of them also wished to one day comprehend the saber intent. When they saw Luo Yongcheng, they came over and gave him their respects. Their curiosity was piqued when they saw a youngster by Luo Yongcheng's side.
"That is where the Saber Forest is," said Luo Yongcheng as he pointed in a certain direction.
Chapter 157: Comprehending the Dao
The so-called Saber Forest was a place amid the bamboo forest behind the academy, but there was no actual forest there. Only an expanse of broken bamboo could be seen. The bamboo had all been cut, leaving the bases where, for some reason, new bamboo sprouts weren’t growing.
When Xiang Shaoyun saw the Saber Forest, his eyes opened wide in astonishment. There were over 1,000 chopped off stalks of bamboo. The cuts were completely identical, as if all the bamboo had been chopped off by one single cut. This sight looked more like a miracle.
"A single slash to cut so many bamboo; this is how this place came to be known as the Saber Forest," Luo Yongcheng said. He had been similarly shocked when he had first seen the Saber Forest.
"Do you know who did this?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
Luo Yongcheng shook his head. "We have no idea."
"Not even you guys know?" Xiang Shaoyun was surprised to hear that.
Luo Yongcheng replied, "No. Back then, an important person had arrived at our Green Bamboo Academy to ask for some Green Bamboo Liquor. He then stayed here for a bit. At first, we did not think much of it, assuming that he was only staying here for a bit because he liked the environment. What we did not expect was that one day, he suddenly released a heaven-defying slash, alarming everyone in the academy at the time. By the time we arrived, this place had already been turned into what you see now." He paused slightly and continued, "He then left, leaving behind this Saber Forest as a way to thank our academy for the liquor."
"Just like that?" Xiang Shaoyun asked in disbelief.
"Yes. That was when we found out he was in fact a hidden expert. We did not dare to ask for advice from the Cloud Margin City regarding this matter, worried that they would occupy this Saber Forest for themselves, or even outright destroy it," Luo Yongcheng said. He further added, "After many years of investigation, we finally found out that he is most likely one of the 10 emperors of Cloud Margin City, the Saber Emperor."
"Saber Emperor? This was left by an Emperor Realm cultivator?" Xiang Shaoyun grew even more excited.
"Alright, I will clear the disciples from this place for a bit to give you some space. We will talk further when you manage to gain some comprehension from the saber intent here," Luo Yongcheng said before moving ahead to disperse the disciples from the area.
Xiang Shaoyun stayed behind alone, taking in everything around him. He started roaming around in the Saber Forest, caressing every single bamboo where it had been cut. When he felt how clean the cut was, the shock in his heart grew.
He found cutting a dozen or a few dozen stalks of bamboo with one slash believable. But what he saw here was over 1,000 stalks of bamboo with completely identical cuts. That, he found hard to believe. It was also worth
noting that all the bamboo had lost all its vitality after that one slash, as if it was all completely dead.
One ought to know that generally, even after cutting a bamboo, so long as the roots remained, the bamboo would be able to slowly regrow. But the over 1,000 bamboo stalks here were completely dead, and there was no indication that they would regrow.
After roaming around for a bit, Xiang Shaoyun sat down cross-legged, calmed his mind, and started sensing the environment around him. Due to his background, he knew a lot of things many people didn't. Thus, he was aware that to comprehend something left behind by a person, one had to first immerse oneself in the environment that person had been in so as to better capture that fleeting sensation.
The meditation lasted seven days and seven nights. He sat there without eating and drinking, baring himself to the elements, fully immersed with the world around him. Unfortunately, he still didn't get anything from his meditation session. He couldn't capture the sensation he was looking for at all. Tonight, he finally stood up as he could no longer keep himself calm.
"Dear saber intent, what do I need to do to find you?" Xiang Shaoyun mumbled gloomily.
He walked around aimlessly and arrived at the edge of the Saber Forest. Outside the Saber Forest, the normal bamboo could be seen gently swaying to the wind.
"Hu—"
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, sending a bamboo leaf brushing past his face. Abruptly, Xiang Shaoyun felt a sharp pain. He hissed in shock, and when he touched his face, he found that it was bleeding.
"The bamboo leaf...is capable of harming me?" It left Xiang Shaoyun speechless.
As he mumbled, his gaze landed on the bamboo leaves that were fluttering about in the air. Suddenly, the Nether Soul Domain in his mind activated, and an astonishing scene appeared in his mind.
In the scene, an indistinct figure could be seen seated cross-legged in the bamboo forest. Noiselessly, he swung his saber, sending a saber energy gliding across the air. With a "whoosh", an expanse of bamboo was felled.