Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 127 - 107: The Arrogant Ones All Have Illnesses

Chapter 127: Chapter 107: The Arrogant Ones All Have Illnesses

Again, the Immortal Skill.

From the moment Gu Wen began his cultivation, he had heard of the Thirty-Six Immortal Skill no less than a hundred times. His cultivation at the Yuqing Daoji was the Immortal Skill, the True Sword Dao was the Immortal Skill, and the Yuqing Sword Skill and Jun Yan were also connected to the Immortal Skill.

Both the Greater and Lesser Vehicles were forms of the Immortal Skill, but one was about the Buddha Ancestor enlightening all beings, and the other was about the Great Demon laying down their butcher’s knife and instantly achieving Buddhahood.

Xiao Yunyi asked, "Do you know about the Burial Abyss?"

Gu Wen nodded, "It’s said to be a place that can extend one’s life, filled with countless old monsters who don’t wish to die, each one being ancient and withered."

The last sentence was Hee Huan’s quip. The Burial Abyss only slowed the loss of one’s lifespan, and in the process, one was unable to take any action, akin to being frozen. Though one might exist for ten thousand years, their cultivation would remain as it was before entering.

And during this process, life did not completely halt; most who entered the Burial Abyss were slowly dying, with the most obvious sign being the withering of the body.

Thus, it was not well-regarded in the Cultivation World. Many bristled at the thought, preferring death over becoming a piece of dried-up jerked meat.

"That’s right, no one knows how many old monsters are buried there. Thousands of years of accumulation could easily produce hundreds at the Mahayana Realm."

Xiao Yunyi then asked, "Do you know about the Gu Poison common among the mortal realm?"

"I have a slight understanding," Gu Wen replied.

No sooner had he spoken than a sudden thought flashed across his mind.

To have Ten Thousand Demons within and fuse them into one for immortality was quite explicit in its meaning, suggesting that merging a large number or many Demons into one could lead to immortality. This also explained why Jun Yan had multiple consciousnesses and why Lu Chan referred to Jun Yan differently.

Because she was facing one of those consciousnesses.

Xiao Yunyi did not beat around the bush and directly said, "The Burial Abyss is a training ground for the Heavenly Demon law and also the place where Jun Yan grew up. Since childhood, countless Demons have been planted within him; he is but a jar for nurturing Gu. One day, when the Ten Thousand Demons become one, the Heavenly Demon will return."

"So you want me to kill an Immortal-level Heavenly Demon?" Gu Wen stroked his chin, noting that this job was clearly beyond his capabilities. Learning a Swordsmanship and accepting such a task did not seem worthwhile.

What if it wasn’t mandatory, but what about the karma involved?

"You cannot kill the Heavenly Demon; I merely want you to kill the Gu Worms that emerge," Xiao Yunyi shook his head, offering more detailed explanations:

"When Jun Yan can’t suppress the Demons within him, he will appear as if possessed. You need only kill once, and Jun Yan will regain his senses."

Gu Wen realized and immediately felt the deal was very favorable. He did not have to face the Heavenly Demon, but rather the consciousness of an old piece of jerked meat.

And this was based on his capabilities and was not obligatory.

"I will do my best."

"That would be very good," Xiao Yunyi nodded with satisfaction, needing only Gu Wen’s promise, even if it was non-binding.

Others might not understand; figures like Jun Yan and Chi Yu Zi had high regards for Gu Wen, believing that given time, he could stand at the same level as them. But Xiao Yunyi believed they had still underestimated him, for someone who mastered the True Sword Dao was on the same level as a Three Pure Daoist.

Unless Jun Yan managed to suppress the Ten Thousand Demons within him or Chi Yu Zi overcame his own physical issues, they would inevitably fall behind Gu Wen in the future.

The foundations of the current top five on the three lists were nearly equal; the only thing that could create a real gap was the Immortal Skill.

Gu Wen’s future achievement must surely begin at the Venerable level, and Xiao Yunyi also believed that the True Sword Dao was no weaker than other Immortal Skills.

"Alright, let’s get to the main topic."

Clearly, Xiao Yunyi was not one for small talk. He instructed Gu Wen to sit cross-legged on the ground while he drew a circle around him with his sword. The tip of the sword carved into the floor, and streaks of Sword Intent formed a Sword Array.

He asked, "How are you progressing with the Buddha, Tao, and Demon Swords?"

Gu Wen replied, "Taoist Sword at the Sixth Level, both Buddha and Demon Swords at the Second Level."

"Then let’s start with the Demon Sword. The Buddha Sword emphasizes momentum, which is the most challenging to learn, whereas the Demon Sword is just about refining the Sword Qi. Since the Sword Qi takes form, it is easier to comprehend."

As Xiao Yunyi spoke, strands of dark Sword Qi emerged around Gu Wen, floating in the void like tadpoles.

One breath was a mayfly, the second breath coalesced into a sword; its changes between soft and hard were measured, combining strength and flexibility.

Amidst the slowed changes by a thousandfold, Gu Wen not only observed the Sword Qi but also condensed a strand of his own.

[Attaining Demon Sword Third Level, the inception of Sword Intent, one requires eightscore years of Heavenly Marrow.]

[Attaining Buddha Sword Third Level, the momentum solidifies, one requires a hundred years of Heavenly Marrow.]

At the Third Level, the Heavenly Marrow required by the Buddha and Demon Swords began to diverge, partly due to Gu Wen’s lower aptitude in Buddhist Law and also because the Buddha Sword was harder to master.

After all, daily, Yu Hua was supplementing his Mystical Sect Cultivation Technique, while he truly had no monk to teach him Buddhist Law.

An hour later, Gu Wen had condensed a strand of Sword Intent similar to Xiao Yunyi’s, capable of freely changing its form.

[Under Xiao Yunyi’s guidance, advancement in Demon Sword Swordsmanship reduced by ten years of Heavenly Marrow.]

In two hours, Gu Wen could stably condense Third Level Sword Intent.

[Further advancement in Demon Sword Swordsmanship reduced by another ten years of Heavenly Marrow.]

Xiao Yunyi’s brows twitched involuntarily as he asked, "Have you learned?"

Even though one successful skill could lead to mastering others, his Sword Dao had already reached the height of Sixth Level. Faster learning of the other two swords was understandable. But this was too fast; mastering Third Level Sword Intent in just two hours.

Even if it wasn’t enough for a breakthrough and couldn’t yet be employed in actual combat, it took him the same amount of time to grasp the Buddha, Tao, and Demon Swords originally.

Xiao Yunyi’s Swordsmanship at Broken Sword Mountain had already surpassed the stage of dharma form, equivalent to the Eighth Level of the Yuqing Sword Skill. Now, Gu Wen didn’t even have the Sword Dao Dharma Form, and with the same speed, the difference between them was the gap in talent.

In Broken Sword Mountain, one who could gather Sword Intent in a year was considered a genius, in half a year a prodigy, but in two hours, a chosen successor, which was Xiao Yunyi.

Gu Wen modestly said, "I was lucky to have realized it."

Xiao Yunyi, however, praised him, "You have good talent. Even in Broken Sword Mountain, you could reach the standard of an alternate successor."

Being the number one prodigy in Sword Dao, it wasn’t impossible for him to accept that someone else was stronger than himself. Moreover, there were many early-stage talents with fierce momentum, but they might just have a high aptitude in concentration.

Concentration can be polished over time, but the subsequent realms of mood, spirit form, phase skill, and divine techniques cannot be refined just with time.

In three hours, Gu Wen was already able to gather two strands of Sword Intent at once.

[Progress in Demon Sword Swordsmanship, ten years of Heavenly Marrow reduced]

[Demon Sword reaches Third Level with initial Sword Intent, requires fifty years of Heavenly Marrow to complete]

Gu Wen didn’t rush to leave but continued to sit cross-legged on the ground to stabilize his realm, similar to reviewing what was learned about gathering Sword Intent multiple times.

At this time, it was already eight or nine in the morning outside, the sun was shining brightly, Xiao Yunyi was already busy in the courtyard, he brought the bath barrel out of the room, and then burned all the meatballs with Spiritual Fire.

While Jun Yan came back with a fresh river fish and some vegetables and fruits, busying himself in the kitchen. By the time Gu Wen emerged from meditation, lunch was ready.

Xiao Yunyi was already sitting at the dining table and started to pick dishes, while Jun Yan was still bringing dishes to the table, looking like a domestic husband, quite unfitting of his identity as a successor of the Demon Sect.

"Do you want to stay for lunch?"

Facing the invitation from the Demon Sect’s successor, Gu Wen did not refuse and directly joined the table for lunch. The three of them didn’t talk much about serious matters, just like ordinary friends gathering for a meal.

Gu Wen took the initiative to ask about the Jade Sword Buddha but didn’t reveal the Buddha-Demon conflict told by Yu Hua.

Xiao Yunyi shook his head, "I’m not very familiar with the Jade Sword Buddha, but I don’t like her sword. It doesn’t seem like a sword but more like a scabbard."

"You really are obsessed with swordsmanship," Jun Yan teased. Then, with interest, he looked at Gu Wen and asked, "Did something happen between you and that nun?"

Gu Wen shook his head in denial, "Nothing happened, just asked for swordsmanship and was refused."

"That’s good, it’s best to stay away from her."

Jun Yan said the same thing as Yu Hua, and then he began to recount his past with the Jade Sword Buddha.

His and Jade Sword Buddha’s origins involved an old freak; the former sought the old freak to learn skills, relying on the relationship with the internal demon to deepen his study everywhere, while the latter went to slay demons. Right after Jun Yan left his master, the Jade Sword Buddha came to destroy the entire Demon Sect.

It was just a close miss, but Jun Yan remembered that he left something behind, so on his return journey, he ran into her.

Then it was a lengthy pursuit; the Jade Sword Buddha’s pursuit seemed almost pointless. It made Jun Yan believe she was a weapon the Buddhist Sect used against the Demon Sect, a madwoman created through some secret technique.

Jun Yan’s expression grew dark as he said, "That damned nun always managed to find me. If it weren’t for my numerous avatars and life-saving contingencies, she would have killed me by now."

He could be said to hate the Jade Sword Buddha as if she had gnawed on his flesh; the unprovoked pursuit for so many years would make even the Buddha Ancestor angry.

Gu Wen was silent, as he roughly understood the reason.

According to Yu Hua, the Jade Sword Buddha thought she had to atone, and Jun Yan had countless demons within him. Slaying demons was meritorious, like cutting leeks — when one was gone, another sprouted up.

The little nun must have seen him as a bundle of merit.

After a hearty meal, Gu Wen didn’t leave but took advantage of the situation and roped Jun Yan into teaching him swordsmanship together with Xiao Yunyi.

[Under the teaching of two Sword Dao prodigies, Demon Sword reduced by ten years, needs forty years of Heavenly Marrow for Third Level]

Only ten years were added, not because both of them were subpar, but because Gu Wen realized he couldn’t keep up with the learning pace. The closer he approached the breaking point, the more he realized the difficulty.

It wasn’t something that could be solved by a few words from others; it was something he had to slowly grind on by himself. Perhaps this was where Xiao Yunyi was stuck.

It was time for Heavenly Marrow.

-----------------

Returning to the inn. Along the way, he watched a spell battle but did not gain any Heavenly Marrow.

But he heard stories of the loves and hates of young talents — a seemingly honest and straightforward cultivator blocking a Daoist female prodigy from becoming a partner with a Demon Sect cultivator. It was obvious that the former had feelings for the Daoist female prodigy.

The honest cultivator said, ’Good and evil cannot coexist,’ while the Daoist female prodigy replied, ’Brother, trust me, he’s different.’

Then the Demon Sect cultivator and Righteous cultivator started fighting, and the female cultivator below cried, ’Stop fighting.’

Gu Wen noticed a pattern; it was common for talents in the top fifty to have love stories. He could understand that young people, due to the thrill of danger, easily came together, but how could they allow romantic feelings to delay their cultivation?

Back at the inn, he found the first floor in complete chaos, with three or five worldly people standing outside, the Jade Sword Buddha sitting in a corner, and Chi Yu Zi demanding wine with sword in hand.

"Give me wine, quick!"

"We’ve given you all the stock for these few days; the rest are reserved for Gu Wen."

"Him?"

Chi Yu Zi sobered up slightly, holding her forehead, said, "Then I’ll wait for him to come back. When will he be back?"

Gu Wen stood outside and didn’t immediately go in; Chi Yu Zi’s state was clearly not right, with sweat on her forehead, a tense expression, and seemed to be enduring great pain.

Her usual sharpness was much diminished, now showing a touch of frailty.

The hand holding the sword was shaking too. If it were someone else, Gu Wen might think it was due to too much alcohol, but as a cultivator, Chi Yu Zi wouldn’t be poisoned by alcohol that easily. For a Sword Dao prodigy not to hold her sword steadily, the issue was extraordinary.

He involuntarily recalled the first time he encountered her when she said, ’I’ll die without wine.’

Could Chi Yu Zi also be carrying a serious illness?