Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 135 - 111: Opening of the Sword Pond at Heavenly Spring Mountain

Chapter 135: Chapter 111: Opening of the Sword Pond at Heavenly Spring Mountain

Evening approached, and in the blink of an eye, the sun set.

A cool breeze brushed past the blade and extended to the edge, stopping just an inch from Gu Wen’s neck.

Xiao Yunyi said coldly, "You’ve lost again."

[Buddha Sword Third Level, inspired by the True Sword Dao, reducing twenty years of Heavenly Marrow, takes twenty-five years to fulfill.]

[Demon Sword Third Level, inspired by the True Sword Dao, reducing five years of Heavenly Marrow, takes ten years of Heavenly Marrow to fulfill.]

[Jade Sword Dharma Form, inspired by the True Sword Dao, reducing forty years of Heavenly Marrow, takes forty years of Heavenly Marrow to fulfill.]

Isn’t that obvious? A Sixth Level complete cultivation base against my Fourth Level.

Gu Wen thought to himself, but given the generous Heavenly Marrow discount, he didn’t complain too much.

After internally inspecting his depleted Mana, he waved his hand and said, "No more training, no more training. Sword training is about quality, not quantity."

"You would be punished by the elders for saying such a thing at Broken Sword Mountain."

Xiao Yunyi sheathed his sword and wasn’t too demanding on Gu Wen because his achievements had far exceeded his expectations.

Unaware of Gu Wen’s possession of the Fate Diagram, Xiao Yunyi could still sense that Gu Wen’s Swordsmanship was steadily improving. It’s normal for geniuses to have a swift start, but quick breakthroughs were no ordinary feat.

At every initial stage of the cultivation technique, Xiao Yunyi’s training speed was more than three times faster than Gu Wen’s. And for some Mahayana Realm Swordsmanship, he could master the first three levels with just a glance.

Because with Swordsmanship, methods converge as one progresses higher – point of force, spells, Condensed Sword, Sword Control, Sword Intent, etc., the biggest differences lay in the dharma form and Divine Skills.

Moreover, without such talents, he wouldn’t possibly be considered the contemporary top prodigy of Broken Sword Mountain.

But Xiao Yunyi couldn’t maintain the same rate of breakthroughs as his training pace like Gu Wen. He was even stuck at the Three Sword Dharma Forms for an entire year.

Xiao Yunyi found it odd but couldn’t put his finger on it as Gu Wen didn’t soar through ranks as if having divine assistance; he was just rapidly advancing his cultivation without encountering any bottlenecks.

Gu Wen exclaimed in surprise, "My Mana is depleted; wouldn’t continuing to train just cause injuries?"

Training wasn’t like simple martial practice; tactics and techniques were no longer important. It depended more on the manipulation of Mana and spells. What’s the point of training without Mana?

"Every year, not a few disciples of Broken Sword Mountain die from sword training. Most of them lack your zeal for enlightenment; their persistence stems only from reluctance to see their efforts wasted. Some even enjoy the praises from their elders and fake their hard work."

Xiao Yunyi’s tone changed, "But desperate training is always useful; at the very least, it helps disciples improve by a small realm."

Not everyone is a genius; late bloomers are not rare in the Cultivation World, and a sect needs many mid-lower level disciples to sustain itself.

Otherwise, recruiting disciples, managing Spirit Fields, mundane cities, and so forth,

"Sunken costs and fake efforts?"

"A very astute summary; you must have never entered the gates of Three Pure Mountain, right?"

Xiao Yunyi suddenly asked, Gu Wen chuckled, "I’m merely a frog in a well, never having travelled beyond the heavens, let alone to Three Pure Mountain."

"How about coming to my Broken Sword Mountain when you leave here? We will treat you with the respect due to a successor."

Just as he finished speaking, Xiao Yunyi felt a sudden chill on his forehead and looked around but saw no trace, a realization dawned on him.

The only one in Luo River with such strength could be that Taoist Heavenly Girl, but he hadn’t expected her to be watching so closely.

Was she keeping an eye on this place all the time?

Gu Wen shook his head, "Had you spoken a month earlier, I might have been truly moved. I think I’ll go to the Three Pure Mountain and seek a position as a Yuqing Heavenly Venerate."

He wasn’t opposed to joining a sect, even quite preferred the backing of a powerful organization. But if choosing between sects, surely Sanqing Taoist Sect was a natural choice, sharing origins and connections, their conduct was also respectable.

Why would he choose the unfamiliar Broken Sword Mountain over the premier sect?

Xiao Yunyi was rather disappointed but didn’t dare to persuade further. Glancing at the completely set sun, he said, "Let’s call it a day."

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

Upon returning to the inn, Gu Wen distinctly felt the small nun in the corner casting glances at him, but he didn’t pay it any mind and went upstairs to speak with Yu Hua, updating her on the events.

Earlier he hadn’t asked because it wasn’t appropriate—directly asking Xiao Yunyi about his cultivation practices would be like openly inquiring about someone’s bank card number and savings on the street.

Yu Hua, silently flipping through a book, was not surprised to hear about Xiao Yunyi breaking through three barriers and without lifting her head, she said,

"The foundational technique of Broken Sword Mountain is not the True Sword Dao; the Sword Master has another Magic Skill apart from the True Sword Dao – the Broken Sword Skill."

Gu Wen asked, "Can this technique allow for rapid breakthroughs?"

"Not exactly; the reason Xiao Yunyi managed three consecutive successes is due to his exceptionally profound groundwork."

Setting down her book, Yu Hua began to earnestly explain the Broken Sword Mountain Magic Skill to Gu Wen.

"The fundamental concept of the Broken Sword Skill is to break the learned Swordsmanship, using it as nourishment for one’s own Sword Dao. Hence, the disciples of Broken Sword Mountain cultivate numerous Sword Techniques, then break each to transform them into nourishment. You could consider these learned Sword Techniques as another form of cultivation, undergoing just a transformation between them."

Could transforming practiced Swordsmanship into cultivation help me more efficiently convert Heavenly Marrow into cultivation?

The thought unavoidably emerged in Gu Wen’s mind, but he quickly became cautious of potential drawbacks.

There is no cultivation technique that is both quick and wholesome.

"What’s the price then?"

Yu Hua answered, "Your Sword Dao must transcend the broken Sword Technique, yet not from the beginning."