Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 96 - 83: Yuqing Sword Technique Fourth Level

Chapter 96: Chapter 83: Yuqing Sword Technique Fourth Level

"Yuqing Sword Skill, First Move: Frost," consumed one era of Heavenly Marrow.

"Yuqing Sword Skill, Second Move: Sword Control with Thought," consumed five eras of Heavenly Marrow.

These were the levels Gu Wen had already reached, typically used only for defense and dealing with enemies far weaker than himself. The greatest limitation of the Sword Intent was its huge consumption, making it unsustainable as a regular tactic against enemies. The greatest advantage, however, was its difficulty to defend against.

With Gu Wen’s current strength, he feared no armies and could cope even when deeply entrenched in heavy-armored troops. But when it came to killing efficiency, the Flame Spear was no match for Sword Intent, because heavy armor did offer some defense against spear energy.

A casual spear thrust could break through, but a thread of spear energy from the heart could hardly penetrate fine steel.

Sword Intent does not exist in the material sense; under a single sword strike, all becomes illusion.

Gu Wen had just broken through two levels of the Yuqing Sword Skill, and according to the military classification of their weaponry skill levels, the first three levels dealt with swordsmanship and Sword Qi, focusing on the application and condensation of Sword Intent. From the Fourth Level onward, one enters into the realm of images, then further to gods, and one step further to dharma forms,

Cultivation paths all lead to the same destination; no matter the sect, all ultimately seek the profound mysteries of Daoist Skill, among which turning dead matter into living beings is the most mysterious.

To endow one’s Daoist Skill with spirituality, to turn decay into the miraculous, this is the essence of Intent, God, and Form.

"Yuqing Sword Skill, Third Move: Condense the Heart into a Sword, Hand Without a Sword, Heart as the Sword,"

It can condense Sword Intent into a sword to avoid being unarmed, consuming ten eras of Heavenly Marrow.

"Yuqing Sword Skill, Fourth Move: Yuqing Sword Intent,"

On the basis of Sword Intent, which is similar to the heart’s sword, it’s further condensed into Sword Intent. The power is more than three times that of the previous, enough to injure a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Dao foundation, costing twenty eras of Heavenly Marrow.

"Two eras of Heavenly Marrow,"

Originally intended to improve the Dao foundation with thirty-two eras of Heavenly Marrow, it was used up in an instant, leaving only two eras of Heavenly Marrow. But for Gu Wen, this was a necessary expenditure. If all the True Monarchs were to descend into battle, then there would be nothing for him to do next, let alone time for him to grow.

This was about fighting for his own soil to survive and thrive; besides, thirty-two eras of Heavenly Marrow weren’t enough to break through to the Fourth Level of Dao foundation, let alone reach perfection.

"Is this... Sword Intent?"

Ao Tang looked astonished. He keenly sensed the hint of snow-white in Gu Wen’s eyes, the Sword Intent of the Yuqing Sword Skill.

"When did you master the Yuqing Sword Intent?"

Gu Wen nodded, "I had a fortunate breakthrough a few days ago."

He didn’t say how good his swordsmanship was; the timing was naturally bluffed.

"Did you really do it?" Taking two steps forward, Ao Tang still seemed somewhat incredulous, "On normal days, you cultivate both your Dao foundation and your spear skill, and also your swordsmanship. Being proficient in one skill is already genius, exceptional in two is the sign of a prodigy, but how could you possibly have Sword Intent?"

Without a change in expression, Gu Wen replied, "That’s talent! Otherwise, how could I compete with those sect prodigies? They’ve cultivated for decades, even centuries, how long have I?"

All paths of cultivation boil down to the word ’enlightenment.’ Most follow the footsteps of their predecessors, some walking fast, others slowly. Gu Wen felt that there wasn’t any issue with himself walking a bit faster.

After all, others have been cultivating on mountains since childhood, each picked from millions to become cultivators and then selected from tens of millions of cultivators to become geniuses, and finally, out of hundreds of geniuses, they emerged as prodigies.

Isn’t my Fate Diagram also myself?

I am the Fate Diagram, and the Fate Diagram is me.

If Gu Wen had no talent at all, or if his talent was extremely poor, then perhaps he would have needed hundreds to thousands of eras of Heavenly Marrow.

Yu Hua, who was standing by, was slightly stunned but then felt there was no problem, saying, "I’ve heard that Xiao Yunyi understood Sword Intent after a month of cultivating the Green Willow Sword Skill at Broken Sword Mountain. You’ve been cultivating for half a year, so it’s normal for you to have grasped Sword Intent."

No, how is that normal?

Ao Tang said quietly, "He practices so many things, but others only practice swordsmanship."

A person’s energy is limited, and so should be one’s natural talent.

"A mediocrity might spend an entire lifetime unable to grasp Sword Intent, a prodigy might comprehend it within a month, so why can’t Gu Wen, in his spare time, manage to refine Sword Intent?"

Yu Hua paused for a moment, then looked at Ao Tang with a softened voice and said, "Protector, you’re only at the Fourth Level of Dao Foundation Perfection, so why compare yourself with him? Isn’t that just deceiving yourself?"

"Hiss!"

Ao Tang sharply inhaled, retreating two steps as if two knives had stabbed into his Daoist heart.

He wanted to retort something, as the talent Gu Wen displayed was simply unfathomable. But upon thinking of Gu Wen as the ’future sect leader, Venerable,’ everything seemed to make a bit of sense.

Yet Yu Hua’s words were too hurtful, making it difficult for him to accept them in the moment.

Yu Hua didn’t bother any further with the disheartened Ao Tang, turned her head to Gu Wen, and said, "This matter is now yours to handle, I’ll provide you with all the assistance you need."

"I need pills that can accelerate my cultivation, as many as possible."

Gu Wen introspected his Fate Diagram and learned that the Fifth Level of Yuqing Sword Skill, "Sword Intent Frost," required forty years of Heavenly Marrow. The Cultivation Technique’s scriptures were intricate, and when it came down to actual power, it was twice that of the Fourth Level.

He used his own combat experience to predict that, with the power of the Flame Dharma compared, he could probably slay an ordinary Fourth-Level Daoist practitioner, bisect a fully-armored soldier at the waist, and his full-force strike could extend thirty feet, ensuring death to divine souls within that range.

The energy consumption was three times that of the Flame Spear, yet the power was only a third of it, but its efficiency in slaughtering mortal armies was extremely high.

Further down, the Yuqing Sword Skill’s Sixth Level, "Yuqing Sword God," would require eighty years of Heavenly Marrow. The Seventh Level, "Green Willow Sword Skill," would need one hundred and sixty years of Heavenly Marrow. The Eighth Level, "Jade Sword Extreme," would need three hundred and twenty years of Heavenly Marrow.

The Ninth Level belonged to dharma form Divine Skills, which Yu Hua had not given him because she had not learned them herself. Divine Skills did not have a specific cultivation method; they could only be comprehended through objects that carried remnants of the Dao’s rhymes.

Gu Wen needed to reach the Seventh Level and solidify the Jade Sword dharma form in order to ascend Heavenly Spring Mountain. There were three Levels in between, from the Fourth to the Seventh, which altogether required two hundred and eighty years of Heavenly Marrow.

This was eighty years more than needed to coalesce a Primordial Spirit of Mixed Element, and proceeding step by step in cultivation simply wouldn’t do; at present, his only option was to seize that thousand catties of Spiritual Objects.

"Protector, give all the pills that can speed up the Dao Foundation cultivation to Gu Wen."

Yu Hua was straightforward, and despite the pain it caused him, Ao Tang still brought out all he had in the face of the Immortality Pill.

He exhorted, "The Spiritual Objects from Immortal Land are unique and indeed can hasten cultivation. But do not consume too many at once, lest your foundation becomes weak and unstable."

"I know."

Gu Wen casually weighed them; the pills Ao Tang provided actually weighed a pound. If they were all the size of Dragon Tiger Pills, that would mean there were about thirty pills.

The pills previously provided by Yu Hua were at least worth a year of Heavenly Marrow, and all the pills prepared for her by the Sanqing Taoist Sect were top-grade.

Ao Tang sighed, "I’ve invested all my gains into this. You must not fail. If you don’t become our little ancestor, we may have to storm our way through, flattening the Sword Pond of Heavenly Spring Mountain would be no less than killing the Lord Emperor."

He only lamented the misfortune of times, as if seeking the Immortality Pill would bring divine retribution. From the moment the Lord Emperor learned of the Immortality Pill and annihilated the Gu family, to the resurgence of the Gu family descendant reclaiming the legitimate path, events never went according to the Daoist Sect’s plans, always turning out contrary to their wishes.

Now, it was almost certain that the Immortality Pill was in the Sword Washing Pond, and the strange phenomena around it pointed to this conclusion. While it is said that only the Enlightened could determine if the Immortality Pill was present, it wasn’t stated that only Yu Hua could obtain it.

Even if it was just a possibility, they had to venture in.

"This expenditure implies that others will surely intervene... Alas!"

"Fellow Daoist will die?"

Gu Wen looked up slightly; he knew Yu Hua would shorten her lifespan, but her statement seemed to suggest that Yu Hua would die if she took action this time.

Yu Hua shook her head in response, "No, I will merely fall into weakness. Don’t feel pressured, this is not for you to shoulder. Regardless of the outcome, the Daoist Sect will ensure your safety. Even without me, your talent is enough for the Daoist Sect to protect you."

Weakness meant being vulnerable to the onslaught of a mob, and the current peace was upheld through Yu Hua’s deterrence.

Gu Wen’s gaze became heavier, yet he said nothing. Beyond successfully ascending the mountain, it indeed wasn’t his responsibility.

But considering the fate of all the True Monarchs below, could he really gather what was needed for his Fate Diagram?

Fortunately, he wasn’t entirely without a chance to turn the tide: enhance his strength, seize a thousand catties of Spiritual Objects, and eventually ascend the mountain.