Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 110 - 88: Cultivating a Sword Qi! [3rd update, plus one for every 400 monthly tickets!]

Chapter 110: Chapter 88: Cultivating a Sword Qi! [3rd update, plus one for every 400 monthly tickets!]

Da Liang World.

In the blink of an eye, another forty years have passed.

Chen Jichuan still habitually refers to this world as the "Da Liang World," but in reality, Da Liang has become history. It has been replaced by the Zhuang Family’s reign, now called the "Da Xiang," which has stood for forty years.

This year.

Chen Jichuan is already two hundred and twenty-two years old, with a bone age of one hundred and twenty years, making him quite advanced in age.

Even though his skills are close to mastery and he has achieved great accomplishments in cultivating Inner Strength, external skills, and Daoist Skills, Chen Jichuan cannot avoid showing signs of aging.

This is a characteristic of life itself, something beyond human power to reverse.

His cultivation has also been affected, progressing sluggishly in recent years, with both Inner Strength and external skills stuck at the Eighth Layer, unable to break through.

In Daoist Skills, however, he has been steadily improving.

Yet, due to breaking through relatively late and having had limited time, he is still climbing slowly on the Seventh Layer, quite a distance from the Eighth Layer.

Chen Jichuan is not in a rush.

The way he practices every day remains the same. The way he tempers himself also remains unchanged.

He understands clearly.

Among the thousands upon thousands of martial artists and Daoists across the ages, those who attain the Eighth Rank are ultimately a minority. Those who reach the Ninth Rank or the legendary Tenth Rank are once-in-a-century rarities.

Currently, his Inner Strength is at the Eighth Layer, external skills at the Eighth Layer, and Daoist Skills at the Seventh Layer—he is already far ahead of many.

Going further—

Can only be achieved through relentless effort, thoughtful contemplation, and the patient accumulation of time.

Over days and years.

With enough effort and accumulation, breakthroughs come naturally.

...

On this day.

Chen Jichuan did not practice as usual. He stayed at Mount Qian, sitting at the summit of the West Slope Middle Peak, holding a scroll, slowly flipping through its pages.

The book was titled "Sword Map."

It was precisely the cultivation technique gleaned from the "Yuanchen Sword."

In truth, he had already memorized all the content of the book. At this moment, he was merely flipping through it to focus his attention on pondering and reflecting, rather than recalling and reciting it.

"Nurture a single strand of Sword Qi."

"Unleashed, it injures the enemy."

"The Ten Thousand Sword Sect’s absolute skill ’Sword Map’ cultivates precisely this Sword Qi. But thereafter, it splits into two different paths—"

One path is the "Mute Sword Qi," which remains dormant and nurtured in the abdomen, refined day by day. When encountering an enemy, it is unleashed with a single breath, its Sword Qi unparalleled, capable of destroying the heavens and the earth.

It is reputed as "One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques."

Purely rigid and strong.

Nothing can withstand it.

The second path is the "Ten Thousand Sword Diagram," a technique for splitting Sword Qi. One strand divides into two, two into three, three into thousands. At its peak, there are ten thousand and eight thousand strands of Sword Qi, intertwining to form a "Sword Map" that grinds any enemy into dust.

"Mute Sword Qi."

"Ten Thousand Sword Diagram."

The former is simplistically powerful; the latter is extraordinarily intricate.

No matter which path one chooses, neither is easy.

Take the "Mute Sword Qi," for example. For the first ten years, one must not open their mouth to speak; doing so causes the Qi to dissipate and the Sword to scatter. Once the Sword Qi seed is finally cultivated, it must be served with utmost devotion, refined daily, forsaking all other techniques in favor of nurturing this single strand of Sword Qi for life.

Sincerity and loyalty in extremis.

Just this requirement alone renders many incapable of achieving it. When adventuring in the outside world, one inevitably encounters appealing techniques, leading to divided focus and fragmented concentration, which directly prevents the successful cultivation of "Mute Sword Qi."

But that is not all.

"Mute Sword Qi," with its focus on nurturing a single strand of Sword Qi, generates such overwhelming power that it oppresses the Dantian, body, and soul, subjecting the cultivator to the daily agony of the Sword Qi shredding their flesh like knives. Just as they grow accustomed to the pain and their cultivation increases, the Sword Qi intensifies, and the pain also worsens, escalating exponentially.

Only an extraordinary will can endure, otherwise—

"I advise against cultivating Mute Sword Qi."

The preface of the "Mute Sword Qi" Chapter within the "Sword Map" begins with these five bold words.

"Day and night, suffer the oppression of Sword Qi. Every moment, endure the agony of being sliced apart."

Even Chen Jichuan, upon seeing this technique, felt a chill in his heart, shaking his head repeatedly.

Such a technique.

Powerful, yes, but few dare to cultivate it.

Chen Jichuan was among those few.

"Mute Sword Qi" is notoriously difficult to cultivate. Yet, due to its unparalleled power, there are still quite a few who attempt it. Of course, nine out of ten quit midway.

Sensing the hardships of the "Mute Sword Qi," the predecessors of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect—armed with great wisdom—persisted across generations, finally creating the "Ten Thousand Sword Diagram."

This method cultivates myriad strands of Sword Qi, split from the original "Mute Sword Qi." Although each strand carries much weaker power, the pain and torment are reduced many times over.

While still more severe than other, gentler techniques, it is at least bearable.

But division alone is insufficient; the killing power of myriad strands of Sword Qi falls far short of the two or three parts of "Mute Sword Qi."

Thus, cultivators focused on sword moves and Sword Arrays.

Transforming the originally straightforward "Mute Sword Qi" into one of the most intricate and elite sword techniques under the heavens.

After this method was developed.

Even the sword-dao masters of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect have only managed to cultivate twenty thousand strands of Sword Qi. The theoretical "ten thousand and eight thousand strands" remain unattained and exist only as a hypothesis.

Yet according to the "Sword Map," if the "Ten Thousand Sword Diagram" is cultivated to twenty thousand strands, its power can already rival that of "Mute Sword Qi," far surpassing it in adaptability.

"If twenty thousand strands can rival the so-called ’One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques’ of ’Mute Sword Qi,’ then what about ten thousand strands—"

Chen Jichuan imagined such a scenario and felt breathless.

But conversely:

For the "Ten Thousand Sword Diagram" to reach twenty thousand strands of Sword Qi just to rival one strand of "Mute Sword Qi" reveals the unparalleled power of "Mute Sword Qi."

"Both are immensely strong."

Chen Jichuan closed the "Sword Map," understanding that regardless of which path is cultivated, both methods are extraordinarily powerful.

But he already had his choice: "’Mute Sword Qi’ has far too many dropouts. I am but an ordinary person and would likely be no different. Moreover, I can traverse myriad worlds and witness countless heavenly techniques—it would be unwise to forsake them all for a single strand of Sword Qi. However, the ’Ten Thousand Sword Diagram’—"

The "Ten Thousand Sword Diagram" lies in its meticulous precision, in its intricate complexity.

From a single strand of Sword Qi, expanding to two strands, then four, eight—each strand of Sword Qi functions as a sword.

Controlling a single strand equates to wielding a single sword.

Eight strands, eight swords.

Manipulating them simultaneously to perform sword techniques—imagine the difficulty. It demands extreme proficiency in sword movements and remarkable mental arithmetic capabilities.

Mere talent is insufficient.

It requires countless iterations of practice to reach mastery.

Unless gifted with unparalleled talent across the ages.

Otherwise, it can only be achieved through the accumulation of time.

Fortunately—

Chen Jichuan’s greatest resource is time!

"I possess four hundred times the temporal advantage, allowing me to practice sword techniques and the ’Ten Thousand Sword Diagram’ within the Dao Fruit World. Returning to reality, I will be able to execute sword techniques as naturally as breathing, achieving mastery. This saves precious time in honing sword techniques, leaving me free to focus solely on cultivating the ’Sword Map,’ nurturing, refining, and differentiating Sword Qi."

Chen Jichuan remained resolute and clear-headed, fully aware of his own advantages.

Rising to his feet.

He gazed down from the summit and saw two middle-aged Daoists practicing swords below. Two ferocious tigers jumped forward, aiding in tempering sword strokes.

Among the two Daoists, one wielded a sword with violent ferocity, the other with graceful dexterity.

Their display had some semblance of competence.

Chen Jichuan extended his arms, leaping down from the peak and landing before the Daoists.

"Master Ancestor."

"Master Ancestor."

The two Daoists halted their practice upon seeing the arrival of their Master Ancestor and hurried to pay their respects. Even the two mighty tigers stood upright, bowing solemnly toward Chen Jichuan, their fierce forms inexplicably tinged with a hint of clumsy admiration.

Chen Jichuan waved his hand, signaling the two Daoists and two tigers to rise, and said directly, "Qingfeng and Ming Yue, as you train in swordsmanship, you ought to be aware of this world’s great masters of sword techniques. List them for me."

"Understood."

Qingfeng and Ming Yue were puzzled as to why their Master Ancestor, known for his expertise in boxing and saber techniques, had suddenly taken an interest in swordsmanship.

Still, they dared not question him further and simply cupped their fists in acknowledgment.

...

From that day onward, Chen Jichuan began cultivating the "Sword Map," abandoning the "Divine Pouncing Saber."

Dually cultivating both techniques was unnecessary.

Trying to simultaneously master two fundamentally different techniques often causes clashes and friction in the Inner Strength circulating through the meridians. This can lead to slow progress, stagnation, or even reverse development and inner turmoil.

The "Sword Map" was already potent enough; further cultivating the "Divine Pouncing Saber" would only scatter his focus without significantly improving his combat power.

Far too inefficient.

The "Primordial Skill," on the other hand, was entirely different. Gentle and soothing, its Inner Strength could nourish the meridians.

No matter which technique he practiced, after finishing his cultivation, circulating the "Primordial Skill" for several rotations not only posed no burden but also strengthened the meridians considerably.

Though it lacked combat potency and offered minimal enhancement to physical strength, this single benefit was enough to qualify it as a rare and extraordinary skill.

Moreover, this technique could be freely "grafted," making it even more invaluable.

After discarding the "Divine Pouncing Saber," Chen Jichuan devoted his primary focus to the "Sword Map."

Every morning, he practiced boxing, cleansing his bone marrow with Transforming Strength.

Then, facing the rising sun, he cultivated the "Sword Map," nurturing a strand of Sword Qi.

Afterward, he circulated the "Primordial Skill," nourishing his meridians.

In the afternoon.

He devoted himself to studying sword techniques and moves.

In the Ten Thousand Sword Sect’s absolute skill "Sword Map," one-tenth of its focus lies on "Mute Sword Qi," one-tenth on the "Ten Thousand Sword Diagram," and the remaining eight-tenths on countless sword techniques and moves from various schools and sects, some simple, others complex.

Chen Jichuan did not rush to master the sword techniques described in the "Sword Map." Instead, he leveraged the influence of the Baozhi Forest and Immortal Temple in the Da Liang World to seek out sword masters and invite esteemed teachers to instruct him, beginning from the very basics.

Previously, he practiced the "Divine Pouncing Saber," mastering saber techniques.

Externally, his focus was on Transforming Strength.

He relied heavily on punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. As for weapons, he often used sabers, spears, and bows—but rarely swords.

Unfamiliar territory, it was unwise to hastily jump into sword techniques without solidifying the fundamentals.

One move at a time, step by step.

Practicing meticulously, day after day.

As time passed, Chen Jichuan’s swordsmanship steadily advanced—

Still a novice.

Gaining initial insight.

Scratching the surface.

Gradually approaching mastery.

Achieving perfect skill.

Minor accomplishments.

...

Six years flew by.

Over six years, Chen Jichuan solidified his swordsmanship foundation. Using only basic techniques—

Draw, lead, lift, parry, strike, thrust, poke, smash, swirl, press, chop, intercept, sweep, cloud, hang, sweep, slice, swing, smear, slash, jab, circle.

Chen Jichuan could already wield devastating power.

After all, he was a Grandmaster proficient in Transforming Strength, Innate-level cultivation, and Soul Emergence—all three at once. His elevated perspective and deep foundation turned even ordinary moves into incredible displays of prowess.

Foundation secure.

Beginning in the seventh year, Chen Jichuan began practicing more advanced sword techniques, drawing from the Da Liang World and those described in the "Sword Map."

He continued learning.

He kept training.

He frequently sparred with others, honing his practical combat skills and refining his ability to adapt to real battles.

As the years rolled by.

Chen Jichuan aged steadily, but his swordsmanship grew sharper, more seasoned, and increasingly intricate.

Nurturing a strand of Sword Qi.

In the blink of an eye, two decades passed.

...