Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

"That’s right, a disciple of the Yao family from Jinling."

Situ Qin said casually,

"Yao Tianchuan was sent to the Sword Storage Pavilion to learn swordsmanship as a child. His cultivation progressed at a divine speed, breaking through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm at the age of twenty. He’s been hailed as the most promising young man of his generation in the Jinling Yao family."

"At the Jinling Junior Hidden Dragon Meeting early this year, he had just broken through. In a pure contest of techniques, he defeated a Swordsman at the Qi Blood Second Transformation by half a move, making a great name for himself."

Xie Yuan thought for a moment and finally remembered where he had heard that name.

It was from that tournament. The news had caused a huge stir at the time, and people still discussed it now and then.

Especially after the Sword Storage Pavilion declared its intention to challenge Cloud Mountain and the two sects set a date for the Cloud Mountain Sword Summit, the disciples of the Sword Sect often talked about the outstanding disciples of the Sword Storage Pavilion, and someone had mentioned this person and this event.

Yao Tianchuan was just twenty this year. He had broken through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm at the beginning of the year and immediately made a splash at a grand gathering of young disciples in Jiangnan.

Having just reached the Qi Blood First Transformation, he defeated an opponent at the Qi Blood Second Transformation. Although it was only a matter of technique, many techniques can only be comprehended and used at higher realms. For a newly advanced cultivator, even defeating someone at the same level should have been difficult, yet he had won against a higher-realm opponent. Thus, he became famous overnight.

In the six months that followed, he traveled through Jiangnan and fought in nineteen consecutive sword duels. All his opponents were experts at the same realm, including gifted peers and even long-famous seniors. He remained undefeated, winning every single match. With that, his fame spread far and wide, to the point that even Martial Artists in Yunzhou had heard of him.

Many senior Grandmasters lavished praise on Yao Tianchuan’s talent, believing his ascension to Grandmaster was a sure thing. It wasn’t even out of the question that he could become the number one person in the Yao family and break through to an even higher realm in the future.

And many believed that as soon as he reached the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm, he would certainly earn a spot on the Hidden Dragon List, just as he had shown such stunning performance right after breaking into the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm.

’I wonder, after half a year, how far is he from the Qi Blood Second Transformation?’

As Xie Yuan recalled Yao Tianchuan’s deeds, a chill ran through his heart.

Judging by his combat prowess, the Qi Blood First Transformation Realm disciple from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had almost zero chance of winning.

He mused,

"Yao Tianchuan possesses the strengths of both the Yao family of Jinling and the Sword Storage Pavilion. He can’t be regarded as an ordinary sect disciple. His combat record certainly proves this."

"He’s certainly got the skills. He’s also mad about martial arts, a true fanatic with great perseverance, unlike those other young masters from prominent families. For the Jinling Yao family to produce such a young man, they must truly cherish him."

Situ Qin commented casually. Although her words were praising Yao Tianchuan, her attitude was dismissive.

Xie Yuan nodded slightly. Judging from the nineteen official duels in half a year, Yao Tianchuan indeed had the air of a martial arts fanatic. On average, three matches a month meant he was practically relentless.

Moreover, every person he challenged was a famous expert or gifted prodigy from various parts of Jiangnan; none were nobodies. Yet he still achieved nineteen consecutive victories, a record stunning enough to make one’s jaw drop.

It was just hard to imagine a young master from a prominent family being so obsessed with martial arts. It was normal to enjoy martial arts, but to be a fanatic was rare.

The Yao family of Jinling, one of the Eight Great Families. However, they seemed to have been somewhat quiet in recent years, with not much news about them. At least on or below Cloud Mountain, few people discussed them.

"Why doesn’t the Jinling Yao family teach their own disciples? Why send them all to the Sword Storage Pavilion to learn swordsmanship?"

Xie Yuan asked.

Situ Qin gave a scornful smile.

"To form an alliance and find a backer, of course. Back during the Rebellion of the Eight Sects, they were among the most enthusiastic participants. Afterward, my mother paid them a personal visit... They also suffered the most deaths. Several of their Grandmasters were wiped out, and their strength was greatly diminished."

"They’ve been much more docile these past few years. They’ve also been actively building good relationships with the sects and families near Jinling to avoid being taken advantage of in their weakened state."

"East Lake isn’t far from Jinling, so naturally, they put the most effort into courting them. Plus, they had a good relationship in the past, so they just sent all their talented disciples to the Sword Storage Pavilion. Yao Tianchuan is the most successful one in recent years, and he probably bears the heavy burden of reviving the Yao family."

Xie Yuan fell silent for a moment. Whenever the topic of the Eight Great Families came up, it was impossible not to touch upon Situ Qin’s past.

But given their relationship, he didn’t need to avoid the subject. He just sighed and said,

"Should I not have asked so many questions?"

"What’s the big deal!"

Situ Qin blinked.

"It’s all just old news, water under the bridge. I can’t even be bothered to think about it these days. As long as they don’t provoke me, I won’t bother them. It doesn’t matter."

Hearing Situ Qin’s carefree words, Xie Yuan relaxed a little. He had been worried that Situ Qin was still hung up on the past, making her feel depressed. But judging by her personality and actions, she had clearly come to terms with it.

’But isn’t there a sense of helplessness and compromise in all this?’

’Who are her enemies? All eight of the Great Families? Even the number one expert in the Martial Dao, or the reigning emperor, would have no way of completely eradicating these thousand-year-old families. It would be difficult to uproot even one, let alone all eight. To some extent, the Eight Great Families *are* the Central Plains.’

’Or is her enemy the current emperor? But he’s one of her only remaining relatives. The emperor did indeed show great favor and trust to Xue Ming River back then. He was his sworn brother, thick as blood, and Situ Qin’s own uncle. Could she really seek revenge against him? Even if she wanted to, assassinating an emperor is no easy task.’

’If there’s no solution, it’s better not to think about it.’

A faint sense of pity for Situ Qin welled up in Xie Yuan, but then he heard her giggle and say,

"But Master Xie, you’re always so concerned about my feelings. You’re such a considerate person~"

Xie Yuan’s tender feelings were washed away by her half-joking, half-teasing remark. He said, slightly annoyed,

"I’m average, I guess!"

Situ Qin blinked, a soft light showing in the depths of her beautiful eyes.

But she didn’t continue the banter. Instead, she looked Xie Yuan up and down and smiled.

"Master Xie, I almost forgot! Congratulations on breaking through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm!"

Xie Yuan clasped his hands together in a serious gesture.

"I have to thank you for those three Blood Dragon Pills. I couldn’t have broken through so quickly without them."

"The Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm isn’t impossibly difficult, but it’s not simple either. Accumulating Blood Qi certainly takes some effort, and the metamorphosis breakthrough requires even more insight from the cultivator. The fact that you could break through so quickly, Master Xie, is also a credit to your own outstanding talent and diligent cultivation. External aids can’t turn a mediocre person into a genius."

To be honest, even though she had given him three Blood Dragon Pills, Situ Qin hadn’t expected Xie Yuan to break through so quickly.

’Three Blood Dragon Pills were surely enough to accumulate the needed Blood Qi, but a major realm bottleneck could hold someone back for any length of time.’

’After Xie Yuan successfully comprehended the Cloud Dragon Step, I had to re-evaluate his talent, but I still thought it would take some time.’

’But we haven’t seen each other for just a month, and he’s already broken through?’

Situ Qin appeared to be all smiles, but inwardly, she raised her guard.

’I can’t let Master Xie surpass me... No way, I need to train harder too!’

Situ Qin might seem playful, gluttonous, enthusiastic, and easygoing, but deep down, she was extremely proud.

Her background and her talent would not allow her to fall behind anyone, not even Xie Yuan... Hmm, not even him!

Xie Yuan had no idea that seeing him break through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm had both shocked and alarmed Situ Qin, making her secretly resolve to train harder.

For some reason, he always seemed to galvanize the people around him.

"You’re right, Miss Qin. In that case, I won’t be modest. My achievements today are indeed mainly due to my own sweat and hard work."

Xie Yuan said with a cupped-fist salute after hearing Situ Qin’s praise.

Situ Qin burst out laughing and cursed,

"You’re so shameless!"

Xie Yuan chatted and joked with her for a while longer, then, seeing the time, he took his leave.

He didn’t have much free time these days. Everyone in the sect, from top to bottom, was bustling about, preparing for the grand event.

「The Autumnal Equinox.」

A large contingent of Swordsmen, all dressed in blue robes with a water-ripple pattern and a sword at their waist, appeared outside Cloud Mountain Town in the faint morning light.

All the martial-world travelers around the town were already waiting there, silently watching the Swordsmen from the East Lake’s Sword Storage Pavilion. Their eyes, filled with either fanaticism or reverence, were fixed on the dark-faced, middle-aged man in the lead: Wei Dong, Pavilion Master of the Sword Storage Pavilion and fifth on the Flying Dragon List.

He looked like a middle-aged man in his late thirties or early forties, but he was actually over fifty. It was just that his high cultivation and vigorous Qi and Blood concealed his true age. Only his pair of sharp eyes and the natural aura of authority about him made it instantly clear that he was no simple character.

Although Cloud Mountain Town was packed with people, the path to the mountain gate had long since been cleared. No one dared to block the way at a time like this.

With every step Wei Dong took, people both inside and outside the town faintly heard the sound of a sea tide. At first, they didn’t notice it, but later, they began to whisper amongst themselves. After talking, they realized everyone had heard it, and the sound seemed to cover the entire area. They couldn’t help but look in horror at the Flying Dragon List Master.

’His Cultivation Technique resonates with heaven and earth, so much so that he can’t suppress it even while walking. Could it be he has truly touched upon the Unity Realm?’

Wei Dong led the Sword Storage Pavilion disciples through Cloud Mountain Town and arrived at the mountain gate of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, where he saw a silver-haired young man waiting for them.

This young man had a gentle disposition and a face as smooth as jade, a stark contrast to the stern, dark-faced Wei Dong.

He looked to be in his twenties, yet his temples were silver-white, and his eyes were deep, like they held a sea of stars. He was clearly not a true youth.

"Sect Leader Li, I’ve troubled you to come down the mountain to greet me personally. You are too kind."

Wei Dong cupped his hands and said in a deep voice.

Li Xingtuo smiled freely and cupped his hands in return.

"Pavilion Master Wei has come from afar. How could I, Li, fail to give you a proper welcome? Come, Pavilion Master Wei, I will guide you up the mountain."

Behind Wei Dong, the members of the Sword Storage Pavilion walked with their heads held high and chests puffed out, their bearing extraordinary, possessed of the pride befitting disciples of the world’s number one Sword Sect.

However, the moment they saw Li Xingtuo, they all reined in their auras and lowered their heads slightly.

This was the ninth-ranked master on the Flying Dragon List, one of the most renowned Swordsmen in the world.

Among all who wielded a sword, it was rare to find one who could still hold their head high in the presence of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s Leader.

Li Xingtuo and Wei Dong walked up the mountain side-by-side. Along the way, Li Xingtuo pointed out the sights of Cloud Mountain, quoting classics and telling tales of legendary swordsmen of the past.

Although the two sects had often competed in swordsmanship, this was the first time their leaders had come to spar on Cloud Mountain, at least during the tenure of these two men.

The martial world of the Great Li Dynasty endlessly discussed what this could mean.

When they reached the top of the main peak and saw Sword Peak piercing the heavens like a blade, Wei Dong’s calm expression suddenly froze. His pupils contracted, and he paused for a long moment before saying,

"A fine sword."

Li Xingtuo smiled faintly, pointed to the long-erected arena and the high platform next to it, and gestured.

"Pavilion Master Wei, shall we be seated?"

Swordsmen are generally not fond of excessive ceremony. After a simple ritual, the hosts and guests took their respective seats, and the first day of the sword competition was declared to have begun.

Situ Qin and the other guests from outside the sect were seated in a special area. As the steward-of-all-trades in charge of the East Half Mountain guest courtyard, Xie Yuan was also waiting not far from her, ready to attend to the guests’ needs at a moment’s notice.

But with so many people around, although the two were close, they couldn’t chat and laugh freely. They could only exchange glances from time to time, which strangely felt like passing secret notes in broad daylight in front of a huge crowd.

The first day was for External Training matches to warm up the event and evaluate the disciples.

The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect and the Sword Storage Pavilion each sent out five External Training disciples. Although their cultivation was not high, their auras were all extraordinary. They were clearly new disciples with considerable potential.

These five External Training disciples from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect were not Outer Sect disciples. They were core or even True Disciples who had been selected for the Inner Sect or the various peaks and courtyards right after joining due to their talent, just like Huang Zifeng back in the day.

Their strength was naturally not comparable to that of ordinary External Training disciples; they were basically at the peak of the External Training level.

Everyone felt that this round of competition wouldn’t create many waves. After all, External Training only involved so many techniques and didn’t touch upon advanced Swordsmanship or Cultivation Techniques.

The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect was also a Major Sect, and the two sects were thought to be roughly on par with each other. The real contest was yet to come.

However, the five matches ended quickly, and the result was completely unexpected—

Of the five sword matches, the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect lost four. They only won a single match, and it was a narrow victory, not without a bit of luck.

This result was unforeseen by everyone in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect. Even if they were inferior to the Sword Storage Pavilion, they had expected to win at least two matches, and for the bouts to not be so one-sided.

Hearing the cheers from the Sword Storage Pavilion, the faces of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect disciples fell. The atmosphere on the main peak instantly grew heavy.