Chapter 14: Eldest Senior Sister is Right

In the cultivation realm, ninety-nine percent of cultivators languish in the Qi Refinement stage. Consequently, custom dictates a meticulous subdivision of this realm into nine distinct tiers; only the subsequent stages are split into the simpler trifold of early, mid, and late phases.

The Central Sect, however, charted a different course. To its disciples, the Qi Refinement stage was a mere threshold to the gate—and what need was there to measure the height of a doorstep?

Thus, the Central Sect recognized only Qi Refinement itself, devoid of any lesser tiers.

"Do others also draw the breath of Qi into their bodies in this manner?"

Lu Yang inquired, plagued by curiosity. If everyone cultivated in this fashion, how was it that his own progress lagged so thoroughly behind?

Yun Zhi shook her head. "Yours is the primal path of the ancient progenitors. They communed with nature, achieving unity between heaven and man, drawing the spiritual essence directly into themselves to leap instantly into the ranks of practitioners."

In those primordial days, cultivation required no guidance from seniors, nor were there any secret manuals or techniques to speak of; there was only continuous contemplation and the perilous trial of the flesh.

"As for your meridians, they were completely unlocked during your immersion in the medicinal bath, leaving the spiritual Qi to flow without obstruction. In your state of cosmic unity, the essence courses through your flesh guided purely by your intuition; such a path is uniquely tailored to you, far surpassing any graded manual."

The cultivation world took pleasure in dividing techniques into five grand ranks—Yellow, Black, Earth, Heaven, and Immortal—yet in Yun Zhi’s eyes, there existed only two kinds: those that suited you, and those that did not.

"No technique is ever designed specifically for you at the moment of its creation. While there are countless manuals suited for the Sword Spirit Root, and I happen to possess a chest full of them, none are fit for you."

"From this day forth, I assign you a long-term task: you are to forge your own technique."

When Yun Zhi spoke of forging a technique, she naturally did not intend for Lu Yang to grope blindly in the dark alone; she would offer guidance by his side. Yet even so, the staggering immensity of the challenge was readily apparent.

To create a technique was a feat reserved solely for the venerable elders of the cultivation world.

Lu Yang’s lips twitched. "The seniors who create techniques stand upon such lofty heights; they look down upon every realm with absolute clarity and complete mastery, which alone grants them the right to create. For a junior like me, who has only just drawn Qi into his body, to create a technique is surely a bit too..."

Yun Zhi cut through Lu Yang’s complaints. "Creating a technique is not nearly as difficult as you imagine."

"Are you aware of the Central Sect's regulation stating that upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, every disciple must fulfill missions issued by the Hall of Missions to discharge their duties to the righteous path?"

Lu Yang nodded; he had heard whispers of this.

Other sects maintained similar systems requiring their disciples to complete tasks, for no sect harbored idlers, and one's worth was proven only through contribution.

Yet the Five Great Immortal Sects were different. They demanded that their disciples take up missions not to enrich the sect, but to serve the greater righteous path.

That the Five Great Immortal Sects led the righteous way was no empty boast.

"Ordinary missions require one to descend the mountain, to slay demons, exorcise ghosts, or deliver souls. I harbor a distaste for the dust of the mortal realm, so I chose an alternative method to fulfill my duties."

"And what was that?"

"The Hall of Missions offers a permanent task: depositing a technique hitherto unrecorded by the Central Sect counts as a completed mission."

"Then, Eldest Senior Sister, you..." An idea, so audacious it bordered on the absurd, dawned upon Lu Yang.

"And so, to deal with... to complete the missions, I created many techniques myself, and then deceived them by claiming I had unearthed them within ancient ruins and grotto-heavens."

"Regrettably, I was eventually found out."

"How were you found out?" Lu Yang pressed, eager for the tale.

"Because according to my mission reports, I had thoroughly exhausted every known ruin and grotto-heaven, leaving me at a loss as to which ancient site to invent next."

"So you see, creating a technique is not difficult at all."

Yun Zhi cited her own experiences as proof, her logic so sound and grounded that it commanded belief.

Lu Yang opened his mouth, desperately wanting to say: *Senior Sister, I thought you were an honest person, I never expected you to lie; Senior Sister, your divine talent is not something we mere mortals can emulate; what is called creating a technique in your hands would be called blind fabrication in mine.*

Yet, meeting Yun Zhi’s indifferent gaze, a thousand words collapsed into a single sentence.

"Eldest Senior Sister is entirely correct."

"Though you have become a cultivator, you remain far from a qualified sword cultivator. Take this book."

The Eldest Senior Sister handed over an ancient tome, bound in the hide of some unknown beast—vast, thick, and heavy.

"Chronicles of the Demon Realm?" Lu Yang flipped the ancient book open, and a wave of malevolent aura rushed at his face; the likenesses of various demons seemed to leap from the pages, and the faint, ghostly echoes of their roars reverberated in his ears.

This ancient book was undoubtedly worth a fortune!

Lu Yang grew thoughtful. A sword cultivator required sword intent, yet he was merely at the Qi Refinement stage; how was he to cultivate it?

He had heard that the ancient sword cultivators attained their first strand of sword intent through desperate, life-or-death struggles with demons, facing the raw malice of the beasts at the very brink of survival.

The answer, then, was painfully clear: he was meant to visualize the forms of these demons, comprehend their ferocious intent, extract the essence while discarding the dross, and condense ten thousand beasts into a single point to realize his own unique sword intent.

Though arduous, such a method was perfectly suited for one possessing the Sword Spirit Root.

It also revealed the deep, earnest expectations the Eldest Senior Sister harbored for him.

"I understand completely." Lu Yang nodded, grasping her intent.

Yun Zhi cast a glance at him, entirely unaware of what he had understood. With a wave of her hand, a puppet wheeled in yet another cart laden with tofu.

"It is well that you understand."

"To become a sword cultivator, one requires the quality of 'precision.' Hold this Azure Peak Sword well; your next task is to use its tip to carve the tofu into the likenesses of the demons. Their appearances are all recorded within the book."

From her storage space, Yun Zhi produced a sharp blade that gleamed with a chilling light, the characters "Azure Peak" etched upon its hilt.

Lu Yang stood frozen.

Tofu again?

Could it be that his experience the other night was no nightmare, but a prophetic dream, hinting that his future Daoist title would be the Heavenly Venerate of Tofu?

Damn it, he could not allow himself to think such thoughts.

Lu Yang hastily banished the terrifying notion from his mind.

He received the Azure Peak Sword, and his first impression was of its extraordinary lightness.

In truth, it was not that the Azure Peak Sword lacked weight; quite the contrary, it was entirely unsuitable for cultivators in the first three tiers of Qi Refinement, who would find the sharp blade far too heavy to lift.

But Lu Yang was different. Having endured the training of hauling heavy vats, his physical strength had grown to a degree he himself could scarcely fathom. To put it bluntly, he required no technique at all; a common, ordinary punch from him now could pierce clean through a cultivator of the lower three tiers.

...

Perhaps because he had stepped into the Qi Refinement stage, his latent talent for the way of the sword began to manifest, coupled with the fine control he had mastered to make the heavy feel light. Lu Yang wielded the Azure Peak Sword with practiced ease.

In a mere ten days or so, Lu Yang succeeded in carving the tofu into the shapes of the demons, as well as likenesses of himself and his Senior Sister; he could even recreate the nine lotus-shaped peaks of the Central Sect.

Following his stint as a street performer, Lu Yang had acquired a new craft, fully prepared to display his skills and make a grand name for himself in the kitchen.

He had no choice but to quicken his pace; he truly could not stomach any more tofu.

Once Lu Yang concluded this phase, the Eldest Senior Sister manifested before him. After offering a word of encouragement, she produced a single grain of white sesame.

"A sword cultivator must also train their vision. I shall now cast this sesame seed into the remnants of the tofu, and you must locate it in the shortest time possible."

With a heavy thud, Lu Yang dropped to his knees. "Eldest Senior Sister, please, let us find another way!"

The Eldest Senior Sister gazed quietly down at the pleading Lu Yang, her eyes as still and unblinking as deep water.

"Oh."