Chapter 30

Chapter 030: Please Call Me Sword Immortal

This one, then!

With his mind locked onto it, the invisible Fate Power swirling in Yan Cang's eyes suddenly receded.

The next moment, he reached out and opened the Golden Chest before him, which shimmered with radiant light.

There, lying quietly at the bottom of the chest, was a jade slip identical to the one he had "previewed" earlier.

Pale golden runes along its edges flickered like breathing, and the faint sword shadow at its center seemed ready to pierce through the slip at any moment.

Yan Cang picked it up; it felt warm and slightly cool to the touch.

The moment the jade slip entered his hand, information naturally surfaced in his mind:

[Sword Nurturing Art (Skill Book): Refine Essence into Qi, Nurture the Sword with Qi. Move the sword with a thought, wield it like an extension of your arm, slay enemies from a thousand miles away.]

"Move the sword with a thought... that sounds pretty cool."

Yan Cang felt somewhat satisfied.

Holding the jade slip with both hands, just as he had when learning [Mental Space], he applied a bit of pressure.

"Crack."

With a soft sound, the jade slip shattered into countless tiny, dazzling specks of light.

Like a river of stars pouring backward, they instantly submerged into his brow.

Yan Cang instinctively closed his eyes, focusing his mind to comprehend.

Unlike last time, what surged into his mind this time was not just a vast torrent of knowledge.

There was also a cool, invisible stream of energy, along with that extremely faint, sword-shaped light shadow.

The sword shadow entered his body and sank straight into the Qi Sea of his Dantian.

Like a fish returning to the sea, it hovered silently, unmoving.

Meanwhile, the invisible energy stream rapidly coursed through his entire body, and wherever it passed, countless pores seemed to be pried open by a gentle force.

Essence Qi within his body, like awakened steam, began to rise in wisps from his limbs and bones...

"So comfortable... like soaking in a hot spring."

At the same time, the knowledge flooding his mind instantly made him understand the situation.

This was the process of all his Essence Orifices being forcibly opened and nourished by that special energy.

Next, he would need to gather this scattered Essence Qi and refine it into "Qi" within his Dantian.

This step was extremely dangerous; the slightest mistake could result in the dissipation of Essence Qi and death from exhaustion.

However, Yan Cang wasn't worried at all.

He had a nearly infinite Energy Pool as his backup, ready to replenish any consumption at any time.

Moreover, he didn't even need to control it himself at this moment.

The invisible energy, carrying the Essence Qi, traveled along mysterious paths within his body.

After completing one cycle, it flowed like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, quietly sinking into his Dantian to become nourishment for that sword-shaped light shadow.

It solidified that shadow by an imperceptible fraction.

Refine Essence into Qi, Nurture the Sword with Qi!

So that's how it is...

[Ding! You have learned the skill "Sword Nurturing Art (First Glimpse)."]

As the notification sounded, Yan Cang opened his eyes.

He instinctively formed a sword gesture with his fingers and casually slashed through the air in front of him.

"Shhh—"

A barely audible sound.

Nothing happened.

No Sword Light, no energy force, not even a speck of dust on the table was disturbed.

Yan Cang: "..."

His expression stiffened slightly.

He scratched his head and looked inward at his Dantian.

Gazing at that illusory sword shadow, which seemed ready to dissipate at any moment, Yan Cang decided not to push himself.

For now, it was more reliable to thoroughly study the knowledge in his mind.

Calming his mind, he began to carefully sort through the information related to the Sword Nurturing Art.

This cultivation method originated from the Qi Refiner's technique of Refining Essence into Qi, and despite all its variations, the core principle remained unchanged.

Qi Refiners cultivated a single breath of Qi internally, while the Sword Nurturing Art cultivated a single breath of Sword Qi internally.

The two seemed different, but in truth, they led to the same destination.

Neither of them had the clear realm divisions like "Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core" found in cultivation novels.

Although Qi Refiners had the concept of "forming a core," that was merely a natural product of condensing and compressing the Qi in the Dantian to a certain degree.

The Sword Nurturing Art was the same; one could say its ultimate goal was to condense Sword Qi to its extreme, forming an indestructible Sword Pellet that could be launched with a single thought.

There were no instant breakthroughs in realms.

At the same time, this cultivation method itself could not directly enhance physical strength.

However, during the process of Refining Essence into Qi, it could have an effect similar to exercising the body.

Moreover, because the Essence Orifices were spread throughout the entire body, even in the eyes,

this method was far more refined and uniform than any physical exercise.

But that was all.

Aside from these fundamental principles and cultivation essentials, Yan Cang also saw the three basic techniques for controlling Sword Qi within the body:

Condensation, Dispersion, and Control.

Condensation: Condensing Sword Qi into a specific Essence Orifice, granting that body part temporary sharpness and hardness like a blade.

Dispersion: Dispersing invisible Qi outward, continuously spreading to the surroundings, creating a perception field within its range similar to divine sense.

However, due to the inherently sharp nature of Sword Qi, it could not be silent and stealthy; instead, it would give those within the field a chilling sensation of a sharp sword pressed against their throat.

Control: Controlling Sword Qi that had left the body, allowing it to move as freely and agilely as a flying sword, killing enemies from a thousand miles away.

This was the most profound and difficult technique to master.

The difficulty of the three techniques increased progressively, with Condensation being the most basic.

Yan Cang moved his mind slightly, carefully guiding the faint wisp of Sword Qi from his Dantian into the Essence Orifice of his right index finger.

A faint, cool sharpness came to his fingertip.

He looked around the wooden cabin, and his gaze finally fell on the thick wooden table that served as a dining table.

He extended his index finger and gently poked it toward the tabletop.

"Pfft."

A slight, muffled sound.

With almost no effort, his fingertip pierced through the tabletop as easily as tofu.

"Not bad!" Yan Cang's eyes lit up.

But then he felt the sword shadow in his Dantian become a bit more illusory, startling him into immediately stopping the flow of Sword Qi to his fingertip.

"Can't afford to play, can't afford to play..."

The most urgent task was to cultivate quickly.

To strengthen this wisp of Sword Qi.

And with the trump card of the Great Fate Art in hand, he naturally wouldn't forget to use it now.

So, first, increase the proficiency!

Yan Cang moved his mind, his gaze falling on the Fate Star representing himself in the Fate Star Sea, while simultaneously activating Fate Power.

In an instant, countless branches of fate unfolded and then vanished before his eyes.

This time, he was going to simulate a "future" where he had painstakingly cultivated the Sword Nurturing Art for decades.

Related images flashed by like a revolving lantern:

In the scene, "he" spent most of his time sitting cross-legged in a quiet room, constantly operating the cultivation method, refining Essence Qi, and nourishing Sword Qi.

The remaining time was entirely devoted to mastering the techniques of Sword Qi manipulation.

He saw "himself" merely lift his eyes slightly, and a brilliant Sword Light burst forth from his pupils, transforming into two small swords as agile as swimming fish, freely darting within a confined space.

He also witnessed a scene where Sword Qi was expelled from the mouth, turning into countless fine, hair-thin Sword Shards, like a storm of pear blossoms, shredding everything around.

He even saw his own Sword Qi surging like an ocean; with a single thought, a dazzling Sword Light enveloped his entire body, turning into a stunning rainbow that soared through the heavens and earth!

...

"Whoa... I can fly?!"

Yan Cang watched with surging excitement and boiling blood, exclaiming that he had made the right choice.

Both cool and powerful, and able to fly by controlling a sword!

This was exactly the cultivation method he wanted!

Unfortunately, if he truly wanted to fly, he would have to cultivate slowly on his own.

This was because extracting the decades of Sword Qi cultivation from this "future" would require an astronomical amount of energy.

It was beyond what his current Energy Pool could bear, and the cost-effectiveness was extremely low.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and stick to the plan of enhancing his cultivation experience.

"With decades of hard-earned experience and insights, if I cultivate on my own now, it should be twice the result with half the effort, right?"

Yan Cang reluctantly gazed at the dashing figure soaring through the air on a sword, his mind acting like an invisible hand, gently scooping up that future scene of light and shadow.

Instantly, a vast amount of subtle understanding of the cultivation method's operation, exquisite insights into Sword Qi control, and precious experience accumulated through day after day of practice...

Like a copied data stream, it surged and poured into his current mind and bodily instincts.

In an instant, the torrent of information washed over him.

"Ah! I've got it..."

Yan Cang felt a sudden enlightenment.

Not only did his understanding and application of the three techniques—"Condensation," "Dispersion," and "Control"—suddenly become profound,

but even the daily practices of breathing, guiding Essence Qi, and nurturing Sword Qi became as natural and familiar as breathing itself.

Now, time to start cultivating!

With a clear direction, he wasted no more time.

Sitting cross-legged on the soft bed, Yan Cang slowly closed his eyes.

The distracting thoughts in his mind receded like a tide, and his breathing gradually became steady and long.