Imperial Dragon Sword Art

"About 100,000 mu."

Xiao Xuan casually mentioned a number, then took a planning map from his assistant, spread it out in front of Si Ming, and said, "Divide it into eighty-one squares by nine by nine according to this plan."

"What's the point of clearing out such a large amount of farmland? Didn't you say there was a labor shortage, Uncle-Master?"

"We lack the labor for arable land, but we have the skills for farming. Besides, I plan to grow some simple, easy-to-grow crops, like sweet potatoes and potatoes, which won't require much manpower. We'll just make as much profit as we can." Xiao Xuan handed the planning map to Si Ming, adding, "I'm better at things like tunneling, moving mountains, and building roads. Farming, however, is a delicate task that's quite challenging. I can only cultivate a hundred acres at most at a time, so I'll have to trouble you, my junior brother."

"It's alright, as long as I can help my senior uncle."

Si Ming circulated his energy into the air, first rubbing his palms together like a knife, then slashing out a blade of energy at the ground. He adjusted his strength according to the depth of the slash, and after several attempts, he had a good grasp of the technique. So he activated all his internal energy, raised his palm towards the sky, and the airflow swirled rapidly.

"Thousand Blades Scorching the Plains!"

With a single palm strike, countless forces descended upon the earth, plowing in the same direction from the edge of the wasteland. At first glance, it resembled toppled dominoes, or perhaps cutting through wind and waves. Each strike could carve a furrow, but because the technique carried its own fiery energy, the soil that was turned up bore traces of scorching.

Unlike fighting a strong opponent, there was no need to concentrate one's power at this moment. Si Ming's palm strike covered a full ten thousand acres of land. After striking ten times, all the land was plowed up and returned to the ground.

Xiao Xuan praised, "Not bad. It seems your cultivation and control over your internal energy have improved significantly. There aren't many people in the world who can surpass you in this aspect."

Expanding the coverage area as much as possible while avoiding tilling too shallowly or too deeply is by no means an easy task. At least for Xiao Xuan, it would be simpler to just bomb the land upside down.

Si Ming hurriedly said, "There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. I still have much to learn." Especially after his fight with Wan Jinzang, he felt that he still had a lot to learn.

Xiao Xuan waved his hand. "No need to be modest in front of me. I'll need your help to bring rain later."

"Rainfall? With my Cultivation Body level, treating floods isn't a problem, but bringing rain is a stretch," Si Ming asked doubtfully.

"It's alright. The Dragon Scale Sword also comes with a matching Swordsmanship. Once you learn it, you'll also know how to bring rain."

Chapter 731 Imperial Dragon Sword Art

Si Ming stopped hiding his talent for instantly learning various martial arts a long time ago. Just like Void Returning Great Grandmaster Yun Jinzang Huanxu, who didn't mind telling others about his life experiences, when you are weak, you should keep a low profile to avoid being a target of trouble. When you are strong, you are a treasure, and the virtuous should possess it.

Let me tell you plainly, Laozi have some kind of cheat code, so what can you do to Laozi?

Although Si Ming wouldn't publicize it everywhere, he wouldn't deliberately hide it either. That's why Xiao Xuan knew about it and suggested that Si Ming learn and use it immediately. Otherwise, even if there was such a Swordsmanship for artificially creating rain, it would take ten days to half a month to practice it.

After resting for a while, a guard came running over at high speed with a dark gold sword box in his hand. He respectfully handed the sword box to Xiao Xuan, then stood at attention and saluted. Si Ming could see that the guard's eyes were filled with fanatical worship.

However, it's understandable when you think about it. A leader who can lead millions of impoverished people to a better life and change the fate of the masses does indeed deserve such worship. This is essentially the same as Yun Jinzang being worshipped as a god by the people of the Sword-Forging Manor.

The people of the Sword-Forging Manor did not worship Yun Jinzang because he was Void Returning Great Grandmaster. At most, people would feel awe towards the strong. However, Yun Jinzang made it so that Sword-Forging Manor did not have to be mindful of others' opinions and could freely display divine weapons without worrying about being intimidated or threatened.

With increased orders and the recruitment of more disciples, they are looked up to when they go out. They also gain both material and spiritual improvement. These tangible benefits are the reason for their worship and faith. The people of the Sea Continent are pragmatic at heart.

Xiao Xuan brought more than just economic improvement to the millions of people on the border; more importantly, he gave them hope for a bright future, a hope that was within reach. Naturally, the people would vote with their feet for such a leader.

In an era of material abundance, some people might nitpick and say sarcastic things, but for the mountain people who not long ago relied on praying to the Goddess of Mercy and eating tree bark for a living, whoever can give them a hot meal is their savior, and setting up a longevity tablet for blessings is just a basic operation.

The cult of personality has its advantages and disadvantages, but it seems that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages at present. Si Ming would naturally not meddle in other people's business, especially since martial arts experts are energetic and have long lifespans. Xiao Xuan is still far from the situation of "doing all sorts of stupid things in his old age," so there is no need to worry.

Si Ming took the sword box, opened it, and saw a golden longsword inside, radiating a powerful sword aura. Those with weak wills dared not reach out to touch it.

Si Ming gripped the hilt and drew the sword. The sword was a mix of gold and silver, shaped like a coiled golden dragon with an asymmetrical structure. The patterns on the blade resembled dragon scales, and the shadow of a dragon's head could be clearly seen on the hilt, as if it were roaring. The dragon's body, covered with golden scales, spiraled downwards in a semi-circle, with five golden scales facing down to protect the hilt. The entire sword was formed as one piece, as if it were truly transformed from a golden dragon.

"What a fine sword!"

At least it looks great, and it's prestigious to carry around. Moreover, the sword exudes a powerful aura of righteousness, which can intimidate villains when it's revealed. If the Wheel-Turning King Sword is a sword of benevolence, then the Dragon Scale Sword is a sword of might. The former gives people the feeling of being an art piece, and one would not want to use it to kill, while the latter is undoubtedly a weapon for combat, and it looks very sturdy.

Si Ming stretched out his finger and drew a line on the blade, smearing a trace of blood. He did this not to perform Blood-Drip Recognition ceremony, but to let the sword spirit remember his aura. There was no mandatory contract; it was equivalent to telling the other party, "I am your new master, and don't betray me in the future." This was the advantage of a weapon with a spirit; there was no need to worry about it being taken away by an opponent in battle and turning against them.

The blood-stained blade emitted a dragon's roar, bursting with light and trembling violently, like a wild horse trying to escape, but was held back by Si Ming's hand, like Monkey being suppressed by the Five Fingers Mountain.

After a period of futile struggle, the Dragon Scale Sword quieted down and stopped emitting light, like a tamed wild horse acknowledging Si Ming as its new master.

Through the confrontation just now, Si Ming roughly understood the quality of the Dragon Scale Sword. It was roughly a second-level divine weapon, possessing the characteristic of suppressing evil and being good at warfare.

"After practicing the 'Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture', I stopped using Swordsmanship. This sword is like a pearl covered in dust in my hands. I hope it can shine in your hands."

As Xiao Xuan spoke, he took out a sword manual and handed it to Si Ming. Si Ming took it and saw that the cover had six elegant characters: "Imperial Dragon Heaven-Defying Sword Art".

"This name is so imposing! I almost mistook it for 'Long Aotian Swordsmanship'."

Si Ming wondered to himself, could this sword Swordsmanship have been created by some time-traveling predecessor? The name of the Swordsmanship is so straightforward.

While complaining, he flipped through the book and saw that the contents were messy with many scribbles. It contained five sword moves, all of which were extreme moves, with no ordinary moves for combat. They were: Fair-Weather Thunder Stirs, the Hibernating Dragon Rises; Wind Sweeps the Ten Directions, Riding the Dragon, Dragon Riding; Clouds Sweep a Hundred Li, Desolate Dragon Subdued; Rain Falls on All Things, Purple Dragon Billows.

"Is this a handwritten copy? Won't practicing it lead to Qi Deviation?"

Xiao Xuan coughed and said, "The Swordsmanship Mnemonic isn't actually important. What's important is the five Sword Qi hidden within the Dragon Scale Sword. If you carefully sense those five Sword Qi and then compare them with the contents of the sword manual, you can learn it. Don't worry, you won't suffer from Qi Deviation... I guess."

In the end, even he himself lacked confidence. If Si Ming hadn't possessed the talent for sudden enlightenment, he probably would have panicked by now.

Fortunately, the talent for sudden enlightenment has a judgment mechanism. If it is an incomplete Cultivation Method, or to put it more precisely, an incomplete Cultivation Method that is theoretically impossible to successfully cultivate, then Si Ming cannot learn it. Otherwise, as long as there is even the slightest possibility, he can learn it even if it is an incomplete Cultivation Method.

The same applies to the situation of Qi Deviation. If there's a 100% chance of him going into a state of Qi Deviation, Si Ming won't be able to learn it. Conversely, as long as there's even the slightest possibility, he can master it; at most, the power he unleashes will differ from the original.

Si Ming sat down cross-legged and probed the Dragon Scale Sword with his spiritual sense. He quickly sensed the five powerful Sword Qi. He chose one of them to sense and felt the Sword Qi suddenly erupt. It moved around him like a swimming fish, twisting and turning, forming golden chains of light like fireflies. It danced and condensed in the void, as if it had become a tangible thing. For a moment, golden sword shadows were everywhere, covering every inch of space within Qianzhang. The real and the illusory were intertwined, like a dream.

These constantly shifting Sword Qi swirled clockwise, instantly forming a storm. Then, a fierce gale howled, transforming into wind-shaped sword dragons that swept and churned. The illusory Sword Qi energies flashed and slashed wildly like thunderbolts, their fierce and powerful force like a thousand troops charging into battle. The immense and chilling Sword Intent completely enveloped Si Ming's consciousness and rapidly contracted inward.

Si Ming's spiritual sense withdrew instantly, and when he touched his forehead, he found it was covered in cold sweat.

Xiao Xuan seemed to have expected this, and laughed heartily, "Isn't this sword Swordsmanship powerful enough!"

Since the other party was an elder, he could only endure the prank. Si Ming reflected, "It is indeed very powerful. The core of this sword Swordsmanship is the word 'strength.' All the variations are secondary; everything is for the pursuit of immense destructive power."

He then added, "It consumes a lot of True Qi. With my current cultivation level, I'm afraid my Qi Sea will be completely drained before I can even use three moves. And that's under the condition of meeting the minimum usage limit; I won't be able to unleash the full power of my sword techniques."