Ten Refinements Sword

The next day, during breakfast, Duàn Yì told Bái Xī Wén that he had successfully sensed Qi and asked several questions that arose while studying the Ice True Qi cultivation method.

Bái Xī Wén appeared much calmer upon hearing this news. While surprised, he wasn't shocked.

Firstly, Duàn Yì's performance yesterday had already prepared him. Both his powerful memory and his exceptionally rare physical martial arts aptitude had impressed him, setting his expectations.

Secondly, he had personally assisted Duàn Yì in nurturing his Qi sense. This abnormal cultivation speed could also be attributed, in part, to his own efforts.

Taking a bite of a vegetable, Bái Xī Wén explained Duàn Yì's confusion while eating, his words clear and insightful from a superior perspective. He concluded by saying, "To transform the ethereal into the tangible and convert Qi sense into true Qi, one must follow the path of refining essence into Qi.

In other words, whether you can successfully cultivate true Qi is closely related to the abundance of your own essence and vitality.

This 'essence' refers to the essence of grains, which is what you consume in your three daily meals. Besides maintaining normal life functions, it is converted into true Qi, accumulated, and strengthened.

This is why people often say 'poverty breeds scholars, wealth breeds warriors.' Moreover, practicing martial arts requires not only eating a lot but also eating well.

'Well' here doesn't simply mean delicious, but rather foods rich in essence and vitality.

Various nourishing and tonifying elixirs, refined by specialized masters, complement each other, enhancing their medicinal properties, and will inevitably speed up true Qi cultivation far beyond that of ordinary people.

Various pure medicinal herbs like ginseng, he shou wu, and deer antler, though not yet processed and stimulated, contain incredibly pure essence and vitality. They are free from medicinal toxins and will not harm the body.

If you lack both of these, then indulging in meat and fish is also a way to enhance one's essence and vitality."

Duàn Yì, who had been heartily eating rice and vegetables with his cheeks puffed out, suddenly felt as if he were chewing on wax. The food became tasteless.

Bái Xī Wén, by nature, preferred a vegetarian diet. Therefore, his three meals a day were always light and simple. Duàn Yì could only follow suit. Eat meat? That was a dream.

He was currently penniless. Surviving without starving was thanks to Bái Xī Wén's support. He couldn't possibly learn someone's martial arts, eat their food, and then demand expensive meat and precious medicinal ingredients, could he?

One could be thick-skinned, but not shameless.

When Duàn Yì first came up the mountain, he had used Yuè Jiāo Nú as leverage to get Bái Xī Wén to take him in and teach him martial arts. That was already pushing the boundaries of shamelessness. If he dared to make any more unreasonable requests, he would truly be beyond redemption.

"Brother Bái, since you are an elder of the Golden Cauldron Sect and its foremost master, do you have any ways to make money?"

Duàn Yì finally resorted to an indirect approach. If he couldn't eat for free, he could work for his keep. Learning martial arts while earning the expenses for it seemed like a decent plan.

"Make money? Ever since I came up the mountain to learn martial arts, all my expenses have been covered by the sect. I don't have any methods for making money.

However, if you truly wish to earn money, I can introduce you to someone.

His surname is Zhou and his given name is Xiong. He is the top outer disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect. His martial arts aren't particularly high, but he's smooth and adept at handling people and making money. He brings considerable profit to the Golden Cauldron Sect every year and is highly valued by the sect leader."

Bái Xī Wén understood Duàn Yì's intention. He scratched his head and thought for a moment before replying.

He himself was a master of martial arts. Not to mention the monthly silver provided by the Golden Cauldron Sect, Bái Xī Wén's name alone was worth a fortune in the Jianghu. Countless people would rush to offer him money, so he never needed to rack his brain to earn a living.

Upon hearing the name Zhou Xiong, Duàn Yì's expression changed. Two faces immediately surfaced in his mind.

One was a girl with exquisite, perfect features and an extraordinary background – Yuè'er, whom he had met by chance. Although she could be a bit willful and enjoyed teasing him, she was easy to get along with, like a playful younger sister.

The other was Zhōu Xiùfēn, so obese that her features were almost indistinguishable. She had nearly forced him into marriage, leaving a deep impression. Wasn't her brother the top outer disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect, Zhou Xiong?

I absolutely cannot get involved with this person.

This thought surfaced in Duàn Yì's mind almost instinctively. He was simply afraid of encountering Zhōu Xiùfēn again. He was still bothered by the meaningful glance Zhōu Xiùfēn gave him before she left, and therefore, he kept his distance from Zhou Xiong.

He didn't bring up the matter of making money again. After finishing their meal and cleaning up the dishes, a preoccupied Duàn Yì was once again called by Bái Xī Wén to the open-air courtyard.

"If you wish to learn and practice the sword, a suitable sword is indispensable.

This is an iron sword, uniformly issued to sword-training disciples of the Golden Cauldron Sect. It's of the Ten Refinements standard, with a blade length of three feet five inches and weighing four catties and eight taels. Although ordinary, it is sufficient for a beginner like you. You will practice sword techniques with it from now on."

In the courtyard paved with bluestone, under the shade of an old tree, Bái Xī Wén, clad in a plain robe, held a drawn longsword in his right hand. With his left hand, he rubbed the sword's edge with his fingers, speaking slowly.

After speaking, Bái Xī Wén took a step forward, and the longsword soared into the air. Sword light cascaded down, like the vast, rippling waves of a deep lake, yet containing a hidden killing intent. The sword light shifted, the sword technique turned, and it was like a Divine Dragon from beyond the heavens, exceptionally unique. This was the "Eternal Dragon" stance from the Songshan Swordplay...

Duàn Yì could only clearly see these two stances. The remaining sword techniques, though following the path of the Songshan Swordplay, were utterly incomprehensible when wielded by Bái Xī Wén.

When to strike, when to change stance, when to retract the sword – it was like a curtain of light, indiscernible to the naked eye, only the sword's chant, like a dragon's roar, rang crisply in his ears, shaking his very soul.

Duàn Yì's heart trembled, his eyes unblinking. Even if he couldn't see the opponent's moves clearly, he was determined to watch until the end.

He had also seen Yuè Jiāo Nú practice the Branch-Breaking Swordplay. However, the difference was immense. Not only was the Songshan Swordplay superior to the Branch-Breaking Swordplay, but Bái Xī Wén's swordsmanship far surpassed Yuè Jiāo Nú's. They were simply not on the same level.

In addition to the profound and unfathomable sword techniques, Bái Xī Wén's sword seemed to contain powerful true Qi. The resulting gusts of wind were condensed and sharp, stirring up fallen leaves in the courtyard, tearing them into countless fragments that drifted down.

Even from several dozen feet away, Duàn Yì's face felt as if it were being cut by knives. The pain became unbearable, and he even had to retreat repeatedly to avoid the fierce wind.

So strong. This was Duàn Yì's first reaction.

As the Golden Cauldron Sect's foremost master, Bái Xī Wén's strengths were by no means limited to the Invincible Treasure Codex. His swordsmanship alone was extraordinary. In his estimation, Bái Xī Wén had at least reached the Great Accomplishment level in the Songshan Swordplay. As for which stage it was, that was beyond his comprehension.

"The sword manual has been given to you. You can study the sword techniques and the methods of channeling energy on your own.

What I am teaching you now is the essence of this Songshan Swordplay, its momentum – this is the soul of the Songshan Swordplay.

If your mind is chaotic, or if you are timid and fearful, even with perfect techniques, you will never achieve mastery. I hope you remember my words."

Bái Xī Wén sheathed his longsword and then tossed it. It drew an arc through the air, finally landing in Duàn Yì's hands. After the performance just now, his complexion remained unchanged, and his breathing was steady. It was impossible to tell how much effort he had exerted.

Feeling the cold, solid metal in his hand, Duàn Yì slowly drew his long sword. Its edge was dark and dull, as if the sword light that had just flashed was an illusion. However, this only further proved Bái Xī Wén's mastery of swordsmanship.

For Duàn Yì, the sword held a very important place in his heart. After all, compared to blade techniques, sword techniques seemed to be more mainstream, and there were more experts who took swords as their name and roamed the world with them.

"Hmm, I've got it. Although I can't earn any silver right now, my fundamental goal is to strengthen my own essence and qi to nourish my internal energy.

This Shalu Mountain is so vast and wide, and it contains countless precious resources. Isn't it perfect for my use?"

Looking at the thin, sharp blade, which could be called a killing weapon, a thought suddenly flashed through Duàn Yì's mind. Since he couldn't afford to buy elixirs or fine food and meat, he could hunt and forage for them himself.

After all, compared to when he met Yuè Jiāo Nú not long ago, his strength had increased dramatically.

Especially now that he had a sword in hand, it was like adding wings to a tiger.

However, Shalu Mountain was, after all, the territory of the Golden Cauldron Sect, and there were other sects on the other two peaks. Duàn Yì didn't know if his idea would work, so he sought confirmation from Bái Xī Wén.

"Of course, you can. Although you are not a member of the Golden Cauldron Sect, you are considered my sworn brother. You can take whatever prey or medicinal herbs you can find on the three peaks where the Golden Cauldron Sect is located, as long as you have the ability."

Bái Xī Wén highly approved of Duàn Yì's idea.

This was precisely the principle he wanted Duàn Yì to understand: self-reliance.

He couldn't protect Duàn Yì forever, nor could he support him forever. Duàn Yì was no longer young and should learn to be independent.

Otherwise, with his resources, supporting Duàn Yì's martial arts training would still be more than enough.

"Alright, we'll talk about these things later. You can practice your sword now."

Upon hearing this, Duàn Yì recalled the sword manuals he had comprehended in the Scripture Depository. He held his sword and practiced the basic sword techniques, executing each move precisely. He lunged forward with a bow stance, then spun and chopped backward...

His stances were upright and flawless, without any mistakes. To Bái Xī Wén, it was as if he had no foundation at all.

Every time he saw Duàn Yì, Bái Xī Wén couldn't help but sigh, thinking how enviable his talent was.