Apologize to the Huiyuan Sword Art...!

But right after that, the feeling changed.

If Jiang Lu's Sword Momentum just now had been like watching the tide from the shore—turbulent, yet still separated from him by a barrier—

then Gu Chengming's Sword Momentum was like being plunged straight into the ocean, facing the towering waves head-on.

One sword, then another, and another.

Each strike grew heavier, each wave rose higher.

Gu Chengming's movements flowed like water, without the slightest hitch. Under his sword, the layered Sword Momentum unfolded to its fullest, even more fluid and terrifying than what Jiang Lu had just displayed.

At last, Gu Chengming flicked his wrist and thrust the Wooden Sword straight ahead.

There was no earth-shaking boom, no dramatic gust of wind sweeping up fallen leaves.

But in that instant, Jiang Lu's vision blurred. He seemed to see an ocean that blotted out the sky crashing down before him.

The suffocating pressure made him hold his breath without thinking.

The sword shot forth, as if overturning heaven and submerging the sea!

This was his sword technique.

And yet, it wasn't entirely his sword technique.

It was more ingenious, its Sword Momentum stronger, its artistic conception deeper.

This was the true "Fuhai"!

This time, Jiang Lu was utterly speechless.

His eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He stammered for a long while, unable to piece together a complete sentence.

"Senior Brother, this... this..."

Gu Chengming lowered his sword and stood at ease. Looking at Jiang Lu's stunned expression, he finally smiled and said:

"It's not that I look down on this sword technique. I just happen to know it."

"W-why?"

Jiang Lu asked without thinking. What he'd originally meant to ask was, How did Gu Chengming learn it after seeing it just once? And how could he perform it even better than Jiang Lu?

But then he thought about it. The sword technique Gu Chengming had used was clearly far more refined than his own. It wasn't mere imitation. It was more like... this was how the technique had always been meant to look, and Jiang Lu simply hadn't mastered it before.

But Jiang Lu had misunderstood.

This really was his "Fuhai."

It was just that the core of Fuhai's Sword Momentum had originally grown out of the "Layered Waves" concept in the Huiyuan Sword Art.

And Gu Chengming, a Favorability grinder for the Huiyuan Sword Art, had long since reached an unfathomable level of understanding of this basic sword technique.

So the moment Jiang Lu made his move, Gu Chengming saw right through the technique's essence and the path it followed.

Combined with his bone-deep mastery of the Huiyuan Sword Art, he could execute it using the same core principles—and naturally, his version was a little more refined than that of Jiang Lu, its creator.

Hearing the bewilderment in Jiang Lu's "why," Gu Chengming fell silent for a moment.

He looked at Jiang Lu and said earnestly:

"If you don't practice the Huiyuan Sword Art, you won't understand."

[The Huiyuan Sword Art thought, "There's no need to keep bringing me up every day."]

[Huiyuan Sword Art Favorability +2]

--How did we get to the "says one thing, means another" part?

On the other side, Jiang Lu was a little confused by Gu Chengming's words.

What did he mean, "If you don't practice the Huiyuan Sword Art, you won't understand"?

The first sword art Jiang Lu had learned after joining Huiyuan Gate was the Huiyuan Sword Art! It was a mandatory beginner course!

But wasn't the Huiyuan Sword Art just a basic sword technique?!

What kind of basic sword technique could produce results like that?!

Jiang Lu nearly wanted to cry. He felt as if his whole worldview had taken a heavy blow.

He'd thought that as long as he didn't compete, he wouldn't get knocked down a peg. But now, just watching someone demonstrate his own sword technique once had hurt more than losing their last bout!

Why did it feel like his Dao Heart had taken even more damage?

After a long while, he finally lowered his head, looking utterly dejected, and gave a bitter smile.

"Alas, the path of the sword truly is... vast and boundless. This junior brother of yours... really was like a frog in a well, seeing only a patch of sky."

Seeing Jiang Lu so shaken that he was even starting to question his whole life, Gu Chengming knew he'd made his point.

"Junior Brother Jiang, do you want to learn?"

Gu Chengming's voice suddenly rang out, snapping Jiang Lu out of his doomscrolling gloom.

"Huh?" Jiang Lu jerked his head up, not quite catching on.

"This true 'Fuhai' strike." Gu Chengming waved the Wooden Sword in his hand. "Do you want to learn it?"

Jiang Lu froze for a second, then immediately shook off his earlier dejected look.

His eyes lit up at once.

"I do!"

Apologize to the Huiyuan Sword Art!

Jiang Lu really did have a good knack for learning. With just a few pointers from Gu Chengming, he immediately understood the problem with his Fuhai technique.

The connections between movements that had once seemed a little stiff became smooth and natural under Gu Chengming's guidance, and the technique grew even more powerful.

For Gu Chengming, this had been an unexpected bonus.

Fuhai was a fine sword technique, and since it had grown out of the Huiyuan Sword Art, it became a powerful assist in winning over the Huiyuan Sword Art.

After all, one of this "little Resentful Woman's" biggest traits was her inferiority complex.

She always thought she was just a basic sword technique, no match for those advanced sword arts.

If Gu Chengming could seize this chance to whisper sweet nothings in the "little Resentful Woman's" ear, saying things like, "Look, as long as you're used properly, you're actually excellent," "The people who look down on you just don't understand you," and "Your potential is limitless"...

Wouldn't her Favorability shoot up?

Just as Gu Chengming expected, this "pua-style" encouragement worked like a charm.

In just a few days, the Huiyuan Sword Art's Favorability had broken through the 60-point mark, reaching 65.

Its status changed from [Friendly] to [Liking].

The change in status brought two fixed attribute points and one extremely precious free attribute point!

Naturally, the fixed attribute points went into Strength, sending it straight up to 11.

Gu Chengming opened his panel to check his current attributes:

[Strength: 11]

[Agility: 7]

[Constitution: 2]

[Spirit: 12]

[Charisma: 25]

[Status: Essence Blood Depletion (Maximum health permanently reduced by 30% and continuing to decline daily; estimated life expectancy: 58 days)]

--Fuck.

Staring at that glaring "58 days," Gu Chengming's heart skipped a beat.

Without even realizing it, he had less than two months left to live?

If he'd found out any later, would he have had to start preparing for his own funeral?

But luckily, he'd just gained a free attribute point.

Without any hesitation, Gu Chengming put that point into Constitution.

The numbers on his panel immediately shifted:

[Constitution: 3]

[Status: Essence Blood Depletion (Maximum health permanently reduced by 30% and continuing to decline daily; estimated life expectancy: 114 days)]

"Phew..."

Gu Chengming let out a long breath.

Well, he could eke out another half a year. As long as he was still alive, there was hope.

However, the very next moment, a violent pain, as if his body were being torn apart, suddenly surged through every limb and bone.

"Hiss—"

Gu Chengming sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. He curled up on the cushion, cold sweat instantly soaking through his clothes.

When he'd increased his Strength before, he hadn't felt anything this obvious.

Was it because his Constitution was too low to withstand such a sudden boost? Or was this some kind of reaction from being too weak to handle a supplement?

After finally recovering a little, Gu Chengming lay sprawled on the floor, panting heavily, when someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate.

Jiang Lu pushed the door open. Seeing Gu Chengming drenched in sweat and pale-faced, he looked puzzled.

"Senior Brother really does practice his sword diligently. You've even worked up a cold sweat?"

He didn't think much of it, assuming Gu Chengming had simply pushed himself too hard.

Gu Chengming waved a hand to show he was fine, then asked what Jiang Lu had come for.

Jiang Lu smiled and said, "This junior brother of yours recently got approval to train at the Training Ground. I came over especially today to ask if you'd like to go with me."

Seeing the confusion on Gu Chengming's face, Jiang Lu secretly laughed.

This Senior Brother Gu really did nothing but practice with the sword in his hand, paying no attention to the world outside.

Judging by his reaction, he'd probably never even been to the Training Ground.

Thinking that, Jiang Lu kept his expression neutral and carefully explained what the Training Ground was.

The Training Ground was a place the Wenjian Sect had set aside for its disciples to practice. From time to time, they also held sparring matches there.

Most importantly, the Training Ground had been built atop a small Spiritual Energy vein, right in the heart of the Spiritual Energy-rich area. Practicing sword arts there was quite beneficial for comprehending Sword Intent and improving one's cultivation.

Jiang Lu said, "I've noticed you practice in your courtyard every day, Senior Brother. It's quiet, sure, but the Spiritual Energy is thin, and you might as well be building a cart behind closed doors. Why not check out the Training Ground? The Spiritual Energy there is abundant. You might get twice the results with half the effort."

After he finished explaining, Gu Chengming still didn't seem especially interested, which puzzled Jiang Lu.

Of course, he had no idea that the core of Gu Chengming's cultivation wasn't absorbing Spiritual Energy at all. It was raising his attributes by "grinding Favorability."

As far as Gu Chengming was concerned, Spiritual Energy was nice to have, but not necessary.

Still, Jiang Lu had made the Training Ground sound so impressive that Gu Chengming was a little curious.

He had nothing better to do, so he might as well take a look.

So he nodded and agreed, letting Jiang Lu lead the way.

The two of them headed deeper into the sect.

They passed through several bamboo groves and went around a few rock gardens. The view opened up before them.

It wasn't the kind of training plaza Gu Chengming had imagined, like the school sports fields from his previous life. Instead, it was a cluster of buildings built into the mountainside.

Numerous elegant pavilions were scattered across the mountainside. Each one gave off a faint spiritual glow, clearly protected by a Formation.

Jiang Lu led him into one of the pavilions, named Tingtao Pavilion. The interior was spacious and sparsely decorated, with only a few massive stone pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling.

The air was filled with fresh Spiritual Energy, which lifted their spirits.

Jiang Lu deftly took out his disciple token and waved it in front of a stone tablet by the entrance.

A green light flashed across the tablet, confirming his registration.

When it was Gu Chengming's turn, he hesitated for a moment, then took out his disciple token too.