Yan Chihuo said, "This disciple knows about it and has prepared a few Heavenly Heart Pills."
The yellow-faced man nodded. "Though breaking through with the Spirit Jade Vajra Art is difficult, the bottleneck to the Body Tempering Late Stage isn't all that hard to overcome. Since you've prepared Heavenly Heart Pills, it shouldn't be a problem. Go on in. Oh, right—only one cave is vacant now, Number One Stone Chamber of the Human Character. Here's the token for it."
As he spoke, he took out a gray token that seemed neither wood nor stone. Just as he was about to hand it to Yan Chihuo, he frowned. "Someone else is here." The cave door opened, and a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six walked in. He held a folding fan and was also at the Body Tempering Middle Stage. An air of graceful sharpness clung to him.
Yan Chihuo had gained a fair grasp of swordsmanship, so he immediately recognized the man as a sword cultivator. Judging by that sharp aura, the man's skill with the sword was clearly superior to his own.
The yellow-faced man addressed the newcomer. "Zhang, are you here to break through to the Body Tempering Late Stage?"
The young man replied, "Senior Yuan, you're as perceptive as ever. I am indeed preparing to break through to the Body Tempering Late Stage."
"Wait a few days," the yellow-faced man said. "There aren't any vacant caves right now."
The young man paused, then spotted Yan Chihuo. "This junior brother is also here to break through to the Body Tempering Late Stage, isn't he? Could we discuss letting me go in first? Zhang Jiucheng will surely repay you handsomely in the future."
Zhang Jiucheng? Yan Chihuo had heard of him. He was Iron Sword Daoist's disciple, a master swordsman known as the foremost cultivator at the Body Tempering Middle Stage.
Yan Chihuo smiled faintly. "I'm afraid that won't work. I'm in a hurry to break through too, so you'll have to wait a few days, senior brother."
Zhang Jiucheng said, "Don't be so quick to refuse, junior brother. I see you're carrying a sword, so you must be skilled with one as well. If you're willing to let me go in and cultivate first, I can teach you a few methods for cultivating Sword Momentum."
At the Body Tempering Stage, swordsmanship was divided into Sword Qi and Sword Momentum. Yan Chihuo had already comprehended Sword Qi, but he was still completely in the dark about Sword Momentum. Hearing this, he couldn't help feeling tempted.
Still, he said coolly, "Without advancing to the Body Tempering Late Stage, there's no way to master Sword Momentum. You're making a rather grand promise, senior brother."
"True, one can't master Sword Momentum without reaching the Body Tempering Late Stage," Zhang Jiucheng replied. "But I've spent a long time under my master's tutelage, and I've picked up a few methods through exposure. Those outside my master's sect would never be taught them. Surely that's enough? I can also promise that if you let me go first, once I've advanced to the Body Tempering Late Stage and mastered Sword Momentum, I'll come back and give you some pointers. What do you say?"
Yan Chihuo shook his head. "Senior Brother Zhang, though I'm no match for you in swordsmanship, I know that Iron Sword Uncle would never allow you to teach others anything about Sword Momentum. What you teach me would probably not even amount to the basics. Besides, as a sword cultivator, one must be true to the sword. Yet you've lied about the Way of the Sword. There's no need to discuss your swordsmanship."
Zhang Jiucheng's expression changed. "Who would've thought you had such insight into swordsmanship? It seems your skill with the sword is no small matter. But reading too much can be worse than reading too little. Being true to the sword is merely an old saying from the ancient sword cultivators. Who still talks that way in the cultivation world today? It's obvious you've never had a true master to guide you in the Way of the Sword."
Yan Chihuo ignored him and addressed the yellow-faced man. "Uncle Yuan, please give me the token. I'm going to cultivate."
The yellow-faced man was about to take out the token when Zhang Jiucheng spoke again. "Wait!"
The yellow-faced man stared at him. "What now?"
"I want to challenge this junior brother to a life-and-death duel!"
Yan Chihuo knew about life-and-death duels. They were used when disputes between Cloud Soaring Sect disciples couldn't be resolved. The two parties would compete on a platform and sign a life-and-death agreement, accepting any injuries or deaths. That didn't mean they had to fight to the death; either side could simply concede.
Zhang Jiucheng was clearly trying to force Yan Chihuo to give up his place by challenging him to a life-and-death duel. Yan Chihuo smiled faintly. "I refuse." Both parties had to agree to hold such a duel. One side couldn't decide on it alone.
Zhang Jiucheng sneered. "You don't dare? You're bringing shame to Elder Ping. Back when Elder Ping was in his prime, who in the entire sect dared disobey him, apart from the sect master? Even the sect master had to show him respect. And now he's still badly wounded, while his only disciple is a spineless weakling."
Yan Chihuo smiled calmly. "I admit I'm a spineless weakling. But I'll still reach the Body Tempering Late Stage before you do." With that, he took the token and headed inside. How could he let such a crude provocation get to him?
Zhang Jiucheng nearly choked with rage at those words, but there was nothing he could do. The yellow-faced man beside them burst into laughter. Though he was a monkey, he had reached the Qi Gathering Stage. His standing in Cloud Soaring Sect far surpassed Zhang Jiucheng's, so he had nothing to fear.
Yan Chihuo followed the passage. Before long, it split into three branches, with the characters "Heaven," "Earth," and "Human" carved into the rocks above them.
He went down the Human passage. A short while later, he saw several stone chambers. The first had the character "One" above it. He knew it must be Number One Stone Chamber of the Human Character. There was a hollow in the stone door, so he took out the token the yellow-faced man had given him and placed it inside.
The whole stone door shone brightly, then opened by itself. The token fell out of its slot. Yan Chihuo caught it and stepped into the chamber.
As soon as Yan Chihuo entered, his spirits lifted. That alone showed how dense the spiritual energy in the chamber was. He estimated it was about thirty percent denser than in his own cave dwelling. Inside were a stone bed and a stone table, with a jade bottle resting on the table.
He went over, picked up the jade bottle, and pulled out its stopper. When he tipped it into his palm, twelve white pills tumbled out. Yan Chihuo recognized them as Bigu Pills. Each pill could keep someone from needing food for a month.
The twelve pills would last him exactly one year. According to Cloud Soaring Sect's rules, if he failed to reach the Body Tempering Late Stage within a year, he would have to leave. If he wanted to use the chamber again after that, he would have to pay with jade crystals.
He sat cross-legged on the stone bed and slowly circulated the Spirit Jade Vajra Art to calm himself. What Zhang Jiucheng had said earlier had, in truth, tempted him. Iron Sword Daoist was the foremost swordsman in Cloud Soaring Sect; even a little guidance from him would have benefited Yan Chihuo immensely. Even if Zhang Jiucheng wouldn't reveal the true Way of the Sword, anything he let slip by chance would still be precious.
It wasn't that Yan Chihuo was unwilling to give up the opportunity. He had said those things only to provoke Zhang Jiucheng into revealing more about Iron Sword Daoist's swordsmanship, but Zhang Jiucheng's reply had left him deeply disappointed.
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