Mystic Cloud Dao-Guiding Art

Mystic Cloud Peak, inner disciple courtyard.

Today was Chen Xian's third day at Mystic Cloud Sword Sect, and these three days had worn his old bones to the breaking point.

Lei Qingyun was unexpectedly enthusiastic.

Over the past few days, he had dragged Chen Xian around to meet every peak lord and elder, and even made a point of having him show his face before the entire sect during the assembly.

That was how Chen Xian learned that sixty-five years ago, the sect's predecessor, Mystic Cloud Sword Gate, had fought a life-and-death battle.

During that battle, a peak called Sword Suppression Peak was leveled to the ground, and the Sword Suppression lineage either fell in battle or vanished without a trace.

As luck would have it, among them was indeed a surnamed Chen, an inner disciple born with a Sword Bone.

Thus, his identity was thoroughly cemented.

He was now the sole surviving seedling of the Sword Suppression Peak lineage, and aside from those old fossils in Hidden Dragon Valley who were nearly dead of age, he had become the highest-ranked grandmaster-uncle in the entire sect.

But as a grandmaster-uncle, he only had seniority; his cultivation was a complete mess.

He had essentially become a mascot of Mystic Cloud Sword Sect.

Everyone tacitly allowed him to coast through life and wait for death, but Chen Xian couldn't accept just waiting to die.

Eighty years old was the prime age for striving!

He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in his room, gnawing on some unknown spirit fruit while keeping an eye on the panel changes in his mind.

[Ding! Refinement point -1, refinement successful!]

[Sword Dao Affinity (Yellow +9)]

[Congratulations! Trait promotion successful! "Sword Dao Affinity (Yellow +9)" has been promoted to "Sword Genius (Mystic)"!]

"Heh, another Mystic-grade trait born."

As the yellow trait on the panel shifted to a pale blue, Chen Xian smiled faintly.

"View attributes!"

[Sword Genius (Mystic): You are a favored child of the Sword Dao. Comprehension speed for sword techniques increased by 500%. When cultivating sword manuals, you have a 10% chance to comprehend a unique original sword move.]

"Not bad. So now my comprehension speed for sword techniques is 1 times 2, 2 times 5—ten times that of an ordinary cultivator!"

He stroked his beard with satisfaction.

Now that he was fully integrated into Mystic Cloud Sword Sect, with his foundation and talent maxed out, it was time to start cultivating in earnest.

With that thought, he pulled a cyan jade token from his bosom. On the token, five small gold characters were carved vertically—Mystic Cloud Dao-Guiding Art.

This Mystic Cloud Dao-Guiding Art was the foundational technique issued to every disciple of Mystic Cloud Sword Sect, the basic method to begin cultivation.

It was similar to the Qi-Introduction Technique or Qi-Refining Art he'd read about in cultivation novels.

But in this world, there was no such concept as spiritual energy or mana. All weapons and techniques were driven by an energy called "Dao Qi (Dao Power)."

The world was home to tens of thousands of different races, each with their own cultivation methods, but the ultimate goal for all was to comprehend the Great Dao and become a Saint-level powerhouse.

Thus, the ancient Great Sages, to unify the concept, collectively referred to these various energies as Dao Qi or Dao Power.

In other words, spiritual energy and mana were all part of Dao Qi (Dao Power).

"I wonder what kind of strength a Great Sage has, to be able to unify the 'measurement standard' for all races' cultivation."

A trace of longing flickered in Chen Xian's murky eyes.

Set a small goal—first, cultivate to the Saint realm!

Even with his cheat, he didn't dare think too much about becoming a Great Sage. Reaching the Saint realm meant becoming a Saint, but a Great Sage was a Saint among Saints, the supreme existence.

Suppressing the restlessness within, Chen Xian recalled in his mind the way Shangguan Hongyue had looked while cultivating.

He sat upright, cross-legged, placed both palms at his dantian, and held the cyan jade token face-up in his palms.

After completing the posture, he got stuck on the next step.

Because this cyan jade token required Dao Consciousness to use.

"Dao Consciousness... what is Dao Consciousness? Should be something like mental power, right?"

That girl Hongyue had said everyone was born with Dao Consciousness, just in varying strengths.

Thinking of the thoughts he used to summon the system panel in his mind, Chen Xian focused his intent and concentrated that ethereal attention onto the cyan jade token in his palm.

The moment he touched it, his consciousness spun wildly, and by the time he steadied himself, he was already in a pitch-black space.

Not entirely pitch-black, actually—it was like a summer night's starry sky, with specks of light all around.

His consciousness felt a sense of weightlessness, but it didn't fall; it was as if he were suspended among the stars.

He reached out to grab one of the specks, only to find that though they seemed close, they were utterly out of reach.

At the same time, a vast, ancient voice echoed through the space.

"The Mystic Cloud Dao-Guiding Art is a cultivation method improved by a great expert of our Mystic Cloud Sword Sect from the traditional Dao-Guiding Art."

"Among the myriad races, all cultivate the one hundred and eight thousand Daos. Our sect selects only six—Sword, Pill, Artifact, Formation, Talisman, and Beast. The Sword Dao is primary, the rest secondary. You may choose one to cultivate."

As the voice fell, Chen Xian felt the world spin before his eyes. The countless star points all vanished, leaving only six bright stars floating before him.

This time, he saw their true forms clearly.

A hanging sword, a furnace-cauldron, an anvil and hammer...

So these were the so-called Six Paths.

Among the six points of light, the star representing the Sword Path shone the brightest, nearly outshining the combined radiance of the other five.

One large and five small points of light hovered right before him. He was about to reach out and grab one at random.

Unexpectedly, the star representing the Sword Path blazed up directly. Its light pulsed, scattering the other five in an instant, then plunged straight into his consciousness.

"Before you could choose, the Sword Path chose you. This shows your karmic bond with the Sword Path runs deep—on this road, you may walk far!"

The grand voice rang out once more.

"Since the path has chosen you, you may now draw the first thread of Origin Dao Power into your body. Be cautious..."

As the voice faded, Chen Xian felt the world spin again.

This time, the surroundings were no longer darkness. He seemed to have appeared on a battlefield.

"Woo—" The sound of war horns rose, and earth-shaking battle cries erupted.

"KILL!!!"

"Where are the spear cultivators, blade cultivators, and sword cultivators who walk the path of slaughter and conquest? Follow this Saint to break the formation and slay the enemy!"

People were everywhere. Before Chen Xian could react, someone grabbed him and yanked him into the sky.

"What are you spacing out for? Don't you want to live?" The man barked, and Chen Xian snapped awake instantly.

A sword was shoved into his hand: "Take it! Hurry up and follow! The Saint is breaking the formation—we're going to assist!"

Before Chen Xian could see what the man looked like, he turned into a streak of light and flew away.

Following the direction of that streak, Chen Xian saw a faceless dharma avatar, a full thousand zhang tall, violently hammering a multicolored light barrier.

Beneath that barrier was a group of humanoid monsters with pig heads, tusks, and axes in their hands.

"Boom!" With a dull thunder, the barrier was shattered by the avatar's fists. The monsters hiding inside scattered in all directions.

The Saint's avatar swept its hand through the air, exploding a cloud of blood mist.

Then countless spear cultivators, blade cultivators, and sword cultivators flew into the battlefield, clashing with the pig-headed monsters in a chaotic melee.

Blades, spears, swords, axes, and streaks of spell-light flew everywhere in disorder.

The fallen rained down from the sky like drops of rain. Many cultivators died within ten breaths of entering the battle. Human life here was cheaper than an ant's.

Even so, streaks of light still flashed past Chen Xian's side.

Then, in just a few breaths, they burst into bloody fireworks.

What difference was this from pure, pointless suicide?

Chen Xian chose to follow his heart.

He descended from the air, instinctively wanting to flee this meat-grinder of a battlefield.

"Do not retreat! You cannot retreat!"

"We sword cultivators are willing to expand territory for the billions upon billions of the human race!"

A sword cultivator shouted as he lunged at a pig-headed monster. One sword stroke later, two heads of different races flew into the sky—they had killed each other.

Hearing those words, Chen Xian's body froze.

He saw it.

Behind him were countless human figures, standing atop high mountains, kneeling among the fields and valleys.

They were praying. Praying to the Saints, praying to themselves, praying that the human race could carve out a place to stand among the ten thousand races of the Boundless Continent!