Fire Dragon Sword Technique

As he listened to the scripture lecture, Wang Chong pondered deeply. Suddenly, enlightenment struck him, and he thought, So the Cloud-Flying and Thunder-Rushing Cycles carry deeper meanings. The former resembles the Celestial Stele's cloud arts: the body becomes like white clouds, shifting through ten thousand transformations. The latter is rushing thunder and swift lightning, a sudden burst of speed that perfectly complements the Yang Sword stance.

Wang Chong thought of the Black Eagle Demon King. When they had fought, the demon king had used something similar. Only, that demon king knew no swordsmanship; instead, he had tempered his pair of eagle claws until they were like steel and iron, and could transform them into enormous hundred-zhang claws to seize people.

After Patriarch Tuotuo had lectured once on the Sword Classic, he allowed his disciples and grand-disciples to ask questions freely. Wang Chong listened from the side and felt that most of the questions were rather childish. Many people could not yet clearly visualize the sword formula talismans, and he could not help thinking, What is so difficult about visualizing a sword formula? One only needs to put in more effort, and it will be done. What is there to ask?

Why did they think there was some trick to something that plainly required hard work?

Although Patriarch Tuotuo allowed Zhu Ying and Wang Chong to sit in on the lectures, he paid no extra attention to other people's disciples.

Zhu Ying had several questions, but Patriarch Tuotuo answered them all perfunctorily. Since Wang Chong asked nothing, he did not bother with him either.

At noon, Patriarch Tuotuo dismissed the lecture and told everyone to return and contemplate what they had learned.

Zhu Ying and Wang Chong left the lecture courtyard side by side. Lowering her voice, she said, "What a pity that changing to a sword formula would make all my former cultivation go to waste. Otherwise, I would want to switch to the Yin-Yang Five-Element Seven-Absolutes Sword Classic too."

Wang Chong replied, "What is so difficult about switching to a sword formula?"

Secretly circulating his power, he dispersed the cultivation of his original first cycle and replaced it with Patriarch Tuotuo's Yin-Yang Five-Element Seven-Absolutes Sword Classic. Before long, clouds curled around his body. He had already changed cultivation methods, converting the power of the Dragon-Subduing Cycle into that of the Cloud-Flying Cycle.

Wang Chong said, "It is only that the Cloud-Flying Cycle uses several fewer acupoints than the Dragon-Subduing Cycle, so its power actually drops a little. Unless I open several more dharma apertures and cultivate the second Thunder-Rushing Cycle, it will only slightly surpass the Dragon-Subduing Cycle."

Zhu Ying stared blankly and cried, "How could you switch your dharma power so easily?"

Wang Chong replied, "While listening to Patriarch Tuotuo's lecture, I suddenly gained some insight and worked out several small methods. When I tried them, they truly worked. I'll teach you."

He did not think this was some secret insight uniquely his own, and immediately began to instruct her patiently.

Zhu Ying had originally been unwilling to destroy the first cycle of cultivation power she had painstakingly cultivated, but she trusted Wang Chong deeply. After they returned to the meditation hall where they lived, she followed the method Wang Chong had taught her. After six or seven hours, she had indeed converted her dharma power into the Yin-Yang Five-Element Seven-Absolutes Sword Classic.

Her cultivation was slightly stronger than Wang Chong's, and she had already opened more than half the spiritual apertures of the second Tiger-Subduing Cycle. Thus, not only did she cultivate the Cloud-Flying Cycle, she also mastered the Thunder-Rushing Cycle, stepping into the realm of two cycles of dharma power.

Their delight at this was truly no small thing.

Zhu Ying formed a sword formula and sent a wooden sword flying all over the air. Sword arts she had previously been unable to use, or could not use smoothly, now obeyed her as readily as her own hands.

After controlling the sword for a while, she said to Wang Chong, "What a pity I do not have a flying sword. Otherwise, I ought to be able to ride a sword through the air now."

Wang Chong also knew that at the first cycle of dharma power, one could control a sword for a hundred paces, while at the second cycle, one could unite body and sword. He comforted her, "You will surely obtain a flying sword someday. Sister Zhu need not take it to heart."

Zhu Ying said vexedly, "When I ran away from home, I never expected Master Xiao to take me in. Later, I never expected to cultivate the second cycle of dharma power so quickly. Otherwise, I would have prepared flying swords long ago."

"At the very least, I could have told Second Brother and had him return to the Dragon Palace to fetch two for me. Wouldn't it be perfect for each of us to have one?"

Wang Chong tried to persuade her a few times, but Zhu Ying remained somewhat unhappy.

Patriarch Tuotuo gave his lectures only once every seven days. Wang Chong and Zhu Ying attended three or four times, and a month had already passed.

Neither of them had ever enjoyed such an experience before. With a famous master to guide them and a peaceful environment for cultivation, both advanced swiftly.

Zhu Ying actually cultivated the Dragon-Subduing Cycle anew and advanced into the realm of three cycles of dharma power.

Wang Chong's cultivation was slightly weaker, but after more than half a month, he too had cultivated the Thunder-Rushing Cycle.

Zhu Ying could no longer restrain herself. She said to Wang Chong, "The East Sea is only two or three days away. I want to go back and fetch two flying swords. Will you come with me?"

Wang Chong tried to persuade her a few times, but seeing that he could not dissuade Zhu Ying, he could only reply, "Of course I will go with Sister Zhu. How could I rest easy otherwise?"

Zhu Ying happily calculated the days and said, "Tomorrow, after the Patriarch's lecture, we'll set off in the afternoon. If we hurry on the road, we will not delay the next lecture."

Yet the next day, Patriarch Tuotuo did not lecture on the Sword Classic. For the first time ever, he lectured on the Fire Dragon Sword Technique.

Xiao Nan feared that his two disciples might cultivate recklessly before their cultivation was sufficient and harm themselves. Thus, although he had passed down the talisman texts of the Fire Dragon Sword Technique and the Twenty-Seven Fire Dragon Method, he had not unsealed the spells within. Unless one completed the Primordial Sword Formula, the secret methods within could not be seen.

Patriarch Tuotuo had no such reservations. He merely felt that if his disciples had the opportunity to directly cultivate the Fire Dragon Sword Technique, would that not be an excellent thing?

If they failed, they could simply continue cultivating his Yin-Yang Five-Element Seven-Absolutes Sword Classic. High or low, each would find their proper place.

In any case, he had many disciples and grand-disciples. More than half of them were destined to amount to nothing. If cultivation errors arose, he could simply take in a few more to make up the numbers. It was no great matter.

Zhu Ying and Wang Chong had not expected Patriarch Tuotuo to lecture on Patriarch Sa's Fire Dragon Sword Technique.

After listening for half the day, Zhu Ying only felt that this method was profound and mysterious. She understood almost none of it, and what little she did understand, she did not dare attempt to cultivate.

Wang Chong, however, listened with great interest and secretly thought, The foundation of the Fire Dragon Sword Technique lies in opening those few Pure Yang dharma apertures and generating supremely Yang dharma power.

Only by cultivating sword arts with this supremely Yang energy can one produce the immense might to cleave heaven, split seas, and cut mountains and rivers asunder.

Though I cannot yet open those Pure Yang dharma apertures, I have seven Qian-Li Fire Serpents. If I use them in place of Pure Yang energy, perhaps it could work as well?

Wang Chong very much wanted to cultivate in seclusion for several days to test his thoughts, but he had already agreed to accompany Zhu Ying. Thus, the two of them quietly left Southern Zen Temple and descended Sea-Gazing Peak. Each used the Soaring-Cloud Technique, raising a mass of white cloud as they headed toward the East Sea.

Old Demon Luo had gathered several hundred thousand stones of cloud essence, which Zhu Ying and Wang Chong had divided equally between them. Each possessed two or three hundred thousand stones of cloud essence.

Wang Chong had used more than half of his to cultivate the Celestial Stele cloud arts, but he still had the energy of eighty or ninety thousand stones of cloud essence remaining.

Finding his original cloud mass too small, he had used another seven or eight hundred stones of cloud essence on the Soaring-Cloud Technique. Thus, his cloud stretched over more than ten mu, already exceptionally broad.

Zhu Ying, on the other hand, had never put effort into the Soaring-Cloud Technique. Born in the East Sea, she had inherited a different cloud art. Since they were traveling together, she simply boarded Wang Chong's cloud.

Both had greatly advanced their dharma power. Driving the cloud mass now, they could soar high into the sky, and their speed was far greater than before.

Though it was not as swift as the flight of the Qian-Li Fire Serpents, the Soaring-Cloud Technique was clearly from an orthodox and renowned lineage, and it did not draw attention. Instead, it spared them much trouble.