Sword Intent Realm Cultivation Methods

Heaven-Bearing Prefecture, Xie Household, Parasol Tree Courtyard.

A gentle breeze stirred, and fallen leaves rustled.

Xie Jinghan sat alone atop a bluestone platform, calming his mind and steadying his breath.

Since returning from Black Tiger Mountain, he had devoted himself to quiet cultivation. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed.

This journey of experience had lasted ten days in all. He had rushed day and night to Black Tiger Mountain during the first three days, then taken his time on the return journey, spending seven days before finally returning.

After Miao Cunyi arrived at Heaven-Bearing Prefecture, he bid them farewell as promised and departed alone.

Once they returned to the prefecture, everyone went their separate ways and attended to their own affairs.

Xie Jinlin remained in the residence to recover from his injuries. Ling Yun was also temporarily staying there to recuperate in peace, while Wang Tianfeng returned to the Wang Household residence to stabilize his wounds.

This trip to Black Tiger Mountain could be considered Xie Jinghan's first step into the martial world.

After a month of devoted digestion and reflection, his experiences and insights had completely merged into himself, and his cultivation had improved somewhat.

With a thought, he summoned his martial arts proficiency panel.

[Name: Xie Jinghan]

[Martial Cultivation: First Layer of the Innate Realm]

[Sword Dao Realm: Sword Intent Realm]

[Techniques and Martial Skills:]

[Xie Household Basic Breathing Method: 1'000/1'000 (Perfect)]

[Postnatal Breathing Method: 10'000/10'000 (Perfect)]

[Innate Breathing Method: 1'511/2'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Sword-Drawing Technique: 1'000'000/1'000'000 (Perfect)]

[Draw Sword Art Intent: 11'304/2'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Wilderness Tracking Art: 1'000/1'000 (Perfect)]

[Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Art: 1'212/1'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Leaping Art: 10'000/10'000 (Perfect)]

[Leaping Art: Treading the Void: 1/1'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Single-Character Lightning Sword: 10'000/10'000 (Perfect)]

[One-Character Lightning Sword: Thousand Flashes: 1'000/100'000 (Comprehending)]

After the Leaping Art reached perfection, it had naturally unlocked the advanced movement secret art, "Treading the Void." It allowed him to ride qi and float through the air, briefly stepping through the void, raising his movement technique to another level.

His rapid progress in ordinary martial arts was not because his talent had suddenly changed, but because both his martial path and sword path had entered the second realm.

With such a lofty foundation, the difficulties of cultivating ordinary postnatal martial arts were quite simple to him.

Xie Jinghan was perfectly clear that the Sword-Drawing Technique was his foundation.

Only by continuing to cultivate the Sword-Drawing Technique diligently and breaking through the shackles of the sword path could he drive forward his martial cultivation, which would in turn nourish all his other martial arts, allowing every technique and move to merge together and rise in tandem.

He could not put the cart before the horse!

Yet the Sword-Drawing Technique was progressing rather slowly.

At present, [Draw Sword Art Intent] gained several hundred proficiency points each day. At this rate, reaching perfection would take roughly ten years.

As for his martial cultivation, it increased by barely over a hundred points a day. The time needed for another breakthrough was even more distant and uncertain.

Xie Jinghan stared at the proficiency values on the panel, his brows slightly furrowed.

During this month of secluded cultivation, he had honed his swordsmanship and tempered his sword intent to the utmost every moment, never daring to slack off. He had put in far more effort than usual, yet the progress of [Draw Sword Art Intent] had only risen slightly.

In contrast, during his earlier battle with Wu Hen, he had only drawn one sword, yet his sword intent proficiency had surged by more than a hundred points, far surpassing the results of days of hard cultivation.

"Could it be... that battle is beneficial to condensing sword intent?!"

Xie Jinghan muttered.

Just as he was secretly puzzling over it, a series of light footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard. They crossed the bluestone path and headed straight toward the small courtyard.

The next moment, a clear, gentle voice sounded through the wooden gate, carrying a familiar smile. "Brother Jinghan, having nothing better to do, I've come to trouble you again!"

As the words fell, the courtyard gate opened gently, and green robes fluttered.

Ling Yun, dressed in a green robe, slowly walked into the courtyard.

Ling Yun no longer looked frail and weak from his previous severe injuries. His complexion was rosy, his aura steady. Most of his injuries had already healed, with only a few lingering old wounds remaining. His body moved freely and naturally, without the slightest sign that he had once suffered grievous harm.

Only his cultivation had yet to fully recover.

While recuperating, Ling Yun often came to Parasol Tree Courtyard to sit and chat.

First, he was grateful for Xie Jinghan's life-saving grace and sincerely wished to befriend him. Second, he wished to observe Xie Jinghan's sword path and make up for his own shortcomings in swordsmanship.

"Brother Ling, your injuries have recovered so quickly?" Xie Jinghan nodded slightly and asked. He could not help but marvel inwardly. As expected of a top sect from the Central Plains, its inherited cultivation methods possessed deep foundations. The physical foundations and self-healing abilities of its disciples were truly extraordinary.

Ling Yun smiled and cupped his hands. "Thanks to the exquisite spirit medicines of the Xie residence, just a few days of quiet recuperation stabilized my foundation. The remaining old injuries need only three more days to heal completely."

He then admitted frankly, "The sect has sent word. They are in no hurry to summon me back and have told me to recover in peace. Once my injuries are completely healed, I can return to the sect and report back."

Hearing this, Xie Jinghan's heart stirred.

The Mystic Azure Sword Sect had stood in the Central Plains for a thousand years and was a holy sword sect renowned throughout the land. Its foundation was vast and unfathomable. Innate experts emerged from it in endless succession, Martial Sect powerhouses guarded its gates, and even reclusive Grandmasters secluded themselves within it. Its prestige intimidated the entire martial world.

Ling Yun had cultivated in the Mystic Azure Sword Sect since childhood and had been steeped in orthodox sword path inheritance. His knowledge and perspective far surpassed those of ordinary martial artists, so he surely knew many secrets of cultivating the Sword Intent Realm.

Perhaps he knew the key to Xie Jinghan's doubts about sword intent cultivation.

Xie Jinghan looked directly at Ling Yun and asked frankly, "Brother Ling, I have been rather troubled by my cultivation recently. I hope you can offer me some guidance."

"I would not dare accept the word 'guidance.'"

Ling Yun's smile faded, and his expression became solemn. "Whatever Brother Jinghan wishes to ask, I will certainly tell you all I know!"

"I have been in the Sword Intent Realm for some time now. Recently, I have cultivated behind closed doors, honing my sword intent day and night and tempering my swordheart, yet the growth of my sword intent has been rather slow."

Xie Jinghan honestly voiced the confusion in his heart, his tone carrying some incomprehension. "Yet during the great battle some time ago, my sword intent progressed several times faster, far exceeding what I gained through ordinary hard cultivation. What is the reason for this?"

Upon hearing Xie Jinghan's question, Ling Yun immediately understood. He smiled in realization, then said seriously, "So this is what Brother Jinghan is confused about! My master specifically mentioned this when he taught me the arts of the sword path."

After pondering briefly and organizing his thoughts, he slowly said, "The cultivation of realms differs from martial cultivation. Martial cultivation values talent, with physique and comprehension foremost. But realm cultivation values a martial artist's true heart, intent, and Dao heart."

"A realm is the ultimate sublimation of one's true heart, intent, and Dao heart. It reflects a martial artist's obsession, experience, state of mind, and the road ahead on the martial path."

"Realm cultivation is divided into two stages: seeing oneself, and seeing heaven and earth."

"Though the cultivation of various realms takes different paths, they all lead to the same destination. Take the Sword Intent Realm, for instance."

"The initial stage of Sword Intent Realm cultivation is seeing oneself and understanding oneself. Its core lies in condensing the mind and nourishing sword intent. Only by polishing one's true heart until it is clear and transparent can one reach the martial realm of Clear Swordheart and Unity of Man and Sword."

"Thus, the foundation of initial Sword Intent Realm cultivation is the mind!"

"Those with resilient and lucid minds can soon reach Clear Swordheart. There is no shortage in this world of peerless sword talents, born with minds as clear and pure as crystal. From the very day they first grasp a sword, they attain the realm of Clear Swordheart."

"I imagine Brother Jinghan is not far from it as well!"

"Conversely, those with weak minds cannot sustain their Dao hearts. They remain trapped in the Sword Intent Realm for life, unable to advance another step."

"However, the mind can also be strengthened!"

"So how should sword practitioners like us temper our minds and strengthen our true hearts?"

"There are several methods publicly recognized in this world:"

"First, diligent cultivation. That is, like ascetics, using years of perseverance to polish one's true heart and strengthen sword intent."

"Second, battle. That is, using battle to nurture battle and tempering one's will in life-and-death fights."

"Third, entering the world for experience, witnessing all aspects of human life and cleansing one's state of mind amid life's rises and falls."

"Beyond these, there is another method: medicinal pills. Rare pills can nourish the mind and purify the Dao heart, also assisting the advancement of sword intent."