Sword Scripture

Wentian Cliff's strongest martial skill was a sword art, named the Wentian Sword Art.

It emphasized striking after the opponent moved, hitting with a single blow.

With one move refined to the very pinnacle, it struck directly at the flaw and weakness in the opponent's technique, requiring no second move.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

This was similar to his own approach.

They said those in the same trade were natural enemies. Both relied on defeating the enemy in a single move; Wentian Cliff prized exquisite precision, while he relied on Super Sensation and the Great Avalanche Sword Art.

Which was stronger and which weaker was truly hard to say. They would only know after fighting.

For now, his cultivation was insufficient.

He should be able to break through the Fifth Layer Jade Tower in the next few days, but even at the Sixth Layer Jade Tower, he would still be two levels below Cheng Tianfeng. Besides, Cheng Tianfeng might not be merely at the eighth level.

Why had the Emperor's support still not arrived?

Was he being too patient?

After reviewing these case files, he bade Ma Tianhe farewell and left the Supervisory Department, returning to the residence beside Earthly Soil Hall and Bright Moon Tower to prepare for an attempt at the Fifth Jade Tower.

With the Imperial Heaven Earthly Soil Scripture, even if he suffered grievous injuries, he could recover in time. He had no worries behind him.

At dusk, he opened his eyes as he sat cross-legged on the couch, then shook his head.

He was still just a little short.

If his Meridians were a little stronger, one more Dragon Binding Rope should have been enough to break through. Unfortunately, he was still just short of it.

He still had to continue cultivating the Dragon Transformation Technique.

By the time he returned to Prince Qing's Estate, the lanterns had just begun to glow.

The family gathered together for dinner.

Seeing Chu Yi's face radiant with joy, Chu Zhiyuan guessed that the rare flowers, exotic plants, and precious varieties he had found for her had made obvious progress.

As Bai Ningshuang chewed gracefully, she said casually, "Oh, Yuan'er, your grandmother sent you a box of things today."

Chu Zhiyuan looked at her.

"Your grandmother said these should suit your tastes."

Chu Yi giggled. "Grandmother gave me two rare flowers too. They're precious exotic flowers from the palace's rear gardens!"

Bai Ningshuang rose and retrieved a small jade-green box, about the size of a book.

The jade box was a clear, deep green throughout, its warm luster flowing softly.

He was quite surprised.

This small jade box actually concealed itself from his Super Sensation. He could not peer inside, only sense the chilling Cold Qi emanating from the jade.

It was actually made from cold jade. What extravagance.

Cold jade had the marvelous effect of calming the heart and steadying the mind.

One Ninth Grade Merit could be exchanged for a cold jade pendant. Wearing it aided cultivation and reduced the chance of Qi Deviation.

He had the Qingying Sword, whose effects were stronger than cold jade, so he had not used a Ninth Grade Merit to exchange for one.

"Here, this is it," Bai Ningshuang said, handing him a white jade key.

The jade key seemed to meld seamlessly with her slender jade hand, about the size of her little finger. "This jade box has a one-time key. Once opened, it becomes useless."

Chu Zhiyuan took the key and gently inserted it into the small hole in the jade box.

Crack! With a crisp sound, the white jade key was instantly shattered into powder by an invisible force, vanishing into the small hole of the jade-green box.

The jade-green box slowly opened like a clam shell.

Inside lay a small white jade bottle and a thin booklet.

Chu Zhiyuan's gaze immediately fell upon the thin booklet. He reached out and carefully picked it up. Four words were written on the cover: "Void Controlling Sword Scripture."

The moment he saw the words "Void Controlling," he immediately thought of the Void Controlling Sword Sect.

The Void Controlling Sword Sect's inheritance was in Bright Martial Hall, yet only the Qi Washing Art sat on its shelves.

Could this Void Controlling Sword Scripture be the Void Controlling Sword Sect's inheritance?

He quickly finished the dozen-odd pages, his eyes shining like cold stars.

Chu Minghou, Bai Ningshuang, and Chu Yi had been watching him all along. Seeing his delight, they smiled as well.

Chu Yi could not help asking, "Big Brother, is this Void Controlling Sword Scripture very important?"

Chu Zhiyuan shifted his blazing gaze toward her and smiled. "Very important!"

"How important?" Chu Yi asked, tilting her head.

Chu Zhiyuan shot her a look and stroked the Void Controlling Sword Scripture with emotion. "As expected of an ancient top-tier sect."

This Void Controlling Sword Scripture contained not only the Qi Washing Art, but also the Meridian Washing Art and Sword Washing Art.

After reading those two arts, he vaguely guessed why they had not been placed in Bright Martial Hall.

The requirements for cultivating these two arts were too demanding, and they could not be cultivated in the Postnatal Realm. Placing them in Bright Martial Hall would only throw people's hearts into confusion.

The Meridian Washing Art resembled the first layer of the Dragon Transformation Technique, but its cultivation threshold was extremely high. It demanded extraordinary comprehension and equally extraordinary Spiritual Power.

One drew in a thread of Void Power, combined it with True Qi, and then cleansed and tempered the Meridians.

The Sword Washing Art was an advanced form of the Qi Washing Art. After washing one's qi to the utmost limit, one introduced a thread of Void Power and caused it to undergo a strange transformation, allowing it to produce Sword Light.

Sword Light was something only Grandmasters could cultivate.

That was equivalent to possessing Grandmaster-level destructive power.

A smile appeared on his face.

The Emperor had finally made his move.

Yet he had done so in this silent, soundless manner, concealing the truth from heaven and crossing the sea.

He opened the white jade bottle as well. Inside were nine Marrow Cleansing Pills.

He shook his head.

Nine Marrow Cleansing Pills were merely worth nine Eighth Grade Merits.

He had originally thought that with the Heavenly Treasure Department's abundance of Miraculous Pills and Elixirs, the Emperor would at least give him an elixir exchangeable for a Third Grade Merit, perhaps even a First Grade one. Instead, he had only given him a bottle of Marrow Cleansing Pills.

Sure enough, his cultivation was insufficient; he could not withstand higher-grade Spiritual Medicine?

"Big Brother, are the pills in this bottle no use to you?" Chu Yi asked curiously.

"They'll be useful." Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Many thanks to Grandmother for her generous kindness."

Bai Ningshuang said, "As long as they can help you... In a few days, it'll be your Fourth Uncle's birthday banquet. Yuan'er, won't you come with us and meet some people?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "I still need to cultivate."

Bai Ningshuang said, "Don't bury your head in cultivation all the time. Going out to relax would be good too. Tension and relaxation should be balanced."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head.

"You..." Bai Ningshuang smiled. "Don't push yourself too hard. Our estate's situation is already quite good."

Chu Minghou said, "Yuan'er, your mother is right. Don't force yourself excessively."

"Yes," Chu Zhiyuan agreed.

After eating, he took the cold jade box, the Marrow Cleansing Pills, and the Void Controlling Sword Scripture back to Listening to Waves Courtyard. Sitting cross-legged upon his bed, he began studying the two arts.

The window stood open, moonlight and evening breeze drifting in slowly and falling upon him.

The Greater Violet Sun Technique circulated on its own, dispelling the chill.

All his attention was fixed upon the secret manual.

The greatest threshold of the Void Controlling Sword Scripture was the void.

To understand the void, comprehend the void, connect to the void, until finally commanding the void—this was the purpose and essence of the Void Controlling Sword Sect.

The reason the Void Controlling Sword Sect's lineage had been lost was that its demands on comprehension were simply too high.

Comprehending the void was too mysterious, mystery upon mystery—a subtle thing that could not be put into words, only grasped in the heart.

The Qi Washing Art was still manageable, with traces to follow and no need for the void's involvement. But the Meridian Washing Art and Sword Washing Art both required Void Power, profound and unfathomable.

How could one perceive the void and connect to it? It relied only upon a single passage, the Void Inscription.

Void was the body; emptiness was the mother,

Void was the spirit; emptiness was the homeland,

Void was the beginning; emptiness was the end,

Void was nothing; emptiness was being,

Void was yang; emptiness was yin,

Void was movement; emptiness was stillness,

Void was softness; emptiness was hardness,

Command the void, ride the emptiness—supreme and boundless.

At first reading, this inscription seemed plain and simple, but upon careful contemplation, it became profound and difficult to understand, leaving one utterly at a loss.

Trying to comprehend the wondrous essence of the void through this single Void Inscription was almost impossible.

Chu Zhiyuan studied it for a while, seeming to gain something, yet seeming to gain nothing.

As his head swam and his vision blurred, he steadied his mind and simply cast it aside, choosing to cultivate the Meridian Washing Art first.

After circulating through its unique cultivation route once, his True Qi changed, faintly forming an inexplicable connection with the void.

This connection was infinitesimal, there yet not there.

But it could not escape Super Sensation.

Super Sensation focused upon that trace of connection and verified it against the Void Inscription, again and again. After who knew how many repetitions, a trace of insight arose naturally.

Some prodigies had to polish away at this trace of insight for decades, while most geniuses could not form it in their entire lives.

As that insight took shape, the connection between his True Qi and the void grew ever clearer. He continued verifying it against the Void Inscription, deepening his understanding.

Thus the cycle repeated, becoming clearer and clearer.

The power descending from the void became plainly visible. Combined with his True Qi, it underwent a strange transformation: the Misty Purple Qi turned into a milky-white breath, like milk.

Wherever that milk-like breath passed, it was swiftly absorbed by his Meridians, growing thinner and thinner until it finally became transparent breath and vanished in a flash.

He continued circulating the Meridian Washing Art. The Earthly Yuan Art transformed into True Qi, and the True Qi passed through the Meridian Washing Art to become milky breath, which his Meridians continuously absorbed.

An hour later, he began cultivating the Jade Lock Golden Pass Technique.

When he opened his eyes at dawn the next morning, sharp light blazed within them, and flowing radiance shimmered in his pupils.

The Fifth Jade Tower had been broken through. He had officially entered the Sixth Layer Jade Tower realm.