Attitude

The Sword Saint Guangyuan was taking a short rest that day and had not gathered Jiangzhou's experts to discuss the Way.

Outsiders guessed that, since Su Jianxing had come to Canglang Mountain, the Sword Saint intended to give him special instruction, but in reality...

The Sword Saint Guangyuan and Su Jianxing had no close ties.

The reason was that, half a year earlier, Yang Zuotian, Feather Saint of the Sacred Martial Tower, who had attained sainthood through lightness arts, had offered to take him as a disciple. He had bluntly refused and instead accepted sponsorship from a local sect.

Although the one rejected had not been the Sword Saint Guangyuan, they were both members of the Sacred Martial Tower. Su Jianxing's rejection of Yang Zuotian naturally displeased the Sword Saint Guangyuan as well.

Had he not been mindful of Su Jianxing's prospects of leaping through the Dragon Gate in this round, he would not even have bothered responding to his requests for guidance a few days earlier.

At that moment, however, the Sword Saint was studying the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Of the thirty-six people on the list, thirty had been circled.

That meant all thirty already had financial backers.

As for the remaining six...

Even the highest-ranked among them was only nineteenth.

And he had actually failed to attend this gathering to discuss swordsmanship at Canglang Mountain.

Thinking also of the misshapen melons and cracked dates the martial masters of Jiangzhou's various factions had brought over during the past half month and more, the Sword Saint Guangyuan could only shake his head.

"Master."

Just then, a woman in her thirties brought over a dossier.

The Sword Saint Guangyuan took it and glanced through it.

"Li Xian?"

He looked it over briefly, and his eyes lit up. "Viscera Great Accomplishment at twenty-two? Combat strength approaching Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing?"

But immediately afterward, his gaze settled on a passage, and his brows furrowed. "Blood Jade Art?"

"His achievements seem not to be due to the Blood Jade Art."

"Oh?"

The Sword Saint Guangyuan began to take it somewhat more seriously, but then felt something was wrong. "Two and a half months practicing martial arts? Viscera Great Accomplishment? What is this information supposed to mean?!"

"It's true."

The woman said, "There is speculation that he followed the path of first studying to clarify his aspirations, then practicing martial arts and Entering the Dao."

"First studying to clarify his aspirations, then practicing martial arts and Entering the Dao... how could an ordinary person possibly follow that path?"

The Sword Saint Guangyuan studied the dossier in silence for a moment before finally ordering, "Investigate thoroughly."

"Someone has already been sent. We should have results in three to five days."

The woman replied.

The Sword Saint Guangyuan nodded.

Personally, he did not really believe Li Xian had reached Viscera Great Accomplishment in just two and a half months.

Still...

Even if he had not been practicing martial arts for less than three months, Viscera Great Accomplishment at twenty-two...

In the Sword Saint's eyes, that was at least much better than those misshapen melons and cracked dates, and worth a second look.

Just then, another voice came from outside. "Master, Master Zhou of the Dragon Spring Martial Arts Hall in Lijiang requests an audience."

"The Dragon Spring Martial Arts Hall?"

The Sword Saint Guangyuan glanced at the information concerning Zhou Juechen in the dossier and smiled. "The man himself has arrived. Show him in."

Without needing instructions, the woman quickly put everything away and went to prepare tea and refreshments.

Then Zhou Juechen was brought in by someone else.

After they exchanged pleasantries, before Zhou Juechen could speak, the supreme expert had already pushed the dossier toward him. "Master Zhou, do you think this information is true or false?"

Zhou Juechen glanced at it, unsurprised that the Sword Saint Guangyuan had learned Li Xian's basic information so quickly.

"If all this information is true, and Li Xian did indeed first study to clarify his aspirations before practicing martial arts and Entering the Dao, reaching Viscera Great Accomplishment in just two and a half months, what would you think of his talent, Sword Saint Guangyuan?"

"A martial prodigy."

The Sword Saint Guangyuan gave his assessment in those few blunt words.

"What if he hopes to receive sponsorship from the Sacred Martial Tower, from you, Sword Saint Guangyuan?"

Zhou Juechen asked.

"Heh."

The Sword Saint Guangyuan chuckled. "If this information proves true upon verification, I would be willing to accept him as a direct disciple, keep him by my side, teach him with care, and do everything in my power to help him leap through the Dragon Gate five years from now."

Zhou Juechen fell silent.

Only after a long while did he say, "What if... he only wishes to receive support from the Sacred Martial Tower, or from you, Sword Saint Guangyuan, in the form of supplies, cultivation arts, and cultivation insights... such as Blood Spirit Powder, the Great Vehicle Body Tempering Art, and Heavenly Heart Sword Intent?"

The Sword Saint Guangyuan paused slightly, then quickly understood Zhou Juechen's meaning.

But...

"Zhou Juechen, do you know what you're saying?"

His expression was indifferent as he spoke.

That single, brief sentence nevertheless placed immense pressure on Zhou Juechen.

Although he had reached Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing, before a supreme expert like the Sword Saint Guangyuan, if he angered him, he probably could not withstand even a single sword strike...

But in the end, he still steeled himself and said, "As far as I know, Li Xian has many potential troubles hanging over him, even involving that Immortal Seedling in the royal capital. To keep his troubles from implicating you, Sword Saint Guangyuan, perhaps... we could each obtain what we need."

"Immortal Seedling?"

The Sword Saint Guangyuan said mildly, "Leaving aside when that Immortal Seedling might enter the Way, or whether he can at all, even if he does, I have the Sacred Martial Tower behind me. What would I have to fear?"

This...

For a moment, Zhou Juechen had no words.

But more than anything, he felt helpless.

He had known this would be the outcome.

"Still, I understand your meaning now. You may go."

The Sword Saint Guangyuan calmly lifted his teacup.

Seeing this, Zhou Juechen could only bow. "My apologies for the offense. I'll take my leave."

He soon turned and left.

He looked somewhat bedraggled as he went.

The Sword Saint Guangyuan, however, did not look at him again, instead returning his gaze to the dossier.

Only after a long while did he call, "Yinsha."

"Master."

The woman stepped forward to await his instructions.

"Take a portion of Blood Spirit Powder and deliver it to Li Xian."

He gave the order calmly. "Remember, deliver it into his hands personally."

The woman, Yinsha, paused slightly. "Blood Spirit Powder, as a gift to Li Xian?"

"A rather interesting junior."

The Sword Saint Guangyuan's tone was mild. "Those conditions are enough to prove that this Martial Master Li is extremely proud, so proud that he has no reverence even for me. Someone like that is either so arrogant and conceited that he holds nothing in his eyes, or truly brimming with talent, his ambitions higher than the heavens."

He smiled. "He may be arrogant, but Zhou Juechen lacks that kind of nerve. In theory, Zhou Juechen would never dare relay such a downright discourteous request to me, yet he did so anyway. What does that mean?"

"Zhou Juechen has absolute confidence in him!"

Yinsha said in surprise.

"It's only a portion of Blood Spirit Powder, after all. I would like to see whether this Li Xian's talent lives up to that pride of his."

The Sword Saint Guangyuan said.

"Yes, Master."

Yinsha acknowledged the order and soon left to make preparations.

In the courtyard where Zhou Juechen was staying.

Li Xian reviewed the effects of his boiling blood and qi during his earlier battle with Yan Lian and Liu Feng.

Boiling and burning my blood and qi did significantly increase my explosive power, but the negative effects that burning had on my body were plain to see. If I attain Primordial Unity and an Impervious Body, and greatly reduce the frequency, I could still recover through rest. But for martial artists below the Leakless realm...

Li Xian weighed it carefully.

He vaguely felt that this burning of blood and qi had something in common with a burst of Core Force.

A burst of Core Force was, in itself, the sudden release of blood and qi condensed into one. If, during that release, he also ignited and detonated it...

It would be nothing short of pouring oil on a fire.

The effect would be far more than simply one plus one equals two...

Li Xian brought his palms together. Now this is a true method for staking my life.

Although the consequences would plainly become even more severe, sorting out this line of thought made his eyes light up.

The Blood Jade Art claims to repay blood debts in blood, to burn jade and stone alike, but ultimately, it's too refined. Not extreme enough, nor pure enough.

Since people called it a demonic art, it ought to act like one.

What kind of demonic art failed to kill its practitioner even after a long period of cultivation?

How was that any different from demonic cultivators who had to fulfill someone's wishes before taking their soul?

With a heart intent on seeking knowledge and truth, Li Xian immediately began pondering how to fuse bursts of Core Force with the burning of blood and qi.

(End of chapter)