Dao Fruit: Insights into the Sword Dao

The least valuable, the Seventy-Two Earth Sha Swords, was a manual that took one from the very beginning all the way to the Shattering the Void Realm.

Any sect that obtained the Seventy-Two Earth Sha Swords could produce disciples who would continually reach the Shattered Void and ascend in broad daylight.

Perhaps after endless ages, they could establish an immortal Dao sect in the heavenly realm.

Having missed out on the Seventy-Two Earth Sha Swords, Mo Wenjian felt deep regret.

The Longevity Sword Instruction was even more formidable. It surpassed the Shattering the Void Realm and even exceeded the upper limit of the Wuxia Great Ming World.

Simply claiming the Longevity Sword Instruction would cause the Wuxia Great Ming World to transform and advance.

This was no longer a benefit for an individual, but for the entire world.

Heaven brings forth all things to nourish people, yet people have nothing to offer heaven in return.

If Mo Wenjian were a native of the Wuxia Great Ming World, he would certainly have chosen the Longevity Sword Instruction without a second thought.

Unfortunately, Mo Wenjian was not a native of the Wuxia Great Ming World, but merely a passerby stopping for a short while.

The transformation and advancement of the Wuxia Great Ming World would bring Mo Wenjian no benefit.

Though Mo Wenjian's moral standards were not low, they were not high enough for him to sacrifice himself for others.

After a brief consideration, Mo Wenjian ultimately chose the insights into the Sword Dao.

Mo Wenjian's strength did not change much.

His knowledge of martial arts, however, made a tremendous leap.

The sword arts of the Wuxia Great Ming World no longer held any secrets from Mo Wenjian.

If Mo Wenjian wished, he could pick any sword art and develop it all the way to the Shattered Void Realm.

Thanks to his insights into the Sword Dao from the Longevity Sword Instruction, Mo Wenjian's martial arts knowledge had faintly surpassed the Shattering the Void Realm.

Mo Wenjian could not help but smile with delight.

But his smile soon froze.

Mo Wenjian suddenly remembered that the original purpose of this simulation had been to study the boundary.

Because studying the boundary required advanced techniques, he had started by studying sword arts to work on his technique.

As time went on, however, things had developed beyond Mo Wenjian's expectations.

His study of sword arts had progressed smoothly and yielded remarkable results, and before he knew it, he had become so absorbed in it that he could not pull himself away.

As for his original purpose of studying the boundary, he had unwittingly forgotten it.

This was probably what they meant by: tend flowers with care, and they refuse to bloom; plant a willow branch by chance, and it grows into shade.

Studying the boundary would have to wait until the next simulation.

Before, Mo Wenjian had lacked the skill to use Chaos Sword Gang with any finesse.

Now, however, he had gained sufficient insight into the Sword Dao, and things were entirely different.

Put simply, Mo Wenjian could make Chaos Sword Gang perform all manner of tricks.

With a casual wave of his hand, Mo Wenjian turned Chaos Sword Gang into a breeze that swept all the dust off his body and carried it into the trash bin.

The cleaning that would have taken a long time was finished just like that, with hardly any effort.

Mo Wenjian put away the broom and planned to return to his room to sleep in.

The Eastern Arrival Hall was not large, and Mo Wenjian inevitably ran into Zhu Zhanshan on his way back to his room.

Zhu Zhanshan was diligently practicing in earnest, following the Two Forms Swordsmanship manual.

In the past, Mo Wenjian would not have noticed much.

But now that he had gained experience in the Sword Dao, the result was entirely different.

With a single glance, Mo Wenjian saw that Zhu Zhanshan was merely parroting what he had learned.

Every move and stance appeared flawless, but it was all show; he had failed to grasp the essence.

"Greetings, honored master!" When Zhu Zhanshan saw Mo Wenjian, he instinctively wiped away his sweat, then gave him the bow of a disciple to his master.

"Cultivating the Sword Dao is not just a matter of burying your head in practice. As you practice the sword, you need to comprehend the true meaning of Two Forms Swordsmanship!" Mo Wenjian was very dissatisfied with Zhu Zhanshan copying the form like someone drawing a tiger from a picture of a cat.

"I'm sorry, I've disappointed you. My comprehension is too poor. It's been some time since I learned Two Forms Swordsmanship, but I still haven't grasped its subtleties!" Zhu Zhanshan had studied the martial arts of the School of Military Strategy since childhood and was accustomed to simple, forceful techniques with broad, sweeping movements. Though he had devoted himself to practicing Two Forms Swordsmanship, he simply could not connect with it.

"As the saying goes, the young should not cultivate the Dao, and the old should not practice martial arts. You are still too young, so asking you to grasp the true meaning of Two Forms Swordsmanship really is asking a bit much. Since you haven't gained any insights, I'll give you a little help!" As Mo Wenjian spoke, he lightly flicked a finger.

A strand of Chaos Sword Gang fused into Zhu Zhanshan's treasured sword.

Ten large characters immediately appeared on the blade, which had been as smooth as a mirror.

On one side was "Wuji gives rise to Taiji"; on the other, "Taiji gives rise to the Two Forms."

The ten characters seemed simple, but they contained Mo Wenjian's insights into Wudang swordsmanship.

They would serve as a guiding outline both for the Two Forms Swordsmanship Zhu Zhanshan was currently practicing and for the Taiji Swordsmanship he would switch to in the future.

It did not matter that Zhu Zhanshan did not understand the true meaning of Wudang swordsmanship.

As long as Zhu Zhanshan held this sword, it would be like receiving one-on-one, hand-in-hand instruction from an unparalleled swordsman at the Shattering the Void Realm who had switched to Wudang swordsmanship.

Under such conditions, even a fool could reach the Celestial Person Realm.

Anyone with a little comprehension would certainly be able to reach the Shattered Void and ascend in broad daylight, so long as they did not stray down the wrong path while cultivating.

Holding the treasured sword, Zhu Zhanshan felt its effects most keenly.

Zhu Zhanshan had already reached the Innate Realm before. Now that he had crippled his own martial arts and started cultivating anew, he already had the advantage of his former realm.

Guided by the treasured sword, Zhu Zhanshan immediately experienced an epiphany.

"Wuji gives rise to Taiji, Taiji gives rise to the Two Forms. So this is what Two Forms Swordsmanship is!"

Holding the treasured sword, Zhu Zhanshan practiced Two Forms Swordsmanship once more.

The moves were the same, but the experience was different, and the result was utterly transformed.

A strand of Sword Qi, its sharp edge fully bared, quietly came into being in Zhu Zhanshan's Dantian.

The strand of Sword Qi seemed to be a single whole, yet it also seemed capable of splitting into two halves.

Seeing this, Mo Wenjian could not help nodding.

This Two Forms Sword Qi already showed signs of Taiji Sword Qi.

From the present perspective, its power had increased by at least a full fold.

Looking to the future, switching to Taiji Swordsmanship, which came from the same school and source, would present no hindrance.

As long as Zhu Zhanshan followed Mo Wenjian's plan, breaking through to the Celestial Person Realm would come as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Once Zhu Zhanshan no longer needed the sword, he could leave it to his descendants.

As long as the sword was not lost, Zhu Zhanshan's descendants would surely have a Celestial Person powerhouse holding the fort in every generation.

This was no longer a dynasty lasting a hundred years or an Aristocratic Clan lasting a thousand, but a legacy passed down to descendants for all eternity.

In a sense, this sword was a foundation for ten thousand generations.

After an unknown length of time, Zhu Zhanshan finally emerged from his epiphany.

"Thank you for this gift, honored master. Your Divine Abilities and methods truly shake heaven and make ghosts and gods weep. Even my imagination can't keep up!" Zhu Zhanshan gazed at Mo Wenjian with eyes full of admiration.

"With this sword, the Celestial Person Realm will be within easy reach as long as you cultivate step by step. Even reaching the Shattered Void and ascending in broad daylight is not beyond your reach. You must not disappoint me!" Mo Wenjian reached out and patted Zhu Zhanshan on the shoulder, then turned and left.

My aptitude was mediocre to begin with. Even if I trained hard day and night, I might never have broken through to the Innate Realm. Honored master first helped me open my eight extraordinary meridians, then my twelve primary meridians. Not only did he pave a direct path for me to the Celestial Person Realm, he also gave me a treasured sword containing the mysteries of the Shattered Void. How can I ever repay such immense kindness? Zhu Zhanshan was deeply moved and wished he could use every means at his disposal to repay Mo Wenjian's kindness. Yet no matter how much he thought about it, he could not find a suitable way, and his feelings were complicated to the extreme.