The Sect Leader's Angry Rebuke Stirs the Backbone; Third Master Brings His Core Thesis to Perfection

After Kuai En left, all the cultivators of the Chongming Sect had mixed feelings.

Which of Chongming's most Double Brightness disciples wouldn't know the dire straits this Earl of Fengen was in back then in Tanggu County?

While spiritual cultivation is indeed highly dependent on aptitude, seeing how easily an old friend, who was far inferior to them back then, had attained advanced cultivation and become a noble relative, stirred up some indescribable thoughts in everyone's hearts.

Sect Leader Kang Da was well aware of the situation, but he didn't discuss it with each of the cultivators. Instead, he summoned Kang Rongquan, whose eyes had turned somewhat gloomy, to his side and personally instructed him.

"Well, Kuai En received a lot of help from you back then, so have I given you a generous gift this time?!"

Kang Dabao's teasing remark did little to change Kang Rongquan's expression. The latter, head bowed, looked utterly dejected, as if too ashamed to raise his head. After a moment of hesitation, he took out something and softly replied:

"To be honest, my great-uncle, Marquis Kuai Feng'en gifted me a Snow Forest Pill, saying that if I wished for convenience, given my aptitude, I could potentially achieve False Core within a single cycle and enjoy three hundred years of life."

"Heh, after seeing the world, he's become quite generous," Sect Leader Kang Da laughed for a while, because as Kang Rongquan said, the Snow Forest Pill given by Kuai En was indeed rare and precious, and even ordinary cultivators would have to spend a lot of resources and energy to find one.

But for Kuai En, this rising star of the Immortal Dynasty, it might not be so painful as to give it away to an old friend so easily.

"He was born with the innate talent of the 'Primordial Chaos Mysterious Pivot Physique,' which is something you juniors can hardly hope to surpass. Even I, after a century of hard work, have been left behind."

Kang Dabao sighed, and seeing that Kang Rongquan's complexion had improved slightly, he then spoke up to comfort him:

"Speed is temporary, but not permanent. Since I began cultivating, I've seen countless geniuses, but those who have truly lived longer and far surpassed me in life are few and far between."

Kang Dabao's fingertips traced the rim of the teacup, his gaze sweeping over the sacred wood outside the hall, his tone slow yet firm:

"Do you think Kuai En is so successful now? Perhaps you haven't figured it out yet. This ' Primordial Chaos Mysterious Pivot Physique Nascent Soul two or three hundred years."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Kang Rongquan's eyes, followed by a thoughtful expression.

"But so what? Does that mean we're definitely no match for him?! Even now, can he, a Nascent Soul cultivator and a son-in-law of the Nascent Soul clan, truly surpass me, his great-uncle?!"

Kang Dabao tapped the table with his knuckles, the sound particularly clear in the quiet hall. His gaze fell on Kang Rongquan's face, carrying a sharp, questioning tone:

"In this world, some people can rely on the blessings of their ancestors and have countless resources; others can rely on the protection of the Dao Ancestor and have outstanding talents. If you want to complain about injustice, just list out all the virtuous talents of the Immortal Dynasty. Even if you list one a day, it will be enough for you to complain for ten or twenty years."

Kuai En gave you this elixir, perhaps out of old friendship, or perhaps because he saw you were downcast and wanted to help you. But don't be too complacent, lest you ruin your ambition.

"I understand that principle," Kang Rongquan said with a wry smile, then explained, "My great-uncle was a man of extraordinary talent and influence, who single-handedly brought the sect to such a state, yet we are all utterly unworthy."

He paused here, glanced again at the Snow Forest Pill in his hand, and hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"My grandson originally thought that he was only at the Azure Leaf Dao Foundation, and had no idea how to discuss Core Thesis, let alone reach the Core Formation stage. To be honest, it was a very slim chance."

However, if one achieves False Core too early, even if the Dao Path is severed, for the next two hundred years or so, one can still provide some assistance to the elders and share many burdens with their teachers.

My grandson did something foolish back then, and even a hundred deaths couldn't undo it. I thought it wouldn't be right to wait until I'm old and frail before I'm willing to form False Core and sacrifice my body for the sect."

After Kang Rongquan finished speaking, he noticed that although the Sect Leader Kang Da's face was expressionless, his eyes were filled with coldness, which made him tremble slightly.

"You bastard!!"

Kang Dabao slammed his hand on the table, the celadon teacup vibrating and making a humming sound. A few drops of tea splashed onto his black brocade robe, but this did nothing to diminish the coldness in his eyes.

"What utter nonsense are you spouting! What do you mean by 'the Dao Path is severed'? What do you mean by 'sacrificing one's crippled body'?! When have I, my Chongming Sect, my Double Brightness Kang Household ever taught you spineless bastards such principles?!"

Kang Rongquan was so intimidated by the scolding that he dared not utter a word, and could only lower his head and silently endure the abuse.

Sect Leader Kang Da, still not satisfied, pointed his finger and cursed, "Go ahead and fight, don't panic or be afraid. The path of cultivation should always be one of advancement and no retreat. If you really reach the end of your rope and still think about clinging to life and trying to obtain False Core, I, the Daoist, will have no objections!"

But how old are you?! Have you already wasted your ambition on those spiritual soil crops?! Is this how your master taught you back then?!

Kang Dabao's Golden Core wrath was truly unbearable for ordinary True Cultivator. Even though he did not show any malice towards Kang Rongquan, the undisguised and rampant spread of his spiritual power was enough to make the latter unable to lift his head.

Kang Rongquan's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck were bulging and throbbing, yet he still managed to say, "My late master never taught me like this!"

"Ha, so you can't even speak fluently anymore?!"

"My late teacher! My late teacher never taught me like this!!!"

Kang Rongquan said fiercely, gathering his spiritual power into the Laogong point in his palm, intending to crush the Snow Forest Pill, which was overflowing with the fragrance of pills, in one fell swoop to show his determination.

However, in the Sect Leader Kang Da, his actions were too extravagant, and thus unlikely to be carried out. Upon seeing this, the latter merely changed his expression slightly, flicked his fingertip, and a ray of spiritual light leaped into Kang Rongquan's palm, tightly protecting the jade bottle.

"Phew," Kang Dabao breathed a sigh of relief, whether because Kang Rongquan had suddenly realized his mistake or because the pill had not been lost. He then waved his hand, summoning pure energy, and handed the jade bottle to Ye Zhengwen, who had been listening quietly from the side.

Sect Leader Kang Da added, "Old Ye, this Snow Forest Pill will be converted into Merit Points for this lad. If he regrets it later and wants to take it back, don't stop him."

"Yes, Sect Leader." Ye Zhengwen, having just recovered from the spectacle, responded in a low voice.

Only after Kang Dabao completely suppressed his spiritual power could Kang Rongquan finally catch his breath.

The latter raised his head but completely ignored the breakthrough pill that had just fallen into Ye Zhengwen's hand. He only glanced at Sect Leader Kang Da again, then bowed again. "Grand Uncle's teachings today, your grandson will never forget even a fraction of them."

Seeing that Kang Dabao's expression was not satisfied, Kang Rongquan then said, "After I go downstairs, I will tell all my fellow disciples about what happened in the hall today, to set the record straight."

Even at this point, Sect Leader Kang Da still hadn't spoken, and Kang Rongquan was still full of self-reproach. It was Yuan Jin, who had remained silent all along, who tried to smooth things over.

This elder, who was usually unusually good-tempered, simply smiled and pushed Kang Rongquan out the door, offering kind words of comfort:

"Senior Brother Sect Leader is just overly concerned; don't take it to heart. Go back and carefully consider what you just said, and don't get stuck on it."

After Yuan Jin closed the door, Ye Zhengwen, who had been silent until now, looked at the pill in his hand and sighed:

"If this pill were to leak out, who knows how many lives would have to be sacrificed to obtain it? My Sect Leader Kang almost caused his own disciple to ruin his own fortuitous opportunity; if word got out, people would probably think it was a fantasy."

Kang Dabao's anger was genuine, and he hadn't recovered yet. Yuan Jin, on the other hand, was in a good mood and said cheerfully, "Senior Brother Ye is right, but what Senior Brother just said does remind me of someone."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhengwen seemed to share the same sentiment. Before the Sect Leader Kang Da Yuan Jin react, the two of them uttered four words in perfect unison. "Uncle-Master Black Shoes."

"Haha, what you've said today, Senior Brother, if it were sixty years ago, would have been something Uncle Black Shoes would have told you. But today... haha, it's quite interesting. It's quite interesting."

"Uncle-Master Black Shoes?!" Upon hearing his two junior brothers mention it, Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't help but relax his tense expression.

After Kang Dabao sighed suddenly, he continued:

"Recently, there have been a series of joyous events within the sect, which has made these younger members too jubilant and somewhat lethargic. Old Ye, you should keep a close eye on the Merit Points Hall and quickly dispatch some tasks there, ensuring they focus their efforts on righteous matters, so they won't have the leisure to indulge in idle speculation."

Ye Zhengwen nodded in agreement and said, "After returning, I will instruct Xun Dao to Xundao proper arrangements."

"Hmm," Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Kang Da seemed to recall Han Xundao's recent reputation and felt slightly worried. However, seeing how much Ye Zhengwen trusted him in front of him, he didn't take it to heart.

Ye Zhengwen accepted the order and left immediately. Yuan Jin claimed he had something to attend to and asked to stay a little longer. Only after Ye Zhengwen had leaped over the Spirit Barrier did Yuan Jin approach Sect Leader Kang Da again.

He had by this time lost his earlier relaxed expression and gradually became serious. Kang Dabao frowned, knowing there would be no politeness between him and Yuan Jin, so he asked directly:

What do you want to say this time?!

But Yuan Jin hesitated for a moment, then seemed to have made up his mind, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Senior Brother, could you give me the Snow Forest Pill that Rongquan obtained?!"

These words caused the Sect Leader Kang Da's expression to change, and he stared at Yuan Jin for a long time without saying a word.

---- Xuanwei City

Inside the quiet room of the Fei Household mansion in Xuanwei City, the furnishings were extremely simple, reflecting the unpretentious style that Sect Leader Kang Da had always advocated. There was only a wooden table and a futon. In the corner of the wall, there was a calming incense sent from the Palace of Imperial Repose. The smoke curled around the beams, spreading a peaceful atmosphere to help Jiang Qing calm his mind.

Besides the "Sword Core Diagram" spread out on the table, there was also a square stone about the length of a palm lying quietly, which was the Sword-Sharpening Stone that Chu Yanran had given her before.

This stone is the treasure of a minor Buddhist sect in the outer sea. It accompanied a sword monk in his early years of practice, and its body has a warm luster that blends sandalwood and Sword Qi. It was an important tool for Jiang Qing to refine his sword intent in his early years.

When he obtained this stone, he rubbed it day and night. Although it had been unused for many years, the true meaning of swordsmanship contained in the stone, "using stillness to control movement and using the sword to prove the heart," had long been integrated into every move of his practice of the "Primordial Unity Suppresses the Firmament Sword." However, he had not yet connected it with the principle of Core Formation and had not been able to see the deeper connection.

Third Master Jiang sat cross-legged on the futon, his gaze shifting between the "Sword Core Diagram" and the Sword-Sharpening Stone. His fingertips first touched the cool surface of the Sword-Sharpening Stone, then fell on the spiritual energy patterns in the corner of the "Sword Core Diagram." Fei Tianqin's words from before still echoed in his ears:

"The Core Thesis is the path of self-realization for cultivators." "Understanding 'Primordial Unity' reveals that sword and elixir share the same origin."

These words were like a key, and the juxtaposition of the Sword-Sharpening Stone and the "Sword Core Diagram" was like the moment the key was inserted into the lock, suddenly loosening the confusion in his mind about Core Formation.

The patterns on the Sword Core Diagram are as fine as hair, winding and intertwining into hidden paths, which subtly correspond to the flow of spiritual energy he cultivated when he practiced the Primordial Unity Suppresses the Firmament Sword.

With the Sword-Sharpening Stone pressed against his palm, the dormant sword intent within the stone seemed to be awakened by the artistic conception in the picture, slowly releasing a wisp of light spiritual energy that subtly attracted the sword intent around him.

The cultivator in the picture stands with his sword on his back. The light spot gathered at the tip of the sword seems weak, but it reveals the mystery of "condensing the elixir with the sword and nourishing the sword with the Sword-Sharpening Stone. It seems to condense the core mystery of the two difficult hurdles of "sword training" and " Core Formation " in the quiet room.

"But if the sword and the elixir share the same origin," Jiang Qing murmured softly, raising his hand to summon his sword.

The longsword hummed softly as it was drawn from its sheath, seemingly resonating with the Sword-Sharpening Stone and the "Sword Core Diagram." The blade reflected the sunlight filtering through the window lattice, gleaming with a cold and pure luster.

Following the patterns of the "Sword Core Diagram," he drew the sword intent from the Sword-Sharpening Stone into his body, slowly circulating his spiritual power. His sword moved according to his will, drawing a smooth arc in the void.

The spiritual energy originates from the Dantian, flows through the meridians to the sword, and then returns to the Dantian from the sword tip, forming a closed loop.

Unlike the sluggishness of the past, this time the sword intent of the Sword-Sharpening Stone was smooth and the energy flowed smoothly, as if the sword, stone and diagram were interconnected, opening up an invisible channel in his body where the sword and the elixir merged.

The Luminous Sword Ape on his shoulder jumped down and squatted on the table. Its little paws pointed to the location of the cultivator's Dantian in the "Sword Core Diagram," then pointed to Jiang Qing's Dantian, and then touched the Sword-Sharpening Stone. Its bright black eyes were lively, as if reminding him of the connection between the two.

Following its movements, Jiang Qing placed the Sword-Sharpening Stone against his Dantian. The moment the sword intent within the stone touched the spiritual energy in his Dantian, he suddenly understood!

The "Primordial Unity" in the "Primordial Unity Suppresses the Firmament Sword" means "to integrate all things and encompass Yin and Yang";

The true meaning of the Sword-Sharpening Stone is "to guard one's original heart and concentrate one's sword heart"; while the core of the "Sword Core Diagram" is "to transform the sword into elixir and to nourish the sword with elixir." The combination of these three elements constitutes the complete path for sword cultivators to Core Formation.

Third Master Jiang closed his eyes and pondered, abandoning all distracting thoughts, allowing the sword intent of the Sword-Sharpening Stone and the artistic conception of the "Sword Core Diagram" to intertwine and entwine with his own spiritual power and sword intent.

The confusion and anxiety I used to feel when discussing the Core Formation gradually faded away, replaced by an unprecedented clarity.

The focus during sword practice, the tranquility during sword sharpening, and the sudden enlightenment during drawing all converge at this moment into a power that slowly nourishes the Dantian.

After an unknown amount of time, a warmth suddenly emanated from his Dantian. This warmth was no longer scattered specks of light, but rather solid like Sword-Sharpening Stone and orderly like the patterns on the "Sword Core Diagram." It slowly spread with the flow of spiritual energy, forming a perfect resonance with the sword intent surrounding his body, as if telling the ultimate connection that the sword and the elixir are one.

"Is this the true essence of my Core Thesis?" Jiang Qing opened his eyes, a gleam of enlightenment flashing within them.

He recalled the sword principles of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect that Lian Xuepu had taught him, "The sword is the weapon, the intention is the soul, and the elixir is the foundation." At this moment, these principles perfectly matched the "sword heart" of the Sword-Sharpening Stone and the "elixir intent" of the Sword Core Diagram.

He used to think that swordsmanship and alchemy were two parallel paths, and that one had to choose one to make progress, but now he has finally come to understand the true meaning of them.

It seems that for sword cultivators, practicing swordsmanship is the same as refining the mind, refining the mind is the same as Foundation Establishment, and Foundation Establishment is the same as Core Formation.

The Sword-Sharpening Stone helped him solidify his sword heart, and the "Sword Core Diagram" guided him to understand the principles of elixir. Only when the two merge into "Primordial Unity" can one achieve the true Golden Core Path belonging to sword cultivators.

For the next few months, Jiang Qing stayed indoors, immersing himself day and night in his understanding of the sword, the stone, and the diagram.

He used the sword intent of the Sword-Sharpening Stone to correct the deviation of spiritual power, used the patterns of the "Sword Core Diagram" to optimize the qi mechanism of the Dantian, and then compared it with the classics given to him by Fei Tianqin to verify his Core Thesis one by one.

The High Antiquity cultivators recorded in ancient texts "slayed inner demons with swords and solidified their Dao Foundation with elixirs," which perfectly aligns with the true meaning of the Sword-Sharpening Stone: "Using stillness to control movement."

The core of "the fusion of sword intent and elixir power" has already transformed into a natural resonance between the sword, stone, and diagram within his body. It is as natural as breathing, requiring no deliberate effort.

That morning, as the incense in the quiet room burned down to its last inch, the blue smoke gradually dissipated. Jiang Qing Sword-Sharpening Stone against his Dantian, his fingertips tracing the "Sword Core Diagram," and suddenly opened his eyes.

The warmth in his Dantian had condensed into a rounded spiritual energy, no longer scattered specks of light, but as solid as Sword-Sharpening Stone and as agile as a sword, pulsating gently with his breath.

He raised his hand and summoned his sword. The tip of the sword lightly touched his Dantian. As his spiritual energy circulated, the sword, the Sword-Sharpening Stone, and his Dantian simultaneously emitted a soft hum, as if the three of them were playing a harmonious melody of sword and dantian.

The resonant sound was steady and powerful, without the slightest hesitation, proving that the Core Thesis had been completely integrated.

Jiang Qing rose and walked to the center of the quiet room, standing with his sword in hand, the Sword-Sharpening Stone still in his palm. At this moment, the sword intent around him was no longer sharp and flamboyant, nor was it simply gentle and mild, but rather, like the meaning of "Primordial Unity," encompassing all things.

The sword's energy swept across the books and the "Sword Core Diagram" on the table. The pages turned gently, but were not damaged in the slightest by the Sword Qi. Only the Sword-Sharpening Stone became slightly hot, as if trembling in celebration of its perfection.

After practicing a set of Swordsmanship, Jiang Qing sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing as steady as ever, and the round spiritual energy in his Dantian remained stable.

He carefully put away the Sword-Sharpening Stone and the "Sword Core Diagram," keeping them close to his body. Then he sat down cross-legged again and carefully sorted out his insights from this successful experience.

Outside the quiet room, the sunlight gradually slanted, shining through the window lattice onto Jiang Qing, gilding him with a layer of gold.

The Luminous Sword Ape on his shoulder seemed to sense its master's change, woke up, nuzzled his arm, and its eyes were full of joy.

Jiang Qing closed his eyes and concentrated, the round spiritual energy in his Dantian slowly circulating, absorbing the remaining Spiritual Qi in the quiet room, and also resonating with the Sword-Sharpening Stone in his palm.

Countless sunrises and sunsets have passed, until a ray of bright moonlight shines through the window and falls on Jiang Qing's sword, its blade gleaming with a soft luster, echoing the spiritual energy in his Dantian and the Sword-Sharpening Stone in his palm.

In the quiet room, the sounds of swords clashing and stones trembling intertwined. Jiang Qing slowly opened his eyes, a sword light seeming to flow within them. He sighed softly, "Hmph, so this is the perfection of Core Thesis?!"

At this moment, his tone was no longer impetuous, but calm and resolute.