A beating had followed the intense scolding.

It finally occurred to Hidden Bitter that this was not playing but a serious matter.

Xu Xiaoshou watched as his pants were dragged down by the scabbard of the sword. A pair of fuming eyes stared intensely at it. It was beyond embarrassing for Hidden Bitter. Even if Xu Xiaoshou was its master, he should not have to resort to such ways.

Hidden Bitter tried to evade again, but Xu Xiaoshou had learned its tricks. He caught Hidden Bitter’s head and the tail and straightened the black sword.

Xu Xiaoshou disregarded the resistance from the black sword. Instead, he focused all of his energy on his eyes and look straight ahead.

The technique of sword observation to unlock a sword cognition was not learned through simply looking. If it was that simple, anyone who had picked up a sword and looked at it would be able to cultivate into high-level individuals.

This specific form of spiritual cultivation had one criterion of extreme difficulty, which was psychokinesis.

Psychokinesis was the combination of form and will. Since it hinged on the overlap between the two elements, it posed a challenge for one to actualize.

Coincidentally, Xu Xiaoshou discovered that he had almost mastered the ability of ordinary power of thought. This was an astonishing discovery for him.

In his mind, he pondered if the existence of the 10 Sections of the Finger Sword was a prerequisite for the cultivation of the Sword Observation Manual.

‘Is this a coincidence?’

Xu Xiaoshou wondered if he was reading too much into this, but the knowledge that he was able to directly cross over this threshold was comforting for him.

He had arrived at the second threshold of the Sword Observation Technique. If psychokinesis obstructed more than 99 percent of cultivators, the second threshold would have reduced the remaining one percent of them by half.

“Higher knowledge of the way of the sword!”

This was a new concept for him. The technique was really about the understanding of the way of the sword.

In other words, this was Sword Will. If a sword was incapable of cultivating Sword Will, the cultivation of the Sword Observation Technique was out of the question. The innate Sword Will was the passing criteria to the Sword Observation Technique.

However, it was only a passing criterion.

The higher knowledge of the way of the sword was not limited to Sword Will. It was the actual understanding of the fundamentals of the sword. It was the canon of the sword.

Aside from Sword Will, everything else regarding the sword, such as the forms and techniques of the sword and the physical state of the sword, were included in the higher knowledge of the way of the sword.

The immensely comprehensive subject was different for each individual.

Xu Xiaoshou had understood why this was a challenging technique to cultivate.

After all, no one in this world dared to claim their understanding of the way of the sword was the sole truth.

Xu Xiaoshou wondered if the Eighth Sword Deity would have questioned their personal interpretation as well. He dismissed the thought with a clear of his throat. Someone like the Eighth Sword Deity should not have had problems with that.

Despite realizing what an obstacle the Sword Observation Technique was, Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes were glowing with determination. He was not willing to give up.

He had stumbled onto another pleasant discovery. His own Sword Technique Expertise had cleared the second threshold.

He had always thought Sword Technique Expertise was a few self-made sword moves and nothing more. He never thought that there was irreplaceable value in the precious and endless foundational training.

With this foundation, he used the Sword Observation Technique to observe Hidden Bitter. After he had entered the mysterious realm of realization, Xu Xiaoshou learned more about understanding the Sword Technique Expertise.

Perhaps the Passive Skill encompassed the entirety of the sword. Furthermore, he had never expected that his sword techniques and understanding of the sword would subconsciously improve because of an improvement in the Sword Technique Expertise.

“Maybe if I attempted to cultivate the White Cloud Sword Technique, I will be able to master it?”

Xu Xiaoshou had an unreadable expression on his face.

That spiritual technique was challenging to master, and it was a drawback that had bothered him for a long time.

He initially thought that he had to draw a Passive Skill that was under the realization quality type to attain a higher level of realization. With the presence of the Sword Technique Expertise, he now had drastically pulled up his understanding of the sword.

He had been worried about nothing all along.

Once Xu Xiaoshou had this realization, he was less inclined to learn the White Cloud Sword Technique. For spiritual techniques, there was only a slight possibility that it would reach the state of a pure sword technique.

Since he had already embarked on the path of the Ancient Sword Technique, there was no reason for him to give up on the fundamental foundations in pursuit of a specific technique. Moreover, as long as he had the Sword Technique Expertise, it was not necessary to learn any new sword form.

A fisherman would not fear the lack of fish. He had nothing more to worry about.

Over time, Xu Xiaoshou had successfully crossed the two thresholds. The presence of the sword cognition was beginning to feel less and less far for him.

With time, Xu Xiaoshou stared intensely with his drying eyes that were filled with psychokinesis. He had finally seen in the depths of the black sword, the purest elements of its nature.

“Sword cognition?”

A ribbon of white fog arose from the black smoke.

In the next moment, Hidden Bitter jerked violently and started to jump and shake aggressively.

It was ecstatic as it jumped. It was almost as if it saw how the ways of heavens had blessed it with powers and saw its limitless growth and future.

The white fog poured out of the black sword. Once the sword had absorbed enough nourishment from the Great Path, it transformed into a razor-sharp blade.

The silver light shone brightly. Under Xu Xiaoshou’s control, the stream of sword cognition returned into the sword form of Hidden Bitter.

The sword transformed with a hum. The new sword seemed much brighter and shinier. The scratches on the body of the blade seemed to have been slightly patched up.

The sword was completely renewed like an elder who had returned to the young glory days. The black sword was high-spirited. It let out a yell of excitement and almost severed Xu Xiaoshou’s control.

Xu Xiaoshou cursed in his mind and forced the stream of sword cognition away from Hidden Bitter. The sword cognition passed through his left hand and flowed into his body.

“Scoff!”

Like his finger had been struck by an electrocuted silver needle, blood started to splatter. Before the sudden pain passed, the pain from the needle had penetrated his body out of nowhere.

“Ouch!”

Xu Xiaoshou threw Hidden Bitter to the side as if he was electrocuted. He felt his heart palpitate hard. His fingers felt like they were breaking apart.

With a sharp sound, the out-of-control sword cognition transformed into a silver needle and flew out of Xu Xiaoshou’s shaking fingers.

A black line emerged in the void and opened. Xu Xiaoshou was hit with a premonition of disaster and reached out to stop the action.

However, he was too late.

Boom!

The barrier of the inn split open instantly. Bright sunlight fell through the ceiling. Xu Xiaoshou was stunned for words.

“This…”

The stream of sword cognition was barely able to be circulated through his body. It was not capable of being called that level of sword cognition. Yet, the soundless attack packed destruction that was the equivalent of the 10 Sections of the Finger Sword.

The only difference between the two was the terrifying noise that accompanied the 10 Sections of the Finger Sword.

The silver needle was a wicked tool of destruction. The needle barely made any sound, yet it mercilessly chopped the inn in half.

“Ah, no! Was the inn hit?”

Bang!

The room exploded within seconds. Xin Gugu gripped his golden staff and prepared for any oncoming attackers.

He had been resting in the nearby rooms. He picked up the familiar presence immediately.

“Is that the Sword Will of the scruffy-looking man?”

It did not matter whether it was or not. The energy came from the direction of Xu Xiaoshou. That could mean an enemy attack.

He flew into Xu Xiaoshou’s room, but all he saw was the young man with an awkward expression.

“What’s going on?” Xin Gugu scanned the room in a panic. He was trying to locate the terrifying scruffy-looking man.

Xu Xiaoshou remained silent.

‘Nothing. I was training,’ he thought, but he held his tongue from saying those words aloud and ignored Xin Gugu. However, with his Perception, he saw the inn owner rush toward the scene of destruction in panic.

“Oh no!’ Xu Xiaoshou thought. “We might lose our rooms at the inn!”

His mind started to race. ‘Do I have any good excuse to push this responsibility on something else?’

This was a matter of extreme urgency.