n

nChapter 42 By The Sword

nIn the same night inside the library cave of White Goat Cave, Nangong Caishu closed the two books that she had read carefully several times. Then she breathed and only calmed down after breathing a hundred times. She closed her eyes.

nShe looked inside herself using her usual cultivation method. Then her mental power slowly spread outside her body.

nBut unlike in the past, she was not in a hurry to use her mental power to capture the surrounding primal energies of the universe. She allowed her mental power to stay afloat in the silent library cave.

n

n

nHer cultivation was limited. Her flowing mental power could only cover the inner cave and couldn’t reach the outer cave.

nCompared to the surrounding world, the area covered by her mental power was like a pitifully small pool.

nBut thinking of the possibility, she did not feel any urgency.

nShe maintained this state and waited with calm and patience.

n

n

nAs time passed, many minuscule droplets of water, tiny dust motes, and even plants and fur so small they could not be detected appeared in her perception.

nThese minuscule things silently entered the world of her mental power, falling into the pool of her range, and disrupted her absolute calm.

nWind rose around the pool.

nNumerous fine winds blew through the pool.

nThe weak breezes seemed to be alive with the majority of them instinctively repelled by the pool. They then passed silently after contacting the pool and only created minor ripples.

n

n

nBut some seemed to be testing, and appeared to touch the surface of the pond.

nNangong Caishu started to feel shocked.

nBut she still did not do a thing. Like a pond in the rainy night, she calmly accepted all water that flowed towards her.

nThose breezes could not truly enter the pond, but she started to see different colors.

nShe started to see many colors in the wind like small stars.

nShe could not control her emotions.

n

n

nShe was so excited she started to tremble all over. She breathed with an open mouth, unable to maintain her internal vision. She opened her eyes, unable to continue cultivating.

nShe wasn’t able to succeed and draw the primal energies of the universe into her body in one try, but she already felt a crucial change.

nShe understood the true meaning.

nAcceptance and tolerance were much more useful than forcibly taking.

nThe Green Vine Sword School students around her were still deep in thought and immersed in the books they had chosen. They had not noticed her state just now.

nShe returned the notebooks to their original position with something like reverence. Then she walked out of the inner cave and then the outer cave until she reached the stone building outside the library cave.

nIt was still completely dark outside and a while away from sunrise

nYet she sat down inside the stone building and waited fwhile acing the rope bridge.

n

n

nShe really wanted to see Ding Ning again, driven by some unknown emotion.

nShe sat high up in White Goat Gorge, waiting for the sun to rise. She looked down on White Goat Cave and watched as the entire sect changed. She was the first student of Green Vine Sword School to experience this.

nAll kinds of sounds started to occur in the silent White Goat Gorge.

nBefore the sky was even bright, the figures of many White Goat Cave students appeared on the paths of White Goat Gorge.

nA cultivator’s cultivation was based on body, method and technique.

nThe method referred to the cultivation method of vital energy.

nOne who could only absorb the primal energies of the universe and cultivate vital energy could only become a pure container.

nBody, the cultivation of the cultivator’s physical body.

nThe body of a cultivator had to be strong. To live longer, they needed strength, nimbleness, speed, and reactive ability.

nTechnique was the techniques of using one’s body, vital energy and weapons.

nOne’s combined ability in body, method, and technique was the true power of a cultivator.

nBased on the usual practice of cultivators, all things were quiet during the night. The body needed to rest, and it was a good opportunity to cultivate one’s vital energy. When the day came, all things became active, the temperature rose, and people’s blood and energies became active. This was a good time to train their physical body and technique.

nSo under the weak light, some White Goat Cave students were walking the steep cliffs, some breathing at the edges of the cliffs and using breathing to strengthen their organs, while others were dancing in the wind and practicing their swordsmanship.

n

n

nThis was a prosperous and beautiful scene.

nEven Nangong Caishu, who was waiting for Ding Ning, could not help but think of this kind of scene: in Changling and the Qin Dynasty, countless sects were waking up like this.

nThe prosperity of countless sects like this represented the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty.

nYet at this moment, she did not know that an argument was starting on a certain mountain path of White Goat Cave.

n“Why?”

nSu Qin looked coldly at a young White Goat Cave teacher. “I have no objection to Zhang Yi entering the White Goat Huts to cultivate. But how does Ding Ning, who had just joined the sect for a day, qualify?”

nThis young White Goat Cave teacher was discontent with Su Qin’s attitude. However, facing Su Qin, who was his student but actually had vital energy cultivation close to his, he knew that Su Qin’s future was greater than his. He suppressed his displeasure and said as pleasingly as possible, “This is the decision of the cave master. Since Cave Master has decided this, he must have his reasons since Ding Ning’s test outside the gates were astounding.”

nThis young teacher felt helpless seeing Su Qin’s expression grow uglier after those words. He said in a sincere voice only the two of them could hear, “I’m just responsible for passing on the message … also, the Cave Master put you three in. You already have permission to use the spirit vein to cultivate, why do you have to care about who the other two chosen are? You can only use one spirit vein.”

nThis young teacher felt that he was very sensible, and even felt he put himself in a petty-minded position. Yet Su Qin’s expression grew colder.

n“This is not a problem of how many spirit veins I can use, but one of justice.”

n“You know as well using spirit veins to cultivate is the highest reward of White Goat Cave. If it is easily given to a newly joined disciple, then will any of the new disciples in the future actually work for the sect?”

nHis voice was not loud, but cold and clear. It spread out far among the mountain paths and into the ears of many White Goat Cave disciples who were working on their cultivation.

nThe young teacher’s expression changed gradually.

nHe started to understand why Su Qin had grown more of a show-off recently and taken stronger positions within the sect.

nBecause White Goat Cave had joined Green Vine Sword School, because the level that White Goat Cave used to exist in was not accepted any longer by the empress and the dynasty.

nIf he could get most of White Goat Cave’s people to stand behind him, he was likely to become the master of White Goat Cave, and climb to higher levels more easily.

n“Your ambition comes too quickly and too early,” the young teacher scolded with an unusually ugly expression.

nSu Qin sneered instead. He looked at the White Goat Cave students who were gathering at him out of the corner of his eye. He lowered his voice. “But I hear people need ambition to live. I also hear that carp need to take advantage of the situation in order to cross the dragon gates. I also hear, people need to get famous as early as possible.”

nThe young teacher’s expression grew even uglier. Yet when he saw the angry gazes of the surrounding people, he felt slightly panicked and didn’t know what to do.

n“Cave Master has made such arrangements because he qualifies.”

nAt this time, a cold emotionless voice came behind the young teacher.

nEveryone’s gaze gathered on Li Daoji who walked out of the thin mist.

nThe sword hilt in front of Li Daoji gave off a faint intimidating red light.

nThe hundred White Goat Cave students gathered nearby hesitated slightly but their silence held an explosion that could go off at any time.

nSu Qin smiled slightly.

nHe felt no matter the result, he would gain more popularity.

n“What qualifications?” He looked dismissively at the sword hilt in front of Li Daoji and thought inside, even if you are stronger than me now, in the near future, I will surpass you.

n“Ding Ning is already in Profound Understanding.”

nLi Daoji”s face showed a rare smile, a cold and disdainful smile.

nHe looked at Su Qin whose expression immediately froze and added, “Ding Ning joined the sect yesterday. He reached Profound Understanding yesterday … he reached Profound Understanding in half a day.”

n“What!”

nDisbelieving shouts rang out across the valley.

nSu Qin paled. He did not speak, but the exclamations helped express the disbelief he felt.

nEveryone, just like the students of Green Vine Sword School in the library cave, could not believe this was true.

nIn their memories, in all of Changling, only one or two people had reached Profound Understanding in half a day after truly starting their cultivation.

nThe young teacher also shook as well.

nHe knew that he would not be the one to resolve this matter after Li Daoji appeared but he had not expected news like this.

nA monster who reached Profound Understanding in half a day … if this kind of monster did not qualify to cultivate with the help of the spirit vein, then who in White Goat Cave qualified?

n“Is this true?”

nA young voice sounded.

nThe one who spoke was Shen Bai.

nHe was the one who was most fiercely opposite to Ding Ning’s entry at the start but now his shocked gaze held a flame like hope.

nIf this was true … if White Goat Cave had a monster like this that could grow, then would White Goat Cave be as humiliated in the future as they were now?

nLi Daoji glanced at him. He did not answer Shen Bai’s question and said in a cold and mocking tone, “There is no meaning to discussing qualifications now. Yesterday, the principal of Green Vine Sword School, Di Qingmei, has said that our White Goat Cave students will also attend the sword trial festival. If they can win, they are able to receive the same rewards as the Green Vine Sword School students. But the three spirit springs of White Goat Cave will also be rewards for the victors.”

n“What!”

nA wave of exclamations once again rang out in the valley.

nLi Daoji looked coldly over every person present. “The cave master has already agreed … so if you are angry, if you feel White Goat Cave has lost something and want to gain it back, do it by your sword.”

n