Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 40 The Myriad Manifestations of the Dao Heart
The seed of swordsmanship resonates like a heartbeat!

The surrounding sword energy surged and roared unrestrainedly!
In a single instant, all the sword energy suddenly receded, and time seemed to stand still.

Then, something seemed to gently cut a crack in the seed.

A wisp of sharp, unmistakable spiritual light drifted out from it, condensing into the shape of a small sword, which stood upright and hovered above the Dao Seed, before slowly falling down, half of it disappearing into the Sword Dao Seed.

The sword seed, which was once like an inanimate object, now seems to have come to life, trembling slowly.

The small sword on it also hummed softly.

"This is……"

A sudden realization dawned on Song Yan's mind.

"The nascent form of sword intent!?"

"...No, something's not right."

He was initially delighted, but then some doubts arose.

"It's not sword intent..."

There is a saying in the art of swordsmanship that sword intent is the will of the sword. However, Song Yan has not even practiced swordsmanship properly for more than a few days, so how can he have any talk of sword intent?
Upon closer examination, this so-called "sword intent" does not contain any spiritual energy as described in the sword techniques.

what is that……

I've thought through the entire Spirit Transformation chapter from beginning to end, but I still haven't found this strange situation.

Aside from sword energy and spiritual power, only two things exist on the sword seed: the "heart of seeking the Dao" and the "sword will" mentioned in the previous sword planting techniques.

"...The desire to seek the truth?"

In the past, a swordsman's sword consisted of two things. One of them was the sword body, which is equivalent to a flying sword today.

The other thing is the real foundation: the natal flying sword.

A natal flying sword requires a heart seeking the Dao and the rudiments of swordsmanship, supplemented by sword energy and spiritual power, and refined day and night before it can be formed.

When attacking, the natal flying sword can be attached to the sword body or used independently.

If the sword body is shattered, it can be rebuilt, but if the natal flying sword is damaged, at best the cultivation level will drop, and at worst the person will die and their cultivation will be destroyed.

It truly is a case of "the sword is with the man, the man dies when the sword is broken."

The heart that seeks the Dao is originally formless and intangible. After the natal sword intent takes shape, it naturally merges with the sword intent.

For some sword cultivators, these two aspects are actually complementary; they are intertwined and mutually reinforcing.

However, there is also a less common situation.

That is the heart that seeks the Dao, which is of the same origin as the will to use the sword, and the two appear at the same time.

Perhaps it is Xie Tianji's intense dedication to the sword path that is being conveyed through this sword scroll, and through the wondrous effects of the Yin-Yang Pearl, it resonates with Song Yan's strong obsession with the path to immortality and the Dao seed within the Sword Palace...

The desire to seek the Dao actually transformed into a part of his natal flying sword and appeared in the Sword Palace of the Dao Suppressor!
"However... even the desire to seek the truth seems incomplete."

Of course, it's incomplete.

Because this is actually Xie Tianji's desire for enlightenment, not Song Yan's.

However, this Dao heart and intention have many similarities with his "thoughts", and with the help of the Yin-Yang Pearl and the Dao-Suppressing Sword Mansion, it has become the situation it is now.

To attain enlightenment is no easy feat.

Even a mortal like Xie Tianji, a peerless genius, still spent half his life trying to achieve this state of mind.

In the end, Song Yan roughly figured out the guesses involved.

"That's a good thing, too."

He took a deep breath, calmly looked at the calligraphy in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and then carefully put it away.

To be honest, Song Yan had always considered himself dull-witted and had never considered that he could touch these ethereal things that sounded so dependent on enlightenment.

"A stroke of luck, a sudden inspiration, it's truly hard to describe."

He calmed his mind, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and carefully contemplated the heart that seeks the Tao.

Rivers flow, grass and trees sway, beasts roar and birds sing, insects fly and fish swim...

Amidst wind and rain, lightning and thunder, the clouds parted and the fog cleared, the sun rose and snow fell...

Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness; love, hate, passion, life, death, separation—the myriad aspects of life…

Strangely, this yearning for the Dao was boundless and all-encompassing. Song Yan seemed to have a sudden enlightenment, yet he couldn't grasp it no matter what he did, and it simply vanished. "What a profound state..."

Song Yan was not discouraged or disappointed; instead, she felt a strange sense of joy.

Thinking of my own mediocrity, how I was able to comprehend the Dao by chance, though incomplete, I still possess it nonetheless, and I suddenly felt a sense of liberation in my heart.

That day, when they burned their boats and severed their spiritual roots to rebuild their cultivation, wasn't it all for this kind of defiance of fate?

How could I not stand at the center of this world, competing with those immortal geniuses and sect leaders for the path to immortality!

Strands of spiritual energy drifted in slowly, following the breathing patterns of the Qi Condensation Scroll, merging into the meridians, flowing into the dantian, and gently nourishing the Dao Seed that had already condensed into a sword beneath the Sword Mansion.

"The speed of spiritual energy cultivation is much faster than before."

"It's even slightly faster than when I hadn't severed my spiritual root."

Furthermore, having already taken this detour in cultivation, it seems that it won't be long before I can return to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Song Yan didn't hesitate and immediately entered a state of cultivating spiritual power.

For the next few days, he worked diligently, cultivating his spiritual power and practicing sword control techniques every day.

With the aid of elixirs and spirit-gathering arrays, one's cultivation progresses by leaps and bounds.

However, cultivation resources are consumed at an alarming rate, and he soon found himself in dire need of them. So, Song Yan would occasionally go to the sect's miscellaneous affairs hall to take on a few slightly more difficult sect tasks, such as slaying low-level demonic beasts or collecting medicinal herbs.

On the one hand, they can earn some spirit stones and pills to ensure the needs of their cultivation; on the other hand, they can combine the sword control techniques they practice with actual combat to improve their swordsmanship.

Song Yan had considered returning to alchemy, but his skillful refining of Qi-Nourishing Pills was no longer of much use, the profit from spirit stones he earned was too low, and the effects of taking them himself were minimal.

As for other elixirs, I don't know how to make them. If I were to start from scratch, the effort and time required would be simply not worth it.

"It's not too late to make plans for alchemy after I've cultivated to the late stage of Qi Refining and advanced to the inner sect."

Like many sects, Dongyuan Sect also has a basic promotion mechanism.

Outer disciples who can reach the late stage of Qi Refining, that is, at least the seventh level of Qi Refining, can report to the sect and apply for the inner sect trial.

By passing the trials, one can be promoted to an inner disciple.

When that time comes, there will be no need to worry about monthly chores and trivial matters. If you really want to pick up alchemy again, as long as you humbly seek guidance, the elders of the Alchemy Academy will also give you some pointers.

It can be said that the status of inner disciples and outer disciples is completely different.

……

That night, on Lotus Peak.

A female cultivator arrived under the moonlight, her demeanor aloof and cold. Her frost-colored robes were spotless, and a jade hairpin made of ice-soul spirit adorned her long, dark blue hair.

He suppressed the sword light, stepped down, and ice lotuses bloomed at his toes, instantly shattering into fine snow.

"Senior Sister Qin!"

Several female cultivators guarding the mountain came forward to greet them.

"Ah."

"It's getting late, junior sisters, you should get some rest."

Although the female cultivator appeared cold and aloof, her tone was gentle and she had a kind heart.

"As long as I'm here, nothing will happen."

The female cultivators bowed gratefully.

The chores of guarding the mountain are extremely tedious and exhausting, but now that this sect's prodigy, Senior Sister Qin, has spoken up, they have been spared a lot of hardship.

She returned to her cave and paused at the entrance.

A jade talisman for transmitting sound hangs above it.

She frowned slightly, seemingly reluctantly removing the communication talisman. After roughly understanding the situation, the worry between her brows slowly eased.

"Sect mission..."

"Very well. Sister Qingqing has some experience in fighting against others, having participated in the Silent Valley conflict before."

"Then send her there..."

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(End of this chapter)