Demon Sword Immortal

Page 2

A bit funny.

But it's a realistic reality.

The Great Yu Dynasty is, after all, a modern society. Not to mention firearms and cannons, it already has electromagnetic cannons and laser cannons. Under such circumstances, the status of swordsmanship has definitely declined.

“Xiang’er, you’ll be 18 soon, so pursuing a pure sword path might not be feasible. Luckily, I have an opportunity to transfer to a school here, so why don’t you try the arts and sciences route?”

Although Bai Shengju spoke cautiously in his recollection, his words conveyed only one meaning.

If you lack talent, then don't waste your time trying.

But the original owner was clearly unwilling, as evidenced by the fact that she still carried the cloud-patterned wooden sword and had it neatly placed on the wall.

So is it really that difficult to 'recognize me'?

With a thought, Bai Xiang instantly changed his sitting posture. He curled his left leg and placed it horizontally on the edge of the bed with the sole of his foot facing the sky, while his right leg pressed down on his left ankle and hung down to the ground. His hands formed a mudra on his knees, and his wrists held a cloud-patterned wooden sword horizontally.

Canjian Chan.

The name sounds mysterious, but it actually relies on reciting scriptures and doctrines to strengthen one's beliefs and make oneself understand that one is a human being, a higher animal that is reasonable and abides by etiquette.

There's nothing mysterious about this movement; the reason it was executed so quickly is simply due to muscle memory.

If I understand correctly, what is truly needed for awakening 'self-awareness' is actually a strong spirit in the purest sense.

Reciting scriptures is merely a way to strengthen one's spirit, solidify one's will, and increase the chances of success in this endeavor.

So actually I...

Before his mind had even begun to wander, and before he could even recite the scriptures, Bai Xiang felt a clear stream spread from his brain to his limbs and bones, silently seeping into his internal organs.

She opened her eyes and looked around the room, able to see even the tiny specks of dust.

Eyes, hands, body.

Although his strength had not increased, his overall control and coordination were vastly different from before.

Is this what 'knowing me' means?

He picked up the cloud-patterned wooden sword again.

This time, Bai Xiang's hand was very steady. The sword blade was held horizontally in the air without trembling at all.

I'm just not talented enough...?

Turning to look at the pile of books beside him, Bai Xiang stood up, threw the other textbooks back on the table, leaving only the "History Compulsory Course 5" on his back, and sat back on the bed to start reading.

Chapter Two: Swordsmanship and the Demon Pool

Now that he has 'recognized me' and successfully entered the path, according to the beautiful woman in the suit in the memory, he has awakened his own 'heart image' and truly has the possibility of seeking the Great Dao. Therefore, Bai Xiang will definitely not consider taking extra cultural classes anymore.

It has nothing to do with personal preference, but rather that the benefits of supplementing academic subjects are too low.

I did inherit the original memories, but obviously not completely; most of the memories only surfaced when I thought of that place.

She had just silently tested herself, and when it came to academic subjects, her mind was practically blank except for some ancient legends, local chronicles, historical common sense, simple arithmetic problems, and so on.

Clearly, even though Bai Shengju sent her to study here, the original owner didn't put much effort into her academic subjects.

Her real desire was still to practice swordsmanship.

In this situation, catching up on academic subjects would be too ineffective. Since the mind has already awakened, it's better to use this last year or so to practice swordsmanship diligently.

No. 1 High School is the best high school in Chilong Road. The fact that Bai Shengju could get her to come here as a transfer student shows his considerable influence.

So I practiced swordsmanship first.

If all else fails, you can use your family connections to repeat a year of high school.

There's one thing I just can't figure out yet—why does this world only have the way of the sword and not the way of the knife or the way of the spear?

This kind of basic knowledge is not included in "Required Course 5". Bai tried to read the whole book, but only learned about the modern history of the Great Yu Kingdom. He gained nothing else.

I tried hard to recall, but no one mentioned it in my memory.

It seems that in Da Yu, this is the natural phenomenon. Just like in the past, no one asked why most people ate with chopsticks; it had become the default rule.

After thinking for a moment, Bai reached under the pillow and pulled out a cell phone.

This is an old-fashioned Nokia phone; I don't recognize the brand.

She remembered the operating instructions and started the machine with ease. The first thing she saw was the time: 5:36 PM on September 13, 2053. Then she looked at the background image of a woman in a white training uniform holding a sword.

The woman stood on a high platform, her black hair flowing down her back. It seemed that the audience was sitting on both sides of her, and her face was close-up against the background of the night sky in the distance.

It's quite pretty.

But he's very arrogant.

This was Bai Xiang's first impression of her.

Her face is naturally cold, and her eyebrows are specially trimmed into sword-like shapes, giving her a condescending posture that makes the viewer feel as if they are being subjected to her disdain.

The woman's identity was then remembered. Her name was Chai Xuan, she was from Daizhou, and she was a Taoist priest named Zhong'an. Last year, she suddenly rose from obscurity, winning first place in both the literary and sword examinations. She was the top scholar in the country in Dayu last year.

It was a sensation at the time, and the buzz it generated is still going strong today.

After all, it's only been less than three months from June to September, and Chai Xuan's popularity hasn't gone down for long. Recently, reports about her appearing at Qi Da Sword Academy have started piling up everywhere.

But these are not the key points.

The key point is that Bai Xiang has met Chai Xuan.

This person had visited Shenming Dojo with his father, Chai Jingyuan, during the winter vacation this year. When Bai Shengju saw Chai Jingyuan, he pulled him to the backyard to chat, so they must have been old acquaintances.

The original owner had no impression of this person until he became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

After thinking for a moment, Bai found the photo album and deleted all the saved Chai Xuan backgrounds. Then he selected a pure black image from the system wallpapers as the background.

She hadn't forgotten why she'd looked for her phone in the first place. She opened her browser, checked for internet access, and awkwardly typed: Why... Da Yu... Sword Dao Supreme...

Clicking the search bar immediately brings up a whole bunch of results.

By reading through the texts one by one, Bai Xiang gradually gained a true understanding of the history and origins of Kendo.

Simply put, this is related to the national conditions and historical and cultural background.

Swords, spears, halberds, and knives were among the many types of weapons used in ancient Yu Dynasty. Swords were inferior to knives in slashing, spears in thrusting, and arrows in long-range attacks. Logically, they shouldn't have achieved their current status, yet nowadays, kendo dojos are everywhere, while martial arts schools of other disciplines are almost nonexistent.

This is because, in Dayu, only the sword has developed its own culture.

It is both a weapon and a ceremonial object. From being wielded by soldiers in battle to being worn by scholars in court confrontations, the sword has borne witness to the ups and downs of the Great Yu Dynasty over 1600 years, and to the turbulent history of the land over 1600 years.

Historically, the Great Yu dynasty faced three critical crises: 646, 938, and 1375.

All three crises led to wars and chaos throughout the land. Some were caused by 'demonic disasters', while others were purely 'human-caused' conflicts. But the symbol that ended the conflict in each instance was the sword.

In 646, the demon fox of Wuqiu wreaked havoc on the kingdom. Emperor Xin braved countless dangers to find the demon pool of the immortal demon Xuan Niao, sealed the demon pool into a sword, and forged the Emperor's Sword Xuan Ge to slay the demon fox and restore order.

In 938, the Luo and Huang families of Dingbei Dao usurped the throne. War raged across the land, and the empire was divided into three. Then, Yao, a descendant of the imperial family, wielding the divine sword Chixiao, stirred the heavens, sending down a meteor to solidify the dynasty.

In 1375, the demon kingdom in the northern border revived. Within the Great Yu territory, demon pools sprang up everywhere, and strange and bizarre creatures abounded. The entire desolate state of Daizhou was nearly deserted, and hundreds of thousands of imperial guards were wiped out. Then, a strange man named 'Zen Master Daokong' appeared out of nowhere. He single-handedly slew all the demons with his sword, and his sword was even bestowed with a title by the emperor and named 'Zhenyuan'.

There are many other examples, and it is these diverse examples that come together to make people believe that the sword has a magical power.

Using a sword as a seal for the demon pool is the most ideal method.

Only the way of the sword, born from the intersection of sword and human reason, can suppress the raging demonic power, transform it into one's own, and produce all sorts of miraculous effects.

It's not that using other weapons as sealing objects is necessarily unacceptable, but rather—

When a martial arts student of the Great Yu Dynasty begins to forge his own 'external appearance' weapon, if he chooses a sword, he can instantly recall the myths and legends of countless famous swords, the culture of swords, the history of swords, and through the way of the sword, he can think of human principles, Taoist doctrines, and Taoist classics.

But what if he chooses a knife, a gun, or a bow?

There is far less guidance in this regard.

The beginning of Kendo is the three stages of the Dao. The first stage, "Recognizing Myself," is described in the classics as "planting a spiritual seed," "awakening the mind," "controlling the real body with a virtual mind," and "exploring the potential of the physical body with the power of the mind."

This is a very profound and metaphysical explanation. Bai thought it meant that one needs exceptionally strong mental strength, willpower, and concentration to comprehend and enter the Tao.

In other words, Kendo actually places great emphasis on mental strength.

Not only does entering the Daoist path require a strong spirit, but later, when forging the sword, the "Demon Sealing Pool for the Sword" also requires a strong spirit to "prevent being devoured by demonic power."

From this perspective, Kendo culture can indeed play a crucial role in achieving extraordinary progress.

Rather than simply a weapon, it is more like a spiritual totem.

Suppressing public sentiment.

It also suppressed the demon pool.

"The Demon Pool..."

Thinking of this, Bai Xiang searched the Demon Pool again and began to watch the results that popped up, in conjunction with his memories.

The Demon Pool is the root of all evil and strange creatures.

It is not simply a puddle of water, but can exist objectively in any form.

It could be a tree.

It could be a lake.

It could be a house, an alarm clock, a pencil, or even some living creature.

They emit invisible and intangible demonic energy, forming illusions and monsters to attack, influence, and interfere with reality.

The reason for the formation of the Demon Pool remains a mystery.

This thing has not been extinct to this day. Even now, with skyscrapers, steel walls, and electromagnetic weapons, legends of demon pools still appear from time to time in cities.

It's haunted.

Ghost tales.

If this isn't just a rumor, then it must be the work of a demonic pool.

Science cannot explain the Demon Pool; so far, only swordsmanship can effectively counter it.

No wonder swordsmanship still holds such a high status.

No wonder, Kendo requires mental strength.

Bai thought for a long time, pressing her phone, and pondered that the reason she could so easily 'recognize me' was probably due to the suffering in her past life.

When it comes to tempering one's will, what Taoist texts or scriptures can compare to a ten-year terminal illness?

She endured so much pain, even her doctors were puzzled as to how she could last for ten years. Her spirit and willpower were far beyond that of ordinary people, which is why she was able to successfully 'recognize' the body as soon as she took over.

But why did I have to wake up in this body?

She began to ponder the question again.

A single shared name wasn't enough to convince Bai Xiang. She felt that even if it were a supernatural explanation like 'soul possession,' the original owner of the body would have to have encountered a significant problem to make it plausible.

Bai Xiang's thoughts paused, and her gaze swept across the room, finally settling on a white kettle placed on the bedside table.

I picked up the kettle, opened it, and found it contained only plain water.

But a strong feeling was telling her: there was something wrong with this pot of water.

This is a warning sign from the heart...

The original owner of this body was actually poisoned to death?

"Buzz-"

My phone suddenly vibrated.

Bai wanted to look down, but the caller ID showed 'Chen Jing'.

I don't remember much, but thankfully there's a contact note above the name indicating that they were classmates.

I glanced at the time again; it was almost 18 PM.

friend?

Shall we meet for dinner?