’This is... the Unity of Man and Sword?!’
It was no wonder Dong Hao’s heart was pounding, that he almost cried out in shock.
He truly hadn’t expected that in just one night, Jiang Xuan’s aura would undergo such a profound transformation.
The Dong Family was a fairly well-known Cultivation Family with its own deep heritage, one aspect of which was the "Treasure-Distinguishing Spirit Eye."
All direct descendants of the Dong Family could awaken it through a secret family ritual. This eye could not only discern the Grade and authenticity of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures but also vaguely perceive the fortune surrounding a Cultivator.
He had taken the initiative to befriend Jiang Xuan yesterday, even going so far as to gift him a Cultivation Technique. While he had been moved by the meticulous sincerity and respect Jiang Xuan displayed during the Purification ritual, the more crucial reason was what he had seen with his Treasure-Distinguishing Spirit Eye: Jiang Xuan’s aura was pure and untainted, and it faintly shimmered with a lustrous white light.
At that time, he had been certain that Jiang Xuan was destined for greater things and was worth making a bet on.
But now, as he looked again with his spirit eye, Jiang Xuan’s pure and untainted aura remained, yet it had gained a natural quality of blending with heaven and earth. More importantly, it now concealed a thread of unparalleled, piercing sharpness.
How could someone as experienced and knowledgeable as him fail to recognize it? This was clearly the threshold of the Unity of Man and Sword. He had even developed the faint, nascent form of a Sword Intent!
A Jiang Xuan like this was even more valuable to win over than he had anticipated.
Of course, this alone wouldn’t have been enough to leave him so stunned and cause him to lose his composure.
For a Sword Cultivator, the Unity of Man and Sword was just the first step.
What made his knuckles turn white and his heart churn with shock was his own conclusion. Unaware that Jiang Xuan possessed an attribute panel, had experienced a burst of good fortune the day before, and had even obtained the Treasure Level profession of Clear Heart Swordsman, he attributed all of Jiang Xuan’s changes to the One Qi Sword Technique.
And he himself had personally handed that very Cultivation Technique, the One Qi Sword Technique, to Jiang Xuan only yesterday.
’In just a single day... to grasp the state of Unity of Man and Sword with nothing but a Cultivation Technique... Just how terrifying is Jiang Xuan’s Talent for the Sword Dao?!’
The sheer shock made his face drain of color for a moment.
Fortunately, the composure honed by years of his Noble Family upbringing allowed him to quickly suppress his turbulent emotions. He refrained from rashly approaching and disturbing Jiang Xuan.
However, during the cultivation session, his frequent glances toward Jiang Xuan were eventually noticed by some of the more observant people nearby.
...
Jiang Xuan was, of course, completely oblivious to the turmoil in Dong Hao’s heart.
After finding his spot and sitting down, he calmed his mind and began his pre-cultivation preparations.
Purification of the body, purification of the hands, and Purification of the Mouth.
This time, not only did he meticulously complete his own purification rituals, but with a solemn expression, he also performed them one by one for the Cyan Glaze Sword in his hands.
Afterward, he stroked Cyan Glaze inch by inch, establishing a spiritual connection with her.
—This latter task, with his Professional Passive, could have been accomplished in a single thought.
But the Sincerity in his Heart for the sword, and his reverence for this companion blade, made him unwilling to skip a single step. He sought only the perfect alignment of heart, intent, and action, striving for flawlessness.
The entire ceremony was quite cumbersome and time-consuming.
Unsurprisingly, when the surrounding students saw him treating a Bamboo Sword like a precious treasure and solemnly performing a Purification for it, many of them sneered, thinking he was just putting on an act to show off again.
"He performed a Purification for himself yesterday, and today he brings a longsword. He’s trying to pull another trick."
"Hmph. I refuse to believe anyone will be fooled by you again today."
"It’s nothing but unorthodox tricks. We Cultivators should focus on Breathing and Qi Cultivation as our foundation. Wasting all day on this flashy, superficial nonsense—what kind of future can he have?"
The scattered comments drifted over. But, just as expected, the gossip didn’t affect Jiang Xuan in the slightest.
With his entire being focused on the Cyan Glaze Sword, Jiang Xuan took the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to finally enter a perfect state—his spirit and the sword as one, his mind utterly clear and serene.
Just as Jiang Xuan finished everything, the lecturer, Song Zhou, arrived.
He glanced at the eastern horizon and saw that the morning sun had yet to rise. It was the perfect hour for Breathing and cultivation. He immediately gave the order in a deep voice:
"Begin your cultivation."
WHOOSH...
Following his command, the three thousand students on the mountainside began their Breathing exercises in unison. Their immense auras converged into a current, kicking off the morning’s cultivation practice.
Jiang Xuan, already fully prepared, entered a state of Meditation in sync with the others.
However, unlike the others, who directly used the Breathing technique to absorb Spiritual Qi, Jiang Xuan first used his Heart Spirit to achieve final synchronization with the Cyan Glaze Sword. Then, using Cyan Glaze as a conduit, he began to draw in the Natural Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth.
CHIME...
As Jiang Xuan’s Divine Will flowed into it, the reawakened Cyan Glaze Sword let out a clear, resonant ring. Then, its body trembling slightly, Cyan Glaze used a Melody to stir the Wood Qi within a sixty-meter radius, causing all of it to converge upon Jiang Xuan.
Although the Cyan Glaze Sword absorbed most of this Spiritual Qi, the portion that flowed into Jiang Xuan’s body was still several times greater than what he could normally gather through his own Breathing exercises.
This, in turn, led to a dawning realization in Jiang Xuan’s mind.
’It seems the affinity between Spiritual Materials and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is far greater than that of the human body. It makes sense—plants and other Spiritual Materials are born from the world and grow in nature. They are inherently closer to the Laws of Heaven and Earth than humans are.’
’What’s more, their lifespans are incredibly long; they can easily live for several hundred, or even thousands of years.’
’But where there are gains, there are losses. Despite being close to nature and having long lives, they have one major weakness... it is difficult for them to develop intelligence.’
’Humans, on the other hand, have never been most praised for robust Physiques or long lifespans, but for our abundant Spirituality and the unending legacy of our wisdom.’
The stray thoughts that arose in his mind were quickly severed by his Calm Heart Sword Intent.