"Learning the Nascent Yin Yang Single Sword Strike requires one to possess two different kinds of spiritual power. One that is firm and unyielding and one that is soft and accommodating. One yin and one yang!"
This was what was engraved upon the dao technique.
Just that dual spiritual power requirement made it difficult for anyone to cultivate it. It depended upon one's Qi Condensation Spiritual Art.
Most of the Qi Condensation Spiritual Arts that allowed one to produce two types of spiritual power had already been lost to the annals of history.
However, Wu Yu's Great Way of Immortality Art could bridge this gap.
The Great Way of Immortality Art was developed upon the basis of yin and yang being mutually supportive, and it created two different kinds of spiritual power.
When it came to the tempering of the fleshly body, Wu Yu possessed the Invincible Vajra Body and was at the Inner Vajra Buddha tier. This brought along with it a tyrannical strength and was at the peak of body refining.
In terms of spiritual power, he possessed an art that harnessed the harmony of yin and yang, allowing him to better understand the great dao.
As he possessed the necessary foundations to learn this dao technique, Wu Yu was determined to learn it. Even though he no longer wielded a sword, there was a possibility that he could learn this technique successfully. Even if the might of the technique was not strong, so long as they could leave, it would all be worth it.
Conversely, even though Lan Shuiyue was a student of the sword, she did not possess two different spiritual powers. And even if she tried, she would not be able to learn it.
Lan Shuiyue's Qi Condensation Spiritual Art was the Heavenly Sword Sect's renowned Heavenly Dao Melody. It allowed one to create a spiritual power that was similar to a sword and was extremely tyrannical when used to execute dao techniques.
"I want to cultivate the Nascent Yin Yang Single Sword Strike," Wu Yu spoke.
"You! I thought you had abandoned the sword." Lan Shuiyue had also taken a look and did not believe that Wu Yu would be able to learn it.
"If I am able to learn this ancient dao technique, we have a greater likelihood of leaving this place. In that case, do you think I should try or not?"
"Then let me try as well." Lan Shuiyue was also raring to try.
Wu Yu knew that Lan Shuiyue's efforts would be futile as she did not possess the two spiritual powers necessary for this technique. However, he did not stop her either.
Lan Shuiyue's immortal treasures were the Clearwater Twin Swords. As they were a pair of blades, he borrowed one of them from her to practice the Nascent Yin Yang Single Sword Strike.
The sword was the true emperor of all weapons; it combined the essence of all weapons into it. Wielding the longsword, Wu Yu could feel that his brutality did not harmonize well with this weapon's elegance. The Demon Subduing Staff was truly the most fitting immortal treasure for him.
However, this did not mean that he would be worse than anyone else if he were to wield a sword. He had practiced the sword since young, so its movements came as easily as a thought.
"When the heavens and the earth were created, they separated into yin and yang....
"It includes all that is formless, traceless, and that which cannot be seen. Those that are unborn and those that are born are all unaware. To obey the emperor's rules and shun all evil. All possess influence of the yin yang and the five affinities. In one breath, one shall be reborn!
"Xiantian and houtian, yin and yang combine, with the five affinities and congeal into one. Truth does not diverge from what is fake. What is false would also be true. Only with both will there be completeness. One requires the other to exist. Condense all into a breath. Without injury or harm, everything will be perceived with the image of the five affinities. Yin and yang exist harmoniously, a single breath propagates form."
Frankly speaking, this scripture was awkward-sounding and was extremely mysterious and hard to understand. Wu Yu spent a significant amount of time just trying to understand what it meant.
However, it had to be admitted that this Nascent Yin Yang Single Sword Strike definitely possessed some history and strength behind it. As an ancient dao technique, it differed from the dao techniques used now. Most likely in terms of strength, even with Wu Yu being at the third tier of the Qi Condensation Realm, the might of this technique should surpass his Nine Dragons Ascension Column.
What was most important was that the Nine Dragons Ascension Column was just an ordinary dao technique. Once Wu Yu condensed his Jindan and possessed Jindan spiritual power, using the Nine Dragons Ascension Column would be like utilizing a wooden sword to hack at someone. At that point, he would need to find himself a proper metal sword, a better dao technique.
This ancient dao technique might’ve been a wooden sword now, but perhaps in the future, it would transform into a steel sword that Wu Yu could brandish with ease.
Ancient dao techniques were not split into different grades, as their might was dependent on the cultivator himself.
However, most of these dao techniques had been lost.
Even then, there were certain limitations to these dao techniques.
The more Wu Yu pondered, the more he realized that the Nascent Yin Yang Single Sword Strike was extremely mysterious and marvelous. It had a sense of changing the heavens, and when cultivated, it produced an indescribable feeling. The dao techniques of today might’ve been strong, but few could touch upon the understanding of the great dao.
He had a premonition that even if he successfully cultivated this technique, there would still be a lot to ponder over to fully understand it.
Wu Yu split his spiritual power into yin and yang as he cultivated alongside Lan Shuiyue. Very quickly, he had started to obtain results, but Lan Shuiyue had barely touched upon the technique itself. She only felt that her mind was like paste and she could not understand anything.
"Yin and yang in a single breath, weaving through the past and the now."
In this small abode, Wu Yu began to practice the technique.
"You!"
Ten days had already passed, and Lan Shuiyue could only stare blankly at Wu Yu practicing the technique as she made no progress.
"I am a sword cultivator. Why am I inferior to him?" At this point in time, this was a strong blow to Lan Shuiyue's confidence.
After another 10 days of effort, seeing how engrossed Wu Yu had become, Lan Shuiyue gave up. She began to sulk in a corner and placed all her hopes onto Wu Yu.
"I hope that this is the only chance that skeleton provided for us to survive..." she mused as she watched Wu Yu.
From the time when he started cultivating, Wu Yu had almost never opened his eyes. He had become fully engrossed into cultivating this ancient dao technique. Lan Shuiyue was feeling extremely lonely and oftentimes wanted to say a few words. Yet as she did not want to distract him, so she kept to herself.
"This is the last chance, he must succeed..."
One could not tell day from night, and as she waited, she finally fell asleep.
There was no spiritual qi here, so her spiritual power gradually dropped. It was possible that she might not be able to hold on if this kept on for much longer.
"Wu Yu."
In his fervor, Wu Yu continued to practice relentlessly.
It was only now that she began to appreciate how determined Wu Yu was.
However, she also understood the gap between them.
"If I am able to live, this opportunity might be one of the most beautiful that life has given me.
"Even if it’s not perfect and not romantic, Wu Yu doesn't hold me in his heart. However, he has also changed me."
Looking at his unwavering expression, Lan Shuiyue couldn't help but to let out a smile. She had finally grown up in the midst of all this.
One month passed, then two.
Three months of time passed in the blink of an eye.
However, for the two of them, they had lost track of all sense of time. It could have been ten days and it could have been a year already...
Lan Shuiyue was leaning on a rock. Even though she possessed more spiritual power than Wu Yu, she was unable to keep a grasp on herself, and she found her spiritual power and vision gradually slipping away.
Even the Wu Yu in front of her had seemed to split into multiples.
"Am I going to die?"
Lan Shuiyue couldn't help but to entertain such thoughts.
She was feeling weaker and weaker as time went by.
She could feel the world in front of her eyes become more and more illusory. As she continued to stare at Wu Yu, even he gradually disappeared from her view.
"Who would have known that I would die here..."
Lan Shuiyue gave a bitter smile.
Her willpower was gradually being worn down as her body withered.
It looked as though she was about to leave this world.
At this point, a boom was heard and the entire world around her shook.
"My time has come." She felt that this was the beckoning of the end.
Suddenly, she was hoisted up but someone.
"Have you died?" someone asked her.
"I thought I had died!" Lan Shuiyue replied slightly agitatedly.
"Sure, then we will bury you outside."
Thud, thud.
All she could hear were footsteps.
......
Although it was in the afternoon, the entire Bipo Mountain Range seemed quite melancholic.
The number of Heavenly Cloud Rocs and Immortal Cranes looked to have lessened significantly.
The servants were still idling around, taking care of the Immortal Cranes and the immortal essences.
Although the spiritual qi was boundless, the Bipo Mountain Range seemed as though it was enveloped by a haze, with numerous disciples looking extremely downcast and alarmed.
Three months ago, something momentous had happened at the Valley of Immortal Fate. Numerous disciples were keen to spread what had happened within.
There was a 900-year-old demon who had snuck into the Valley of Immortal Fate, and all the disciples who had entered had been killed by it!
Furthermore, that group of individuals included the Heavenly Sword Sect's successors!
The Ghost-Faced Ape had almost shattered the foundation of the Heavenly Sword Sect. He had done something that demons had never dared to do.
Although the Ghost-Faced Ape had been killed by the Sect Leader, and all the demons in the Spirit Banishment Tower had been killed within a day to avenge the fallen, their situation was no less precarious than before.
Firstly, the disciples felt indignant and wanted to roam the world to slay more demons and devils.
However, every disciple had been recalled by the Sect Leader back to the sect.
Another piece of news had spread through the sect following that.
The Valley of Immortal Fate would open to all eligible disciples.
It was rumored that the Heavenly Sword Sect would be attacked by the Zhongyuan Dao Sect, as well as the Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts, in order to pillage their resources.
What was even scarier was that a demon who had condensed a Yaodan was also leading a veritable army of demons and devils to support those two opponents. This was going to be a three-front fight. It was just a matter of time before the Heavenly Sword Sect would be swallowed whole.
One thing was for sure: the Heavenly Sword Sect was willing to rally all their strength to protect themselves.
This news was not verified by anyone, but it raised a furor. Every disciple felt alarmed, and even certain servants had chosen to escape.
Although the battle had not started, their hearts had already been lost.
The originally flourishing Heavenly Sword Sect had become bleak and despondent.
However, there had been a small change today.
It was said that the Zhongyuan Dao Sect's Sect Leader, Jiang Xie, had personally come to the sect to speak to Feng Xueya. He had declared that their sect would never cooperate with ghostly cultivators nor devils and demons.
All of these false tales were spread by the ghostly cultivators and demons.
"Thankfully, all these were lies. If we were to engage in a three-fronted battle, our Heavenly Sword Sect would be doomed!"
Numerous disciples were discussing on the Bipo Mountain Range.
"Yes. It’s lucky that the Zhongyuan Dao Sect is standing on our side."
"Everyone is an orthodox cultivator. If we had to cooperate with those ghostly cultivators and demons, that would be truly shameful!"
"I heard that the Zhongyuan Dao Sect’s Sect Leader brought a group of strong youths to the Immortal's Battle Stage to exchange pointers with our Heavenly Sword Sect disciples. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"The Sect Leader's son, Jiang Junlin, is also there."