Chapter 6: Dreaming of the Ink Bamboo Sword
The wheat ears swayed, hanging heavy, a flash of azure light passed through the branches, rustling, and this small patch of vegetation became much more robust and vibrant.
Bai Zichen lightly swept his fingers, a verdant glow circulating at his fingertips, and after a few breaths, he was already panting, feeling exhausted.
"Wow, Zi Chen, you're really amazing! You cultivated the Yi Wood Azure God Art so quickly. If my parents knew, they'd definitely lecture me again."
Bai Pangzi, having learned that he had cultivated the Yi Wood Azure God Art, dragged him to the edge of the spiritual field early in the morning, saying he wanted to witness it.
Bai Zichen knew his own situation; it took him a full forty days to get started with the Yi Wood Azure God Art, which was quite slow.
He wasn't like other children, who learned on and off based on interest. Instead, he invested a lot of energy and time into it seriously, which only proved that his Aptitude for this auxiliary Spell was limited.
But it was still the first Spell he had learned, and seeing the change in the wheat after casting the Spell, he still felt a sense of Minor Achievement.
"Has the Clan Chief sent back any new news?"
"Not yet. I heard my old man say that the Qingfeng Sect dispatched another team of Disciples, and even the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall personally came out. The scale is quite grand."
Bai Pangzi, carefree, tossed the marbles in his hand, sharing the news he had gathered with his good brother. "Zi Chen, your Aptitude is so good. Are you planning to join the Qingfeng Sect in the future?"
"Qingfeng Sect... we'll see. Their requirements for accepting Disciples are high, especially for Cultivator Family Disciples like us."
Although Bai Zichen knew that the Qingfeng Sect was a large and prosperous Sect, with Cultivation Techniques and Cultivation resources far exceeding what the Bai Family could provide, he didn't particularly yearn for it.
Perhaps he felt that a Sect, being a place of unknown, would never be as reassuring as his own Family.
"If only I could Cultivate to Qi Refining Stage 4 before I'm twenty-five, that would be great! I've already told my old man that I'll follow him on trade caravans then. I'll be able to go to different places every month and meet different people. That kind of life is much more interesting. If you ask me to stay in a room and Cultivate for ten days or half a month straight, I can't stand it."
Bai Pangzi lay on the haystack, squinting his eyes, imagining his future.
"Of course, if I could have an adventure and become a Sword Celestial, that would be even better! My dream since childhood has been to ride a Flying Sword through the azure sky and become a truly powerful Sword Celestial!"
"There will be a chance. Doesn't the Family have several methods for refining Flying Swords? When you grow up, let the Elder help you refine one."
A smile touched Bai Zichen's lips. The price of a Flying Sword far exceeded that of a Magical Artifact of the same level. Besides its truly powerful destructive force and its ability to serve as a flying Magical Artifact, a large part of the reason was that becoming a Sword Celestial was everyone's childhood dream, paying for the sentiment.
"Forget it. How could I be qualified for a Family Flying Sword? If I had to save Spirit Stones myself, I'd rather use them to buy Medicinal Pills."
The usually optimistic Bai Pangzi rarely showed a bitter smile. Youngsters who embarked on the Celestial path were always much more mature than ordinary mortals of the same age. "Zi Chen, you have Three Spiritual Roots. If your luck is good, you still have a chance to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. If you truly succeed, don't forget to give me a hand."
Bai Pangzi had the worst Aptitude, Five Spiritual Roots, which was why he said that when it came to the Family's Flying Sword allocation, it would never be his turn.
This lazy demeanor, not caring much about Cultivation matters, might also be because he knew that no matter how hard he tried, it would be difficult to achieve anything on the Celestial path.
"Foundation Establishment is too ambitious. Let's first think about how long it will take to reach Qi Refining Stage 2."
Bai Zichen also lay down on the haystack, half-sunk into it. It was soft and comfortable.
"Oh, speaking of Flying Swords, do you know what order the Family's Flying Swords are allocated by? Cultivation level or potential?"
"Heh, Zi Chen, you've really asked the right person with that question! I pestered my old lady to clarify this before the New Year."
Bai Pangzi's gloomy mood came and went quickly. He excitedly showed off his knowledge again. "The Family only has one type of Flying Sword, the Ink Bamboo Sword, but there are two grades within it. The difference is whether the Xuan Mo Bamboo used as the main material is a Medium Grade or a High Grade first-tier."
"The Ink Bamboo Swords sold externally are naturally of a lower grade. The good ones are kept within the Sect. On average, an Ink Bamboo Sword can be produced every five years and awarded to a Cultivator within the Family."
"According to the usual practice over the years, Family members who receive a Flying Sword must meet the following characteristics: under thirty years old, hope of breaking through to the Qi Refining Late Stage in the short term, and outstanding contributions to the Family. Zi Chen, if you are truly interested in the Ink Bamboo Sword, you can start planning in a few years."
A lower-grade Ink Bamboo Sword, when sold in the market, cost five hundred Spirit Stones. A High Grade Ink Bamboo Sword would only be more expensive. For ordinary Family Cultivators relying on their own savings, it was simply out of reach.
"Qi Refining Early Stage gets two Spirit Stones in subsidies a year, Qi Refining Middle Stage gets five Spirit Stones a year, and only at Qi Refining Late Stage does the Family give twenty Spirit Stones. Relying solely on Family welfare to save money is too slow. It's still as I thought before, it's best to master a money-making skill to get rich quickly."
If there was a chance to obtain an Ink Bamboo Sword, Bai Zichen would certainly contend for it.
On the path of Cultivation, striving for that slim chance of longevity is a process of contention—contending with others, contending with the heavens, contending with the Great Dao.
"It's a deal, Fatty. If I become a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator in the future, I'll buy you a prime shop location in the Qingfeng Sect market. You can sell whatever you want and do business happily!"
The Qingfeng Sect market gathered the largest flow of Cultivators in Black Mountain County. Every shop could be called a treasure trove, with countless goods flowing in and being bought from there.
Any random shop's annual rent alone would be over a thousand Spirit Stones, let alone a permanently bought lease, which would be an astronomical figure.
Infected by Bai Pangzi's emotions, Bai Zichen excitedly spoke his mind. His biggest dream at the moment was to become a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.
To live for two hundred years, to become a prominent figure in Black Mountain County, and to truly possess the ability to protect himself.
...
"Break! Break! Break!"
The thin Daoist pointed with three fingers, and three beams of golden light shot out with an irresistible immense force, completely piercing through the Rush Void Sword Formation. The Sword Technique, which had been radiating Sword Qi, suddenly stopped.
Only then could one clearly see that the three golden lights were three golden shuttles, the length of a palm, which had precisely struck the formation's core, causing it to malfunction.
After more than ten days of continuous assault, constantly depleting the Rush Void Sword Formation's Sword Qi, and after the Cultivator Family paid the price of over thirty lives, the Sword Formation finally reached its limit. Thinking of the treasures that might be hidden on the third floor of Five Peaks Temple, the thin Daoist's heart burned with fervor. He formed a hand seal, his entire magical power surged, and he slammed his hand downwards, causing the entire mountain peak to shake.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Instantly, more than ten beams of Sword Qi shot out from the Immortal Cave. The thin Daoist's large hand blocked half of them, but five or six beams of Sword Qi were too fast and rushed past him.
It was precisely the critical moment of breaking into the Immortal Cave. To allow the Sect Disciples to enter immediately, the Cultivator Family's team had already been replaced, and all those facing the Sword Qi were Qingfeng Sect Disciples.
The two Disciples at the front didn't even react before their lives were taken by the Sword Qi, and they fell to the ground.
Seeing that the remaining Sword Qi was about to fly far away, and the several beams of Sword Qi he had caught were still leaping and twitching, unable to spare any energy, he could only roar angrily: "Fools! Why aren't you quickly joining forces to stop these Flying Swords? If even one gets away, the Old Ancestor will make you suffer!"
The purple-robed Elders finally reacted, conjuring their Magical Artifacts and engaging with these Sword Qi, attempting to suppress and capture them.
As the grand formation dispersed, what slowly appeared before everyone's eyes were five small hill-like mounds of earth, shimmering with a metallic luster, and a towering stone tablet imbued with the aura of ancient times.