Early spring brought a persistent chill, yet the vibrant sunlight radiated vitality, nourishing all living things.
Clusters of tender green buds sprouted from the branches of towering trees, their leaves glistening with dewdrops. Refracted sunlight cast miniature human-like silhouettes within the droplets, as if tiny swordsmen were practicing their techniques.
"Dividing Light Shadowing!"
With a sweeping motion, Chen Zong unleashed his sword. Eight bolts of sword light shot forth like arrows, piercing the air and leaving distinct trails in their wake.
After several repetitions of Dividing Light Shadowing, Chen Zong exhausted his Qi Blood Power. He activated the second layer of the Fierce Tiger Art to replenish it.
Once restored, he began practicing Dividing Light No Shadow.
The Dividing Light Sword Technique comprised two stages:
Dividing Light Shadowing Dividing Light No Shadow
Undoubtedly, the second stage far surpassed the first in power.
The first stage's guiding form consisted of seven movements, while the second stage had nine. The first seven movements were identical to the first stage, with the crucial difference lying in the eighth and ninth movements—the very essence of Dividing Light No Shadow.
Mastering the second stage required achieving the Great Perfection Realm in the first. Initially, Chen Zong hadn't understood this requirement. Now he realized it wasn't an absolute condition, but rather a relative one.
In martial arts cultivation, a higher realm signifies a deeper understanding and greater mastery of the technique. Only upon reaching the Great Mastery Realm can one begin cultivating the second stage. Strictly speaking, it's more accurate to say that achieving a level of comprehension in Dividing Light Shadowing equivalent to the Great Mastery Realm allows one to commence practice of Dividing Light No Shadow.
Naturally, understanding and mastery typically progress in tandem. Only in rare cases does understanding precede mastery, without perfect synchronization.
The difficulty in cultivating Dividing Light No Shadow lies in the eighth and ninth movements.
Perhaps because Chen Zong had been modifying Dividing Light Shadowing according to his own insights during practice, the eighth movement posed no challenge. However, he found the ninth movement exceptionally difficult.
The purpose of these guiding movements is to channel Qi Blood Power along unique pathways.
The eighth movement serves as an extension and reinforcement of the preceding seven. But the ninth movement abruptly reverses the flow of Qi Blood Power, shifting from release to contraction, from dispersion to concentration. This drastic change in circulation requires Chen Zong to instantly redirect the flow of his Qi Blood Power, akin to suddenly halting a galloping horse and forcing it to change direction.
After practicing for some time, Chen Zong still couldn't grasp the key to mastering the ninth movement.
The Clan Hall was not a secluded place; news traveled swiftly through its halls.
"Tang Junluo has broken through..." Chen Zong was initially surprised upon hearing the news, but upon reflection, it seemed perfectly natural.
After all, Tang Junluo had tempered his Blood Qi eight times, granting him an accelerated cultivation speed as a martial artist. Moreover, as the Young Gang Leader of the Tang Clan, he naturally enjoyed access to superior resources. His rapid advancement to the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm in just four or five months was hardly surprising.
"Then Li Zhenshi and Zhao King City must be nearing their breakthroughs as well," Chen Zong speculated. Although they hadn't reached eight temperings of Blood Qi, they had both pushed their seven temperings to the limit, surpassing even Chen Zong's own progress. As Young Gang Leaders of two major Noble Clans, their access to resources would undoubtedly be even greater.
As for the Chen Clan's Young Gang Leaders, the elder had already left the Clan Hall, while the younger was still too young to begin martial training.
About half a month later, news arrived: Li Zhenshi and Zhao King City had both broken through to the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm in quick succession.
"I'll be next," Chen Zong muttered to himself.
The third piece of news was that Tang Junluo, Li Zhenshi, and Zhao King City had all left Wind Martial City and entered Subduing Dragon Mountain to hone their skills against demon beasts.
"Demon beasts..." Chen Zong's gaze drifted into the distance.
Demon beasts were terrifying and dangerous creatures. Even the weakest among them were equivalent to fourth-layer Qi Blood Realm martial artists. Endowed with formidable bodies, razor-sharp claws and teeth, astonishing resilience, and a degree of intelligence, they typically proved too formidable for martial artists of the same level.
Martial artists capable of single-handedly hunting demon beasts of their own level were considered elite practitioners.
Should I leave the Clan Hall and venture into Subduing Dragon Mountain for training too? Chen Zong suddenly wondered.
Previously, he hadn't felt the time was right, but now, influenced by Tang Junluo and the others, the idea seemed more appealing.
After all, no matter how exceptional he was, he was still just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy.
Subduing Dragon Mountain is inevitable, but not yet, Chen Zong reasoned, suppressing his inner longing.
Once again, reality proved that Dividing Light No Shadow was indeed more difficult to master than Dividing Light Shadowing. The ninth movement, in particular, which required an instantaneous reversal of the Qi Blood Power's flow, consistently ended in failure. Each time, Chen Zong felt his Qi Blood tremble violently, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.
In the Forging Hall, Chen Zong could now effortlessly forge ordinary iron swords of exceptional quality. Elder Lie had begun teaching him how to craft refined iron swords.
At the Martial Repository, Chen Zong spent two hundred Contribution Points to acquire the cultivation manual for the Wind-Treading Steps.
The Wind-Treading Steps consisted of only one level. After studying it for a while, Chen Zong found the cultivation difficulty manageable and estimated it wouldn't take long to grasp the basics.
Now, he had yet another technique to cultivate. Chen Zong began to feel pressed for time, but to improve his overall strength, he knew he had to squeeze in extra hours, finding joy in the midst of his busy schedule.
February 15th, 396 of the True Martial Era.
Beneath the shade of a tree, a figure moved with astonishing speed, as if treading on the wind itself. Riding the breeze, their body swayed with its currents, appearing three meters away in the blink of an eye. With another swift movement, they covered another three meters.
"The Wind-Treading Steps are indeed easy to cultivate," the figure remarked.
Both cultivating and executing the Wind-Treading Steps consumed Qi Blood Power. The mastery levels were straightforward: one step marked the entry level, two steps signified minor mastery, and three steps achieved Great Perfection.
Chen Zong's cultivation base was at the fourth layer of the Qi Blood Realm. Each step of his Wind-Treading Steps covered three meters, and his ability to now take two consecutive steps indicated he had reached minor mastery.
He resumed practicing the Dividing Light Sword Technique, quickly depleting his Qi Blood Power once more.
Activating the second layer of the Fierce Tiger Art to recover, Chen Zong felt his Qi Blood Power surge wildly as it replenished, as if trying to break free from his control.
"This sensation..." Chen Zong's expression shifted. He hastily resumed circulating the Fierce Tiger Art, focusing his intent to forcefully restrain the surging Qi Blood within his body.
The agitation of Chen Zong's Qi Blood grew increasingly intense, yet he maintained an iron grip over it, like taming a ferocious tiger. While this might have been a daunting task for most martial artists, it posed no challenge for him.
Gradually, the turmoil subsided, transforming from a raging river back into calm waters. Yet the echoes of the tiger's roar persisted, growing stronger with each cycle of cultivation, until his Qi Blood was overflowing.
Qi Blood Overflowing!
This marked his advancement to the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm.
"Finally reached the fifth layer," Chen Zong murmured with a smile, right on schedule.
He could clearly sense the flow of Qi Blood Power within his body—abundant, as if permeating every cell, at least twice as potent as before.
Drawing his sword, he unleashed a single strike of the Dividing Light Shadowing technique. Eight sword beams followed in quick succession, tearing through the air and leaving a straight, two-meter-long gash in the ground.
"Nearly one-tenth of my Qi Blood Power was consumed," Chen Zong noted sharply, gauging the expenditure. "It seems that breaking through to a higher realm not only doubles the quantity of Qi Blood Power but also slightly enhances its purity."
"Now that my cultivation base has broken through to the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm, it will take at least another year to reach the sixth layer."
"I still have no clues about the True Secret Realm."
"The True Sword Eight Forms have reached the peak of Perfection, yet I can't seem to break through."
"The second layer of the Dividing Light Sword Technique is proving quite difficult to master."
Reflecting on his situation, Chen Zong realized he had reached a plateau. There were no immediate opportunities for rapid advancement; he had transitioned from a period of explosive growth to a phase of relative stability.
In this context, embarking on a training expedition seemed like the ideal choice.
"I should check the Mission Hall for suitable tasks."
Training expeditions often served dual purposes: personal improvement and completing missions to earn Contribution Points—a win-win situation.
Chen Zong carefully scanned the mission board, noting each potential task.
He marked missions involving hunting demon beasts for specific body parts and gathering medicinal herbs as acceptable, reasoning that even failure would entail no significant losses.
The final mission involved guarding a mineral vein.
The Chen Clan owned an iron mine deep within Subduing Dragon Mountain, where miners toiled daily. Most of the extracted ore was sold to various clans in Wind Martial City, while a smaller portion was retained for the Clan Hall's Forging Hall. This mine served as one of the Chen Clan's primary sources of income.
Given its importance, the mine required heavy guarding to prevent opportunistic attacks and encroachment. The mission to guard the mine also served as a training opportunity for the Clan Hall disciples.
The mission had a limit of ten participants and lasted three months. During this time, prolonged unauthorized absences were strictly prohibited, though short excursions to gather medicinal herbs or other resources in the surrounding area were permitted.
Any absence exceeding five days would result in mission failure and a penalty of three hundred Contribution Points. Conversely, successful completion of the mission would earn twelve hundred Contribution Points, making it a worthwhile endeavor.
Chen Zong was the last disciple to accept this assignment.
"Now that you've accepted this mission, prepare yourself," the administrator instructed solemnly. "Assemble here after noon with the other nine participants to depart for the mine. Do not delay—missing the departure time will result in mission failure."
"Understood," Chen Zong nodded and turned to leave. He first went to the Forging Hall to inform Elder Lie, then began preparing for the journey, packing a bag and some dry rations.
After lunch, Chen Zong arrived at the Mission Hall and waited outside.
Before long, the other nine participants began arriving, including disciples from both the Heaven and Earth Courtyards.
Among them, Chen Zong recognized several familiar faces: Chen Zhong, an Earth Courtyard disciple from his own branch clan in Small Lake Town; Chen Waixiu, who had previously been sent by Chen He to harass him but had left humiliated; and Chen Kaiyue, who had coveted Chen Zong's Precious Iron Sword and, frustrated by his failed attempt to obtain it by force, now glared venomously.
The trio was visibly surprised to see Chen Zong.
"Clan Brother Chen Zong, you're taking on this mission too?" Chen Zhong couldn't help but ask.
"Hmph, thinks he can swagger around just because he has a Precious Iron Sword? He'll probably end up as demon beast fodder," Chen Waixiu sneered, still bitter about his earlier humiliation. Chen Kaiyue simply stared at Chen Zong, his gaze as sharp as a drawn sword.
Chen Zong suddenly realized this journey might not be as lonely as he'd anticipated.