107: Chapter 107 On the Way

The crowd below the stage quieted down.

Chen Yuanba paused for a moment before continuing.

"What is the Dao of the Sword?"

"Some say it is technique, some say it is Concept, and some say it is talent. I'm telling you, it's all bullshit."

The crowd erupted into an uproar, with people whispering and discussing fervently.

Ignoring the chatter, Chen Yuanba went on speaking to himself.

"The Dao of the Sword consists of only two words: killing enemies."

He raised his hand and slowly drew the iron sword from his waist.

The blade was pitch black, devoid of light or luster, yet a chilling killing intent radiated from it, sending a shiver through many in the audience.

"This sword of mine has been with me for twenty years."

Chen Yuanba continued.

"I started practicing the sword at seven, and as of today, I have killed a total of three hundred and seventy-six people."

"Every single one of them was an enemy."

He raised his sword toward the sky.

"Sword techniques don't need to be many; as long as they are enough to get the job done."

"Moves don't need to be flashy; as long as they can kill."

"In my entire life, I have only mastered three sword strikes."

"The first strike is the opening stance."

The second strike is the killing Move.

The third strike is sheathing the sword."

He withdrew his sword and slid it back into his waist belt.

"The opening stance is to get close to the enemy. The killing Move is to end the enemy. Sheathing the sword is to prepare to find the next enemy."

He looked down at the crowd, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

"This is my Dao of the Sword."

"Move forward with total conviction, advance without retreat; no flashiness, only slaughter."

Having finished, he turned and stepped off the stage.

The audience was dead silent.

It took a long while before a burst of thunderous applause erupted.

Sitting in the crowd, Li Changsheng nodded inwardly.

This Chen Yuanba might use crude language, but his logic was sound.

His Dao of the Sword had indeed reached an extremely high Realm—returning to basics, where great skill appears clumsy.

After Chen Yuanba stepped down, the second person to take the stage was Yun Yifei from Medicine King Valley.

Yun Yifei still wore that same smiling expression; as he walked up, he even waved to the crowd, drawing a ripple of friendly laughter.

He sat down at the wooden table, poured himself a cup of tea, took a slow sip, and finally spoke.

"My name is Yun Yifei, from Medicine King Valley. Today, I will talk about the combination of the Dao of Alchemy and cultivation."

He set down his teacup, pulled a small cloth bag from his robes, and poured out several Medicinal Pills, arranging them on the wooden table.

The pills were multicolored; some were round and full, while others were shriveled and rough, clearly showing different levels of quality.

"These Medicinal Pills were all refined by me."

Yun Yifei pointed at the pills.

"This one is a qi gathering pill I refined three years ago; its quality is poor, with only fifty percent efficacy."

"This one I refined two years ago; the quality is slightly better, with sixty percent efficacy."

"This one was refined a year ago, seventy percent efficacy."

"And this one was refined three months ago, eighty percent efficacy."

He picked up the best pill, held it up against the sunlight to inspect it, and smiled.

"Can you guess how much my cultivation has grown in these three years?"

Someone from the crowd asked.

"How much?"

Yun Yifei held up three fingers.

"Three levels. From Qi Refining Level 6 to Level 9."

The crowd broke into another uproar.

Three levels in three years was already considered very fast for an ordinary Cultivator.

But for an "Alchemy Nut" like Yun Yifei, it didn't seem like much.

Yun Yifei seemed to see through everyone's thoughts and laughed.

"Do you all think this speed is just average?"

He put down the pill and said seriously,

"But I must tell you, the time I spent cultivating was only half of what others spend."

"The other half of my time was spent on Alchemy."

He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the audience.

"Nurture the body with pills, nurture the pills with the body. This is the principle my Master taught me."

"Alchemy is not just for making money; it is also a form of cultivation."

"Every time you refine pills, you are tempering your spiritual energy and honing your mind."

"The refined pills can then feed back into yourself, creating a cycle that continues endlessly."

He pointed at himself and laughed.

"Half of my cultivation was gained through practice, and the other half was gained through eating."

"So, if you all have the chance, you might as well learn a bit of Alchemy."

"Even if you don't become a Great Master of the Dao of Alchemy, you can still save a lot of Spirit Stones on buying Medicinal Pills."

A burst of laughter and applause erupted from the crowd.

Yun Yifei walked off the stage with a smile and returned to the Medicine King Valley seating area.

The third person to take the stage was Su Qianxue from the Qingxin Pavilion.

The moment she stood up, the entire venue fell silent.

Everyone's eyes were on her, filled with admiration, awe, and reverence.

Dressed in white, Su Qianxue floated onto the stage.

Her steps were as light as clouds, her robes fluttering as if she were untouched by the dust of the world.

After walking onto the Dao Discussion Platform, she did not sit down, but stood there quietly like a secluded orchid in a valley.

"Qingxin Pavilion, Su Qianxue."

She spoke, her voice cold and clear, like a mountain spring.

"Today, I will speak on the cultivation of the state of mind."

The audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Su Qianxue said slowly,

"The path of cultivation is divided into internal and external."

"Externally, one Cultivates spiritual energy; internally, one Cultivates the state of mind."

"Many only know external cultivation and ignore the internal. As a result, the stronger their spiritual energy becomes, the heavier their Heart Demon grows, eventually leading to Qi Deviation and the end of their path."

She paused and then continued.

"The Cultivation Technique of the Qingxin Pavilion emphasizes 'clearing the heart and reducing desires, understanding the mind and seeing one's true nature.'"

"The sword is like the heart; the heart is like the sword."

"To Cultivate the sword, one must first Cultivate the heart. If the heart is upright, the sword is upright. If the heart is not upright, no matter how sharp the sword is, it is merely a lethal weapon."

She raised her hand, and a faint strand of Sword Qi condensed at her fingertip.

That Sword Qi was pure and transparent, without a single impurity, emitting a soft glow.

"This strand of Sword Qi is the result of twenty years of my cultivation."

Su Qianxue said.

"It is not strong, but it is pure. Because it comes from a pure heart."

She withdrew the Sword Qi and looked at the crowd below.

"As you all Cultivate, you might as well ask yourselves: is your heart pure?"

After speaking, she turned and left the stage.

Below the stage, there was silence for a long time.

Many people were lost in thought.

Li Changsheng was also deep in thought.

He thought of his own journey from Qinghe Town, the life-and-death battles, and the web of grievances and gratitudes.

Was his heart pure?

It was not pure.

But he knew his heart was resolute.

Resolute in his desire to become stronger, resolute in his desire to protect those around him, and resolute in his desire to go further.

That was enough.

After Su Qianxue stepped down, someone else took the stage.

A cold and stern young man in white walked up slowly.

It was none other than the 'Water-Severing Sword' Mo Han of the Qinglan Sword Sect.

Mo Han was a man of few words and quite arrogant; it was truly rare for him to come up and participate in the Dao discussion.

"Qinglan Sword Sect, Mo Han."

Mo Han sat before the central wooden table.

He looked around at the crowd and gave a simple introduction.

"Many call me 'Water-Severing Sword'; today, I will speak about it."

As he spoke, he placed the 'Water-Severing Sword' on the wooden table and stroked it gently, as if soothing a Vicious Beast.

"The core of the Water-Severing Sword lies in the word 'Sever.'"

"The first level: the sword must be sharp. Only with sharpness can one easily 'sever' objects."

"The second level: the will must be keen. Only with a keen will can one slice through flowing water and easily cut through objects without leaving a trace."

The crowd below was lost in thought.

"To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools; the weapon must be sharp first."

"At the same time, one must press forward with all one's might; the spirit must be keen."

"With a sharp blade and a keen will, one can be invincible."

Mo Han spoke of his own Dao.

Relying on a good Sharp Weapon could indeed increase one's ability, and when combined with an unstoppable will, the two complemented each other to achieve the goal.

People in the crowd began to discuss.

"It seems I need to buy a good weapon to get twice the result with half the effort."

"Yeah, in the end, it's the result that matters. External objects you can rely on are also part of your own strength."

"This Dao is practical and feasible; it's worth learning from."

The crowd didn't understand much of the grand philosophies, but they were eager to improve their abilities by relying on good equipment.

"I'm going to go swap this blunt saber of mine right now."

"I've had my eye on that Monastic Blade for a long time; I better go before it gets sold."

Some people were actually men of action and left the crowd immediately.

Amidst the chatter of the crowd, Mo Han had already stepped down.

Afterward, more people took the stage to speak of their own Dao.