Chapter 143 – Talk with Duo Wengze

“Wengze, or do you go by Fellow Daoist now?” Shu Yang asked with a smile as he stepped inside the reception room.

Duo Wengze laughed happily, and rose from the cushion he was sitting on.

There was already tea on the table, probably served by Gu Xiang, Tianzheng’s wife. She had been helping out with various tasks in the Main Mansion lately.

“No need for any formalities, though I must admit it sounds good to hear,” Duo Wengze said.

“Well too bad, that was the last time,” Shu Yang joked. He gestured for Duo Wengze to take seat again and then plopped down himself.

Duo Wengze chuckled. “That is too bad. But I suppose we are family now, titles really aren’t necessary.”

Shu Yang smiled, “I called over Mingyi and Xinyang. They will bring the boy over later.”

“Good, good,” Duo Wengze said, a pleased smile on his face.

‘Even if no one else from the core of the Duo Clan cares about Mingyi’s marriage, it should be enough just to have a connection with Wengze in the future.’

“Well, I suppose congratulations are in order,” Shu Yang said. “How does it feel?”

“Unreal,” Duo Wengze said, shaking his head, a smile still hanging on his lips. “I never truly believed I could do it. I strived for it, I hoped for it, I told people I could do it. But I never truly believed it.

“But I actually did. I’m actually one of those Foundation experts I’ve always looked up to. It doesn’t feel real.”

“I’m happy for you,” Shu Yang said, truly meaning it. He was also very happy that he had built a connection with Duo Wengze when he had.

Shu Yang was also a Foundation cultivator, of course, but he was a body cultivator, and he had no background. Duo Wengze was a spiritual cultivator, from the prestigious Duo Clan, a Golden Clan. Not to mention that he was a disciple of the Sword Sect.

‘Or has he become an Elder now?’

“What’s your plan going forward?” Shu Yang asked.

“I’m not sure,” Duo Wengze said. “I definitely won’t stay in my old position. But I doubt I’ll be called back to the sect either. I’m still a bit of a failure, not having comprehended sword intent after so long. I really won’t have any use over there.

“But it’s fine. I’m used to living here. I’m thinking of starting a small family of my own. Now that I’ve reached as far as I can in this life, it’s time to think about the next generation.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” Shu Yang said. “Life isn’t complete without starting a family of your own. But what’s this talk about reaching as far as you can? You have a lifespan of 250 years now; there is plenty of time to keep cultivating. Perhaps there is still a chance of forming a core.”

“No, no,” Duo Wengze said, shaking his head, “Not for me. Do you know about the different foundations?”

‘Different foundations?’

“Looks like you don’t,” Duo Wengze said, slowly nodding. “It’s different for you body cultivators. But when you cultivate spiritual qi, your foundation is formed within the dantian through solidifying the spiritual qi there.

“But that is a very difficult process. What’s even more challenging is forming a stable foundation. It’s practically impossible to form one without some cracks.

“The more cracks there are, the more unstable the foundation. It is usually rated from the 9th tier to the 1st tier. If your foundation is in the 9th to 7th tier, it’s very difficult to advance further, practically impossible. If it’s between the 6th and 4th tier, you can still go further, but never form a core. Only 3rd to 1st tier foundations have a chance of going all the way, advancing to the next stage.”

‘There is such a thing? Is there something similar for body cultivators?’

Shu Yang felt his heart curiously, but obviously, there weren’t any cracks that had gone unnoticed.

‘I doubt it works the same way. There is no way both me and Xiaoshi formed perfect foundations by pure chance.’

‘Perhaps there aren't any tiers at all for body cultivators.’

“Then, of course, there are flawless foundations. But only the absolute geniuses of the Sword Sect, born with an impressive Golden Bloodline, practicing a powerful cultivation technique, have a chance of forming one.”

‘This is pretty crucial information. I need to do some proper research before I try to advance in the future.’

“And your foundation?” Shu Yang asked.

“I assess it to be 8th tier, but I’m being a bit generous,” Duo Wengze said with a helpless smile.

“Is there no way to improve it after the fact?” Shu Yang asked.

“There are, but nothing that’s available to me. Nor most other people. The only thing I’ve heard that can help is a resource at the 3rd stage, and a very precious one at that, called Moonlight Dew,” Duo Wengze said.

‘Another resource that seems that it might forever be out of my hands.’

Shu Yang hadn’t given up his thoughts about those resources that could potentially elevate the grade of spirit roots.

‘Maybe I should make a visit to the Heaven-Reaching Forest and see what I can find.’

Shu Yang would never have considered that just a few days earlier, but ever since his strange epiphany, when he had somehow managed to comprehend fist intent, he had changed his outlook a little.

He didn’t want to just sit back and wait for his power to increase through his descendants. He didn’t want his entire path to be determined by what the Bloodline Tree gave him.

He would still gladly accept everything it gave him, of course; he hadn’t gone mad.

But he also wanted some kind of agency of his own. If he thought there was a chance to grow stronger by going to the Heaven-Reaching Forest, he didn’t want to dismiss it just because his strength wasn’t enough yet. It would never be enough.

Some things had to be taken into one’s own hands.

“Is it true?” Duo Wengze asked in a low voice.

Shu Yang eyes shot up from his fists. He had unknowingly been looking down on them.

“Is it such a big deal?” Shu Yang asked.

“I’ve never heard of any other intent than sword intent before,” Duo Wengze said. “So it’s really true? You’ve comprehended fist intent?”

“It’s true,” Shu Yang said, nodding. There was no hiding it even if he wanted to. It had spread long ago.

Shu Yang didn’t blame anyone from his family for talking, either. He hadn’t even kept it quiet himself. The commotion he caused was too big, and the cultivators in the surroundings had all felt it.

Luckily, Xiaorong had been quick to act and did her best to conceal Shu Yang and absorb his punches, or who knows what would have happened.

Duo Wengze’s mouth hung open, apparently at a loss.

Shu Yang rolled his eyes. He didn’t think for a second he was the first to discover fist intent. It was probably just very rare in the territory of the Sword Sect, where basically everyone focused on sword intent.

“What even is fist intent? I don’t get it. Isn’t it just punching?” Duo Wengze asked.

How could Shu Yang explain? It wasn’t something easily understood. Even he didn’t fully understand it yet. It felt like there was so much more to dig into.

‘And yet I seem to have comprehended it to the 4th tier all at once. I wonder if my fist intent will surpass my sword intent in the future, despite the Sword Bone.’

“It’s a bit more complicated than just punching, unfortunately,” Shu Yang answered.

“Are you planning on opening a new Hall? A Fist Hall?” Duo Wengze asked.

“No. At least not for now,” Shu Yang said. He really hadn’t much time to think about it. Perhaps if someone else in the family could comprehend it, he could consider it. But for now, the Shu Sword Hall was doing well; there was no reason to change plans.

Besides, it wasn’t like Shu Yang would take time to teach his intent to anyone outside the family for just a few spirit stones.

Duo Wengze just shook his head. “Well, it’s up to you.” He then suddenly snapped his head up, looking over Shu Yang’s shoulder. “Looks like Mingyi and Xinyang are here with the baby.”

“Divine sense?” Shu Yang asked.

Duo Wengze chuckled. “You’re really missing out. It’s incredibly convenient.”

Divine sense was something cultivators developed once they advanced to the Foundation stage. It was a truly mysterious ability, an entirely new sense born from the sea of consciousness, allowing cultivators to ‘see’ anything within a certain distance. Even if walls were in the way, they could examine the petals of the flowers outside in great detail.

Shu Yang had always looked forward to gaining that ability, but advancing to the Foundation stage of spiritual qi was a long way off.

Fortunately, it turned out he didn’t have to wait that long.

Shu Yang had no idea why it had happened, or how. But after he got back from his state of comprehending fist intent, everything around him suddenly seemed a lot clearer.

It wasn’t until he talked with Xiaorong that he realized he had developed his own divine sense.

Shu Yang theorized it was a combination of his body cultivation and spiritual cultivation that somehow added up to elevating his sea of consciousness to that level. Perhaps it was triggered by his epiphany, along with his feedback from his granddaughter Xinyue. Vast Mind did seem somewhat connected to spiritual consciousness.

“How far does it reach?” Shu Yang asked.

“Just a bit over 1000 feet, which is the bare minimum. Those prodigies have a divine sense extending for over a mile,” Duo Wengze answered.

‘1000 feet. That’s my limit too. Seems like it just crossed the threshold then.’

Shu Yang spread out his divine sense behind him, seeing Xinyang and Mingzi approaching.

‘I wonder how far it will reach once I actually build my spiritual qi foundation.’