Chapter 314 - 289: Belief Realm

Chapter 314: Chapter 289: Belief Realm

He waved his hand, and the Puppet before him turned and retreated, resuming its post outside the cabin like a sentry.

Only then did he turn his attention to the Jade Scroll in his hand. It was the one he’d gotten from the Longevity True Disciple, Xu Changqing. A... ’Sword Dao Manual’?

Chu Mu wasn’t sure if that was the right term for it, but it certainly described the contents of the Jade Scroll.

The Jade Scroll described a cultivation path he had been walking all along, yet one he had never been consciously aware of.

It was a path of cultivation he had long suspected existed.

After all, ever since he’d first started cultivating and learned about the system of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, all of his training had revolved around those three aspects.

His journey began with the Body Refining Technique, a form of Qi and Blood Nourishing Spirit cultivation. Then, after stepping onto the Immortal Path, he practiced the Blazing Fire Technique for Qi Cultivation and the Wild Bull Technique for Qi and Blood Body Refining.

Finally, there was his current Great Sun Scripture, which focused on Dharma and Body Cultivation, advancing his Essence and Qi in tandem.

It was obvious that, without exception, every one of these cultivation paths had only dabbled within the realms of Essence and Qi. The aspect of Spirit was always just a side effect.

’Secret Techniques for Refining God must exist.’

But he had never encountered any, so it had all been just speculation on his part.

He speculated that Spirit, much like Body Refining and Qi Cultivation, likely had its own diverse array of cultivation paths.

’And this Divine Soul Blade of mine is probably one of them.’

After all, that miraculous world simulation back in the Immortal Dao Sect’s Secret Realm had already proven that his Divine Soul Blade was no anomaly.

And now, this encounter with Xu Changqing and this Jade Scroll...

...undoubtedly served as clear evidence supporting his speculation.

His theory hadn’t been wrong.

Just like Body Refining and Qi Cultivation, Refining God also seemed to be its own independent Cultivation System.

The Sword Dao described in the Jade Scroll, for instance, was exactly that.

Comprehending the Sword, Concentrating the Spirit.

It involved cultivating the belief within one’s heart—what was known as Sword Intent.

With belief as the foundation, one used Sword Intent to refine the spirit, thereby forging a Divine Soul Sword.

Although the specific cultivation method wasn’t detailed, it wasn’t hard to deduce. It must involve cultivating the spirit, which in turn would influence one’s Magical Power and physical body, based on the interconnected relationship between Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

This was likely the reason why, back when Xu Changqing had attacked, every one of his sword strikes carried such a terrifying combination of corrosive Magical Power and a Divine Soul assault.

In comparison, it wasn’t hard to see the parallel.

The Divine Soul Saber within his Sea of Consciousness, with its bone-chilling sharpness, was the so-called Sword Intent.

In other words, he had long since embarked on this path of Refining God.

He simply hadn’t understood the specific methods for its application, and had been fumbling forward based on instinct alone.

"Sword Dao... Sword Dao..."

Chu Mu murmured to himself, a dazed look on his face.

A moment later, he suddenly glanced at the Light Curtain Panel in his vision. The dazed expression vanished from his face, replaced by a flicker of doubt.

According to the Jade Scroll, this path of Refining God was an extreme test of one’s comprehension.

It was difficult to start and even more difficult to advance.

Among the hundreds of thousands of disciples in the Longevity Sect, there were fewer than five Sword Cultivators. It was a path almost exclusively passed down to a single heir per generation, making them even rarer than those with Celestial Spirit Roots!

In the Jade Scroll, Xu Changqing stated that his own Spirit Root Talent was merely a Pseudo Spirit Root—utterly inferior.

After joining the Longevity Sect, he languished for over a decade as nothing more than a low-level disciple in the Qi Cultivation Realm.

Then, by a stroke of luck, he came into contact with the Sword Dao. In stark contrast to his inferior Spirit Root Talent, his extraordinary aptitude for the Sword Dao was revealed.

He later revealed this talent during one of the Longevity Sect’s Outer Sect competitions.

In just a few short months, he leaped from being a low-level Outer Disciple to a Longevity True Inheritor.

He even became the disciple of a Golden Core Sword Cultivator in the Longevity Sect. From that point on, his fortunes soared, and his destiny was completely transformed.

It went without saying that a sect as massive as the Longevity Sect could easily prop up the Cultivation of someone with even a Wasted Spirit Root, let alone a mere Pseudo Spirit Root.

Spirit Root Talent was important, but clearly, for major powers like these, it was only one part of the equation.

Xu Changqing’s story made it perfectly clear just how rare something like Sword Intent was.

’But... is this kind of conceptual cultivation really that difficult?’

Chu Mu recalled the various experiences he’d had since he started practicing his Sword Technique...

In the beginning, when it came to the basics like stances and Power, he could still follow a clear path of progression.

But after his Divine Soul Blade had formed, he felt like he’d been fumbling in the dark. He had relied entirely on his "Spiritual Radiance Blessing," practicing his Sword Technique over and over, day after day, without ever feeling like it was particularly difficult.

The reason his Sword Technique Skill Level had been stuck for years was only because his own Cultivation couldn’t keep up with the progress of the Sword Intent generated by the technique, trapping him at a bottleneck.

Even after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, despite being tied up with various matters, his Sword Technique Skill Level had continued to advance steadily.

The Divine Soul Saber linked to his Sword Technique—in other words, his so-called Sword Intent—also grew steadily.

All signs indicated that when it came to his Sword Technique—or rather, the Sword Dao—he was truly extraordinarily talented.

’But... why is my talent for the Sword Technique so extraordinary?’

Chu Mu considered the question very seriously.

After all, in the Cultivation Immortal Realm, "talent" was divided into two things: aptitude and comprehension.

As for aptitude, he only had a Pseudo Spirit Root, which was utterly inferior.

As for comprehension, without his "Spiritual Radiance Blessing," he never felt that his was particularly extraordinary; it seemed no different from that of an ordinary person.

’So why, then, am I so gifted when it comes to the Sword Technique?’

’So, the most likely possibility...’

Chu Mu gazed thoughtfully at the Light Curtain Panel before him.

After a moment, he flipped his hand and put the Jade Scroll away.

He didn’t dwell on it for too long. Whether it was the Sword Dao of the manual or the Sword Dao he practiced, now that he knew of its existence and understood its system, there would eventually be a day when he truly came into contact with it.

The time for investigation and pursuit would be when he actually obtained the relevant secret manuals and Techniques.

For now, it was best to focus on the present.

The priority right now was his Cultivation and earning resources to prepare for the future.

Chu Mu looked toward the bow of the Flying Boat. The sea of clouds churned below, and mountains stretched into the distance. Faintly, he thought he could make out a magnificent, massive city in the direction of Jingmen.

He took out his Sound Transmission Order. Messages flowed into his ear, one after another—some from Jingmen, others from Water Heaven Workshop.

Some were simple voice messages, while others came with video.

The ones from Xu Yuan, for example, were almost all video messages.

He waved his hand, and a holographic projection materialized in the air.

In a courtyard, auras surged and Spiritual Qi pulsed. A metallic Demon Body, as large as a small mountain, lay prone. Its terrifying presence was so palpable that he could feel it even through the projection.

Ever since Xu Yuan had returned to Water Heaven Workshop, he had sent a video like this three times a day—morning, noon, and night—every single day.

Through these videos, he could monitor Wangcai’s transformative breakthrough in real time.

Nearly two years had now passed since he had left Water Heaven Workshop.

Wangcai’s transformation seemed to be approaching its final stages.

Chu Mu mulled it over for a moment before sending out several sound transmissions. Immediately, the speeding Flying Boat carved a sharp arc across the sea of clouds, its bow turning to head in the direction of Water Heaven Workshop.

...