Chapter 359: The Sword is the King of 100 Weapons

Chapter 359: Chapter 359: The Sword is the King of 100 Weapons

The Primordial Spirit’s absorption of the mass of azure energy was a lengthy process, lasting the entire night.

During this time, Li Haiqin and one of her maids each visited once. Seeing that Chu Fan appeared to be in a state of epiphany, they, as fellow Cultivators, naturally understood how crucial such an opportunity was for him.

After Li Haiqin left, she immediately dispatched four Maids to stand guard in the courtyard.

When his Primordial Spirit had absorbed the last wisp of azure energy, Chu Fan clearly sensed that its power had grown considerably.

At the same time, his Spiritual Power soared once more. It had been around Level 37 and a Half, and now it had reached Level 38 and three-tenths.

With his Spiritual Power reaching Level 38, he was technically already a Half-Saint of Magic Cultivation.

However, he had never practiced any Magical Combat Techniques that utilized Spiritual Power, so he was completely unable to bring its full potential to bear.

However, after his Spiritual Power reached Level 38, Chu Fan’s perception of the world expanded in many ways.

Things that had once been difficult to comprehend now had clear answers.

It went without saying that his Sixth Sense had been enhanced, but his mental acuity was also far sharper than before.

The greatest gain from taking the Qi God Pill this time was not the boost in Spiritual Power, but a change in his Primordial Spirit—a qualitative leap.

Withdrawing from his Introspection, he found his physical body had returned to normal.

The moment he opened his eyes, a strange sensation washed over him. It was as if every inch of his skin could perceive the ambient energies of the world, which were then being absorbed through his pores.

Within his body, the circulation through his meridians was also much faster than before.

Over the course of the night, not only had his Spiritual Power increased and his Primordial Spirit undergone a qualitative transformation, but his Cultivation had also risen by a full tier.

Ever since he entered the Divine Separation Realm, his Cultivation had only ever increased in large bursts following fortuitous encounters. Under normal practice, his progress was slower than a snail’s pace; in fact, without prolonged observation, it was impossible to perceive any improvement at all.

But now, Chu Fan could distinctly feel his Cultivation slowly but surely rising.

Spiritual Qi was only one of the world’s ambient energies, yet Chu Fan’s body could now absorb dozens of different kinds.

Although Chu Fan was ignorant of what these energies were and couldn’t put a name to them, he could perceive them with perfect clarity.

’Why do people always describe Immortals as omnipotent?’

’It’s because Gods and Immortals perceive the world on a far grander scale than mortals. They can see and sense so much more.’

’That’s why they know how to harness these things that others can’t even perceive.’

’Or, to put it another way, they know how to manipulate the rules of existence.’

The four Maids stared at Chu Fan in astonishment. Even though he was using the Illusory Body Technique to assume Huo Er’s appearance, the aura about him had still changed significantly.

He seemed to have become more profound and reserved, exuding an aura of natural simplicity, as if Returning to the True Self.

They had been unable to discern Chu Fan’s Cultivation level before, and now it was even more inscrutable.

Chu Fan had actually been aware of everything—of Li Haiqin visiting the courtyard during the night, and of the four of them being sent to guard him.

He simply hadn’t been able to control his physical body at the time.

"Huo Er, congratulations on another improvement in your Cultivation," one of the Maids said to Chu Fan with a faint smile.

He was one of Li Haiqin’s Guards, and the four of them were her Maids. Their group of nine was to accompany Li Haiqin when she married into the Hanmo Clan.

The martial valor and reckless abandon Chu Fan had displayed that night on the Grassland had been undeniably attractive to these Maids.

For the women of the Grassland Tribes, who revered martial prowess, a man like Chu Fan was undoubtedly the ideal partner they dreamed of.

Although Chu Fan was still somewhat clueless about matters of the heart, he was no longer a complete novice. He could see the faint adoration in the four women’s eyes.

Chu Fan waved his hand dismissively. "My Cultivation didn’t increase by much. I just had some new insights, that’s all."

He offered no further explanation. Instead, he picked up the Long Sword—Huo Er’s personal blade—and began to practice his forms right in front of them.

He wasn’t performing any particular Sword Technique, just the simple Basic Thirteen Techniques.

His Sword Dao had already reached the Middle Stage of the Third Layer, Sword Intent Follows the Heart. But he hadn’t focused on studying or comprehending the Sword Dao for a long time, so he had made no progress in it for several years.

Now, taking advantage of the massive boost to his mental acuity, he decided to see if he could achieve a new breakthrough in his Sword Dao.

However, in that moment, he completely forgot that he was still "injured and not yet fully recovered"!

"Have his injuries already healed?" one of the Maids murmured with concern.

"The Sword Dao? What Layer Realm of the Sword Dao is he at?"

"There’s Sword Qi... and Sword Gang... I think I can even sense a faint, almost imperceptible Sword Intent in his Sword Techniques. Could he have already entered the Third Layer Realm of the Sword Dao?"

"The Third Layer Realm of the Sword Dao? Impossible! You can’t find a single Sword Dao master in the entire Northern Domain who has reached the Third Layer Realm! Who in the world is this Huo Er’s master?"

Unlike the Central and Eastern Domains, the Northern Domain is home to the Grassland Tribes. They live on horseback from a young age, and a Sword is ill-suited for killing while galloping, so they prefer to use sabers.

The Sword is known as the King of All Weapons.

The weapon of choice for a people’s Martial Artists can, in fact, indirectly reflect their level of civilization and their general philosophy on life.

For example, the Cultivators of the Northern Domain pursue improvements in their Cultivation, but few of them delve into the intricacies of the Sword Dao or the Saber Dao.

They believe that as long as one’s Cultivation is high enough to slay enemies with absolute power, that is sufficient. Rather than waste vast amounts of time trying to comprehend the Sword Dao or Saber Dao, it is better to focus on raising one’s Cultivation.

Therefore, in the Northern Domain, a Sword Cultivator like Chu Fan who had entered the Third Heaven of the Sword Dao was an existence as rare as a phoenix feather.

Thus, the four women grew curious about Chu Fan’s martial lineage.

In truth, Huo Er’s background was quite ordinary. His family had its own Martial Artists to teach the clan’s younger generation how to practice Cultivation. However, they tested the disciples’ talent annually and assigned them to Martial Artists of different levels.

Chu Fan had no idea that his deep dive into comprehending the Sword Dao had nearly exposed the fact that he was not the real Huo Er.

But even the wisest man can slip up. Despite his careful planning, Chu Fan had overlooked one detail. He knew that Huo Er’s parents and relatives were all dead, but he had completely forgotten about Huo Er’s martial lineage.

After the four Maids left, they reported the matter to Li Haiqin, who immediately dispatched people to investigate Huo Er’s lineage.

However, while Li Haiqin’s investigation yielded no useful information, it did give Li Dang an opportunity to move against Chu Fan.

Li Dang had been publicly contradicted by that Guard, Huo Er, and even thrown a great distance. Afterward, on the order of his grandfather, Yilode, he had been forced to follow his father and present gifts to Huo Er as an apology. To Li Dang, this was the ultimate humiliation.

He had long been looking for a chance to teach that impertinent Guard a lesson.

Unfortunately, the Guard had been holed up in the Third Young Master’s courtyard recovering from his injuries, leaving Li Dang with no opportunity to act.

He didn’t care why Li Haiqin’s people were investigating Huo Er’s background and clan, but this was definitely an opportunity.

’Why not meddle with Huo Er’s background myself?’