Chapter 83 - 34: A Sword Arises from the Sea of the Heart, Slaying Others and Me

Chapter 83: Chapter 34: A Sword Arises from the Sea of the Heart, Slaying Others and Me

The final swordsmanship style of the Four Seasons Valley was named *Winter Solstice·Guicang Silence Sword*. The core of this style was "silence," which embodied the principle of finality associated with the Winter Solstice—the apex of Yin, a time of utter stillness.

"Silence" meant cessation, tranquility, the end of all movement. Wherever the blade passed, all that flowed would come to a standstill.

All four of the Four Seasons Valley’s swordsmanship styles were profound, but Jiang Xuan chose *Winter Solstice·Guicang Silence Sword* with almost no hesitation.

The reason was simple: he had learned from Di Chuan that this swordsmanship was inextricably linked to the Four Seasons Reincarnation.

"A sword born from the sea of the heart slays others and also slays the self... For most, this is just a maxim of the Sword Dao. But for those of us who cultivate the Four Seasons Reincarnation, it’s an unbreakable rule. The Four Seasons Reincarnation is, at its core, about finding life in death. To truly ’die’ and usher in the rebirth of Reincarnation, you must strike yourself down with the Guicang Jie Mie Sword."

...

"Guicang Annihilation?" Hearing Jiang Xuan’s choice, Meng Yingyue’s elegant brows knitted for a moment before relaxing. "Very well," she said calmly. "For someone determined to walk the Great Dao of the Four Seasons Reincarnation, this sword is a mandatory part of your studies. Better to learn it sooner than later."

Though he had chosen his primary swordsmanship, Jiang Xuan didn’t begin practicing right away. Today was the day of the Sect assessment, and he was tied up with numerous small tasks. His real training wouldn’t officially start until tomorrow.

But even after finishing all his errands, Jiang Xuan didn’t immediately return to his quarters.

He found Xia He and asked if the Four Seasons Valley had a Scripture Pavilion, and if he could go inside to read the Daoist Collection.

"I don’t need any Cultivation Techniques or Secret Techniques," he clarified. "Just ordinary Dao Scriptures, the Daoist Collection, and the cultivation insights of past sages will do."

The moment he said this, Xia He eyed him up and down suspiciously.

Her reaction made Jiang Xuan frown slightly. "What’s wrong? Is it not allowed?"

"That’s not it." Xia He shook her head, her expression still odd. "The first three floors of the Four Seasons Valley’s Scripture Pavilion are open to all Inner Sect Disciples for free. Even though your name isn’t officially registered yet, I have enough pull to get you in, no problem. I just never figured that you, someone who chose to cultivate the Sword Dao, would actually like to read."

Jiang Xuan was left speechless. "What’s so strange about a Sword Cultivator who likes to read? What did you think a Sword Cultivator was supposed to be like?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xia He pointed a thumb at Di Chuan, who was standing nearby. "Aloof and indifferent, with devastatingly sharp attacks. A man of few words, devoted heart and soul only to his sword. Hates getting involved in trivial matters... and even sees women as a nuisance."

"..." The corner of Di Chuan’s mouth twitched, but ultimately, he maintained his cold, aloof image and didn’t offer a rebuttal.

His silence left Jiang Xuan silent as well.

Di Chuan was a Sword Cultivator through and through, and his personality perfectly fit the public stereotype. For a moment, Jiang Xuan had no idea how to defend himself.

Fortunately, while Xia He found it odd that a "Sword Cultivator" like Jiang Xuan enjoyed reading, she didn’t see it as a problem.

Leveraging her special status, she quickly took care of the formalities and led Jiang Xuan into the Scripture Pavilion.

The Four Seasons Valley’s Scripture Pavilion was situated within Huangni Village. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a common courtyard made of blue bricks, but once inside, Jiang Xuan discovered a whole new world.

A space-expansion technique had been used on the building. On the first floor, countless bookshelves and Jade Slips stretched on and on, so far that Jiang Xuan, who had just stepped inside, couldn’t see the end of them.

’There must be hundreds of thousands of volumes stored here.’

Upon entering the Scripture Pavilion, Jiang Xuan felt like a mouse that had fallen into a rice barrel. He immediately went to a bookshelf, began circulating the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method, and casually pulled out a Dao Scripture to start reading.

Empowered by the Three Purification Mantra: True Communication, Jiang Xuan possessed Spiritual Clarity, and his memory was exceptionally sharp.

Moreover, by holding Cyan Glaze, he had also activated the Clear Heart Swordsman’s "Heart·Sincerity (Sword)" Talent.

With this dual enhancement, combined with his formidable Divine Soul, Jiang Xuan’s reading efficiency was incredibly high at first. In just a short period, he had memorized four Dao Scriptures.

After the fourth scripture, however, Jiang Xuan’s page-turning slowed. It wasn’t because his efficiency had decreased, but because his *Heart·Sincerity (Sword)* Talent had been completely activated.

He was now exhibiting the pinnacle of sincerity and focus.

Now, his mind held nothing but the books—he had even completely forgotten that he was reading in order to change his class to a Scripture Profound Daoist.

Because his sincerity was so pure, he was no longer just committing the texts to memory. He was completely immersed, comprehending the Daoist meaning behind every single word and phrase.

As Jiang Xuan’s Heart Spirit sank into the texts, only one thing about him remained unconventional.

The vast majority of the Daoist Scriptures and Collections in the Four Seasons Valley’s Scripture Pavilion were written about the cycle of the four seasons, the shifting of the solar terms, and the influence these two phenomena had on the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Yet, as Jiang Xuan read these texts, he subconsciously transformed these supreme principles—the flow of the seasons and the changing of the terms—and converted them all, according to his own understanding, into... swordsmanship!