Chapter 165 - 112: Canyon Blockade, Ouyang Yin Reappears

Zhang Su left Hidden Sword Manor.

The four of them arrived at a small town, planning to rest for a while.

The town wasn’t large. It had only one main street, dotted with a few scattered shops.

There was only one inn. Located in the center of town, it was a three-story wooden building. A faded plaque hung above the door, bearing the two words "Ping’an Inn."

The writing was somewhat faded, but still legible.

Zhang Su booked three rooms—one for himself, one for Gu Ying, and another for their two guards.

Once inside, he closed the door, placed the Cold Frost Sword on the table, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

It was dusk, and the light outside the window was fading.

Zhang Su didn’t light a lamp.

He focused his mind, and information about the Sword Nurturing Skill appeared before him.

"Sword Nurturing Skill: Compatibility 52% (Not at entry-level)"

’He never expected to be so compatible with the Sword Nurturing Skill.’

A Compatibility of 52% didn’t seem very high.

But in truth, the Cultivation of the Sword Nurturing Skill was extremely difficult.

Throughout all of Hidden Sword Manor, very few Martial Artists could cultivate the Sword Nurturing Skill.

And among those few, the number who could cultivate the Sword Nurturing Skill to the entry-level was even smaller.

Most Martial Artists couldn’t even reach the entry-level, let alone the later stages of Minor Achievement, Great Success, and Perfection.

Ouyang Pu had nurtured his sword for three years, yet his Sword Nurturing Skill was only at the Minor Achievement Realm.

Even so, he was already the strongest Martial Artist in Hidden Sword Manor, second only to Ouyang Yin.

With his 52% Compatibility, Zhang Su could still reach the entry-level if he cultivated diligently.

’But Zhang Su’s goal was far more than just reaching the entry-level.’

With a thought.

He immediately spent five Compatibility Value points, raising his Compatibility to 100%.

As his Compatibility rose to 100%, Zhang Su immediately felt a difference.

It was as if the profound secrets of the Sword Nurturing Skill, once hidden, had suddenly become crystal clear.

It was like viewing something through a thin mist; suddenly, the mist cleared, and everything became perfectly visible.

He drew the Cold Frost Sword from his waist.

The blade glinted coldly in the dim, yellow light of dusk, revealing several fine cracks that were clearly visible on its surface.

These cracks had been left by Ouyang Yin’s three punches.

’The power of Pill Force was truly terrifying.’

He hadn’t even drawn a sword. Just his Fist Force alone had been enough to crack the refined steel of the Cold Frost Sword.

Zhang Su lightly ran his fingers over the blade. It was cold to the touch.

Although Ouyang Yin’s Pill Force had cracked the Cold Frost Sword, the blade wasn’t completely broken. It would still be fine for practicing the Sword Nurturing Skill.

Zhang Su gently gripped the Cold Frost Sword and began to channel the Sword Nurturing Skill.

The Cultivation Technique for the Sword Nurturing Skill surfaced in his mind.

Once, twice, three times...

The earlier feeling of arcane obscurity vanished.

In its place was a faint sense of unparalleled smoothness and clarity.

Zhang Su’s breathing grew steady.

His spirit began to gather, and then he poured it into the sword.

It was a wondrous feeling.

His spirit connected with the sword in his hand.

The sword was no longer a cold piece of iron.

It had become an extension of his body, a vessel for his spirit.

A glimmer of sword light faintly appeared in Zhang Su’s mind.

This glimmer was illusory.

It was hazy, visible yet intangible.

But as he channeled the Sword Nurturing Skill over and over, the glimmer of light grew more and more solid.

Finally, the glimmer of light suddenly contracted, condensing into a tiny seed.

The seed was sword-shaped and silver-white. It hovered in Zhang Su’s mind, spinning slowly.

This was a Spirit Sword Seed, formed entirely from Spiritual Power.

And once a Spirit Sword Seed was formed, it meant one had reached the entry-level of the Sword Nurturing Skill.

’A Spirit Sword Seed... How marvelous!’

Zhang Su opened his eyes and looked down at the Cold Frost Sword in his hand.

He could clearly feel a connection between the Spirit Sword Seed in his mind and the sword itself.

It felt like a deep resonance.

As long as the sword exists, the seed exists.

If the sword breaks, the seed will scatter.

Moreover, as he continued to nurture the sword over time, the Spirit Sword Seed would grow stronger and stronger.

As long as he nourished it daily with the Sword Nurturing Skill, the seed would grow stronger with each passing day.

Three years of Sword Nurturing had granted Ouyang Pu such might.

’What about ten, twenty, or even thirty years of Sword Nurturing?’

Zhang Su didn’t dare to imagine.

However, the Spirit Sword Seed was intimately connected to the Cold Frost Sword he held.

The moment he drew the sword, the Spirit Sword Seed would be unleashed.

It would release all the accumulated Spiritual Power in a single instant.

And then everything would return to zero.

SHIIIING.

Zhang Su drew his sword in an instant.

The sound of the Cold Frost Sword leaving its sheath was crisp and clear, echoing through the quiet room.

A cold light flashed from the blade.

Just as he’d expected, the newly formed Spirit Sword Seed instantly erupted and then completely dissipated.

To re-form the Spirit Sword Seed, he would have to start nurturing the sword all over again with the Sword Nurturing Skill.

"So that’s how it is..."

Zhang Su murmured to himself.

The longer one practiced Sword Nurturing, the stronger the burst of power.

But once unleashed, all the accumulated effort would be gone.

It’s a one-time-use Secret Technique.

No wonder Ouyang Pu had nurtured his sword for three years yet only used the technique at critical moments.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to use it; he couldn’t afford to.

Three years of accumulation, gone in a single strike.

Anyone would feel the sting of such a loss.

Zhang Su shook his head.

For him, however, the value of the Sword Nurturing Skill didn’t lie in this one-time burst.

It lay elsewhere.

Reaching the entry-level of the Sword Nurturing Skill was merely the foundation of its Cultivation.

The higher one’s Realm, the more efficient Sword Nurturing becomes.

A Martial Artist in a low Realm might practice Sword Nurturing for a day and only increase their Spiritual Power by a single point.

A Martial Artist in a high Realm might do the same and see their Spiritual Power increase by ten points.

The difference was just that great.

Zhang Su estimated that Ouyang Pu’s Sword Nurturing Skill was only at the Minor Achievement Realm.

At the Minor Achievement Realm, three years of Sword Nurturing could produce such might.