“Return.” The three-inch flying sword floating before him quickly grew in size, until it became three feet long and looked like a regular sword.
Qin Yun extended his hand out and grasped the divine sword.
Although the sword was not finished, it was still extremely sharp. It could cut through iron and stone as though it were cutting tofu. But Qin Yun still couldn’t bear to use it, because if something untoward were to happen to it, there would be no second chances.
“I was only thirteen when I received the Sword Immortal Legacy. I was delighted, but who knew that getting through the gates of immortality would be so difficult?” Qin Yun sighed emotively. “If one can’t step into the gate of immortality before they turn twenty, then they have no chance of success. I was about nineteen before I succeeded in opening the gate of immortality.”
In the cultivation world, there were three major realms—Postnatal, Connate, and Essence Soul.
Postnatal could be finely subdivided further into twelve Qi Refinement levels, with each level harder to break into than the previous one.
Connate was separated into three stages—the False Core stage, the True Core stage, and the Golden Core stage.
Essence Soul? That had long been a legend!
As for ‘opening the gate of immortality,’ the phrase referred to breaking through the ninth level of Qi Refinement to the tenth level. Only after that breakthrough could Quintessential Qi convert into Quintessential Essence! It was also considered the true beginning of cultivation.
However, achieving this would also invite misfortune and envy from the heavens.
If one were to write down the formulation to break through to the tenth level, the written text would instantly vanish! If one tried to orally provide the formulation to others, they would suddenly become speechless and tongue-tied.
There was a saying that if one didn’t pass the gate of immortality before they turned twenty, it would become impossible. The reason for it was that, before twenty years of age, the body was still growing and full of limitless vitality and vibrancy. The main and collateral channels in the body were filled with endless possibilities. One had the highest chance of knocking open the gate of immortality during this period of time by condensing and refining Quintessential Essence. Once one reached the age of twenty, their body would be at its peak. After that, one’s condition could only begin spiraling downward. Any hopes of knocking open the gate of immortality would become nearly non-existent.
“When I was thirteen, I became one with the sword. In that same year, I was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement! Joining a second or third-rate sect wouldn’t have been difficult, and knocking open the gate of immortality would have also been easy. But I received the Sword Immortal Legacy left by a Connate Golden Core stage elder, Daoist Chen, from eight hundred years ago.” Qin Yun sighed once more. “The Sword Immortal Legacy is one of the top cultivation legacies in the cultivation world, but it is also at least ten times to even a hundred times harder to cultivate than other Dharmic cultivation formulations.
“There’s a saying in the cultivation world that ‘a single sword can destroy all Dharma.’ This sword is none other than the flying sword of a sword immortal.” Qin Yun shook his head. “I only inherited it. Without a master or senior to guide me, the Sword Immortal Legacy ended up being at least ten or a hundred times harder to develop than regular Dharmic formulations.”
“I received the legacy at thirteen, left home at fifteen, and experienced so many battles that tethered between life and death. I’ve even gone to the northern borders.”
“I was nearly nineteen when I finally managed to knock open the gate of immortality.”
Qin Yun sighed to himself again.
Knocking open the gate of immortality without the help of a master or senior meant that he could only depend on himself, and forge his own path.
“Oh? It’s already morning?” Qin Yun noticed that it was getting brighter outside his window.
“Retrieve.” With a thought, the three-foot-long sword immediately began shrinking. It shrunk until it was as thin as a hair before rapidly drilling into Qin Yun’s index finger and traveling through his veins until it returned to his dantian. Once in his dantian, it started spinning and became a pebble-sized, silver ball of metal.
The sword ball was back inside his body, receiving steady nourishment from his soul and Quintessential Essence.
He got out of bed and eyed the fragmented dregs that had broken off from the Astral Patterned Steel. He sent his Quintessential Essence out and, in less than a second, the crumbs that were scattered across the floor lifted off the ground and formed a small ball, which then descended into a bamboo crate to the side. He grabbed the bag of Astral Patterned Steel and put it into his clothes trunk. He hid the two bundles beneath his clothes. He then left behind a Quintessential Essence mark, closed the trunk, and locked it.
He opened the door and left his room.
It was early morning and very cold. The servants of Qin Manor had already begun their daily cleaning and cooking of breakfast.
…
After washing up, Qin Yun changed into an embroidered robe that made him look like an esteemed scion. When he was traveling in the countryside, he naturally wore plain and inconspicuous clothing. But now that he, the second young master of Qin Manor, had returned home, he naturally couldn’t disgrace his family.
“Second Young Master, good morning.”
“Second Young Master, good morning.”
As Qin Yun walked around the manor, every servant he passed greeted him.
As he looked at every blade of grass and every tree, all of the narrow paths and complex corridors, it gave him a sense of warmth and familiarity. Soon he arrived at the training grounds.
On one side of the training grounds stood racks of weapons, and on the far side of the wall, there were targets for archery.
“Training grounds.” Qin Yun revealed a smile. In the past, his father had trained here, and so did his brother. He too had trained arduously in his swordsmanship when he was younger. His mother would frequently sit at a stone table by the side, happily watching the family.
The state of being ‘one with the sword’ was only one level lower than the Seamless state.
The attainment of the Seamless state was practically the zenith for beings still in the Postnatal realm. Control over one’s body became seamless, to the point that they could control every single strand of hair. Even if they went a long time without practicing their sword techniques, they would not become rusty.
He had already reached the Seamless state; hence, he didn’t need to train arduously every day. While Qin Yun had reduced the time he spent on sword training, he still did it every day as it was already a part of his routine.
“Phew.”
The sword unsheathed from the scabbard at his waist.
Qin Yun stood at a spot and occasionally moved his feet slightly. He held a long sword in his hand as he demonstrated his swordplay. The swordplay did not seem fast but the sword beams formed a blurry haze, like the misty rain of spring. It seemed like a dream that could mesmerize anyone with its beauty. It did not seem like a sword that killed, but rather a poem or a painting.
A person appeared at the side of the training grounds. It was his elder brother, Qin An. He only watched curiously and silently, without disturbing his younger brother.
Qin Yun didn’t stop either, calmly continuing in his sword practice. Only after he felt satisfied did he stop and sheathe his sword.
“Second Brother, why is your sword so slow?” Qin An asked curiously. “Even though I find your swordsmanship beautiful, to the extent that it’s even more beautiful than the sword dances of the ladies at the brothel, isn’t it just too slow? How can such a slow sword possibly kill?”
“Haha…” Qin Yun laughed. “This is my self-made sword technique, the Misty Rain Sword. What you saw was only one aspect of the Misty Rain Sword.”
“One aspect?” Qin An ruminated over the words. “Alright. You could already defeat me when you were ten, and when you were fifteen, you were Grand Dominance City’s number one person among the younger generation. Back then, I could still tell why your swordsmanship was amazing. But it seems that now I can’t even comprehend your techniques anymore.”
Qin Yun smiled as he changed the topic. “Brother, why did you come so early? It’s not even time for breakfast, but you’ve already traveled from the south side of the city to the west?”
“Us brothers haven’t seen each other in six years. Naturally, I want to catch up with you,” Qin An said emotionally. “When you were out traveling, I would often worry about you, afraid you would never come back. But enough, let’s not talk about that! On another note, this past half year, I’ve been waking up every morning feeling exhausted. I went to a doctor, but they said that I wasn’t ill. Today, however, I’m feeling rather good.”
Qin Yun’s heart stirred.
Feeling rather good today? Perhaps it was because the cat demoness didn’t devour your Yang aura last night.
“Was it because I was missing you, Second Brother? My heart felt at ease after you returned, so I’m feeling better?” Qin An murmured.
“Missing me? If you were missing me, why would you be fine for five years, only to feel uncomfortable in the past half year?” Qin Yun smirked. “Your body had been infiltrated by demonic aura.”
“Infiltrated by demonic aura?” Qin An’s expression changed drastically.
Qin Yun didn’t hide anything from his elder brother. After all, they had gone through thick and thin in their youth. Matters such as ‘demonic aura infiltration’ were something his elder brother could easily accept.
“I noticed it yesterday,” Qin Yun stated.
“Then why didn’t you say anything yesterday?” Qin An asked.
“I didn’t want to alert the perpetrator. What if they did something in desperation? Obviously, I had to pretend I didn’t know anything. I secretly investigated and figured everything out last night. I have resolved the problem at its root, which is why I can tell you now,” Qin Yun said. “Also, don’t tell anyone what I’ve just told you.”
“This I already know.” Qin An nodded. “Will my body be alright?”
“Relax, you’re not beyond hope.” Qin Yun grinned.
As he said this, he took out a paper talisman that he had already prepared. He said, “This is a ‘Disease Dispelling Talisman’ that I got from my good friend. Even I don’t know how to make this!” As he said this, he injected his Quintessential Essence into the paper talisman, activating it. Immediately, the talisman ignited without any spark before an invisible power merged into Qin An’s body. Qin An only felt a rush of coolness. The feeling of suppression he originally had also vanished. He felt refreshed.
“Most of the demonic aura has already been removed,” Qin Yun said. “However, some of it entered your inner organs, and is rooted too deeply inside you for the Disease Dispelling Talisman to rid you of it completely.”
“So how can I get better?” Qin An asked.
“Haha, now that the demoness who was targeting you is gone, the demonic aura inside your body is like sourceless water. You’re still young and fit, so even without the Disease Dispelling Talisman, you would have recovered in three to five years. But since you’ve used the talisman, the minute traces that are left will hardly affect you. Perhaps, in a few months, you’ll expel the demonic aura naturally,” Qin Yun said emotionally. “The vibrancy that a body has is truly miraculous.”
Qin An heaved a breath of relief, and immediately asked curiously, “Second Brother, why would a demoness suddenly want to harm me? I’m only a lowly merchant, so why would a demoness target me? Is it because of Father?”
“Yes.” Qin Yun nodded. “Let’s wait for Father to come back and I’ll tell you both in more detail.”
Qin An quickly recovered from the jolting news. He smiled and said, “Second Brother, when you cultivated to the ninth level of the Qi Refinement realm at only thirteen, I already knew you would knock open the gate and begin the path towards immortality. From what I’ve seen today, you can see demonic auras and even exterminate them. You have indeed stepped onto the path of immortality.”
Qin Yun smiled.
Back when he received the Sword Immortal Legacy, he had only told his father! His father had strictly warned him not to let others know. Even his mother and elder brother were kept in the dark. He feared that if the word were to spread, it would only invite disaster upon him.
“Knocking open the gate of immortality was really not easy,” Qin Yun said candidly.
…
The two brothers joined their mother for breakfast and engaged in a long chat when, suddenly, a servant came with news, “Second Young Master, someone outside the manor wishes to see you. They said they’re a good friend of yours.”
“Good friend? You came back only yesterday and already someone wants to see you?” Qin An was rather perplexed.
“Let’s see who it is.” Qin Yun stood up.