Chapter 76

Chapter 77: I Only Teach the Way, Not the Method (Request for Subscriptions)

Inside the bag, there was only a small booklet and two spirit crystals, nothing else.

Li Xuan's face showed disappointment.

Xue Wuxin was such a pauper.

He couldn't help but curse inwardly: "You're a demon cultivator, right? Killing people and seizing treasures is quite normal, isn't it? You're about to flee to the borderlands; don't you plan to plunder some treasures for use there?"

"Truly a waste of space, I should have scattered your ashes long ago, and it wouldn't have been unjust at all!"

He looked at the bag, which was just an ordinary one, not a storage bag or anything like that.

He casually tossed it aside.

"I wonder if there are storage bags or similar treasures in the Inner Domain."

He sighed inwardly, wondering if he should find a disciple with talent in artifact refinement, compile a set of refinement techniques for him, and let him study and refine storage bags and the like?

"I don't know how to refine artifacts either, so it would be quite difficult to compile. I still need to go to the Inner Domain, find their refinement techniques, and use them as references to compile a perfect set."

"Only in the Inner Domain could there be such a talented refinement expert, right?"

Li Xuan pondered.

However, refinement ultimately doesn't strengthen oneself, so it's not urgent for now. We'll see if we can find such a genius in the future.

He put away the spirit crystals.

He looked at the blood-red booklet.

Opening it, four characters caught his eye.

"Blood Devil Scripture!"

At a glance, it was a demonic cultivation technique.

However, Li Xuan wasn't concerned. He wasn't going to cultivate these techniques but rather to study them to understand the martial arts of the Inner Domain.

"This is actually an incomplete version?"

Li Xuan was surprised.

The Blood Devil Scripture was incomplete, missing a part, and was just a fragment.

Even as a fragment, it had allowed Xue Wuxin to cultivate to the Master level, and even to the Great Master level.

So, the complete Blood Devil Scripture could cultivate beyond the Great Master level?

Li Xuan flipped through the Blood Devil Scripture. Indeed, it was a demonic cultivation technique, focusing on devouring and refining essence blood to strengthen oneself.

The purer and more vigorous the essence blood, the greater the improvement.

This was why Xue Wuxin had targeted Meng Chong.

It also recorded the specialized secret technique of the Blood Devil Scripture, the Blood Devouring Ghost Threads, used to devour essence blood.

"Quite some tricks."

Li Xuan was amazed; the Blood Devil Scripture gave him some inspiration.

For example, the technique of devouring essence blood and the Blood Devouring Ghost Threads.

He wouldn't compile a technique for devouring essence blood, but he could use it as a reference to compile more sophisticated and righteous techniques.

"A new martial arts system is taking shape."

After reading the Blood Devil Scripture, Li Xuan had some ideas.

Beyond the physical martial arts, there was a new martial arts cultivation system, but it was not yet complete, just an idea.

Moreover, he needed to find the right person to understand it.

"The Blood Devil Scripture is a powerful demonic cultivation technique in the Inner Domain, and Xue Wuxin was not weak among Masters... However, the Blood Devil Scripture is a yin-evil technique and can be restrained by qi and blood."

The Qi and Blood Realm is fierce like fire, which can restrain the yin-evil aura of the Blood Devil Scripture.

In a battle of the same realm, a practitioner of the Blood Devil Scripture would be restrained.

"However, qi and blood are a great temptation for them."

Why did Xue Wuxin crave Meng Chong's essence blood?

Why did he crave Xu Yan's essence blood? It was precisely because of this.

Practitioners of the Qi and Blood Realm have more vigorous and pure essence blood than those in the Inner Domain, making them a great treasure for practitioners of the Blood Devil Scripture!

After reading the Blood Devil Scripture, Li Xuan memorized its contents word for word.

With a thought, the Blood Devil Scripture turned to powder and disappeared.

This demonic cultivation technique could not be left behind. If he was careless or forgot and left it behind, and someone found it, wouldn't that create a demon cultivator?

Although the borderlands cannot produce martial artists, using the Blood Devil Scripture to devour essence blood can still enhance one's strength.

Due to the lack of spiritual energy, one cannot break through the limit in the borderlands, but the strength could reach the level of a 5th or 6th-grade martial artist in the Inner Domain.

This would not be good for the borderlands.

Since he had memorized this technique, it was better to destroy it for peace of mind.

...

Outside Yunshan County, in the mountains.

Li Xuan stood with one hand behind his back, gazing at the distant sky.

Xu Yan held a precious sword and stood respectfully behind him.

"Disciple, remember, I only teach the Way, not the Method. So I teach you the Way of the Sword, not the Techniques of the Sword..."

Li Xuan picked up a branch and said solemnly, "As I have repeatedly emphasized, cultivation lies in understanding and comprehending the true meaning. The Way of the Sword is the same. Watch carefully."

"Yes, Master!"

Xu Yan was excited.

Li Xuan pointed with the branch, and with a hiss, a true qi shot out, creating a hole in a large tree.

Xu Yan's eyes widened in shock: "Master's sword technique... no, the Way of the Sword, is so powerful. He can create such an effect with just a branch, far surpassing Xue Wuxin's blade qi."

After testing the feel, Li Xuan began to wave the branch, using innate true qi to enhance it, making it look extremely formidable, though he was just waving it around randomly.

It was the innate true qi that made it look so powerful.

Of course, it wasn't entirely random. He performed some sword techniques like slashing, thrusting, and sweeping, which looked quite proper.

After a series of movements, Li Xuan put down the branch and asked solemnly, "Disciple, have you remembered?"

Xu Yan nodded excitedly, "Master, I have remembered everything!"

Remembered everything?

This won't do!

Li Xuan raised the branch again and said solemnly, "Disciple, watch again. Remember, I teach the Way of the Sword, not the Techniques of the Sword. You must understand the true meaning!"

He began to wave the branch, but this time more slowly, following the pattern of the Tai Chi Sword from his previous life.

The difference was that he used innate true qi.

It looked slow, but it seemed to form a sword qi, circling and rotating with him, creating a formidable presence.

Xu Yan watched intently but was puzzled. Why so slow?

How can you attack the enemy so slowly?

After finishing, Li Xuan asked again, "Disciple, have you remembered?"

"Master, I have remembered everything!"

"The previous ones?"

"Also remembered."

This disciple has an excellent memory, remembering everything in one go.

"Disciple, watch again!"

Li Xuan waved the branch again.

This time, he waved it extremely fast, then stopped.

"Have you remembered?"

Xu Yan was a bit confused.

Why are the sword techniques different each time?

"R... Remembered."

Xu Yan nodded.

"The previous ones?"

"R... Remembered ninety percent!"

Xu Yan was suddenly stunned.

He had remembered all the slow techniques.

But the first set of techniques, he only remembered ninety percent, forgetting a few!

"Why did I forget?"

Xu Yan was very frustrated.

Li Xuan, however, was delighted, "Good, disciple, watch again!"

He waved the branch again!

Xu Yan was confused: "I forgot, didn't remember everything, and Master said it was good?"

"Disciple, have you remembered?"

Li Xuan put down the branch and asked.

"I... I didn't remember everything!"

Xu Yan looked ashamed, having been distracted and not remembering Master's techniques.

"Good, good, disciple, you have taken another step towards understanding the Way of the Sword!"

Li Xuan said with satisfaction.

What?

Xu Yan was puzzled. How could not remembering the techniques mean he was closer to understanding the Way of the Sword?

"No, I must not have understood the deeper meaning of Master's words."

Xu Yan fell into deep thought, his powerful imagination at work.

"Master repeatedly emphasized that he only teaches the Way, not the Method. He teaches me the Way of the Sword, not the Techniques of the Sword...

"To understand the true meaning, to understand the Way, not the Techniques. So what I need to do is not to remember the techniques.

"But to forget the techniques!

"Not to be bound by the techniques, not to be bound by the form, to integrate and apply freely..."

At this moment, Xu Yan felt he understood the deeper meaning of Master's words.

In his mind, he began to recall the techniques Master had demonstrated, the fast, slow, fierce, and cunning ones...

Gradually, the techniques overlapped and merged in his mind, slowly forming a new set of techniques.

"I need to learn to forget!"

Xu Yan reminded himself.

"Master, I have forgotten half of it!"

Xu Yan said.

"Good, good!"

Li Xuan was delighted. The disciple had entered a state of enlightenment, which was a good sign.

It meant he had taken a solid step towards understanding the Way of the Sword.

Xu Yan indeed had a talent for the Way of the Sword, and a very talented one at that.

"Disciple, watch again!"

Li Xuan waved the branch again.

Naturally, they were all different from the previous ones.

In fact, each time he waved, he had a plan. The first time was a proper set of techniques, the second time was the slow Tai Chi Sword, the third time was fierce, the fourth time was cunning, and the fifth time was completely random.

With fast, slow, fierce, and cunning techniques, Xu Yan had to understand on his own.

"Master, I have forgotten half of it!"

Xu Yan said after watching.

"Very good, watch again!"

Li Xuan continued to wave the branch.

Next, he waved several times, and Xu Yan was sometimes confused, sometimes deep in thought, and sometimes enlightened...

In his mind, all the techniques were reorganized, overlapping, merging, and intertwining repeatedly.

A set of techniques seemed to form in his mind.

Li Xuan stood aside, watching his disciple's enlightenment.

The time was right.

The fabricated realm of the Way of the Sword should be told to the disciple to help him better understand the Way of the Sword.

If successful, this would be another great achievement.

Xu Yan opened his eyes, with a hint of confusion in them.

He felt confused.

A mess of techniques swirled in his mind, with no direction.

A vague set of techniques, but unable to form.

He felt he might have misunderstood the direction.

The techniques Master taught were now forgotten, unable to be remembered, and he couldn't recall how they were performed.

"Master, I have forgotten everything!"

Li Xuan said with satisfaction, "Good, good, disciple, you are not far from understanding the Way of the Sword!"

He gave his disciple a boost.

Indeed, Xu Yan was immediately invigorated, his eyes shining.

"Disciple, I teach you the Way of the Sword. Among the countless martial artists in the world, only a few can enter the Way of the Sword. To enter the Way of the Sword, one must first transcend the realm of techniques.

"Do not be confined by techniques and forms."

Li Xuan turned sideways, his mysterious aura enhancing his image as a sage.

Xu Yan's body trembled, and he said respectfully, "Please, Master, guide me!"

"You can forget the techniques and forms I demonstrated, which shows you have the potential for the Way of the Sword and are not confined by techniques and forms.

"But this is far from enough!

"To understand the Way of the Sword, to enter the Way of the Sword, only those with a clear and enlightened sword heart can step into the Way of the Sword."

Li Xuan said solemnly.

"Clear and enlightened sword heart?"

Xu Yan was shocked and asked respectfully, "Master, what is a clear and enlightened sword heart?"

"A clear and enlightened sword heart is the foundational realm of the Way of the Sword. One with a clear and enlightened sword heart is not confined by techniques and forms, and their sword heart is pure.

"The sword heart is a pure heart of the Way of the Sword, and enlightenment means that any technique or form can be seen through at a glance, and the flaws and strengths of any technique can be identified at a glance.

"At a glance, one can extract and apply techniques and forms freely, making them their own."

Li Xuan explained the foundational realm of the Way of the Sword, the clear and enlightened sword heart, to Xu Yan.

Xu Yan was deeply moved, "A clear and enlightened sword heart means a pure heart of the Way of the Sword, and enlightenment means seeing through the flaws and strengths of any technique at a glance, and applying them freely."

In his mind, he recalled the techniques Master had demonstrated.

Gradually, he visualized extracting, overlapping, merging, and intertwining them, forming a set of techniques that were not yet complete.

If he could integrate and merge them completely, forming a set of techniques that he could apply freely, would that be a clear and enlightened sword heart?

He had some understanding and said, "Master, a clear and enlightened sword heart means that although I have no techniques or forms, others' techniques and forms are mine.

"An enemy's techniques, in my eyes, are transparent, and I can easily see their flaws and predict their moves..."

Li Xuan was delighted. Xu Yan was close to understanding the clear and enlightened sword heart, and the fabricated realm of the Way of the Sword was about to emerge.

"In simple terms, that's it. Being able to do this means you have entered the realm of the clear and enlightened sword heart."

Li Xuan nodded with satisfaction.

"Master, I understand a bit, but not completely..."

Xu Yan fell into deep thought.

"Disciple, the clear and enlightened sword heart can only be understood through self-enlightenment. If you understand, you enter the realm; if you don't, you don't."

Li Xuan said solemnly.

He didn't have a clear and enlightened sword heart himself; he had only fabricated it. How could he know how to enter it or what methods to use?

It all depended on the disciple's extraordinary imagination and talent to understand on his own.

"Disciple, first, the sword heart must be pure. Only with a pure sword heart can one achieve enlightenment. A pure sword heart is not confined by techniques and forms.

"Think hard, and I believe you can understand it."

Li Xuan left the forest, leaving Xu Yan to ponder on his own.