Chapter 6

The Meng family ancestral home was bustling with activity, with people lining up to receive their elixirs and treasures.

"So many."

"Are they really giving out so many elixirs?"

The clan members receiving the elixirs and treasures were all very surprised. A woman holding her seven-year-old daughter's hand, collecting her daughter's monthly cultivation resources, was also astonished: "Before, my daughter only had three taels of silver and one Blood Qi Pill per month. Now, it's thirty taels of silver and ten Blood Qi Pills? Can she take one Blood Qi Pill every three days?"

Her daughter was only seven years old and not very dedicated to cultivation, belonging to the most basic resource supply level among the younger generation. Now, even she had such a significant increase.

"Everyone, the clan leader has personally said that starting this month, clan members under twenty years old will receive ten times the amount of elixirs and silver they received before," the clan members distributing the resources explained. This news spread quickly, and the entire Meng family ancestral home was in an uproar.

The younger generation of the clan was divided into five levels based on their cultivation progress.

Meng Wenying and Meng Chuan belonged to the top level and were already receiving focused cultivation.

There were also the second level, third level, and so on.

Now, even the most ordinary of the younger generation received thirty taels of silver and ten Blood Qi Pills per month.

"Clan leader, there are over two thousand clan members between the ages of six and twenty. Can the clan afford to distribute resources like this?" an old servant asked worriedly. Clan leader Meng Yanping stood at a distance, watching the excited clan members receiving their resources, and said calmly, "Don't worry, the clan has accumulated resources for many years. We can sustain this for at least ten years."

The old servant was still somewhat concerned.

The income of a divine and demonic clan was astonishing, but so were the expenses. The clan was now sparing no effort to cultivate this generation, hoping to nurture a promising candidate for the divine and demonic realm over the next ten years.

...

At the Mirror Lake Meng Manor.

Meng Dajiang led over a dozen people back to the manor.

"Master." The servants and maids were very respectful.

"Where is the young master?" Meng Dajiang asked.

"The young master is at the training ground," the servants replied respectfully.

Meng Dajiang frowned and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, and it was already the hour of Shen: "Is he still practicing his sword skills at this time?"

He led the group toward the training ground and could faintly hear the sound of sword strikes. He waved his hand and whispered, "Wait here." Then he quietly approached and peeked through a hole in the wall of the training ground. He could see a blurry figure of a young man completely enveloped in sword light, practicing the Falling Leaf Sword Technique.

"Qian Fang." Meng Dajiang beckoned to a middle-aged man nearby. Qian Fang was an old servant who served Meng Chuan and hurried over.

"I have a question," Meng Dajiang said in a low voice. "How long has Chuan been practicing today?"

"Master, the young master has been practicing since early morning. He only stopped to eat and rest," Qian Fang replied.

"Practicing for so long?" Meng Dajiang frowned.

"Even after the evening medicinal bath, the young master practices for another hour in his courtyard," Qian Fang added. "In the past few days, the young master has been practicing sword skills for six to seven hours a day, aside from eating, sleeping, drawing, taking medicinal baths, and cultivating."

"In the past few days?" Meng Dajiang murmured.

In the past few days?

What could have triggered such intense practice from his son?

Breaking the engagement?

"Just in the past few days!" Qian Fang said. "Before, the young master was still in high spirits and even asked me to buy some divine and demonic biographies. He wasn't this obsessed with cultivation. I don't know what happened in the past few days, and my advice hasn't helped."

...

A short while later, at the training ground.

Meng Chuan was immersed in the Falling Leaf Sword Technique.

"Chuan." Meng Dajiang's voice sounded.

"Father." Meng Chuan stopped and saw Meng Dajiang leading over a dozen people into the training ground.

Meng Dajiang smiled and said, "Chuan, the clan has decided to focus more on your cultivation. Starting today, these eight Bone Marrow Cleansing realm and three Soul Transformation realm experts will be your sparring partners."

"Don't I already have guards to spar with?" Meng Chuan was somewhat surprised.

He originally had eight Bone Marrow Cleansing realm guards and two Soul Transformation realm guards who occasionally sparred with him.

"Those are your guards. These are dedicated sparring partners. For example, these eight Bone Marrow Cleansing realm experts specialize in archery, hidden weapons, and other skills that will be more beneficial to your cultivation," Meng Dajiang explained. "Moreover, as guards, they can't always accompany you in cultivation."

Meng Chuan nodded.

Guards are paid for their services, and they can only occasionally spar. Long-term sparring would lead to complaints.

"These three Soul Transformation realm experts will be of great help to you. This one..." Meng Dajiang pointed to a slender man with a mustache, "is Brother Wang Chang, a No Leak realm expert."

"Senior Wang." Meng Chuan bowed respectfully. No Leak realm experts held a high status in Dongning City, and Wang Chang was the deputy head of a local security company.

"Master Meng, there's no need for such formality," Wang Chang smiled.

"Starting today, six No Leak realm experts will come to spar with you each month, each for five days, one hour per day," Meng Dajiang said solemnly. "Inviting six No Leak realm experts to spar with you is a significant investment by the clan. You must take it seriously."

"Yes." Meng Chuan was also somewhat shocked.

No Leak realm experts were all important figures in Dongning City, and their time was valuable. It was impossible for them to accompany Meng Chuan every day of the month. They had their own affairs to attend to, and it was already a great favor for them to spare one hour each day for five days. The clan had managed to invite six No Leak realm experts... ensuring that Meng Chuan had a No Leak realm sparring partner every day.

"Chuan, a man's ambition should be for the world, not just a wife. You must focus on your cultivation and not let the clan down," Meng Dajiang said and then walked out of the training ground.

Meng Chuan was taken aback. Not just a wife?

What did his father mean by that?

"Father, what do you mean by 'not just a wife'?" Meng Chuan called out.

"It means you shouldn't be distracted by such thoughts," Meng Dajiang said and left the training ground.

"What am I thinking about?" Meng Chuan muttered, then looked at the group of sparring partners around him, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.

Sword techniques are meant for battle.

With sparring partners, cultivation would be much more effective. In the past, he had sparring partners, but they were nothing compared to now. From Bone Marrow Cleansing realm, Soul Transformation realm to No Leak realm experts, he had sparring partners at every level.

...

From that day on, Meng Chuan started practicing sword skills at dawn, with sparring partners in the morning.

In the afternoon and evening, he practiced alone, reflecting on the morning's sparring sessions.

...

The Falling Leaf Sword Technique, as Meng Chuan's mindset changed and he became fully immersed, he could feel the unique charm of each of the eighty-one moves, and soon discovered how to cultivate the secret technique 'Three Autumn Leaves.'

By practicing the eighty-one moves in sequence, he gradually realized that the charm of the eighty-one moves could be connected seamlessly.

For example, the first move is the Draw Sword Stance, which is extremely fierce. It then transitions to the second move, the Spinning Moon Stance, which is mysterious and elusive. The third move, the Cloud Parting Stance, transforms from mysterious and elusive to a sudden and powerful strike, and then to the fourth move...

Move after move.

It was like a large rock rolling down a mountain, gaining speed as it rolled!

The moves followed one after another, like a surging wave, becoming more and more powerful and unstoppable!

"Eighty-one moves, if truly connected seamlessly, will reach their peak power, and I can naturally perform the secret technique as described in the manual!" Understanding this, Meng Chuan became even more obsessed with practicing.

If the 'charm' of the eighty-one moves could be connected as one, then the trajectory of the sword cutting through the wind would be seamless;

The rhythm and tempo of the sword technique would form a natural melody;

The beauty of each move would form a complete picture.

Feeling the subtle connection to this realm, Meng Chuan became even more eager.

Day after day...

The beauty of Meng Chuan's sword technique became more and more perfect, with fewer and fewer flaws.

The rhythm and tempo of the sword technique became more and more continuous.

The trajectory of the sword became more and more perfect.

He could feel his progress, and Meng Chuan sensed himself getting closer to that realm.

The trees and flowers around the training ground began to turn green as March approached. Meng Chuan continued to practice, gradually getting closer to that realm, closer and closer.

"Whoosh."

Meng Chuan practiced again, and this time, the beauty he had been pursuing for so long suddenly merged with his flesh and bones, with his heart. When he performed the sword technique, he naturally reached the state of 'body, mind, and technique' being one. He felt the sword cutting through the wind with perfect clarity, his body and the sword becoming one, moving through the air at an incredible speed.

As Meng Chuan performed the sword technique, in an instant, another Meng Chuan appeared over ten yards away. Two Meng Chuans existed simultaneously.

A faint curve of sword light remained in the air.

The first 'Meng Chuan' then disappeared.

"Did I... did I comprehend it?" Meng Chuan stood there, stunned.