Chapter 2

Early morning.

At the training ground of the Meng family in Mirror Lake, Liu Qiuyue was practicing archery, while Meng Chuan was practicing his saber techniques in the corner.

"Huff, huff."

His saber techniques were elusive and unpredictable.

And they were extremely fast, the pinnacle of the fastest saber techniques that could be learned in the mortal world, known as the "Falling Leaf Saber."

Since he was a six-year-old child, he had been tested by his family and confirmed to have the greatest talent for fast saber techniques. He also loved practicing fast saber techniques the most because... they were fast enough!

After practicing basic saber techniques at home for two years, at the age of eight, his father, Meng Dajiang, sent him to one of the eight major Dao Academies in Dongning Prefecture, the Mirror Lake Dao Academy! The principal of the Mirror Lake Dao Academy, Ge Yu, though of average character, was the fastest saber user in all of Dongning Prefecture!

At the age of nine, Meng Chuan had perfected the basic saber techniques, with a solid foundation, and was taught the advanced saber technique, "Wind Chasing Saber."

At the age of eleven, he had perfected the "Wind Chasing Saber," and the principal personally taught him the top-notch saber technique, "Falling Leaf Saber."

At the age of thirteen, he had achieved great mastery of the "Falling Leaf Saber" and became a member of the Mountain and Water Pavilion, which... was the most elite group among the thousands of disciples in the Mirror Lake Dao Academy. Even now, the Mountain and Water Pavilion has only twenty-two disciples.

Now, he is fifteen years old.

"Unfortunately, my Falling Leaf Saber is still only at the great mastery level, not yet perfected." Meng Chuan stopped, looked at the saber in his hand, and frowned slightly, "How can I comprehend the secret techniques of the Falling Leaf Saber to reach the first major realm of saber techniques, the 'Unity Realm'?"

Saber techniques, sword techniques, spear techniques, etc...

All skills.

The first major realm is the 'Unity Realm,' which means the body, mind, and skill are unified, capable of exerting unimaginable power.

The second major realm is called 'Momentum,' where the universe has great momentum! Mountains have mountain momentum, water has water momentum. When using saber techniques, one should be like the universe, mountains, and water, having saber momentum. For those using swords, they should have sword momentum! That is a higher major realm.

However, Meng Chuan has been in the foundational stage for many years. Of course, his foundation is already extremely solid, and his saber techniques are just one step away from the 'Unity Realm.'

But that one step... is the hardest!

"Even in the entire Dongning Prefecture, those who can reach the Unity Realm in saber techniques, sword techniques, and other skills are very few." Meng Chuan was well aware of this, "Only by reaching the Unity Realm can one be considered a true expert. Otherwise, they are just mediocre."

Those mediocre ones, even if they have abundant true qi, are just larger and faster targets.

In front of true experts, they are killed in one move.

"According to the description of the Falling Leaf Saber, it consists of eighty-one forms. As long as the eighty-one forms are practiced to a divine level, one will naturally grasp the secret technique 'Three Autumn Leaves,' and at that time, one will reach the first major realm of saber techniques, the 'Unity Realm.'" Meng Chuan was somewhat helpless because the entire book only had this small paragraph about the Unity Realm.

There was no more description, not even what the moves looked like.

"Will naturally grasp the secret technique," sounds too mystical. My 'Falling Leaf Saber' has been at the great mastery level for two years, and I practice hard every day. Why haven't I 'naturally' comprehended the secret technique?

"Secular cultivation is divided into five stages: Foundation Building, Internal Cultivation, Bone Washing, Soul Transformation, and Leakage Prevention. To reach the Leakage Prevention stage from the Soul Transformation stage... one must achieve the Unity Realm in saber techniques, sword techniques, and other skills. Only by 'unifying body, mind, and skill' and truly integrating all the power of the Soul Transformation stage can one break through to the Leakage Prevention stage." Meng Chuan thought, "In large families, with sufficient elixirs and treasures provided, becoming a Soul Transformation stage is not difficult. But becoming a Leakage Prevention stage is very rare!"

Meng Chuan started Foundation Building at the age of six.

He entered the Internal Cultivation stage at the age of nine and the Bone Washing stage at the age of twelve. According to Meng Chuan's estimation, he should be able to achieve the Bone Washing stage and enter the 'Soul Transformation stage' around June this year. This speed is considered normal among the core disciples of divine and demonic families. Someone like Yun Qingping, who is lazy in cultivation, also reached the Bone Washing stage at the age of fifteen after taking many elixirs and treasures, which is considered relatively slow.

The five major realms of secular cultivation: Foundation Building, Internal Cultivation, Bone Washing, Soul Transformation, and Leakage Prevention.

Above that is 'Divine and Demonic.'

The leap from Leakage Prevention to Divine and Demonic is like a chasm!

Becoming Divine and Demonic is very difficult. In the past hundred years in Dongning Prefecture, only a few have become Divine and Demonic.

"I made a vow at my mother's grave that I must become Divine and Demonic in this life, slay demons, and avenge my mother." Meng Chuan stopped his saber techniques, looked at the saber in his hand, and thought that as a child, he didn't fully understand. Now, he realizes how difficult it is to become Divine and Demonic, but no matter how difficult, he will not give up, "I must quickly master the first major realm of saber techniques, the 'Unity Realm,' and in the future, I must also master the second major realm, 'Momentum,' to have a slight chance of becoming Divine and Demonic."

Suddenly—

"Chuan'er." A plump figure walked into the training ground.

Meng Chuan turned his head, "Father."

The smiling, plump middle-aged man in front of him was his father, Meng Dajiang, who ran the first tavern in Dongning Prefecture. He was also the designated next patriarch of the Meng family.

Meng Dajiang was exceptionally powerful, one of the strongest below the Divine and Demonic level, and a Leakage Prevention stage expert who had mastered 'saber momentum.' However, at the age of forty-seven, his hope of becoming Divine and Demonic was becoming increasingly slim!

"Liu Qiuyue also walked over, "Uncle Meng."

"March 3rd is the Yu Yang Palace Demon Slaying Festival, right? Qiuyue, as a master archer, the Sun Yang Dao Palace will definitely give you a spot." Meng Dajiang said, and Liu Qiuyue nodded happily. Meng Dajiang then looked at his son, "Chuan'er, what about you? Your Mirror Lake Dao Academy only has three spots for Bone Washing stage disciples. Do you have a chance?"

"No, I don't have much confidence." Meng Chuan said honestly, "Among the top ten Bone Washing stage disciples in our Mirror Lake Dao Academy, the gap between us is not significant. I have some hope of competing, but I might also fail. If I could comprehend the secret technique of the Falling Leaf Saber, I would definitely have a chance. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to. Father, do you have any special methods for comprehending secret techniques?"

"Haha, your principal is the fastest saber user in Dongning Prefecture, and he will teach you what he can." Meng Dajiang laughed, "As for secret techniques, I think it's just a matter of practicing more. With more practice, you might comprehend it."

Meng Chuan felt helpless.

There's no shortcut.

"Don't think too much. In the entire Dongning Prefecture, none of your generation in the Bone Washing stage have comprehended secret techniques." Meng Dajiang laughed, "I, your father, was the most outstanding in the Meng family of my generation, and I only comprehended a secret technique at the age of nineteen."

"But the ancestor of the Zhang family, it's said, mastered a secret technique at the age of thirteen and reached the Unity Realm in sword techniques." Meng Chuan sighed.

"The ancestor of the Zhang family is the only one in the past hundred years in Dongning Prefecture who could be admitted to the Primordial Mountain. Because of this, the Zhang family became the leading one among the five major Divine and Demonic families in Dongning Prefecture." Meng Dajiang said, "Don't be in a hurry. The ancestor of the Meng family, Yu Shan, comprehended a secret technique at the age of eighteen and became Divine and Demonic at the age of eighty. Great achievements can come late, and one can still become Divine and Demonic."

Meng Chuan, of course, knew this.

When he was a child, his mother would tell him many stories about the growth of Divine and Demonic beings, and he would pester his mother and father to tell him more stories!

Besides drawing, listening to stories was his favorite as a child.

His parents bought many biographies of famous Divine and Demonic beings and read them to him.

"Mother, one day, I will also become Divine and Demonic." Meng Chuan said to himself.

...

In the afternoon, Meng Chuan went to the Mirror Lake Dao Academy because the principal was personally teaching a saber technique class. As the principal, he only taught once every five days.

The one-hour saber technique class ended.

"Still can't break through."

"I wonder when my saber techniques will reach the Unity Realm." Meng Chuan walked through the academy, and for the past two years, he had been thinking hard about the 'secret technique of the Falling Leaf Saber' almost every day, almost to the point of obsession.

As he passed an open area, he heard angry scolding.

Meng Chuan looked over.

The academy's instructor, Ma, was scolding a group of young people with spittle flying.

"Aim high, and you will achieve the middle; aim for the middle, and you will achieve the low. Do you understand?" Ma scolded, "I want you to learn from the best, not the worst. Learning from the worst... will only make you worse! If you don't reach the Bone Washing stage, you will have no future. If you reach the Bone Washing stage, you must serve in the military at the age of twenty, fighting demons. If you don't sweat now, you will bleed and lose your life later. Only about half of those who serve in the military will return alive. Do you want to die on the battlefield or return in glory?"

"Look, that's Meng Chuan from the Meng family. He achieved great mastery of the Falling Leaf Saber at the age of thirteen and entered the Mountain and Water Pavilion of our Mirror Lake Dao Academy, personally taught by the principal! There are no shortcuts to achieving great mastery; only hard work. I heard that Meng Chuan practices for several hours every day at home. What about you? Look at yourselves!"

"Aim high, and you will achieve the middle. Learn from Meng Chuan, do you understand?"

Under Ma's angry roar, the young people dared not even breathe.

While scolding, Ma smiled at Meng Chuan, who was passing by, and Meng Chuan nodded with a smile. Meng Chuan's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace to head home.

...

Back in the family compound, Meng Chuan immediately went to the study.

"Aim high, and you will achieve the middle; aim for the middle, and you will achieve the low. If you want to learn, learn from the best!" Meng Chuan muttered to himself, his eyes becoming brighter and more excited, "If you want to learn, learn from the strongest Divine and Demonic beings! Learn from the most powerful beings in history. This is aiming high!"

"Many of the invincible strong beings in history have long returned to dust, but their biographies are still passed down, for thousands or even tens of thousands of years!"

"Their biographies contain their records."

Meng Chuan looked up at the books on the shelves, "Father and Mother, when I was a child, you read many biographies of Divine and Demonic beings to me. You bought many books."

He picked up a book at random.

He flipped through it.

It was about a Divine and Demonic being named Deng Feng, who dominated an era. The biography recorded that Deng Feng lived in the deep mountains without a master to teach him. His only relative taught him one move, 'Draw the Saber,' and then died. He lived alone in the mountains, practicing the 'Draw the Saber' move... for four hours a day, ten thousand times, without learning any other saber techniques.

But he lived alone in the mountains, practicing the 'Draw the Saber' move... for four hours a day, ten thousand times, for twenty years.

When he left the mountains, he entered the human world, naive and ignorant. With Bone Washing stage strength, one move of 'Draw the Saber'... he killed a Leakage Prevention stage expert. His saber techniques had reached an unimaginable level. The news spread, and he was immediately recruited by the legendary 'Primordial Mountain,' becoming a disciple of the Primordial Mountain and thus embarking on the path to becoming Divine and Demonic.

...

The book was quite long, recording many of Deng Feng's deeds after becoming Divine and Demonic, which inspired later generations.

There was little about cultivation, only the phrase 'four hours a day, ten thousand times, for twenty years.'

For Meng Chuan, this book's most important part was this one sentence.

"A skilled expert, even if their saber techniques are a bit slow, can draw the saber ten thousand times in an hour." Meng Chuan frowned, "He practiced for four hours a day, which means each draw was done with full intent and focus, and then the saber was drawn! One draw after another... each draw was done with full intent and then exploded. This required four hours for ten thousand draws."

"Focus? Practice the same move? A large number of repetitions?"

Meng Chuan wrote this down with a brush pen at his desk and then went to read another biography of a Divine and Demonic being.

He needed to find the 'common points' of the Divine and Demonic beings from their biographies.

Aim high, and you will achieve the middle; aim for the middle, and you will achieve the low.

If you want to learn... learn from the strongest!

Learn from those who were invincible in history!

"Uncle Qian." Meng Chuan suddenly called out.

"Master." A voice came from outside.

"Take two people and go out to buy all the biographies of Divine and Demonic beings on the market! Also, buy the family precepts of some powerful Divine and Demonic families. Bring them back quickly!" Meng Chuan said.

"Alright, I'll go right away." Uncle Qian responded.