Chapter 3

Meng Chuan carefully read through one biography after another. Some were written by large families to glorify their ancestors, while others were spontaneously written by the people to celebrate those who had truly become famous. Even the most renowned deities and demons had dozens of versions of their biographies, some of which were written by sects, and the most exaggerated were those written by the deities and demons themselves, hoping that future generations would remember their deeds.

"These biographies are mainly stories. Sometimes, just a few sentences in a book can be useful for my cultivation, and sometimes, I don’t find anything useful in an entire biography."

"Moreover, some of these stories are highly credible, while others are less so. They need to be categorized."

After all, Meng Chuan is the offspring of a deity-demon family and has been educated by the Mirror Lake Dao Academy, with a solid foundation. He has cultivated the pinnacle saber technique to the point of great accomplishment, just one step away from the 'Unity Realm.'

With such a foundation...

He can better discern which parts of the biographies are useful.

"Practicing the sword without heart makes one a slave to the sword. Practicing the sword with heart makes one the master of the sword." Meng Chuan read a quote from the Northern Sword Emperor, who was guiding a successor in one of the biographies.

Meng Chuan stared at this sentence, pondering: "The Northern Sword Emperor was guiding a successor who was already a漏境 (Louxing) realm expert, and at that time, the successor's sword skills had at least reached the Unity Realm. Normally, his cultivation should be considered diligent. Yet, the Northern Sword Emperor still said this... Clearly, in his view, even a漏境 (Louxing) realm expert's sword skills were not cultivated with enough heart."

...

Meng Chuan continued to read through the biographies of deities and demons.

Occasionally, a few words or a particular deed left by a deity or demon would spark some of Meng Chuan's speculations.

To ordinary people, these were just stories.

But to those with a discerning eye, they could see the reasons behind the power of these deities and demons.

"A single skill, and you can eat the world. To defeat an enemy, you only need one move. As long as you cultivate the strongest move, it is enough. What use is there in cultivating a bunch of messy techniques?" This was a quote from a powerful deity-demon 'Devil Blade' Wei Feng, who lived three thousand years ago, in a conversation with his disciple. There were fifteen versions of Wei Feng's biography found in the market of Dongning Prefecture.

All of them contained similar phrases like "A single skill, and you can eat the world. To defeat an enemy, you only need one move. As long as you cultivate the strongest move, it is enough."

Meng Chuan also recorded this.

Besides the biographies, Meng Chuan also valued the famous family precepts of deity-demon families that had been passed down.

Family precepts are left by deities and demons for their descendants, generally considered to be of utmost importance.

The more he recorded, the more Meng Chuan was secretly alarmed.

"Learning from the best, you only get the middle; learning from the middle, you get the worst. Learn from the strongest deities and demons in history. This is correct! However, biographies are just fragments. Without a solid foundation, it is easy to go astray." Meng Chuan realized this because he saw that many family precepts emphasized the importance of a solid foundation.

They all mandated that family members must enter the Dao Academy for complete systematic cultivation.

The Dao Academy... is established in every major city of the Great Zhou Dynasty by the most ancient sect, 'Yuanchu Mountain.' The teaching system of the Dao Academy is set by Yuanchu Mountain. Only by cultivating in the Dao Academy can one have a solid foundation.

Of course, it only teaches the basics. Meng Chuan's saber technique is just one step away from the Unity Realm, and the seven years of cultivation in the Dao Academy have taught him everything they could. He needs to explore more on his own.

"My foundation is solid, and now I need the final breakthrough."

"Today, I have recorded many things that have inspired me."

"However, there's no rush. I will quickly go through these books, then organize and merge them. Only the principles of cultivation mentioned by at least three deities and demons are truly credible."

...

Day after day.

The more Meng Chuan collected and integrated, the more he understood, especially when combined with the 'cultivation iron rules' of the Mirror Lake Dao Academy, which were set by Yuanchu Mountain.

The combination of the two made Meng Chuan understand even more.

"Alright."

In the evening, Meng Chuan looked at his notes and smiled.

"These five days have been more important than five years of cultivation." Meng Chuan looked at his notes with excitement, gaining a clearer understanding of cultivation.

The first principle: A solid foundation is crucial, like the foundation of a house. Entering the Dao Academy for complete cultivation is the best choice.

The second principle: Frequency is important. No matter how much you imagine in your head, it is not as effective as practicing ten thousand times! Practicing drawing the saber ten thousand times a day, practicing 'Blood Shadow Thrust' ten thousand times a day, and similar phrases were mentioned by twelve deities and demons.

The third principle: A single skill, and you can eat the world! Similar to the second principle, to defeat an enemy, you only need one move. Cultivating one move to its peak is more useful than cultivating ten relatively powerful killing moves.

The fourth principle: Cultivation is indeed arduous. Enduring the hardship and gritting your teeth to practice ultimately makes you just a craftsman! Only by truly enjoying it, being obsessed with it, and carefully pondering the mysteries of each move can you become a master.

Meng Chuan also understood the true meaning of the Northern Sword Emperor's quote: "Practicing the sword without heart makes one a slave to the sword. Practicing the sword with heart makes one the master of the sword." Ordinary cultivators may seem to practice diligently and hard, but this is not truly 'with heart.' Truly 'with heart'... means truly enjoying the sword technique, being obsessed with it, discarding all external distractions, and being completely immersed in it. Only such madness can lead to great achievements and mastery. Otherwise, one remains just a craftsman.

The fifth principle: Progress every day, change every month, and ultimately achieve success...

The sixth principle...

...

In total, there were nine principles.

All of them were mentioned by at least three deities and demons, and based on Meng Chuan's understanding, they were very reasonable.

"Every day, I practice the saber for several hours, until I am completely exhausted. No matter how tired I am, I grit my teeth and push through. I thought I was practicing diligently and with heart, but clearly, I was not 'with heart.' I should enjoy the saber technique, be immersed in it, and carefully ponder each move." Meng Chuan felt this was the biggest issue with his practice. Cultivation is inherently tiring.

Usually, he would spend an hour painting in the afternoon, his only luxury and enjoyment, a hobby he developed in his childhood. In painting, the fatigue of cultivation would be forgotten, and his mind would become incredibly calm.

This is how he persisted year after year.

Now, it seems his mindset was wrong.

"My previous way of practicing, though seemingly diligent and hard, ultimately made me just a craftsman." Meng Chuan couldn't resist, put down his notes, and went directly to the courtyard.

In the courtyard, he began to practice the pinnacle saber technique, 'Falling Leaf Saber.'

This time was different.

This time, only the first move of the Falling Leaf Saber, 'Drawing the Saber,' Meng Chuan put everything aside, focusing entirely on the saber technique, as if the world only existed through the saber in his hand! Then, he drew the saber! Feeling the silence as the saber left the sheath, feeling the sensation of the saber cutting through the 'wind,' the technique was the same, but the mindset changed, and what he 'saw' also changed.

Choosing a fast saber from a young age was because Meng Chuan genuinely loved it. However, the daily practice had made him extremely tired, and that passion and love had been worn down. Today, with his changed mindset, as he once again fully immersed himself in the saber technique...

That love was awakening.

The saber, silently leaving the sheath.

The trajectory of the saber, like the trace of a painting, was so beautiful. He tried to make this trajectory more beautiful, to break through the 'wind' faster! A truly powerful saber technique is beautiful, and Meng Chuan's saber technique was approaching this level.

Meng Chuan repeatedly tried the same move, striving to make the saber draw faster and more silently, to cut through the 'wind' more swiftly.

After fifty repetitions, he felt satisfied.

"This is how one should practice!" Meng Chuan was excited and followed by practicing the second move, 'Spinning Moon.'

...

On the second day after Meng Chuan integrated his cultivation notes, in a large underground hall of the Yun family.

"Whoosh~~~"

In the center of the hall, purple flames rose.

A black-haired old man sat cross-legged in the flames, unscathed.

"Father, you called for me?" Yun Fuan respectfully walked into the hall but dared not get close, feeling the heat waves even from a distance, the air distorting.

"Fuan." The black-haired old man opened his eyes, his gaze calm. "I just received news that the old woman of the Meng family, who was defending Anhai Pass against the demon race, has been severely injured and is unlikely to survive. She should return to Dongning in the next few days."

Yun Fuan was shocked: "Father, you mean that Lady Meng?"

"That's her."

The black-haired old man nodded slightly.

"Is it a mistake?" Yun Fuan couldn't believe it. "Didn't they say Lady Meng was the best at investigation, that nothing within ten miles could escape her notice, and she didn't even need to be at the forefront of the battle, how could she suddenly be severely injured?"

"It's not a mistake." The black-haired old man said coldly. "The King of Anhai has invited several skilled healers for her, but her injuries are too severe, and there is no hope of recovery. At Anhai Pass, this is no longer a secret! If she stops fighting and carefully clings to life, she might last seven or eight years. If she continues to fight, she will likely live even shorter."

"Only seven or eight years?" Yun Fuan couldn't help but say, "Without Lady Meng, the Meng family will be finished, won't it?"

"The five great deity-demon families of Dongning Prefecture will soon become four." The black-haired old man nodded.

A family rises because of a deity-demon.

Similarly, without a deity-demon, the family becomes ordinary.

"They no longer have the right to occupy so many positions and benefits in Dongning." The black-haired old man said coldly. "By the way, the marriage contract between Qingping and that Meng Chuan from the Meng family, go to the Meng family and have them hand over the marriage contract, and tear it up on the spot! The current Meng family... is not worthy of our alliance."

"Yes." Yun Fuan said respectfully.

"However, before the old woman dies, we don't need to make things too ugly." The black-haired old man closed his eyes after saying this.

Yun Fuan quietly withdrew.

...

"What? Dissolve the marriage contract?" Yun Qingping looked at her father in shock.

Didn't they say no? Why the sudden change?

"Father is just informing you." Yun Fuan smiled. "Today, I will go to the Meng family and help you dissolve the marriage contract."

"Will the Meng family willingly hand over the marriage contract?" Yun Qingping couldn't help but ask.

"They will hand it over willingly." Yun Fuan said confidently. His father had received the news from a close friend, and the Meng family must already know about the old ancestor. These large families have self-awareness; resistance would only bring shame.

Yun Qingping said, "Father, I want to dissolve the marriage contract, but I don't want to ruin the relationship between the two families. Why don't we invite Uncle Meng for a discussion..."

"There's no need to make it so complicated." Yun Fuan smiled. "Alright, leave this matter to me. Just wait for good news at home."