Chapter 6

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

"So many."

"Are they really giving out so many elixirs?"

The clan members who were 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, so she received the most basic resources among the younger generation. Now, even she had received such a significant increase.

"Everyone, everyone, the clan leader personally said that starting this month, clan members under twenty years old will receive ten times the amount of elixirs and silver they used to get each month," the clan members distributing the resources explained. This news spread quickly, and the entire ancestral home of the Meng family 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 being given special attention.

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 and 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 produce a promising candidate for the divine and demonic realm over the next ten years.

...

Meng Family Manor at Mirror Lake.

Meng Dajiang led over ten people back to the manor.

"Master." The servants and maids were all 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 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 his sword today?"

"Master, the young master has been practicing since early morning, except for meals and rest, he hasn't stopped!" Qian Fang replied.

"Practicing for so long?" Meng Dajiang frowned.

"Even after soaking in the medicinal bath at night, the young master practices his sword for another hour in his courtyard," Qian Fang added. "In the past few days, the young master has been practicing his sword 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 driven his son to practice so intensely?

Breaking the engagement?

"It's been just 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's 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 rang out.

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

Meng Dajiang smiled and said, "Chuan, the clan has decided to cultivate you more intensively. Starting today, these eight Bone Marrow Cleansing realm and three Soul Transformation realm cultivators will be your sparring partners."

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

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

"Those are your guards, but these are dedicated sparring partners. For example, these eight Bone Marrow Cleansing realm cultivators specialize in archery, hidden weapons, and other skills that will be more beneficial to your cultivation," Meng Dajiang explained. "Besides, 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. If they were to spar for long periods, they would have complaints.

"These three Soul Transformation realm cultivators will be very helpful to you. This one..." Meng Dajiang pointed to a slender, mustachioed man, "is Brother Wang Chang, a peerless realm cultivator."

"Wang Senior." Meng Chuan bowed respectfully. Peerless realm cultivators held a high status in Dongning City, and Wang Chang was the deputy head of a security company in the city.

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

"Starting today, six peerless realm cultivators will come to spar with you each month, each for five days, one hour per day," Meng Dajiang said solemnly. "Inviting six peerless realm cultivators to spar with you is a significant investment by the clan, so you must take it seriously."

"Yes." Meng Chuan was also somewhat shocked.

Peerless realm cultivators 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 being willing to spar for five consecutive days, one hour each day, was already very generous. The clan had managed to invite six peerless realm cultivators to ensure that Meng Chuan had a peerless realm sparring partner every day.

"Chuan, a man's ambition is the world, not 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. "What does 'not lacking a wife' mean?"

"What does 'not lacking a wife' mean?" Meng Chuan called out.

"It means don't let your mind wander," Meng Dajiang said and left the training ground.

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

Sword techniques are meant for combat.

Having sparring partners greatly enhances the effectiveness of cultivation. In the past, although he had sparring partners, they were nothing compared to now. From Bone Marrow Cleansing realm, Soul Transformation realm to peerless realm cultivators, he had sparring partners at every level.

...

From that day on, Meng Chuan started practicing his sword as soon as it was light, and in the morning, he always had sparring partners.

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 the beauty of each move. He soon discovered how to cultivate the secret technique 'Three Autumn Leaves.'

By practicing all eighty-one moves in sequence, he gradually realized that the beauty of the eighty-one moves could be connected into a seamless flow.

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

Move after move.

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

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

"If the eighty-one moves are truly connected into a seamless flow, reaching their peak, I can naturally perform the secret technique as described in the manual!" Understanding this, Meng Chuan became even more obsessed with practicing his sword.

If the 'beauty' of the eighty-one moves is connected, then the trajectory of the sword cutting through the wind can also be seamlessly connected.

The rhythm and tempo of the sword technique will form a natural melody.

The beauty of each move, when connected, will form a picture.

Because he had a vague sense of this, Meng Chuan became even more eager.

Day after day...

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

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

The trajectory of the sword became more and more perfect.

He could feel his progress, and Meng Chuan felt 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, and with his heart. When he performed the sword technique, he naturally reached the state of 'body, mind, and technique' being one. He could feel the sword cutting through the wind with perfect clarity! His body and the sword became 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. The two Meng Chuans existed simultaneously.

A faint curve of sword light lingered in the air.

The first 'Meng Chuan' then disappeared.

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