Chapter 3: Artisans and Masters

Author: I Eat Tomatoes

Meng Chuan meticulously read through biography after biography. Some were written by prominent families to glorify their ancestors. Others were genuinely renowned, with their stories spontaneously documented by the populace. Even the most famous demon-gods had dozens of versions of their biographies. Some sects proactively wrote biographies for demon-gods. Most impressively, some demon-gods wrote their own biographies, hoping future generations would remember their deeds.

“These biographies primarily told stories. Only a few sentences in some were useful for my cultivation. There were even entire biographies where I found nothing helpful.”

“Furthermore, the credibility of these stories varied; some were highly reliable, while others were less so. They also needed to be categorized.”

Meng Chuan, being a descendant of a demon-god family and having received systematic training at Mirror Lake Dao Academy, had a very solid foundation. His top-tier saber techniques had reached the grand accomplishment stage, just a step away from the ‘Unity Realm’. With such a foundation, he was better able to discern what was useful from the biographies.

“If you don’t use your heart when practicing the sword, you are merely its slave. Only by using your heart can you become its master.” Meng Chuan read this line, spoken by the Northern Sword Emperor when guiding a junior, in one of the biographies. Meng Chuan stared at the sentence, pondering: “The junior whom the Northern Sword Emperor guided was also a Leakless Realm expert, whose sword techniques had at least reached the Unity Realm at the time. Their daily training should have been considered diligent. Yet the Northern Sword Emperor still said that... Clearly, in his view, even the sword techniques of a Leakless Realm expert were not cultivated with enough heart.”

Meng Chuan continued to read through the demon-god biographies. Occasionally, a few words left by a demon-god, or even a particular deed, would spark speculation in Meng Chuan. To ordinary people, these were just stories. But in the eyes of an attentive individual, they revealed some of the reasons behind the demon-gods' power.

“A single perfected move can take you anywhere. You only need one move to defeat an enemy; master your strongest move, and that’s enough. What’s the point of practicing many disorganized techniques?” This was a line from a conversation between the powerful demon-god ‘Demonic Blade’ Wei Feng and his disciple, recorded in a biography from three thousand years ago. Fifteen versions of stories about Demonic Blade Wei Feng were found in Dongning Prefecture. All of them contained similar sentiments: “A single perfected move can take you anywhere. You only need one move to defeat an enemy; master your strongest move, and that’s enough.” Meng Chuan recorded this as well.

Besides the biographies, Meng Chuan also placed importance on the family precepts of famous demon-god families that had been passed down. Family precepts were left by demon-gods for their descendants, usually containing matters they considered extremely important. The more he recorded, the more inwardly astonished Meng Chuan became.

“‘If you learn from the best, you’ll only achieve average; if you learn from the average, you’ll be inferior.’ Learning from the strongest demon-gods in history is correct! However, biographies offer only fragments of information. Without a sufficiently deep foundation, it's easy to go astray.” Meng Chuan realized this because he saw that many family precepts emphasized the importance of cultivation fundamentals. All explicitly stated that family disciples must enter the Dao Academy for complete and systematic cultivation. This was because the Dao Academy—established in every major city of the Great Zhou Dynasty by ‘Yuanchu Mountain,’ the oldest sect in the world—had a teaching system formulated by Yuanchu Mountain. Only by cultivating at a Dao Academy could one acquire a truly solid foundation.

Of course, they only taught the fundamentals. Meng Chuan’s saber techniques were just a step away from the Unity Realm, and after seven years of training at the Dao Academy, he had learned everything they could teach him. What he needed now was to explore further on his own.

“My foundation is sufficient; what I need now is that final breakthrough.”

“Every point I’ve recorded today has given me much inspiration.”

“But there’s no rush. I’ll simply go through these books once more, then organize and consolidate them. Only cultivation principles mentioned by at least three demon-gods will be considered truly trustworthy.”

Day after day, the more Meng Chuan collected, the more he integrated. Combining this with the ‘Iron Rules of Cultivation’ from Mirror Lake Dao Academy—which were cultivation regulations set by Yuanchu Mountain—this combination allowed Meng Chuan to understand even more.

“Alright,” Meng Chuan said, smiling as he looked at his notes in the evening. “These past five days have been more important than five years of my cultivation.” Meng Chuan exclaimed, looking excitedly at his notes. He now had a much clearer understanding of cultivation.

The first principle of cultivation: The foundation is paramount, like the roots of a house. Entering a Dao Academy for complete cultivation is the best option.

The second principle: Repetition is crucial. No amount of idle theorizing can compare to practicing something ten thousand times! Similar statements, such as ‘draw your saber ten thousand times daily’ or ‘practice ‘Blood Shadow Thrust’ ten thousand times daily,’ had been made by no fewer than twelve demon-gods.

The third principle: A single perfected move can take you anywhere! Similar to the second principle, one truly needs only one move to defeat an enemy. Mastering a single move to its extreme is more effective than practicing ten moderately powerful killer moves.

The fourth principle: While cultivation is indeed arduous, enduring the hardship and gritting your teeth through training will only make you a craftsman. Only by genuinely enjoying and being obsessed with it, meticulously pondering the mysteries of each move, can one become a grandmaster.

Meng Chuan now understood the true meaning of the Northern Sword Emperor's words: “If you don’t use your heart when practicing the sword, you are merely its slave. Only by using your heart can you become its master.” Ordinary cultivators might seem to train diligently and earnestly, but this isn't true dedication. True dedication means genuinely enjoying and being obsessed with sword techniques, casting aside all external distractions, and completely immersing oneself in them. Such intense devotion leads to great achievements and allows one to become a grandmaster; otherwise, one remains merely a craftsman.

The fifth principle: Daily progress, monthly changes, and ultimate success...

The sixth principle...

There were a total of nine principles. All of them had been mentioned by at least three demon-gods, and Meng Chuan, with his discernment, found them highly reasonable.

“Every day, I practiced saber techniques for several hours until my entire body was exhausted, always gritting my teeth and pushing through. I used to think I was diligent and dedicated, but clearly, I wasn’t ‘dedicated enough’. I should enjoy saber techniques, immerse myself in them, and meticulously ponder every move.” Meng Chuan felt this was his biggest shortcoming. Cultivation was inherently tiring.

Ordinarily, he spent an hour drawing in the afternoon. This was his sole luxury and a hobby he’d developed in childhood. While drawing, the fatigue from cultivation would fade, and his mind would become incredibly peaceful. This was how he managed to persevere year after year. Now, it seemed his approach had been wrong.

“The way I was before, seemingly diligent and hardworking, ultimately made me only a craftsman.” Unable to contain himself, Meng Chuan put down his notes and walked straight out of the study into the courtyard. There, he immediately began practicing his top-tier saber technique, ‘Falling Leaf Saber’. This time, it was different from before.

This time, focusing solely on the first stance of the Falling Leaf Saber, the ‘Drawing Saber Stance,’ Meng Chuan cast everything else aside, completely dedicating his mind to the saber technique. It was as if only the saber in his hand existed in the world! Then, he drew his saber! He felt the noiselessness as the blade left its scabbard, the sensation of the saber cutting through the ‘wind’. The technique was still the same, but his mindset had changed, and what he ‘saw’ also changed.

He had chosen fast saber techniques from a young age because he genuinely loved them. However, the daily grind of cultivation had left him utterly exhausted, eroding that initial passion and love. But today, with his mindset changed, as he once again poured his entire being into feeling the saber techniques, that love reawakened. The saber glided silently from its sheath.

The saber’s trajectory was like a stroke of painting, so beautiful. He strived to make this trajectory even more elegant, to cut through the ‘wind’ even faster! Truly powerful saber techniques possessed an aesthetic quality, and Meng Chuan’s techniques were now approaching that level.

Meng Chuan practiced the same move repeatedly, striving to draw his saber faster and more silently, to cut through the ‘wind’ with greater swiftness. Only after performing it fifty times in a row did he feel truly satisfied. “This is how I should cultivate!” Meng Chuan exclaimed, thrilled. He then proceeded to practice the second stance, the ‘Revolving Moon Stance’.

***

The day after Meng Chuan compiled his cultivation notes, in an underground hall of the Yun family mansion...

Woosh, woosh.

In the center of the hall, purple flames rose. A black-haired elder sat cross-legged amidst the flames, completely unharmed.

“Father, you called for me?” Yun Fuan respectfully entered the hall, but dared not approach. Even from a distance, he felt waves of heat assaulting him, and the air seemed to distort.

“Fuan.” The black-haired elder opened his eyes, his gaze calm. “I’ve just received news that the old woman from the Meng family was severely injured while defending Anhai Pass against the demon race. It’s feared she won’t live much longer and should return to Dongning within the next few days.”

Yun Fuan was astonished: “Father, are you speaking of Meng Xian Gu?”

“Indeed,” the black-haired elder nodded slightly.

“Could there be a mistake?” Yun Fuan asked, disbelieving. “Isn't Meng Xian Gu most skilled at reconnaissance? Nothing within ten miles can escape her notice, and she doesn't even need to be on the front lines. How could she suddenly be severely injured?”

“There’s no mistake,” the black-haired elder stated coldly. “King Anhai summoned several highly skilled healers for her, but the old woman’s injuries are too severe; nothing can save her now. At Anhai Pass, this is no longer a secret! If she ceases fighting and carefully tries to survive, she might last seven or eight more years at most. If she continues to fight desperately, she will likely live even less time.”

“Seven or eight years at most?” Yun Fuan couldn't help but say, “Without Meng Xian Gu, won't the Meng family be finished?”

“The five great demon-god families of Dongning Prefecture will soon become four,” the black-haired elder affirmed with a nod.

A family thrives because of its demon-gods. Likewise, without a demon-god, a family becomes ordinary.

“The Meng family is no longer worthy of holding so many positions or enjoying so many benefits in Dongning,” the black-haired elder said coldly. “Oh, and about the engagement between Qingping and that Meng family boy, Meng Chuan—you go to the Meng family, make them hand over the marriage contract, and tear it up on the spot! The Meng family, as it is now... is not fit to ally with us through marriage.”

“Yes, Father,” Yun Fuan replied respectfully.

“However, before that old woman dies, there's no need to make things too ugly,” the black-haired elder said before closing his eyes. Yun Fuan quietly excused himself.

“What? Break off the engagement?” Yun Qingping looked at her father in astonishment. Didn't he say no before? Why the sudden change of mind?

“Father is just informing you,” Yun Fuan said with a slight smile. “I will go to the Meng family today and break off your engagement.”

“Will the Meng family hand over the marriage contract obediently?” Yun Qingping couldn't help but ask.

“They will hand it over willingly,” Yun Fuan replied confidently. His father had received news from a friend, and the Meng family must have already known about their ancestor's situation. These prominent families were self-aware; resisting would only bring them humiliation.

Yun Qingping quickly said, “Father, while I do want to break off the engagement, I don't wish to sour relations and damage the goodwill between our two families. Perhaps we could invite Uncle Meng over to discuss it?”

“No need for such trouble,” Yun Fuan chuckled. “Just leave this matter to me. You simply wait at home for good news.”