After writing the words “Facing the Morning Sun,” Meng Chuan scrutinized the three paintings that had been set on the table.
He had found painting these three paintings for the past six months cathartic. From the moment he laid down his brush, he had felt aggrieved, angry, and confused. After all, many people had died in Eastcalm Prefecture that fateful day. He had seen many massacres.
But after the painting was done, his heart had become calm. However, deep within the calm, sea-like heart, there was an unshakable desire to do battle! Countless humans had fought the demons over the generations, because of hope. For the sake of hope, for their loved ones and children, all of them were willing to risk their lives. Mortals were willing to risk their lives and it was likewise for Godfiends.
I won’t be rash. I will try my best to become stronger. I’ll become a Godfiend, a powerful Godfiend. One day, we humans will defeat the demons completely.
No one could stop the morning sun’s eventual rise.
Creak.
Meng Chuan pushed open the door and entered the courtyard. The setting sun dyed the western sky red.
Sitting in the courtyard, Meng Chuan inspected his glabella space. The tiny figure in his glabella space wasn’t as translucent as before, and was much more corporeal.
I have the Power of the Soul. It resulted from painting. Ordinary paintings are useless, only People Resonance and Facing the Morning Sun started the metamorphosis. During the two years after I drew People Resonance, I’ve been painting every day with my emotions completely submerged into them, but no changes to my soul occurred. Clearly, it’s not easy to sublimate my soul.
My soul has turned corporeal, but the domain remains a hundred feet wide. My perception range is still half a kilometer. Meng Chuan was somewhat puzzled. I’ll try my saber arts.
With a thought, Meng Chuan immediately activated the Power of the Soul. It seamlessly fused with the Quintessential Essence in his body, immediately increasing his control over his body to insane levels. With a single move, he charged forward thirty feet, then slashed out with his saber! The aqueous saber beam traveled through the air, but it didn’t stir the wind. The mere sight of his actions—with the naked eye—was enough to make the heart palpitate.
There’s no difference in the Power of the Soul. My strength is the same as before. Meng Chuan continued to use his saber arts.
Saber beams lit up in the courtyard. Every strike was unleashed with all his might!
Fifth move, sixth move, seventh move... Meng Chuan kept attacking as his heart filled with joy. He realized that he had a lot more Power of the Soul than before.
The sixteenth move! After the sixteenth strike, he realised that his Power of the Soul was nearly depleted. He couldn’t deliver another full power strike again.
He revealed a smile as he stood in the courtyard. The changes to the soul doesn’t have anything to do concerning strength amplifications. Instead, the Power of the Soul increased in quantity. In the past, I could only deliver five maximum strength strikes, but now I can go up to sixteen strikes.
...
In the yard next door, Yan Jin held both swords as he stared ahead. He seemed to see that cold, muscular man, as well as the Heavenly Tribulation Sword that had swept across the sky.
Yan Jin’s goal was to defeat that man. However, after having seen the Heavenly Tribulation Sword—one that was merely a sword mark, meaning that its power was only 10% of the actual Heavenly Tribulation Sword’s—Yan Jin became acutely aware how powerful that man was.
“I’ll defeat you.” Yan Jin once again swung his sword, his eyes bore into the cold, stocky man in front of him.
...
Days passed as Meng Chuan and Yan Jin cultivated every day. During this period, Liu Qiyue would occasionally send letters, one to her father and one to Meng Chuan.
In the blink of an eye, it was winter and it was December.
It first snowed on 18th December, three days before the Archean Mountain entrance examination.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Meng Chuan repeated the Saber Drawing Stance over and over again.
With a slash, the Heaven and Earth powers he stirred would envelop a range of 1000 feet. He could sense everything within a thousand feet.
My Saber Force has been cultivated to its peak.
Force could stir the Heaven and Earth powers. Upon reaching the limit, one could use the Heaven and Earth powers to sense everything that was enveloped by the Heaven and Earth powers one had stirred! This was a domain formed by Saber Force.
However, there was a flaw in this domain. If one used the Heaven and Earth powers to sense objects, their senses would be blurred when facing an opponent who could also influence the Heaven and Earth powers. However, at such a level, one would be even more powerful when using their body’s potential and Quintessential Essence.
With his current strength, Meng Chuan was roughly 50% stronger than at the beginning of the year.
Once Saber Force reaches its peak, the next step is to form Saber Intent, but how do I form Saber Intent? Meng Chuan pondered.
Saber Intent was the third realm of saber arts. The difficulty of attaining Saber Intent was even greater than becoming a Godfiend. This was because the conditions to become Godfiends were to comprehend Force, condense a core, and transcend the Life-and-Death juncture! Thus, most newly-advanced Godfiends were only in the Force realm.
Grandaunt told me that she reached the Intent realm at the age of fifty despite becoming a Godfiend at the age of thirty-five. This is also the highest realm she reached. Fairy Meng was considered fast. There were records that mentioned many newly-advanced Godfiends had only managed to form Intent when they were above eighty years of age. Some reached the Intent realm when they were centenarians.
Those that were able to become Godfiends were all extraordinary. However, it was extremely difficult for them to comprehend Intent. Many ended up stuck in the Force realm for many years.
I’ll take it slow. Three days from now, it will be the Archean Mountain entrance examination. After being accepted, I will receive their guidance. There should be a better cultivation method for Saber Intent in the books available at Archean Mountain.
Aim for the skies; not doing so will only result in mediocrity. If he wanted to comprehend intent, he needed to do it in Archean Mountain. To comprehend intent through trial and error would be too slow.
Suddenly, he heard someone call him.
“Chuan’er, Young Master Yan, the people from Wu State have arrived,” Meng Dajiang shouted loudly.
The people from Wu State are here? Meng Chuan put away his saber and walked out of his room, and Yan Jin did the same.
Meng Chuan and Yan Jin both looked into the distance and saw a giant fiery-red bird swoop down from above. On top of it was a large group of people—seated in the lotus position. They landed at the guild hal’s main entrance.
“Let’s take a look.” Meng Dajiang and Liu Yebai called out to them.
Meng Chuan and Yan Jin followed them.
When they arrived at the main hall of Wu State Guild Hall, a large group of people also arrived. Leading them was none other than the modest and refined Marquis Southcloud.
Meng Chuan and company attracted the attention of many the moment they entered.
“That’s Meng Chuan.”
“He killed two demon commanders in a row.” People secretly sent voice transmissions to each other.
Meng Chuan, Yan Jin, Liu Yebai, and Meng Dajiang bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Lord Marquis.”
Meng Chuan also noticed that there were ten youths in the hall. Almost all of them were accompanied by older people. These were all the Wu State geniuses that were participating in Archean Mountain’s entrance examination.
“Good.” Marquis Southcloud smiled and nodded.
“Twelve people from our Wu State will be taking part in the Archean Mountain entrance examination,” said Marquis Southcloud with a smile. “These two are from Eastcalm Prefecture. One is called Meng Chuan, and the other is Yan Jin. They came to Archean City a few months ago. All of you can familiarize yourselves with each other. Also, in three days, on 21st December, the Archean Mountain entrance examination will be held. I’ll bring you there early that morning, so make sure that you are present.”
“Yes.” Everyone acknowledged respectfully.
Marquis Southcloud’s status was far higher than theirs. If it weren’t for the fact he had to escort these geniuses, it wouldn’t be easy for these geniuses to meet him.
“Young Master Meng, I am Wang Buyu of the Wang family in Wu City.” An elegant scion immediately ran over and smiled. “I heard that you killed two demon commanders one after another? I’ve always wanted to meet you after I learned of this news, Young Master Meng. I’ve finally gotten to meet you today.”
“Young Master Wang,” Meng Chuan greeted politely.
The elders left to choose their accommodations. The youths began to talk with each other.
“This is bad. Our Wu State sent twelve people. The entire Great Zhou Dynasty has 23 states! There are also many geniuses in the capital and Archean City. Yet, Archean Mountain only recruits 20 people. If we split them evenly, some states don’t even get a spot!” A young man and his companions talked poignantly through voice transmissions. “There’s also a group of geniuses with extraordinary strength like Meng Chuan. It’s impossible to pass the entrance examination in three days.”
“Archean Mountain’s assessment is multifaceted. We might stand a chance,” said his smiling companion via voice transmission.
...
After getting to know one another, the group of youths went back to their own rooms and began to prepare for the Archean Mountain entrance examination. This entrance examination would affect their future.
Final Chapter of Volume—Battle of Eastcalm Prefecture