After all, Zhiwei had just started her cultivation journey. Although she occasionally had moments of inspiration, teaching Chen Ye swordsmanship was still a far-fetched dream.
After playing around with his two apprentices for a while,
Chen Ye promptly stopped the activity to avoid Zhiwei getting upset, sending the two girls home to sleep.
He began practicing the Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique alone.
However, just as Li Yanfeng had said, the cultivation of this sword technique was incredibly difficult.
Chen Ye practiced diligently through the night but still couldn’t fully comprehend it until he saw the progress on his proficiency panel jump:
[Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique: Proficiency +1]
At that moment, some of the previously incomprehensible profound meanings of the sword technique suddenly became clear.
Chen Ye felt a surge of energy, immediately calming his mind to focus on understanding it fully.
With his proficiency panel, the profound meanings of the sword technique that would take ordinary disciples months or even years to comprehend were progressing swiftly for him, as if he were a master butcher effortlessly carving an ox.
The night passed without further incident.
The next day.
[Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique Entry Level: 5/10]
Chen Ye rubbed his temples, only to feel a headache.
One night’s efforts only increased his proficiency by five points.
At this rate, it would take just twenty-one days to master the sword technique reputed to be the most challenging to cultivate on Purple Cloud Peak.
But Chen Ye’s goal wasn’t just mastery...
At this time, the sky was still not yet light.
Since arriving at Luoli Courtyard,
his two apprentices had been sleeping in separate rooms from Chen Ye.
Chen Ye hadn’t paid much attention to the two apprentices’ sleep conditions for a long time.
"Ah... I really am acting as their master, mother, and child psychologist..."
"Those two little girls, I wonder if they’ve covered themselves well with the blanket."
Muttering to himself, Chen Ye lightened his footsteps and quietly opened the door to the adjacent room.
"Creak..."
The apprentices’ door was always unsecured.
Chen Ye easily pushed open the door.
The room was still dim, and with the faint light seeping through the door crack, he could barely make out the two small figures curled up on the bed.
Qing Jun’s fair little tummy rose and fell in the cool morning breeze, making Chen Ye shake his head, thinking this girl must be like a loach.
He walked forward, familiarly tucking the blanket around her to prevent this little one from catching a chill.
Suddenly,
Chen Ye’s brow twitched.
Wait a minute, didn’t Qing Jun’s figure just seem unusual?
She seemed to have grown a lot.
Chen Ye rubbed his temples, thinking that perhaps yesterday’s intensive sword training had caused him to hallucinate today? Upon closer inspection, there was indeed no change from usual.
He intended to lift the blanket, but then heard Qing Jun’s soft, gentle voice: "Master?"
"Qing Jun?" Chen Ye tentatively whispered, keeping his voice very low to avoid waking what could still be a sleeping Zhiwei nearby.
Qing Jun didn’t immediately respond. She just quickly blinked, as if trying to blink away the wetness in her eyes.
She sniffled before moving her little head out of the blanket, giving a muffled "mmh," her voice thick with a nasal tone, as if she had just been crying.
Her watery almond eyes were red and swollen, like two ripe peaches, with a reddened nose indicating she had shed quite a few tears.
"What happened?" Chen Ye softened his voice, reaching out to touch her forehead to see if she was unwell. "Did you have a nightmare? Or are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
But Qing Jun slightly turned her head, avoiding his hand, her small body shrinking further into the blanket, her voice still muffled: "Mmh! Qing Jun had a scary dream... but now Qing Jun needs to sleep! Master, leave!"
"Alright, alright..."
Seeing this, Chen Ye had no choice but to slowly exit the room under Qing Jun’s teary gaze.
This girl, before even growing up, wants to draw a line with her master?
...
At 5 a.m., the morning light just faintly showed through, and the light mist had yet to clear.
Chen Ye arrived on time at a secluded Martial Arts Arena on Purple Cloud Peak.
This place was spacious, surrounded by several ancient pines, with green stones paving the center, clearly a place where disciples usually practiced swordsmanship.
Li Yanfeng was already standing with his hands behind his back in the center of the arena. Upon seeing Chen Ye approach, he nodded slightly, his expression serious: "Steward Chen, have you memorized the sword techniques in the Jade Scroll?"
Chen Ye smiled wryly: "Instructor Li, you’re joking. This sword technique is profound, and I, Chen, am dull-witted, finding the sword moves complex and this ’Cyan Wave’s Meaning’ truly elusive."
Li Yanfeng nodded slightly; this was within his expectations. If it could be easily comprehended, it wouldn’t be known as one of the Purple Cloud Peak’s upper-grade techniques.
He said, "It’s alright. Today, I will explain the ’Cyan Wave’s Meaning’ to you. The so-called Cyan Wave takes its meaning from the vastness of the sea, the agility of the emerald waves, and the boundless blue sky. In sword control, it’s not simply about using spiritual power but about integrating one’s divine will into the sword, experiencing that sense of grace and ethereality..."
Li Yanfeng began explaining the general principles of the sword technique, as well as the key points of the first three levels of the heart method.
During his explanation, he sometimes held his fingers like a sword, drawing in the air, causing a gentle breeze, simulating the flow of Sword Qi; other times, he stimulated his own spiritual power, condensing a wisp of pale blue Sword Light in his palm, demonstrating the concentration and release of Sword Intent.
Chen Ye listened attentively, and as expected, Li Yanfeng, as an instructor at Purple Cloud Peak, had a profound understanding of the Sword Dao.
Many places he had been pondering all night but couldn’t understand suddenly became clear with a few pointers from Li Yanfeng.
[Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique Entry Level: Proficiency +1]
[Cyan Wave Sword Control Technique Entry Level: Proficiency +1]
This increased much faster than painstaking solitary practice.
Especially during the early period of cultivation, one is most susceptible to guidance.
An hour later, Li Yanfeng halted his explanation and said, "No matter how much theory is explained, it’s ultimately armchair strategy. Taoist Friend Chen, try stimulating your Sword Artifact and let me see how solid your foundation is."
He thought to himself that as Chen Ye was a Spirit Plant Steward, he might be negligent in the Sword Dao; while his spiritual power might be refined, his control over the Sword Artifact could be quite rough.