Free Web NovelChapter 46: Chapter 46: Cyan Wood Sword Intent
For the next few days, Shen Daoxing kept to himself.
Before dawn, he would sit under a large tree, practicing woodcarving with his short sword.
As he carved, his spirit and the short sword in his hand became one, reaching a remarkably subtle state. With it, his comprehension of the Sword Dao steadily improved.
He Ku didn’t wake up until the third day.
He Ku struggled to sit up, looking around. "Where... am I?!"
Shen Daoxing walked over. "This is the Sword Institute," he said.
The color instantly drained from He Ku’s face, leaving it deathly pale.
Celestial City Academy was the number one academy in the Martial Kingdom, a sacred land for all Martial Artists. As its rival, one could only imagine the precarious position the Sword Institute was in.
Shen Daoxing said gravely, "If you go down the mountain now, the students from Celestial City Academy will kill you. You’d be better off staying here at the Sword Institute."
He Ku hung his head, his face ashen.
He came from a poor, rural village, and great hopes had been placed on him since he was young. He had come to the Imperial City with the intention of joining Celestial City Academy, but now, not only had he failed to get in, he was being hunted by its students.
Just then, an elderly voice rang out. "It seems you look down on my Sword Institute?"
Lin Haitao walked in, a stern expression on his face.
He Ku hurriedly replied, "You’re joking, Dean Lin. How could I dare look down on the Sword Institute? It is my honor to be able to stay and cultivate here."
Lin Haitao nodded in satisfaction. "In that case," he said, "as it happens, the Sword Institute needs a handyman. Starting today, you’ll stay here and handle the odd jobs."
Upon hearing Lin Haitao’s arrangement, He Ku showed no dissatisfaction. In fact, he was even a little relieved.
’Rats flee a sinking ship, as they say,’ he thought. ’Who knows when this Sword Institute will finally collapse? If I became a student here, I’d probably end up on Celestial City Academy’s hit list.’
He Ku asked cautiously, "Dean Lin, I have a favor to ask, though it may be presumptuous..."
Lin Haitao demanded, "Spit it out! I don’t like people who beat around the bush."
He Ku asked in a low voice, "If I’m doing odd jobs here... will I get to eat my fill? When I was a handyman at Celestial City Academy, I often went hungry..."
His voice trailed off toward the end.
"Celestial City Academy doesn’t even feed its workers properly? How stingy!"
Lin Haitao scoffed, then declared magnanimously, "Don’t you worry. Here at my Sword Institute, you can eat your fill."
Shen Daoxing’s lips parted, but he ultimately swallowed his words.
He Ku was instantly overjoyed. "That’s wonderful! It looks like it’s time for lunch, so I’ll go cook now."
With that, He Ku dashed off toward the kitchen.
Lin Haitao shook his head. "So much for the Martial Kingdom’s number one academy. They can’t even guarantee a handyman’s meals. How ridiculous."
Before long, He Ku had prepared a meal of three dishes and a soup. A rich aroma wafted across the Desolate Mountain.
Shen Daoxing, Ling Shuanghua, and Lin Haitao all made their way to the dining hall.
Ling Shuanghua wore a black dress, her face as exquisite as a painting, a work of seemingly divine artistry. Her soft pink lips were particularly alluring, enough to drive a man to distraction.
It had to be said that a woman so aloof and noble could sometimes be all the more irresistible to men.
Shen Daoxing steadied his resolve and asked, "Is that senior not joining us?"
He had learned from Lin Haitao that there was also a Guardian at the Sword Institute, but ever since arriving, he had never once laid eyes on them.
"Don’t mind ’it.’"
Ling Shuanghua’s pink lips parted slightly, her voice as beautiful as a celestial melody.
Shen Daoxing didn’t press the issue and picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat.
The rice on the table was no ordinary grain; it was precious Spirit Rice, which was highly beneficial for a Martial Artist’s cultivation. The meat dishes were also made from nourishing Demon Beast Meat.
Furthermore, cultivation consumed a vast amount of Essence Qi, making these three daily meals essential for replenishment.
Lin Haitao was also picking up his chopsticks to eat when He Ku walked out, holding a large ladle in his right hand and clutching a wooden bucket in his left. "Dean Lin, I don’t think there’s much Spirit Rice left."
He had a dazed, innocent expression on his face, and a few translucent grains of Spirit Rice were stuck to his dark cheeks.
Lin Haitao was stunned. "How is that possible? I just had a shipment sent up the mountain a few days ago."
"It’s true!"
He Ku said with a completely serious expression, "I cooked one whole bucket. What’s left will only last for two more days."
"A whole bucket?!"
Lin Haitao stared at the empty bucket and exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you a pig? You ate a whole bucket by yourself?!"
Even a Martial Artist who could eat over ten pounds of meat in one sitting would struggle to finish three bowls of Spirit Rice. The energy contained within was simply too immense; if one couldn’t digest it properly, their body would explode.
He Ku hung his head and said shyly, "But... you said I could eat my fill, didn’t you?"
Lin Haitao’s entire face instantly darkened.
This tanned boy’s meal was equivalent to what an ordinary Martial Artist ate in an entire month.
’Is he even human?!’
Shen Daoxing was also taken aback, a thought suddenly occurring to him: ’Could it be that He Ku was ostracized by Celestial City Academy because of his massive appetite?!’
Ling Shuanghua was also rather astonished. ’Where did this boy pop up from? His appetite is just too incredible!’
He could actually finish an entire bucket of Spirit Rice in one sitting.
’This is definitely not normal.’
Seeing Lin Haitao’s silence, He Ku looked like a child who had done something wrong. "Dean Lin... you’re going to kick me off the mountain, aren’t you?"
Lin Haitao glanced at He Ku, his interest suddenly piqued. He grinned. "Of course not. You eat as much as you like. The Sword Institute can provide!"
"That’s great!"
He Ku’s eyes lit up, and he began to cheer and jump for joy.
For him, simply being able to eat his fill was more than enough to be happy.
After the meal, Shen Daoxing returned to the oldest tree on the Desolate Mountain and resumed his woodcarving practice.
His entire being was in perfect sync, and the short sword in his hand danced nimbly, filled with a life of its own.
The woodcarving gradually took shape, revealing the form of a person.
Shen Daoxing’s bright eyes were as calm as still water, his hands moving at a steady, deliberate rhythm, never rushed and never slow.
Before long, a flash of inspiration struck him.
The short sword swept out again, casting a verdant green glow.
Cyan Wood Sword Intent!
Shen Daoxing’s hand froze in place.
In that fleeting moment, he had comprehended yet another Sword Intent.
After Gale Sword Intent, Torrential Rain Sword Intent, Thunderous Sword Intent, and Lightning Sword Intent, he had now comprehended a fifth Sword Intent.
"Hah..."
Shen Daoxing let out a soft breath.
"Kid, have you rested enough?"
Just then, Lin Haitao’s voice sounded in his ear. "If you’re done resting, it’s time to begin the next stage of your training."
Shen Daoxing stood up and asked quizzically, "The next stage of training?"
The faintest hint of a smile touched Lin Haitao’s lips. "Your body has been tempered by lightning and is already showing results. Next, I’m going to completely unlock the potential of your flesh and blood. Follow me."
Lin Haitao then led Shen Daoxing to a place behind the Desolate Mountain known as the Shi Lin.
The moment Shen Daoxing stepped into the Shi Lin, his expression changed dramatically. It felt as if a mountain had been dropped onto his shoulders, making every single step an immense struggle.
Lin Haitao explained, "This is a dilapidated Ancient Array. Most of the Array’s power has dissipated, but a trace of its ancient might still remains. I’ve suppressed that remaining power by another ten percent. From today on, you will conduct your Body Refining, practice your sword, and even eat, sleep, and relieve yourself within this Array."
"Now, I will impart to you the Sword Body technique. Pay close attention."
With a point of his finger, Lin Haitao sent a golden, runic light surging into Shen Daoxing’s mind.
It was the Profound Nether Sword Body, a low-grade, Earth-rank Body Refining Martial Technique.
Cultivating it to the Minor Achievement stage would forge a Golden Bone!
Cultivating it to the Great Success stage would form a Jade Bone!
"Have you memorized it?"
Lin Haitao said, "If you have, then start running laps around the Shi Lin."
