Chapter 73: Damn! (2/2)

While the overall feeling was that he was cheated badly by his Master, in the following half a month, w.a.n.g Lu earnestly practiced these novice sword arts one by one until he mastered them all.

Arguably, even if these were novice sword arts, it would be difficult to master them in just three to five years. However, w.a.n.g Lu had been soaked in the Changing Tendon Was.h.i.+ng Marrow concoction, which turned him into one in a thousand years martial art prodigy. Combined this with the Non-Phase Sword Bone foundation in his body, his practice speed was several times faster than an ordinary mortal. In just ten days, he had already fully mastered these dozens of sword arts.

And in these ten days, w.a.n.g Lu gradually understood his Master’s intention: although these introductory sword arts were easy to understand with little to no practical value, but they were actually the sums of the thousands of years of martial arts, which was the most suitable for a newcomer to understand the essence of the sword and became a path to enlightenment in the way of the sword.

Although w.a.n.g Lu had previously learned the Soft Cloud Sword, his understanding of it was only on the technical level; he has yet to reach the deeper level of it and its understanding. And through practicing these dozens of sword arts, each with different characteristic, w.a.n.g Lu gradually found out the common truth behind these sword arts.

Although this feeling was still vague, but according to his Master’s argument, this was the first level of the Non-Phase Sword Art. In her own words, the first level was just the theoretical study, far from having practical fighting value. Thus, although w.a.n.g Lu had reached the first level of Non-Phase Sword Art, it would still better if he used his Soft Cloud Sword Art in actual combat.

The second level of this sword art was exactly the same as its first level—exploration of theory that did not involve combat. The difference was the grade in the mortal world’s sword arts, from novice sword art to middle-level sword art, such as every unique sword art on each sect. There were dozens of these sets in another stack of Cla.s.sic Store Pavilion; the only difference was the wholesale price was now one thousand taels… Was there anything sacred for this pavilion? How could they even sold the middle-level sword arts wholesale?

With the sword art’s grade increase, the subtlety and power were also increased multiple times. However, the difficulty in practice was not that different. In ten days, w.a.n.g Lu overcame dozens of these middle-level sword arts one by one, and gained a clear understanding of them.

Then, when w.a.n.g Lu confidently challenged the third level, the situation considerably changed.

According to his Master’s overall plan, the cultivation of the third level would form the outline of the initial form of the Non-Phase Sword Art and has the preliminary real combat capability—the word preliminary here was in regard to the Immortal Cultivation World standard, but if it was in regard to mortal world...

The third level of Non-Phase Sword Art far surpa.s.sed any mortal world’s top sword art. As for the practice method...

“Very simple, from over a hundred sets of sword arts that you previously mastered through comprehensive study, you take your deep understanding of the truth of them and combine it with your own situation to create a new set. Even if this newly created set doesn’t have the initial form of the Non-Phase Sword Art, your third level is already considered as a success.”

“... Self-create a sword art!?” w.a.n.g Lu could not believe what he just heard.

“Hey, isn’t this very democratic, free, and universal?”

“Democratic your a.s.s! Quickly give me the dictator’s authoritarian solution of this Non-Phase Sword Art!”

It turned out that his Master actually sighed. “Unfortunately, I am not joking about this… Non-Phase Sword Art and Non-Phase Method are two completely different things. The levels in Non-Phase Method are the basis for the Immortal Cultivation; in simple terms, it’s the cultivation of unity of men and heaven. As long as the heaven remain unchanged and the men stay the same, naturally, the set of correct solution could be summed up and imparted to you. However, the sword art is used against the hostile enemy—a real attacking method in fighting with endless variations. How could it possibly have a set of rigid routine? Thus, this needs to be experienced and explored by yourself; you need to find a suitable path for yourself. Think about how Master have to take each step of the way by myself, yet you have a great Master to point it out for you. You’re multiple times luckier than Master, so, brave youngster, go and find your own path!”

“F*ck! My path is to put your face under my foot!”

——

The practice of the third level of Non-Phase Sword art was very slow.

From the beginning of the third month set by his Master, it has been more than a month. The cultivation of the Non-Phase Method progressed steadily, and now he has reached the eighth level of Qi Cultivating Stage. The targeted seventh level was already within his sight, and in addition to that, he has mastered all kinds of mortal world’s sword arts required for the first two levels of the Non-Phase Sword Art.

Unfortunately, he has yet to see even the shadow of the third level.

Initially, for matters regarding martial arts, w.a.n.g Lu has one of the best teacher—the Inn Lady Boss. However, nowadays, when he needed her the most, the Lady Boss has bizarrely disappeared, nowhere to be seen! When he inquired about her from other people in the Spirit Creek Town, they actually said she went to the nearby towns and villages to purchase goods to re-fill her stock!

“What the h.e.l.l! Your daily-turnover-of-over-ten-thousand broken store also needs to be re-stocked!? Can you even sell it to ghost… huh?”

Another thought came to his mind; he realized that not that long ago, he ate too much, which used up most of the ingredients in the storage and forced the Lady Boss to go out to procure them… “d.a.m.n! What a boomerang!”

With no-one to help, he could only rely on himself. However, creating a new sword art was easier said than done! Although w.a.n.g Lu had achieved quite a considerable amount of understanding and even had the sword art cast a faint shadow at the bottom of his heart through a month of constant practice of mortal world’s martial art, creating a new sword art suitable for himself based on this foundation was still difficult.

Of course, with w.a.n.g Lu’s talent and perception, if he really wanted it, he could patch the current source material at hands to integrate them into a new set of sword art that would be far better than the intermediate sword art of the mortal world. However… according to his Master, the created sword art would become his cultivation foundation far into the future. That being the case, was there any use to employ this kind of self-deception method on this issue?

Since he possessed the Void Spirit Root, since he was a professional adventurer, since his body was this kind of special, then it was either he wouldn’t do it or he would do it to the best of his abilities.

According to his Master, the second set of the Non-Phase Sword Art would test his wisdom, as such, he would just use his supreme perception to break through this mountain pa.s.s. Weren’t these just around a hundred mortal world’s sword arts? See how he would use his power of supreme deduction to, one by one, simulate them in his mind and come out with the result!

Thus, for the next few days, all day long, w.a.n.g Lu would contemplate the sword art like a lovelorn teenager, then at the evening, he would heave a sigh, and, at night, he would toss and turn on his bed, nearly unable to sleep.

Today, at daytime, with a distracted state of mind, w.a.n.g Lu tottered down away from the Non-Phase Peak. He went through the sect’s shrinking array and arrived at Misty Peak’s small plaza. He swayed left and right as he wobbled to the cafeteria.

Along the way, there were quite a lot senior brothers and sisters frightened by him—he didn’t greet them; when they called out his name, he paid them no attention. Even when they reached out to shake him, his eyes still looked vacant and unfocused.

Some people thought that he suffered Qi Deviation and immediately looked for their Master. When they reported it, Elder Liu Xian immediately rushed to the scene, but with just a single glance, he immediately scolded them, “That Non-Phase Peak idiot is trying to create a sensation again! All of you, just leave him alone!”

Since even their Master had said that, they no longer cared anymore… However, it was indeed somewhat unbearable to look at how that dementia-looking red and white disciple crashed into the Misty Peak cafeteria.

Several Spirit Sword Sect disciples looked at w.a.n.g Lu with a face filled with pity, and then they looked at the new sign hung at the entrance of the Misty Peak cafeteria: Giving Back Affection. Sincere Bargain. Please taste the brand new dishes!