Chapter 24: Spiritual Power Is the True Foundation
Shocking!
An unprecedented shock filled everyone's hearts.
"The eleventh sword strike?"
"He... he actually managed to perform it?"
"How is this possible?"
If everyone had been amazed when Jian Meng'er performed the ninth strike of the Stacking Waves Sword Art earlier, then Jian Wushuang performing the eleventh strike of this same sword art could only be described with four words: utterly inconceivable.
Inconceivable!
Truly, absolutely inconceivable.
"He managed to stack the power of his sword art eleven times." Even the extraordinarily noble Tianyuan Sword Sect elder on the viewing platform, Shui Xinhan, couldn't help but be shaken. After all, even within the Tianyuan Sword Sect, no one had ever been able to stack their sword art's power eleven times at Jian Wushuang's age.
In other words, the talent in the way of the sword that Jian Wushuang had revealed was something that even within the Tianyuan Sword Sect, no one could compare to.
"This boy." The Master of the Sword Marquis Manor, Jian Xinhong, rose to his feet, his eyes burning brightly. "He's been in the Sword Marquis Manor for so long, yet I, the manor master, had no idea his talent in the way of the sword had reached such a level!"
Beside him, Situ Qingyue, Ye Xiu, and the others were equally astonished and shaken.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort abruptly rang out. The one who snorted was none other than Jian Lan, who was presiding over this competition from the viewing platform. He turned his head to glance at the several great figures behind him and spoke. "Perhaps you are all unaware, but while this Jian Wushuang's talent in the way of the sword is indeed excellent—calling it heaven-defying would not be an exaggeration—he is a trash who cannot condense spiritual power. Without a corresponding cultivation of spiritual power to rely on, no matter how superb his swordsmanship, what use is it?"
"Oh? You're saying this little fellow cannot condense spiritual power?" The expressions of Situ Qingyue and the others immediately turned strange.
"Indeed. This Jian Wushuang is a well-known piece of trash in our Sword Marquis Manor, precisely because from the age of twelve, he was unable to condense any spiritual power. Although two months ago, for reasons unknown, he finally condensed spiritual power and became a Warrior, he was delayed for nearly four years along the way—and those four years were precisely the most important years for a Warrior to build their foundation. Do you all think he can amount to anything in the future?" Jian Lan said with a cold sneer.
"So that's how it is?"
"He only condensed his spiritual power two months ago?"
"What a pity!"
Situ Qingyue and the other great figures couldn't help but shake their heads, sighing inwardly.
On the path of martial cultivation, the most important stage was actually from age twelve to sixteen. This stage was exactly the period of physical development, making it the optimal time to build one's foundation through cultivation. Once a cultivator missed this golden stage, their future achievements would inevitably be limited.
Of course, this saying only applied to ordinary cultivators, and did not include inverse cultivators who practiced the Great Fortune Arts!
"On the path of martial cultivation, spiritual power is the true foundation. As for martial techniques and sword arts, those are merely external factors. However superb one's swordsmanship, if one's spiritual power cultivation is too weak, it is still worthless. This little fellow... what a pity." Shui Xinhan glanced at Jian Wushuang and shook his head. "If he had any talent for cultivation—even if that talent were merely ordinary—then with his talent in the way of the sword, he would be qualified to become a disciple of our Tianyuan Sword Sect just like Meng'er. But in reality, having missed the optimal period for cultivation, his chances of even breaking through to the Sea Transformation stage in the future are minuscule. He simply has no qualifications to become a powerhouse!"
The great figures nearby all nodded in agreement.
Though Shui Xinhan's words were rather careless, they were also the truth.
Thus they could only shake their heads and sigh—what a pity for such a sword genius.
Meanwhile, on the training field, the many disciples of the Sword Marquis Manor had also recovered from their shock. The next moment, they couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Jian Wushuang's talent in the way of the sword had indeed shaken everyone—but what did it prove?
In a world where Warriors were revered, spiritual power cultivation was the true foundation.
"The eleventh strike." Jian Meng'er stared coldly at that lonely figure slowly walking down from the high platform. "I always knew his talent in the way of the sword was unmatched under heaven. I originally thought that performing the ninth strike of the Stacking Waves Sword Art would barely allow me to compare with him, but I never imagined the gap would still be so enormous. However, it doesn't matter. On the path of martial cultivation, what matters is spiritual power cultivation. In the next round of the competition, I will make him... fall into complete despair!"
On the viewing platform, Jian Lan's voice rang out once more. "In martial cultivation, spiritual power cultivation is the true foundation. My manor's disciples must not abandon the improvement of their own spiritual power cultivation by becoming too immersed in martial techniques. Such behavior is utterly foolish!"
Jian Lan's words echoed across the training field, clearly meant for Jian Wushuang to hear.
"Next, we begin the second round of the competition—the test of spiritual power cultivation. Bring out the Spirit Power Crystal!"
As his voice fell, someone immediately carried a massive crystal up onto the high platform. This crystal was transparent, and its center was divided by fine lines into a full ten layers.
This was the Spirit Power Crystal used to test spiritual power cultivation, and the ten layers divided by the fine lines represented the ten stages from the first layer of the Spirit Path realm all the way to the completion of Sea Transformation.
"The first one, Jian Lin!"
Once again, Jian Lin was the first to step forward.
"Pour your spiritual power into the Spirit Power Crystal with all your strength," Jian Lan said.
"Yes." Jian Lin nodded, took a deep breath, then extended his palm and activated his cultivation technique. Streams of spiritual power immediately surged toward the Spirit Power Crystal.
As the spiritual power poured in, dazzling rays of light began to burst forth from the Spirit Power Crystal.
Of the ten-layer Spirit Power Crystal, six layers from the bottom up simultaneously emitted dazzling purple light, indicating that his spiritual power cultivation had reached the peak of the sixth layer of the Spirit Path realm. Yet even here, it did not stop. The seventh layer of the Spirit Power Crystal abruptly began to glow with purple light as well. Though that purple light was extremely faint, the seventh layer of the crystal had at the very least lit up.
"The seventh layer actually lit up?"
"Seventh layer of the Spirit Path realm!"
"This Jian Lin spent so long stuck at the sixth layer, but he finally broke through!"
The training field buzzed with discussion, and many people looked at Jian Lin with envy.
Jian Lin, who had already withdrawn his palm, felt those gazes upon him and couldn't help but feel elated. After being so easily defeated by Jian Wushuang, he had been stewing in frustration for the past month. But now, he had finally reclaimed a small measure of his dignity.
"So what if his talent in the way of the sword is high? Hmph, it's only been a month. He's probably still wandering around at the sixth layer by now." Jian Lin sneered, his provocative gaze turning involuntarily toward Jian Wushuang.
But when he saw Jian Wushuang, the anger in his heart was stirred up once again.
"This bastard is actually ignoring me." Jian Lin roared inwardly, because he saw that Jian Wushuang was leaning against the corner with his eyes closed, not sparing him so much as a single glance from start to finish. Such an attitude naturally infuriated him.
But in truth, he had no idea that from beginning to end, Jian Wushuang had never truly paid him any mind.
That was true before, and now, he cared even less.
...