Chapter 5: The Training Chamber
Jian Wushuang returned alone to the courtyard where he lived and locked himself inside.
"Jian Meng'er, heh..." Jian Wushuang laughed mockingly at himself. His mind replayed the countless days and nights he had spent together with Jian Meng'er over the past four years—all those beautiful memories, yet in this moment, they all turned into waves of stabbing pain that made his heart ache unbearably.
"My strength is too weak!"
"Yes, she's right. In the end, it all comes down to the fact that I'm too weak!"
"If I were strong enough—stronger and more outstanding than Jian Meng'er—then today, she would never have dared to say those words to my face. With me holding her down, Jian Meng'er wouldn't have the slightest hope of taking control of the Sword Pavilion!"
"Strength..." Jian Wushuang's eyes turned ice-cold.
No one knew that within this single, short day, his mind had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
"The Sword Pavilion must never be touched by any outsider—not even for a single day!"
"Two months from now, before Jian Meng'er officially takes over as Master of the Sword Pavilion, I must defeat her openly and honorably!"
"Two months!" Jian Wushuang clenched his fists tightly.
For anyone else, raising their cultivation from a martial artist who had just condensed their spiritual power to the Great Perfection of the Sea Transformation realm—a level capable of matching Jian Meng'er—in a mere two months would be nothing but a fantasy, utterly impossible. But Jian Wushuang was different.
After all, the technique he cultivated was a heaven-defying art—the Great Fate-Defying Scripture.
A heaven-defying technique must, of course, defy the heavens!
...
The Marquis Jian Manor was located in Bashui Prefecture of the Tianyan Province within the Tianzong Dynasty. It was one of the few major powers in Bashui Prefecture and had always focused on the way of the sword.
Within the Marquis Jian Manor, there existed two major factions—the Sword Pavilion and the Blood Martial Hall!
These two factions had long been locked in open and covert struggles, and the Sword Pavilion had always held the absolute upper hand. But four years ago, after the Sword Pavilion's master, Jian Nantian, went missing, the Sword Pavilion lost its pillar of support and its overall strength plummeted, greatly reducing its influence within the Marquis Jian Manor. Over these four years, whether in open or covert struggles, the Sword Pavilion had fallen into a position of absolute disadvantage against the Blood Martial Hall. Just yesterday, even the position of Sword Pavilion Master had been seized by the Blood Martial Hall's Jian Meng'er.
"The Sword Pavilion..."
Dressed in white robes and carrying an ordinary long sword on his back, Jian Wushuang walked up to the gates of the Sword Pavilion. Gazing at the two large gold-gilded characters of "Sword Pavilion" above the entrance, his heart filled with indescribable complexity.
After a moment of hesitation, Jian Wushuang stepped into the Sword Pavilion.
The moment Jian Wushuang appeared within the Sword Pavilion, the many disciples practicing sword arts inside all turned their gaze toward him.
"Is that... Jian Wushuang?"
"It's him—that traitor! He taught the Blood Martial Hall's people so many of our Sword Pavilion's first-class sword arts, and he still dares to come here?"
"Ah, you can't really blame him. After all, he was deceived and used too. And with Jian Meng'er taking control of the Sword Pavilion, he's actually the one suffering the most. So let's not say too much—it hasn't been easy for him either."
Whispers filled the Sword Pavilion, and many of the eyes looking at Jian Wushuang were filled with pity.
The news of Jian Meng'er soon taking control of the Sword Pavilion had already spread throughout the entire Marquis Jian Manor, and so had the news that Jian Meng'er had mastered all eighteen of the Sword Pavilion's first-class sword arts to Great Perfection.
These first-class sword arts of the Sword Pavilion were rarely ever taught to outsiders; even the most core disciples could generally only practice one or two of them. So how did Jian Meng'er come to know all eighteen first-class sword arts at once?
The answer went without saying—she must have learned them from Jian Wushuang.
Because, in the entire Sword Pavilion, only Jian Wushuang, due to his father's connections, had begun practicing sword arts from a young age. His father had taught him all eighteen of the Sword Pavilion's first-class sword arts.
The Sword Pavilion buzzed with discussion, but Jian Wushuang's face remained cold and indifferent. Without the slightest pause in his steps, he walked straight into the inner hall of the Sword Pavilion.
Inside the inner hall, a gray-robed elder with silver-white hair was flipping through a thread-bound book. When he saw Jian Wushuang walk in, the elder was momentarily taken aback.
"You... Young Master Pavilion Master?" The gray-robed elder seemed somewhat awkward.
"Elder Hong." Jian Wushuang showed a humble expression, though his eyes carried a trace of guilt.
Over these years, the elders of the Sword Pavilion had poured their hearts and souls into it, yet because of his own moment of naivety, the position of Sword Pavilion Master had changed hands—and worse, it had fallen to someone from the Blood Martial Hall. Jian Wushuang naturally felt immense guilt.
"Actually, you can't be blamed for this. You were too young and lacked cunning; being used by others is only natural. None of the Pavilion's elders bear you any ill will." Elder Hong saw the guilt in Jian Wushuang's eyes and shook his head with a smile.
"If anyone is to blame, it's Jian Lan and Jian Meng'er for their dishonorable methods. Jian Meng'er especially—I'd met her a few times before, and even I never imagined she was hiding so deep. At such a young age, to possess such schemes, her future achievements will surely be extraordinary. Honestly, having the Sword Pavilion fall into her hands isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"The Sword Pavilion must forever be led only by disciples of the Sword Pavilion," Jian Wushuang said with unwavering firmness.
Elder Hong froze, then could only shake his head helplessly.
Deep in his heart, he too was a hundred thousand times unwilling to see Jian Meng'er take control of the Sword Pavilion. But now that it had already happened, what could he do? All he could do was console himself.
"Elder Hong, I'd like to go to the Human-Level Training Chamber," Jian Wushuang suddenly said with solemnity.
"The Human-Level Training Chamber?" Elder Hong was startled.
The Human-Level Training Chamber was a secret cultivation chamber unique to the Sword Pavilion.
Besides the Human-Level Training Chamber, there was also the Earth-Level Training Chamber and the Heaven-Level Training Chamber. These three training chambers all had some enhancing effect on cultivation, but because they each carried certain drawbacks, few disciples ever trained in them on a regular basis.
And Jian Wushuang hadn't even condensed his spiritual power yet—what would he do in a training chamber?
Despite his doubts, Elder Hong still nodded. "Follow me."
Soon, Elder Hong brought Jian Wushuang to the entrance of a secret chamber.
"Young Master, you trained in this Human-Level Training Chamber four years ago, so you know what the environment inside is like. Don't push yourself too hard—if you can't endure it, come out immediately," Elder Hong cautioned.
"I know my limits." Jian Wushuang nodded, then stepped straight into the secret chamber.
The chamber was simple and bare, without a single ornament. The moment one stepped inside, a terrifying force immediately pressed down, making Jian Wushuang feel as though he had fallen into a quagmire—every movement of his hands and feet became extremely laborious.
This force was the unique gravity of the Human-Level Training Chamber. It was immensely powerful; under this gravity, every movement made inside the chamber became several times more difficult. Even simply standing required one to use spiritual power to forcibly resist the gravity, and doing so consumed spiritual power at an astonishing rate.
Under normal circumstances, an ordinary martial artist at the first level of the Spiritual Path realm, standing in this Human-Level Training Chamber, could at most sustain themselves for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn before their spiritual power was completely drained. If one practiced sword arts inside the chamber, the rate of consumption would be even more staggering.
"Let's begin."
Jian Wushuang's expression remained calm, and the long sword on his back had already left its sheath.
PS: A new book has just begun—all forms of support are appreciated!