Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Cultivating the Sword Nurturing Skill and Cold Food Festival Ancestor Worship

With his Class-C weapons permit secured, Yu Fei could now carry the Cyan Lotus Sword on his person at all times.

Yan Sea gave him a yew wood scabbard. It was unadorned and plain, coated only in a layer of matte black lacquer. Black straps made from some unknown animal hide were riveted to it, giving it a simple and understated style.

Yu Fei sheathed the Cyan Lotus Sword. The two complemented each other perfectly.

The young man walking with the sword on his back truly had the air of a swordsman!

"Remember, until you’ve mastered the Sword Nurturing Skill, never let the Cyan Lotus Sword leave your side. Otherwise, it will hinder your progress!"

Yan Sea patted the young man’s shoulder, instructing him sternly.

’Never let the sword leave my side? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?’

Yu Fei mulled it over. ’Aren’t we supposed to be practicing martial arts? Why does this Sword Plundering lineage involve blood sacrifices and Dao foundations? Is it a hidden class or something?’

His mind wandered, mostly because Teacher Yan Sea’s solemn attitude sparked his imagination. But then, he suddenly thought of something and quickly asked:

"What about when I sleep? Or during class? Or when I’m taking a shower? Surely I can’t take it to the bathroom with me! What if I’m using the toilet and it accidentally gets... dirty? How am I supposed to nurture the sword then? Wouldn’t that be a little disgusting?"

Yan Sea’s expression turned grim. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if Yu Fei actually got filth on the sword in the bathroom—would the Cyan Lotus Sword just strike him down? After all, its core was condensed from the Sword Intent of an eighth-realm Grandmaster. How could it possibly endure such an outrageous humiliation...

At that point, Yan Sea reckoned that even after he died and met his master in the underworld, he’d probably be beaten to death all over again!

Taking a deep breath, Yan Sea closed his eyes to compose himself and chanted inwardly:

’This is the last Cyan Lotus Sword in the world, and Yu Fei has already performed the blood sacrifice. Stay calm...’

’I chose him. This was my choice...’

’Don’t get angry, don’t get angry... To hell with not getting angry!’

Yan Sea sent Yu Fei flying with a kick, sending him smashing into a large tree by the roadside.

COUGH, COUGH...

His seven-times-faster nerve response speed was completely useless. Yu Fei was taken out in an instant!

"Kid, I’m warning you. If you dare get that filth on the sword, I’ll kill you with my own two hands!"

A red glint flashed in Yan Sea’s eyes, and Yu Fei once again felt the sensation from last year’s martial arts class—the feeling of being stared down by a bloodthirsty beast. The only difference was that back then, the feeling was directed at the entire class, whereas now, it was focused solely on him.

Logically, the pressure he felt this time should have been even stronger, yet he didn’t experience the same terror as before, that feeling of being paralyzed by a natural predator. He merely sensed danger.

The boost to his intangible strengths from his soul’s quality increasing by one tier was far beyond his imagination.

He felt incredibly wronged. ’How am I supposed to go to the bathroom and take a crap if I can’t leave the sword’s side?’

’A sword that long could easily bump into all sorts of things while I’m... wiping!’

"You’re the one who said it couldn’t leave my side!"

Yu Fei cried out, indignant and feeling wronged.

Yan Sea’s heart grew heavy. ’Perhaps choosing Yu Fei was a mistake from the start.’

"When I said not to let it leave your side, I didn’t mean you have to take it with you to the bathroom. As long as the Cyan Lotus Sword is within five meters of you, it’s fine. If you go beyond that range, the connection between you will be severed. The blood sacrifice was just a shortcut; this connection simply needs to be continuously strengthened!

Once you’ve reached the entry-level of the Sword Nurturing Skill, it won’t be a big deal if you occasionally leave it behind.

I recall the Great Yu Martial Scripture mentions something similar in the ’Sea Overturning Sword Talk’ Chapter. You don’t know about it? Were you not paying attention in class?"

"It does?"

Yu Fei felt a pang of guilt. He had been slacking off on his academic studies lately!

"Sigh..." Yan Sea let out a long sigh and said earnestly:

"A skyscraper is built from the ground up. Martial arts training is important, but you can’t neglect your academic studies. The threshold for the Seven Greats isn’t just about raw power. If your grades aren’t good enough, they won’t want you."

...

"Now that you’ve reached a minor level of mastery with the Cyan Lotus Sword Seal, you can begin practicing the Sword Nurturing Skill. I’ll explain the technique to you now. The Green Lotus Sword Nourishing Skill is a Visualization Secret Skill."

Inside Yan Sea’s private martial arts training room, the two sat cross-legged, facing each other. They wore training uniforms of an identical style, one in black and one in white. Yu Fei wore the traditional white uniform of Nanguan Second Middle School, and the unsheathed Cyan Lotus Sword lay flat in his lap, cradled in his arms.

On the central wall to the left hung a massive piece of calligraphy featuring a single character: "Sword." It was over a meter tall and written in a profoundly mystical style. The strokes seemed as heavy as a mountain, their power palpable, and it faintly exuded an aura of Sharpness!

To the right, green smoke curled upwards from a small, gilded, tiger-headed incense burner. The smoke rose three feet into the air before stopping, and its fragrance calmed the spirit and cleared the mind.

Yan Sea’s very first sentence about the Cultivation Technique shattered Yu Fei’s preconceptions.

Contemplation Skills were generally Secret Techniques for the soul, typically only practiced by those at the Inner Qi Realm. Before he could ask, Yan Sea continued his explanation.

"Ninety-nine percent of the Contemplation Skills in this world provide a spiritual intent imprint. The Cultivator visualizes its form and true meaning to strengthen their own spirit and obtain that intent!

But the Green Lotus Sword Nourishing Skill is different. This Contemplation Skill requires a Cultivator to comprehend their own Sharpness through confrontation, forge that Sharpness into Sword Intent, and then shatter the Sword Intent within the Cyan Lotus Sword. You must then absorb its metal and wood essence, infusing your being with it. This serves as a catalyst, allowing you to proceed to the next stage of cultivation...

Practically speaking, the first step is to manipulate the Cyan Lotus Sword and hold its tip three inches from the point between your eyebrows. Then, use the ’Command’ seal to activate its Sword Intent and fight against it. Once you can fully withstand the Sword Intent, you will have reached the entry-level of the Cyan Lotus Sword Cultivation Skill...

Come on, give it a try. A single attempt is worth a thousand explanations."

"Alright! I’ll give it a shot!"

Teacher Yan Sea had explained everything very clearly, going over each key point one by one. Yu Fei felt quite confident.

’To sum it up,’ he thought, ’the Green Lotus Sword Nourishing Skill requires a Cultivator to visualize their own metaphysical sword. Then, through confrontation with the Cyan Lotus Sword, they must continuously hone their own Sword Intent until it surpasses the one stored inside the blade.’

’To learn through confrontation and ultimately surpass your opponent—that is the true essence of the Green Lotus Sword Nourishing Skill.’

’One had to remember that the sword stored the specially adjusted Sword Intent of an eighth-realm Grandmaster. Even though its power had been contained, its fundamental essence was still incredibly strong.’

’The philosophy behind this Cultivation Technique is truly profound. From the very beginning, it’s telling its practitioners that the student need not be inferior to the master.’

Yu Fei was captivated by the Cultivation Technique’s philosophy and couldn’t wait to give it a try.

"Rise!"

He formed a Sword Formation Seal, and the Qi Blood in his body shifted in response. As if summoned, the Cyan Lotus Sword wobbled and floated into the air.

’Isn’t the style of this martial art a little strange?’

’He’d imagined the Sword Plundering lineage would be about charging down the street with the Cyan Lotus Sword, hacking and slashing all the way. He never thought it would involve telekinetically controlling a sword. Does that even make sense?’

Lost in thought, Yu Fei’s concentration wavered, and the Cyan Lotus Sword fell to the ground with a CLATTER!

Meeting Yan Sea’s stare—the kind one gives an idiot—Yu Fei pretended nothing had happened and focused on summoning the Cyan Lotus Sword with the seal once more.

...

"Idiot! Are you trying to kill yourself? Three inches! Do you not know what three inches is? You almost stuck the tip of the sword into your brain! What, you think you’re not enough of a moron already?...

Between your eyebrows! Between your eyebrows! I said between your eyebrows! Not your eye, not your mouth, and certainly not your nose! ...Damn it! Are you trying to give yourself a haircut?

..."

For two hours that evening after school, Yu Fei practiced the Cyan Lotus Sword Cultivation Skill under Yan Sea’s guidance. In reality, he didn’t do much sword nurturing, but he did get a lecture so intense it felt like Yan Sea was washing his hair with spit.

Yu Fei figured that guiding the Cyan Lotus Sword with his minor mastery of the Cyan Lotus Sword Seal was still a bit of a struggle.

However, this hands-on practice was extremely helpful for mastering the Cyan Lotus Sword Seal. After just one evening, he could tell his execution of the seal had become noticeably more proficient.

Because he was practicing the Green Lotus Sword Nourishing Skill, he didn’t go to the Aurora Martial Arts Hall that night. He had informed Gao Yunxiang of this in advance, and, of course, Du Mingxuan as well.

Lately at the Aurora Martial Arts Hall, Du Mingxuan’s de facto instructor was no longer Mr. Gao. Whether it was the Ox Subduing Pile Skill or the Six Harmonies Killing Fist, Yu Fei’s comprehension of the techniques’ true meaning completely eclipsed Gao Yunxiang’s. Du Mingxuan had practically become Yu Fei’s first official disciple.

With Yu Fei’s help, Du Mingxuan progressed at lightning speed. His ranking in the intensive class shot up to twelfth place, and he finally earned a Vitality Elixir through his own hard work.

Du Mingxuan was disappointed that Yu Fei was no longer coming to the Aurora Martial Arts Hall, but there was nothing he could do. Yu Fei would help him as much as his abilities allowed, but he had to prioritize his own martial path.

In the recent ranking battles, however, Li Mengyao found herself in a precarious position.

Li Mengyao only possessed a White-level talent and had always relied on effort far beyond that of her peers to keep making progress.

At the start of the new month, Yu Fei gave Li Mengyao one of the three Vitality Elixirs he had earned.

Meeting the girl’s complicated gaze, Yu Fei simply told her to keep working hard.

Li Mengyao was no fool. She knew the value of a Vitality Elixir, and she also knew that Yu Fei was aware of her feelings for him. But as long as Yu Fei didn’t say anything, she would pretend she didn’t know.

Yu Fei wanted her to get into one of the Seven Greats to help him. Though it would be incredibly difficult, she was willing to give it her all.

After returning home at night, Yu Fei would practice in his room, silently activating the Cyan Lotus Sword Seal. The longsword would move in time with the changes of his Finger Skill, drifting around the room like a drunken old turtle, while he stood to the side, face flushed red with exertion.

He would continue until he was dizzy and completely exhausted.

Yu Fei would struggle to guide the Cyan Lotus Sword back into its scabbard, then place the longsword under his pillow and fall into a deep sleep.

Through this daily training, his connection to the Cyan Lotus Sword grew stronger, and controlling it became more and more effortless.

...

Of all the hardships in the world, cultivation is the most grueling.

Yu Fei, however, didn’t find the cultivation itself so bad. Yan Sea’s spit-flying lectures, on the other hand, were a real killer.

During the day, Yu Fei no longer treated his academic studies with a casual attitude. After his change in mindset, he began to see his classes as a form of recreation after his martial arts training.

Finding joy in bitterness!

...

For most people, the three years of high school are a memory both bitter and uplifting. It is the first time in their lives they consciously strive toward a goal, burning with passion for a better tomorrow.

On the second day of the fourth month, the Cold Food Festival arrived.

Tianning County organized an exceptionally long pilgrimage and memorial event. Over ten thousand high school students participated, trekking over mountains and across ridges for a total journey of more than two hundred kilometers. Many of their parents joined in as well.

Their destination was the North Slope Iron Bone Tomb.

According to historical records, during the chaotic era before the New Calendar, warlords battled for supremacy and foreign clans invaded.

When heaven and earth were in turmoil and the Divine Land was on the brink of collapse, the founding ancestor rose from common birth. He took up his three-foot sword, swept away the dust of chaos from the world, restored the vast lands, and rebuilt the nation!

In this process, countless like-minded forebears disregarded life and death, advancing wave after wave, to usher in the eight hundred years of peace of the New Calendar.

North Slope Mountain was a historic battlefield. Records state that to cover the main army’s retreat, seven thousand soldiers of the Iron Bone Army made a desperate last stand at Yanming Valley. There, they held off one hundred thousand enemy troops for fifteen days, laying a solid foundation for the main force’s eventual victory on the primary battlefield. In the end, with their ammunition and supplies exhausted, all seven thousand soldiers of the Iron Bone Army were martyred.

After the battle, only 321 identifiable bodies were recovered. For the others, broken dog tags and shattered swords were gathered to create a cenotaph: the North Slope Iron Bone Tomb.

Ever since the first year of the New Calendar, the pilgrimage to the North Slope Iron Bone Tomb has never ceased.

The ten thousand students marched in formations by class, supporting one another and pressing forward, united by a common conviction.

It was a journey to temper the soul.

Lei Xiaoqiang was panting heavily, but his expression remained solemn. He didn’t cry out that he was tired, nor did he offer any of his usual jokes or complaints.

Li Mengyao carried three backpacks, two of which belonged to her classmates.

Moreover, every student in the class with any martial arts proficiency was doing their best to help their weaker classmates and lighten their burdens.

Yu Fei took it to an even greater extreme. He was using his Cyan Lotus Sword as a carrying pole, from which hung twelve backpacks and three cases of energy drinks. His figure was almost completely obscured, making him look like a snail carrying a giant shell on its back.

Yan Sea patrolled continuously through the ranks of the Nanguan Second Middle School students, ready to respond to any potential incidents.

Furthermore, the Martial Arts Administration Bureau, the Public Security Bureau, the Transportation Bureau, and other departments had also dispatched personnel to protect the procession.

This was not just a tradition for Tianning County, but a personal tradition for every single person there.

And so, step by step, they arrived at the North Slope Iron Bone Tomb.