Chapter 557: Saber of Grief
Xiao Chen took out the remaining fourteen stalks of thousand-year-old Spirit Herbs. Then, he tied them to the feet of the birds before waving his hand and saying, “Go!”
The birds circled around in the air for a while before flying towards the Xiao Residence.
After doing all these, Xiao Chen reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the Xiao Residence before turning to leave.
The morning sun shone on Xiao Chen’s back, casting a long black shadow that moved up and down on the road as he left.
No one in the vast Xiao Residence knew that the youth who had been chased out of the clan four years ago returned and took a look at them from afar.
Xiao Chen came and left quietly. He killed a group of people and left behind kind intentions before leaving with his mind at ease and without dragging his feet.
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Half a month later, Xiao Chen returned to the Heavenly Saber Pavilion to start his closed-door training. There were only three more months till the Five Nation Youth Competition; it was time for him to make his final preparations.
At the same time, all the genius cultivators under this starry sky were also making their final spurt, all the sake of that moment where thousands would watch the strong fight one another.
When strength reached its peak, it was bound to decline; when strength had declined to its weakest, it would strengthen. It had been five thousand years since the Thunder Emperor appeared in the Tianwu Continent. Since then, there had not been any new Martial Emperors.
It had been a five-thousand-year wait. Now, the age of geniuses was imminent and a grand scene was about to appear. There were the five great nations, the Ancient Desolate Land, the barbarian tribes of the north, the four regions of the Boundless Sea.
Under the starry sky, there were countless heroes, geniuses with bright futures. Who could stand out from the others and see the view at the peak?
Who was the main character of this dazzling stage filled with stars in this continent? The answer would be found in the battle at the pinnacle three months later.
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Eastern Boundless Sea, in a Forbidden Area of the Divine Dragon Palace:
There was a miniature spatial crack here. Once one passed through that crack, one would be able to go to the true Demonic World.
Surrounding the spatial crack was a golden cuboid barrier. Four old Martial Monarchs of the Divine Dragon Palace stood guard here day and night.
At this moment, the Eastern Sea’s Little Dragon King, Xuanyuan Zhantian sat on his Royal Dragon Horse, holding his Heavenly War Halberd, as he waited calmly before the forbidden area.
The current Dragon King of the Divine Dragon Palace stood at his side. The Dragon King looked at Xuanyuan Zhantian and asked, “Zhantian, are you sure you want to go through this spatial crack? Do you know what it means to go through this spatial crack?”
Xuanyuan Zhantian nodded and replied, “There are only three months left. Those Great Jin Nation geniuses are remarkable. I need to enter the Deep Abyss of the Demonic World for true experiential training.”
The Dragon King did not argue anymore. “Since you have already decided, then I will not stop you. If you die in there, I will choose another successor.”
The barrier slowly opened. Xuanyuan Zhantian rode his Royal Dragon Horse in without hesitation. He laughed loudly and said, “Old man, you only know how to curse me. Rest assured, I will definitely be sitting on your throne someday. No one will replace me, Xuanyuan Zhantian, in ruling the four regions of the Boundless Sea.”
As the Dragon King watched Xuanyuan Zhantian disappear into the spatial crack, he laughed to himself and said, “Such self-confidence, that’s good.”
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Qingyun Peak, Back Mountains:
In the first month of Xiao Chen’s return, he spent all his efforts on fixing the inadequacies of the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique.
In that fight with the masked man, Xiao Chen had come to understand its weaknesses and what he was lacking in the Lightning Tribulation Technique—gathering the wind and clouds to summon the lightning.
Xiao Chen’s comprehension of the state of wind was insufficient. As for the mysterious phenomena on the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique, that person had seen their weak points with one glance.
Now that Xiao Chen knew about the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique’s weaknesses, it was not too difficult to fix them.
Within one month, he managed to fix most of the weaknesses of the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique that had been exposed.
If he met that masked man again, he was confident that the other party would no longer find those weaknesses, which had resulted in the mysterious phenomenon collapsing and the might of the Saber Technique decreasing, so easily.
There was another problem giving Xiao Chen a headache. That was the fourth move of the Four Season Saber Technique. What should he use for Winter, so he could find a Saber Technique that he could truly call his own?
However, he was not too anxious. He practiced the Martial Techniques that he was familiar with during the day and cultivated the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation at night, strengthening his Essence.
Some comprehensions required enlightenment. If one could not figure something out, then the more one tried to think about it, the more they would not be able to figure out. That was a recipe for frustration.
Only when one’s heart was completely calm might one be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. One might suddenly receive enlightenment and the problem plaguing them would be solved in an instant.
When the Heavenly Saber Pavilion’s founder created the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique, he had also relied on this moment of enlightenment. Watching the tribulation of a Spirit Beast was the crux of his comprehension of this Saber Technique.
Thus, Xiao Chen was in no rush. He could only treat it as a whetstone for cultivating his mental state. Even if he could never comprehend what he wanted, the growth of his mental state would be sufficient to make up for not finishing the Saber Technique.
Who could be certain that it would be a loss or a gain?
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The sun rose and the sun set. Clouds gathered and scattered. Three months remained to the start of the Five Nation Youth Competition. The days slowly trickled by.
On this particular day, Xiao Chen was sitting in his room with his eyes closed as he cultivated. The moonlight poured through the window, peacefully spilling on the bed in front of him.
“Ka ca!”
The two Superior Grade Spirit Stones in his hands suddenly shattered. Xiao Chen opened his eyes and looked at the drained Spirit Stones, shaking his head helplessly.
Now that he had advanced to half-step Martial Monarch, his rate of absorbing Spiritual Energy increased. Two Superior Grade Spirit Stones were not sufficient for a night of cultivating.
Furthermore, the crystal whirlpool in his dantian was like a bottomless pit. He was far from feeling a bottleneck.
For Xiao Chen to reach Martial Monarch, he had to increase his Essence to the bottleneck and open the sea of consciousness.
He muttered, “I already opened the sea of consciousness long ago. However, my cultivation is hard to deal with. Even with another year, I will not reach the peak of half-step Martial Monarch.”
Xiao Chen glanced at the pale moonlight on the floor. The pale moonlight was like a coating of frost where it pooled. For no reason at all, it evoked a sense of grief.
Moonlight gleaming like frost;
flowing waters may wound;
beauty rapidly wanes;
where do I seek my home?
[TL note: This is a Chinese poem about regrets at leaving home, a poem about grief.]
Suddenly, Xiao Chen recalled this poem. He smiled faintly and said, “However, such grieving emotions do not fit me.”
Taking out two more Superior Grade Spirit Stones, he prepared to continue cultivating. Then, he suddenly stopped, an idea suddenly sparking in his mind.
I have been thinking about what can represent Winter aside from snow. Isn’t this white frost before me what I’m seeking?
That’s right. It’s definitely right!
Xiao Chen started laughing loudly. He said excitedly, “The ancients did not cheat me. A moment of inspiration, a rapid advancement in comprehension. A sudden enlightenment! A sudden enlightenment, indeed!”
Continuing to laugh loudly, he picked up his Lunar Shadow Saber and walked out the door.
The fourth move of the Four Season Saber Technique could use frost as its primer, using the state of grief.
Xiao Chen closed his eyes while he was in the forest, thinking about the spark of inspiration that flashed in his head.
After a while, he opened his eyes, grasped the Lunar Shadow Saber with his right hand, and quickly drew it.
Slowly circulating the Four Season Saber Technique, Xiao Chen eased his foot forward. The ambient temperature dropped quickly as the saber light moved about.
A thin layer of frost appeared in the forest; everything within a kilometer become covered in rime.
“Moonlight gleaming like frost; flowing waters may wound!” Xiao Chen shouted, swinging his saber. The state of grief in the saber exploded together with the frost that covered everything within a kilometer.
“Shua! Shua! Shua!”
In this instant, all the trees in the forest shattered. Crunching sounds rang out nonstop.
Xiao Chen sheathed his saber, and all the trees within a kilometer fell. The vast forest disappeared, leaving only the frost on the ground.
This move was not imposing or overbearing. It only turned the Saber Technique into frost, slowly infusing the state of grief.
It killed silently. By the time one was aware of it, there would no longer be a chance to turn things around.
Just like all the trees within a kilometer. With one Saber Technique, all life was extinguished, leaving only the white frost.
Xiao Chen said to himself, “This is the Four Season Saber Technique’s fourth move. Let’s call it Grieving Frost!”
Spring Thunder Chop, Burning to Desolation, Fated Person in Autumn Waters, and Grieving Frost. Xiao Chen had finished comprehending Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, completing his own Four Season Saber Technique.
Now, this Four Season Saber Technique had become a unique peak Superior Grade Earth Ranked Saber Technique that belonged to him alone—one that was infinitely close to a Heaven Ranked Saber Technique.
This was completely created by Xiao Chen; there was no other like it.
As for the final Cycle of Seasons, there was no need for any comprehension. This was because there was only one meaning to the Cycle of Seasons—eternal transformation until the end of time.
Everything in the world, whether tall mountains or the vast sea, would dry up or crumble one day. The heavens would fall, the earth would age, and the vast seas would dry up.
The plants and animals would die and regrow in a never-ending cycle. The cycle of the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—would never change.
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Time slowly went by. The start of the Five Nation Youth Competition drew nearer day by day.
Two months…one month…two weeks…. Soon, only ten days remained to the start of the Five Nation Youth Competition.
Tianwu Continent, the Head of the Five Great Nations, the Great Jin Nation, Supreme Sky Sect:
This was only of the ten great sects of the Great Jin Nation. Naturally, it overflowed with talents and geniuses.
However, the peak genius of this sect was none other than Yue Chenxi.
Ever since Yue Chenxi obtained the Daybreak Flower, her cultivation had risen very quickly. Her Morning Sun Incantation also advanced just as quickly.
This progress resulted in Yue Chenxi leaving many of her sect mates in the dust. They could only look up to her and try their best to catch up.
On this particular day, a beautiful multicolored light blossomed on Yue Chenxi’s personal Morning Sun Peak, radiating a boundless beauty.
All the passing disciples stopped to take a look. Their expressions were full of shock.
“A multicolored light of sunrise! This is a sign of the Morning Sun Incantation’s thirteenth layer. First Senior Sister will be coming out of her closed-door training!” a disciple in the Supreme Sky Sect’s uniform said excitedly.
“First Senior Sister had been in closed-door training for three months already. Her strength is bound to be much higher when she comes out this time.”
“Quickly, look! The elders are here. Unexpectedly, the sight of the multicolored light of sunrise startled the elders as well.”
Three figures flew over from the Supreme Sky Sect’s main peak. They were three old men with very strong auras. When they stood next to each other, the wind behind them stopped blowing instantly. The air turned solid; many disciples felt like they could not breathe.
The person in the middle of the three revealed a gratified smile. He said softly, “It has been a thousand years already since anyone has managed to cultivate the Morning Sun Incantation to the thirteenth layer. Yue Chenxi has now truly entered the ranks of the peak experts in the Great Jin Nation.”
The expression of the gray-robed old man beside him was also filled with satisfaction. He muttered, “First Elder, with Yue Chenxi’s current strength, she should be able to obtain a top ten ranking in the upcoming Five Nation Youth Competition, right?”