213: Chapter 212 Changing the Way of Thinking 213: Chapter 212 Changing the Way of Thinking After an evening of swordplay, friends were full of joy.
Luo Linwang lived right next door, which is why he felt inclined to visit, but though he was in good spirits, Hou Niao’s mood was far from it.
The myriad legends surrounding the meteorite made him uneasy, and although he was a person of great courage, it did not mean he was willing to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.
If he was destined to accomplish nothing with this meteorite, he would not hesitate to change his approach, for he was the master.
But before that, he needed to have a proper talk with this meteorite.
The stone, of course, could not talk, but it had its own way of expressing itself.
Hou Niao took out several Sword Grinding Stones from the Treasure Gourd, which were actually just the most common Artifact Refining materials he had won several times in disputes with others, and had been tossed into the Treasure Gourd without a second thought; another Sword Grinding Stone was borrowed from Luo Linwang, meant for his personal use, mainly for him to experience what it feels like to grind a Sword with a real Sword Grinding Stone.
He arranged all these materials, large and small, in a line, then held the sword in his hand and whispered softly,
“We cannot hang ourselves on the same tree!
That would be wasting not only my time but also yours; imagine yourself being left in the dust, ignored by all…
Let’s try once more, don’t be so stubborn, here I have materials of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, let me see what your second choice is?”
He began to grind the sword on various materials, including the particularly remarkable Sword Grinding Stone from Luo Linwang, but regrettably, the Lonely Sword showed no reaction at all, cooperating no more than if those stones were simply a pile of rotten wood.
When he used the meteorite as a Sword Grinding Stone again, that feeling returned.
It trembled, trembling from the deepest layers of the sword.
Hou Niao ceased his attempts, “Alright, since you insist, let us think of another method.”
What other methods could he possibly have?
A low-ranked cultivator not even at the Tongxuan level, without any mana, the only thing that might help him was—his Purple Mansion Vortex.
“If this doesn’t work, we’ll switch materials!” he told his sword companion.
He stood firm in the courtyard, activated his Cultivation Technique, and both his Dantians began to accelerate their motions, interacting to pull out a vertical vortex at the position of the Purple Mansion.
He cast his Divine Soul into it and found himself standing in the Soul Realm, where several Soul Bodies drifted in the distance.
With a flip of his hand, the Lonely Sword appeared in his grasp, a new ability he acquired after attaining Sword Consciousness, allowing him to bring the consciousness of the Lonely Sword into his Soul Realm Space.
This was not the actual Lonely Sword, as the Soul Realm Space could not contain physical objects, and even he himself was ethereal, which of course included the sword.
The only difference was that previously his sword was merely an energy simulated body, but now it had Sword Consciousness and had become a true Consciousness Longsword.
In such a Soul Realm Space, he took a comically deep stance, gripping the Lonely Sword at both ends, as if there was a Sword Grinding Stone right before him, grinding repeatedly, the speed gradually increasing…
In the courtyard, Hou Niao’s eyes were tightly closed as he stood before the meteorite, grinding the sword, stroke by stroke, as Qi and Gang were generated between the sword and the meteorite, forming a high-temperature jet that allowed for a material substitution between the sword and the meteorite.
Luo Linwang from next door glanced over from a distance, sighing deeply.
He knew it would be ; the more exceptional a person is, the more persistent they are, hardly ever giving up.
It’s precisely this kind of character that makes them stronger than others, but this character is also a double-edged sword that might lead a promising cultivator astray, never to recover.
In his legendary tale, there was actually a detail he hadn’t disclosed – the fool who persisted for fifty years was once the most outstanding disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, hailed as a once-in-a-century sword dao prodigy.
Yet, the prodigy ruined his prospects on this very Sword Grinding Stone, never advancing to Tongxuan because the stone had become his Heart Demon.
Without resolving this, how could his Heart Realm be anything but obstructed, and how could he hope to glimpse the Great Dao?
That’s why he lent his most precious Sword Grinding Stone to him, only to see the effort come to naught.
Such matters are beyond the aid of others.
One may offer counsel, but not interference; one can only hope he comes to a realization on his own, the prodigal son returning.
…Hou Niao, grinding away in the Soul Realm as if steeped in bitterness, distinctly felt the joy of the Lonely Sword’s Sword Consciousness, unable to bring himself to stop.
Only when he gradually sensed the weariness of the Sword Consciousness did he cease his actions, venting his frustration on several Soul Bodies before leaving the Soul Realm Space.
When he held the hilt of the Lonely Sword again, his expression transitioned from surprise to a slow smile.
He sensed a change in the material of the Lonely Sword, albeit extremely subtle, and even though he still couldn’t discern the nature of the change, a change was a change nonetheless.
Cultivation truly is irresistible – various coincidences can determine a cultivator’s entire life, leading to comedy for some, yet tragedy for many more.
He finally understood the predicament of his senior who spent fifty years focused on the Sword Grinding Stone; that senior must have developed Sword Consciousness early on, and his sword had taken a liking to this meteorite.
The sword was not at fault, nor was the senior; only a bit of luck was missing.
He lacked a Purple Mansion Vortex, and had no other methods like Soul Swords.
Hou Niao picked up the Lonely Sword, examining it from every angle, an epiphany dawning on him: No way, could it be that the senior from that time had used this very Lonely Sword?
That thing, not only did it doom that senior, but it nearly ruined me as well!
Whether that’s the case or not is no longer important.
What matters is looking forward; now that he has succeeded in refining the sword, he is curious to see what surprises the Lonely Sword will bring him in the future?
Feeling elated, Luo Linwang turned out to be his true benefactor.
Without his guidance, he would’ve foolishly continued sharpening the sword, a futile endeavor no matter how much effort was applied.
Feeling somewhat apprehensive, he realized he still didn’t know enough about certain fundamental things.
This isn’t something reading alone could remedy; guidance from masters, advice from friends, and even reminders from rivals were necessary.
Another half-month passed, and Luo Linwang was astonished to find that his junior brother seemed completely unaffected by the Sword Grinding Stone, practicing his swordsmanship happily every day.
However, he wasn’t so happy himself, as he was consistently outclassed in their sparring.
Could this be what they call turning sorrow into strength?
He had been selected to participate in the discussions in the Southwest, his strength outstanding among his peers.
In the various competitions among the lower rank disciples in Jin City, he stood unrivaled, the result of years of diligent training.
But now, it seemed that if it came solely to sword technique, this junior brother was the true prodigy.
“You need to know that real combat isn’t just about sword fighting; it involves a lot of other things; tactics, restraint, strategy.
Especially those law stooges, they will use every means to maintain distance, avoiding getting too close.
After advancing to Tongxuan, this problem doesn’t really exist because we will have Flying Swords, but until then, it’s not the case.
If you’re not mentally prepared for this, you might just end up being passively beaten.”