Borrowed Sword

Chapter 67: 《Dao Canon》

Their gazes met.

Big Ice Block was clearly a stubborn one, yet at this moment, she was the first to turn her head away, breaking eye contact.

Chu Huaixu did not mind and simply waited for the White-robed Scripture Pavilion Manager to give the order.

At this time, the incense burning in front of the manager for timing was still the one Han Shuangjiang had lit.

The incense had barely burned down.

He was also somewhat surprised: “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an Enrolled Disciple break through four barriers this easily.”

The middle-aged man had served in the Scripture Pavilion for many years. Those Enrolled Disciples who left a deep impression on him usually went on to make a name for themselves in the Inner Sect.

Now, most people, including the White-robed Scripture Pavilion Manager, silently assumed that the opportunity beneath the Cold Pool had most likely been taken by this young girl!

Yet, this handsome black-robed man looked far too relaxed.

Yes, Chu Huaixu carried an inexplicable air of ease from head to toe.

He turned his head to the White-robed Scripture Pavilion Manager. When he saw him light another stick of incense, Chu Huaixu unexpectedly raised his right hand, extended two fingers forward, and lightly poked twice.

He was actually poking at the first barrier in a comical manner!

Moreover, he poked seven or eight times in a row, as though he found the sensation amusing.

Just as everyone exchanged bewildered glances, the smile on his face instantly vanished without a trace.

“I’ve roughly gauged the difficulty.” Chu Huaixu felt the resistance at his fingertips.

His brow ridges shaded his eyes, and his bone structure was excellent. At this moment, his gaze sharpened, and his brows lifted ever so slightly.

Chu Huaixu still held his fingers extended forward, then—he moved!

With a sudden step forward, his black robe flared in the air.

“Chi——!” That sound echoed four times in quick succession within just a few breaths.

His jet-black hair streamed wildly backward as he charged. With a single thrust of his fingers, he broke through four barriers in one breath.

The first floor of the Scripture Pavilion fell into momentary silence.

The Enrolled Disciple in the Profound-level section was left slack-jawed, as if his chin had fallen off.

The barriers he could not break through no matter what looked as fragile as paper before this black-robed man.

Only Han Shuangjiang was slightly surprised, then felt it perfectly reasonable.

Now she understood why Chu Huaixu had told her to go first, otherwise she would have felt pressure.

“This Dead Fox actually made such a spectacle on purpose!” On the surface, Big Ice Block wore a cold face, but inwardly she was muttering furiously.

Chu Huaixu slowly lowered his hand, completely at ease, and looked toward Han Shuangjiang.

Since he had said, “Wait there for me,” he would naturally not let her wait too long.

The White-robed Scripture Pavilion Manager took a deep look at his back and could not help but exclaim: “Body Training cultivator?”

As a cultivator of the Third Level, how could he not see? The boy’s physique was unbelievably strong.

Without Body Training, such terrifying strength was impossible.

The four barriers set up by the Dao Gate were nothing to him.

“Body Training?” For a moment, voices of discussion rose everywhere.

The senior brothers and sisters looked at Chu Huaixu as if he were an oddity.

Everyone knew that Body Training cultivators stood at the very bottom of the cultivation world’s hierarchy of disdain.

Most who chose Body Training had extremely poor talent, usually Low-grade Spirit Embryos.

After all, who would willingly abandon an easier path to indulge in masochism?

Of course, the Dao Gate always valued fate and affinity above talent.

The dislike for Body Training cultivators came mainly from their temperament.

Unlike other cultivators with various long-range mystical methods, Body Training paths were simple and crude.

Over time, most Body Training cultivators developed two bad habits.

First, they had foul mouths, constantly taunting and provoking others into close combat, where they could maximize their strength.

Second, they loved ambushes. “Do you really think we Body Trainers turned our brains into muscles? This path is all about close-range sneak attacks!”

And once a sneak attack succeeded, it was lethal.

In short, Body Training cultivators were notorious for their foul mouths and low character.

——The cultivation world despised them.

Chu Huaixu met the gazes of his fellow disciples. When he did not receive the expected applause, how could he not know what they were thinking?

So, he immediately cupped his hands and emphasized: “Balanced inside and out! Balanced inside and out!”

Hah! Body Training cultivators—I look down on them too!

Hearing that this dignified-looking junior brother was actually cultivating both body and spirit, everyone showed relieved expressions.

“Didn’t expect he had such perseverance!”

At last, the applause rang out. Dao Gate disciples never held back in praising their peers—and in looking down on outsiders.

Even the Enrolled Disciple in the Profound-level section, though embarrassed at first, still offered congratulations in the end.

Finally, the White-robed Scripture Pavilion Manager stepped in to restore order, speaking in a deep voice: “Alright, alright, disperse. Let them calm down and properly select their cultivation methods!”

“Steward Luo is chasing us away again.” Some Outer Sect disciples teased, clearly familiar with him.

After exchanging glances, Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang began selecting their desired cultivation methods.

The Dao Gate had deep foundations. Since these were only First Level methods, even Heaven-rank ones filled an entire shelf.

Rows of jade slips were neatly arranged, though they could not be previewed.

Beside each jade slip lay a booklet, containing an introduction and the recorded prologue of the cultivation method.

Han Shuangjiang patiently read them one by one.

Chu Huaixu pretended to flip randomly, while secretly casting 【Information Probe】 nonstop.

“《Yin-Yang Returning to Origin Art》, compatibility 13%.”

“《Profound Thunder Creation Technique》, compatibility 27%.”

“《Nine Heavens Wind and Cloud Record》, compatibility 23%.”

Chu Huaixu knew that with his Low-grade Spirit Embryo, his compatibility with Heaven-rank methods would not be high, and he was mentally prepared.

Low compatibility meant higher Experience Point costs when upgrading.

But cultivating high-level methods with a Low-grade Spirit Embryo was always inefficient.

He didn’t care—he had plenty of ways to farm Experience Points and to improve his Spirit Embryo attribute in the future.

For now, he just wanted to stand taller among the short ones.

“Pick one with relatively higher compatibility, but also one that suits me.” He thought.

Some of these methods he had heard of, others were entirely new.

From time to time, he glanced at Han Shuangjiang’s side.

The cold-faced girl did the same, sneaking peeks at what he was reading.

After a while, with his senses greatly enhanced, Chu Huaixu noticed her glancing at him again and said with a smile: “Personally, I recommend this 《Six Sovereigns Canon》 for you.”

Chu Huaixu remembered clearly—players had once dug up that Han Shuangjiang cultivated this very method.

“Why?” Big Ice Block was curious and picked up the booklet beside the jade slip.

“Not telling you.” Chu Huaixu replied.

Han Shuangjiang gave him a glance, ignored him, and read the booklet’s introduction on her own.

After reading, she was indeed tempted.

But, given Chu Huaixu’s rotten attitude, the cold-faced girl deliberately put 《Six Sovereigns Canon》 back and went to look at other methods.

Seeing her act this way, he chuckled inwardly, and continued flipping through booklets while casting 【Information Probe】.

“Whoa! A 96% compatibility one?!” Chu Huaixu was shocked.

But soon, his hand froze mid-turn. He almost didn’t want to look at the booklet anymore.

“Damn it, you want me to fall into the same pit twice?”

“With compatibility this high, it has to be a Body Training method!” He instantly realized.

His refinement through the 《Sword Refining Art》 had nearly turned him into a Body Training Saint Body.

Sure enough, this 《Ice-muscle Jade-bone Method》 looked overly feminine, but despite the name containing ‘Method’, it was actually a Body Training divine art.

“No wonder the Dao Gate is the Dao Gate—they even have Heaven-rank Body Training methods. This inferior path hardly has a handful of such methods in the entire Xuanhuang Realm.” Chu Huaixu sighed.

Curious, he read further, and the more he read, the stiffer his expression became.

“So it wasn’t intentionally named like that—my phrasing was wrong. It should be read as Ice-muscle Jade-bone Heart·Method. The heart is harder than bones, huh?”

“One thrust of a sword—hah! I’m iron-hearted! Can’t pierce me, can’t pierce me!” He suspected the founder of this method thought himself very humorous.

Chu Huaixu quickly put the booklet back.

——Body Training, not even a dog would cultivate it.

He continued onward, swearing never to look at 《Ice-muscle Jade-bone Method》 again.

“I already have 【Sword Heart Clarity】. Once I get my Life-bound Spirit Sword, I’ll be a free and dashing Sword Cultivator.”

“To hell with being a muscle brute!”

On the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, Heaven-rank methods were not too many, nor too few. Soon, both Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang finished browsing.

“I’ve chosen. You?” Big Ice Block asked.

Naturally, she chose 《Six Sovereigns Canon》.

“Give me a moment, I need to decide.” Chu Huaixu frowned.

Three choices now lay before him.

The first was to also pick 《Six Sovereigns Canon》.

Though his compatibility was a pitiful 26%, it meant he could cultivate the same method as Han Shuangjiang.

This mindset was like when he had passed the 《Sword Refining Art》 to Xu Ziqing—he was the cheater, the other cultivated properly, and he could use them as a reference.

Big Ice Block had the Body of Profound Yin, so her cultivation progress would be rapid.

Others crossed rivers by feeling the stones.

If he chose 《Six Sovereigns Canon》, he would cross by feeling Han Shuangjiang.

The other two choices were 《Futu True Explanation》 and 《Dao Canon》.

The former had a flashy name, the latter sounded plain.

Aside from 《Ice-muscle Jade-bone Method》, these two were his highest compatibility ones.

One was 31%, the other 33%.

Judging by names and booklet descriptions, most people would pick the former.

Because 《Futu True Explanation》 had an entire page of listed features.

But 《Dao Canon》 was different. On its first page, there were only two sentences.

The first was its evaluation and characteristic—just four words: “Balanced and Harmonious.”

The key lay in the second sentence:

“This method was originally nameless. Since it was the cultivation method of the Dao Ancestor, it is called 《Dao Canon》.”