NOVEL WEB Chapter 61: Yes, that's the flavor.
Before you notice, three to five days have passed.
Chen Yi's days returned to peace without the disturbance of Xiao Xuanzhen.
Each day before dawn, he would rise early to instruct his fellow male and female apprentices of Sword Edge Mountain in the practice of Sword Dao.
This would continue until the sun shone high at noon, and then they would all enjoy a sumptuous meal together outside the chamber.
At the same time, each person would also receive an additional True Essence Pill to restore the True Yuan within their bodies, to prepare for the afternoon's cultivation practice.
It is worth mentioning that the meals on Sword Edge Mountain, including the cleaning of the chamber, are all taken care of by some outer sect disciples.
Among these outer sect disciples, some are those who did not pass one or two of the three assessments during their discipleship and voluntarily stayed on the mountain.
Some are elders from the outer sect, who brought back some talented disciples from the foot of the mountain, many of whom are orphans with no place to call home.
And there are as many as fifteen such outer sect disciples on Sword Edge Mountain.
Compared to Chen Yi and the other true disciples who formally took a master, those outer sect disciples not only learn lower level cultivation techniques and swordsmanship, but they also have to fend for themselves for food, clothing, and daily necessities.
Apart from their daily cleaning and meals, in their spare time from cultivation, they would go to the Law Enforcement Hall, Martial Arts Hall, Book Mountain or Demon Hunting Hall to take on tasks within their abilities.
After completing these tasks, they could not only gain money, but sometimes also acquire elixirs and cultivation techniques.
However, to the true disciples, all these items were deemed worthless.
At least in Chen Yi's eyes, the swordsmanship learned by the outer sect disciples was no different from garbage.
Of course, this is the method of inheritance of the sect, whether it is garbage or not, it doesn't have much to do with him.
Just as it was back in the Capital City Prefecture, where the family was also divided into the main line, collateral branches, and servant guards, with a strict distinction.
This led to significant differences in the Martial Arts they practiced.
"Big brother Good Person, how long will it take for me to cultivate Sword Dao to the same level as you?"
Taking advantage of the meal break, Hua Youxiang, holding her meal bowl with three steamed buns on top, approached with a hee-hee smile.
"To reach my level? Mm, let me think about it."
Chen Yi seriously calculated the time.
From the entry of ten thousand sets of swordsmanship to the small success of wandering through mountains and rivers, oceans and seas, and the experience of battles, plus the hundred years of the great success realm.
"It should be less than three hundred years."
"Three years... Three hundred years?!"
Hua Youxiang's eyes widened, as if questioning if her Sword Dao talent was that poor?
Chen Yi glanced at her without replying and straightforwardly picked up his meal bowl to start eating voraciously.
And that, he was actually under-estimating.
Otherwise, with Hua Youxiang's average Sword Dao talent, just the time for the ten thousand swordsmanship sets alone would take one hundred and fifty thousand nights.
That's four hundred years.
"Doesn't that mean I won't be able to catch up to senior brother's cultivation in this lifetime?"
"Not necessarily."
Chen Yi took a few bites, put down his meal bowl, and reassured her: "If you focus on mastering a single swordsmanship set, consistently persevering, reaching the small success realm of Sword Dao would not be difficult."
"As for the great success realm, the perfection of Sword Intent, it cannot be achieved through secluded cultivation alone."
"You need some experiences, wandering around or upholding justice, to find your own direction in Sword Dao."
Hua Youxiang seemed to understand but was also confused, nodding her head. Besides "upholding justice," the only thing she remembered was "focus on mastering a single swordsmanship set."
After pondering for a long while, she suddenly smiled.
"Then I will listen to senior brother and concentrate on practicing a single set of swordsmanship from now on!"
Because she understood it well.
Big brother Good Person not only has high swordsmanship but is also kind-hearted, he would never harm her.
Following his advice would surely be correct.
"You're thinking right," Chen Yi said while eating: "In the future, I will pick an appropriate swordsmanship set for you."
These words made Hua Youxiang overjoyed, her smiling face radiant as her nickname "Er Hua" suggested.
Seeing this, Chen Yi smiled and said nothing more.
Although his Sword Dao came easily, his understanding of swordsmanship was genuinely profound.
If Hua Youxiang took him as a goal, it's likely she would never come close to him in her lifetime.
Rather than wasting time learning a variety of swordsmanship, it's better to focus on one path; maybe then, one could advance faster and cultivate Sword Intent.
As for selecting swordsmanship he just mentioned, he's not deceiving Hua Youxiang.
On the contrary, with the many types of swordsmanship he has learned, he can always find a set suitable for Hua Youxiang.
If not?
Worst comes to worst, he could tailor-make a set for Sister Erhua!
Not long after, Chen Yi finished his lunch, took out a True Essence Pill, and put it into his mouth to recover the True Yuan expended in the early lessons.
Little did he know—
[At 33 years old, having reached the Sword Dao Great Success and the realm of Sword Intent Perfection, you were assassinated and accidentally ingested "Energy-dissolving Powder".]
[The poison is of high grade, already absorbed, Rebellion Point +5.]
[Name: Chen Yi]
[Age: 33]
[Cultivation: Eighth Grade Nayuan Realm (Lower Stage)]
[Talent: Late Bloomer—The older the bones, the faster the cultivation speed.]
[Basic Skills: Great Success—A drop of water forms a river, only then a great utensil is fashioned.]
[Sword Dao: Great Success—A hundred years of slaughter, Sword Intent has reached the ultimate purity. With one sword strike, a myriad of bones wither!]
[Rebellion Points: 5/100]
Seeing the panel suddenly appear before his eyes, Chen Yi was somewhat dumbfounded.
What is this?
Seconds later, Chen Yi came back to his senses, a slight curl forming at the corners of his mouth, feeling somewhat elated.
That's right, this is the flavor.
The familiar taste, the familiar sensation, it's all coming back!
Ever since that day when he received no fortune from the Sumeru Bag given by Gu Tiangang, Chen Yi hardly expected to gain rebellion points during his time at the Sect.
How much time has passed since then?
Just over two months, and unexpectedly, someone had once again poisoned him.
And it was the high-grade poison Energy-dissolving Powder, which awards a high five points of rebellion points.
The effect of this poison can gradually dissipate a martial artist's True Yuan within five hours.
Don't ask how Chen Yi knows this.
Ever since he experienced Soft Bone Powder, he had self-taught the famous poisons known in the Martial World.
Though he didn't have the formulas, the names and effects of the poisons were well committed to memory.
It's not something that should be said lightly, but whoever poisoned him did so in line with Chen Yi's wishes, to an almost uncanny degree.
It's even more appealing to him than the "Ten Great Immortals" of Taoism.
However, after the initial joy, Chen Yi scanned around.
Once he was certain no one else appeared abnormal, he let down his guard.
One can be sure—the target of the poisoner was still very accurate, no one else but him!
But...
Chen Yi slowly stowed the medicine bottle into the Sumeru Bag, and as his gaze swept across, he memorized the faces of his fellow brothers and sisters, and even those of the outer sect disciples in the distance.
However, times have changed.
In the past, when he was young and of low strength in Duke Wu'an Mansion, he feared taking any action that might startle the snake and inadvertently involve others.
Now, he was in the Grand Void Sect, on Sword Edge Mountain.
His identity had grown from the Marquis's illegitimate son to an "instructor" on Sword Edge Mountain, the future elder of Sword Edge Mountain.
What's more important, he now wielded the Slaughter Sword Intent, his strength incomparable to the past!
"If that's the case and I still can't bring you down, I might as well smash my head into tofu and be done with it!"
...
At night, the moon shone bright, and stars were plentiful.
The entire Sword Edge Mountain was silent, with the chilly mountain breeze blowing.
Chen Yi silently drifted out of his room and sat on the rooftop, with the Spring Rain Sword in his hand, poised and ready to strike.