Chapter 942: Chapter 46: Hatching of the Dragon Egg
The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang harshly said, "In this world, there is nothing impossible. You haven’t been with Owen for long. From now on, stay here and learn martial arts from me, and you can only leave after six months. I refuse to believe that a disciple I teach will be inferior to the son of the Pope."
"Six months? But, mentor, I have already promised the Elf Queen to help her find her missing clan members. The daughter of Aunt Elf Queen has been captured by villains. If they are not rescued within three years, she will lose the Bloodline of the Elf King. May I go and search for the missing Elves first and then come back to learn from you?"
"No. I don’t have much time left, and searching for the Elf Clan could take a great deal of effort. Child, you must understand the principle that sharpening your axe will not delay your job of chopping wood. Once your power has increased a bit, searching for the Elf Clan members will be easier. Isn’t it three years? After six months, you will still have over two years, which should be enough."
"But, mentor, I..."
"Enough, say no more. The decision I have made will not change." The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang reached into the void and Owen’s Tian Gang Heavy Sword immediately floated into his hand. He handed the Tian Gang Sword to Ah Dai and said, "Strike me with all your strength. I want to see what you have learned from Owen."
Ah Dai reluctantly took the sword and said, "Mentor, I’m learning martial arts from you, but I’m quite slow and I fear I might anger you."
The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang floated back three meters and coldly said, "Enough talk, make your move."
Ah Dai, jumping down from the rock with the Tian Gang Sword in hand, had already had his injuries cured by the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang. He activated the True Qi within him, and a white glow gradually brightened. "Mentor, be careful," said Ah Dai as he slowly raised the Tian Gang Sword in his hands. To his shock, the figure of the Sword Saint in front of him seemed as immovable as a mountain, utterly flawless. Gritting his teeth, Ah Dai channeled all his Protective Battle Aura into the Tian Gang Sword, instantly intensifying his aura. Recalling the scene of splitting waves on the beach, he suddenly performed a Splitting Chop toward the Sword Saint.
When the Tian Gang Sword was about a foot away from the Sword Saint, Ah Dai suddenly felt that he could chop no further. The Protective Battle Aura of the Sword Saint forcefully repelled his attack. With a flash of white light and a tremendous boom, the aura Ah Dai had released was completely dissipated, and he, along with his sword, was sent flying back, crashing heavily against the cavern’s wall before slowly sliding to the ground.
After a long moment, Ah Dai struggled to his feet. Although his body was not much harmed, thanks to the protection of the True Qi, the severe impact still left him reeling. Holding the sword, he walked over to the Sword Saint and lowered his head in silence, unable to summon any thoughts of resistance against the mountain-like presence of the Sword Saint.
The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang calmly said, "That was passable. Ah Dai, do you know why you couldn’t disrupt my Protective Battle Aura?"
Ah Dai said, "Your power is profound, how could I possibly match it? Naturally, I couldn’t harm you."
The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang nodded and said, "Correct, you are right. While techniques are important in martial arts, after reaching the higher stages, what truly decides victory is power. As long as the power is strong enough to launch an indiscriminate attack like magic, no matter how good the opponent’s skills, they cannot withstand it. What you now need most is to quickly enhance your True Qi. Now, go sit on the rock and start cultivating."
Ah Dai complied and floated down to the rock, sitting cross-legged and beginning to regulate his breath according to the method of the True Qi scripture. As soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Xuan Yue’s beautiful face appeared before him, shaking him so much that he couldn’t calm his mind. The True Qi within him became somewhat disordered due to his mental instability.
"Gather your origin and eliminate distractions," a warm current suddenly flowed from the top of his head, quickly spreading throughout Ah Dai’s body. The disordered True Qi calmed down immediately and flowed slowly along the prescribed route of the scripture. Under the continuous infusion of warm energy, Ah Dai finally calmed down and entered a state of cultivation, focusing on his Dantian.
The Sword Saint of the Tian Gang stood behind Ah Dai, continuously feeding his rich True Qi into Ah Dai’s body. Ah Dai had entered a meditative state, largely unaware of the external world. The Sword Saint used his energy to begin reshaping Ah Dai’s meridians, slowly merging his own True Qi into Ah Dai’s liquid True Qi. Unbeknownst to Ah Dai, his power was being steadily enhanced by the Sword Saint.
After an unknown span of time, Ah Dai gradually regained consciousness, feeling indescribably warm and comfortable all over. Although the surroundings seemed not as dark as when he had first arrived—though dim, the scenes within the cave were clearly visible—Ah Dai examined his internal condition and was astounded. The small cluster of liquid energy in his Dantian had vanished, replaced by river-like liquid energy, which flowed continuously through his meridians, illuminating the inside of his body.
Ah Dai opened his eyes and jumped down from the rock. He felt as though his body had no weight, floating silently, his senses and mental clarity immensely heightened compared to before. It was as though a shadow had been removed from his mind, and fleeting, unclear images flashed by, as if he was remembering something.
