Chapter 39: Hundred Swords Seal
The next morning, the sun shone brightly.
As usual, Chu Liang got up slowly. He freshened up and meticulously combed his hair in the manner of an adult before donning a handsome outfit.
Today, he had plans to meet with Senior Sister Jiang for their lunch appointment.
As he made his way towards Treasure Pagoda Peak, following the same path he had taken the previous day to the waterfall cave, the Baize youngling failed to make an appearance.
Chu Liang couldn't help but feel puzzled by this.
Upon his arrival at the cave's entrance, he heard Senior Sister Jiang's scolding voice from within.
"I just bought a new mattress yesterday, and you've already chewed it up! Keep this up, and you'll see me taking action next time!"
The Baize youngling whimpered softly, making sounds like "Hreohhh."
Using his divine sense, Chu Liang peered inside the cave and discovered that the mess from the previous day had completely vanished, and the cave had been restored to its usual state.
At that moment, Jiang Xiaobai could be seen sitting cross-legged on the bed, radiating with anger.
The Baize youngling stood beside her on its hind legs, tilting its head upward with a brick balanced on its nose.
Fresh bite marks marred the recently replaced mattress.
Impressive! This Baize youngling certainly has a knack for dismantling things.
Suppressing a chuckle, Chu Liang cleared his throat and said, "Senior Sister Jiang, I've arrived."
"Oh. Come in," Jiang Xiaobai replied, beckoning him in.
When Chu Liang entered the cave, he saw her standing tall, adorned in an elegant gown with delicate tassels and her hair intricately arranged. Bathed in the cold light from all around, she resembled an otherworldly goddess who had resided in the mountains for millennia.
The astonishing speed at which her demeanor transformed in the blink of an eye left him awestruck.
"Erm..." Chu Liang glanced at the Baize youngling, who promptly discarded the brick and darted toward Chu Liang.
"Hm?" Jiang Xiaobai furrowed her brow.
"Hreoohh..." The Baize youngling came to an abrupt halt, its expression seemingly conveying a sense of injustice and mistreatment. It sidled over to the wall and stood there, even using its hooves to pick up the brick and balance it on its nose.
It attempted to appear on its best behavior.
Chu Liang smiled and said, "Whatever occurred can't be that serious. After all, it's just a child."
Jiang Xiaobai responded, showing no signs of giving in, "If you don't work hard in your learning later, you'll receive the same treatment."
The Baize Youngling looked around before it cast a sideways glance at Chu Liang, revealing a hint of anticipation.
Okay.
Do you want your friend to join you in standing by the wall as a punishment?
Chu Liang quickly changed the subject, asking, "Why is the guardian celestial beast of Mount Shu so obedient to you?"
"I don't know," Jiang Xiaobai replied. "When I was very young, the Baize youngling would often come to play with me. It practically grew up alongside me. Do you have any idea why it's close to you?"
Chu Liang shook his head.
He was completely clueless.
If it were solely due to his cultivation talent, he wouldn't be unique at all. Jiang Xiaobai would be the one considered talented in cultivation. If it were because the Baize youngling found him to be kind, many people could qualify as kind.
"Maybe it just enjoys being around people who look good." This was Chu Liang's eventual response.
"True," Jiang Xiaobai agreed.
After some small talk, Jiang Xiaobai got straight to the point. "Today, I plan to teach you the Hundred Swords Seal. You're familiar with it, right?"
Hundred Swords Seal?
Of course, Chu Liang was well aware of it.
This divine skill was among the Mount Shu Sect's most fundamental sword skills. Despite its foundational nature, it undeniably possessed great power and offered significant room for improvement.
Starting from a hundred to a thousand, and from a thousand to ten thousand, once one successfully masters the Ten Thousand Swords Seal, it becomes a top-ranking divine skill on par with the Heavenly Sword Seal.
"Senior Sister Jiang, I appreciate your dedication and efforts." He rose to his feet with a show of respect, displaying the reverence one typically reserves for a teacher.
"The essence of the Hundred Swords Seal lies in the fusion of qi and sword. The key is to turn your qi into a sword, merging the two."
Jiang Xiaobai then proceeded to explain the mnemonic chant and hand seals that corresponded to the Hundred Swords Seal.
Although advanced cultivators could activate their divine skills with a mere thought, beginners had to follow a step-by-step process.
The combination of the mnemonic chant and the hand seals would result in more effective outcomes.
Chu Liang fixed his gaze on Jiang Xiaobai, who explained with great earnestness. Her hair swayed gently, and her eyes sparkled. Her skin exuded a soft radiance. As he observed her, he found himself somewhat lost in his thoughts.
After Jiang Xiaobai finished her explanation, she observed that Chu Liang appeared to be in a daze. She furrowed her brow slightly as she called out, "Hey?"
"I'm listening," Chu Liang responded quickly, snapping back to attention.
"What did I say? Repeat it," Jiang Xiaobai demanded, her gaze bearing a hint of hostility.
Chu Liang proceeded to recount her previous explanations, including the finer details, word for word.
Upon hearing him, Jiang Xiaobai appeared mildly surprised. "Your memory is truly exceptional... Hmph, your ability to multitask is also quite impressive, which makes you well-suited for learning the Hundred Swords Seal."
"Thank you for the compliment, Senior Sister Jiang," Chu Liang replied calmly, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
"In any case, you've retained the key elements of the Hundred Sword Seal. One crucial aspect to keep in mind is not to chase quantity blindly. It's better to exercise precise control over each sword shadow and then aim to increase the count later. A hundred swords that can be easily managed and manipulated at will will be far more powerful than ten thousand swords that move chaotically," Jiang Xiaobai added.
"I will keep that in mind." Chu Liang nodded.
"The typical time it takes for Mount Shu Sect disciples to master the Hundred Swords Seal is usually around seven days. However, given that I'm instructing you one-on-one, my expectations are higher. I'm giving you three days. If you manage to master it within this time, I'll teach you another divine skill in the future. But if you haven't learned it within three days, there won't be a next time," Jiang Xiaobai declared.
"Sounds great," Chu Liang responded with evident enthusiasm.
He had initially assumed this instruction would be a one-time event, but now the prospect of an ongoing mentorship excited him. He was obviously happy to do this.
He then began making attempts based on Jiang Xiaobai's guidance. He activated the flying sword bracelet, formed the hand seal, and circulated his true qi.
"Dividing light and skimming shadows! Heed my will! Activate!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
In an instant, the flying sword split into a hundred sword shadows, creating a dazzling and bewildering spectacle. Chu Liang closed his eyes and, with a single thought...
Swoosh...
The flying swords in the air descended to the ground one by one, and the sword shadows rapidly dissipated into nothingness.
"This isn't right," Chu Liang declared, not waiting for Jiang Xiaobai's instructions. He sensed that he had made a mistake earlier and continued to himself, "It's impossible for me to disperse my divine sense onto every single sword. A person can only have one will. Instead... each sword should have its own will, and I just need to give them orders.
"They are not lifeless flying swords, but a living army.
"Dividing light and skimming shadows! Heed my will! Activate!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Once again, the sword shadows dispersed in all directions. This time, the radiance of the hundred swords encircled Chu Liang in an orderly fashion, as if they had formed an array.
"Go!" Chu Liang's fingers formed a seal, and the flying swords immediately ascended into the air, their blades slicing through the air with a constant cacophony.
With the slightest movement of his fingertips, the swords at times aligned into a straight formation and at other times took on configurations resembling the shape of a person.
Observing Chu Liang's proficiency with the Hundred Sword Seal, Jiang Xiaobai couldn't help but widen her eyes, displaying a degree of surprise.
Normally, disciples of the Mount Shu Sect followed a step-by-step progression, starting with converting one sword into two, then ten, and finally a hundred swords. They would gradually delve into the crucial aspects of the sword seal.
Initially, Jiang Xiaobai had intended to wait for Chu Liang to gain insights through a few failures before providing guidance, believing it to be the most efficient approach. However, she hadn't anticipated that Chu Liang would come close to success right from the start, experiencing only one initial failure, and that he had grasped the divine skill on his own.
She had initially considered the three-day deadline she set for Chu Liang to be rather stringent.
Although she had mastered the fundamental Hundred Swords Seal within a single day, it was important to remember that she was, by all means, an individual with the constitution of the legendary Transcendent Spirit, blessed with talents far beyond those of ordinary people.
Her perspective was that if he could master it within three days, it indicated his potential as a talented disciple who had, regrettably, been under the guidance of a teacher whose actions left people speechless. In such a case, it was only fair for her to extend help to a fellow disciple with promise. However, if he failed to achieve this, there would be no reason for her to waste her time teaching him, given the abundance of average disciples within the Mount Shu Sect.
But what on earth was going on with the speed at which Chu Liang was learning this?
If ordinary disciples took seven days, core disciples took three, and gifted disciples mastered it in only one day...
How long did it take him to master this divine skill?
It took him two times!
This was almost too unbelievable. If it weren't for his previous behavior not resembling someone pretending, Jiang Xiaobai would even suspect that he had always been proficient in the use of this divine skill and was deceiving her.
Chu Liang directed a group of sword shadows, practicing for a while before excitedly calling the flying swords back. He opened his eyes and said, "Senior Sister Jiang, I believe I've grasped some aspects of this skill."
Hehe.
Just some?
Jiang Xiaobai chuckled and remarked, "You're quite clever, aren't you?"
"If I've made any progress, it's all thanks to Senior Sister Jiang's excellent teaching," Chu Liang replied with a smile.
Am I really clever?
He had seriously contemplated this question during his younger years, genuinely believing he was exceptionally intelligent. However...
Later, he came to realize that he was merely average.
After all, his performance in the college entrance examination had only ranked third in the entire province.
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