Chapter 1980: Understanding the Blade
Zhao Hai sat inside the quiet room of his residence. This time, he wasn’t alone. The Yin Yang Elders were also with him.
As the three people sat down, the Yin Elder looked at Zhao Hai and said, “Little Hai, aren’t you angry that we held you back in the Soaring Dragon Realm for a year?”
Zhao Hai shook his head and said, “I’m not. Master, I’m aware that the time I spent in the Soaring Dragon Realm is too short. I haven’t fully adapted to living in the Soaring Dragon Realm. Going to the True Spirit Realm early might not be good for me.”
The Yang Elder nodded and said, “It’s good that you think that way. This year, my brother and I will tell you about the True Spirit Realm. We will also tell you about our understanding of the Blade.
The Yin Elder continued, “Little Hai, do you know the main difference between the True Spirit Realm and the Great Realm of Cultivation? People in the Great Realm of Cultivation can fly and choose not to eat. But in the True Spirit Realm, you need to walk and eat food.”
Zhao Hai thought for a moment before he nodded and said, “Is it because of the laws of the realm? After arriving in the True Spirit Realm, the laws would have changed. Therefore, some things that people have surpa.s.sed in the lower realms needed to be picked up again.”
The Yang Elder nodded, “Correct. The laws are invisible and intangible. If we couldn’t feel it, then we wouldn’t know that it exists. How the laws came to be and how it works, n.o.body knows. But between the Great Realm of Cultivation to the True Spirit Realm is a boundary from low level laws and high level laws. Entering the True Spirit Realm is akin to rebirth to a cultivator. Therefore, the first cultivation level in the True Spirit Realm is called Rebirth!”
“Rebirth?(Sheng 生)” The word echoed through Zhao Hai’s mind. Although it was just a simple word, Zhao Hai could infer plenty of meanings from it. Rebirth, rebirth of what?
The Yin Elder looked at Zhao Hai and said, “When you enter the True Spirit Realm, you will understand the meaning of this word. Alright, there’s no need to dwell on it right now. Continue cultivating and you’ll reach this realm when the time comes. Today, we’re here to talk to you about blades.”
“Blades? Master, should I start learning about blades now?” Zhao Hai looked at the Yin Elder in confusion. He felt that it was too fast.
The Yang Elder nodded and said, “Correct. You can now start learning the blade. I have seen your strength. You’re much stronger compared to average immortal experts. If you were in the True Spirit Realm, you would be at the late stage of the Rebirth Realm.”
Zhao Hai stared. He was confident in his strength. But in the eyes of the Yang Elder, he was no more than a late stage Rebirth Realm cultivator. In other words, he was still at the bottom of the True Spirit Realm.
Seeing the expression on Zhao Hai’s face, the Yin Elder smiled faintly and said, “There’s no need to think much about it. Reaching the late stage of the Rebirth Realm while in the Soaring Dragon Realm is already very good. I cannot tell what cultivation method you’re using, but for those who use the blade, cultivation methods aren’t important. What’s important is the blade itself!”
The Yang Elder looked at Zhao Hai and said, “Little Hai, what is your understanding of the blade?”
Zhao Hai stared. Then he looked at the encouraging looks of the two elders. After thinking for a moment, he said, “The blade is one of the many weapons we use for battle. Because the blade is simpler than the sword, it was more suitable to use on the battlefield. It is also more durable. I heard a saying; a month of stick, a year of blade, a generation of spear. This reflects the characteristics of the blade.”
Speaking up to here, Zhao Hai stopped. Then after a moment he continued, “The blade is the blood of the army. It contains the courage of a hundred soldiers. It is driven by a person’s vigor. If the sword is the king, the blade is the tyrant. It represents the ordinary man, the anger of the common. It is a weapon that will draw blood for five steps. The person who uses the blade needs to have courage. He needs to be proud, domineering, and arrogant. No matter who they are, what status they hold, they are all equal in front of the blade.”
The Yin Yang Elders looked at Zhao Hai in surprise. To be honest, they didn’t expect Zhao Hai to have such a deep understanding of the blade.
Zhao Hai wasn’t wrong, the blade is the weapon of the tyrant. It is the weapon of the bold and proud. Whether they be a prince, or a minister, all of them are the same in front of the blade. As long as they are enemies, those who use the blade will fight. A blade without courage and arrogance is nothing.
The two elders looked at Zhao Hai with approval. The Yin Elder nodded and said, “Good. You already have a good understanding of the blade. Those who use the blade need to have courage. The spirit of a bladesman is like their blade. If you can internalize this spirit, you can use the great power of the blade.”
The Yang Elder added, “We haven’t misread you, Little Hai. You’re born to use the blade. With your blade at your side, your future achievements will be limitless.”
The Yin Elder agreed, then he said, “Alright, let’s move on. What you said about the blade is not wrong. But your ideas are extremely general. In other words, you have a good understanding of the base characteristic of the blade. But to understand your own blade, you will need to go through many trials.”
Zhao Hai nodded. He agreed to the Yin Elder’s words. His understanding of the blade was mostly not his own. Instead, it was what he saw from others. What he said was just an observation along with his own understanding.
Zhao Hai knew himself well. Although he created the Heavenly Demon Seven Killing Blades, it was only a set of techniques and had no relations.h.i.+p with his comprehension with the blade. To be honest, his knowledge of the blade was extremely limited.
The Yang Elder looked at Zhao Hai and said, “Little Hai, I didn’t think you could use a blade. Let’s head outside and see how you use it.”
Zhao Hai nodded, then he went outside with the two Elders. After they went outside, Zhao Hai looked at the two elders and said, “Masters, although I used the blade in the past, I didn’t prioritize it. My understanding of it is just my own thoughts. So I’m not very good at using blades. I apologize in advance for what you’ll see.”
The Yin Elders smiled and said, “It’s alright. Even if you can’t use it at all, just show us what you can do.”
Zhao Hai nodded. Then he stood in the yard and took out a tang blade. Zhao Hai gently touched the tang blade. He liked the shape of this blade. This was because the Tang Dynasty relied on the tang blade to cause the foreign invaders to surrender. This created the ill.u.s.trious reputation of Li Siming and Tian Kehan.[1]
The tang blade represented the aggression of the Chinese. Zhao Hai only liked the shape of the tang blade in the past. This was the first time he thought carefully about what the tang blade represented.
Slowly, Zhao Hai felt a domineering aura. Then he could feel the pride from barbarian clans surrendering. When Zhao Hai acc.u.mulated the peak amount of domineering aura, he moved and used the Heavenly Demon Seven Killing Blades.
Since this blade technique was created by him, and it was focused on killing the enemy, Zhao Hai’s movements weren’t complex. He used the technique with ease. The blade technique flowed out like water.
When the set of Heavenly Demon Seven Killing Blades were used up, Zhao Hai received his blade and stood in place, calming down his mood. Then when he looked at the Yin Yang Elders, his heart couldn’t help but jump. It’s true that his blade wasn’t very good. This was also related to his foundation. For example, he rarely used his blade in the Great Realm of Cultivation. This was because the Great Realm of Cultivation paid more attention to spiritual qi. Additionally, Zhao Hai wasn’t a pure body cultivator.
But surprisingly, when Zhao Hai looked at the Yin Yang Elders, their expressions didn’t show disappointment. Instead, there was a proud smile on their faces.
Zhao Hai looked at the two elders in confusion. Then he cupped his fist and said, “Masters, I made you laugh.”
The Yang Elder chuckled and said, “Your skill in the blade isn’t that good. You look like a beginner with the blade. However, your feelings when using the blade are very good. Your emotions are well in line with the blade. Compared to most people, your potential for the blade is better.”
Zhao Hai showed an embarra.s.sed smile as he said, “I just learned the blade for a short while in the past. And in the Great Realm of Cultivation, I haven’t had enough chances to use the blade. Moreover, there are too many techniques available in the Great Realm of Cultivation. Focusing on one would be disadvantageous. Therefore, I didn’t put enough effort on the blade.”
The Yin Elder smiled and said, “This is not bad. You didn’t focus on the blade, but your performance is already like this. Your skill with the blade can be improved. Take this jade slip. Practice according to its contents for a month. After a month, we’ll see how far you’ve progressed.”
Zhao Hai complied and then received the Yin Elder’s jade slip. The Yin Yang Elders smiled as they looked at Zhao Hai. Then the Yin Elder said, “With your current level, practicing these basic things should be easy. But I have a request. This month, you should practice the contents of the jade slip to the point of becoming an instinct. These basic skills will be important from time to time. Only in this way can you master the blade.”
Zhao Hai nodded. Then the two Elders left.
- Li Siming, aka Emperor Taizong. Tian Kehan -> Khan of Heaven, the t.i.tle given to Emperor Taizong when the Tang Dynasty annihilated the Turkic Khaganate.