The Sword Dynasty

He saw Nangong Caishu standing behind him with disbelief on her face.

“Are you really just choosing these two books to cultivate?” Seeing Ding Ning’s expression as he turned around, Nangong Caishu could not help but ask again.

Ding Ning nodded and said, “Yes.”

“How much do you understand of cultivation? Or do you know what cultivation actually is?” Hearing Ding Ning admit he had such thoughts, Nangong Caishu was so angry her lips were trembling.

Ding Ning looked at the young woman with her ashen face and said calmly, “Is there a problem?”

“Do you know what kind of books these are?”

Nangong Caishu’s angry gaze landed on the two records in Ding Ning’s hands, her eyelashing flickering. “Do you not know that Explanation of the Spirit Source Way is a very crude vital energy cultivation method? There is nothing special about it. It also comes from the Zhao lands. Cultivation of this method as a person of Qin means you will not receive any benefit, and will be disliked by many important people. As to this Wild Fire Sword, it is a very complicated and hard to master swordsmanship method without any considerable power. The forms are difficult to learn, and the vital energy needed is especially complicated ... the Green Vine Sword School also has this sword skill but none of my fellow disciples will choose this swordsmanship method.”

“You mean ... the cultivation method and this swordsmanship method I choose will be lacking if used together?” Ding Ning smiled and said.

Seeing Ding Ning still able to smile, Nangong Caishu’s expression turned frosty. “Not lacking, as worse as it can be. Since you are not like us, and is not limited in your time here, why do you not spend more time, and carefully go through the contents of every record here? You should know. Not every White Goat Cave disciple has a chance to enter the inner cave to choose at the start. Your starting point is higher than there, why do you not treasure it?”

Ding Ning looked intensely at her and asked softly, “But what does my choices have to do with you?”

Nangong Caishu stilled.

This did seem to have nothing to do with her.

She had followed him to see what his selections were, and only for her curiosity. Now, she was angry due to disappointment because she wanted to see a spectacular performance, but only saw a poor display.

But what did this have to do with her?

She and Ding Ning had only met once before today, and could not even be considered friends.

“How to cultivate is my matter. I know you want the best for me and I am grateful to you.” Ding Ning looked at her and said, “Also, different records are not the same for each person. I am certain these two are very suited to me.”

If anyone else said this to Nangong Caishu before beginning their cultivation, Nangong Caishu would feel this person was either arrogant or an idiot. Yet she recalled of Ding Ning’s confidence and performance at the gates, and saw Ding Ning’s calm and confident gaze. Nangong Caishu asked dazedly, “You are sure?”

“I am sure.”

Ding Ning nodded, and said sincerely and seriously, “Also, you should hurry and find what you need. You wasted precious time following me.”

Nangong Caishu still felt absurd but Ding Ning’s words of this having nothing to do with her took effect now.

Regardless of how absurd Ding Ning’s confidence appeared, there was nothing else as important as her cultivation problem at present.

She stopped speaking and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then she started to go through the records in the inner cave.

The other numerous Green Vine Sword School students were immersed in the cultivation experiences and knowledge. The library cave became silent once again with only the rustling of pages being turned.

Rays of bright light fell on Ding Ning’s body and landed on the ancient book spread in front of him.

He quickly forgot the surrounding world and threw himself into a completely new cultivation.

Today, White Goat Cave had given him countless surprises. This cultivation method, which had been disguised as common but was actually an ultimate treasure for those top sects, was a rare surprise and opportunity for him.

Even he wanted to know the magic of this method.

As he slowly thought, the explanations and diagrams on the pages appeared clearly in his mind, and then slowly connected, becoming clear and realistic.

He slowly closed his eyes.

The first step of cultivation was to see internally with one’s consciousness and feel the energies in the body.

Ordinary people had to spend a great amount of time to feel the energies in their bodies.

Yet the moment he closed his eyes, he completed the first step.

Under the control of his mental power, the energies inside him slowly moved through his body according to the pathways of the cultivation method, and moved towards his energy sea.

Different cultivation methods were like the strokes on different characters. The different pathways that energy took through the body would change differently in the body and produce different vital energy in the future.

This logic was not complicated. Any vital energy cultivation method was to use mental power to explore the mysteries of the body, and cultivation resulted from the magical transformations of the inner energies and the primal energies of the universe.

This novel process of transformation was filled with numerous unknown dangers.

Time slowly flowed by.

Night descended on White Goat Gorge.

A White Goat Cave student delivering meals was walking over the rope bridge to Library Cave.

Nangong Caishu and the numerous Green Vine Sword School students were completely immersed, forgetting the time as they slowed the pace of turning pages.

Suddenly, Nangong Caishu and the Green Vine Sword School students felt a wisp of wind.

This breeze was weak, yet the air of the library cave was so still that this week breeze was an abnormality to cultivators like them. They became wary.

Nangong Caishu instinctively raised her head. Her breathing paused slightly out of natural nervousness.

She found this breeze came from Ding Ning.

Ding Ning’s body seemed to have a place where a wave suddenly rushed into an empty place and forced out the air from the empty place.

That was the source of the breeze.

She was puzzled for a moment.

But in the next moment, she saw multicolored light appear and flash under Ding Ning which had not been there before.

She remembered when she started cultivation and when her fellow disciples had a successful breakthrough to open their energy seas and formally become realm one third-class cultivators.

Internal vision, feeling the energies, and opening the energy sea!

The words appeared in her mind. Then her body was overtaken by shock as she started to tremble uncontrollably.

The other Green Vine Sword School students also realized what was happening and their bodies trembled as well. They had even worse expressions than Nangong Caishu, their faces snowy white, their mouths open like fish suffocating on land, unable to breathe.

How long had they taken to open the energy sea and reached the first realm of Profound Understanding to become a true cultivator?

The fastest among them had used seven whole months!

From picking cultivation methods to starting to study, to opening the energy sea ... this wine shop youth from Falling Parasol only used half a day!

Profound Understanding in a half day!

The White Goat Cave student who was delivering food here was Ye Ming who had been responsible for welcoming Ding Ning at the gates earlier. He was holding the meal boxes. Before he stepped into the stone building outside the library cave, he saw Li Daoji walk out with a pale face, and then slide by him without even a glance.

Ye Ming found it strange. He wondered what was going on with Sect Uncle Li Daoji. While as stoic as usual, he did not seem as imposing and cold as usual.

Li Daoji quickly walked across the rope bridge, his body flashing in the night past white clouds, to land on the highest platform outside the small temple.

He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, “That youth has already chosen a cultivation method and swordsmanship style.”

Xue Wangxu, who had been sitting inside the cave as though he was asleep, opened his eyes immediately. His eyes were bright. “What did he choose?”

Li Daoji said, “The Explanation of the Spirit Source Way and the Wildfire Sword Manual.”

Xue Wangxu stilled and instinctively reached out to touch the teapot on the stone table next to him. He murmured, “This is not good, they are not suited at all .. no wonder you are trembling in anger.”

Li Daoji slowly raised his head and gathered his energy to say, “Not in anger, because he has already reached Profound Understanding .. he just entered realm one, and opened his energy sea.”

“What did you say?”

Xue Wangxu’s hand shook and he almost smashed the teapot.

Li Daoji took a deep breath, looked at him and repeated seriously. “Profound Understanding in half a day.”

Translator Ramblings: Ding Ning is not very friendly at all.