Chapter 412: The Truth

Sun Chu aimed at her target through a gap in the fabric of her hood, pulled the trigger of her crossbow, and shot a bolt that struck a Liao horse in the hind leg.

The Liao horse reared up, but its hind legs gave way, causing it to crash heavily to the ground.

Sun Chu immediately burst out from her hiding place behind an earthen mound and slew the fallen Liao soldier with a few swift strokes of her saber. When she wiped the blood and dirt from her face and looked around, she saw that the large force of Liao cavalry besieging them were retreating, while cheers rang out across the battlefield.

Before she had even recovered from her latest fight, her squad leader found her and gave her a once-over. He then asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No!”

“Good. Fortune is smiling upon you today! Head back to your quarters, pack your things, and go to Qingming. If you manage to attain a Dao Foundation during your stay there, you’ll be the same rank as me when you return.”

Sun Chu felt somewhat dazed even after she had boarded the flying vessel and looked at the 5,000 comrades traveling with her.

She had once just been an ordinary Dao Soldier of the Palace of Absolute Beginning. It took her years of battle to finally reach perfection in the Body-tempering stage. However, she had never once dared to dream of attaining a Dao Foundation. Years ago, the high cultivators of the Palace had already assessed her innate foundation and fortune and declared that she had no hope of attaining a Dao Foundation in this lifetime.

However, she had a father, an older brother, and a large extended family to support. As the most gifted person in her family, she chose to become a Dao Soldier and took to the battlefield.

Fighting for the Palace of Absolute Beginning not only allowed her to support her whole family but also secured a chance at a brighter future for the future generations. Should she die in battle, the compensation would be so generous that her family would never have to worry about their livelihood for the rest of their lives.

After several days of travel, the flying vessel arrived at the Realm of Qingming. Sun Chu disembarked with the other Dao Soldiers and was immediately dragged down into the mines to temper her Dao heart.

Even after someone shoved a tool into her hands, Sun Chu still felt a bit dazed. No matter what, she couldn’t fathom how mining could possibly help her refine her Dao heart. That said, years of battle had instilled in her a habit of absolute obedience to orders, so she took the tools and focused on digging.

As she dug, she sensed that this mine was somewhat different from the ones she knew.

The mine tunnels here were exceptionally wide, and the support structures had been built with meticulous precision. From time to time, Dao Foundation stage cultivators would patrol back and forth, carefully recording everything along the way. On one occasion, a Dao Foundation stage cultivator stood behind Sun Chu for nearly an hour, recording non-stop. Sun Chu even suspected that he was recording everything from how high she raised her pickaxe to the exact path she was digging.

There was no sun or moon in the underground. After working continuously for ten or twelve hours straight, she was so exhausted that her thoughts had grown sluggish. Just then, a bell rang, and another group of people arrived underground to relieve Sun Chu and her fellow Dao Soldiers.

During the handover, Sun Chu noticed that the newcomers were dressed quite lavishly. Some of their garments looked so expensive she dared not even imagine their value. These people were clearly either wealthy or noble. She would not be surprised if they hailed from a noble clan; maybe even a distinguished one.

Why were these people also mining underground? Could it be that this mine truly possessed some sort of mystical power? Perhaps mining here for an extended period could elevate one’s mental state?

When she returned to the surface, she noticed that the sky was just beginning to lighten. It was already early morning.

The Dao Soldiers were led to the mess hall, where a meal had already been prepared for them. After breakfast, a cultivator escorted Sun Chu and the others to the nearby barracks to rest. Every day, they were allowed two full hours to sleep.

The barracks consisted of large communal bunks arranged in three tiers, with no separation between men and women. Before entering the barracks, a cultivator cast the Clothing Purification Spell on them before allowing them to go inside and rest.

None of the Dao Soldiers complained and slept fully clothed. On the battlefield, the conditions were far harsher. Qingming’s barracks were also brimming with spirit qi, and the food they were served consisted of spirit rice and spirit vegetables. In the northern mountain gate, it was only possible to eat a spirit meal once every three to five days. There literally was no reason to complain.

By this point, Sun Chu was utterly exhausted. She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Just as she drifted off, she suddenly stood up and found herself in another world.

A cultivator approached, holding a name list, and asked, “Dao Soldier Sun Chu?”

“That’s me.”

“All right, follow me.”

Soon, Sun Chu was led to a great hall. Inside, over a 100 tables and chairs were arranged neatly, many of which were already occupied. Everyone was busy with their own tasks, and the entire hall was deathly quiet.

The cultivator led Sun Chu to an empty seat, told her to sit down, and then placed a stack of jade paper in front of her. He instructed her to transcribe the materials.

The distributed materials covered a wide range of topics—here were historical texts, medical scriptures, pill scriptures, records of material properties, and so on. Although she knew nothing about these subjects, for some reason, she couldn’t help but ponder them as she transcribed. Naturally, this made the task unusually taxing.

Two hours passed, and Sun Chu had only finished transcribing less than half of the materials. A bell chimed, and she woke up.

Sun Chu opened her eyes to find herself lying in her barracks, yet the events of her dream were so vivid they didn’t feel like a dream at all. Having spent the entire sleep transcribing texts, her mind was utterly exhausted, but her body had indeed slept soundly, and her stamina had returned to its peak.

The other Dao Soldiers were more or less in the same state as her, each brimming with physical energy yet mentally drained.

After getting up, the Dao Soldiers descended into the mines once more and dug for another twelve hours straight, utterly exhausted. Then came mealtime, followed by a return to their quarters to rest. Sun Chu, physically and mentally exhausted at this point, fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

The moment she closed her eyes, she found herself back in that strange world.

The cultivator from the previous day arrived again, still holding a name list. He summoned her and several hundred other Dao Soldiers to a quarry and taught them a mental method. He picked up a stone, rubbed it casually a few times, and instantly transformed it into a guardless[1] flying sword.

“This is a sample. I’ve already told you the manufacturing method and all the technical data, so just follow the sample. Once you’ve crafted a qualified flying sword, place it on that rack over there. Today’s session for tempering your mental state will last two hours. All right, let’s begin!”

Sun Chu picked up a stone and, following the mental method she was taught, tried to infuse it with the true intent of the sword. Then, she adjusted its shape. Unfortunately, the flying sword turned out crooked and misshapen. After repeated adjustments and a full incense stick later, she finally crafted her first qualified flying sword. Her fellow Dao Soldiers were making progress at a similar pace.

Just then, the cultivator led in another group of people. Sun Chu recognized several of them as the clan scions who had been mining alongside her. They, too, were taught how to craft a flying sword before joining in on the work.

Sun Chu gradually became more proficient over time. By the time the bell rang, she had already made seven flying swords.

Sun Chu opened her eyes and found herself still lying in bed. The events of that dream felt as real as life. She struggled to her feet and let out an involuntary yawn—crafting flying swords in a dream was no easy task at all.

Qingming’s cultivators came in to wake everyone up. It was followed by the usual routine of eating and heading down into the mine. Days passed one after another, and before they knew it, a month had gone by.

It wasn’t until then that someone led Sun Chu and the others out of the mine, had them bathe and change into fresh clothes, and prepared them to attempt forging their Dao Foundation.

Sun Chu felt puzzled. Has it started already? But I haven’t made any preparations at all.

Upon arriving at the drill grounds, Sun Chu met some of the other Dao Soldiers who had come with her. As they chatted, she learned that her comrades had spent the past month honing their mental state in the spirit fields and experiencing the wonders of all things sprouting to life. In their sleep, they would enter a strange world to forge flying swords.

When everyone had gathered and the materials for forging a Dao Foundation was distributed, Sun Chu suddenly realized the Dao Foundation she was about to forge was none other than the very flying sword she had been crafting every night!

After familiarizing herself with the materials, a wondrous power suddenly descended upon her, and Sun Chu actually sensed her own Dao Foundation. Moments later, Life is a Flash faded away, yet Sun Chu remained immersed in the wonderful sensation she had just experienced. In that instant, she successfully forged six flying swords.

Life is a Flash would activate twice more in this manner. After that, the forging process officially began.

Sun Chu had worked tirelessly day and night for a whole month. She had become extremely familiar with the flying swords as a matter of course. In the end, she successfully forged her Dao Foundation—a total of five flying swords.

After forging her Dao Foundation, it was time to return to the northern mountain gate. Of the 5,000 Body-tempering stage cultivators who had arrived, 1,000 had become Dao Foundation stage cultivators.

Although the vast majority of them had forged only the most ordinary flying sword as their Dao Foundations, after receiving training in their use, Sun Chu already knew that this was a Dao Foundation with formidable practical combat capabilities. It was ideal for the battlefield.

The flying vessel slowly rose into the air, heading back north. Standing at the ship’s rail, Sun Chu watched as the magnificent realm below gradually grew smaller until it vanished from sight. The past month had felt like a dream.

Yet a question lingered deep in her heart, one she dared not voice to anyone. After all, the one presiding over Qingming was the Palace’s most outstanding disciple in the past century and a phenomenal genius who had formed an Avatar before the age of eighteen. Who was she, a lowly Dao Soldier, to question him?

But the question continued to haunt her like a ghost, and she couldn't help but wonder: Had that month she spent underground truly been about honing her mental state, or had it simply been mining?

1. The sword guard. ☜