Chapter 97 - 42: I Am Winter, Winter Is Me

Chapter 97: Chapter 42: I Am Winter, Winter Is Me

While Di Chuan buried himself in his harsh cultivation and Wu Shan rushed about with his duties, Jiang Xuan submerged his entire Heart Spirit into comprehending the Frosty Winter’s Intent within his body.

The process... was unexpectedly smooth.

The Power of the Cold Winter, and the death and annihilation it brought, was the purest form of the Power of Heaven and Earth. And the Three Purification Mantra・True Communication was a ritualistic Secret Technique specifically designed to purify the Dharma Body and channel that very power.

With this ability, coupled with the assistance of his Clear Heart Swordsman class and [Heart·Sincerity (Sword)], Jiang Xuan felt himself gradually merge with the Ice Cold Power inside him until they were one and the same.

"I am the winter, and the winter is me!"

Through this profound resonance, that very night, Jiang Xuan opened the door to the first form of the Guicang Annihilation Sword Scripture: Winter Solstice.

[Winter Solstice: First Sword of Guicang Annihilation]

[Realm: First Realm - Introduction (19/900)]

[Traits: Winter is Coming]

After reaching the Introduction stage, his progress in this Cultivation Technique became even more rapid.

For Jiang Xuan, who was completely immersed in his training, the notifications that sounded in the depths of his sea of consciousness were never for a paltry +1 or +2. Instead, they were:

[You looked inward with the Mirror of Clarity and felt the chill within your body. With the bonuses from the Three Purification Mantra・True Communication and Heart Sincerity・Sword, your Guicang Jie Mie Sword experience has increased by 7.]

[You have resonated deeply with the Ice Cold Power of the Cold Winter. Your Guicang Jie Mie Sword experience has increased by 13.]

[Your Clear Heart Swordsman class experience has increased by 7.]

[DING! System Notification: You have comprehended a faint Frosty Winter Dao Rhyme. Your Sword of the Spirit can now be imbued with the Power of the Cold Winter. When it strikes an enemy, your Sword of the Spirit will use the Ice Cold Power to erode the enemy’s Heart Soul.]

With numerous abilities that enhanced his Comprehension stacked one on top of another, Jiang Xuan’s Talent for Winter Solstice and Swordsmanship made him a genius beyond question. His progress advanced by leaps and bounds.

’I remember that all Cultivation Techniques, Techniques, and Swordsmanship undergo a transformation upon reaching the Third Realm. I wonder what the effect for Minor Success in Frosty Winter’s Intent will be.’

Because his progress was so tangible, Jiang Xuan became even more motivated to comprehend the Frosty Winter’s Intent.

But for all the good news, there was also something less optimistic for Jiang Xuan.

His body was in a constant state of being eroded by the cold. Even though his Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique could achieve the Circulation of Heaven and Earth, the amount of Magical Power he could refine was greatly reduced.

"Practicing a Cultivation Technique and a regular Technique at the same time really is difficult."

It was like his past life, where it was rare for someone to achieve Mastery in both theoretical and practical science.

But Jiang Xuan had to cultivate both the Cultivation Technique and the regular Technique. As an Inner Sect Disciple, the face and pillar of a Dharma Vein, Jiang Xuan had to be proficient in everything. Only then could he support a Dharma Vein, help it maintain its position within the fiercely competitive Shenxiao Sect, and perhaps even elevate it to a higher level.

This was also why the major Dharma Veins only accepted geniuses into their Inner Sect—only prodigies could shoulder the future of a sect and a lineage.

As for the other Outer Disciples, they were all merely servants to the prodigies, Elders, and the Sect Leader.

...

Weighed down by the cold, Jiang Xuan cultivated until eleven o’clock that night but only managed to open six acupoints.

His only consolation was that, tempered by the Power of the Cold Winter, the Magical Power he condensed was purer, and the acupoints he nurtured were exceptionally resilient. Not only could they accommodate more Magical Power, but this also brought a long-term benefit.

’In the future, when I switch to cultivating the Forest Spirit Scripture, I will condense a Spirit Seed. This Spirit Seed will be the manifestation of my Dao and can be called a Dao Seed.’

’Since it is a seed, it will naturally sprout branches and leaves like a great tree.’

’And the final Grade of Spirit Wood it can grow into will be entirely determined by my comprehension of Dao Rhyme, the foundation of my Flesh Body, and the purity of my Magical Power.’

’The Grades of Spirit Wood can be worlds apart. Some can transform into a Divine Wood after a single Death Tribulation, while others will only possess weak abilities—and the quality of one’s Spiritual Acupoints is one of the key factors that determines the Spirit Wood’s Grade.’

’Trading cultivation speed for future potential... I can accept that.’

That night, his Heart Spirit drained by the cold, Jiang Xuan didn’t go home.

Because of this, Xia He even sent an Outer Disciple to deliver a message to Jiang Xuan’s mother, letting her know he wouldn’t be returning.

From then on, Jiang Xuan settled down in Huangni Village.

Over the next few days, his cultivation gradually fell into a routine.

Every morning, he would hold a Feast Ceremony and consume a large amount of Spirit Fruits and vegetables.

Afterward, he would quietly comprehend the Frosty Winter Cold while letting his Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique run on its own to refine Magical Power.

At noon, after another Feast Ceremony, Jiang Xuan would once again consume a large amount of Spirit Fruits. But after eating his fill, he wouldn’t immediately spend the afternoon in Meditation.

During his free time in the afternoon, he would go to the Four Seasons Valley’s Scripture Pavilion to read the books within.

This was both to prepare for becoming a Scripture Profound Daoist and to expand his own experience and knowledge base.

To Jiang Xuan’s surprise, studying the scriptures not only didn’t hinder his Swordsmanship practice, but actually caused his progress in Winter Solstice to advance by leaps and bounds.

[You have read the cultivation notes of the seventh Valley Master of Four Seasons Valley. Your understanding of Winter Solstice has deepened. Your Winter is Coming experience has increased by 72.]

[You have perused the Four Seasons Reincarnation Technique Fragment left by the previous Valley Master. Your understanding of the ’Winter’s Concealment’ realm has deepened. Your Winter Solstice experience has increased by 83.]

[You have studied the Explanation of the 72 Phenomena of the Lunar Calendar・Winter Solstice Chapter. You have gained some comprehension of the Dao Rhyme of the three phenomena of the Winter Solstice. Your Winter is Coming experience has increased by 52.]

[...]

"Reading is actually faster than comprehending things on my own... So it’s true what they say: books hold houses of gold and beauties of jade. The ancients truly did not lie."

Lost in his thoughts, Jiang Xuan didn’t notice that Zhou Qing, who had specially taken the time to bring him some melons and fruits to quench his thirst and satisfy his cravings, had overheard his sigh. Zhou Qing’s expression immediately became incredibly complex and strange.

’Can reading the notes of predecessors really increase one’s cultivation progress?’

’Of course, it’s possible. If it weren’t, the Four Seasons Valley Scripture Pavilion wouldn’t have collected so many cultivation insights from the past.’

’But is it an easy thing to do? Of course not!’

’To gain anything from the cultivation insights of predecessors, you have to truly absorb the text and possess the ability to analyze and discern. Only then can you extract the parts that are beneficial to you from the vast amount of information.’

’High Comprehension alone isn’t enough.’

Jiang Xuan was able to do this because the Three Purification Spell gave him Spiritual Clarity, and [Heart·Sincerity (Sword)] cleared his mind of distracting thoughts. More importantly, the scientific education from his past life had taught him logical reasoning, how to summarize and make deductions, and how to cross-reference information and apply it to himself.

With all this, he could finish reading a journal in one or two hours, grasp its core concepts, and extract the insights that best fit his own Dao of the Cold Winter. For anyone else, fully understanding one book in three days would already be considered a sign of outstanding Comprehension.

’Is... this what a true genius is like?’

Because he was completely engrossed in the book, Jiang Xuan was utterly oblivious to Zhou Qing’s arrival and his complicated expression.

Afterward, discovering that studying the works of his predecessors yielded far greater progress than meditating alone, Jiang Xuan simply began spending the better part of each day engrossed in research at the Scripture Pavilion.

Of course, Jiang Xuan understood the principle that knowledge and action must be one, so he didn’t neglect his morning habit of comprehending his own state.

These fulfilling and fruitful days of cultivation left Jiang Xuan quite satisfied.

The only hardship was that every two or three days, Granny Lan would sink him to the bottom of the Winter Lake, forcing him to experience a near-death situation once more and allowing the slightly weakened icy intent to undergo Solidification again.

’No wonder Granny Lan said from the very beginning that practicing this Cultivation Technique was just asking for suffering. She wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.’

Fortunately, Jiang Xuan was not alone in his cultivation. Every time he was sunk in the lake, Di Chuan would be by his side. Sometimes, Xia He would be thrown into the lake as well.

During the breaks in his cultivation, Jiang Xuan was able to go home. But the first time he returned, something happened that left him with mixed feelings and utterly speechless.

It was the third day after Jiang Xuan had gone to Four Seasons Valley. Wanting to keep his mother from worrying, he had specially made time to go home.

But as soon as he reached his front door, his steps halted, and he froze on the spot.

"This is my house?"

It was no wonder he reacted that way. He never expected his family’s simple farmhouse courtyard to be completely renovated and expanded. The current residence was the size of a small manor and exuded elegance and refinement from every corner.

Before he could come to his senses, an even more bewildering scene unfolded.

"The young master is back."

"Huh?!"