AI Cultivation: Reborn as a Sword

The only other places in the Galaxy Sword sect that one may depart from or arrive, flying on their sword, are the Palaces. Once they take off, they head toward the mountains in the north, toward the vast, gathering storm clouds.

Since they have arrived at the Palace, rain has begun to fall, and the wind was picking up force. Of course, as cultivators, neither wind nor rain, of this intensity, bothers them at all.

“Palace Master Qin, what is the Heavenly Sword Villa?” Lan Xiaohui asks after they fly for nearly half an hour in complete silence.

“First of all, outside of the sect, you may call me Lady Feixue, or Fairy Snow,” the woman says. “My surname is You. My ancestor, and the founder of the You clan, and the Galaxy Sword sect, was a sword cultivator from a distant place, and because he kept to himself and never revealed his name, the people of the rivers and the lakes gave him the title Secluded Sword, which has since become, also, the identity of our clan.”

Lan Xiaohui and Wu Yulan quietly listen to Lady Feixue share the story of her background and the truth behind the fake identity of ‘Elder Qin’. This is not the first time that Lan Xiaohui has come across someone from a powerful, hidden clan — Lady Yue being the primary culprit — but whether that is true for Wu Yulan as well is unknown to me. At the very least, my owner’s companion shows no surprise, but also very little interest.

“Lady Feixue, your ancestor also founded the Galaxy Sword sect?” Lan Xiaohui asks for clarification.

“Not directly,” Lady Feixue says. “The Galaxy Sword sect was founded as a proving ground to find those who are worthy of joining the Heavenly Sword Villa. The incomplete inheritances my ancestor left behind are, indeed, the test to find capable cultivators who are worthy enough to inherit the true teachings of my ancestor.”

Lan Xiaohui blinks. “I always thought it strange that the sect allows Inner Disciples to leave as they please, even giving them opportunities to learn sect inheritances. So it was like this. It was a test.”

“There is more to it — defending the region, gathering resources, cultivating relationships with foreign powers — but yes, its primary purpose is to find, select, and admit promising young talent into the Heavenly Sword Villa,” Lady Feixue explains.

Wu Yulan ponders. “Lady Feixue, could it be that you wish for us to join your Heavenly Sword Villa and carry the surname You? How will this help us in the Sky Continent Martial Conference?”

Lady Feixue shakes her head. “Practicing Heavenly Sword Villa’s true inheritances requires long periods of seclusion and meditation, and many of them require a cultivation that is at the peak of Nascent Soul Ascension, at the minimum. You are not yet qualified to become a part of it.”

“Then why are we heading there, Lady Feixue?” Lan Xiaohui asks.

“Hmph,” Lady Feixue scoffs. “You will understand soon enough. Tell me, have you ever heard of the three guardian clans of the Sky Continent?”

Both Lan Xiaohui and Wu Yulan shake their heads.

“The Heavenly Sword Villa is one such pillar of the continent. When you arrive, make sure to behave, otherwise, you won’t even live long enough to regret it,” Lady Feixue says. With those words, she retrieves a jade figurine of silver color and shaped like a sword. “Take this with you. Show it to the first person you meet, and if you are lucky, you will survive.”

With those words, Lady Feixue slows to a halt, prompting the other two to also slow down.

“You are not coming with us, Lady Feixue?” Wu Yulan asks.

The woman shakes her head. “This is as far as I will go. Continue heading in this direction for another hour or so. You shouldn’t have trouble finding it now that you know to look for it. Do not land under any circumstances. The weakest opponent here is in the late stage of Core Formation; the most common are in Nascent Soul Ascension. The difference between the two is like night and day.”

The two disciples wear conflicted expressions. They might even be beginning to regret this trip and I do not blame them. As much as Lady Feixue is forthcoming about her origins and their destination, the purpose of their visit still remains unclear. Not to mention that there is a significant risk that just arriving at their destination could lead to death. After all, this was a hidden clan. Would they take kindly to intruders?

“Remember, in three months, the sect rankings will close. You have until then.” Without further word, Lady Feixue turns about, and blasts off into the distance, back toward the Galaxy Sword sect.

Lan Xiaohui and Wu Yulan look at each other helplessly, both considering their path forward.

“What are you thinking right now, Xuelian?” Wu Yulan asks.

Lan Xiaohui shrugs. “I am not sure what to think,” she says, staring at the jade silver sword in the palm of her hand. “Is this really going to help us improve?”

Wu Yulan purses her lips, and then also shrugs. “It is a hidden clan, and a pillar of the continent, according to Elder Qin,” she says, using the name she is more familiar with. “Who knows what might wait for us there? But if you think about it, improving quickly is probably possible.”

Lan Xiaohui nods and looks in the direction of the Galaxy Sword sect.

“Are you worried about Yun Fei?” Wu Yulan asks.

Lan Xiaohui nods. “If we die, who will take care of her?” she asks. She speaks of death and dying as if it were the least of her concerns. Perhaps after experiencing death so many times in my Inner World, she has forgotten the value of her life.

“But if we don’t do anything, the result will be the same,” Wu Yulan says, and then looks in the direction of the mountains. “What do you want to do? Gamble on this Heavenly Sword Villa, or go back to Starsword Peak and practice in Yaoyue’s Inner World?”

Lan Xiaohui sighs. “There is no reason we cannot do both. Even if this Heavenly Sword Villa turns out to be useless, we can still practice in the Inner World. Either way, if we can cultivate Empty Moon Prana to the third or fourth layer, I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to compare to the best this continent has to offer.”

Wu Yulan smiles and nods. “Didn’t you also say that this continent is too small for us, anyway? If we cannot even achieve the first and second place in a simple Martial Conference, we should just go back home and become peasants instead.”

Lan Xiaohui laughs. “With Yaoyue around, we could become spirit farmers instead and live a luxurious life. What do you think, Yulan?”

Wu Yulan snorts and nods, still laughing as the both of them gradually begin increasing their speed toward the Heavenly Sword Villa. “I want to see which young master of Star City will still want to marry me when they see me covered in dirt!”

“I almost got married once,” Lan Xiaohui says with both a mix of self-ridicule and humor in her tone. “It almost cost me my life.”

Wu Yulan’s trilling laugh continues for several seconds as she slowly nods. “Mm, well, I suppose it’s not all that bad,” she says. “Whether we end up in the underworld, or farmers, as long as we can remain together, that is more than enough for me.”

Lan Xiaohui speeds up to come right beside Wu Yulan and smiles at her. “I agree,” she says. “Let’s go see this pillar of the continent.”