Borrowed Sword

Chapter 93: Sword Dao Prodigy, Peerless in the World

The bamboo house was a warm little home.

Han Shuangjiang busied herself with cooking, Xu Ziqing busied himself with washing clothes, while Chu Huaixu soaked in a wooden tub of hot water.

The water, naturally, had been heated by Little Xu.

The downpour outside had nearly stopped, but judging by the look of the sky, it was still best to dry the clothes indoors.

Chu Huaixu immersed himself in the hot water, his whole body utterly relaxed, as he slowly closed his eyes.

He began to plan for the days ahead.

“The Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition is approaching.”

“I’m still at the First Realm, Third Heaven. I need to hurry and raise my strength.”

“Realm advancement is just one part of it—skills must also be learned.”

The 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】 that Little Xu gave him—he definitely had to learn it.

This kind of Earth-rank technique stirred his heart greatly.

In the Scripture Pavilion, the prices of high-level techniques were extremely high, nearly on par with cultivation methods from the Fifth Realm onward.

Those widely acclaimed powerful techniques could even be slightly pricier.

“With my current sect contribution points, I can’t even afford Profound-rank techniques. I can only choose among Yellow-rank ones.”

“But for my current realm, Yellow-rank is actually sufficient.”

“Of course, Profound-rank would still be better.”

It was essentially a matter of cost-effectiveness.

With the same amount of Experience Points, one could potentially max out a Yellow-rank skill, while an Earth-rank one might only reach entry-level.

Moreover, the skills he needed to learn were not limited to sword techniques—there were also movement techniques, defensive arts, and others.

Therefore, Chu Huaixu had to learn how to make some trade-offs.

“At the First Realm, there’s no need to aim unrealistically high.”

“The sect generally doesn’t let disciples touch high-level techniques too early—it’s unhelpful to cultivation.”

Aside from that, Chu Huaixu had just checked the learning requirements of the 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】.

“Normally, the compulsory requirement for Earth-rank techniques is 【Comprehension 3】 in order to learn them.”

“Moreover, with 【Comprehension 3】, one can only learn a single Earth-rank technique.”

“But since this is a damaged version, 【Comprehension 2】 is enough.”

“After learning it, I won’t be able to learn any other Earth-rank technique. Even if my 【Comprehension】 rises to 3, it’ll be useless—I’d need to reach 4.”

“And most importantly, damn it, just for entry-level, it costs over ninety thousand Experience Points!”

Entry-level learning was the cheapest part—upgrading later consumed terrifying amounts of Experience Points, multiplying several times with each stage.

If 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】 required ninety thousand just for entry, he could hardly imagine what came after.

“But compared to that scam of a million-point 【Myriad Swords Converge】, this seems alright?” Chu Huaixu chuckled.

That so-called number one technique under heaven was truly a giant trap.

From the current situation, Chu Huaixu didn’t even have the qualifications to learn 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】.

But he wasn’t in a rush.

“What I should really focus on now is learning how to refine pills.”

“Once I officially become an alchemist, I’ll be able to test whether this 【Dao Birth One】 is really a fully automatic medicinal cauldron.”

“If it truly is, I can make a living refining pills—earning silver coins, gaining contribution points, and boosting cultivation by consuming them myself.”

He had already decided—tomorrow, he would go to the Scripture Pavilion.

His full attention would be on pill refinement—willingness to invest was the only way to reap rewards!

The sun was about to set, and the rain outside had finally stopped completely.

The three of them sat down at the table as usual for dinner, Xu Ziqing eating with a particularly good appetite.

After chewing on dry rations for so many days in the secret realm, he had long missed the delicious dishes made by Senior Sister Han.

The Big Ice Block sat to the side, watching the two gluttons wolfing down food, muttering inwardly: “Junior Brother Xu’s appetite seems to have grown a lot too?”

But upon recalling that both of them were on the Body Training path, she understood.

Some people’s eating capacity was small, just a few bites and they’d stop. Eating with such people could even ruin one’s appetite.

But with these two, their appetites were fully unleashed—even Han Shuangjiang found her own appetite improving, and she felt proud of her cooking.

After Chu Huaixu picked up a piece of meat, he raised his head and asked: “Senior Sister Han, did you buy a technique from the Scripture Pavilion?”

“Annoying, I told you not to call me Senior Sister!” she replied coldly.

Every time this dead fox called her that, she had a bad premonition.

Still, the Big Ice Block answered honestly: “That day after the Tenth Elder took you away, I went to the Scripture Pavilion and picked a sword technique.”

“A Yellow-rank one?” Chu Huaixu asked.

“Mm.” The Big Ice Block nodded. “Our thousand contribution points are rather awkward—enough to save some with Yellow-rank, but far from enough for Profound-rank. Even the cheapest was well out of reach.”

“Normal. Yellow-rank and Profound-rank are worlds apart—Yellow-rank is basic, while Profound-rank is advancement.” Chu Huaixu said this, then shifted the conversation, pressing further: “So how many contribution points do you still have left?”

“A bit over two hundred, nearly three hundred,” Han Shuangjiang replied.

Yellow-rank techniques were indeed cheap. Some powerful cultivators could even mass-produce them—merely beginner-level material.

But upon reaching Profound-rank, it was a true qualitative leap.

Chu Huaixu revealed his true intent: “Why don’t you lend them to me first?”

“Mm?” Han Shuangjiang, always money-minded, immediately raised her head.

“I’m preparing to learn pill refining. With my current contribution points, I can only afford the most basic pill refining art. I won’t even have enough for pill formulas and spirit herbs.” He gave a brief explanation.

The Little Housekeeper was always frugal and good at managing resources, but since it was Chu Huaixu asking, no matter how much of a miser she was, she agreed without hesitation.

“After all, these contribution points were exchanged using his Spirit Plate,” she thought.

“Mm, with this, it should be enough. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely pay you back soon. I’ll round it up for you—three hundred when I return it.” He sounded generous.

Xu Ziqing listened silently at the side, unable to interject.

He only hated his own weak cultivation. With so few ways to earn contribution points, he couldn’t share his senior brother’s burdens!

“Xu Ziqing, Xu Ziqing, you must work twice as hard on your cultivation!”

After dinner, Han Shuangjiang, no longer needing to clean the dishes herself, went back to her room to cultivate.

Her current routine was sword practice by day, cultivation method by night.

Chu Huaixu, meanwhile, was still digesting after overeating.

He glanced at Xu Ziqing, who was wiping the table, and struck up some casual conversation.

“Little Xu.”

“Eh! Senior Brother!”

“When you first got this 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】, you probably didn’t think it was a technique, right?”

Xu Ziqing kept wiping the table as he replied: “Mm, at first I thought it was some rather advanced martial art of the martial world.”

“But later, I found that no matter how I tried, I couldn’t truly learn it—I could only perform it as an empty form.”

After all, a youth was still a youth. Still wanting to prove himself a little, he added: “Senior Brother may not know, but I pick up martial world sword arts very quickly—especially sword techniques. I master them as soon as I learn them.”

“That was precisely why, in your family, people began to suspect this was actually a cultivator’s technique, wasn’t it?” Chu Huaixu said.

“Mm, that’s right.” Xu Ziqing’s eyes dimmed.

Seeing this, Chu Huaixu decided not to delve too deeply into the subject.

In truth, he clearly understood—this World Protagonist didn’t just master martial world sword arts at a glance; he could rapidly grasp any Sword Dao technique!

It was said that anything below Heaven-rank, he could master instantly.

As for Heaven-rank, it required only a short period of study—and just a short one at that.

Many players speculated that Xu Ziqing, one of the World Protagonists, was likely the legendary 【Comprehension 10】.

Though his Spirit Embryo Attribute was low, his comprehension defied the heavens!

“Only… before I transmigrated, it seemed he hadn’t managed to master 【Myriad Swords Converge】 either?” Chu Huaixu recalled.

As expected, 【Myriad Swords Converge】 was merely a brand-new scam from the Xuanhuang Realm!

At this moment, Chu Huaixu could tell that Little Xu, after all this, was starting to belittle himself somewhat.

He felt this would hinder the growth of a World Protagonist, so he deliberately gave him a chance to shine.

“Actually, you’re mistaken. This 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】 is, in all likelihood, a high-level technique. The fact that you could even learn its form is already no small feat.”

“And I suppose you mastered the form instantly, didn’t you?” he asked.

“Mm, I picked up the forms right away, but I couldn’t enter the true threshold no matter what. I even studied it for over a month straight, but it was all fruitless.” Xu Ziqing replied.

“Now that I know it’s a technique, I feel more at ease.” he said.

Without spiritual energy, naturally one could not enter its gates!

“Even just the form is fine. Little Xu, why don’t you show me a demonstration?” Chu Huaixu continued giving him the chance.

“Alright!” The refined youth responded at once.

Though he now seemed timid in daily life, he had once been a spirited youth.

When it came to displaying sword techniques to others, he had been accustomed to it since childhood.

It had always been his greatest pride.

His parents, too, had taken pride in it.

Xu Ziqing picked up a tree branch to substitute for a longsword. In the rain-washed courtyard, under the moonlight, he performed a sword display for Chu Huaixu.

And indeed, the moment he held the branch, his entire demeanor changed.

The refined youth, with his delicate, feminine features, had often been mistaken since childhood as a girl in disguise.

Yet once a sword was in his hand, his aura instantly sharpened!

He was born for the sword!

Chu Huaixu watched as he freely executed the forms in the courtyard, his movements flowing like clouds and water.

Each strike of the sword was clean and decisive.

“If not for that sudden misfortune, he would surely have become a famous young hero of the martial world,” Chu Huaixu thought.

After completing a full set of the 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】, Xu Ziqing’s right hand twitched faintly from time to time, though he forcibly suppressed the tremor.

The youth, unaware of the strong side effects of this technique, assumed it was simply because he had not entered the First Realm.

“Don’t hide it, I saw everything.” Chu Huaixu wasn’t surprised.

The youth felt a bit embarrassed, lowering his head slightly: “As expected, nothing can escape Senior Brother’s eyes.”

“Don’t use flattery on me.” Chu Huaixu ignored the praise, instead asking curiously: “Every time you practiced, this happened, and yet you forced yourself to train for a month?”

Xu Ziqing nodded, embarrassed: “At that time, I was stubborn. I refused to believe there was any martial world sword technique I couldn’t learn.”

Chu Huaixu thought to himself: “As expected, giving you the 《Sword Refining Art》 was the right choice—you really are innately gifted in this field!”

The refined youth lowered his head, looking at the branch in his hand, feeling somewhat ashamed.

“Senior Brother, back then, I didn’t know this was a cultivator’s technique. After a month of research, I started to think it wasn’t that I couldn’t learn it, but that there was something wrong with it.”

“There was even a particular part that felt especially awkward to use, so I randomly altered it a little.”

As he finished speaking, he casually swung a strike, then immediately adjusted it.

This scene was captured entirely by Chu Huaixu’s eyes.

The next moment, a system notification suddenly rang in his ears.

“【Ding! Congratulations, your technique 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】 has increased in completeness!】”

“【Current completeness: 86%.】”