The Glory of the Tribe

Chapter 24

Jiang Xuan closed his eyes, savoring the sensation he had just experienced, feeling the space around him, feeling the wind... Completely focused, Jiang Xuan swung his blade again. He vanished from his original position, and the blade's aura was everywhere—both real and illusory, indistinguishable from one another. It could be said that it was all false, yet it was all true! Because it was so fast and terrifying!

Dozens of large trees were cut down, turned into even smaller pieces of firewood.

"It requires complete concentration and total mental focus to unleash this move. Once it is performed, you enter a subtle state where you feel fused with the heavens and earth. It's as though you are everywhere—wherever your thoughts go, the blade follows. This is the limit of thought..."

Jiang Xuan’s figure materialized in front of the transmission stone, his image merging with the afterimages. He looked at the blade in his hand, becoming increasingly excited—not just because he had mastered the strongest move of Chasing Wind Blade, but because it was the first time he had felt as though he was merging with the heavens and earth.

This realization made him understand that he had touched a higher realm of technique.

It also made him feel his own insignificance.

It was a heart-shattering insight.

"Senior, are you there? Senior, I’ve mastered it! Senior!"

Jiang Xuan wanted to immediately share this good news with the "Mysterious Stone Senior," but there was no response.

Clearly, the senior was not present at the moment.

"Continue! Don’t slack off! While I can’t master it completely in the short term, I must solidify this feeling!" Jiang Xuan began to practice his blade again.

After a while, he was forced to stop.

Standing in front of the transmission stone, covered in sweat, breathing heavily, his face pale and his breath weak, Jiang Xuan realized, "In such a short time, my innate power is nearly depleted, and my meridians are showing signs of damage. The Chasing Wind Style is indeed terrifying! I’m not even at the congenital stage yet, forcing myself to use it has put too much strain on my body. If I weren’t cultivating Black Abyss Skill, I might already be injured."

This was the first time Jiang Xuan had experienced such a situation after practicing for so long in the back mountains.

But it wasn’t surprising. He was pushing beyond several realms to force out the Chasing Wind Style. If it weren’t for the miraculous Black Abyss Skill, it would be impossible for anyone at a half-step congenital level to use it this way.

The Chasing Wind Style was simply that terrifying.

Jiang Xuan took out a recovery pill, swallowed it, and sat cross-legged to recover his innate power. This recovery pill was provided by the tribe. Most of the cultivation resources in the Jiang tribe were being used by him alone. Although the resources were running low after the three-year life-and-death battle, there was still some foundation left.

One hour later.

Jiang Xuan had recovered enough and got up to continue practicing the blade.

Exhausted, recover, then practice again!

He kept going until late at night.

"Have you mastered it?" The transmission stone suddenly emitted the ethereal voice.@@@@

"Senior!" Jiang Xuan appeared in front of the stone, "I’ve mastered it! The Ninth Style!"

"Then I can rest easy. Just as I expected, you mastered it before the life-and-death battle. Now, you will have no opponent. Even the strongest congenital warrior of any tribe cannot resist this move of yours." The ethereal voice said.

"Since Senior says so, it must be true."

The ethereal voice poured cold water on his excitement, "Unlike the foundation of swordsmanship, the realm after entering the Dao of Technique is like building a high tower. You must take it step by step—first the unity of man and sword, then the power of heaven and man. The former is the foundation of the latter! The Ninth Style’s effect on you right now is merely to let you experience the sensation in advance..."

"Hmm..." Jiang Xuan mused.

"You’ve just comprehended the Ninth Style. Your path ahead is still long! There are no shortcuts in cultivation, only detours! Even if I were to teach you breathing techniques to improve your talent, it wouldn’t increase it—it would merely uncover the hidden talent you already have."

"Rest assured, Senior, I won’t become arrogant." Jiang Xuan understood the senior’s good intentions.

"Hmm." The ethereal voice replied, "But on the other hand, with the talent you’ve shown so far, if you reach complete congenital perfection and then master the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth styles of Chasing Wind Blade, the unity of man and sword will come naturally, and the power of heaven and man will follow naturally! It’s only a matter of time! It won’t be as difficult as your father’s journey!"

"The only real difficulty left is the final hurdle—the divine might of heaven and earth. That’s the true crossing of the chasm! If you can’t get past it, you cannot transcend!"

Jiang Xuan understood without needing the senior’s words.

In the thousand-year history of the Jiang tribe, only four people had transcended congenital. Apart from Jiang Zhengwu, known as the Sword Ancestor of Black Abyss Mountain, the other three had all mastered the Ninth Style before the age of twenty, but they had barely managed to break through at the ages of forty or fifty, and had made no further progress.

Jiang Zhengwu transcended congenital at only twenty-one years old.

On the morning of August 2nd, when Jiang Qinghong came to deliver food to Jiang Xuan, she found a large patch of open ground in the forest. Dozens of large trees had been felled, and the firewood had been stacked into a small hill.

"Is the practice area too small? Why are you chopping firewood?" Jiang Qinghong asked with a laugh.

"It’s just something I did while practicing the blade." Jiang Xuan sat down on the animal skin mat beside her. "Sister Qinghong, what’s for lunch today?"

"It’s all your favorites."

"Smells great!"

Jiang Qinghong’s meal routines had become fixed because of Jiang Xuan. The two of them started eating, chatting, laughing, and playfully teasing, just like usual.

But Jiang Xuan keenly noticed that Jiang Qinghong seemed to be lost in thought, occasionally distracted.

As soon as the meal finished, Jiang Xuan finally asked, "Sister Qinghong, what’s wrong? You seem distracted?"

Jiang Qinghong stopped packing the meal boxes, looked at Jiang Xuan, and blinked, not saying anything.

"What’s wrong?" Jiang Xuan asked again.

"Xuan..." Jiang Qinghong looked at him with those beautiful eyes. "Let’s get married."

Jiang Xuan froze, staring into her gaze. After several breaths, he nodded. "Okay, when?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, tonight it is!"