Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 528 - 29: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Wang Jiu used the celestial divine sword’s body to blossom a cyan lotus, illuminating the entire assembly hall, plunging the room into silence; even Shang Miaoyu was momentarily speechless.

The Cyan Lotus Chapter of the Cyan Lotus Sword Manual, as a secret scripture key handed down from the Primordial Era, contains immortal techniques with such intricate depth that it surpasses the civilization of Xiangzhou by hundreds of years. In fact, before this, Shang Miaoyu and others did not take the Sect Leader’s talk of restoring the Sword Manual too seriously.

Because it was simply impossible; not even the Cyan Lotus Academy could do it, let alone the Saint Sect!

But now, looking at that vibrant and incomparably mystical cyan lotus... however much incredulity remained in their hearts, they could only accept reality.

The Cyan Lotus Chapter that should have been lost has been restored!

Shang Miaoyu looked at the cyan lotus, remaining silent for a long time.

Although there are many things one could say to forcefully argue, such as whether this cyan lotus was artificially restored or originated from elsewhere, or even if you can restore the Cyan Lotus Chapter, it doesn’t mean your judgment on other matters is accurate, and so on...

But Shang Miaoyu never stooped to such sophistry.

Although when it comes to arguing, she prides herself on not losing to anyone in eloquence, she bears the name Miaoyu, which brings the pride of a master of words. Resorting to verbal tricks to defeat her opponent would actually make her seem less justified.

Shang Miaoyu only speaks confidently when she has the moral high ground; if she cannot convince herself of her reasoning, she would rather keep silent.

And now, seeing the cyan lotus that Wang Jiu produced, Shang Miaoyu found it difficult to persuade herself to hastily question its authenticity, and after a long time, she let out a sigh.

"Your Sword Dao theoretical prowess is truly astonishing and worthy of admiration. Perhaps it is indeed our longstanding prejudice against the Cyan Lotus Sword Manual that has led to unfortunate outcomes. However, this prejudice is deeply rooted in the thousand-year history of the Cyan Lotus Academy, and attempting to reverse it in a short time is probably unrealistic."

Shang Miaoyu said, "On the contrary, after careful consideration, I think the people of Cyan Lotus would be even more opposed to the Cyan Lotus Sword Manual deep down. If we had not inherited this cultivation technique from the beginning, we wouldn’t have later rushed into ruins due to insufficient research, and there would be no conflicts with the Wuxiang Sword Academy from the start... Although this perception is somewhat extreme, it is human nature."

As soon as the words "human nature" were spoken, Zhao Chenlu couldn’t help but sneer.

Such self-indulgent human nature; although Shang Miaoyu didn’t directly resort to sophistry, her words were no different from sophistry.

If from the start we had not inherited the Sword Manual? Two thousand years ago, during the Dark Era, if a group of academy scholars couldn’t wield weapons to protect themselves, they wouldn’t have survived till now and would have been exterminated ten times over. The reason why the first Sect Leader of the Saint Sect favored the founders of the Three Academies and took them as trusted subordinates was mainly due to their ability to wield power in turbulent times, rather than any scholastic knowledge.

Two thousand years have passed, the era has become peaceful, and now you despise weapons stained with blood? It is clearly the weakness in the will of you later cultivators, yet you take it as an unshakeable historical law. Such shameless faces, it’s almost as if you consider yourselves the greatest beauties in the world!

Zhao Chenlu thought, as expected, I still prefer the Miaoyu who gets drunk. Next time, I’ll find a chance to feed her Eternal Intoxication Immortal Dew, so she can never wake from her drunkenness.

But now, the primary issue is how to counter her sophistry of human nature. When it comes to matters of the heart, the Celestial Divine Sword has a weak point, and in debating this with Shang Miaoyu, Wang Jiu might not be her match...

However, just as Zhao Chenlu was about to step forward, Wang Jiu shook his head and said, "Your understanding of human nature is equally flawed. Your fear of the Cyan Lotus Sword Manual stems from self-deception."

"Self-deception?" Shang Miaoyu said dismissively, "Your Sword Dao prowess is admirable, but this baseless accusation is rather disgraceful. When it comes to self-awareness, there are few who can compare to the cultivators of Cyan Lotus Academy. To maximize research efficiency, we constantly engage in self-reflection: have we overestimated our talents? Are we on the wrong research path? Are we wasting precious time?"

These words made the other elders present nod in agreement.

The saying "a gentleman reflects thrice a day" is a habit that the people of Cyan Lotus often take pride in—frequently reflecting and daring to negate oneself is also an essential quality for a researcher.

But in Wang Jiu’s view, this answer was even more absurd.

"The excessive overestimation of self-reflection is precisely a facet of self-deception," Wang Jiu said, "This is also a common human misconception. Because of reflecting, one becomes blindly confident in their self-perception..."

"Blindly lacking confidence is even more ridiculous. Self-reflection isn’t a cure-all, but it’s better to have reflected than not," Shang Miaoyu said. "At least our cultivators at Cyan Lotus reflect on themselves daily, but how many of those who enjoy wielding swords and flaunting force seriously reflect on their actions? You’ve repeatedly emphasized that we are deceiving ourselves; could you clarify precisely where we are doing so?"

Wang Jiu then said, "Your fear of the Sword Manual is fundamentally an inferiority complex. As you just mentioned, most academy cultivators, in their youth, were criticized or even ostracized for not being adept at physical combat, so this inferiority complex becomes even more deeply rooted..."

"Absolutely absurd!" Shang Miaoyu said emphatically, "Are you implying that the people of Cyan Lotus Academy are a bunch of failures who, not being able to succeed in combat, seek solace in literature!?"

Wang Jiu paused for a moment and said, "Correct, you are indeed seeking unrealistic solace through literature, thinking that reading more books makes you nobler than those who wield swords, and can wash away past humiliations. This inherent aversion to the Sword Dao sees it as a bane. Naturally, if it were simply a personal aversion to Sword Dao, that is just individual freedom, but to express aversion while being unable to eliminate the innate yearning in your hearts is truly a form of self-deception and quite laughable."

Hearing this, Shang Miaoyu couldn’t help but become somewhat irate because in Wang Jiu’s depiction, the image of the cultivators at Cyan Lotus Sword Academy was exceedingly despicable, entirely reduced to a band of jesters.

Beside him, Zhao Chenlu was utterly astonished.

Wang Jiu’s extremely aggressive statement was completely unlike him!

Anyone familiar with Wang Jiu knew that outside the battlefield, the Celestial Sword Spirit was extraordinarily gentle, rare in this world. Apart from his dedication to the Sword Dao, he usually went with the flow, showing great tolerance even for cohabiting with someone with a mild intellectual disability... Therefore, that aggressive statement should not have come from him at all.

Those words sounded more like the usual lines of another person.

Thinking of this, Zhao Chenlu’s face immediately darkened, gritting his teeth over an old friend who, despite having been dead for ten thousand years, still seemed to linger on.

Yet, he had to admit, the effect of those words was quite evident.

Filled with anger, Shang Miaoyu stood up directly and said, "If you’re only going to spout such unfounded nonsense, then don’t waste our time any further. Continuing this conversation will only lower my level."

Wang Jiu said, "Very well, let’s speak with facts instead."

After speaking, Wang Jiu raised the White Sword in his hand, and the pure white blade burst into dazzling light.

In the light, a magnificent and grand world was reflected.

That was the Sword World of the Celestial Divine Sword.

Not the new world swept clean after the Immortal Demon War, but the flourishing great world that existed when the Celestial Divine Sword descended upon Jiuzhou. Within the sword, there were thousands of palaces, billions of beings, and countless profound divine techniques.

As soon as the light emerged, the Assembly Hall fell into silence, with everyone’s eyes involuntarily drawn to the projection of the Sword World.

Even though it was just a virtual image reconstructed from Wang Jiu’s memory, the divine techniques and Dao contained within it far exceeded the level of today’s cultivators in Xiangzhou.

For the cultivators struggling in the Mountain-Overturning Realm and Sea Overturning Realm, the light emanating from the White Sword, the world reflected in that light, seemed like a bridge leading straight to the other shore, irresistibly drawing them in.

To a cultivator, all Daos must ultimately converge to one point.

Whether a Sword Cultivator, Magic Cultivator, or any other kind of cultivator, the ultimate goal is to transcend worldly concerns and ascend to the Immortal Realm. The so-called convergence of all methods to one is this principle.

People at the Academy immerse themselves in various theoretical studies, firmly believing in their hearts that only through study can they transcend, that only in books is truth contained. Even if it is impossible to reach the other shore in their lifetime, or even see the shadow of the other shore within a hundred or two hundred years, at least they are closer to the end than those Sword Cultivators who engage in constant fighting.

But now, a long sword, symbolizing slaughter, projects a near Immortal Realm-like scene before them.

The genuine shadow of the Immortal Realm.

For those adept in theoretical research, it is immediately clear whether this world is an empty fabrication or well-targeted. Pure imagination cannot construct such a complex, grand, and internally consistent virtual world. If this world objectively exists, it means that the truths contained in the Sword Dao have already far surpassed their understanding.

However, before they could indulge in this magnificent earthly paradise, the grand world began to operate with a rumble, the clear sky suddenly blanketed in blood-red, the air filled with a sense of impending battle, and every plant and tree seeming sharper by threefold. The original serene and natural atmosphere was entirely gone.

The great battle was about to begin.

The Sword World in times of war was full of sharpness, with every palace, every being, every divine technique changing and operating in response to the needs of war, collectively forming a force to send to the world above the clouds.

Throughout the process, there was no bloodshed nor carnage; the battlefield was completely isolated outside the Sword World. All that people saw was the silent operation inside the Sword World, yet the changes in divine techniques and the shift in Dao captivated the bookish Cyan Lotus Cultivators intensely. And as the battle outside the Sword World reached a fever pitch, the internal operation became ever more intense.

The cultivators couldn’t help but blush, their hearts racing.

And at that moment, Wang Jiu withdrew the White Sword, the brilliance emanating from the sword’s body ceasing abruptly.

Everyone displayed expressions of longing and loss, with some unwillingly questioning, "What happens next?"

Wang Jiu asked, "Interested in the Sword Dao?"