I Can Copy the Talents of All Creatures

First, he’d mastered the Sword Nurturing Skill. Then, a "master’s wife" he never knew he had suddenly appeared—and she was the owner of the Aurora Martial Arts Hall. On top of that, his usually stern and severe teacher, Mr. Yan, was acting like a completely different person. Now, it seemed his own martial path was about to be planned out for him. It was all a bit too sudden.

Yu Fei fell silent for a moment before asking, "Can you tell me why?"

It wasn’t that he was suspicious, but this sudden, intense display of goodwill felt unsettling.

Yan Sea waved his hand, his words evasive.

"You don’t need to worry about any of that. For now, just focus on your cultivation..."

"Stop!" Su Yue cut him off before he could finish.

"What era are we in? Still playing the cryptic act? Your entire future is practically riding on Yu Fei, yet you’re not willing to tell him the truth. Go stand over there. I’ll explain."

Su Yue assertively pushed Yan Sea out the door. She then retrieved a tea set from a cabinet in the Kuaidou Training Chamber, her movements graceful and concise.

’This impromptu master’s wife of his definitely came from a prominent background,’ Yu Fei thought. ’That kind of aura can only be cultivated through real power.’ Standing next to Yan Sea, they looked like they were from two completely different worlds.

Soon, a cup of fragrant, warm tea was placed before him. He accepted it with both hands.

"You’re aware that the Cyan Lotus Sword you hold is the last of its kind, aren’t you?"

Yu Fei nodded. "I am."

Su Yue continued in a gentle voice, "Yan Sea’s master passed away many years ago. Before his death, he gave Yan Sea a mission: to ensure the Jie Sword lineage was passed on." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"For various reasons, the Jie Sword technique was lost. You are its last and only hope. If you fail, the Jie Sword will exist only in history books.

Your teacher was once an expert at Gang Qi Perfection. Due to certain events, his Dantian was injured, and his cultivation has been stuck at the third realm ever since. However, that part is manageable. I have a way to heal his Dantian injury; restoring his strength isn’t an issue.

Once his injuries heal, his body will naturally attempt to break through to the Grandmaster Realm. The problem is, Yan Sea’s state of mind is flawed. If he tries to force a breakthrough, he will most likely fail.

Furthermore, his Dantian injury can’t be left any longer. It’s been too long, and it could now flare up at any moment."

Su Yue paused here, giving Yu Fei time to process the information.

Yu Fei sank into thought. The information from Su Yue explained a question that had long puzzled him.

’The thing I could never understand was why Mr. Yan, a disciple of an eighth-realm Grandmaster, was only at the third realm himself. Why would he spend all his years teaching at No. 2 High, always wearing such a heavy expression?’

Thinking of this, Yu Fei asked tentatively, "Could it be that the flaw in Mr. Yan’s state of mind is related to the loss of the Jie Sword?"

Su Yue nodded. ’This kid is sharp,’ she thought.

"Yes. The loss of the Jie Sword is the very thing that has been tormenting Yan Sea. Now, he sees hope in you. You have considerable talent, and your compatibility with the Cultivation Technique is extremely high."

After a moment’s thought, Su Yue shared another piece of information.

"I’m also at the Gang Qi Perfection Realm," she said. "And my state of mind is also flawed."

Yu Fei looked up in surprise. "Is your flawed state of mind also because of the Jie Sword lineage?"

Su Yue smiled. "Not quite. Years ago, after your master and I were engaged, he left without a word over some incident. I was heartbroken. All these years, my pining has become an illness, preventing my spirit from becoming whole.

So, your teacher’s well-being doesn’t just concern my happiness for the rest of my life; it’s also tied directly to my own martial path."

"Ah... this..."

This was beyond ridiculous. Yu Fei was bursting with things to say but didn’t know where to even start.

"Damn it!"

He stared at Su Yue and asked seriously, "So, you’re saying that if I can successfully cultivate the Jie Sword and establish my foundation, Mr. Yan will break through to become a Grandmaster, and you’ll be able to break through as well?"

Su Yue nodded. "That’s right."

"And what if I fail?"

Su Yue set down her teacup, her expression turning grave. "Your teacher, Yan Sea, will die. I will be trapped in the Gang Qi Realm for the rest of my life. And I will likely waste away from lovesickness and die a miserable death."

Yu Fei felt an immense weight crash down on him. He couldn’t help but say, "Shouldn’t you have kept something like this from me? Now that you’ve told me, I’m even more stressed! I’m just a first-realm Martial Artist. How am I supposed to carry the futures of two potential Grandmasters on my shoulders?"

Su Yue smiled, then her expression became serious again. "It’s true that this information might hinder your cultivation. It could also motivate you to push even harder. But I would much rather you know exactly what you’re doing."

"Why is that?"

Yu Fei asked, confused.

Su Yue explained, "Yan Sea is too weighed down by his emotions; he’s overlooked a few things. If you were to cultivate in ignorance and fail, Yan Sea and I would lose all hope and face the worst possible outcome.

You are exceptionally talented. You might even become a Grandmaster one day. If that day comes, and you look back on this whole affair, it could very well become a flaw in your own spirit. Objectively, you owe Yan Sea a great debt of gratitude. This creates a karmic bond."

Yu Fei only half-understood. He had no concept of what a Grandmaster breakthrough entailed. After a moment, he asked, "But it doesn’t seem to make a difference whether I know or not. Like you said, Mr. Yan has helped me so much. If something unfortunate were to happen because of me, I’d still develop a spiritual flaw, wouldn’t I?"

Su Yue shook her head. "It’s different."

She went on to explain, "The state of one’s spirit is a difficult thing to define. It’s related to a person’s personality and life experiences, but there are certain patterns.

Normally, if a Martial Artist gives something their absolute all, even if the result is failure, it’s unlikely to become a lingering obsession. But if they give up for personal reasons and it leads to a terrible outcome, then it will almost certainly become an obsession that plagues their state of mind.

Yan Sea and I are both exceptions to this rule."

After a pause, Su Yue continued, "I was worried that, due to suspicion or doubt, you wouldn’t be able to devote yourself fully to your cultivation. If you were to fail under those circumstances, it could become a future obstacle for you."

Yu Fei was touched. This was their first meeting, yet she was already considering his future with such care. ’I have to train even harder now,’ he thought.

"Yu Fei, whether it’s Yan Sea or myself, we are fundamentally the ones asking something of you. So don’t feel burdened by the cultivation resources. Think of them as a fair exchange. You don’t owe us anything. In fact, it is you who are doing us a favor."

"Ma’am, you’re being too kind. Without Mr. Yan’s support, I never could have come this far so quickly."

Su Yue lifted her teacup, took a delicate sip, and smiled. "While that may be true, you are already a prodigious Martial Artist. You have many options for your future. There are plenty of Cultivation Techniques in the world today that are more powerful than the Jie Sword.

You chose the Jie Sword; the Jie Sword did not choose you. I want you to remember that. So don’t feel uneasy about the help we provide. You’ve earned it."

Yu Fei didn’t comment. Su Yue didn’t know his true situation. Mr. Yan’s greatest help had been the three Vitality Elixirs he’d given him at the very beginning of his cultivation. They had allowed him to quickly break through the Skin Tempering stage, giving him the chance to participate in the Y City Junior Martial Arts Tournament. That was where he had obtained more Vitality Elixirs and a purple-grade talent, which was the real reason for his rapid progress.

Otherwise, he might still be considered pretty good at No. 2 High, but he would be no match for Ye Feng, let alone have obtained a red-grade talent. ’Of course, it’s best that I’m the only one who knows all this.’

At this thought, Yu Fei let out a hearty laugh. "Ma’am, don’t you worry. I’ll definitely succeed. When that day comes, my teacher and his wife will both be Grandmasters, and I’ll have two Grandmasters watching my back. Just thinking about it makes me happy!"

"Excellent! I’m looking forward to it!"