My Swordsmanship Has No Upper Limit

His Mental Realm had been disrupted, and after cultivating for an entire afternoon, Zhong Ming’s body was also utterly exhausted.

Seeing this, he decided to stop cultivating. He returned to the base of the tree and began to study the manuals for the Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step and the Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique.

Activating his Mind Reading ability and perusing the manuals, he finally understood how he had managed to achieve Initiation in both Cultivation Techniques without a teacher.

’The Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step... although Minor Achievement for this Cultivation Technique is Wave Treading Momentum, cultivating it to the Third Realm of Refinement will allow me to move like flowing water to dodge enemy attacks.’

’At its core, it’s a Stepping Technique.’

’And just now, during my cultivation, when heaven, man, and sword merged as one, I truly felt like a surging torrent of water. This perfectly aligns with the Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step, so its progress would naturally increase.’

[You have gained insight into the Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step. Cultivation Technique progress +124]

’As for the Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique, it is a Magic Technique that uses a sword-finger to guide the flow of water. My using a longsword to guide the flow while in the state of Breath of Heaven and Earth Stream also fits this principle.’

[You have gained insight into the Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique. Cultivation Technique progress +115]

As he thought about it, Zhong Ming realized that when he entered the resonance of ’heaven, man, and sword,’ he wasn’t practicing just one Cultivation Technique, but four.

The Longxi Breathing Technique, Longxi Swordsmanship, Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step, and the Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique... he could practice them all simultaneously.

’So this is what it means to be a sect disciple?’

At that moment, Zhong Ming truly felt the benefits of being in one of the Renowned and Righteous Sects.

Unlike Loose Cultivators, who picked up their skills piecemeal and lacked a coherent system, the cultivation path for a Cultivator in a Major Sect was complete and comprehensive.

This method of training not only allowed sect Cultivators to advance quickly, but their Cultivation Techniques and Magic Techniques could also synergize with one another.

’No wonder most Loose Cultivators in the world are no match for sect disciples unless they resort to dirty tricks. It’s truly an unfair fight.’

Of course, other cultivators wouldn’t have as easy or as pleasant a time as Zhong Ming.

The resonant state of heaven, man, and sword merging as one was still quite difficult to achieve.

Without Mind Reading, the Breath of Heaven and Earth Stream, and the cumulative effects of Flow of Water, it would have been very difficult for Zhong Ming to enter that state.

Moreover, even if he did manage to enter it, without Heaven Rewards Diligence, Zhong Ming wouldn’t be able to advance four Cultivation Techniques in a single session. He would inevitably have to focus on one over the others.

’But there are no "what ifs" in this world. With these abilities, my cultivation speed is incredibly fast.’

’And Heaven Rewards Diligence... it truly is a Divine Skill.’

...

"Huuuh..."

Now that he had found the perfect cultivation method for himself, the rest was simple. On the joyous day he received his A-level Rating, Zhong Ming did not slack off or indulge himself. Instead, he went to a remote stream and cultivated for the entire day.

When he finally finished, Zhong Ming was depleted, both in body and Heart Spirit.

In the end, he had to be dragged away by Dong Sea.

What Zhong Ming didn’t know was that not long after he left, two young women arrived at the side of the stream.

Looking at the crisscrossing sword marks that stretched over ten meters and the water splashed all over the ground, Yi Yunya was silent for a moment.

Then, with a soft SHING, she formed a sword-finger sign, and a silver flying sword shot out from her body.

SWOOSH...

The sword moved like a swimming fish, first circling her once. The next moment:

"Go!"

With her sharp cry, the flying sword shot forward.

SWISH! Being a flying sword, it easily struck a target over ten meters away.

The gash her flying sword left was no smaller than the ones Zhong Ming had made; in fact, it was sharper and swifter.

The only thing it lacked was the sheer power of the water flow Zhong Ming had commanded, and its area of effect wasn’t as broad as the strike he had unleashed after building his momentum to its limit.

But as for which of their strikes was truly stronger, that was debatable.

And this left Yi Yunya feeling perplexed.

’To cause such a stir right after entering the Qi Cultivation stage... Zhong Ming’s strength is certainly impressive. But this can’t possibly make him the strongest on Longxi Peak, can it?’

Her confusion was justified. The current Zhong Ming couldn’t be called weak, but without activating the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, he couldn’t necessarily be called the strongest, nor could he hold a crushing advantage over the others.

Yi Yunya and Zhuang Yi both possessed mid- to high-grade Magical Artifacts. Xue Yao had outstanding Talent, had been the first to advance, and even possessed an Ice Heart.

In a straight fight, however... Zhong Ming still had the higher odds of winning.

And the longer the fight dragged on, the higher his odds would become.

It couldn’t be helped. After all, he had already comprehended Flow of Water multiple times, allowing him to redirect force and build momentum. Furthermore, after an afternoon of cultivation, in addition to his Swordsmanship, his Stepping Technique, the Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step, and his Magic Technique, the Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique, had also reached the Second Realm of Insight.

[Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique: Second Realm, Insight (352/4200). Trait: Water Attraction]

[Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step: Second Realm, Insight (478/4800). Traits: Water Stepping, Body Like a Stream]

At this point, he could attack and defend, advance and retreat. He had almost no weaknesses.

Yi Yunya, on the other hand, was not as well-rounded, nor was her Swordsmanship as brilliant as his.

As for her high-grade Magical Artifact... because of her low realm and weak Magical Power, she couldn’t unleash its full potential.

As she was, she was naturally no match for Zhong Ming.

Unfortunately, Yi Yunya hadn’t personally witnessed Zhong Ming’s practice, so she underestimated both his Stepping Technique and the force-deflecting property of his Flow of Water.

More importantly, throughout his entire afternoon of cultivation, Zhong Ming had never triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, nor had he unleashed that one transcendent strike.

The lack of such a shocking display naturally made her hesitate.

Seeing this, Orchid stepped forward and tried to persuade her.

"My Lady, why don’t we just... wait and see?"

"No!"

The moment Orchid finished her sentence, Yi Yunya visibly flinched and rejected the idea out of reflex.

She hadn’t forgotten that her previous hesitation—her decision to wait and see—had caused her to miss her chance with Zhong Ming.

Clearly, the incident had been a huge blow to Yi Yunya, and the lesson it taught was a harsh one.

The lesson had been so harsh that just hearing those three words, "wait and see," triggered a visceral reaction.

"Haaaah..."

However, she quickly calmed her emotions.

At the same time, Orchid’s words had the opposite effect, steeling her resolve.

"No more waiting. Tomorrow, we’re going to find Zhong Ming."

Having learned her lesson, Yi Yunya had become much more decisive.

And Orchid, despite her reservations, could say no more, as her lady had already made up her mind.

...

"So this is the Cave Abode that comes with an A-level Rating? It’s really spacious."

While Yi Yunya and Orchid were having their discussion, Zhong Ming had already collected his Elixir Pills and Spirit Stones from the resource hall and returned to his Cave Abode on Longxi Peak.

After using his Token to open the Restriction on the Cave Abode and stepping inside, he immediately felt the difference.

Unlike the simple stone houses of Uninitiated disciples, the Cave Abode of an A-Class Disciple could even be described as luxurious.

There was a separate main hall, a sword training room, a bedroom, a study, and a reception room.

Outside Zhong Ming’s Cave Abode, there was even a small courtyard with several side rooms for his followers and attendants to live in.

Beside the courtyard, there were even two or three small Spirit Fields for growing medicinal herbs.

In addition to being fully furnished, the Spiritual Qi inside was also incredibly dense.

The Array outside would also prevent him from being disturbed.

’A-Class Disciples really are treated differently.’

The next day, Zhong Ming became even more aware of the special treatment A-Class Disciples received.

After a full night’s sleep, Zhong Ming arrived early at the Cultivation Dojo. Before he could even sit down, his Senior Sister, Mo Shuying, approached him.

She got straight to the point.

"Junior Brother Zhong Ming, I’ve found a job for you. The Seven Profound Sect has Sword Testing Platforms for disciples to compete, spar, and practice their Magic Techniques. The A-1 Sword Testing Platform is run by our Longxi Peak. I want you to go there and act as a supervisor."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ming’s brow furrowed.

"Senior Sister, all I want to do right now is cultivate. These trivial matters..."

Mo Shuying replied, "You won’t have to do any actual work. Just hold the title and be there for a few hours each day."

Zhong Ming immediately understood. This was a perk his Senior Sister Mo Shuying had secured for him.

It was a cushy job where he could collect a salary without doing any real work.

...

Just as Zhong Ming was marveling at this, he realized Mo Shuying’s preferential treatment wasn’t over yet.

"As for the flying sword you’re entitled to for your A-level Rating, I didn’t get one from the Longxi Peak Scripture Pavilion. Instead, I paid a visit to a senior sister on Molten Fire Peak."

"This senior sister has connections to our Longxi Peak... one of our senior brothers became her Dao Companion. Originally, I just wanted to ask her for a higher quality flying sword for you."

"But while we were talking, that senior sister’s daughter returned. She’s also cultivating on Molten Fire Peak now, and her specialty is forging flying swords."

"She expressed an interest in you, so I took the liberty of asking her to forge a sword for you."

At this, Mo Shuying’s expression grew a little more serious. "My ’niece’ is named Xie Yuzhu. She’s still young, so her forging skills might not be perfectly refined, but the materials she uses are extremely valuable. With a bit of reforging, a flying sword made by her has the potential to become an Upper Grade weapon."

"More importantly, her family and our Longxi Peak go way back, so we’re naturally close. If you can get on good terms with her, you can go to her for all future maintenance and upgrades for your flying sword."

"However, my niece has a strong personality. She has made it clear that she won’t let a mediocre person wield a sword she has forged. Therefore, if you want her sword, you’ll have to pass her test."

"Are you willing to accept?"