My Swordsmanship Has No Upper Limit

To perceive nature, the most important thing is one’s state of mind. And that state isn’t one of strained focus, of observing with every ounce of concentration.

Hmm... that might be one path, but in the Cultivation Realm, the most orthodox method of comprehension is relaxation.

Relax one’s mind, allow one’s Mental Realm to become Clear, and merge as one with the mountains and rivers, the trees and flowers.

This tranquil and natural state of mind, this practice of merging one’s being with the world, is most conducive to comprehending Daoist Skills.

This was the very state Zhong Ming was in as he attempted to comprehend the flow of the sun and moon.

And then, this state of extreme relaxation and tranquility caused Zhong Ming... to fall asleep.

...

After a comfortable, deep sleep, Zhong Ming woke up the next day, speechless at his own situation.

’I was too relaxed.’

However, he didn’t blame himself too much.

’Oh well, what’s done is done. Cultivation requires a balance between tension and relaxation anyway.’

His Heart Soul and energy fully restored to a perfect state, he casually washed up by the stream, then found a green stone and sat right down.

He then turned his gaze to the east, quietly waiting for the Sun to rise.

’Today, I won’t just casually observe the flowers, trees, mountains, and streams. Today, I will only watch the Sun.’

’I want to see how its light showers the earth when it first rises, and how it affects all living things.’

’Then I’ll watch when the Sun is at its zenith, to see how its scorching rays change the world.’

’And finally, when the Sun sets...’

The sunlight showering the earth could also be described as Solar Power Flowing toward the ground.

And this Flowing was, in fact, the source of all change in the world.

’The Sun is the center of the solar system. The light it emits influences the cycle of day and night, the changing of the seasons... The Sun’s radiation is also what allows liquid water to exist. At the same time, the power of the Great Sun is the source of atmospheric and water cycles. The sustenance of surface ecosystems is also inextricably linked to the Sun (for example, plant photosynthesis).’

Because of the Sun’s importance, Zhong Ming felt that documenting the various changes from sunrise to sunset would be incredibly useful for him to clarify what the "flow of all things" truly meant.

[You have gained a new understanding of the Power of Flow. Your Spirit Stream Finger: Jie Technique progress +171]

This notification made Zhong Ming’s eyes light up.

’I was right. If that’s the case, I can’t use Mind Reading carelessly.’

’I’ll use it once in the early morning, when the Sun first rises.’

’Once at noon, once again at dusk when the sun and moon are both visible, and the last time will be when the Sun has completely set...’

Zhong Ming now had a complete plan for his Cultivation today.

But he would soon learn that plans can never keep up with change.

In the early morning, Zhong Ming’s plan was still proceeding step by step.

Relying on Mind Reading, he felt the nascent dawn rousing all things from their deep slumber.

’The morning is the most important part of the day. The newborn Sun activates the photosynthesis of flowers and trees and awakens the birds and beasts from their sleep... The Great Sun projects its power across millions of miles, using its strength to sustain all of creation...’

’If the Great Sun can do this, what about me? Can I project my power, or rather, let it flow to a place extremely far away...?’

’I can...’

’My Spiritual Power has a water attribute. A pebble dropped into water will create layers of ripples, and the power of these ripples can travel a great distance. If I can fully grasp the changes of Flowing, I too will comprehend the power of Ripples of Water and easily transmit my own power over a hundred meters away...’

[You have gained a new understanding of the Power of Flow. Your Spirit Stream Finger: Jie Technique progress +61]

[You have comprehended Ripples of Water from the Flow of Water. Your Spirit Stream Finger: Jie Technique progress +127]

[You... Spirit Stream Finger: Jie Technique progress +89]

[You...]

Mind Reading was indeed a huge help to Zhong Ming. A clear mind, agile thoughts, and a constant stream of inspiration welling up within him.

All these factors combined meant that from his first use of Mind Reading in the morning, Zhong Ming gained a total of 687 experience points!

’If only I could use Mind Reading consecutively...’

With a sigh, Zhong Ming dismissed this fantasy.

But just as Zhong Ming was thinking that consecutively triggering Mind Reading was an almost impossible fantasy at his current stage, something unexpected happened.

Orchid and Yi Yunya had arrived.

Not only did they come over, but they also brought some exquisite food containers filled with Spiritual Meals.

This in itself was nothing special. After they had shown their intention to align with him, they often brought him food.

But what Yi Yunya said next made Zhong Ming’s eyes go wide.

"You’re saying you can get me an Earth-Level High Grade treasure from the Golden Jade Tower?!"

Yi Yunya: "Yes."

"The kind of Exotic Treasure born by chance in the world over hundreds or thousands of years?"

Yi Yunya: "Yes."

Listening to Yi Yunya’s words and watching her nod repeatedly, Zhong Ming... was not ecstatic. Instead, his expression turned serious as he asked, "So, what’s the price?"

Zhong Ming, who always prepared for the worst, didn’t believe the Golden Jade Tower would give him such a valuable treasure for free.

’Merchants don’t take losses. The more they give, the more they’ll inevitably want in return.’

And just as Zhong Ming was pondering what price the Golden Jade Tower would demand of him, Orchid’s next words made his mind go blank for a moment.

"The price for that treasure is very high, but you won’t have to bear it, Sir. The Young Lady has shouldered it all for you."

As if worried for her mistress, or perhaps indignant that Zhong Ming was only receiving and not giving, Orchid couldn’t help but say, "To obtain this treasure, the Young Lady has gambled everything she has. From now on, she will be almost completely unable to acquire any more resources from the Golden Jade Tower."

"Furthermore, if she cannot become a steward by the end of the month, or rather, if she cannot be promoted to Jade-level Steward within a year, the Young Lady will be completely cast out from the family’s direct lineage."

"At that point, not only will the Young Lady be unable to compete with anyone else, but her path of cultivation will be completely severed..."

Those last indignant words made Yi Yunya’s elegant brows furrow tightly. "Orchid, be quiet!"

"..."

To help him, an outsider, Yi Yunya had actually chosen to stake everything she had. Zhong Ming had never imagined such a thing.

And this left him staring at Yi Yunya, unable to collect his thoughts for a long time.

After a long moment, he suppressed the roiling emotions within him and asked in a calm tone, "Is it worth it?"

Hearing Zhong Ming’s question, Yi Yunya stopped scolding Orchid.

Turning her head to look at Zhong Ming, she put on a relaxed expression.

"Sir, you don’t need to feel burdened. This was all my own decision."

"Besides, I believe in you, Sir Zhong Ming... And I am a member of the Yi Family, after all. Even if I fail, I’ll only go from being a core member of the direct lineage to an outer disciple."

Zhong Ming: "That’s already a heavy enough price... Are you sure you won’t regret it?"

"Of course. Now that I’ve made this decision, I’m prepared for the consequences." At this, Yi Yunya looked at Zhong Ming and gave a radiant smile. "The real question is, do you dare to accept this treasure, Sir?"

To this, Zhong Ming naturally had no hesitation.

"It may be a heavy burden, but if you dare to give it, I dare to receive it." Looking at Yi Yunya, Zhong Ming spoke with immense gravity, "I’ll be in your care from now on. And... I will take responsibility for this."

"Then I will entrust my everything to you, Sir."

Having settled the matter, Zhong Ming didn’t delay for a second. He immediately took the Treasure Map that Yi Yunya had brought and began browsing the various treasures in the Golden Jade Tower’s collection.

—After deciding to throw in her lot with Zhong Ming completely, Yi Yunya hadn’t presumed to choose a treasure for him.

She had copied down all the various rare and exotic treasures from the Golden Jade Tower and given the list to Zhong Ming for him to choose.

Doing this not only allowed Zhong Ming to select the Exotic Treasure most suited for him, but it also demonstrated Yi Yunya’s respect for him and her submissive stance of putting him first in all things.

While Zhong Ming was completely focused on finding the most suitable treasure for himself, Orchid hesitated for a moment before she couldn’t stop herself from saying to her Young Lady, "My lady, your gamble this time is really a bit too big. Young Master Zhong Ming’s Talent is very high, but he still needs time to grow."

"And Lady Yi Qing was truly thinking of your best interests back then. An Earth-Level Lower Grade treasure would have been more than enough for Young Master Zhong Ming to use right now."

"If you had chosen that path, even if you failed, you would still have had a chance to turn things around."

"Now, you truly have no path of retreat left."

Yi Yunya laughed at Orchid’s words.

"Ah, you still don’t understand... I cut off my own retreat on purpose. In fact, for this ’jade shattering’, it doesn’t even matter if I lose."

"Huh?"