Chapter Thirty-One: The Art of Sword Mastery

Returning to the room, lying beside Yun Cuixian who was already asleep, Chu Youcai's gaze grew grave.

He desperately needed the art of reversing time, for it was his lifeline. Without it, he feared that even if he faced Lei Yinyang ten or a hundred times, death would be inevitable. Yet he had no way to attain it.

Lei Yinyang possessed twenty years of cultivation; the Shadow Blade, newly raised to bronze rank, already seemed an insurmountable chasm. What if it was thirty years of cultivation, wielded by the Lady who owned two cursed treasures? Then he would be doomed with no hope of survival.

A fierce desire to improve his own abilities surged within Chu Youcai. Since he could not obtain the blood fox’s fur, he had no choice but to make the most of his time trial technique, sacrificing years of life to gain strength.

One must know that Shangguan Wanru’s Snow Ape Stone was stronger than a bronze-ranked Fishscale Blade, and the Tuolong Universal Pearl in his hand surpassed even the Snow Ape Stone. Had he not suppressed his yearning, the Tuolong Universal Pearl might have been exposed, but this already proved one thing: a brocade-grade cursed treasure was a prize coveted by all.

If he did not fully exploit the Tuolong Universal Pearl’s time trial abilities, he would be squandering a heavenly gift.

Thinking of his six remaining years of life, Chu Youcai did not hesitate. He immediately used one year to enter the inner world of the Tuolong Universal Pearl, selecting Lei Yinyang as his opponent.

At this moment, the inner world offered only two choices: Red Aunt and Lei Yinyang.

Naturally, Chu Youcai chose the latter.

Even though his strength was far inferior, he was determined to raise his power through this spatial trial.

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Within the Tuolong Universal Pearl’s inner world, flames rose all around, the heavens and earth swallowed by night.

This was a realm without daylight, a world steeped in deathly silence. Chu Youcai stood alone in a deserted city, finding not a soul, only himself.

In his left hand, he gripped the Tuolong Universal Pearl; in his right, the Fishscale Blade.

As before, in this world he could use a cursed treasure once per day. A second use would cost an inch of life, and death in the trial would likewise cost an inch. The trial time remained one year.

As Chu Youcai proceeded cautiously, suddenly from a distant corner, a low, resonant sound echoed, as if a murderous aura was erupting.

His hair bristled, a shadow of death invading his body. He pressed the Fishscale Blade tightly.

At that moment, a beam of light sliced across the darkness, piercing it like a blade, making the gloom even colder.

Chu Youcai saw it clearly: a Fishscale Blade identical to the one in his hand.

---

At that instant, barely a hundred meters away, Chu Youcai felt a stabbing pain in his chest as if pierced by the blade’s aura, needles boring into his heart.

He leapt back, retreating madly.

The enemy’s strike was unstoppable!

Yet his speed was nowhere near his opponent’s. Their Fishscale Blade spun in the air, accelerated, and hurtled toward him.

Chu Youcai wielded his own Fishscale Blade in his right hand, and with his left instantly invoked the Tuolong Art, raising the Tuolong Universal Pearl as a shield.

He could not die here, or he would lose at least two inches of life in vain.

Guided by his will, the Tuolong Universal Pearl slammed into the enemy’s Fishscale Blade, but it failed to deflect it; instead, his body was pierced by the blade!

Blood gushed forth wildly.

His body convulsed in agony, life ebbing swiftly.

He saw the Fishscale Blade in the distance turn and return for another attack. Chu Youcai had only one thought: run!

Run for his life!

He had no idea how far he fled. His body felt heavy as lead, leaving a trail of blood as he staggered forward—alone, with no people, no flowers, no trees, nothing.

For some reason, the enemy’s Fishscale Blade did not pursue him.

A deep fear and dread of the Fishscale Blade welled up within Chu Youcai.

Perhaps in this trial, the true opponent was Lei Yinyang, or perhaps it was the Fishscale Blade itself. In any case, Chu Youcai realized how lucky he had been to defeat Lei Yinyang before.

“Just now, the Fishscale Blade must have been similar to Second Mistress’s paper-cutting flute technique. Such arts are truly elusive and mysterious. This sword technique is far beyond my ability to withstand!”

He did not know how long he had walked; his body was soaked in blood, and he collapsed to the ground.

The blood, ever flowing, was continuously absorbed by the Tuolong Universal Pearl.

With the Pearl drawing in vast amounts of blood, something seemed to break through a bottleneck, or perhaps not—outwardly, it showed no change. But Chu Youcai, losing so much blood, found his vitality growing tenacious, and he survived.

For the next half year, Chu Youcai dared not set foot in the deserted city.

Outside in the wilds, though he saw no other humans, he encountered many animals. By hunting them for food, he began to hone his blade skills.

---

Now, the Fishscale Blade was both his weapon and his lifeline. He had to breathe with it as one, to embed his swordsmanship into his bones so that each strike would become instinct.

For half a year, every day at dawn he practiced blade techniques, hunting wild beasts with all his strength, his sword skills becoming ever more refined.

Each night, under starlight, he cultivated his Dao arts. Perhaps it was not truly Dao, but only ritual offerings, yet he did all he could to enhance his power.

Half a year passed in a blink; Chu Youcai felt a great improvement and once again set out for the deserted city.

Every step was cautious. Near midnight, he entered the city, hiding his figure in the moonlight.

Yet he was discovered by the Fishscale Blade.

He unleashed his swordsmanship, giving it his all. But when his Fishscale Blade clashed with the opponent’s weapon, his blade was instantly sliced in two!

The same blade, in his hands, was so fragile!

After half a year of relentless training, his technique was shattered in a single blow!

He brought forth the Tuolong Universal Pearl, retreating madly once more.

Fortunately, he escaped again, though more gravely wounded, and the Tuolong Universal Pearl absorbed his spilled blood, helping him survive yet again.

But Chu Youcai was unaware of this.

“This Dao art is simply too powerful!”

“No wonder Shangguan Wanru said that all Dao techniques, whatever the lineage, are crucial, never passed to outsiders, and cannot be mastered in a single day. Countless people toil for two or three decades, yet even with innate talent and virtue, fail to enter the gate.”

“And now I don’t even have a method to cultivate Dao arts…”

“But I must not give up!”

Thinking of this, Chu Youcai’s resolve hardened. He pressed on with his training, though without the Fishscale Blade, he carved branches into swords, practicing his swordsmanship ceaselessly and diligently.