Overseeing Cultivation

Dawn.

Wang Li went to the Bai Hua Palace only to see Gu Qing Shan and white goose also coming. Xiu Xiu was sitting under the palace wall without a large bowl in her hand, snacking on some herbs and vegetables. On the empty field in front of the palace, Qin Xiao Lou was actively swinging a long Blade around.

"Ah, so third brother was a Blade user" Gu Qing Shan commented.

Qin Xiao Lou face went red, then ignored him.

White goose took that chance and spoke in a low voice: "He used to like swords, but during the last semester examination, when he met Ning Yue Xi, his womanizing tendencies acted up and tried to hit on her"

White goose coldly cleared his throat. Gu Qing Shan suddenly remembered Gong Sun Zhi's words.

"…Those sword cultivators stuck to her, trying to gain her favor, when they couldn't and tried to use violence, they got beat up"

"She always only beat them up enough to grovel on the ground and beg for forgiveness to stop"

Gu Qing Shan can totally imagine that scene. Gu Qing Shan looked at white goose, noticing white goose was also looking at him. They both then looked at Wang Li who was also looking back at them.

Two men and a goose looked at each other with full understanding.

"Then… did Shifu not show up for third brother?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

"Shifu gave Ning Yue Xi a few valuable herbs, and thanked her as well" Wang Li answered.

Pff!

Gu Qing Shan stopped himself from laughing, then seriously thought about it. He also would support Ning Yue Xi in that case.

"Come, junior brother" Qin Xiao Lou swung his Blade, "today this senior brother will spar with you to let you stabilize your cultivation"

He was already handsome, while talking his Blade swung into 7 phantom images at once, so even Xiu Xiu couldn't help but fan-girl him a bit.

"Thank you, senior brother" Gu Qing Shan was a bit hesitant, asking: "Then what realm is senior brother right now?"

White goose cut in: "He was in the same cultivation generation as Ning Yue Xi, but he's only Foundation Establishment mid-level right now"

Ning Yue Xi is now at Early Stage Ascended Realm.

Qin Xiao Lou glared at white goose, saying: "Ning Yue Xi is a monster, people like me are the norm"

"Normal my ass, you sleep after sitting down for 5 minutes, complaining you're tired after Blade training for 1 minute, cultivate for half a day and you already want to rest and eat, and you still call yourself a cultivator?" white goose angrily.

"I ———I was busy learning the 6 arts" Qin Xiao Lou couldn't say anything to that, so he changed the subject, looking at Gu Qing Shan: "Junior brother, come, let us spar"

"Yes" Gu Qing Shan happily drew the Asauchi.

Qin Xiao Lou took a defensive stance, half-leaning forward: "You're the junior, so I'll let you attack first"

"Then here I come" Gu Qing Shan held his sword in hand and attacked.

The first strike is very normal, its speed also isn't that quick, you should be able to block it as a cultivator. This is a part of sparring etiquette with people in your own sect. In a sect, everyone is always seeing each other, if you only need one strike to deal with your senior or junior brother, what would happen to that brother's reputation? How would they continue to live together from then on?

"Come" Qin Xiao Lou looked at the strike, nodded then returned with a Blade strike.

Sword and Blade crossed.

Boom!

"Aaah!"

Qin Xiao Lou's screaming voice was heard as he flew across the sky. In one strike, he was hit flying above the high palace walls, turning into a black dot far into the sky and not seen anymore. Gu Qing Shan was confused.

He looked at white goose and Wang Li and hurried explained: "I didn't use any force, not even a bit of spirit energy"

White goose laughed heartily, flapping his wings: "That's because he's too weak, and also because when you broke through a realm, the Sword's power was released a bit more, can't blame you"

Wang Li had also put the I am Heavy Thaumaturgy and sealed it in order to only awaken as his cultivation realm increases.

White goose continued: "Hm, your third brother's cultivation was mostly put together with pills and herbs. And his Blade skills… I think today was the 6th time he held a Blade ever since he swore to train with it?"

"Its actually the 5th time he held the blade ever since he swore to train it." Wang Li corrected the white goose.

Gu Qing Shan's face turned grim.

You can actually reach Foundation Establishment realm like that? Senior brother Xiao Lou, how do you even cultivate? Can't you put in a little more effort in it like you do with the 6 arts?

One minute later.

Qin Xiao Lou's face was swollen, sullenly sat on one side. Gu Qing Shan held his Sword, slowly swinging every strike one at a time.

"So I can use a 60,000 tons strike with the Chikyu Sword after I break through" he muttered.

"So its name is Chikyu?" Wang Li asked.

White goose stood on one side, teaching: "You have to learn to use spirit energy to communicate with the Chikyu sword, to let the sword knows your thought and understand your emotions, alongside the Jinzen."

Wang Li had once experimented and realized he could use spirit energy to talk to Fenlie Qi which showed the difference between soul energy and spirit energy.

"Yes"

Gu Qing Shan replied, then swung Chikyu sword again, training his skills. Each time he swung the sword, he felt a bit more memory of him using swords in the past resurface. The quicker he swung his sword, the quicker his knowledge and feelings of his swordsmanship returned.

At this moment, Gu Qing Shan was becoming rapidly stronger.

While white goose was looking at him, he squinted his eyes, muttering: "His swordsmanship is rapidly progressing, quite similar to Wang Li, seems almost like he was naturally born to use the sword"

Afternoon, Qin Xiao Lou couldn't help it anymore and wanted to spar with Gu Qing Shan again. As a senior brother, to lose in his junior's hand really is too humiliating. Not to mention, Gu Qing Shan had only just broken through to Foundation Establishment, a whole rank below himself, it's too humiliating if he can't even act as a sparring partner. After a few dozen strikes, Gu Qing Shan used a light strike to knock Qin Xiao Lou's Blade away. Qin Xiao Lou was surprised, laughed loudly 3 times, then sighed 3 times, finally went to pick up his Blade.

White goose curiously asked: "What did you laugh about?"

"I was laughing" Qin Xiao Lou answered, "because in our sect, you're a goose, I don't like to cultivate, and Xiu Xiu is still young, so with fourth brother being a sword cultivator, we finally have someone to hold up our reputation other then second brother."

White goose asked again: "Then what are you sighing about?"

Qin Xiao Lou held his Blade, walking up to white goose and asked: "First brother, I remember you once gave me an unrivalled Blade scripture?"

"Yeah" white goose replied.

"I don't know where I left it anymore, can you give me another copy?" Qin Xiao Lou said.

"You still want it? What for?" White goose asked.

"To cultivate" Qin Xiao Lou said.

White goose opened his eyes wide in disbelief. Wang Li was also in disbelief. He would rather belief that pigs fly than Qin Xiao Luo cultivating with his own initiative. Then white goose took a jade tag out from who-knows-where and gave it to him.

Qin Xiao Lou put the jade tag away, saying: "I don't mind losing to Qing Shan, but now since he's here, if I keep being lazy like this, people only need to glance to know his cultivation is higher than mine"

"I don't mind his cultivation being higher as well, but that way, people will doubt Shifu's eyes for picking such a useless disciple like myself"

"And that is unacceptable. No one gets to say that Shifu didn't make the right choice"

"I have to try a bit more, at least I have to get far enough on the path of the Blade so that no one can say anything"

"It won't be too late for me to be lazy then"

"Senior brothers, junior brother, junior sister, I'm going to go into seclusion for a while"

Saying that, he took the Blade in hand, walking away full of motivation. The field in front of the palace was silent.

Gu Qing Shan complimented: "Third brother isn't bad"

Xiu Xiu also nodded: "Just now I actually felt he was a bit handsome"

Wang Li added his comment: "I suddenly feel proud."

White goose scoffed, but his eyes showed a hint of happiness "Finally, this child grew up a bit"

White goose said: "Qing Shan, nice job, next time you and Xiao Lou spar, you can use 50% strength"

Xiu Xiu was shocked: "What? Just now, fourth brother wasn't using his full strength?"

Wang Li looked at Gu Qing Shan, saying: "He only used 30%"

Seeing how awkward Gu Qing Shan looked, white goose continued: "No worries, just keep stimulating him like that. I found that he's the type to only act when threatened instead of spoiled"

"If I have to" Gu Qing Shan sighed, saying: "I eat the food he makes but also have to beat him up, it's a bit awkward"

"Talking about eating" Xiu Xiu suddenly asked, "if third brother goes into seclusion, what do we eat?"

An indescribable silence. All four of them didn't say anything. Although Wang Li knows how to cook he never bothered improving it so Qin Xiao Luo was better at it then him.

White goose suddenly said: "No good, I have to remind him not to forget to cook even if he goes into seclusion"

Saying so, white goose flapped his wings and flew away.

As Xiu Xiu saw both white goose and Qin Xiao Luo leave, she tilted her head and asked: "Senior brother, how about coming to my place, I'll make you some juice?"

"No, third brother is already motivated like that, so I myself need to work hard and cultivate too" Gu Qing Shan smiled and said

Xiu Xiu heard that, tilted her head again, then suddenly: "Then, how about I and senior brother cultivate together?"

"Sure, you're welcome to do so"

"In that case, I will be the referee." Wang Li stated

Having been encouraged, Xiu Xiu put down her snack bowl and trotted across Gu Qing Shan.

"Senior brother, we'll spar a bit ok?"

"Ok then"

"I'm only qi training stage 6, so senior brother is stronger, please hold back ok?"

"I'll do my best to be careful" Gu Qing Shan very seriously promised.

Having been assured by Gu Qing Shan, Xiu Xiu relaxed herself.

"Then, I'll go first" she said.

Gu Qing Shan swung his sword, entering a defensive stance and smiled: "Come"

Xiu Xiu's hands glowed a dark color as she made a hand seal.

Since she was a bit anxious, her hand seal couldn't finish before the dark glow disappeared.

"Oops, I'll try again" Xiu Xiu panicked.

"No worries, remember to keep yourself steady when making hand seals, no need to think too much about other things" Gu Qing Shan guided her.

"Ah, ok, thank you senior brother" Xiu Xiu once again made her hand seal.

The dark glow appeared again on her hands. Xiu Xiu had the Darkness root and so she used darkness spells and techniques. Wang Li had also learned every spell including Lightning, Darkness, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth etc. corresponding to the Laws he could manipulate.

Xiu Xiu spent a total of 4 breaths to finally finish her hand seal.

Then she triggered it, saying: "Come!"

The space around started to warp and boil, like something was struggling, trying to get out. A minute later, space really did crack open. A grey, featureless bird flew out, headed straight to Gu Qing Shan. Following the bird was another 20 other grey birds that looked just like it.

Gu Qing Shan shouted: "Come!"

He swung his sword, hitting one grey bird straight on. It immediately broke apart into black smoke. As Gu Qing Shan raised his sword, about to fight against the birds. But the crack behind them widened. Another flock of birds flew out from it. After that were grey wild dogs, then grey tigers. These are all monsters created through Dark element channeling the world's essence. Hordes of monsters rushed towards Gu Qing Shan. Going by numbers alone, there are about over 1000 creatures here. As for power, being hit by Dark element won't hurt your body, but it'll directly affect your soul vessel. And the soul vessel being hurt is extremely troublesome.

Wang Li's Darkness spells don't give him an army but rather give him large scale Sealing and CC skills.

To deal with such enormous amount of monsters, the best method would be his Secret Art: Water Flow Severance. Once Water Flow Severance is unleashed, all the monsters are guaranteed to become dust. But since Xiu Xiu is standing behind them, if he doesn't control it well, he might harm her.

Crescent Slash is fine too ———-but Gu Qing Shan doesn't want to kill her, so he can use literally anything except that one. Seeing the monsters rush him like that, Gu Qing Shan gritted his teeth, and ran away. No choice, all his abilities are focused on swords play, if he can't use powerful sword skills, he doesn't have any spells to use, so he can only run.

The monsters gave chase.

Xiu Xiu stood there, releasing her hand and questioned: "Where is senior brother going? Does he have something urgent to do?"

Gu Qing Shan brought the horde of monsters running around Bai Hua Palace. Occasionally he would also stop, put away his sword and use the Night Rain to clear out some of the monsters that are too close. After a while, when he saw the chance, he used his Secret Art to finish off the monsters at once.

"Xiu Xiu, you're really good" Gu Qing Shan walked back, breathing heavily.

"Am I? Thank you senior brother, actually I still know one more spell"

Being praised, Xiu Xiu laughed happily. Then she put her hands together, made another hand seal to cast a spell. Since her mood was very good, her speed increased greatly. So fast that Gu Qing Shan couldn't even say "Stop" in time. Not even one breath later, her spell has already been unleashed. Space cracked open again. This time was different, as numerous dark grey demons jumped out from the crack in troves of hundreds.

Gu Qing Shan silently complained, then jumped forward, as his sword slashes turn into shadows, weaving between all of them, using a total of 700 slashes before he killed all the demons.

Xiu Xiu opened her eyes wide: "Senior brother is also very strong"

Wang Li however started laughing at this scene. Gu Qing Shan sat down on the spot, reluctantly smiled, so tired that he didn't even want to speak. At twilight, Qin Xiao Lou appeared again.

Just like every day, he made another full table of delicious food, laughing pridefully: "I knew you couldn't bear to leave me"

Actually we just couldn't bear to leave your spirit cooking, Wang Li, Gu Qing Shan and Xiu Xiu silently retorted in their minds. This night, Bai Hua Fairy also returned. She sat at the top seat, while her disciples sat around, the entire sect having dinner together.

"Shifu, where did you go?" White goose asked.

"A few matters at the frontline, all the cultivator sects showed up to discuss a few things" Bai Hua Fairy answered.

Seeing that, Gu Qing Shan and Wang Li were extremely curious.

'Splitting yourself into another person to talk to yourself, what exactly would that feel like?'

Sadly, only Bai Hua Fairy possess such an unthinkable Divine Skill in the entire cultivation world. As Shifu is here, all the disciples ate silently without saying anything. After dinner, when Gu Qing Shan wanted to help Qin Xiao Lou clean the dishes, Bai Hua Fairy called them back.

"There's one thing today that you all need to know"

They all stopped their feet.

Bai Hua Fairy said: "This year's semester examination will come early"

"For what reason? The semester examination hasn't changed for hundreds of years" Qin Xiao Lou asked in confusion.

"Because we lack people, or to be precise, we lack cultivators" Bai Hua Fairy answered.

All of them went silent. This isn't hard to understand, since all the cultivation sects banded together like this, there couldn't be any other reason except to plan a counterattack and wipe out the demons once and for all. They don't have any other choice.

Because demons and demon beasts are an endless horde, while humanity only have so many cultivators, if the frontline war situation doesn't stop and keep on going like this without recruiting any new blood, many smaller sects would soon be without disciples.

Qin Xiao Lou sighed: "There's some new Sainted realm demon beasts every now and again, yet humanity only have a total of 4 Saints after so many years"

"I really wonder, is reaching Sainted realm so simple for demon beasts?" he asked in annoyance.

"That truly is strange" Bai Hua Fairy said as she thought deeply about something, "there's another strange fact that you might not know if I didn't tell you"

They all raised their heads.

"Sainted realm demon beasts mostly win through sheer numbers, one of them alone isn't even a match for one of my hands"

"Sorrow, Xuanyuan and Li also have the same feeling"

"Our hands are really tied ——-we are obviously stronger than they are, but there are simply too many of them that we can't kill them all at once. Not to mention, we can never use all our strength, because as soon as we make any mistakes, and any of us were to die, humanity's strength would greatly decrease, resulting in a very dangerous situation"

"Last time, to help Qing Shan save the two people, Wang Li used his Shadow clones and I have my Flesh Reincarnations. But Sorrow and Xuanyuan doesn't have this ability, so every time they go out, they must always put themselves in danger"

"That is also the reason why we Saints can't easily act"