Sword Dynasty
Volume 1: Great Rebel
Chapter 44: Green Jade Amber
Nangong Caishu was slightly surprised. She looked at Ding
Ning and asked, “Why did you think to ask about the Green Vine Sword School’s
sword trial festival?”
Ding Ning asked in response, “You know about the spirit
veins of the White Goat Cave?”
Nangong Caishu nodded, even more puzzled.
Ding Ning said, “Yesterday, the sect master allowed me to use the spirit vein to cultivate, but overnight, the situation changed. The headmaster of your Green Vine Sword School, Di Qingmei, has permitted us, the disciples of the White Goat Cave, to attend your sword trial festival. The top three rankings of the sword trial festival will be allowed to use the three spirit veins to cultivate as a reward.”
Nangong Caishu's expression suddenly turned slightly grim.
She was a young woman with a strong sense of justice. So,
even though she was a disciple of the Green Vine Sword School, she felt a tinge
of sympathy for the White Goat Cave's situation.
In her opinion, going to the White Goat Cave library cave to
study was not particularly important, as in the future, the White Goat Cave
disciples would be able to enter the Green Vine Sword School's library hall to
study. However, the most valuable part of the White Goat Cave was the spirit
vein. Now, the Green Vine Sword School would use the White Goat Cave spirit
vein as a reward, while the Green Vine Sword School would not take out its most
valuable item, the Green Vine Wood Sword, as a reward. The Green Vine Sword
School's sword trial festival prize was the green jade amber. The green jade
amber was indeed valuable, but it was not on par with White Goat Cave's spirit
vein.
This was a clever ploy to steal.
“The sword trial festival originally belonged to our Green
Vine Sword School…” She lowered her head with an ugly expression. She began to
explain what the sword trial festival was, then suddenly realized the
implication of Ding Ning's words. She immediately raised her head and looked in
shock at Ding Ning. “You want to participate in the sword trial festival and
win?”
Ding Ning looked into Nangong Caishu's surprised eyes and
said calmly, “I have an idea. Judging by your expression, this sword trial
festival is very difficult, right?”
“Very difficult.” Convinced that Ding Ning was an extraordinary genius, Nangong Caishu's shock began to fade. She frowned, considering the possibilities, and explained softly, “Because the original reward from the Green Vine Sword School is the green jade amber.”
Ding Ning stilled. “Green jade amber?”
Nangong
Caishu nodded and said, “I don't know if you've heard of it, but the green jade
amber is a resin made from green vine sap that
is unique to the Green Vine Sword School. The Green Vine Sword School
discovered this resin during its founding and also discovered several unique
uses for it… This kind of resin has a profound effect when used by cultivators
reaching realm four Energy Fusing from realm three Vital Energy. It can allow
our vital energy to contain more of the primal energies of the universe.”
Ding Ning suddenly revealed a slightly disdainful expression.
He could not help but whisper, “I had not expected
the reward of the Green Vine Sword School’s sword trial festival would be the green
jade amber.”
He was very familiar with the uses of the green jade amber.
In reality, this kind of resin was not owned by the Green
Vine Sword School, as
Nangong Caishu had said. At least, he knew that two sects from the past Wei
Dynasty and a sect in the current Chu Dynasty possessed such a treasure.
Furthermore, he knew that this resin had beneficial effects
when striving to reach realm four, like a natural pill medicine to increase vital energy. This jade
resin could also allow a cultivator to obtain some better lifebond items when
they reached Lifesource Realm. Some might even be able to obtain some lifebond
items they could not obtain because of this treasure.
He was no ordinary cultivator, so the green jade amber held a
deeper meaning for him.
This sword trial festival… he had a greater reason to win.
“Originally, treasures like this were rare. By now, the Green
Vine Sword School has even less green jade amber in its warehouse, so in the view of the Green Vine Sword
School, a treasure like this should be awarded to the most outstanding
disciples.” Nangong Caishu did not know Ding Ning’s true thoughts. She looked
at Ding Ning and said seriously, “The rule of the sword trial festival is that
any disciples who have joined the sect within ten years can attend.”
Ding Ning did not speak and gestured for her to continue.
“This is a true test of strength. The trial takes place in the sword valley behind the Green Vine Sword School. The valley is long and narrow, filled with Green Vine formations unique to our school. These formations are difficult to pass through, and the path is difficult to find. Some of the green vines will even attack on their own accord. All disciples attending the trial will enter separately from the back of the Green Vine Sword School. The green jade amber is located at the other end of the valley. Whoever first passes through the entire sword valley and obtains the green jade amber is the winner,” Nangong Caishu explained in great detail. “The rules prohibit more than two people from traveling together. People must move independently. If they encounter others, they must fight or both flee. However, there is a time limit of three days. Each day, there is a certain area that must be reached before noon, and then they must rest in that area for half a day. If they cannot reach the area, they will be eliminated. Because people must stay in the area for half a day, historically, many battles have occurred.”
Ding Ning grinned, “This is human nature… They're afraid
that accidents will happen if their opponents are left to the end, so they'll
take care of them from the start.”
“You should know that the bottom line is that anyone who
joined the sect in the last ten years can participate. Some people are much
stronger than others. They want to achieve victory through battle, not by
running the fastest.” Nangong Caishu was in a heavy mood. “The formations in
the sword festival valley alters the primal energies of the universe there, so
that cultivators above realm three who exhaust their vital energy cannot
recover. They have to fight with realm two cultivation. But the vital energy
they had at the start allowed them to defeat many people, and their
understanding of swordsmanship and their battle experience were far greater
than others.”
Ding Ning was slightly surprised. He looked at Nangong
Caishu thoughtfully and said, “So there's a cultivation limit?”
“A person's physical energy cannot touch the primal energies of the universe, and stops at the physical energy stage. But one will only reach this stage after using up all the vital energy in their bodies.” Nangong Caishu hesitated, then looked at Ding Ning, saying, “Even the Energy Refinement Realm has a huge difference in strength compared to you. You are at the Profound Understanding Realm and have opened your energy sea. But at most, that only makes your body slightly healthier. You saw my fight against Prince Li Ling’s retainer in Falling Parasol. You know that a sword containing physical energy can easily send you flying.”
“I still have time.” Ding Ning smiled. Nangong Caishu's
words had bolstered his confidence.
He looked at the clouds above the library cave and said
softly, “Although your headmaster, Di Qingmei, has taken all three spirit veins
as rewards for the sword trial festival, at least before that, one of the veins
belongs to me, and I can use it for cultivation.”
Nangong Caishu was once again plunged into shock. Her voice
trembled, “Surpassing one realm in a month, only two monsters from the Spirit
Void Sword Sect and the Min Mountain Sword Sect have ever done it.”
“You didn't say I can't do it, which means you think I can.”
Ding Ning smiled. His smile grew brighter. “As long as someone else has done it
before, it means there's a chance.”
Nangong Caishu stared at him in a daze.
A moment later, she said sincerely and gently, “I hope you
succeed. However, time is limited, so you still need to pay attention to your
sword manual. If you feel the need, you can come to me for a spar. I can give
you some combat experience. Furthermore, Su Qin from the White Goat Cave is a
powerful swordsman. It seems that if he meets you in the trial, he won't hold
back. You must be careful of him. As for the Green Vine Sword School, the one
you should be wary of is He Zhaoxi.”
After a pause, Nangong Caishu looked at Ding Ning and said,
“He Zhaoxi’s father is an expert under the command of Minister Yan. He Zhaoxi
entered the sect at the same time as me, but he has already reached realm
three. He didn’t join our sect because he couldn’t afford to join a better
sect, but because Headmaster Di Qingmei asked him to join the Green Vine Sword
School because his physique is very suitable for the Green Vine Sword School’s
strongest method, the Thriving Withering Art.”
“Even our headmaster, Di Qingmei, doesn’t cultivate the
Thriving Withering Art. In the last century, only a sect uncle of our
headmaster cultivated this art. His sect uncle is the only grandmaster of the
Green Vine Sword School in the last century to reach realm seven.” Nangong
Caishu was still worried after saying all this and added, “Almost no one knows
the characteristics of this art. I heard it’s difficult to cultivate, and
progresses more slowly than other methods, otherwise He Zhaoxi would have
reached a higher cultivation level.”
Ding Ning thought for a moment and felt that he had learned
much of what he wanted to know.
So he asked the question he most wanted to know, “In the
trial, are you allowed to kill?”
Nangong Caishu glanced at him and said, “This is what I'm
most worried about… technically, it's not allowed, but people make mistakes.
Besides, the sect uncles are sometimes unable to stop others or rescue and help
in time.”
Ding Ning fell silent.
He had to obtain the green jade amber, but there were many dangers involved.
Notes:
This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a
Chinese web novel written by
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