Chapter 25 : The Warrior's Heart, The Will to Tread Upon the Heavens
Chapter 25 : The Warrior's Heart, The Will to Tread Upon the Heavens
The Warrior's Heart, The Will to Tread Upon the Heavens
After Chu Tianxing officially mailed out his publishing contract at the post office, the familiar text scrolled across his retina just as expected.
"Congratulations! Achievement unlocked: First Time Physical Publication. You’ve obtained the First Time in Your Life Physical Publication Gift Package. Open now?"
Chu Tianxing felt absolutely nothing about this and chose to open the package.
"Package opened. Martial Art: Maiden of Yue Swordplay."
Huh?
That's it?
Just one Maiden of Yue Swordplay and nothing else?
Chu Tianxing stared at the blue booklet in his inventory slot, which showed the silhouette of a sword-wielding woman. He was completely puzzled.
This is a physical publication we're talking about. A physical publication with the backing of the Great Ming Imperial Publishing House, one where I even received a rising star treatment. For such a massive achievement, and all I got was some "Maiden of Yue Swordplay"?
After being confused for a while, something suddenly clicked in his mind.
Come to think of it, he'd unlocked martial arts from all the other six members of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, but it seemed like he was missing exactly one technique. Han Xiaoying's Maiden of Yue Swordplay.
Is there some hidden significance behind ‘this’ Maiden of Yue Swordplay?
Chu Tianxing knew that Han Xiaoying's swordplay, if you traced it back to its roots, could be traced all the way to the Yue Maiden Ah Qing who could break through thousands of troops with just a bamboo stick.
However, Ah Qing never knew how to teach swordsmanship. This was because her own sword art had been developed purely through years of practical combat while fighting against a white ape.
Since she had never formally learned swordsmanship, she naturally didn't know how to teach it.
The so-called Maiden of Yue Swordplay that was passed down was just something the swordsmen of the Yue Kingdom figured out on their own after watching Ah Qing fight. They only managed to capture a "shadow" of Ah Qing's true swordsmanship.
This shadow of a sword art was passed down through generations, and by the time of the Condor Heroes era, it became Han Xiaoying's "Maiden of Yue Swordplay."
Logically speaking, Han Xiaoying's version of the Maiden of Yue Swordplay should at most be considered on the level of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan.
But here was this major achievement—his first physical publication—rewarding him with ‘ this’ Maiden of Yue Swordplay.
This made Chu Tianxing's imagination run wild.
With this thought, he quickly focused his mind on the blue booklet in his inventory slot to read the martial art's description.
[Maiden of Yue Swordplay: The signature skill of Han Xiaoying from the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan. Though merely a second-rate sword technique, it seems to have extraordinary origins... ]
That was it.
Just that one line of description, nothing else after.
But Chu Tianxing wasn't disappointed by this.
"Extraordinary origins... Of course, its origins are anything but ordinary. It traces back to Ah Qing after all. Since this was given as a reward for a publication achievement, does that mean Han Xiaoying's version of the Maiden of Yue Swordplay could eventually be traced back to its source and upgraded to Ah Qing's version?”
"Ah Qing never practiced internal energy, yet she could easily break the bones of strong warriors with just a bamboo stick, and even project Sword Qi to wound enemies from a distance. Her master was a white ape... now that's getting into fantasy territory!"
Thinking this, Chu Tianxing went ahead and learned the Maiden of Yue Swordplay.
Even though it was currently just a second-rate sword art, not even as good as the Quanzhen Swordplay he'd already learned, maybe someday he'd find a way to trace it back to its roots and upgrade it to Ah Qing's version.
After that, Chu Tianxing took a taxi home and continued writing to stock his chapters.
As for the graduation trip Qin Ling mentioned, he still hadn't decided whether to go or not.
The main issue was that as a transmigrator, he had this weird feeling of certainty about himself.
If a transmigrator goes on a trip and doesn't run into trouble, can he even call himself a transmigrator?
Even if I don't go looking for trouble, there's no guarantee trouble won't come looking for me.
The last time I went to the park to practice some martial arts, I ran into Feng Yufei who was being possessed by an evil entity.
If I go on a boat trip this time, who knows what kind of trouble I'll encounter.
"Anyway, I feel like there's a 99% chance I'll attract some kind of trouble if I join this trip. Being a transmigrator without that special constitution where trouble follows you around would be way too embarrassing."
That's what Chu Tianxing was thinking.
However, when Qin Ling came over that evening and spoke to him about the graduation trip with eyes full of anticipation, Chu Tianxing gave it serious consideration and eventually agreed.
"Practicing martial arts is not the same as cultivating immortality. The ultimate goal of the immortal path is eternal life and immortality, so you have to play it safe and avoid fights if you can.”
"But martial arts... The martial way originates on the battlefield. It was never a path for cultivating one's character in peace. The martial way at its core is the path of conflict and slaughter."
"A martial artist who lacks the heart of a warrior that always screams with confidence and always second-guesses themselves is destined to achieve nothing. You can have all of the divine arts in the world and train in a basement forever, but the moment you get into a real fight, you won’t even be able to touch the boot of an opponent on the same realm as yours. You might as well smash your head on a tofu and die from that.”
If a martial artist doesn't have the heart of a warrior that screams with confidence and determination and has a mindset to always back away from trouble
'I am invincible,' that determination to 'overturn the heavens with one hand,' if they're always afraid of this and worried about that, always held back by the possibility of trouble...
"Then even if they possess countless supreme divine techniques and hide away at home until the end of time, when it comes to a real life-or-death battle, they'll never be able to defeat an opponent of the same level. They might even get killed by a boot falling from the sky right after completing their training...
‘It's like what that GOAT from the esports scene back home always said:
"You don't know what the consequences of making a flashy play will be. But in moments like that, you absolutely have to go for it. If you fail, the worst that happens is you get flamed. If you succeed, you become a legend. But if you don't have the guts to make that play... The next time you face the same situation, you'll never dare to make a move again. You'll only think about running away."
Of course, martial arts and esports were completely different.
The consequences of being bold in martial arts could be serious injury, permanent disability, or even death.
But what great martial arts master was ever forged purely through grinding practice alone?
Ah Qing's heaven-gifted divine sword skills were developed through constant beatings by that white ape since childhood.
Little Guo in Condor Heroes also got beaten by his masters every day while training. After his debut and setting out on his own, he experienced hundreds of battles and repeatedly fought powerful enemies before he could finally become the Northern Hero of the Five Great.
"Knowing there are tigers on the mountain, yet heading toward the mountain"—that's the correct way to walk the path for all martial artists who aspire to reach the peak of martial arts and look down upon all the mountains below.
Hiding on this path of bloodshed until you're invincible?
Not a chance.
Even the first True Qi grandmaster in this world's history, Emperor Chongzhen himself, once waded into danger despite his status as the emperor. He descended from the sky in the middle of enemy armies, beheaded Li Zicheng, and he fought his way out of the elite Rebel Army's main camp while surrounded on all sides, covered in blood and bearing multiple wounds, finally breaking through with the support of the Yongwei Battalion.
That battle truly cemented Emperor Chongzhen's invincible momentum. In his subsequent campaigns, even though True Qi Realm warriors eventually appeared among the peasant armies and Later Jin forces, no one could withstand Emperor Chongzhen's invincible iron fists.
No martial arts grandmaster can be nurtured in an environment of peace and comfort.
A martial artist who only trains but never fights, no matter how talented, can at most reach the True Qi Realm.
Although there are no recorded life-and-death battles circulating online for those in the Astral Qi Realm, Chu Tianxing believed those Astral Qi Realm experts had definitely experienced more than one life-and-death battle.
After this reflection, Chu Tianxing suddenly realized he was only now truly understanding himself.
In his previous life, he locked himself in a shabby room, avoided women, and ate only simple meals to focus on his writing.
He acted like his rich family didn't exist, but that didn't mean he was someone content with mediocrity.
On the contrary, he wants to scale the heavens in a single flight. He wants to shock the world with a single cry and become famous throughout the land in a single stroke. He wants to become someone his parents could be proud of through his own abilities, not his family background.
Young people, where does all that twilight gloom come from?
Isn't today's patience all for tomorrow's brilliant display that will shock the world?
If you don't have that kind of fire in your belly, why even bother living?
You might as well find a place to become a monk and go cultivate immortality.
Unfortunately, Chu Tianxing had misjudged his own talent, leading to ten years of failure and achieving nothing.
But in this life, he was still in the same industry he'd already spent ten years proving himself in.
However, with the foundation from his previous world, it seemed he could "become famous throughout the land in one stroke" in this field.
But since this new world had an epic path of martial arts, and he had the cheat codes for it...
Given who he really was, he had to walk that path, and walk it right.
It was fine to play smart and act within his capabilities to avoid risks he couldn't handle.
But bailing on something just because he got a bad feeling, because there might be trouble? He might as well abolish his martial cultivation early and focus on writing novels to make money and become famous.
"I, Chu Tianxing... may be able to endure loneliness and poverty, but I have never been one to endure mediocrity. Since I've already set foot on this martial arts path, then I must... defy heaven itself!"
For a moment, Chu Tianxing's blood boiled with passion, and he felt as if he had returned to his chuunibyou teenage years.
Just then, Qin Ling's voice drifted into his ears. "Tianxing, what are you spacing out for? Did you hear what I was saying?"
"Huh?" Chu Tianxing snapped back, "What did you just say?"
"..."
Qin Ling gritted her teeth and shot him an exasperated glare.
"I said we're meeting at the school gate tomorrow morning at 7 AM to take the bus to the pier. So, I'll be coming over at six to get you. You need to wake up early."
"Also, you need to pack your luggage for the trip tonight. Don't wait until tomorrow morning! Did you hear me this time?"
Chu Tianxing quickly nodded. "I heard you clearly this time."
"Remember, I'm coming at 6 AM tomorrow morning."
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