Chapter 27: The Mysteries of the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art
Just as Nan Qiao was about to kneel, Qin Guan flicked his sleeve, and a gentle surge of Gang Qi instantly caught her beneath the knees, stopping her descent.
Qin Guan stepped toward her with a smile. "Don't take it seriously — I was only joking."
With that, he reached into his Storage Pouch and produced a cultivation manual. "This Mystic-Grade Advanced Ice Spirit Art is yours."
A Mystic-Grade Advanced ice-element Cultivation Technique!
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone present drew a sharp breath. Elemental Cultivation Techniques were far rarer than ordinary ones — even a Yellow-Grade elemental technique was extraordinarily hard to come by, let alone a Mystic-Grade one!
If someone could obtain a Mystic-Grade Advanced elemental Cultivation Technique, they would probably be willing to eat dirt, let alone kneel…
"I… I…"
Nan Qiao stared at the manual in Qin Guan's hand, momentarily speechless. She had never expected that he was merely testing her. She had braced herself for humiliation, yet instead she was receiving an incomparably precious ice-element Cultivation Technique.
"Your brother-in-law is giving it to you — why aren't you taking it?" Seeing Nan Qiao frozen in place, Nan Rou gave her a gentle nudge.
"Oh my! Haha, Qiao'er, what are you standing there for? Your brother-in-law is giving it to you — hurry up and say thank you!"
Yang Hongmei beside them was both excited and anxious, terrified that Nan Qiao might refuse.
"Thank you, Brother-in-law!"
Nan Qiao took the manual into her hands. She pouted and wiped away her tears, though she couldn't suppress the excitement and joy radiating from her face.
Qin Guan nodded. "If you ever have questions while practicing, feel free to come ask me anytime."
"Brother-in-law, aren't you a Martial Artist? Do you understand Cultivation Technique training as well?" Nan Qiao couldn't help but ask.
"Well enough. A technique this low-level won't give me any trouble." Qin Guan smiled casually. Having grown up at his master's side, absorbing knowledge through constant exposure, he had a clear understanding of cultivators' training methods — even if he couldn't gather Spiritual Energy himself.
Hearing his words, everyone felt a wave of mixed emotions. A Mystic-Grade technique was considered low-level in his eyes?
Before today, anyone would have dismissed that as boasting. But now, no one doubted him — after all, someone who casually handed out multiple Mystic-Grade techniques clearly had no use for them.
"Qin Guan, what do you plan to do about Spirit Sword Academy?" Nan Yunqi asked, his expression troubled.
At his words, everyone turned to look at Qin Guan. Despite the enormous gains they had made today, Spirit Sword Academy loomed over them like a boulder pressing down on their chests.
The Academy's power had long since taken root in each of their hearts, filling them with deep-seated awe and wariness.
Seeing their unease, Qin Guan replied with an unconcerned wave. "Just focus on your cultivation. I'll handle the trouble with Spirit Sword Academy."
With that, he left the main hall with Nan Rou.
After Qin Guan departed, Nan Yunqi looked around at everyone:
"Since our son-in-law has said so, he must have a plan. Each of you now has a Mystic-Grade Cultivation Technique in hand. The most important thing right now is to focus on your cultivation. When the Nan Family grows strong, you will all be Elders — understood?"
"Understood!" everyone shouted in unison, as if injected with a burst of energy.
* * *
On the other side of the estate, Nan Rou walked arm-in-arm with Qin Guan through the courtyard.
"Husband, thank you," Nan Rou said softly.
"Thank me for what?" Qin Guan asked with a smile.
"You've given the Nan Family a new lease on life. When the Grand Elder and Second Elder led so many people in defection, the family seemed on the verge of collapse — and it was you who turned the tide and saved us. And you've brought our family closer together, made us more united!"
Qin Guan looked at her. "Your stepmother and Nan Qiao treated you so poorly before. Don't you hold any resentment?"
Nan Rou smiled at the question.
"I did, before. But ever since you saved me and gave me a new life, I stopped holding any grudges against them. I simply don't care about those things anymore. In fact, I'm grateful to them — grateful that they gave you up to me."
Qin Guan listened, then reached out and pinched her cheek affectionately. "I'm lucky to have found you too. But you need to learn to change — being kind is never wrong, but being too kind can sometimes lead to great losses. Understand?"
"Mm, I understand." Nan Rou nodded.
Before long, the two returned to their quarters.
"Practice with this Cultivation Technique for now — we'll find you something better later." Qin Guan handed Nan Rou an Earth-Grade Low-Level Profound Origin Art.
"Heavens — an Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique!" Nan Rou stared at the manual in her hands in disbelief.
An Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique — how extraordinarily precious. A technique of this caliber was a closely guarded treasure among the major powers of Qingzhou, never to be shared with outsiders!
"Husband, you're far too good to me — you kept the best for me!"
Nan Rou was so moved she was nearly in tears. She threw her arms around Qin Guan and buried her face in his chest.
It wasn't the Earth-Grade technique that moved her — it was how deeply Qin Guan cherished her. From childhood to now, aside from her mother, no one had ever treated her this well. The feeling of being loved and cared for was simply overwhelming.
"You're my wife. Isn't it only natural to give you the best?" Qin Guan gently brushed the hair from her forehead and smiled.
At those words, Nan Rou held him even tighter. She tilted her head up and pressed a soft kiss to his neck.
Qin Guan swept her up in his arms and carried her toward their little haven.
The bed curtains were drawn, and soon an ardent battle of passion grew ever more intense…
"The Supreme Yin Sacred Body is truly heaven-defying. Motherfucker, what kind of ridiculous luck does this kid have!"
Sensing the white mass of Chaos Power in Qin Guan's lower abdomen growing steadily under the nourishment of the Supreme Yin Sacred Body, the Little Black Pagoda was practically drooling with envy.
* * *
One hour later, Qin Guan left the room and made his way to the back mountain of the Nan Family estate.
Time to cultivate — and study the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art.
Boom!
Qin Guan drove his fist into a small hill, carving out a cave. He stepped inside and, unable to contain his eagerness, pulled out the incomplete scroll of the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art and began to study it.
Though a Martial Artist possesses no Dantian, the Gang Qi within the body is vigorous and mighty. The marvel of the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art lies in guiding Gang Qi to flow through the eight extraordinary meridians.
When the Gang Qi reaches specific meridian confluence points, a refined sword intent is used as a catalyst, causing the Gang Qi to produce a resonant vibration. This resonance acts like a magnet, drawing Spiritual Energy from heaven and earth and blending it with the Gang Qi.
Driven by sword pressure, the fierce and unyielding nature of the Gang Qi and the gentle, primal essence of Spiritual Energy interpenetrate and transform each other, gradually forming a current of spiritual power that the Martial Artist can command.
This spiritual power current is stored within the meridians. As cultivation deepens, it becomes increasingly refined and pure — until at last it can serve as a mighty source of power for executing sword art divine abilities, just as Spiritual Energy stored in a Dantian would, allowing a Martial Artist to wield spiritual force in battle and roam the world unhindered.
"Senior Yang truly stands alone across all of history. This principle is breathtakingly bold and ingenious — a stroke of divine genius!"
Having read through the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art's operating principles, Qin Guan was filled with awe. He felt as though his entire understanding had been blown open into a vast new world.
Hiss!
After reading through the cultivation steps, Qin Guan drew a deep breath. This Cultivation Technique was indeed not something just anyone could practice. The densely packed meridian acupoints alone were enough to make one's head spin — a full one hundred and eight acupoints in total.
What made it even more demanding was that when using sword intent to guide the Gang Qi, the sequence in which each acupoint was activated could not be wrong by even a single step. One mistake could cause the meridians to reverse and damage one's very foundation.
Rather than rushing into cultivation, Qin Guan studied and memorized the key points of the technique over and over. Though some parts were obscure and difficult to grasp, he felt not the slightest discouragement — only excitement.
For a Martial Artist to have found a way to walk the Sword Dao at all was already an extraordinary stroke of fortune!
* * *
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Inside the cave, Qin Guan stood perfectly still, a sword gripped in his hand. At the Laogong acupoint in the center of his palm, a faint current of spiritual power was slowly condensing.
A short while later, Qin Guan raised the sword and thrust it at the cave wall from a distance!
Whoosh!
A streak of sword qi shot from the tip of the blade and slashed straight into the wall.
Thud. A soft impact — and the sword qi left a shallow mark on the stone surface.
"Haha! I did it — I finally did it!"
Staring at that faint sword mark, Qin Guan's heart surged with wild joy. His eyes blazed with an excitement he could no longer contain. Three days of grueling cultivation and painstaking trial had finally borne fruit in this single moment.
The sword qi he had just released was pitifully weak in terms of power — but to Qin Guan, this was a breakthrough of profound significance. As long as he had taken this crucial first step, the path forward was now clear.
Qin Guan stroked the sword in his hands with deep affection, completely lost in joy. He had finally become a Sword Cultivator, however small — no longer just a ground-bound Martial Artist scraping by!
"If Master knew I could now walk the Sword Dao, he'd probably be so happy his beard would curl up!"
In that moment, Qin Guan desperately wanted to share this good news with his master. Over the years, his master had spared no effort — traversing countless mountains and valleys, exploring Secret Realm after Secret Realm in search of Yang Tianni's Inheritance — yet had always come away empty-handed.
"Cultivate — keep cultivating!"
He had only just touched the threshold of the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art. Qin Guan sat back down cross-legged and set the technique in motion once more.
* * *
Another three days passed in the blink of an eye. During those three days, Qin Guan was completely absorbed in cultivation — forgetting to eat, forgetting to sleep, not even returning home. He simply lived inside the cave, training the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art without pause.
Throughout those three days, he made no attempt to open other acupoints. Instead, he focused entirely on expanding and refining the Laogong acupoint at the center of his palm. Where before it could hold only a fingernail's worth of spiritual power, it could now hold a quantity the size of an egg.
According to the manual, when the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art was cultivated to the Grand Ascension Stage, every acupoint in the body could be expanded into a Dantian qi-sea like those of cultivators — with spiritual power inexhaustible and boundless.
Just imagining having qi-seas throughout the entire body — the explosive force that would unleash was simply terrifying to contemplate!
However, the body was like a vessel, and how much power it could contain depended on the vessel's capacity. Thus, the Yuan-Shifting Sword Art could only be brought to its true potential by a Martial Artist with an exceptionally powerful physical body.
The more Qin Guan cultivated, the more he came to appreciate the terrifying genius of Yang Tianni. To have created such a formidable Cultivation Technique — it was truly worthy of admiration.
"Reporting to the live-in son-in-law — Miss Jiang is waiting for you in the sitting room." Qin Guan was deep in cultivation when a servant's voice suddenly drifted in from outside the cave.
Hearing this, Qin Guan stepped outside. He looked at the servant and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Next time you have something to report, remember to knock first — understood?"
The servant glanced at the cave entrance and nodded hastily. "Yes, live-in son-in-law!"
"Now, tell me — what is this?" Qin Guan suddenly pointed to the sword slung diagonally across his back and asked the servant.
"Heavens — a Soul-Grade sword! Live-in son-in-law, you're absolutely awesome!" The servant's eyes went wide at the sight of the brilliantly silver longsword on Qin Guan's back, and he immediately burst into flattering exclamations.
"I wasn't asking you to comment on the sword's grade!" Qin Guan's mouth twitched.
The servant blinked in confusion. What did the live-in son-in-law mean?
Pat pat.
Qin Guan clapped the servant on the shoulder. "From now on, call me a Sword Cultivator!"
With that, he turned and walked away.
"What's wrong with my brain — too slow on the uptake!" Left standing there, the servant gave himself a hard slap on the face, feeling as though he had just missed out on a great opportunity.