After this experience in the Sword Washing Pool, Wu Tao felt a wonderful release from his previously gloomy, suppressed, and heavy state of mind.
Undoubtedly, after breaking free from that constraint, the spiritual power in Wu Tao's soul grew, becoming swifter, sharper, and more direct than ever before.
Suddenly, a realization dawned upon Wu Tao.
Unfettered by worldly chaos, unclouded by external matters, with a heart as clear as a mirror, unstained by dust, this seemed to be the realm of a pure sword heart.
As Wu Tao stepped out of the Sword Washing Pool, his senior sister, Li Yifang, who had been waiting outside, joyfully exclaimed, "Congratulations, you have successfully cleansed your sword heart."
Wu Tao nodded upon hearing this and said with sincere gratitude, "Thank you, Senior Sister!"
Senior Sister Li Yifang waved her hand and replied, "There's no need to be so polite among fellow disciples."
After a brief exchange, Wu Tao bid farewell to Senior Sister Li Yifang and departed by flying with his artifact.
...
Mingyan Bamboo Grove.
Spiritual mist wafted, bamboo leaves glistened, and bamboo shadows swayed. Within the bamboo grove stood several exquisite bamboo residences. In front of the residences, an octagonal stone table held several tilted jade slips.
Beneath the Mingyan Bamboo Grove, Wu Tao meditated. A faint white divine light emanated from him, suspended an inch above the ground. As he breathed, faint white mist emerged, as if he were inhaling clouds and exhaling fog, appearing extraordinarily mystical.
After a while, Wu Tao opened his eyes and felt a further advance in the spiritual energy within him, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.
It had to be said that the Mingyan Bamboo Grove was truly an excellent spiritual ground for cultivation.
...
Beneath a few exquisite bamboo trees, Wu Tao sat cross-legged, opening a jade slip on his lap.
Over these past three months, Wu Tao had committed all the knowledge about the Way of the Sword here to memory.
"The Way of the Sword is indeed vast and profound. Although ancient sword cultivators and modern ones are broadly similar, there are some differences..."
Ancient Sword Cultivators: Emphasized cultivating sword qi within the dan tian of the body first, then achieving unity of man and sword, progressing step by step to the end.
Modern Sword Cultivators: First, use the Sword Washing Platform to cultivate sword qi, then cultivate slowly according to the techniques, and after reaching the realm of unity between man and sword, slowly ascend to the peak of the Way of the Sword.
The Immortal Path is vast and endless. Sometimes, cultivating like this every day, one hardly notices the passage of time.
Thinking back to when he first entered, it feels like just yesterday.
The path of cultivation is arduous. Two to three decades of quiet practice may only lead to the threshold. This path of cultivation is not about anything else; it's about life itself.
The path of cultivation, fighting for life, seeking immortality, achieving the Great Dao.
Thus, eternal life exists, and countless cultivators strive for it.
With life, one gains more years, accumulating cultivation through infinite time. Even the most foolish person will achieve something on the Great Dao.
Thinking of this, Wu Tao shook his head again. It was amusing, and perhaps the most ironic point, that without profound cultivation, where would one find the life, the sufficient lifespan, to tread further on the Great Dao! The struggle is immense!
Eternal life is even harder!
Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!
But what of it? I, Wu Tao, will pursue the Great Dao of becoming an immortal with the sword in my hand, forging my own legendary future.
This was a dormant arrogance within Wu Tao, an arrogance that defied even heaven and earth!
It was precisely this arrogance, this constant self-imposed pressure, that allowed Wu Tao, with his originally mediocre aptitude, to stand out from countless disciples.
Later, through continuous fortunate encounters, his aptitude changed, transforming him into a congenital sword body, which also propelled him to constantly break through and surpass himself!
It was this arrogance that gave Wu Tao the courage and boldness to aspire to the highest realms, unwavering even in the face of death and the annihilation of his soul.
In a flash, a terrifying aura rose from Wu Tao, a heaven-shaking, earth-splitting sword intent radiating outwards, as if it encompassed the entire sky and earth.
The back of Sword Peak!
Beside a huge waterfall, Shangguan Yujie lay sleeping on a large, protruding rock, her wine gourd as a pillow, in a pool of water.
The massive waterfall plunged into the pool like the Milky Way descending from the ninth heaven. The pool roared. Shangguan Yujie stretched her slender form, her fair, jade-like arms dangling, her beautiful legs submerged in the water, a trace of wine trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Suddenly, Shangguan Yujie's lips twitched, as if she had noticed something. A faint smile appeared, then quickly vanished. She then turned over, and soon, the sound of rhythmic snoring filled the air. She had fallen fast asleep.
...
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, year after year passed.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Wu Tao was forty years old.
The autumn wind stripped the last few bamboo leaves from the branches, heralding the coming of winter.
In a bamboo pavilion, Wu Tao held a cat with purple fur in his arms, gazing absently at the autumn wind blowing outside.
"You've become so much more gluttonous lately, Youmeng. I can barely afford to feed you anymore?" After an unknown period, Wu Tao suddenly spoke.
Youmeng lazily raised its head and glanced at Wu Tao, saying, "Tsk, don't pretend to be poor in front of me. What kind of spirit stones you have, others may not know, but I do. I bet even a typical Nascent Soul stage cultivator isn't as rich as you are now."
After speaking, Youmeng shook its long fur, appearing quite pleased.
Wu Tao glanced at Youmeng and replied, "Stupid cat, don't you understand the principle of eating into one's savings?"
"Then why don't you just bash a few more people over the head, or engage in some black-on-black dealings? You do plenty of that usually, don't you!" Youmeng flipped over and said again.
"Do you think I don't want to? But this isn't a time of war and widespread chaos. There are spirit stones and treasures, but where are the juicy targets that won't cause trouble after being killed?"
"If there were such plump targets, I would have already drawn my sword and gone. You wouldn't have to tell me."
Wu Tao's face showed a hint of helplessness.
As the man and cat chatted, Youmeng gradually drifted off to sleep.
Wu Tao reached out and patted its plump belly, saying, "Hey, wake up!"
Youmeng remained motionless, as if dead.
Wu Tao looked at the fat cat, which was now sleeping soundly, and a playful mood struck him. He reached out and began to tickle its belly.
Wu Tao's fingers were extremely nimble, and he quickly woke Youmeng. Youmeng opened its eyes and met Wu Tao's gaze.
Youmeng opened its mouth, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and asked, "What are you doing, meow?"
Wu Tao replied with a straight face, "I'm petting you."
"It seems you didn't get my permission, meow."
"What? Do you need a cat's permission to pet it?"
Upon hearing this, Youmeng flicked its tail across Wu Tao's face and swiped ferociously at his neck with its sharp claws.
Wu Tao obviously wouldn't let Youmeng scratch his neck. If something were to happen, how embarrassing would it be to meet someone afterward?
With its sharp teeth and glib tongue, Wu Tao often couldn't win against Youmeng. This time, being cornered again, he could only play dumb.
The man and cat romped for a long time before quieting down.
...
Night.
In Wenjian Peak, a sudden loud noise erupted. The man and cat looked up to see fireworks being set off on the mountain. Streaks of colorful, brilliant fireworks tore through the night sky, blooming everywhere.
The fireworks layered and transformed, displaying a myriad of colors. The cheers of many women on the peak echoed.
Wu Tao frowned at first, then calculated the time with his fingers and realized that today was the Era's Festival, an important holiday in Qingzhou.
In the gentle night breeze, Wu Tao held a grilled fish, and under the glow of the bonfire, he and Youmeng enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
As they watched, Youmeng fell asleep. When it woke, it was dawn. It lay on Wu Tao's lap, and Wu Tao, already awake, gazed at it with a smile.
The sky turned a pale white, and the fiery red dawn began to appear. A large sun rose from the east.
The sunlight shone on the man and cat, casting a shimmering, rainbow-like glow.
Stretching lazily, Wu Tao walked out of the Mingyan Bamboo Grove.
He hadn't walked far when he heard the chirping of birds on Wenjian Peak and faintly the sound of a maiden singing.
It was a bit distant, so Wu Tao couldn't clearly hear what she was singing, but the melodious and charming voice was indeed admirable.
Upon seeing that it was Jiang Wanyi, Wu Tao's expression changed dramatically. Not wanting to stir up any trouble, he intended to avoid her.
Just then, Jiang Wanyi also spotted him.
She rested her left hand on her cheek and stared at Wu Tao with keen interest, her eyes twinkling, her face full of a sly smile.
Jiang Wanyi exclaimed loudly, "Junior Brother, what are you running from? I saw you!"
Wu Tao heard her and turned around, walking towards Jiang Wanyi.
Caught red-handed, he touched his head and said somewhat awkwardly, "No, no, it's not like that. I just didn't want to disturb Senior Sister while she was singing, so I was moving away."
...
"Junior Brother, are you really trying to fool me? Words from men are lies from ghosts. Do you think I'm stupid?"
Jiang Wanyi's eyes shone brightly, and the sly smile on her face grew even more intense.
After a few exchanges, they found a pavilion and sat down directly.
At this moment, Jiang Wanyi sat opposite Wu Tao, gazing at him intently. Her heart pounded, and she felt an indescribable strangeness.
She had been beautiful since childhood and had never encountered a man who actively avoided her.
Moreover, seeing that Wu Tao was of similar age and possessed an unusually free and easy demeanor in conversation, even though his looks were ordinary, for some reason, Jiang Wanyi found herself drawn to him, developing a fondness for him.
On the other hand.
Wu Tao saw her only as a normal friend. During their conversation, he casually mentioned trivial matters.
After chatting for a while, he suddenly noticed that Jiang Wanyi was resting her chin on her hand, a blush like the rosy dawn coloring her pretty face, her expressive eyes blinking charmingly. He was slightly taken aback.
After the absurd incident with Bing Menglu, Wu Tao was no longer the emotionally clueless person he used to be.
Sensing that something was amiss, Wu Tao quickly excused himself and got up to leave.
Enjoying this rare moment of happiness, Wu Tao was unaware that three days later, a thunderous event would utterly stun him.