Volume 1, Chapter 28: Secluded Cultivation

After the playful banter ended and the tea was finished, Yu Chen got straight to the point.

This was Yu Chen’s first time taking on an apprentice. He wasn’t entirely sure how to teach, but first, he needed to understand his disciple’s current level to know how to guide her moving forward.

“Mingxi, what sword technique are you currently practicing? When you reach a certain level, come demonstrate it for me to see.”

Gu Mingxi replied, “Master, I am practicing the Gu family’s basic sword technique, the Yunling Sword Manual. As for my level, I will demonstrate it for you to judge.”

“Very well.”

Gu Mingxi performed the Yunling Sword Manual from start to finish. Yu Chen’s expression remained calm and unreadable; his face betrayed no hint of emotion.

Nervously, Gu Mingxi said, “Master, I have finished.”

Yu Chen’s face remained unchanged. “Now demonstrate your talisman drawing and formation casting.”

After Gu Mingxi completed her talisman and formation demonstrations, Yu Chen’s expression was still subtle and unreadable.

Gu Mingxi sensed that her master was somewhat dissatisfied.

In truth, Yu Chen was not satisfied. To his eyes, Gu Mingxi’s sword technique was riddled with flaws, and her speed and fluidity in drawing talismans and casting formations were lacking.

Yet, seeing his apprentice’s anxious demeanor, Yu Chen understood that, for her age, she was doing quite well.

He couldn’t demand perfection right from the start. After all, what use would he be as a master if he expected flawless skill immediately?

Having come to this realization, Yu Chen’s expression softened. He smiled and said, “For your age, you are already doing very well.”

Then, patiently, he pointed out some issues with her technique. “Mingxi, your sword form should be like this... then like that... and finally...”

After explaining, he demonstrated the corrections himself. When he reached those tricky points, he deliberately slowed his movements so Gu Mingxi could clearly observe the trajectory of his sword.

Gu Mingxi watched closely and took notes. When Yu Chen finished, she practiced the sword technique again and felt it flowed much more smoothly.

Yu Chen nodded, thinking, “Teaching an apprentice isn’t so difficult—she learned just by seeing it once!”

If others found out, they might call Yu Chen boastful.

Next, Yu Chen demonstrated his methods for drawing talismans and forging formations. As he worked, he said to Gu Mingxi, “Mingxi, the methods for talisman drawing and formation casting are quite similar. Your technique isn’t bad, but there were still issues when you practiced just now. Do you understand what they are?”

He placed the Grade One talisman he had drawn alongside one Gu Mingxi had made for comparison.

Though both were top-quality Grade One Rejuvenation Talismans, there was a noticeable difference.

Gu Mingxi hesitated before saying, “My talisman doesn’t seem as smooth as yours?”

Yu Chen nodded approvingly. “Good, you’re teachable!”

“Indeed, it is less smooth, but this isn’t a problem with your technique. It’s about how you control your spiritual energy.”

“Control of spiritual energy?”

“For example, when you have a strand of spiritual energy, you need to divide it like threads, into finer and finer strands...”

“Now, I will teach you another sword technique called the Primordial Sword Manual!”

Gu Mingxi watched attentively, knowing that her master was unlikely to demonstrate it again. If she missed anything, she would have to muster the courage to ask him to repeat it.

Then Yu Chen gave a decisive instruction: “Starting tomorrow, focus on practicing sword techniques and mastering spiritual energy control. Don’t rush your cultivation.”

Gu Mingxi looked puzzled. Wouldn’t her master ask which cultivation method she was using?

She voiced her doubt, and Yu Chen chuckled softly. “Don’t you know that I have known your parents for a long time?”

“I’m aware that your family has an ancestral lightning-element cultivation method. I have even seen it before. It’s very good. You don’t need to change it—just continue practicing. If you encounter anything unclear, come ask me.”

Gu Mingxi’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Her parents had known her master for so long? Why had they never told her? And her master had even seen the Gu family’s cultivation method?

In fact, this had been a misunderstanding. Gu Moyuan thought Lin Sheng had told Yu Chen, while Lin Sheng thought Gu Moyuan had told him. So neither actually said anything, leaving Gu Mingxi completely in the dark when she accepted Yu Chen as her master.

Regarding the cultivation method, Yu Chen had attained the Divine Transformation realm when he saw the Gu family’s method. At that stage, it was impossible to switch to another. Moreover, Yu Chen was a discreet man; even though he had seen the Gu family’s method, he would never disclose it.

There was no reason to worry. After all, that lightning-element cultivation method had been stored in the clan’s library for centuries, and no child in the Gu family had ever been born with the lightning spiritual root.

Seeing Gu Mingxi’s astonishment, Yu Chen understood that perhaps her parents had simply forgotten to mention this. Silently, he thought to himself, “What an unreliable couple.”

Had Gu Mingxi known Yu Chen’s inner thoughts, she probably would have said, “Master, you’re not much more reliable yourself.”

Following this, under Yu Chen’s guidance, Gu Mingxi secluded herself for three years, only emerging just before the clan’s grand competition.

During the first year, she practiced the Primordial Sword Manual taught by her master each morning. Afterward, she would gather bamboo leaves in the Purple Bamboo Forest to brew tea for her master. In the afternoons, she trained to control her spiritual energy in the same forest.

This monotonous routine repeated for a year.

The second year was much the same—either training or traveling to her training grounds.

Though her sword technique still fell short of Yu Chen’s expectations, it was already quite impressive—quietly, she had become one of the top swordswomen among her peers. Her spiritual energy control had improved significantly; she could now divide a single strand of spiritual energy into five.

With such progress in energy control, naturally, her talisman and formation skills had also advanced.

Gu Mingxi had now become a Grade Two talisman master and a Grade Two formation master.

In her third year, she focused mainly on cultivating herself further. After all, she was to participate in the sect’s grand competition and needed to place in the top ten—not only to avoid embarrassing her master but also because the competition’s results determined who would earn the coveted spots to enter the Purple Cloud Secret Realm.