[You have completed a practice session of the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique. Cultivation Technique progress +1]

[Your proficiency with the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique is now full. Commencing advancement...]

[Epiphany: Comprehending new Trait...]

’Wholeness is life; ceaseless vitality is life... A plant experiences the entire process of taking root, sprouting, flowering, bearing fruit, and withering. This growth is also a form of life...’

DING!

As realizations about the Rhythm of Life welled up within Zhong Ming, a peculiar change took place deep within his Sea of Consciousness. Upon the water’s surface, where the Clear Sound Spring Stone rested and drops of his Power of the Mind often fell, a seed appeared—one both real and illusory.

Zhong Ming’s Sea of Consciousness had originally been like the waters before creation—a formless void with darkness upon its surface.

But the appearance of this seed brought a faint glimmer of light to Zhong Ming’s Sea of Consciousness.

The next moment, the seed took root in Zhong Ming’s Sea of Consciousness and gradually began to sprout.

Once the sprout emerged, it began absorbing the power of the water, the very power of Zhong Ming’s Heart Soul.

Nourished by the water, the small sapling grew ever more robust.

WHOOSH...

Soon, a tall tree stood in Zhong Ming’s somewhat empty Sea of Consciousness. It was about seven feet high, perfectly straight, and radiated a silvery light.

The tree was alive, representing vitality, yet its silvery-white hue gave it a metallic quality.

Meanwhile, at the very heart of the tree’s crown rested a small, dreamlike fruit.

Zhong Ming knew, without knowing how, that this tree was the amalgamation of his soul and Spirit, body and mind.

As for the fruit, it was the Sword Seed!

He could now channel all sorts of nourishment through the great tree and into the Sword Seed.

This process was known as nurturing the Sword Seed.

[Ding! The advancement of your Longxi Sword Drawing Technique is complete. You have obtained a new Trait: Sword-Containing Seed.]

[Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique, Fourth Realm - Proficiency (1/36,000). Traits: ① Quick Eyes and Swift Hands, ② Flow of Water, ③ Sword-Containing Seed.]

With that, Zhong Ming’s epiphany and advancement were truly over.

His perception of the world standing still also rapidly faded.

At the same time, in the outside world, the longsword at Zhong Ming’s waist had only just been fully drawn, completing a standard Iaido Slash.

’This advancement felt so short... No, that’s not right. Time in my consciousness was stretched, so my epiphany actually wasn’t short. This advancement and the insights gained were more... wondrous than anything.’

Before this, Zhong Ming had never imagined that an advancement of his Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique would actually cause a tree to grow in his Sea of Consciousness.

However, once he understood the mysteries of the Sword-Containing Seed, Zhong Ming felt it all made perfect sense.

As a style of Swordsmanship built around the core concept of a One-Hit Kill, the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique was entirely focused on pursuing the ultimate, instantaneous burst of power.

The Quick Eyes and Swift Hands trait, gained at the Second Realm of Insight, allowed for a faster sword draw.

The Flow of Water at the Third Realm was to allow Magical Power to course rapidly through the body to prepare for a charged strike.

The Sword-Containing Seed of the Fourth Realm also served to enhance this explosive power.

One shouldn’t be misled by the vitality the tree represented.

The great silver tree was an aggregation of Zhong Ming’s heart and soul, his essence and qi. But for the Sword-Containing Seed trait, the fruit in the crown was the most crucial part.

With this trait, Zhong Ming could gather his Power of the Heart Soul, Qi and Blood Power, and Magical Power, and concentrate them all within the Sword Seed during his daily routine.

Then, when facing a powerful enemy, he could unleash all the power accumulated in the Sword Seed in a single, explosive instant.

In that moment, Zhong Ming’s Sword Draw Slash would be a strike that surpassed the limits of his current cultivation.

’As expected of a Swordsmanship style that pursues the One-Hit Kill.’

’At the Second Realm, it was mainly about ambushes and speed. At the Third Realm, I could already use the flow of Magical Power to unleash a strike at my current limit.’

’And now at the Fourth Realm, I can use daily accumulation to unleash a strike that surpasses my limits!’

Extreme. Utterly extreme. That was the impression the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique left on Zhong Ming.

However, the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique was, after all, a form of Immortal Swordsmanship, a Magic Technique that had been passed down on Longxi Peak for hundreds of years.

The Magic Techniques of Renowned and Righteous Sects not only focused on offensive power, but also often came with the added function of helping to raise one’s Cultivation Realm.

The Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique was no exception.

A Sword Seed that had gathered large amounts of the Power of the Heart Soul, Magical Power, and Essence Qi could not only be used as a means for an explosive burst; it also had a certain chance of nurturing a Dao Rhyme.

’The path of a Sword Cultivator is inherently an extreme one. This method of gathering all power into one, of focusing on a single point to achieve mastery, can easily nurture a Sword Dao Rhyme suitable for a Sword Cultivator.’

This was also the reason why the Fourth Realm of the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique was called Sword-Containing Seed, and not simply "Sword Seed."

Of course, this step was not easy.

The Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique only made it possible to nurture a Dao Rhyme; it wasn’t guaranteed. It still required insight, and even some serendipity.

But what caught Zhong Ming’s interest was this:

’I already have a Dao Rhyme. If so, can I place my own Dao Rhyme into the Sword Seed and use the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique to nurture and enhance it?’

Zhong Ming had two Dao Rhymes: one was the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, and the other was the Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water.

Because he had comprehended them ahead of schedule, Zhong Ming didn’t know how to improve either of these two Dao Rhymes.

They were so fragmented that it was difficult to even trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme during normal use.

But now, Zhong Ming felt as if he had found a shortcut.

He was a man of action. HUM... With a mere thought, Zhong Ming began to channel the Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water into the Sword Seed fruit.

After a few breaths, Zhong Ming’s eyes lit up as he realized, "It worked!"

The Dao Fruit: Sword Seed, created by the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique, could truly contain the Dao Rhyme of the Flow of Water.