Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 59 - 50: Spirit Cat Swordsmanship

July 26, 2017

It’s been over ten days since entering the new world in the third month.

Wang Jiu gazed at the gradually forming Demon-slaying Blade within the Sword World, and in the silence, memories of countless blood battles from years ago surged once more into his mind.

The Demon-slaying Blade, towering a hundred feet high in the shape of a sharp sword, pointed straight from the boundless earth to the heavens, as if to split the world in two.

This is the first structure within the Sword World that can be deemed High Tier, its status far surpassing that of the Wind Gathering Array and the Demon Sealing Platform, and it is one of the core constructions which Wang Jiu has spent the most resources and effort over the past two months to recreate.

Its function is very simple: to break demons.

With supreme sharpness, it can break through all Demon Race adversaries under the heavens, from the demon insects used as Demon Race food, to the Great Demon God Emperor, unmatched among the Myriad Realms, the Demon-slaying Blade can exert immense suppressive effects.

Moreover, it is one of the few, singular structures in the Sword World. No matter how many resources are invested, there will only ever be one Demon-slaying Blade within the Sword World. It will only grow as the Sword World becomes more refined and resources are poured in, but there will never be a second Demon-slaying Blade.

Honestly, it’s not very practical. The Immortal Demon War ended at least five thousand or even ten thousand years ago. Nowadays, there are no Demon Races left on Xiangzhou Continent, only the rare Demon Essences that roam certain regions in a state of chaotic consciousness, yet they are like rare protected animals, unable to stir up any waves. In these peaceful times, the Demon-slaying Blade has lost its purpose.

However, Wang Jiu still chose to prioritize the recreation of this hundred-foot sword blade because it is the core of the Celestial Divine Sword. Without the Demon-slaying Blade, the Celestial Divine Sword would not exist. The Jiu Immortal Venerables gathered the essence of Jiuzhou and made a blood sacrifice to the Nameless Sword God, all in order to eradicate the Demon Race, and all the power of the Celestial Divine Sword serves this purpose... Moreover, it is also an important relic bearing countless memories. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Seeing the Demon-slaying Blade, the days with the Jiu Immortal Venerables in the midst of blood and rain feel like yesterday. Shen Kaishan’s bold sky-splitting battle song, Shang Lanfei’s Celestial Secret Attraction, Lu Jintong’s rebellion against the heavens with Pupil Technique seem to reverse time, appearing and disappearing beside the Demon-slaying Blade.

While gradually adapting to life in the new world, Wang Jiu also began to reminisce about the past times.

To be precise, he missed past friends.

"Back then, Li Jiulong, although his Sword Forging Skill was unparalleled, his combat ability was very limited. Yet, as a leading figure of the Sword Sect Li Family, swordsmanship was at the forefront, so he always hoped to become a true Sword Cultivator. He often sought my instruction in swordsmanship. As a master, it’s natural to teach your steed, but Li Jiulong’s aptitude and comprehension were quite mediocre. A set of Swordsmanship I casually created at the age of twenty took him three to five days to merely grasp the basics, far inferior to his descendant, your father Li Fengyun, who was only slightly better than you by a mere margin. And you, with limited intelligence and inheriting the conflicting bloodline of Immovable Tyrant Body, have an even lower cultivation efficiency than Li Jiulong, thus you must double your efforts to achieve anything."

At the Shen Garden Training Ground, Wang Jiu, while reminiscing about the past, sincerely and earnestly gave teachings to his mount.

And the one receiving the teachings, Shen Qingming, was struggling to suppress her anger on the training ground, practicing the Spirit Cat Swordsmanship specially tailored for her.

Although from its name, this swordsmanship seems more like an entertainment program, but after a single exercise, Shen Qingming realized that the Celestial Divine Sword’s product is indeed extraordinary. The Spirit Cat Swordsmanship has only thirteen paths, but each action, when broken down, seems to hold deep meaning, especially when paired with the sword techniques and internal True Essence circulation, often resulting in profound Divine Techniques effects.

Some sword paths can make her briefly invisible, others can instantly reduce the distance by three feet, and some can densely cover True Essence over her body, making it as hard as steel, forming a solid protective shield—effects usually achieved by cultivators embarking on Immortal Techniques, utilizing specific Magic Divine Techniques! Meanwhile, after practicing the thirteen paths of swordsmanship, her internal True Essence reaches its limits. The Spirit Wind howls, subtly boiling, perfectly aligning with the True Essence transformation from the Wind-Rising Realm to the Cloud Surge Realm.

A set of swordsmanship can grant sword cultivators in the Wind-Rising Realm the Divine Techniques of Magic and temper True Essence. If it weren’t for the personal experience, it’s truly hard to imagine. Even within the prestigious Li Family Mansion, it would be difficult to find a second set of such miraculous and high-level swordsmanship.

However...

"This swordsmanship is just too strange!"

After practicing the thirteen paths of swordsmanship for the third time, Shen Qingming couldn’t help but protest.

Wang Jiu asked, "What’s strange about it?"

"Everything is strange! For instance, the core move of the seventh path requires me to lean my body forward, then swing as if a wave along the axis from head to foot... and that’s not all, I must also assume a cat’s paw shape with my hands, curling them on my chest, what’s that supposed to be!"

Wang Jiu explained, "This seventh path [Cat Snake], the idea is to mimic the preparative action of a Spirit Cat pouncing, swinging the body to create an illusion to confuse the opponent, ensuring a higher success rate of striking..."

"What kind of name is that!" While protesting, Shen Qingming also had to admit, although shameful in action and name, this seventh path [Cat Snake] is truly effective. Once executed successfully, it can instantly split into four lifelike illusions from left and right. Unless there is Divine Eye Skill or expertise in blind battles, it is extremely difficult to discern the real from the fake.

But the more it is like this, the more it feels strange, does such magical effect require only to be achieved with shamefully explosive movements?

"Besides, what about the penultimate path, asking me to raise one foot backward, pouting my lips while making a heart with my hands... what am I doing!"

Wang Jiu said, "This is [Cat Cat Light Wave]."

"..."

"Mainly concentrating power to release Sword Qi outward, depending on your cultivation, it can reach up to a hundred feet away, comparable to a Flying Sword, and comes with sound and light effects that can effectively shock and confuse the enemy. With the right facial expressions, it could also deliver minor Divine Sense impacts. Unfortunately, your proficiency in the sword path is severely lacking, thus failing to exhibit these special effects."

"And what about the last path, asking me to position my hands like cat paws on either side of my head and keep meowing!"

Wang Jiu said, "This is [Meow Meow Meow]."

"The name is getting more outrageous!"

"The main effect of the sword technique is to strike at the divine sense level through sound waves. Those hit feel dizzy at best, and at worst, their fighting spirit collapses entirely, making them lose without fighting. It’s the most lethal move among the Thirteen Spirit Cat Swordsmanship techniques."

Wang Jiu’s earnest explanation, combined with the Sword Spirit True Form presented by the Illusion Sword Technique, carried an undeniable persuasiveness.

Shen Qingming wanted to speak several times but ultimately found herself at a loss for words.

After a long moment of brewing, Shen Qingming posed a new question.

"Fine, I’ll grant you that every sword technique has its depth, but... in practice, I discovered that more than half of the Sword Paths don’t even use a sword!"

Wang Jiu said, "Ah, right, you don’t actually need a sword."

"Then why call it Spirit Cat Swordsmanship?!"

"That’s strange. Is there a strict rule in the Immortal Cultivation Realm about names matching their essence? When you eat ’Husband and Wife Lung Slices,’ you neither eat husband nor lung slices."

"..."

Seeing Shen Qingming on the verge of exploding, Wang Jiu had to sigh that mildly intellectually challenged young girls are difficult to teach, then he explained his intentions to her more meticulously.

"Your main direction of cultivation now is not the Li Family sword techniques but the Immovable Tyrant Body. Whether it’s the cultivation technique for tempering True Essence or combat styles, they must revolve around the Immovable Tyrant Body. Additionally, your aptitude for Sword Dao is not outstanding, so there’s no need to insist on being a Sword Cultivator or learning Swordsmanship. But on the other hand, as a former disciple of the Li Family, for so many years, your cultivation centered on Swordsmanship, and many actions and habits are deeply ingrained and hard to correct at once. So I’ve tailored this set of Spirit Cat Swordsmanship for you. It seems to use the sword to enter the Dao, but the sword is not the core. The key is to cleverly utilize the resonance of True Essence and the flesh within you to present the effect of techniques and divine abilities, and then use those divine abilities to temper True Essence."

Shen Qingming was stunned, feeling that she didn’t fully understand, yet Wang Jiu’s words were indeed impressive.

However, the girl’s intuition told her that things were definitely not that simple!

Sure enough, after Wang Jiu explained the origin of the Spirit Cat Swordsmanship, he added, "Of course, although the Spirit Cat Swordsmanship doesn’t entirely require a sword, it would definitely improve practice and combat effectiveness with external assistance."

"External assistance?"

"For example, these cat ear headbands, and these cat paw gloves..."

Wang Jiu said as he took out his carefully sewn headbands and gloves. Unfortunately, the cat tail belt was not yet out of the bag when Shen Qingming’s anger erupted like molten lava from a volcano.

"Wang Jiu! You really are messing with me!"

"I’m not messing with you," Wang Jiu retorted earnestly, "If you don’t believe me, you can completely wear these accessories and seriously experience the difference."

"I’d rather die than wear these ridiculous accessories!"

"Then you can only try even harder to perfect your actions and expressions to enhance the performance effect."

Shen Qingming was again speechless, deeply entrenched in despair. Wang Jiu, this guy, truly had a knack for making situations speechless. With this Spirit Cat Swordsmanship, aside from becoming an idol, she really had no other path!

Observing Shen Qingming’s dejected expression, Wang Jiu found it very odd.

"I’ve noticed you still have considerable resistance to becoming an idol, which severely contradicts what I know about you."

Shen Qingming asked impatiently, "What do you know about me?"

"In my understanding, you’re someone who values money like life itself."

"...So what! Although I love money, I have my limits. For example, I would never casually use your money, let alone accept Lu Xin’s Immortal Cultivation fund!"

Wang Jiu said, "Precisely for that reason, becoming an idol and achieving financial independence perfectly meets your needs, so I don’t understand why you’re so resistant."

Shen Qingming stammered for a while, just about to say something, when suddenly Wang Jiu let out a soft ’huh’ and removed a jade pendant from his waist.

From the Communication Spirit Jade, a blurry voice was faintly sounding.