Chapter 30: EXP Baby

"No, it wasn’t true Sword Intent. I’ve only just glimpsed the threshold."

Zong Ziqi shook his head, and the powerful aura around him retracted once more.

Only then did the trembling sensation that had wracked Jiang Xu’s entire body abruptly vanish.

Jiang Xu had heard that Celestial Sword Peak was the gathering place for the Sect’s Sword Cultivators, and that Sword Cultivators were all battle-crazed lunatics.

’It seems the rumors aren’t entirely true. At least Fellow Daoist Zong seems pretty normal.’

’Jiang Xu becoming a Sword Cultivator...’

’He didn’t think he was cut out for it.’

’For a Sword Cultivator to grow, they must constantly battle. Furthermore, they can only comprehend their path on the verge of life and death.’

’It was that "learn the Dao in the morning and die by evening" mentality.’

’But Jiang Xu didn’t have that kind of reckless spirit, ready to risk his life at a moment’s notice.’

’The existence of his panel was enough for him to steadily improve himself while living a stable life.’

’So why would he throw himself into danger?’

’Jiang Xu knew clearly that he only practiced the Sword Dao to ensure he could live more safely.’

’If he went out of his way to seek battle just to improve his Sword Dao, he’d be putting the cart before the horse.’

However, Jiang Xu had a question.

"Fellow Daoist Zong, Sword Intent is something only Sword Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm can hope to touch. Even if you’ve only just had a glimpse of it, surely you wouldn’t have been unable to escape the scourge of those insects plaguing the Sect?"

At the mention of the Exotic Insects, Zong Ziqi’s expression turned grave.

He closed his eyes in contemplation, as if recalling the tragic battle from a few days ago. After a long moment, he said quietly:

"I comprehended my Sword Intent during that very battle."

"If not for the Sword Intent I awakened on the brink of death, which broke through the blockade of the endless insect swarm, I never would have escaped."

"But it was also because the Sword Intent I released at that time was far beyond what my body could handle. That’s why my Qi Sea shattered and I lost all my Cultivation."

"So that’s what happened. What a shame." Jiang Xu shook his head and sighed. "If those insects hadn’t been so formidable, having comprehended Sword Intent, your future path would have been smooth sailing. Becoming a True Disciple would have been within your grasp."

For a Sword Cultivator, Sword Intent was as important as a Foundation Establishment Pill. In the eyes of some Sword Cultivators, it was even thousands, or tens of thousands, of times more important than any Foundation Establishment Pill!

Foundation Establishment Pills could be exchanged for within the Sect. As long as one had enough contribution points or sufficient potential, they were ultimately obtainable.

But Sword Intent was illusory and ethereal. Countless Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivators went their entire lives without catching even a glimpse of it. They could only actively walk the razor’s edge of life and death, hoping to achieve it amidst the great terror found in such moments.

There were only two possible outcomes.

After one life-or-death battle after another, they would either live to comprehend Sword Intent, or they would die trying.

"As I said before, compared to the predecessors who died on their path to the Dao, am I not fortunate enough?"

"For a Sword Cultivator, we are born of the sword and die by the sword. Our life is for the sword alone. If the sword exists, we exist. If the sword perishes, we perish."

"As long as the sword remains, as long as I am not dead, then nothing can disturb my true heart."

"This is—the state of a Clear Sword Heart!"

[Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship · Skill Level +152]

[Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship (Skilled): 0/200]

At that moment, Jiang Xu understood completely.

’It turned out that this Zong Ziqi before him was no ordinary Outer Disciple.’

’He was a massive EXP piñata!’

’And a top-grade one at that—the kind that gives you experience just for talking to him!’

’*SLURP—!*’

’Better reel in the drool.’

’Can’t let him get scared off!’

...

「Afternoon.」

When Jiang Xu returned to his residence, he first meditated and went through his usual Cultivation routine before heading to his study to prepare for Talisman Making.

After his exchange with Zong Ziqi, the two had quickly parted ways.

Jiang Xu needed to meditate and cultivate to recover his Magical Power.

Zong Ziqi, on the other hand, wanted to begin attempting to practice that Body Cultivation Technique.

’I spent all 15 Spirit Stones on Talisman Paper and Talismanic Ink. This time, I have to raise my Skill Level for one type of Talisman to the Skilled Level!’

Jiang Xu didn’t plan to continue practicing making Dust-removal Talismans.

’The cost-effectiveness was just too low.’

’The Dust-removal Talisman is just an unranked Talisman.’

’But the cost was the same as a Tier One Lower Grade Talisman.’

’The main reason was that even if he failed at drawing a Talisman, his Skill Level would still increase.’

’If that was the case, it would be a huge loss to keep practicing with unranked Talismans.’

’He might as well start directly with Tier One Lower Grade Talismans.’

The Tier One Lower Grade Talismans included the Fireball Talisman, Golden Light Talisman, Light Body Talisman, and Cold Ice Talisman.

With Jiang Xu’s current funds, he could only afford to specialize in one type of Talisman. He couldn’t mix and match, as that would be completely meaningless.

For now, Jiang Xu could ignore the difficulty of making them.

Jiang Xu’s main priority at the moment was to compare the effects of each Talisman, their selling price, and whether he himself could make use of them.

Among the four Talismans, the Golden Light Talisman and the Light Body Talisman already overlapped with Jiang Xu’s existing Magic, so he could temporarily rule them out.

The Fireball Talisman was an offensive Talisman, and its effectiveness against enemies was decent.

However, Jiang Xu’s current Small Cotton Needle Technique firmly surpassed the Fireball Talisman in every aspect—attack range, Concealment, and sheer power.

Even if one could release twenty or thirty Talismans at once...

...that was just like throwing Spirit Stones away. A single offensive Talisman cost one Spirit Stone.

Unless Jiang Xu could successfully draw every single Talisman on his first try.

Otherwise, he couldn’t afford to be that extravagant unless it was a matter of life and death.

The other option, the Cold Ice Talisman, was the one Jiang Xu had his eye on.

The Cold Ice Talisman was actually a support-type Talisman. It could instantly freeze an enemy and also possessed a certain degree of killing power.

What Jiang Xu currently lacked was a way to immobilize people.

He had originally wanted to find a Magic like that to learn.

But Jiang Xu discovered that such immobilizing Magic was at least Tier One Middle Grade, and his current Cultivation was not high enough to meet the learning requirements.

’Most importantly, a Cold Ice Talisman sells for two Spirit Stones each! If I can successfully draw every single one in the future, I can’t even imagine how many Spirit Stones I’ll make!’

The thought of Spirit Stones pouring in—*KA-CHING!*—made Jiang Xu unable to contain his excitement. He quickly took out the "Talisman Dao Introduction (Upper Volume)," flipped to the section on the Cold Ice Talisman, and began to study it diligently.

In the end, after half an hour of studying, Jiang Xu put the book down, sat on his stool, and began to contemplate the meaning of life.

And he began to doubt whether his choice was the right one.

Jumping from the simplest Dust-removal Talisman all the way to the most difficult Cold Ice Talisman...

It was like asking someone who had just learned to ride a bicycle to suddenly fly a combat helicopter.

’Isn’t that leap a bit too big?!’

The Dust-removal Talisman only had eight Runes in total, but the Cold Ice Talisman suddenly had twenty-eight, and several times more Mana Nodes.

One had to understand that with Talismans, it wasn’t as simple as just drawing one more Rune after the last.

Every additional Rune drawn on the small slip of Talisman Paper increased the overall complexity.

Furthermore, each Rune would affect the others. The Talisman Maker had to control them so that they didn’t conflict, otherwise all their previous efforts would be for naught.

’No wonder the book says it’s best to practice Talisman Making by starting from the easy ones and gradually moving to the difficult ones.’

’But I refuse to accept that!’

’Panel! Let me see what you’re really made of!’