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Of course, in the world of Eastern cultivation, sheer magical power alone doesn't define a true master.
A cultivator must perpetually seek to comprehend life, to grasp the very laws of the world, and, in the end, achieve the Dao, the complete Unity of Heaven and Earth. The ultimate goal is to become One with the Heavens themselves.
When one's spiritual state ascends to such a height, they can command the profound essence known as "virtue as boundless as water." At that point, a true master doesn't need to cast a single spell; the mere act of being can move mountains and fill oceans.
Rojen knew from the memories of the Sword Saint that this legend from The Legend of Sword and Fairy had already reached the realm of One with the Heavens. His True Origin Magic Power flowed like an endless wellspring; a simple flick of his sleeve could conjure great winds, and a single step could shrink the land beneath his foot.
For him, Heaven and Earth were simply his own backyard, a place he strolled through at ease, truly free and unrestrained. Even the Dugu Sword Saint had gone a step further, attaining the realm of "above the virtuous like water."
He could stand on the surface of a river without drawing on a shred of power, drifting effortlessly with the current, rising and falling gently, his weight seemingly negated, his presence not stirring a single ripple.
This kind of transcendent existence was something the Possession System simply couldn't grant. It was why, when Rojen had previously possessed the Sword Saint, he had only gained a fraction of the man's power, not his ultimate mastery.
Naturally, these pinnacle realms were still a distant dream for Rojen.
"Guiding qi into the body... refining qi into spirit... refining spirit into void... refining the void to merge with the Dao, these are the four great steps. Complete them, and one ascends on clouds of light, attains the immortal body, and enjoys eternal life."
Rojen's eyes shone with a feverish light.
The truth was that while cultivation realms had wildly different names across different worlds, their core principles were always the same.
"Postnatal, Innate, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Opening the Orifices, Dividing the Spirit, Uniting the Dao, Crossing Tribulation, Great Ascension..."
"All these stages," he mused, "simply correspond to those same four great steps, different paths, but the same destination."
Understanding this brought him a deep sense of relief and delight.
Without question, the Eastern cultivation system was the best fit for him. It was deep, vast, and offered the gift of longevity as one progressed; pushed to its limit, it promised a grasp of the Universe's Grand Dao and true eternal life. Crucially, it offered immeasurable might while remaining a complete, balanced, and overwhelmingly powerful path.
It was a stark contrast to other chaotic systems that might grant a burst of destructive power in a short time but offered no road ahead, condemning their users to short, mortal lives.
"To have only strength, but no future, that is not the right way." He murmured, the words settling softly in the quiet air.
"Now that I have a cultivation method... I still need something to focus and carry my magic power."
Rojen's gaze drifted to the System Interface, finally settling on the list of the Sword Saint's available gear.
He quickly skimmed past the merit methods and martial techniques, letting his attention linger on the Items section.
Seven Stars Sword, 50 million possession coins.
Jasper Gourd, 30 million possession coins.
Three Moons Sealing the Sun Gem, 50 million possession coins.
...
The Sword Saint's collection was truly staggering. Even the most ordinary-looking item in the list was a genuine spiritual artifact.
"So many blinding treasures," Rojen said, shaking his head slightly, "but I can't equip all of them."
He swiftly selected the Seven Stars Sword and the Jasper Gourd and redeemed them.
With a blinding flash, a long sword materialized behind him, its blade a deep, glossy black, with seven bright, starlike points gleaming along the hilt, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper.
At the same instant, the Jasper Gourd automatically affixed itself to his waist.
"Rojen! Let me out! If you're going to kill me, just get it over with!"
Suddenly, an old, raspy voice echoed from inside the gourd. Rojen paused for a moment, then let out a small chuckle.
He'd almost forgotten, Admiral Zephyr was still trapped in there! Now that he had summoned the gourd, Zephyr's voice had returned.
"Don't worry, Admiral Zephyr," Rojen said with a calm smile. "I have no intention of keeping you prisoner for long. Once this current task is complete, I will let you go."
"Hmph!"
Zephyr responded with a cold, dismissive snort.
Rojen ignored the former Admiral's grumbling and turned his focus inward, nurturing his spiritual mind once more.
He had completed the first stage: guiding qi into the body. The next step was to refine energy into spirit, which meant strengthening his mind and cultivating his primordial soul.
In truth, this was where true cultivation began, the moment a master could finally unleash those incredible supernatural methods.
The reason why the Wuxia worlds remained at the level of Low Martial arts was simple: no matter how strong one's True Energy became, it was not magic power. Without magic power, one couldn't execute truly formidable offensive techniques, nor could one nurture and strengthen the soul. Thus, mortals in those worlds were born with a fundamental flaw, a soul that constantly frayed and wore away, never capable of achieving true strength or perfection.
The Way of Heaven takes from the excessive and gives to the lacking.
The path of cultivation was precisely this process: constant replenishment and unending empowerment.
Though Rojen had already understood techniques like the Manipulating Sword Arts and the Myriad Sword Secrets, the Sword Saint's soul was gone. To wield them with true mastery, he needed continuous, hands-on practice.
"It's a shame," he sighed softly, "that my current cultivation level is so far beneath the Sword Saint's. Even with diligent training, I can only perform the Manipulating Sword Arts, the Myriad Sword Secrets, and the Spirit Gourd Incantation for now."
After having tasted the Sword Saint's immense power, returning to his own body left Rojen with a deep, unsettling emptiness, an acute and painful awareness of his own weakness.
If the Sword Saint's mind and body were complete, overflowing vessels of strength, then Rojen's felt like those of a frail man, hollow inside, constantly lacking fullness.
The sheer difference between the two was almost immeasurable.
He cultivated through the long night, and as the first light of dawn began to paint the horizon, Rojen whispered an incantation, circulating his newly formed magic power.
"Weng... weng... weng..."
Behind him, the Seven Stars Sword began to vibrate.
After a few breaths, the sword slowly lifted from the ground, rising straight up with a sharp, resonant clang!
No physical hand touched its hilt, yet the blade moved entirely on its own.
"So this is the power of magic, and the essence of the sword techniques!"
Rojen's eyes glowed. He brought his right hand together, two fingers forming a precise sword seal, and thrust them forward.
"Go!"
The trembling sword stilled for an instant, then shot straight up, a black streak into the brightening sky.
In the blink of an eye, the Seven Stars Sword hovered ten meters above their heads.
"Dugu Nine Swords!"
Rojen quickly formed another hand seal. The floating sword slashed through the air as if wielded by an invisible master. Each strike carved visible, shimmering trails into the void.
"Mount Hua Swordsmanship!"
"Snatching Fate Thirteen Swords!"
"Kuzuryūsen!"
One after another, different sword arts flowed effortlessly from him, each one more precise and powerful than the last. A slow, satisfied smile spread across Rojen's face.
Without needing any physical effort, guided purely by his True Origin Magic Power, the Seven Stars Sword's swordsmanship was easily ten times stronger than before.
Now, he didn't need to worry about bracing for counterattacks. There was only pure, unadulterated offense, faster, sharper, and vastly more terrifying.
"Mount Shu Swordsmanship!"
Finally, Rojen unleashed the Mount Shu Swordsmanship, the purest expression of the Manipulating Sword Arts.
This style differed from ordinary techniques: fewer flourishes, absolutely no wasted motion, every strike filled with ruthless precision and deadly intent. It was, after all, a swordsmanship focused purely on offense, devoid of defense, fierce and utterly devastating.
"Yin!"
With a final, resounding cry of metal, Rojen performed a sealing gesture, guiding the Seven Stars Sword to slip silently back into its sheath. He let out a quiet breath of relief.
At that moment, Jason and the others were still deep in sleep, completely unaware of his nocturnal training.
"A night of cultivation well spent," Rojen murmured with a deeply satisfied smile.
He closed his eyes once more and returned to his meditation, delving even deeper into the Myriad Sword Secrets.
(End Of This Chapter)