Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Clearly, Senior Disciple Luo had gone out for a drink.
Meng Fan had originally thought that the discipline within the Sword Pavilion was strict, akin to being imprisoned without freedom!
At the very least, he expected to be confined within the Sword Pavilion every day, unable to go out.
But now it seemed that wasn't the case.
Since Senior Disciple Luo could be so carefree, it proved that the life of a Guarding Sword Disciple in the Sword Pavilion wasn't all that miserable.
Meng Fan was now feeling that being a Guarding Sword Disciple in the Sword Pavilion wasn't so bad after all!
"Senior Disciple Luo, you're back," Meng Fan politely greeted Luo as he returned.
Senior Disciple Luo chuckled, burping with the smell of alcohol on his breath.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed a liquor gourd to Meng Fan.
"Don't say I don't look out for you, here's your share!" After speaking, he went straight back to his room to rest.
It had to be said, life wasn't too bad.
"Right, it's about time to close up," Senior Disciple Luo reminded Meng Fan before shutting his room door.
Meng Fan looked at the liquor gourd in his hand and showed a wry smile of resignation.
Then he closed the great doors of the Sword Pavilion and returned to his own room.
The twenty sword weapons he was tasked to polish today were already done, and he could rest.
Holding the liquor gourd, Meng Fan uncorked it and took a swig.
Not great!
After a sip, he resealed the gourd and placed it on the table.
In his previous life, Meng Fan wasn't much of a drinker, and now, in this world, the taste of alcohol was far inferior to that on Earth, so naturally, he was even less inclined to enjoy it.
"It's time to cultivate seriously!" Meng Fan murmured as he sat cross-legged on the bed.
By now, he had mastered two sword arts.
And with the supreme talent of Sword Dao Transcendence, he had fully mastered these two sword arts.
He wasn't weak in actual combat either; he could instantly defeat someone like Yang Fei, who ranked high among the menial disciples.
But Meng Fan's greatest flaw was his cultivation level!
His cultivation was almost non-existent.
To be precise, it was zero!
Cultivating the first strand of True Qi was what counted as having a real cultivation level.
（Peter Pan's tip:"True Qi" a soul power within the body）
Meng Fan, being at the bottom of the menial disciples, naturally hadn't cultivated a trace of True Qi.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Meng Fan began to practice the Breath Control Technique.
The Breath Control Technique was the introductory cultivation method for disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.
By practicing it, one could cultivate the first strand of True Qi within the body.
Only with this first strand of True Qi could one begin to cultivate a true Cultivation Technique!
So at this moment, Meng Fan was in such a lowly state that he didn't even possess a proper cultivation method.
To break out of this awkward situation, he had to work hard to cultivate the first strand of True Qi using the Breath Control Technique!
Breath Control Technique!
Meng Fan was very familiar with it, having practiced it countless times in his original body, but unfortunately, he had never managed to cultivate True Qi.
A Mixed Spiritual Root was truly weak to the point of despair.
But this time, after attempting the Breath Control Technique, something different happened.
He felt a warm current in the area of his lower abdomen, as if the special breath that appeared each time he drew and wiped the swords was flowing to this spot.
Deep within the abdomen…
Meng Fan frowned slightly. Although he couldn't look inward, he had common sense.
This place should be the Dantian, right?
Although Meng Fan didn't know what the breath that surged into his body each time he drew the sword was, since there was a change now, it was likely to be beneficial to his cultivation.
After all, his talent wouldn't deceive him; it would only help him.
As the warm current in his lower abdomen appeared, the Breath Control Technique that Meng Fan was cultivating suddenly started to operate wildly.
This was an unprecedented situation!
Previously, whenever Meng Fan practiced the Breath Control Technique, it operated as slowly as a baby's toy car.
But now, it suddenly turned into a Ferrari with full throttle.
The difference was like heaven and earth!
"This speed is incredible!" Meng Fan opened his eyes, somewhat in disbelief.
He furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
After much deliberation, he couldn't figure out exactly what was happening.
But there was no need to understand it so clearly; it was a good thing!
Meng Fan didn't dwell on it and continued to operate the Breath Control Technique.
He spent the night without sleep.
***
The next morning, before dawn had even broken, Meng Fan got up from his bed where he had been meditating.
Despite the sleepless night, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
Most importantly, he had cultivated the first strand of True Qi within his body.
From this moment on, he was no longer a cultivator without cultivation.
Pushing open his room door, Meng Fan stretched lazily.
It felt great!
Today, he had truly stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Well, not quite.
He still lacked a Cultivation Technique!
The purpose of the Breath Control Technique was only to cultivate and condense the first strand of True Qi in the human body; it had no further use after that.
Meng Fan needed to find a new, formal Cultivation Technique!
A menial disciple who cultivated the first strand of True Qi could be promoted to an Outer Sect Disciple and obtain a Cultivation Technique.
But at this moment, Meng Fan was a Guarding Sword Disciple of the Sword Pavilion, neither a menial disciple nor an Outer Sect Disciple.
At this time, Meng Fan could only seek help from Senior Disciple Luo.
Three hours later, as the sun climbed high, Senior Disciple Luo finally opened his door, bleary-eyed.
By this time, Meng Fan had already finished polishing the twenty swords.
Because he deliberately avoided the "strong swords," none of the twenty swords he polished had sword spirits.
"Eh, you lad, you've cultivated True Qi?"
Senior Disciple Luo stepped out of his room and was somewhat surprised to see Meng Fan.
Meng Fan smiled shyly: "Having joined the Sword Pavilion, I want to live a bit longer, so naturally, I have to double my efforts in cultivation."
Senior Disciple Luo nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"You've got the right idea, kid. To survive in the Sword Pavilion, you must strive to become stronger!"
Meng Fan had waited for Senior Disciple Luo all morning, so he went straight to the point: "Senior Disciple Luo, after a Guarding Sword Disciple cultivates True Qi, how does one obtain a Cultivation Technique?"
"There's no need to receive one, I have it right here, wait a moment!"
With that, Senior Disciple Luo went back into his room and shortly after, he tossed a small booklet to Meng Fan.
"Actually, you could also go to the Scripture Pavilion and get a copy of the 'Shu Mountain Qi Refinement Art', but that's the most basic Cultivation Technique. It's not as good as this 'Spirit Wind Profound Art' that I have.
Mixed Spiritual Root, no attributes, so any technique can be cultivated.
Instead of practicing the common Shu Mountain Qi Refinement Art, it's better to practice this book I have!"
Hearing Senior Disciple Luo's words, Meng Fan's face showed a trace of surprise.
Spirit Wind Profound Art sounded more upscale than Shu Mountain Qi Refinement Art.
However, he still had some reservations.
"This… Senior Disciple Luo, within the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, isn't it forbidden to privately transmit Cultivation Techniques? If the Clan finds out, there might be punishment," Meng Fan asked cautiously.
Senior Disciple Luo's mouth curled into a smile.
"Don't worry, this Spirit Wind Profound Art was given to me by Elder Lin before, it's not passed down by the Clan."