“The way of the sword forms bonds, as well as the way of the sword reaps lives of plenty. Am I not able to pick both sides?”

Zhou Yan frowned as he held the carving of the effigy in his palm. After taking a good look for a brief moment, the young lad fixed his gaze upon his father.

“Have you made up your mind yet, child? Will you walk the same paths as I did? Heed my word, hoarding knowledge is never as good as being a master of one!”

In Zhou Wangchen’s gaze was a hint of calmness as calm as a pool of still and unmoving water. It was a gaze without vision as it drifted over Zhou Yan’s face and landed calmly on a block of fresh, dark metal, unknown to when this block presented itself in the palm of his hand.

Words silently escaped him.

In the presence of his own father, Zhou Yan felt tongue-tied.

Zhou Yan’s heart wrenched unpleasantly at the sight of his father’s state of speechlessness paired with the judgment due to the vicissitudes of his current progress.

Zhou Yan only had memories of immeasurable honor for this man. He chose to remember his father as a man of pride. However, at this moment, this very man was one that was indeed in shambles.

Zhou Yan did not know what transpired that his own father had to fall so hard from grace.

His father was once known for his immeasurable perception as his ingenuity, and vast powers trumped the boundaries of the realm.

However, the current desolate state this lad was in became the joke of the common folk in Canglan City.

Thus, Zhou Yan stood speechless as the only thing the lad could do was observe his father’s actions while he brooded and sighed at this heart-wrenching scene.

In Zhou Yan’s opinion, every motion that once posed a challenge to any common-folk or his peers would no longer be impossible to him. The lad seemingly felt that whatever he was shown, he would have no issues performing that task.

Perhaps, he could even perform the task better than anyone!

The lad could only shut the thought in the confines of his mind, as he wished not to hint his desires to a single soul.

However, in a sudden instant, the young lad felt a seemingly stagnating sensation as the movements from his father were not focused. As a result of his lack of focus, a precognitive vision of the two conflicting ways of the sword were set for a collision course with each other, thus reducing everything to dust.

At this very instant, the young lad’s father ceased carving and spoke to him.

“Be wise about your choices in the path you choose. Whichever choice you make, see that you walk that path to the very end. Only then will your path be right. Hmm…It seems you have awakened your true potential as the shackles of your limitations had finally been broken.”

As the carving was in the process of being slowly chiseled, it was as what Zhou Yan had foreseen earlier, and with a sudden ‘poof,’ the block of steel was reduced to nothing but a pile of fine dust.

The scene was uncanny to the finest detail.

Watching the scene play out, Zhou Yan grew anxious as his heartbeat quickened. He was shocked by the accuracy of his precognitive visions; however, he was still tongue-tied. He replied with a soft, nervous mumble, and then the young lad spoke, “Father, if I may speak, The way of the sword through both bond and despair was a desire you held on for a lifetime. As your sole heir, father, if I am unable to inherit your abilities, it would bring nothing but shame to your name for having an heir without skill!

“I have chosen to walk the way of the sword of both bond and despair as my honor to you. I have determined my path, and there is no need for further advice, father.”

“Your persistent determination will be merely an act of foolishness. Your naivety will make you lose track of your progress. As brilliant as I once was, I too had fallen to grave depravity of sorrow and failures. It is wise to first obtain power as a testament to one’s might. Only then, you shall shift your focus to the pursuit of creation and the way of the sword. One must not differ from one’s priorities.”

Zhou Wangchen sighed as he reached for another jug of ale and drank from it.

It was from carving that caused his face to flush as red as blood, and now, from drowning himself with the jug of ale, his face became as white as a dead person. The combination of colors seemed to reflect his pale, ghastly soul as his flesh and bones were subjected to a fiery pyre.

“As wide as the ends of the world could stretch, one will always return to whence one’s journey began. It mattered not if it were the way of the sword through bond, through despair, through blood, through the reaping of life, through great poison, through alchemy, through water, or through deception. What paths were walked were paths laid by the ways of the sword, and the sword is nigh. I choose only the great many paths of the sword. No shackles nor bond nor contract will I be tied to walk one path alone. For there was none that concerned me.”

The words rolled off Zhou Yan’s tongue so smoothly that they shocked Zhou Wangchen as those were words of wisdom. Those words were from the collective memories of the great ancient sage.

In an instant, the jug of ale in the lad’s father’s hand dropped and shattered on the ground into a thousand pieces with a loud ‘smash’ that echoed.

Ale spilled all over the ground. The young lad’s nose stung as the strong scent of ale filled the air. The burning smell of the ale reminded the lad of being seared and burnt alive. He felt that his very soul and flesh were being set ablaze atop a pyre.

As blistering as his soul burned, his mind remained focused and clear. A cold, glacial wave washed over him, and it felt overwhelmingly bone-chilling!

It was a unique and an odd situation for the young lad. Zhou Yan immediately worried how pale his face could possibly be.

He was startled to think about how his father was able to chug a full jug of ale as if it was water. He wondered what herbs were used to brew the ale to such a degree of viscosity. However, one sure thing was the outstanding properties of these herbs that could quell the many ailments of the mind. The potency of these herbs was no laughing matter!

The young lad suddenly felt nauseated as he found it difficult to hold down the contents of his stomach. Sensing the urgency of his declining health, Zhou Yan mustered every ounce of what remained of his will to infuse his primal blade’s essence to expel the potent gases from the spilled ale through every crack and crevice of his body.

The lad’s father, Zhou Wangchen, failed to notice the events that transpired as his mind drifted to a strange trance-like state of enlightenment.

The young lad, Zhou Yan, was clear and aware that his father was one with knowledge and experience that spanned his entire lifetime. Perhaps spoken words from his tongue reminded his father of something since the words originated from an unknown ancient realm from afar, simply known as ‘Earth.’ With the sage’s experience following the way of the warrior through his many studies of the ancient art known as ‘Spatial Destruction,’ was no act of familiar play.

His mind was occupied with deep thoughts of ‘the way of the sword through both bond and despair’ for a brief moment. The young lad felt how similar these ways were in comparison to the sword art of his own, ‘The Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s Blade.’ Since the lad had completed the eighth form, incorporating both ways in his pursuit of power would be no trouble at all.

However, as smooth sounding of a task it seems, he was not blessed to fully embrace and bequeath the full understanding of the vast wells of knowledge of both distinct ways it consisted of.

An unmolded and incomplete blade’s essence would only bring false knowledge to the blade.

Thus, the young lad never persisted.

Zhou Wangchen finally snapped out of his trance in one-tenth of an hourglass’ time. Within that period, Zhou Wangchen had recovered to a much more composed state of mind.

As consciousness returned to Zhou Wangchen, the lad could only let out a soft sigh as he noticed the mess at his feet. He simply frowned at the sight; as his wrinkles were etched into the edges of his eyes, the collective strands were clumped into a straight line.

With a single wave of his hand, the potent cloud of ale was swept away instantly as the air around them cleared.

After ridding the room of the potent clouds, Zhou Wangchen looked at his son with a hint of slight reluctance. He said, “It seems, your gifts were better than what I was once blessed with. With that, child, I am without worry.”

“The words you spoke were that with great wisdom. It was uncertain if you truly gained such wisdom, or they were just mere words in passing. Needless to say, as your father, I gained some insight through those words, and thus I will be leaving for an indefinite length of time,” whispered Zhou Wangchen.

As many conversations he had with Zhou Yan before, this was the only one that rekindled the dying flame of life and was visible through his dark pearly eyes.

“Father, how are your injuries?”

Zhou Yan noticed the feats his father demonstrated moments ago were indeed a feat of no simple task, and thus the young lad realized the label given to him by the common-folk, ‘Trash,’ held no truth. However, the claims of his father being a cripple by his own grandfather puzzled him.

“The occasional exertion of one’s physical prowess keeps one’s abilities sharp. Now that you have awakened your true potential, Cang Lan City will never be able to restrict you. If you could, however, set course to the Zhou household in the district of Chang Xiao. Focus on your training there. When you are there, search for the ‘Blade of Heaven’s Fiend.’ It is one of father’s greatest desires in life. Retrieve that blade for me, child.”

As Zhou Wangchen spoke, he already turned his back as he was ready to leave.

“Worry not father, for I shall see this task be done to its fullest! If I may father, there’s one thing that I wish to know. Can you tell me any news about mother?”

Zhou Yan could no longer contain the curiosity that troubled his mind, and he had to ask the question.

Zhou Yan saw how intense the love his father had for his mother.

“Until you understand the meaning of a blade’s heart, only then will you ask about her!”

His father’s speed was unprecedented, as, in a mere instant, his father stepped out without turning his back, and all Zhou Yan perceived was a blurry mirage of his father leaving.

Zhou Yan never moved an inch because he knew there was nothing he could possibly do, even with all his might, he could never change this outcome. If only he understood the blade’s heart, perhaps the result of this event would end in a much different note.

Everything transpired the way it did all due to his weakness!

…

The young lad still held on tight to the same hand-carved effigy. It was now warm to touch after being held onto so tightly. Carved on its back was the intricate teachings of both ways of the sword. Every stroke that was chiseled was filled with great emotion, as was the intricate blade work. Staring at such a piece of art incited a wave of familiarity in his heart.

With a single glance, Zhou Yan understood the depths of the meaning of different ways of the sword that was carved into it. The meanings were seared into Zhou Yan’s mind. He pictured out every motion and maneuvers, practicing over and over again to the dance of the blade, familiarizing his body to the training.

“The way of the blade through bond and despair. The sword art that balanced between life and death. Rooted deep within the nature of all life was the great attraction toward anything of Yang nature; thus, opposing anything of Yin nature. Peace and calm were the product of great opposition of both natures; thus, this law of nature bequeathed the origin of many great paths. These two distinctly different ways of the sword, were a symphony of balance, amplifying each strength, and complimenting each weakness. It truly is one of a kind sword art with none to match. Balance is the root of nature. Too much of anything will always bear fruits of misfortune, however, out of the depths of misfortune, comes bliss. A cycle of balance for life parallels death, and death would always parallel life in an endless cycle of nature… This sword art is quite a simple feat to master…” muttered Zhou Yan while staring at the carving.

…

Deep in his thoughts, Zhou Yan stood frozen for quite some time. Seared deep in the young lad’s mind were the intricacies and principles of both ways of the sword. He finally understood the very meaning of what these two distinct ways were built upon. All the young lad needed was the right moment to practice his newfound awakening.

This awakening meant that this young lad had full mastery over both ways of the sword. In the process of mastery over any sword art, one must first understand the true meaning behind it, only then will one be ready to hone the skills to its full potential.

It was akin to his mastery of the Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s Blade. It was only after he knew the crude swordplay and techniques to this sword art that he was able to infuse the principles of intricate depths into his crude form to bring this sword art to its full potential. Since skills were continually evolving and changing, they only serve to complement the crude swordplay.

With his newfound awakening, he would finally be able to infuse the intricate knowledge that he was enlightened with, in the very skills of the Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s blade. This young lad would undoubtedly bring the ferocity of this sword art to heights previously unheard of.

For gaining such enlightenment with little effort, Zhou Yan grew excited at the thought of practicing the Sword Art of the Formless.

Unable to resist the temptation of his excitement, once again, Zhou Yan attempted to enlighten himself in the sword art that once puzzled him. However, like before, it was an arduous task for the young lad.

Within only a cycle of an hourglass’ time, his efforts were futile as he was once again puzzled by it. Feeling unsatisfied, the young lad went back to practice the intricacies of the Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s blade.

Just as expected, the instant the young lad resumed the Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s blade, as fatigued he was, with the newfound enlightenment, Zhou Yan felt incredibly relaxed.

Thus, with his current state, the young lad picked up his broken sword and started practicing.

The only sound that echoed through the air was the sound of his blade swooshing.

Alas, the sounds of the ninth form emanated from the lad’s blade, completing the sword art!

The Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s blade, Form nine!

At this very moment, the blade essence of all nine forms was focused as one entity, as it morphed into a hiltless blade of light, piercing the nearby walls with a sudden rush.

Upon closer inspection, the crack formed into the shape of a sword!

After doing so, Zhou Yan sheathed his blade, and he was unable to hide the shock and joy on his face!

Strangely enough, The Sword Art of Clear Waters Heaven’s Blade had finally been unexpectedly accomplished!

It seemed, as tricky as it was for him to understand the intricacies of the Sword Art of the Dragon and the Formless, it made learning and perfecting other lesser sword arts extremely easy to him, as they complimented the new heights of his skills!

The series of events was unprecedented, and he had to face a scary reality!

The young lad proceeded to take a deep breath to calm himself down.

At that very moment, a grey silhouette of a person glided over swiftly to where he was.