Chapter 69: The Path Must Be Contested

Hearing the two in discussion, Master Qingyou thought to herself that she had once warned Jiang Min: should she choose the Sword Intent Ancient Path, those who cultivated the arts of Spiritual Consciousness would have an advantage. As for whether Jiang Min could obtain such a technique, that was beyond her knowledge.

Meanwhile, fewer and fewer people pressed on along the Sword Intent Ancient Path.

At Myriad Sword Sect, Lin Guanyu had set off first and always maintained his lead among his peers. Luo Qingfeng, having started late, was a few steps behind him. Besides these two, there were three other disciples from Myriad Sword Sect.

On the Eastern Spirit Sect’s side, only four remained: Yu Qinghe, Yu Xiu, Jiang Min, and an inner disciple named Li Daiyu, who had already formed her foundation.

Yu Qinghe had practiced ascetic cultivation from childhood, persistently tempering both his body and his sea of consciousness. Thus, this level of sword intent had not yet brought him to his limit. He started at the rear of the Eastern Spirit Sect’s group but gradually surpassed other disciples—first Yu Xiu, then taking the lead for his sect.

His gaze fell upon Lin Guanyu and Luo Qingfeng ahead, his face pale but still resolute, determined to catch up.

Just then, though Yu Xiu’s footsteps faded farther behind, Yu Qinghe suddenly heard another set of steps approaching. These footsteps were lighter—not Yu Xiu’s.

Shh. Shh. The sound of feet brushing through fine dust drew ever nearer.

“Hm?”

Yu Qinghe turned his head with some effort; in his peripheral vision, he saw Jiang Min, who had already overtaken Yu Xiu and was drawing closer to him.

“Her again?!”

Startled, he recalled the scene at the Sword Comprehension Cliff, where she had bested him in comprehending sword phenomena. His competitive spirit flared instantly; a prickling sense of urgency overtook him, as if a monstrous beast were hot on his heels.

No. He couldn’t let his sister think he was no match for this person. He had to move faster!

Yu Qinghe summoned all his spiritual consciousness to resist the pressure of sword intent, pushing forward. Yet the footsteps behind him clung like a shadow—he could not shake them.

Jiang Min, unaware of Yu Qinghe’s strange competitiveness, paid him little mind. She looked ahead, seeing Lin Guanyu and Luo Qingfeng still advancing steadily, and her admiration for them grew.

“The pressure of sword intent is growing stronger.”

She could clearly feel it—compared to when she first entered the path, the further she went, the more intense the sword intent became. Now, she had to circulate the Jade Spirit Abode Sutra to withstand it.

Yet she also sensed this pressure was not fatal to her sea of consciousness. Instead, it was like refining raw ore or tempering a magical artifact, honing and hardening her spiritual awareness until it became more resilient and substantial.

With the Jade Spirit Abode Sutra, Jiang Min actually found the pressure insufficient; she could still go on.

Gradually, more people stopped.

Only five continued.

Lin Guanyu, Luo Qingfeng, Yu Qinghe, Jiang Min, and Yu Xiu.

Those left behind could only watch their figures recede into the distance.

“It’s not surprising that some can endure, but who is that outer-sect disciple?” muttered a few Eastern Spirit Sect disciples nearby, communicating with spiritual voice transmission, as speaking aloud under such pressure was difficult.

“I recognize her—she’s the one awarded the slot for the swordsmanship class, though I don’t recall her name.”

“The swordsmanship class? I heard that spot was given to whoever first manifested sword radiance. Hasn’t she just done so? And now she’s already condensed sword threads? Incredible…”

The disciples exchanged astonished glances through their spiritual conversation.

They themselves were top sword cultivators, envied as prodigies, which was why they’d earned the right to participate in this sword trial. Yet for them, progressing from sword radiance to sword threads had taken much time—far longer than Jiang Min.

“Impressive.”

“I’m impressed too.”

“No matter what, she’s brought honor to our sect! It seems another sword genius is about to emerge. When this is over, we must befriend her.”

Amid their admiration, the five continued to pull ahead.

Eventually, Lin Guanyu and Luo Qingfeng also began to slow. Yu Qinghe felt himself flagging, but seeing the two ahead still walking, and hearing the approaching footsteps behind, he gritted his teeth and forced his leaden feet forward.

His struggle was apparent to Jiang Min, only a few steps behind. She guessed he was reaching his limit, but curiously, she had not. Was it possible the Jade Spirit Abode Sutra was truly a powerful art that she’d obtained by chance?

Suddenly, she stopped.

“Should I keep going?”

Jiang Min realized that overtaking Yu Qinghe would mean drawing even more attention. If she stopped now, she would merely be second—not the focus, for throughout history, people cared only for the first, never the runner-up.

Should she hide her strength, or continue?

It wasn’t the first time she’d faced this question. During the Azure Cloud Assembly, when fighting for the sword trial slot, she’d confronted the same dilemma. Each time, she had chosen to seize the opportunity.

In the future, such choices would only become more frequent.

She needed to think carefully.

To all those watching, it seemed Jiang Min had reached her limit and finally stopped.

“To come this far is already remarkable. She must have practiced an extraordinary spiritual consciousness art to surpass the others and place just behind Qinghe—even Yu Xiu can’t go on,” observed Master Zifeng, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at their receding figures.

Master Qiyun shook his head. “Zifeng, you forget something.”

“What is it?”

“She has five spiritual roots and cultivates the Spirit-Linking Technique, which is a dual cultivation method for vitality and spirit. Her spiritual consciousness far surpasses others at her stage—it’s perfectly normal.”

Master Zifeng frowned. “You remind me! That’s what I’ve always wondered—why is the Spirit-Linking Technique the strongest of our foundational arts, when the others are far inferior?”

According to the Eastern Spirit Sect Annals and other records, a thousand years ago, those with five spiritual roots did not hold such low status; they cultivated alongside those with four or three roots.

Yet even with vast resources invested, few with five roots achieved success. Even if they reached the twelfth level of Qi Refinement, too many perished to the Five Elements Foundation-Establishing Tribulation, wasting the sect’s nurturing.

In the end, the sect gave up cultivating five-root disciples, assigning them to menial ranks and letting them cultivate freely. Still, they were not entirely neglected: there was the triennial Azure Cloud Assembly, and any who reached the fourth Qi Refinement level before age thirty could become outer disciples and receive proper training.

Faced with Zifeng’s question, Qiyun could only speculate: “I hear the Spirit-Linking Technique dates back to our founder. Perhaps in ancient times, those with five roots were the strongest.”

Jiang Min, unaware that the masters were discussing her, was pondering her own choice.

It seemed a small matter—no matter her choice, neither was a grave mistake.

Yet it was hard, because no one could tell her what was right, or what she might gain or lose.

As a powerless, impoverished youth—a so-called “useless” five-root cultivator—Jiang Min had always tried to keep a low profile, to be invisible, cultivating quietly to avoid trouble.

But each time she reached for an opportunity, she was treated as easy prey—anyone wanted to bully her.

The Eastern Spirit Sect, the premier sect of Jin Yun Kingdom, was a venerable order with millennia of history, its internal relationships tangled and complex, with deep ties to major cultivation clans. Even though the sect sought out spiritual-rooted mortals to refresh its ranks, those with backgrounds were always present.

Not just her, but any disciple without power or talent had only two choices: keep a low profile, avoid trouble, and take no risks; or strive forward through pain and injury, carving a path through their own efforts.

Neither path was wrong.

But which should she choose?

“If I give up now, perhaps even drop behind Yu Xiu, my future will be peaceful and free of conflict, letting me cultivate in peace. But my spiritual consciousness would be less tempered, and I’d waste a rare opportunity that only comes with trials and luck.”

“If I press on, the risk is greater than hiding my strength but less than seeking trials in the world. I could temper my spirit, perhaps earn the elders’ recognition, and climb faster—even if that recognition is only transactional, I may have enough to offer in exchange…”

Jiang Min’s lips pressed together, sweat beading on her brow—not from sword intent, but from the struggle within.

But her clear eyes sparkled for a moment.

Then, her gaze shone with resolve.

“No matter the choice, neither is wrong. Without elders to guide me, I must venture forth and see for myself what’s right or wrong.”

She drew a deep breath and looked at the three ahead. Hearing Yu Xiu’s steps drawing closer, she revealed a look of serene determination.

“I will cultivate a fearless heart—on this path, I must strive.”

Amid many surprised gazes, Jiang Min lifted her foot and stepped forward once more.

“She can still go on!” Even Master Zifeng and the others were truly surprised.

The Myriad Sword Sect disciples were even more taken aback; they had underestimated the resilience of the Eastern Spirit Sect. Still, could anyone truly outlast Lin Guanyu and Luo Qingfeng? Those two were ruthless indeed.

“Junior sister.”

Just as Jiang Min was about to continue, Yu Xiu’s spiritual voice sounded in her ear.

“Uncle Yu.”

Under the pressure of sword intent, turning to look back was difficult, so Jiang Min replied by voice transmission as well.

Yu Xiu could go no further. Seeing this young outer disciple still advancing, though he’d never heard of her, he felt deeply ashamed and asked, “May I know your name?”

Jiang Min replied politely, “Uncle Yu, you are too kind. I am Jiang Min.”

“Junior Sister Jiang,” Yu Xiu’s tone was weary—he could hardly maintain the transmission—but he spoke with utmost sincerity: “I can go no further and cannot surpass Lin Guanyu and the others.”

With great effort, he lifted his arms, clasped his fists, and said, “If you still have strength, please, Junior Sister Jiang, bring honor to us all.”

“Yu Xiu is grateful.”

—

This chapter was delayed by morning assignments and exams, so it’s a bit longer, three thousand words.

Though it’s a “mortal cultivation” story, the protagonist won’t always hide away—her nature, as described in the summary, is to strive for immortality and seize opportunities. She will keep a low profile, but when fate calls, she will fight for it.

For Jiang Min, with no one to guide her, she must ponder each step and its consequences, making choices that shape her future. It reminds the author of a saying: “That day you stood at the crossroads, watching a thousand sails in the wind. The day you made your choice was quiet and ordinary in your diary—you thought it was just another day.”

As for the world’s setting, flaws are inevitable, but the author does her best to ensure every detail is considered, from outline to map to draft to final text. Not all are errors; some are foreshadowing. The world background was set from the very beginning, and many hints have been laid, including the introductions of certain characters.