Chapter 16: Walking the Cosmic Patterns, A Heart Unbound

If one wished to brew grain into wine, it required time for fermentation; according to the treatises on winemaking, it took about twenty-eight days. During this period, Cao Kong continued his daily practices as usual: breathing exercises, swallowing the six vital energies, and, following the rhythms of heaven, gathering the essences of sun, moon, and the seven luminaries—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—to refine the seven treasures within his body.

Day after day passed with little progress; five days went by in this fashion. The pace was agonizingly slow—compared with the rate at which he once accumulated demon energy from spiritual qi in the deep mountains, it was almost as though time stood still. Though Cao Kong’s face revealed nothing, inwardly his heart was faintly turbulent.

It was not that Cao Kong lacked patience—on the contrary, the golden elixir, the path to immortality, was within reach, a dream so many pursued in vain. How could he not long for success?

One day, Cao Kong opened his eyes, feeling the various celestial energies accumulated within, and frowned; there was still no change. He even considered taking in a larger amount at once, hoping to speed up his progress.

Beside him, Ao You, seeing him awake, scampered over. Her hand, delicate as jade, reached out with practiced ease. Cao Kong, accustomed to this, gathered a drop of divine dew for her.

Through days of experimentation, Cao Kong discovered he could condense five drops of divine dew each day; thus, he struck a bargain with Ao You.

Each day, he would give her one drop of divine dew, and in return, she would accompany him in sword practice.

Both considered the exchange highly advantageous—a true win-win.

Because the iron sword they ordered was not yet finished, they made do by selecting a suitable tree nearby and whittling two crude wooden swords.

Thus, though his progress in cultivating the golden elixir was slow these five days, Cao Kong’s swordsmanship advanced by leaps and bounds.

He had always been gifted, and ever since mastering the Supreme Golden Light Incantation and opening his Mud Pill Palace, his perception of the world grew preternaturally keen, as though able to pierce illusions and see the truth.

According to Ao You, Cao Kong’s talent with the sword was exceptional; in just five days, his grasp of technique rivaled that of ordinary water-dwellers who had trained for years.

However, when he asked how he compared to Ao You’s own training in the past, the young woman’s face darkened and she refused to answer, only to become more ruthless in their next bout.

A drop of divine dew fell, cradled by golden light.

Ao You’s eyes sparkled and she swallowed it in one gulp. Dragons, too, possessed the five elements, and she was innately attuned to water. This divine dew was of immense benefit to her, enhancing her magical power, saving her days of arduous cultivation, and faintly nourishing her body.

“All right, let’s begin,” she said.

Cao Kong summoned the two wooden swords with his power, handing one to Ao You.

Then, the girl’s bright eyes dimmed, as though she were a weary worker, worn down by the routine of daily life in another world.

Sparring with swords every day, and always on schedule—who could endure such tedium? She’d never been so diligent even when she first studied swordplay.

“How about we skip today? Practicing every day is so boring,” Ao You said, her frosty face adopting a pitiful expression, trying to sway the hardest heart on Leopard Head Mountain.

But capitalists never empathize with workers; Cao Kong gripped his sword and attacked without a word.

Incensed, Ao You unleashed her exquisite swordsmanship, launching a furious assault, every move aimed at his vital points.

But whereas before she could defeat him in just a few exchanges, now Cao Kong could hold his own against her storm-like attacks.

This was due both to his own insight and to the subtlety of the sword scripture bestowed upon him by his master, the Supreme Lord of Salvation.

The sword scripture was wondrous—only Cao Kong could comprehend it; to others, it was as unreadable as a blank book.

Unlike the wine scripture, which was fully revealed to him, the sword scripture was only partially unveiled: principles of swordsmanship, a set of footwork called “Pacing the Stars,” and the corresponding sword forms.

Though called a footwork method, “Pacing the Stars” seemed to Cao Kong to be as miraculous as a divine art. It followed the positions of the stars and constellations, the patterns of the nine palaces and eight trigrams—by tracing these steps, one could soar in spirit to the heavens; with deeper cultivation, one could even draw upon the power of the stars to strengthen oneself.

This was only a fraction of its mysteries; much remained for Cao Kong to comprehend.

By relying on this footwork and the sword forms, Cao Kong could now endure against Ao You—though only when they dueled by technique alone, without using magical power.

The clash of swords grew intense, and as Cao Kong gained a deeper understanding of swordsmanship and felt invigorated, Ao You suddenly threw her sword aside.

Cao Kong was baffled.

Ao You’s eyes lit up with delight. “Half an hour, as agreed. Time’s up, I’m done,” she said.

How familiar—just like his past self, dashing out the classroom door at the sound of the bell, or a weary worker dropping everything the instant the workday ended.

After putting down her sword, Ao You did not leave but lingered around Cao Kong, to which he was already accustomed.

Though she appeared aloof, the dragon maiden was in fact restless, seemingly eager for companionship—was she, perhaps, lonely?

“Cao Kong, why does this wine take so long to brew? It’s still not ready. When can I finally drink it? Can’t we open it now?”

Having cast aside the sword, Ao You’s attention shifted swiftly to the wine they had brewed together.

Seeing her impatience, Cao Kong smiled, “Everything must follow the natural order of change. So too with wine—it must go through each stage. Mistakes in brewing or storing it at the wrong time will spoil the fermentation. If we open it now, all our efforts will be wasted.”

Ao You nodded thoughtfully, while Cao Kong, as he spoke, suddenly paused.

Of course—the heavens have their seasons, all things must change according to their order; so too must wine be brewed step by step, without mistake, without haste. Is this not the essence of cultivating the golden elixir as well?

To make a simple wine took twenty-eight days, yet after only five days of cultivation, he had grown impatient—was this not a departure from the true path?

In that moment, Cao Kong’s mind grew clear; he no longer felt vexed by his slow progress. With that single thought, the world opened before him, and even his spirit within the Mud Pill Palace seemed brighter.

As long as one advances steadily, step by step, one can reach a thousand miles.

The next day, it was time for their daily sword practice. As usual, Ao You swallowed her drop of divine dew, then listlessly picked up her wooden sword.

“Come on,” she said.

Seeing Ao You’s spiritless demeanor, Cao Kong laughed. “No sword practice today. Cultivation must alternate between tension and relaxation. By my reckoning, it’s time to fetch our sword from the smith. Let’s go down the mountain.”

Some time ago, in Jade Radiance City, Cao Kong had commissioned a blacksmith to forge an iron sword; now it was ready for collection.

“But in the end, it’s only a mundane blade. I wonder when I’ll have the chance to acquire a true magical sword of the highest grade,” Cao Kong mused.