The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 276 This name sounds like it should belong to my sword (5k)

Walking among the mountains and fields, Du Yuan slowly recalled her previous experiences.

At first, he just looked at the sword without thinking much about it, and nothing happened.

But when he vaguely saw what appeared to be a sword in the middle of the stone bridge, everything changed completely.

The two major paths of Buddhism and Taoism, which had been peaceful and balanced, seemed to have their long-standing grudges ignited by the strange phenomenon of "two swords appearing at the same time," and suddenly began to fight fiercely.

However, these two great paths did not fight each other within his body—such a struggle would only harm his own foundation!

However, they chose a more "outward" approach: relying on the two unclaimed immortal swords that had vanished into the sky, they revealed their respective Great Daos within them, letting the immortal swords fight on their behalf.

Thus, each sword light is a collision of two supreme paths, and each sword cry is a roar of two paths trying to overpower each other.

This led to the scene described earlier: the sky was in chaos, and sword intent tore through the air, so much so that even the great sword immortal, Mo Yi Ke, felt dizzy and terrified.

Fortunately, the moment Du Yuan realized the imbalance of the Great Dao, she did her best to stabilize her mind and kept this "battle of the Great Dao" firmly confined to the sky, preventing it from falling to the mortal world at the very beginning.

Otherwise, given that performance, Du Yuan didn't know what kind of hellish scene it would have been.

However, as time went on, the struggle between the two Dao channels intensified, and the power of the clashing immortal swords grew more and more violent. Du Yuan found it increasingly difficult to maintain her composure.

These two avenues are really too high.
As a result, Du Yuan had no feasible ideas for the time being. It was like driving a carriage. Although the reins, which were the lifeblood of the carriage, were in her hands, such a huge thing could not be easily driven overnight.

The problem of "imbalance of the Great Dao" that he had been worried about had finally revealed itself, and it was far more dangerous than he had expected.

Because the chariot is no longer driven by horses, but by dragons!

Just as the two conflicting paths were about to truly fall to earth.

At this critical moment, a sudden inspiration struck him—he didn't only have the Buddhist and Taoist lineages! He also had the Confucian lineage!
Du Yuan immediately suppressed his panic and focused all his remaining energy into his body. He deliberately ignored the ongoing power struggle between the Buddhist and Taoist schools and began to concentrate on the Confucian school.

The three great paths are difficult to distinguish in terms of superiority or inferiority, but within his body, they differ in size.

Compared to those two lineages, the Confucian lineage is indeed rather thin.

But he knew that although these three lineages were difficult to distinguish in terms of the fundamental superiority of the Great Dao, and had substantial differences, they could each find their own place within his body.

Just as humans are born with the ability to move their arms and fingers, without needing to break down the principles or explain them in detail, simply by following one's instincts and the natural flow of the muscles, every inch of force can be applied appropriately.

Du Yuan's actions at this moment also followed this path.

He closed his eyes and gently divided the boundaries of the three meridians within the vast sea of ​​qi circulating in his body. It was not a rigid division, but rather a natural division, simply to find a place where each of the three meridians could find its proper place and be content with its own destiny.

He first slowly guided the golden light, which represented Buddhism, towards his heart.

Buddhists often speak of compassion, and this compassion should be the softest yet most resilient support within our very being.

Du Yuan never thought too deeply about what kind of person she was, but she always hoped that a sense of compassion could remain in her heart forever.

It's a good thing for both yourself and others.

As soon as Jin Guang entered, the previous competitive and hostile atmosphere dissipated abruptly, and there was no longer any obsession with suppressing anyone.

At this moment, the Buddhist path was no longer a participant in the struggle, but rather became the "stabilizing force" for all the energy within him. With compassion as its core, it steadily preserved that crucial peace for him.

After finding a home for the Buddhist lineage, Du Yuan then directed the purple energy representing the Taoist lineage to her entire body.

It was at this moment that he suddenly understood the reason for the conflict between the two lineages: the purple energy of the Dao lineage was like a dragon that had broken free of its reins, carrying the arrogance of "following the will of Heaven" and holding the idea that "those who achieve great success should fight for great success", and was unwilling to be compatible with the Buddhist lineage that had achieved success first.

Seeing this, the Buddhist lineage attempted to forcibly convert the monks, leading to a conflict between the two groups.

After Du Yuan introduced the purple energy into her bones and blood, the energy seemed to have finally found its natural home. It no longer acted arrogantly and recklessly, but instead sank down on its own and merged into every inch of her skin.

Clearly, the phrase "Tao follows nature" has never been an excuse for "letting things scramble." Its true meaning is to go with the flow and follow one's heart.

At this moment, the Taoist Great Way became the "supporter" of the three lineages—with the Tao following the natural way as its framework, it supported a vast space for the coexistence of the three lineages, and also gave the Buddhist lineage's compassion a stable foothold.

The final destination found was the Confucian Way. The noble and pure energy of the Confucian lineage was originally the weakest of the three lineages, previously hiding in the corner of the Qi Sea, and even seemed to lack the strength to participate in the struggle.

As Du Yuan guided it to the surface of the body, limbs and bones, the pure energy that represented the righteous spirit of Confucianism suddenly became condensed and heavy, and then transformed into a thin halo.

This halo, though delicate, was incredibly tight, firmly enveloping both the Buddhist and Taoist traditions. It possessed no aggression whatsoever, nor would it contend with the two traditions, yet it exuded an extremely clear sense of "boundary."

The natural way of Tao, following the natural course, now has its own boundaries that cannot be overstepped; the compassionate forgiveness of Buddhism also has its own inviolable bottom line.

Confucian etiquette has never been a rigid constraint, but rather an external norm and harmony. People need to have a compassionate heart and a proud spirit, but even more importantly, they must not lose their sense of rules or boundaries.

The moment the three meridians were completely restored, Du Yuan felt a sudden sense of relief within her body.

Buddhism is the heart, Taoism is the bone, and Confucianism is the appearance. These are the three great paths within Du Yuan's body, each ultimately finding its own destination.

However, while the others are alright, the Confucian lineage is still too weak.

If we're not careful, things could get out of control again.

After a long period of introspection, Du Yuan couldn't help but sigh again.

We still need to strengthen the Confucian lineage as soon as possible, and it's best not to rely on Buddhism and Taoism indefinitely.

Otherwise, similar incidents are likely to continue to occur.

It's natural to keep it as a trump card, but it can no longer be used as casually as it has been these days.

At least, that was the case before Confucianism was brought up.

In Buddhism and Taoism, besides one's own efforts and arrangements, luck is also very important in maintaining balance.

Putting everything else aside, without the crucial support of the kitten and his friend, it would have been truly difficult to succeed.

So, what exactly must this last Confucian lineage do to allow others to catch up?

Just thinking about this gave Du Yuan a headache.

Just then, the man in black suddenly said:
"Sir, I've looked around and while there are indeed quite a few formidable immortal swords left, I have to say a few unpleasant things."

"Going forward, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find swords better than these. So, sir, don't you think we should look back?"

He was a sword cultivator and didn't like to rank swords.

However, that was the truth, so he had no choice but to say it.

In his opinion, the most suitable sword for Du Yuan, a Confucian, was naturally the one called 'Ren'.

Although he had advised against it before, that was before.

Now that we've seen how powerful it is, we naturally need to change our perspective, right?

Du Yuan was inclined to accept, but she always felt that the sword was not really suitable for her.

Admittedly, my Confucian lineage needs more support, and given what I can offer right now, I estimate the chances of success are very high.

For some reason, he just didn't feel that sudden, delightful surprise.

So Du Yuan didn't answer, but just silently walked forward.

Seeing this, the man in black stopped making a sound and continued to follow.

The two walked through the mountains and fields, not deliberately taking the official road that Gao Cheng had opened up and that had been repaired by several generations of county magistrates. Instead, they followed the intermittent animal trails in the mountains and moved slowly forward.

After a long while, Du Yuan suddenly stopped and turned around to ask, "Tell me, what kind of sword truly suits your taste?"

The man in black was taken aback upon hearing this. This was a common question in the sword cultivator circle, with answers that varied widely and there was no definitive conclusion.

After a moment of hesitation, he replied to Du Yuan, repeating what he had said in the past:

"Sir, whether a sword suits one's heart depends on two things: its intended use and one's own feelings. If one only seeks a good sword that suits one's hand, there are naturally many more options available; but if one also seeks the 'heart's desire,' then this is something that cannot be asked of others."

"After all, what a person truly pursues and what they prefer is something that no one else can truly understand."

Seeing his restrained expression, Du Yuan smiled and said:
"Don't overthink it, and there's no need to be nervous. I was just asking casually."

After saying that, he gazed at the rustling of leaves in the forest amidst the mountains and fields, and suddenly spoke:

"If I really had to choose, I would prefer a sword that reminds me of my hometown, regardless of its shape or grade. As long as it brings a smile to my face every time I see it, that would be enough."

"After all, I'm afraid that if I'm away from home for too long, I'll forget who I really am."

There was an indescribable heaviness in those words. The man in black couldn't discern the deeper meaning, yet a pang of sorrow welled up within him. They were all embers surviving that great calamity; in this world, who doesn't yearn for their homeland?
For a moment, both of them remained silent.

But suddenly, a gentle breeze swept by, and with just a casual glance...

Suddenly, Du Yuan noticed something standing in the woods.

As I stepped forward, the mountain seal given to me by my friend swayed incessantly, and the grass and trees in front of me naturally parted to create a path, just like parting the sea.

As he stopped, his gaze fell upon a rusty longsword stuck diagonally in the rock. This thing could hardly be called a "sword"—thick rust had covered the blade so much that even the original shape of the sword was blurred and unrecognizable, leaving only a section of iron bar covered in brownish-red rust.

The man in black standing to the side glanced at it only once before shaking his head and advising:
"I wonder which meddlesome mortal left this piece of junk here. Sir, there's no need to look at it any longer. I don't even want to call this thing a 'sword'."

This rusty sword stuck in the stubborn rock could only be considered a blade that could barely be used to draw blood.

As for the sword, don't even think about stabbing, parrying, or cleaving.

Regardless of its past glory or fame, this sword is now nothing more than a useless iron bar. Yet, gazing at it, Du Yuan felt an overwhelming fondness for it.

"It's the Sword in the Stone!"

The man in black glanced at it again, then shook his head and said:
"It must be quite old, otherwise it wouldn't be so difficult to find even the seam where it was hammered in. It has survived the years and still retains a basic shape. I suppose the craftsman who forged this sword must have had some skill."

Du Yuan did not answer, but quickly stepped forward, wanting to take a closer look at the sword.

But at that moment, he suddenly noticed that there seemed to be a seal script engraved on the sword.

It is difficult to identify exactly what it is; we can only make out that it is a seal script.

Du Yuan became increasingly curious and then reached out to touch it.

In an instant, the world became serene and tranquil.

The exact meaning of that character also came to Du Yuan's mind—ash.
Upon learning the sword's destiny, Du Yuan almost instantly fell in love with it.

"It's that name!"

A word that probably no one in his hometown would know, yet it made him think of his past and origins in this foreign land.

In the courtyard where Du Yuan grew up, the only tree he saw every day was an ash tree, also known as a white ash tree.

Sprouting in spring and shedding leaves in autumn, that tree witnessed almost all of his childhood.

Now, in this situation in a foreign land, Du Yuan finds it almost impossible to give up.

"Sir, what is the name of this sword?" The man in black couldn't help but ask when he saw him staring at the rusty sword in a daze.

Du Yuan answered without turning her head:
"Qian! Her name is Qian!"

"Sink?"

The man in black was startled; what a peculiar name! He truly wondered why the sword's former owner had chosen such a name.

But a moment later, the man in black was startled and said:

"Sir, do you wish to use this sword as your personal weapon?"

Du Yuan slowly nodded:

"The name 'Fragrant Ash' sounds like it should belong to my sword!"

The man in black was somewhat at a loss. In his opinion, among all the immortal swords here, only the Ding Sword and the Ren Sword were the most suitable to be this gentleman's sword.

At the very least, it should be either "following the trend," "lotus," or his "spring breeze."

Unexpectedly, in the end, this gentleman actually chose this sword that was hardly even worthy of being called 'Heavy'?
He wanted to try to persuade him again, but after a moment, he gave up the idea.

When a swordsman chooses a sword, it's none of the business of others. Besides, this person is a Confucian, not a swordsman; the quality of the sword he wears is neither relevant nor irrelevant to him.

Anyway, once people like them know what level this person is at, even if the sword is broken and tattered, it will become different.

So he cupped his hands and said:
"Since you have made your choice, congratulations!"

"Happy together, rejoice together."

After discovering this unexpected delight, Du Yuan's gaze never left the 'Fan' sword.

At this point, he couldn't resist reaching out and trying to pull it up.

Upon first handling it, Du Yuan immediately noticed the rough texture emanating from its rusty surface.

He paid no attention to this, and simply began to exert force to try to pull it out of the stubborn rock.

There was no difficulty or obstruction; with just a little effort, it was slowly pulled out of the stubborn rock.

The sound of metal rubbing against stone was not loud, but it shone clearly in my ears.

When Du Yuan pulled it out completely, she was even more pleased to find that although most of the sword was stuck in the rock and was covered in rust, it was not damaged in the slightest.

"Very well! From this day forward, you will be my sword, Du Yuan's sword!"

The man in black was still trying to figure something out.

He still hoped that this sword might be something of great origin that he had mistaken for something else. Otherwise, it would be unworthy of this gentleman's status.

After all, when people face shortcomings, they always hope to make up for them.

Unfortunately, no matter how he looked at it, he could only find that the sword was, at best, hard enough.
After a silent sigh, he asked seriously:

"May I ask, sir, are you about to leave this place?"

Du Yuan glanced at the sky and said:

"Yes, I will still stay here for a while. After all, the sword at the bottom of the Lan River is still missing. If I don't keep an eye on it, I'm afraid something might go wrong."

At this, the man in black laughed and said:

“If that’s all, you don’t need to worry. After all, I’m still here, and my friend is still here too. We’re not saints, but we won’t just stand by and watch someone cause bloodshed in order to get the sword.”

As he spoke, he pointed at Du Yuan and laughed:

"And after your repeated interventions, I think those evil sects will probably not dare to make any rash moves."

That makes sense, but Du Yuan still felt he needed to think it over further. After all, he was right here, and if leaving caused any problems...

While I wouldn't be completely unable to eat or sleep, I'd still feel uneasy about it for a long time.

Before Du Yuan could answer, she saw a streak of light flying in from afar.

Only after landing did Du Yuan realize that it was the old beggar who had returned.

At this moment, he had obviously taken good care of himself, but the fine clothes he had specially changed into were inexplicably covered in blood.

After a moment of stunned silence, Du Yuan finally asked:

"Did the old gentleman already go to see him?"

The old beggar, feeling ashamed, clasped his hands in apology, then knelt on one knee and bowed, saying:
"The master had given me special advice many times before, but I, the old beggar, was stubborn and refused to listen, which led me to sever my karmic ties and lose that master-disciple relationship."

"This old beggar deeply regrets his past actions, which is why I've come specifically to seek you out, sir. I hope you can be merciful and help this old beggar once more!"

"Sir, I really like that child, and we have quite a history together. I really don't want to miss out on her!"

After much hesitation, the old beggar finally let go of his worries and came here specifically to seek out this place.

He asked Du Yuan to help him continue this predestined relationship.

Upon hearing this, the man in black sighed first, then looked at his friend with a sudden realization.

Based on his understanding of it, he would never have been willing to lose face and turn back.

But now, he has 'let go'. In this way, perhaps his cultivation can reach a higher level?
Letting go, picking up, and enlightenment are things that cultivators experience constantly at almost every stage, yet are always stuck on.

After all, there are simply too many things to let go of and too many things to take up. But if one is enlightened one day, one can transform into a dragon when the winds of change blow!

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan smiled helplessly and stepped forward to help the old beggar up, saying:

"Since you are able to come back and earnestly beg me, why can't you go back and explain everything clearly?"

The old beggar was stunned for a moment, but then overjoyed.

The cause and effect have continued!

Overwhelmed with joy, he hurriedly stood up and bowed repeatedly to Du Yuan.

Then he hurriedly returned to the small village standing next to the cauldron and sword.

As for the benevolent sword at the bottom of the Lan River, he didn't care anymore; he only cared about whether he could take that child as his disciple.

Watching the old beggar hurry away.

Du Yuan shook her head with amusement, then hung the 'ash' on her waist.

I put it together with my friend's mountain seal.

As he swayed, the sword imprint also swayed.

As the small seal was tossed high into the air, it gently struck the blade of the sword.

Even inside the Qingzhou Temple, she was stunned for a long time.

Finally, he stammered, "..."
"Huh? How come it's this sword?"

At the same time, at the Sword Tomb, the various immortals and gods, each staring at a celestial sword, all changed their expressions drastically:

"Oh no! The Immortal Sword is about to be released ahead of schedule! Quickly return to inform the Ancestor (Sect) and ask for his decision!"

(End of this chapter)