After the banquet,the head of the Du family arranged for Su Xin and the new servants who had joined the Du family to rest.
Due to his different status,Su Xin was allocated to a place in the center of the Du family's mansion,with treatment equal to that of some of the Du family elders.
Among all the servants of the Du family,only Wei Changfeng and Su Xin received such treatment,which made Wei Changfeng even more resentful.
After resting for a night,the next morning when Su Xin woke up and stepped out into the courtyard,he saw Du Chen practicing his sword there.
Ever since he obtained this broken sword,although he could use its power to suppress warriors of the same level and even those one realm higher without difficulty,he continued to practice diligently.
Because the power of the broken sword was not truly his own;the strength he cultivated himself was his own.
Du Chen was currently practicing a somewhat simple and ancient sword technique.The sword moves seemed ordinary at first glance,but they carried a peculiar charm within them.
Su Xin could tell at a glance that this sword technique must have been passed down from ancient times.
Within the Six Gates of the Imperial City,there were many martial arts classics,and naturally,the Jiangnan Road's Six Gates also had their own library.
However,the collection of martial arts within the Six Gates was limited,and most of them were suitable for congenital martial artists to practice.
The martial arts of the Yuan Shen Realm were too precious;one must go to the headquarters of the Six Gates and have sufficient merits and rank to exchange for them.
Although Su Xin was also congenital,he no longer valued these martial arts meant for congenital martial artists.Therefore,he only briefly glanced over these martial arts and did not study them seriously.
Among those collections,there were several ancient martial arts classics and techniques.From there,it was clear that the martial arts of ancient times were quite different from those of today.
As martial arts developed to this day,let alone the ancient times,martial arts were relatively vague back then,relying mainly on personal comprehension,and there were basically no martial arts classics passed down.
However,the ancient times thousands of years ago were the true heyday of martial arts.
At that time,dozens of countries in the Central Plains and even the Western Regions,Southern Barbarians,Northern Wilderness,and other places were vying for supremacy.Various martial arts schools were founded,laying the foundation for the thousands of martial arts schools today.
However,martial arts in ancient times were not necessarily stronger than they are now.The martial arts of that time were relatively simple,and it could be said that they were summarized by the phrase"the grand dao is the simplest".
But at the same time,this simple martial arts also tested the practitioner's aptitude and comprehension.Unlike some martial arts and techniques nowadays,even the path to practice,which meridian to circulate first,and how long it takes to complete a cycle,are clearly written out.
Su Xin stood there watching Du Chen practicing his sword for half a day.It was only then that Du Chen noticed Su Xin standing beside him,which startled him.
After all,his sword technique was demonstrated to him by the broken sword in his dreams.The Du family did not possess such a martial skill,so he would start practicing this sword technique in the courtyard early in the morning.Once he saw someone coming,he would switch to their own Du family's sword technique.
But when Du Chen saw that it was Su Xin who had come,he breathed a sigh of relief.After all,Su Xin was an outsider,and he had no idea what the Du family's sword technique was like.
Du Chen put away the broken sword and clasped his hands towards Su Xin,saying,"Greetings,Daoist Qingxuan."
Su Xin nodded and stroked his beard,saying,"Indeed,while talent is important in martial arts,even more crucial is perseverance.From the looks of it,you must have been accustomed to starting your training early here,right?"
Du Chen scratched his head with a smile and said,"I'm rather slow-witted in talent compared to others,so I can only work harder.I believe in the saying'diligence can make up for a lack of talent.'"
Su Xin nodded and said,"You're right.Diligence can make up for a lack of talent.Your sword technique is quite good,but in my opinion,it lacks something."
Du Chen was curious,"What does it lack?"
This sword technique was taught to him by the broken sword in his dreams.Although he didn't know what level this sword technique was,it shouldn't be weak.
Su Xin pointed at Du Chen himself and said,"Killing intent and martial spirit.Your sword technique lacks these two things,and the problem lies not in your sword technique,but in you."
"Killing intent and martial spirit?"Du Chen murmured these two words.
Su Xin continued,"What are you practicing martial arts for?If it's just for improving your health and longevity,then ignore what I said.
But if you want to become stronger,then you must possess killing intent and martial spirit.Otherwise,your martial arts will lack a soul and be nothing more than a flimsy facade.
Martial arts,whether righteous or evil,are paths of killing and conquest,pursued in order to attain greater power,to make oneself stronger.
If I'm not mistaken,since you started practicing martial arts until now,you haven't even killed anyone,let alone engaged in a life-and-death battle.
Your strength surpasses the younger generation disciples of the Du family,so you can easily overwhelm them.Similarly,the disciples of the Zhang family are no match for you either,which is why you win so effortlessly.
But once you encounter a truly powerful opponent,your current shortcomings will be greatly magnified.Even if the opponent's strength is weaker than yours,if they possess the intent to kill and an unparalleled martial spirit,the one who will end up dead in the end will definitely be you."
Su Xin's words were not just to comfort Du Chen;they were the truth.He had seen this situation not only in Du Chen but also in Wen Qinghe from the Wen family.
Wen Qinghe,protected too well by the head of the Wen family,Wen Mingyu,had already reached the Congenital Spiritual Realm but lacked much practical combat experience,let alone experiences like life-and-death battles.But after Su Xin manipulated him into killing Wu Qingyun,it seemed to have broken some shackles,causing Wen Qinghe's personality to become radical and bloodthirsty.
During the battle to overthrow the Xunfeng Sword Sect,Wen Qinghe ruthlessly slaughtered over ten disciples of the Xunfeng Sword Sect.Later,following Su Xin,the Wen family massacred four other sects,and Wen Qinghe participated in all these battles.Consequently,when facing a life-and-death struggle now,he acted like a madman,relentless and ruthless,intimidating even some disciples of the Wen family.
Although this made Wen Qinghe significantly stronger,Wen Mingyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his changed demeanor.
The problem on Du Chen now was evidently similar to that of the former Wen Qinghe.
Upon hearing Su Xin's explanation,Du Chen's eyes brightened immediately,and he quickly bowed to Su Xin,saying,"Thank you,Daoist Qingxuan,for enlightening me."
However,at this moment,his broken sword once again emitted a warning signal,leaving Du Chen puzzled about its meaning.
This Daoist Qingxuan was indeed quite good.He had praised him at the banquet yesterday and even wanted to accept him as a disciple.Despite Du Chen's refusal,he wasn't upset.Now,he was here giving him guidance.Du Chen couldn't understand why the broken sword always seemed wary of this Daoist.
Despite not understanding,Du Chen decided to trust the judgment of the broken sword.He clasped his hands to Su Xin,intending to take his leave.Just then,the head of the Du family walked in with a big smile,saying,"Daoist Qingxuan is right.Martial arts are the way of conquest;without martial spirit and killing intent,how can one succeed?But don't worry about it.After our battle with the Zhang family,the surviving disciples of the Du family will undoubtedly be among the elite!"
The head of the Du family turned to Su Xin,saying,"Daoist Qingxuan,our Du family is ready to battle the Zhang family,so I kindly ask you to come with us to discuss how to deal with them."
Su Xin nodded.The head of the Du family then turned to Du Chen,saying,"Chen'er,come along."
Traditionally,such major matters were only attended by the successors of the Du family.Among the young disciples of the Du family qualified to be successors were eight individuals,with Du Chen being the strongest.Thus,he deserved some special treatment.
Upon hearing this,Du Chen's expression brightened,and he quickly followed Su Xin and the head of the Du family to the meeting hall.
In the meeting hall,all the elders of the Du family were present,along with a martial artist in the Divine Palace Realm recruited by Su Xin,making a total of eleven individuals.
However,even with eleven martial artists in the Divine Palace Realm,their strength still fell short compared to the Zhang family.
Although the Du family had the presence of the head of the Du family,who was at the half-step Divine Realm,and also Su Xin,a strong swordsman who comprehended sword intent,the Zhang family openly boasted twelve congenital martial artists.As for the hidden strength,who knew how many they had?
The head of the Du family cleared his throat and said,"Everyone,we are now at a crucial moment for the survival of our Du family.Let's hear your thoughts on how to deal with the Zhang family.Let's brainstorm and come up with the best solution."
Many elders of the Du family frowned.The Du family had been suppressed by the Zhang family for generations,and the gap in strength was not easy to bridge.Besides waiting for the Zhang family's attack,they couldn't think of any good solutions.
At this moment,Wei Changfeng spoke up,"Head of the family,I have a plan."
The head of the Du family said,"Elder Wei,please speak your mind."
Wei Changfeng continued,"The disparities between our Du family and the Zhang family are not easy to bridge,so launching a rash attack would be unwise.We should adapt to changes and remain flexible."
Some of the Du family members present rolled their eyes at this seemingly obvious advice,thinking anyone could have come up with it.Did it need to be stated?
However,Wei Changfeng continued,"Of course,we cannot just sit and wait for the Zhang family's attack.Therefore,externally,we will send out scouts to gather information about the Zhang family's movements and assess their strength and intentions.Internally,we will set up traps and mechanisms throughout the entire Du family.If possible,we should procure a large number of Mo Family mechanisms to deploy around the traps.Additionally,we should provide some younger disciples with Tang Family concealed weapons for covert ambushes.With these foolproof measures in place,we can ensure that anyone from the Zhang family who comes will not return!"
