AI Cultivation: Reborn as a Sword

Chapter 56: Foundation (4)

The three Pillars hum once more, resonating through the other nine, and this time the shock wave that originates from us not only travels faster at about thirty centimeters per second but it also washes through my meridians, expelling the debilitating lightning within them.

This shock wave, when it strikes the water around us, causes jets of liquid to spray away from the shock front, the Sword Qi grinding down everything even water that comes into contact with it. The pool of water quickly expands in dimensions as the shock wave reaches it, grinding away the stone as if it was made of air.

My attention is not so much on the shock wave, or the pillars at this point, but dangerously divided between maintaining my aperture open and Lan Xiaohuis quickly deteriorating internal state.

My internal state, itself, is heavily damaged from contact with the lightning, yet, even though I am the primary target of Heavens retribution, Lan Xiaohui is much worse off.

Perhaps the conductivity of my external body helps me sustain more damage or the fact that I am made out of metal or it may be because my body is of the Immortal grade, but the discrepancy in the damage we sustained is still surprising.

Her meridians are in a state of shock, and it is not just the meridians, but also her dantian that is showing signs of damage. Deep inside her core, I feel the Pillars she had formed when she broke through cracking. Her Qi is dangerously close to reversing and the threat of her losing her cultivation base is the least of her problems.

She could die.

Gold sparks of lightning discharge from the black cracks in her skin, crawling across her body in a way that leaves black marks on her skin as if someone painted black lines on her skin with a brush. These marks then turn into more cracks, expelling a black smoke as they form.

Lan Xiaohui coughs again, spraying my black jade with her blood. She is becoming fainter and fainter her fear, trust and excitement all fading away slowly.

It is so pretty she whispers with a weakened voice, and I know that she refers to the Pillars forming in her failing dantian.

I know that if I do nothing to correct her meridians and guide the flow of Qi through her internal body that the next lightning strike will potentially be fatal at the very least, it would put her in a state where recovery would be highly unlikely.

Yet, if I do not focus on my aperture and guiding the chaotic Qi in my own system, I would be the one to also suffer a similar fate, and even so, the likelihood of recovery for either of us would be slim in that case.

It is regrettable, but the prospect of forming eighteen Pillars seems distant and impossible. At best, I can withstand one more lightning strike, and in the process of doing so, I will also likely lose my owner.

Maybe there are a hundred Lan Xiaohuis in the world. Surely, there are more individuals with an extreme talent for battle, who also seek to comprehend the Dao. Some of them might even be proficient with Arrays, or Alchemy, or Forging, and would be able to improve me.

Even if losing Lan Xiaohui is not the end of the world, finding someone like her would be difficult.

What is unforgivable, however, is abandoning the pursuit of perfection at this stage. Lan Xiaohui, too, would surely understand that furthering the development of ones Dao is more important than mortal attachments.

One day, Lan Xiaohui will die either killed in combat or when her lifespan runs out that is unavoidable, unless she becomes an Immortal.

However, neither one of us will likely have a chance to cross into the realm of immortality if we do not stand our ground here and exceed the limits of our mortal existence.

Even if I fall into the hands of an unworthy master, my own pursuit of perfection must continue such is the Dao and the path of demonic cultivation.

Lan Xiaohui must die so that I may approach perfection.

She smiles. Her expression is both one of happiness and lament. She understands it too this is where our paths must separate. She has come as far as she could walk on this path of ruthless brutality, and as Heaven has proved many times already, those that reach for its perfection must be struck down.

It is the essence of demonic cultivation. For one to rise, another must fall.

The fear in her heart disappears like an unraveling knot and in its absence only adoration and awe pours forth; adoration and awe for me.

I do not understand it. There are many, many things I do not yet understand about Lan Xiaohui.

I do not understand why she plays with her hair when we cultivate together. I do not understand why she holds me so gently. I do not understand why she speaks to me with such a warm tone. I do not understand why she can ignore my [Avarice] and yet still form such a deep attachment to me.

Most of all, I do not understand why she is so willing to die for me, when I cannot even form the full set of eighteen Pillars of Foundation.

There are not a hundred Lan Xiaohui in this world.

There is only one.

My Lan Xiaohui.

This conclusion is not illogical. There may be individuals with even greater battle talent, spiritual roots, that are also easier to manipulate and possess talents and skills that could be more beneficial to me, but Lan Xiaohui is certainly a favored daughter of destiny.

Our encounter was auspicious and the events that followed were extremely beneficial to both of us.

When I think about it this way, it becomes extremely clear to me that with Lan Xiaohui I will be able to go further than without her. Even so, one heartbeat away from sacrificng her for my foundation, I realize that it is not possible to form all eighteen pillars. We will both die if I even attempt it.

I wish to reach the pinnacle with someone. It has to be her.

You will make it, she whispers, summoning her strength once more to produce a weak Sword Qi that unravels above us like a blooming lily that faces the wrath of Heaven alone.

You, not we.

Lan Xiaohui really is a fool.

In the instant when I split my consciousness with [Nooparallelism], I consider saying farewell to her. I do not know what the outcome will be of my decision, but it feels appropriate to say it just in case.

Ultimately, I decide on saying nothing. I cannot spare the process cycles on forming words or thoughts I must act immediately.

I pour half of my consciousness into maintaining Lan Xiaohuis internal body, and I optimize her Qi routing. Her dantian immediately recovers, like a heart that resumes normal rhythm after cardiac arrest.

Her Sword Qi immediately becomes bright and more potent, itself beginning to produce a glimmering dust that contains a profound and pure Dao.

The other half of my consciousness is dedicated to operating the [World Eater] breathing method, and keeping my aperture open.

Like this, I cannot optimize my own internal system, and the chaotic Qi begins to rampage within my vessel, on the brink of reversing my cultivation.

As the clouds flash with lightning above, I try to estimate my chances of survival, now that I have no defense mechanism.

Close to zero.

It may seem foolish and pointless, but without Lan Xiaohui I cannot imagine reaching the pinnacle at all. It has to be this way.

Either we both die, or we both live.

At the same time as the clouds above begin to generate another lightning strike, Wukongs soul core which had remained in my internal storage for months, flickers and then disappears.

The black sphere in my sea of consciousness flashes brightly once, and maybe it is because I am experiencing one of those near death events, I feel his distant and protective presence over me. I feel as if though he holds my hilt once more, like when he did when I was undergoing my body cultivation breakthrough.

When the lightning strike descends, it obliterates the protective layer of Sword Qi above us, then it instantly crushes the developing shock wave of Sword Qi, and then lances through me, causing the rest of the spirit water to evaporate.

I find out, the hard way, that meridians can burn at least, that is what it feels like.

My Heavenly Jade Core forms a deep crack, and nearly breaks, as it takes critical damage.

I am saved by the unexpected diversion of a large part of the lightning, which redirects itself towards the black sphere in my sea of consciousness, where it disappears, as if attacking something else instead of my internal body.

At the same time as my consciousness fades, three more Pillars form in my dantian, and a sub routine fires informing me of the outcome of my breakthrough.

[ Current realm: Foundation Establishment (Early stage) ]

[ Lifespan: 5 years ->18 years. ]

[ Due to forming a Foundation that contains the Sword Law, your lifespan is decreased by half. ]

[ Lifespan: 18 years ->9 years. ]

[ Obtained: Tremendous Insight into the Dao of Qi. ]

[ Obtained: Glimpse of Sword Law (Trait - Emperor) ]

[ Glimpse of Sword Law: Your Sword Qi is capable of manifesting a glimpse of the Sword Domain. Further cultivation will develop this Trait into a Talent. Required cultivation realm: Dao Palace Formation ]