Chapter 154: Establishing the Sword Intent
After tidying up the dishes and bowls, Shen Yu returned to the rocking chair.
The stunning young girl sat upright on the bench opposite him, holding a seemingly ordinary sheet of white paper, her brow furrowed in worry.
Shen Yu pondered for a moment and said, “Tell me about the assessment.”
The boy hesitated briefly but then recounted everything in detail.
To her, since Su Mo had mentioned this, it must be feasible, and in any case, it would do her no harm.
Listening to the girl’s scattered questions, Shen Yu’s expression grew serious.
He naturally understood Su Mo’s intent.
To enter the academy, one needed its approval, but Shen Yu didn’t know exactly what they intended to observe—was it character, strength, or something else? Thus, serving as a gatekeeper was itself a form of trial imposed by the academy.
And having this little girl articulate the questions was precisely the scenario Su Mo wished to see.
Though lively in appearance, the girl’s thinking was meticulously precise. Before long, Shen Yu grasped the essence of the assessment.
In simple terms, it required presenting one’s most distinctive trait—a gesture, an expression, a technique—to the master responsible for the appraisal.
This could be summed up in a word, a motion, a look, or a move; in short, one must showcase the unique brilliance within oneself. If the master valued it, the candidate would pass.
Shen Yu remarked, “It’s quite interesting.”
Finishing his words, he glanced at the white paper in the girl’s hands, raising an eyebrow. “This paper is rather intriguing.”
To him, this seemingly mundane sheet was slowly absorbing the girl’s emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—each inscribed within it. Naturally, when she resolutely wrote something upon it, her emotions would be vividly reflected on its surface.
In other words, this kind of test could hardly be won by trickery.
The girl looked gloomy. If she could, she would have doodled a large fluffy cat across the so-called exam paper.
Of course, that was only if her father wouldn’t punish her.
She looked at Shen Yu cautiously. “Can you do it?”
Shen Yu was silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
The girl sighed, as if it was no surprise. She teased, “Even someone as clever as me can’t figure it out right now. If you could, wouldn’t you already be admitted into the academy?”
Shen Yu smiled without retorting and said calmly, “You can try answering with what you do best.”
The girl rested her chin on the table, squinting her eyes, and said listlessly, “No need to teach me that—I obviously know.”
Shen Yu looked up at the sky. When the girl spoke of the topic, he understood the meaning of the assessment.
In simple terms, it boiled down to four words:
Teach according to one’s aptitude.
Each examinee displayed their strongest facet, then the academy’s master evaluated them. The depth of insight and far-reaching intent behind what was shown determined the final outcome.
What one wrote was comparatively less important.
Suddenly, Shen Yu asked, “Why have so many extraordinary people come for this academy’s disciple recruitment?”
The girl glanced at him and snorted, “Why do you ask? I’m not telling you.” She still remembered how stubbornly he had prevented her from entering the academy last time.
Shen Yu thought for a moment and said, “I’ll teach you how to pass the assessment.”
Suddenly, the girl’s eyes sparkled brightly, full of energy. After a moment, she asked suspiciously, “Can you really do it?”
Shen Yu closed his eyes briefly. “Up to you.”
After much internal struggle, the girl finally relented.
Half an hour later, Shen Yu understood why so many distinguished figures had come for this seemingly straightforward test.
He also grasped why Su Mo wanted him to participate.
Because this time, the academy’s masters were recruiting disciples merely to forge connections—the chosen disciples might not even formally join the academy or perform the usual apprenticeship rituals. Everything was left to chance.
This was unprecedented throughout the entire Spiritual Wilderness.
For those disciples backed by powerful factions, it was even rarer—first, to seize a great opportunity, and second, to forge a master-disciple bond with the academy’s masters.
The cultivation world and the mundane realm shared many similarities.
In the mortal world, what counts in the underworld?
Strength and background—and the academy offered both.
Seeing Shen Yu lost in thought, the girl impatiently said, “Hey, shouldn’t you be teaching me now?”
Shen Yu thought for a moment and asked, “What are you good at?”
The girl blinked repeatedly, silent for a long while, then quietly stretched her neck and whispered, “Does eating count?”
Shen Yu twitched the corner of his mouth, remained silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you know swordsmanship?”
The girl’s eyes brightened at his words.
“Do you?”
She answered honestly, “No.”
Even Shen Yu’s energy cultivation skills felt a bit helpless. “Do you want to learn?”
The girl nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, yes! What will you teach me first?”
Shen Yu said, “Read books.”
...
Learning the sword begins with reading—that was Shen Yu’s method.
Though initially reluctant, the girl, seemingly out of respect for Su Mo, obediently followed his advice.
Half an hour later, the young girl brought a sword manual from the academy.
Shen Yu skimmed it, confirming it was a beginner’s manual introducing treasured swords and the basics for ordinary cultivators. He nodded approvingly.
The girl flipped through it boredly and asked, “Is this really useful?”
Shen Yu explained slowly, “This exam resembles the sword cultivator’s awakening of the sword heart, so it is useful.”
Curious, the girl asked, “What is the awakening of the sword heart?”
“It’s a method to condense sword intent.”
Shen Yu continued, “Every swordsman undergoes it before practicing the sword. It’s like the forge fire when a blacksmith crafts a sword.”
The girl looked puzzled.
Shen Yu considered this and said, “You can think of it as preparing pots and pans before cooking.”
The girl suddenly understood. “Got it. So it’s like preparing chopsticks before eating.”
Shen Yu said calmly, “You could say that. Only after successfully establishing intent can one awaken the sword heart and commune with the immortal sword. So your current task is... to establish your sword intent.”
The girl looked serious, muttering to herself, “What kind of sword intent should I set? Sounds important.”
Shen Yu said nothing.
The establishment of sword intent lies in the heart.
Only one’s true self can comprehend it. Among the elite, setting their sword intent can even summon the immortal sword’s submission, causing sudden changes in wind and clouds and other wondrous phenomena.
The girl pondered deeply, then looked up curiously. “Are you a swordsman?”
Shen Yu shook his head, then nodded. “Yes, and no.”
The boy narrowed his eyes, confused. “What do you mean?”
Shen Yu gazed at the sky and murmured, “On the path of the Great Dao, is there really a distinction for a sword?”
...