Chen Xia's cultivation in the Azure Sky Sword Sea was dreary. Fortunately, Chen Xia had long been used to the dreariness. In addition, he had a companion to chat with.
His companion was an octopus who enjoyed playing the vertical flute while standing on its six feet, truly a marvelous sight.
Chen Xia and the octopus idled about in the shallow waters within a range of a hundred miles, idling about was quite mundane, but the fish they idled weren't ordinary. Rumor has it they were swordfish of the Sword Sea, containing restrained sword qi that cultivators could comprehend sword dao from.
Chen Xia didn't care about all that. He only knew to eat the fish once they were caught. He hadn't sensed any sword qi, but the meat was delicious.
Often at times like this, his companion the octopus would look at him with a strange gaze, the corners of his mouth slightly parted as if wanting to say something, yet also forlornly stopping himself.
Chen Xia keenly observed this and handed over the fish meat in his hands, asking, "Would you like to try some?"
He really did understand courtesy.
The octopus tugged at his clothes and lightly shook his head. "There's no need, I'm not suited to eat these."
Chen Xia didn't say anything more. Looking at the octopus, he instead voiced a question in his heart.
"What are we idling around here for?"
The octopus raised the flute at his waist, his gaze profound as he said, "It is to temper the sword."
Chen Xia was confused by this cryptic answer and puzzledly asked, "What do you mean?"
In the distant sea, the fin of a shark a thousand zhang in length appeared, merely swimming stirred up surging waves.
The octopus's six feet moved in unison as he drew out the flute at his waist. He walked towards the thousand-zhang giant shark, and at the same time replied.
"This is the Sword Sea. Innumerable sword qi billows in the Sword Sea. The swimming fish are the form of sword qi."
"Idling is suppressing the sword. The bigger the fish caught while idling, the stronger the suppression, and the denser the sword qi becomes!"
He did not look back, completely drawing out the flute as he walked toward the shark.
Chen Xia anxiously advised, "But you can't just go play music for the shark!"
The octopus confidently answered with one line.
"This is not an instrument..."
"It is my sword!"
The flute was drawn out, the great waves split open, and nothing obstructed his path forward. Striding into the Sword Sea, he wanted to wield his sword to slay the thousand-zhang shark!
The octopus let out a final roar.
"Today I will either accomplish the sword, or become a man of noble character!"
Thirty breaths later.
The octopus successfully entered the belly of a fish.
The sea's surface calmed down, shimmering waves.
Chen Xia looked at the thousand-zhang giant shark that had carried the octopus away, and couldn't help but sigh for this companion that he had spent a great deal of time with.
He was truly fearless. I'm crying to death.
And the octopus's sacrifice also allowed Chen Xia to understand something. Don't leave the shallow waters, just stay put.
So he remained in the waters for thirty years.
Soaking in the waters daily, occasionally eating some small fish and shrimp, yet never seeing anyone else.
Aside from being dreary, this kind of life was dreary.
Chen Xia endured it, and even gradually adapted.
Until the first hundred years.
The old fisherman finally arrived, looking at Chen Xia in astonishment and frowning as he asked, "You haven't moved an inch this whole time?"
"No need." Chen Xia replied.
"It's been a hundred years already. Can't you walk up by yourself?" The old fisherman pointed at the massive sword hanging in the sky above and asked.
"No need." Chen Xia replied.
The old fisherman raised his brows, his tone somewhat impatient. "You have to go up and participate in the sect's grand competition. I was the one who brought you in. If you don't get a high ranking, how will I have the face to ask the sect leader for things?"
"No need." Chen Xia replied.
The old fisherman was puzzled. His figure flickered as he drew near Chen Xia and asked, "Are you a chatbot?"
Chen Xia let out a sigh, half covering his face with a hand, and shook his head. "Cultivation isn't just fighting and killing. I feel I should be given a few more tens of thousands of years to prepare."
"A few tens of thousands of years?" The old fisherman frowned. "Are you preparing to keep me company until I die?"
He discontentedly cried out and asked Chen Xia again, "With so many existences in the myriad heavens, if you don't fight and snatch, how will you stand at the peak? How will you rise up!?"
"Endure." Chen Xia earnestly replied. "As long as I can outlast all of you to death, I will be invincible."
The old fisherman grimaced and said speechlessly, "Then don't cultivate these arts anymore. Go learn the arts of the turtle instead. That is truly enduring."
On this point Chen Xia didn't agree. After all, the Earthen Turtle Halting Art he cultivated was a short-lived art.
The old fisherman looked at him helplessly. After pondering for a moment, he said, "You definitely have to participate in the entrance examination five hundred years from now. Otherwise, you'll be exiled to the deep waters of the Sword Sea."
"Alright." Chen Xia instantly nodded, his expression solemn. "I've decided to participate in the entrance examination five hundred years from now."
Attitudes that weren't absolute could be changed.
The old fisherman nodded satisfiedly. His gaze looked over Chen Xia's body before asking, "To what degree have you condensed your sword qi? My Azure Sky Sword Sea focuses on the sword. Sword cultivators lead. You had best cultivate the sword."
"No need." Chen Xia shook his head and looked at the old fisherman, sincerely saying, "It would be best if you just let me endure for a few more tens of thousands of years."
"Sigh." The old fisherman let out a helpless sigh and said, "You don't understand. Great emperors and supreme existences since ancient times have never emerged from endurance. They all took one step at a time, battling every step to the peak. Without talent or the drive to snatch, one will never reach the peak in their lifetime!"
Chen Xia looked at the utterly serious old fisherman. The hand covering his face moved to rub his nose as he pondered for a bit before replying.
"Perhaps they just didn't endure long enough."
"My child, you..." The old fisherman shook his head, no longer wanting to persuade him. He would just go along with Chen Xia. With a pull of his hand, the world spun around them.
Chen Xia lowered his head. Beneath his feet were the huge sword blades.
He was above the azure sky.
"The participants for this entrance exam include many ancient races, even mythical races. There are even two emperor descendants. If you want a good ranking, you have to diligently cultivate." The old fisherman said.
"No." Chen Xia shook his head. "I don't want to."
It was the old fisherman who wanted a good ranking.
The two began a staring match. The old fisherman's tone was unkind as he said, "I'll give you another chance to speak."
"Okay." Chen Xia nodded. "I really want to."
Attitudes like this could be changed at any time.
"That's more like it." The old fisherman nodded. Holding his hands behind his back, he continued, "And the best method for cultivating is descending upon the myriad worlds."
"The flow of time in the myriad worlds is not equal. The more insignificant the plane, the faster time flows. Our time in the Great Heavens is only 80% the speed of the Immortal Realms."
"And in some insignificant planes, it can even reach 10:1. A single day in the Great Heavens would be a hundred days in the insignificant plane."
Chen Xia's eyes lit up, as if the gates to a new world had opened.
There was actually something this good!
The old fisherman saw his delight and shook his head, pouring cold water on it.
"Although this is the case, almost no one is willing to descend upon the insignificant planes, because their fortune and destiny is far too limited. It has long since been divided up by the locals."
"If you, an outsider, go, not to mention your strength being suppressed, the locals might even slay you. This kind of thing isn't uncommon."
"The risks and rewards are completely disproportionate. So I recommend you go to a medium plane. At least the fortune and destiny is sufficient there."
"No, I want to go to the insignificant plane." Chen Xia shook his head, his gaze firm as he said,
"Fortune and destiny isn't important. I mainly like the challenge of risk."
The old fisherman was stunned for a moment. After quite a while, he could only shake his head and say,
"You really are a freak."