Path to Dual Cultivation

Chapter 4: Sword Prodigy

When he watched his father's sword performance, Su Yang felt a weird sensation surging inside his body, almost as though something had awakened within him. This sensation urged him to move–to follow Su Qiao's movements.

Shortly after Su Qiao finished his performance, Su Yang started moving his body subconsciously. The way he swung his arms was swift yet precise, as if he had done it countless times. His body movements felt natural, as though he was born for this very purpose.

After witnessing Su Qiao's sword performance just once, Su Yang managed to not only replicate it but also did so in a flawless manner.

When the others saw Su Yang's performance, they immediately stopped their training and dropped their weapons, their faces filled with shock and awe.

"Hey! Su Qiao! I thought your son had never touched a sword before!" One of them questioned.

"It's true! I swear on my surname that I've never seen him wield a sword before!" Su Qiao raised his hand and swore.

"Are you telling us to believe that he's able to move with such precision after watching your performance one time? That's ridiculous!"

"This isn't something achievable with perfect memory alone... Your son... might be a genius with the sword..."

"Not only was he born with a handsome face but he's also talented with the sword? The heavens are truly unjust! How can they favor one person so much? What about the rest of us?!"

When Su Yang finished his performance, an excited smile hung on his face, as he'd never felt so satisfied before.

He turned to look at Su Qiao, who was standing there in a daze, and said, "Father! Can I borrow your sword? I'd like to do that again–this time wielding a sword!"

"S-Sure..." Su Qiao handed his sword to Su Yang without even any warning.

The moment Su Yang grasped the sword's handle, a profound sensation coursed through his entire being, and it felt like he had been waiting for this moment since his birth.

Su Yang started to perform the basic sword techniques again. Unbelievably, his movements were noticeably more precise than the first time.

"He's improved after just doing it once! That's ridiculous!"

"I take back my words... He's not a genius... He's a damn prodigy!"

"Hey, Su Qiao, not to be rude, but I don't think you have the qualifications to teach him..."

Su Qiao did not get angry at such a statement. In fact, he even agreed with it.

"I should probably find him a proper teacher, but I don't know where to start. As far as I know, there aren't any swordmasters in our city."

"What about a Sect? They should have plenty there. In fact, there's one that specializes in swordsmanship not too far from here." One of them suddenly suggested.

"I thought only cultivators are allowed to join Sects. Although Su Yang may be talented with the sword, we don't know if he can even cultivate." Su Qiao shook his head.

"We won't know until he tries."

"But cultivation techniques are too expensive. We won't be able to afford one even if I work for the rest of my life. It's not something meant for mortals like us." Su Qiao sighed.

"You don't need a cultivation technique to see if someone can cultivate, though? You only need to check if he has a Dantian or not."

"Is that true?" Su Qiao's eyes flickered with excitement.

"Of course."

"Where can I go to test his Dantian?" he asked.

"Most cultivation-related stores should be able to test his Dantian."

"I know for sure the Martial Manor does these tests for a small fee."

"Martial Manor, right? I'll bring him there after this. Thanks, you guys." Su Qiao nodded with a smile on his face.

He looked at Su Yang and continued, "In the meantime, I'll show him everything I know."

Before it was his shift, Su Qiao displayed all of his sword techniques to Su Yang. Once it was Su Qiao's turn to guard the Mayor's Estate, Su Yang remained at the training ground to practice the sword.

'Why is it so easy to memorize sword techniques when I struggle with studying?' Su Yang wondered to himself as he quickly perfected everything that Su Qiao taught him in only half a day.

At the end of the day, Su Yang left the training ground and followed his father to the Martial Manor.

"We're going to stop by the Martial Manor before we return home." Su Qiao said to him as they left the training ground.

"Martial Manor? The place that is meant for cultivators? What are we going to do there?" Su Yang asked.

"I'm sure you already know this, but if you're seriously going to chase after the General, you'll need to become a cultivator. However, not everyone can be a cultivator. In order to even begin cultivating, you'll need to have a Dantian to store your Profound Qi."

A stiff smile hung on Su Yang's face when he recalled that he'd just recently declined to walk the path of a cultivator.

Su Qiao continued speaking, "If you have what it takes to become a cultivator, it might be a good choice to send you to a Sect, where you'll be taught proper swordsmanship under a qualified swordmaster."

"Huh? Why can't I just learn from you? Or study alone like I always have?" Su Yang raised an eyebrow.

Su Qiao sighed, "Are you really going to make it say it?"

"Fine, I'll tell you."

After taking a deep breath, he continued, "Su Yang, I am not exaggerating when I say this, but you're talented with the sword. In just a day, you've managed to learn everything I could teach you, even doing it better than I can, who has been training for decades. What else am I supposed to teach you now?"

"As for learning by yourself... It's always better to have someone teach you since you'll learn faster that way. Aren't you chasing after the General? Do you think she'll wait for you forever? What if someone defeats her before you can because you decided to train alone?"

Su Qiao's words immediately ignited a sense of urgency within Su Yang's heart.

'Father is right... I don't have forever to catch up to her!'

The thought of the General belonging to someone else caused his heart to sink and feel as though it was being squeezed.

"Father, I will join a Sect and learn from a real swordmaster!" Su Yang declared with a resolute expression on his handsome face.

"Not so fast, my son. We still need to see if you can cultivate before anything. Moreover, we also have to speak to your mother." Su Qiao reminded him.

"Of course..." Su Yang nodded, but his heart was already settled on joining a Sect no matter what his mother would say.