Sword Spirit

Chapter 137: Honorary Disciple

Chapter 137: Honorary Disciple

In order to make Lu Xuan give up, Hallmaster brought up a requirement, that was to make Lu Xuan master the Void Drawing Rune skill within a month!

When these words came out, Chen Xiao Han and Elder Fan’s faces both simultaneously revealed looks of surprise. The Void Drawing Rune skill was something that even a real spirit runemaster might not have mastered.

One shouldn’t look at how Hallmaster had casually drawn out a rune in front of Lu Xuan seemingly relaxedly. In reality, many low leveled spirit runemasters at the beginning were unable to master Void Drawing Runes. They all needed to draw spirit runes on blank scrolls similar to how enchanters drew scrolls, and then using those spirit runes to fight.

Right now in the entire Enchantment Hall, there were less than five people who had mastered Void Drawing Runes. These five people had each been cultivating the rune dao for over ten years. Among the disciples, there wasn’t even one who had mastered the Void Drawing Rune skill. Even Chen Xiao Han who had followed her father in studying still had yet to be able to casually use Void Drawing Runes as well as her father.

Elder Fan hesitated a bit, preparing to say something, however, after thinking a bit, he took back the words he was about to say. He could somewhat understand Hallmaster’s thoughts. He was forcing Lu Xuan to make a decision, letting Lu Xuan understand the difficulty of rune martial dual cultivation. A month’s time was not only enough to let Lu Xuan analyze the difficulty of rune martial dual cultivation, it would also let him analyze the rune dao’s profundity and its depth and width. At that time, Lu Xuan could very well change his mind and turn to practicing the rune dao.

However, while Elder Fan could understand, Chen Xiao Han’s hadn’t fully turned around and she said: “Dad, this difficulty is too much right? In the entire Enchantment Hall, there are only you and a few elders that have mastered it. How could Lu Xuan learn it in a month? How about, letting Lu Xuan try out rune marial dual cultivation. Maybe he’ll be able to…”

(TN: She didn’t catch on)

As Chen Xiao Han said those words, Hallmaster couldn’t help but silently laugh. Shaking his head, he said: “You child. Indeed girls are more extroverted. You’ve only known Lu Xuan for how long and you’re already speaking on his behalf. It’s not that I’m just trying to make things difficult for Lu Xuan. On the path of cultivation, one wrong step will cause each following step to be wrong. I only want to let him analyze the difficulty so that he can work out the right choice.”

Hearing Hallmaster’s words, Chen Xiao Han’s face became red. She was preparing to explain when Lu Xuan’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

“Hallmaster, is this the Void Drawing Rune you were speaking of?”

As Lu Xuan spoke, Hallmaster, Elder Fan, and Chen Xiao Han’s eyes all simultaneously looked towards him. As they watched, their eyes suddenly widened. Their eyes were filled with shock!

They watched Lu Xuan stretch out his finger and a sliver of soul force streamed out from his fingertip. Then his finger moved in the air, leaving behind gorgeous crystalline line of soul force. Strangely, under Lu Xuan’s spiritual force’s control, these lines didn’t disappear and remained in the air.

Lu Xuan’s finger’s movement became faster and faster, but there was no trembling and was very stable. One line after another was put together. The rune became more and more complicated. It was the Wild Explosion rune that he had drawn before!

After Lu Xuan added on the very last rune,the entire Wild Explosion rune that was in the air became finished and immediately flashed with light. The rune had already been completed!

After drawing the rune, Lu Xuan’s face color was still normal, as if it had just been a matter as easy as raising his hand. When he was body refining third level, he had been able to draw the Wild Explosion rune in the air. Now that he was at the peak of body refining fifth level, drawing was simply an easy task.

However, what he considered to be a trivial action all but completely stunned the other three people there.

Currently Lu Xuan wasn’t outputting any more soul force and the Wild Explosion rune in the air was already beginning to slowly disappear, but the three people were still focusing their eyes on it, keeping them there for a long time without moving away, as if the thing that occurred before their eyes was unbelievable.

“Firm writing, very stable foundation, no soul force wastage, seems to have mastered the use of spirit force, able to firmly lock the energy. This Void Drawing Rune skill has reached large success!” Elder Fan murmured, not knowing whether he was speaking to himself or to the others.

Recovering from his shock, Hallmaster slowly turned his head, a complex look in his eyes as he looked at Lu Xuan, “This, it indeed is the Void Drawing Rune skill. I hadn’t thought that you actually could do it right now. Not only that, you’re even better at it than me. Incredible!”

Chen Xiao Han looked towards Lu Xuan with eyes that seemed to have twinkling little stars in them. Too cool! Too unbelievable! Too worthy of worship!

Lu Xuan’s Void Drawing Rune skill had come from a memory fragment in the sword crystal. It had already been directly integrated into his soul, thus when he used the Void Drawing Rune skill now, strictly speaking, it wasn’t that he himself had comprehended it but it been directly inherited from the sword crystal. Otherwise, even if Lu Xuan was more heaven-defying, reaching this step was just the few times he had practiced would be entirely impossible.

But Hallmaster and the others didn’t know that. From their perspective, Lu Xuan had only had a mere three months between first learning Enchantment skills until now. Not only was his understanding towards runes so deep, his foundations were very solid, and now he could even Void Drawing Runes so perfectly. What did that mean?

It meant that he was an absolute talent! An unprecedented talent!

“Dad, right now Lu Xuan can try to dual cultivate runes and martial right?” Chen Xiao Han couldn’t help but ask on Lu Xuan’s behalf.

Hallmaster didn’t even respond to his daughter’s teasing. He could only woodenly nod his head. His mind was still stuck on the image of the rune that Lu Xuan had drawn just now. The shock it brought him was too large.

He had cultivated the rune dao for twenty two years up until now. His degree of proficiency in the Void Drawing Rune skill was actually less than Lu Xuan who was a new person that had only learned for three months. This kind of stimulation was too intense.

Closing his eyes and slowly letting out a breath, Hallmaster’s eyes only then returned to normal: “Lu Xuan, your talent truly surprises me. It could be describe as unprecedented. If your martial path talent wasn’t good enough, then no matter what I would still force you to become a part of my Enchanter’s Hall. Since you have specifically chosen to dual cultivate runes and martial, then I’ll give you a chance this time!”

Finally receiving Hallmaster’s approval, Lu Xuan had a smile flash across his face: “Hallmaster can relax. I desire the martial path and I also desire the rune dao. If these two cannot both be combined, then disciple will naturally make a choice.”

“En, we’ll do it like that, but I still hope you can lean more towards the rune dao side. After all, up until now, your rune dao talent is far greater than your martial path’s.” Hallmaster nodded and said.

To this, Lu Xuan naturally wouldn’t say anymore. Truthfully speaking, his rune dao talent wasn’t necessarily better than his martial path, after all, just now had been kind of done through cheating.

“Becoming a spirit runemaster doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll master the Void Drawing Rune skill, but mastering the Void Drawing Rune skill means you’ll definitely become a spirit runemaster. You have already mastered the Void Drawing Rune skill. If you want to, from now on, you can become a true spirit runemaster, however, as with anything, the foundation is the most important. I won’t encourage you to learn spirit runes now. I hope that in the following time you will be able to continue to draw enchantment scrolls. Once you have a high level in enchantment runes and can freely draw them, at that time you can learn spirit runes, allowing you to get results with half the effort.” Hallmaster said with a heavy heart. He worried that Lu Xuan would be a bit complacent and not take things seriously so he brought this up.

However, his worries were unfounded. Lu Xuan knew more than anyone how important a foundation was. His Xuan Iron Sword Tactic relied on the basics of sword skills.

“Hallmaster can relax. Disciple naturally understands this logic, however, disciple’s theory is very weak and asks Hallmaster to give some pointers. How should I practice in the future?”

Seeing Lu Xuan was neither arrogant nor impatient, Hallmaster’s satisfaction became even deeper. Inside he subconsciously had a feeling of expectation. Who knew, perhaps his desire to maintain the Enchantment Hall’s position of superiority inside the Wind Sword Sect would be placed on his shoulders.

Pondering this, Hallmaster then said: “First off, there’s no hurry. Since you can’t leave the sword faction and want to cultivate in the Enchantment Hall, then how about I take you in as an honorary disciple? This way you’ll have convenience and won’t be affected too much.”

Honorary disciples were not the same as rushi disciples and were a rank better. Lu Xuan wanting the Enchantment Hall to use all its strength to raise him while not being able to join the Enchantment Hall meant that they had to find a different relationship. A teacher disciple relationship for martial artists was undoubtedly an important one.

(TN: I don’t know what ?? is, so I just went with the pinyin. Sorry.)

“If master is willing, though disciple doesn’t dare ask, I am indebted to Hallmaster for not abandoning me. Disciple is willing.” Lu Xuan respectfully said and bowed. The Enchantment Hall’s position was extraordinary, and Hallmaster’s identity was comparable to the Wind Sword Sect’s vice sect master. With Lu Xuan’s current identity, Lu Xuan wouldn’t be too unworthy of him.

Receiving Lu Xuan’s response, Hallmaster laughed. To be able to receive such a talented disciple was undoubtedly a happy matter.

“Since I’ve accepted you as an honorary disciple, I must tell you my full name. My surname is Chen and the other half is Mo. We can skip the whole apprentice acceptance formalities. From now on, we will be master and disciple.” Hallmaster waved his hand, speaking very forthrightly.

(TN: Chinese names have two parts. Putting it in more American terms, it would be like first name and last name. So Chen is like the last name and Mo is the first name–kind of.)

Although Hallmaster said the apprentice acceptance formalities could be skipped, Lu Xuan naturally knew what he should do. Respectfully getting onto his knees, he greeted loudly: “Disciple Lu Xuan meets master!”

Hallmaster waved his hand, indicating for Lu Xuan to get up. Chen Xiao Han giggled. Going over and helping Lu Xuan up, she said: “Lu Xuan, from now on you have to call me senior sister. I’m my father’s first disciple, you’re the second.”

Lu Xuan was speechless. He could only reluctantly mumble his greetings to senior sister.

Seeing Lu Xuan deflated, Chen Xiao Han became even happier.

The apprentice acceptance ceremony over, Hallmaster coughed twice, clearing his throat: “Before you cultivate the rune dao, I’ll first tell you about the levels for spirit runemasters. Spirit runemasters are divided between one to ten stars according to the strength of their spirit force and the level of the spirit runes they are able to draw. Above ten stars are the divine runemasters. Divine runemasters are too powerful and far away. I have never seen one before, but as long as you can become a six star spirit runemaster, then even if my Wind Sword Sect’s sect master comes out, he still won’t be your match!”