The Meng ancestral estate was bustling. Line after line of clan members queued to receive pills and treasures.
"So many…"
"Distributing this many pills?"
The clan members collecting the monthly cultivation supplies were astonished. A woman holding her seven-year-old daughter's hand looked at her daughter's share in disbelief. "Before, my daughter only received three taels of silver and a single vitality pill per month. Now… thirty taels and ten pills? Can she take a pill every three days?"
Her daughter, only seven, barely devoted herself to cultivation, receiving the most basic resources of the clan. Yet now, even the lowest-tier juniors were given an enormous increase.
"Everyone, listen! The patriarch personally decreed that from this month onward, clan members under twenty years old will receive ten times the previous amount of silver and pills per month!"
The administrators handing out the resources explained. Word spread quickly, and the entire estate buzzed with excitement.
The clan juniors were divided into five cultivation tiers.
Meng Wenying and Meng Chuan belonged to the top tier, already under special attention. The second and third tiers followed, while even the most ordinary juniors now received thirty taels of silver and ten vitality pills monthly.
"Patriarch, there are over two thousand clan members aged six to twenty. Can the clan sustain this?" an old steward asked nervously.
Meng Yanping, standing nearby and watching the excited clan members, replied calmly, "Relax. The clan's reserves can easily support ten years of distribution."
The steward still hesitated.
A godfiend family's income was immense, but expenditures matched it. The clan was now sparing no effort to cultivate this generation, willing to invest ten years, hoping to produce a junior capable of reaching godfiendhood.

At the Meng residence by Mirror Lake, Meng Dajiang returned with over ten companions.
"My lord," the servants greeted respectfully.
"Where is the young master?" Meng Dajiang asked.
"He's at the training grounds," the servants replied.
Frowning, Meng Dajiang looked at the setting sun. It was late afternoon. "Still practicing the blade at this hour?"
He led the group toward the training grounds, hearing the whistling of blade techniques in the distance. Motioning for the others to wait, he quietly approached and peeked through the lattice of the courtyard wall. A lone boy was immersed in the Fallen Leaves Blade Technique, his figure blurred amidst a whirlwind of cutting motions.
"Qian Fang," Meng Dajiang called to a middle-aged man nearby. The man hurried over.
"I have a question," Meng Dajiang lowered his voice. "How long has Chuan been practicing today?"
"My lord, the young master has been practicing since dawn. Aside from meals and brief rests, he hasn't stopped!" Qian Fang replied.
"Practicing this long?" Meng Dajiang frowned.
"Even after soaking in medicinal baths at night, he spends another hour practicing in his courtyard," Qian Fang continued. "These past few days, apart from meals, sleep, painting, medicinal baths, and marrow refinement, he has only been practicing the blade—six to seven hours a day."
"Past few days?" Meng Dajiang muttered to himself.
The past few days? What could have driven his son to such obsessive training?
The end of the betrothal?
"Just the past few days!" Qian Fang said. "Earlier, he was still in high spirits, even asking me to buy godfiend biographies. He never trained so obsessively. I tried to reason with him, but it was useless."

At the training grounds, Meng Chuan was absorbed in the Fallen Leaves Blade Technique.
"Chuan," Meng Dajiang called.
"Father," Meng Chuan paused, noticing his father entering with ten companions.
Meng Dajiang smiled. "Chuan, the clan has decided to cultivate you with more focus. Starting today, eight practitioners of the Marrow Refinement Realm and three of the Rebirth Realm will serve as your sparring partners."
"Don't I already have guards as sparring partners?" Meng Chuan asked in surprise.
He already had eight Marrow Refinement Realm guards and two Rebirth Realm guards. They occasionally practiced with him.
"These are your guards. These others are dedicated sparring partners. Among the eight Marrow Refinement Realm, some excel in archery, some in hidden weapons… their skills will greatly aid your training," Meng Dajiang explained. "Besides, guards are paid employees—they can only spar with you occasionally. Continuous training would breed complaints."
Meng Chuan nodded.
"Furthermore, the three Rebirth Realm practitioners will be invaluable. And this gentleman…" Meng Dajiang gestured toward a thin man with a handlebar mustache. "This is Wang Chang, the 'Phantom Sword,' a senior of the Wu Lou Realm."
"Senior Wang," Meng Chuan respectfully bowed. In Dongning City, Wu Lou Realm practitioners held great status. Wang Chang served as deputy chief of a local escort bureau.
"No need for formalities, young master Meng," Wang Chang smiled.
"From today onward, six Wu Lou Realm practitioners will spar with you monthly. Each will practice five days with you, one hour each day," Meng Dajiang said solemnly. "The clan pays a great price for this. You must train diligently."
"Yes," Meng Chuan said, astonished.
Wu Lou Realm masters were prominent figures; their time was precious. That six of them agreed to practice five hours with him over consecutive days was already remarkable. The clan had ensured Meng Chuan would have Wu Lou Realm sparring partners daily.
"Chuan, a true man should aspire to greatness. Why worry about a wife? Focus on your cultivation and do not disappoint the clan," Meng Dajiang said, departing.
Meng Chuan paused. A wife? What did his father mean?
"Father, what do you mean by 'why worry about a wife'?" he called.
"Don't overthink," Meng Dajiang said, exiting the training grounds.
"What was I thinking?" Meng Chuan muttered, then turned to the assembled sparring partners, eyes burning with determination.
The blade was made for battle. With these sparring partners, his training would be far more effective. From Marrow Refinement to Rebirth to Wu Lou Realm masters, he now had elite partners at every level!

From that day, Meng Chuan trained from dawn. Morning sessions were with sparring partners, while afternoons and evenings were solitary, reflecting on earlier practice.
With his mindset transformed, he fully immersed himself in the Fallen Leaves Blade Technique. He perceived the unique beauty of all eighty-one forms, sensing that each had its own aesthetic. Slowly, he realized how to cultivate the secret technique Three Autumn Leaves.
By practicing the eighty-one forms consecutively, he discerned their flowing beauty could form a continuous whole.
The first form, Draw Blade, struck with unparalleled force. The second, Moon Spin, moved unpredictably. The third, Cloud Opening, transitioned from subtlety to sudden lethality. One move after another, like a boulder tumbling down a mountain, gaining unstoppable momentum.
The sequence surged like a torrent, unstoppable, overwhelming!
"If I truly connect the eighty-one forms as one, reaching peak force, I will naturally unlock the secret technique!"
Meng Chuan's obsession with practice stemmed from this revelation.
When the forms' beauty merged, the blade sliced through the air seamlessly. The tempo and rhythm formed a natural, almost musical harmony. Each strike's elegance connected, like a painting brought to life.
Days passed. Meng Chuan's blade movements grew increasingly flawless. Gaps in rhythm disappeared. Trajectories became perfect.
Progress was tangible. He could feel himself approaching that one transcendent level.
The surrounding trees and flowers began to green as March approached, and Meng Chuan remained steadfast in practice, edging ever closer to his goal.
Hoo.
In a sudden moment, the beauty he had long sought fused with his flesh, bones, and spirit. His body and blade became one. He could feel the wind yield to his sword, each strike moving with terrifying speed.
At one instant, a shadowy double of Meng Chuan appeared ten yards away. A faint curved blade light lingered in the air. The first figure vanished.
"I… I've comprehended it?" Meng Chuan stood, dumbfounded.