To be honest, his progress with the Huiyuan Sword Art had been going surprisingly smoothly.
But the further he advanced, the more that cool, detached sword style of his began to take on a clinging, lovesick quality.
Then again, it did suit the whole "bitter ex-wife" personality of the Huiyuan Sword Art rather well.
After all, a scorned woman being a little obsessive — wasn't that completely on brand?
And as Gu Chengming kept up his daily practice without fail, the Huiyuan Sword Art's sarcastic commentary grew noticeably less frequent.
It seemed to have genuinely not expected this — that Gu Chengming would actually stick with it, spending hours each day running through those simple, almost mind-numbingly repetitive sword forms over and over again.
Still, during the gaps in his practice, a few self-pitying lines would occasionally pop up on his panel:
[The Huiyuan Sword Art is a little surprised. It's even starting to wonder — could you possibly have even a tiny shred of genuine feeling for it?]
[Then it decides it's overthinking things. After all, it's just the sect's basic sword art. Anyone can learn it, anyone can use it. It's nothing rare or precious. Who would ever take it seriously?]
Gu Chengming had long since gotten used to these sulky little outbursts — he even found them a bit endearing.
He simply kept swinging his sword in silence, letting his actions speak directly to the Huiyuan Sword Art's "lack of confidence."
In less than half a month, the favorability between Gu Chengming and the Huiyuan Sword Art had already reached thirty, shifting from [Stranger] to [Friendly].
And with that change in favorability status came some very tangible benefits.
First, an attribute point bonus. While it wasn't a free attribute point, the system awarded one fixed attribute point applied to his [Strength] stat.
When swinging his sword, Gu Chengming could clearly feel the added power in his arms — his sword strokes became steadier and more forceful. It wasn't a free point, sure, but the real, concrete improvement was more than enough to keep him motivated.
Second — and more importantly — his understanding of the Huiyuan Sword Art and his command of its techniques had reached an entirely new level.
Moves that had once felt awkward and stilted now flowed naturally in his hands.
Every transition between stances, every nuance of how to apply force, seemed to have been carved into his very bones.
Without any exaggeration: the current Gu Chengming could go one-on-one against himself from half a month ago and win without even breaking a sweat.
Though admittedly, both versions were still pretty terrible...
On another front — unlike what had happened on his very first day practicing the Huiyuan Sword Art — the Qingxin Formula had not activated on its own again since then.
But occasionally, a few notification lines would flash across Gu Chengming's panel:
[The Qingxin Formula finds this quite interesting.]
[The Qingxin Formula has been watching your efforts. It seems to have taken a small measure of interest in the dynamic between you and the Huiyuan Sword Art.]
Gu Chengming suspected that the Qingxin Formula was most likely the "wise observer" type — the kind that watches from the sidelines and understands everything.
It wouldn't express its emotions directly the way the Huiyuan Sword Art did. Instead, it quietly observed, and at some unexpected moment, offered feedback that carried layers of deeper meaning.
That sort of target required more careful insight and a longer, more patient buildup before it could slowly be won over.
He already had a rough plan in mind, though for now his focus remained on the Huiyuan Sword Art — the Qingxin Formula would have to wait.
Worth mentioning was that Junior Brother "Jiang Lu," who had come to warn him, had indeed done as he'd said — he would occasionally visit Gu Chengming's small courtyard to offer guidance on the Huiyuan Sword Art.
Cultivation at Wenjian Sect was quite different from that of ordinary sects.
Here, the emphasis was on a clear sword-heart and a sword path that touched the divine.
The sect had produced brilliantly gifted disciples who, in a single night, grasped the supreme sword intent, their sword path ascending to the divine — breaking through two full realms at once, leaping straight from the Fourth Realm to the Sixth, and becoming renowned cultivators in their own right.
On top of that, Wenjian Sect's foundational cultivation methods were already deeply intertwined with the sword path, so the sight of disciples "sitting in bitter, motionless cultivation" — common in other sects — was rare here.
Instead, disciples typically used advancement in the sword path to drive breakthroughs in their cultivation realm.
So it was that Jiang Lu saw nothing wrong with Gu Chengming grinding away at basic sword techniques.
From his perspective, this was simply Senior Brother preparing himself for a breakthrough on the sword path.
Yet as the days passed and he continued to observe, Jiang Lu felt increasingly uneasy.
Something was off about Senior Brother Gu's sword style — it was getting more and more... clingy.
He was demonstrably performing the most foundational stances of the Huiyuan Sword Art, yet whenever Gu Chengming executed them, they carried an indescribable sense of clinging attachment.
Where the sword's edge pointed, there was no longer that clean, cold directness — instead, there was a lingering, half-there-half-gone quality, as though the blade itself were wrapped in some emotion that refused to let go.
Was this still the Huiyuan Sword Art he knew?
In short, Jiang Lu had come to the conclusion that his senior brother's understanding of the sword art had gone completely off the rails.
Finally, on the morning of the following day, Jiang Lu decided he couldn't just watch anymore.
He came early, intending to "correct" his senior brother, who in his view had gone thoroughly astray.
"Senior Brother Gu, good morning." Jiang Lu clasped his hands and bowed at the courtyard gate, his voice steady and composed.
"Junior Brother Jiang, what a rare visit." Gu Chengming pulled open the gate, a faint smile on his face.
His mental state had been excellent these past two weeks — he practically radiated vitality.
Jiang Lu's gaze lingered on Gu Chengming's face for a moment. He had to admit: Senior Brother was looking considerably better than before.
He stepped into the courtyard and, eyeing the iron sword in Gu Chengming's hand, asked politely:
"Senior Brother — are you still working through the Huiyuan Sword Art today?"
"Indeed."
Gu Chengming nodded.
"The Huiyuan Sword Art is profound and vast — I've barely scratched the surface."
This wasn't just polite deflection; he genuinely meant it. As his favorability had grown, so too had his understanding of the Huiyuan Sword Art, and he felt more and more that it contained countless mysteries yet to be uncovered.
Jiang Lu, however, sighed inwardly upon hearing those words.
He chose his words carefully before speaking:
"Junior Brother has been watching Senior Brother practice these past few days and can't help but feel a little puzzled."
"Oh?" Gu Chengming raised an eyebrow. "Speak freely, Junior Brother."
"The Huiyuan Sword Art values cool detachment — the sword intent is like the clear moon over a mountain valley, untouched by the world's dust. Yet Senior Brother's sword moves seem to have taken on a clinging quality. Where the blade points, there's a reluctance to leave; as the sword flows, it carries what almost seems like... longing."
Jiang Lu tried his best to use tactful language, though even he found these particular descriptors rather strange when applied to a sword art.
He paused, then finally said it plainly:
"Senior Brother — that is simply not how the Huiyuan Sword Art is practiced."
After hearing Jiang Lu's description, Gu Chengming's expression turned a little odd. He naturally understood exactly what Jiang Lu was talking about.
In the end, Gu Chengming smiled and waved it off inwardly, though outwardly he said:
"I see — thank you for the guidance, Junior Brother. These past two weeks, I did feel like I was wandering in the dark, and it seems I've drifted off course without even realizing it. Since you clearly have a strong grasp of this sword art, would you mind demonstrating a thing or two to help correct my mistakes?"
Seeing Gu Chengming accept so readily, Jiang Lu let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"You flatter me, Senior Brother." A smile broke across Jiang Lu's face. "Junior Brother will do his best."
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