The saying goes, "When the granaries are full, one knows propriety; when food and clothing are sufficient, one knows honor and shame."
There could be no better way to describe the Martial Courage Realm.
If a person feels no fear, they become addicted to violence, fighting endlessly, killing ceaselessly, turning into a beast ruled by bloodlust.
But humans possess reason.
Once intelligence awakens, fear naturally follows.
And for those who know fear, courage cannot arise out of thin air. It can only exist because one has power, true confidence in one's own strength.
Only with mastery and assurance of one's strength can one summon the courage to crush an enemy.
Such courage inspires dread in others at a mere glance.
That is what it means to be in the Martial Courage Realm.
Take someone like Gu Lianqian, for instance. Raised in comfort and coddled since childhood, the confidence that Gu Yuye had specially cultivated in her was nothing but a paper tiger.
As a so-called Sixth-Grade cultivator of the Martial Courage Realm, the moment her false confidence is shattered, she becomes more cowardly than anyone else.
That was why she would rather hide away in that cave than fight to the death.
Her martial courage had already crumbled the first time she retreated.
Once she lost confidence in her own strength, her true combat ability regressed to the Seventh Grade.
That was why she ended up being chased down and crushed without resistance.
She didn't even look like someone of the Martial Courage Realm anymore.
Ning Songjun thought it over carefully, and his expression changed. His heart was deeply shaken, his hand frozen mid-motion as he turned to look at Gu Fangchen.
Gu Fangchen blinked.
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? Please enlighten me, Uncle."
He laughed inwardly, knowing perfectly well that Ning Songjun couldn't refute a single word.
Come on, those were the words of the founder of martial cultivation himself, spoken thousands of years ago.
He'd literally heard the answer from the source; how could there be any mistakes to find?
If it were someone else, they might argue stubbornly.
But Ning Songjun was Ning Songjun, pure-hearted, far too proud to lie to a junior.
So, all the admonitions he had prepared were swallowed back down.
The Sword Saint's face darkened as he took a deep breath.
"No, you weren't wrong."
He praised stiffly,
"What you said was very good. Your understanding of the Martial Courage Realm is... impressive."
With that, Ning Songjun's heart finally eased.
It seemed his earlier worry, that Gu Fangchen's rapid advancement might have been achieved through some heretical shortcut, was unfounded.
From the look of things, his cultivation was indeed the result of the Martial Saint's personal guidance; otherwise, such insight would be impossible.
This level of understanding surpassed that of most Sixth-Grade cultivators in the world, perhaps even some Fifth-Grade masters.
Gu Fangchen chuckled, downed his cup in one go, his face flushing crimson as the alcohol hit him. He pushed his empty cup forward.
"Uncle, come on, fill me up again!"
Ning Songjun: "..."
How many people in this world could make the Sword Saint personally pour their wine?
He couldn't help but laugh silently, shaking his head. Forget it. The boy had answered well, he'd earned the reward.
The Sword Saint sighed inwardly. Maybe this nephew of his was actually starting to turn out decently after all?
He pointed lightly, and the wine jar floated up, tilting gracefully. The liquor poured in a smooth arc, filling Gu Fangchen's cup to the brim.
Then his face hardened again, his tone serious.
"It seems your cultivation is not an empty facade after all."
"But as I said earlier, cultivation is only the torso, skill is the limbs."
"Relying on your artifacts and petty scheming to get yourself through danger every time... Sooner or later, you'll come across someone craftier than you."
"And when that day comes, when it's you who's outplayed, what then?"
Gu Fangchen sighed inwardly.
This uncle of his really did worry himself sick over him.
And yet... he was planning to steal his uncle's precious sword tonight. The guilt did sting a little.
He suddenly shoved the table aside, scooted over, and plopped himself down beside Ning Songjun. Slapping the table angrily, he said,
"I know, Uncle, you just look down on me!"
"All these years, I've pretended too well. You all think I'm useless! You think I can't do this, can't do that!"
He snorted coldly.
"Even when I show my strength, you still find something to nitpick! Always saying I'm a little short of this or that!"
His words were full of conviction, he really did sound convincing.
If only he weren't jabbing his finger repeatedly into Ning Songjun's chest while he said it.
Ning Songjun silently poured himself another cup and drank it down in one gulp.
He took it back.
This damned kid was as unreliable as ever.
Gu Fangchen sighed dramatically.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me. But I really am a once-in-a-generation martial prodigy! Old Ding said it himself, the Martial Saint personally certified it. How could that be fake?"
Old Ding...
Ning Songjun's mouth twitched.
Truly eye-opening. If the boy weren't drunk, he'd never have known anyone dared to call Marquis Yizhou that to his face, and live.
Gu Fangchen continued,
"Uncle, tell me, how can I make you believe I'm a genius?"
He straightened up solemnly.
"You might not believe it, but I've already mastered the essence of swordsmanship. I just don't bother to use it."
Ning Songjun pondered for a moment.
"Fine. Since you claim you've mastered swordsmanship, I'll test you right here."
"No, no, no!"
Gu Fangchen immediately protested.
"You're the Sword Saint! How can you spar with a junior like me? Isn't that unfair?"
Ning Songjun shook his head. He had expected this. The boy was still as slippery as ever.
But not this time.
He wasn't letting him wriggle out of it today.
After a moment's thought, Ning Songjun said,
"I won't attack you, and you won't attack me. Today, we'll just discuss the Way."
He waved his hand.
In the air before them, a scene materialized, formed of condensed mist and cloud.
Within it, several Sword Pavilion disciples were engaged in combat with puppets, practicing their swordsmanship.
Ning Songjun explained,
"This is the Sword Pavilion's inner training grounds. Right now, these disciples are undergoing their swordsmanship evaluations, facing puppets controlled by the elders of equal cultivation."
"In a moment, I'll let you control one of the puppets to fight them. If you win, I'll acknowledge your swordsmanship and won't test you again. How about it?"
Gu Fangchen replied confidently,
"You said it yourself!"
Ning Songjun smiled coldly.
"Indeed. But if you lose, you'll have to come here every day to practice swordsmanship."
Gu Fangchen grinned, leaned in, and hooked an arm over Ning Songjun's shoulder.
"Uncle, just watch me!"
He exhaled inwardly in relief. Finally, he'd created an excuse for physical contact.
Now all that remained was to find the right moment, and enough time, to steal one of the five divine swords of the world.
Its name: Linked Stars.
Gu Fangchen looked toward the misty projection and smirked inwardly.
Today, he'd show them what true veteran gameplay looked like.