“What are you up to, lad? Your master just closed his eyes!” Yuan Zun said helplessly, wondering why his disciple didn’t show more consideration.
“Master, don’t blame me! You said to wake you once I condensed the first qi sword,” Ling Xiao replied, sounding aggrieved.
“What in the world!” Yuan Zun leapt up. “Don’t tell me I’ve slept for an hour?”
“No, Master, you slept for less than a breath,” Ling Xiao answered. “Since I’ve practised top-tier golden-grade martial arts before, I have some experience, so I learned it this quickly.”
“You’re truly a monster!” Yuan Zun gave a wry smile, feeling a pang of disappointment. “Alright, since you’ve formed the first qi sword, show your master a demonstration.”
“Yes, Master!” Ling Xiao closed his eyes slowly. Having just grasped the technique, he was still unpractised and needed time to condense the qi sword.
The silent wilderness was filled only with the crackle of the campfire and the chirping of insects.
After about ten breaths, Ling Xiao’s eyes snapped open, and he pointed a finger at a towering tree before him.
“Nine Veins Qi Sword!”
“Swoosh!”
“Thud!”
A nearly transparent qi sword shot from his finger, extending nearly ten metres.
The massive tree was pierced as easily as tofu, leaving a sharp, penetrating sword mark.
“Buzz!”
A moment later, an odd sound rang out. The initially small sword mark split into dozens of cracks radiating outward.
“Crack!”
The giant tree, which would take over ten people to encircle, began to teeter.
“What just happened?” Yuan Zun asked, shocked.
The technique should only produce the first effect, not the second.
“I infused it with soul force, which created this unique effect,” Ling Xiao said, scratching his head.
“What can I even say? Are you a genius or a freak?” Yuan Zun said with a wry smile. “Your qi sword condensation is still a bit rough, but no matter. Keep practising, and you’ll master it soon. Now, try using it as an actual sword.”
“Yes!” Ling Xiao condensed another qi sword, noticeably more adept this time, leaving Yuan Zun dumbfounded.
He’d seen many prodigies, but none like Ling Xiao.
“Done!” This time, it took only a breath for Ling Xiao to succeed.
“Cut that tree!” Yuan Zun pointed at the already unsteady tree.
Ling Xiao nodded, controlling the qi sword to a length of four or five metres. With a light flick of his right hand, he executed a basic sword technique, and the qi sword sliced through the tree like a divine weapon.
“Well done! The master opens the door, but cultivation depends on the individual. Your comprehension is exceptional, and I’ve no critiques to offer. Keep practising like this, and you’ll surely make the technique shine,” Yuan Zun said. He’d planned to point out flaws in Ling Xiao’s moves, but after watching, he decided against it.
Ling Xiao was a model of self-taught mastery, not only excelling but also innovating new applications through analogy and integration. Yuan Zun felt he’d truly struck gold with this disciple, yet he couldn’t shake a sense of exasperation.
“Master, can the qi sword be used like this too?” As Yuan Zun pondered, he witnessed another astonishing sight.
Ling Xiao had turned the rigid qi sword into a flexible, whip-like soft sword, thrusting forward but striking from behind—a method not mentioned in the original mantra.
“Master, how about this use?” Ling Xiao devised yet another application.
The qi sword enveloped his right fist, forming a special gauntlet, transforming the qi sword into a defensive technique!
One insight unlocked countless others. Ling Xiao morphed the sword qi into various shapes: a shield, a beast, even a beautiful flower to charm a lady.
While many variations were impractical, some were ingenious and would be brilliant in combat.
“It seems I needn’t worry about your martial skill comprehension. The focus now is boosting your cultivation and true essence. Once we’re deep in the Fulong Mountains, I’ll help you find rare materials for refining spirit pills,” Yuan Zun said, realising Ling Xiao’s unmatched talent in martial skills. The priority was cultivation.
“Despite your exceptional aptitude, proper pill assistance is essential. You should also hone your alchemy skills,” Yuan Zun added. “Surely, core disciples like Leng Hao and Ming Tian receive plenty of pills from their masters, right?”
Ling Xiao nodded. “That’s true, but they’d at most ask Old Yang to refine pills. Don’t forget, Master, you taught Old Yang his alchemy. With his talent, he’s learned a mere fraction of your skill.”
Yuan Zun said confidently, “Though my strength hasn’t fully recovered, in terms of alchemy and array formation, fewer than ten in the Mysterious Realm can match me.”
His words carried an innate pride, rooted in past glory. Ling Xiao didn’t know Yuan Zun’s history but trusted he wasn’t boasting. True pride couldn’t be faked.
Honestly, Ling Xiao was growing more curious about his master’s identity, but despite asking repeatedly, Yuan Zun only said he’d learn in time, then dropped the subject.
“Also, from now on, keep this array stone on you at all times, no matter what you do, until the Tower Climbing Ceremony begins,” Yuan Zun said, flicking a claw to retrieve a purple-black array stone from the storage ring around his neck, inscribed with strange patterns and runes, clearly infused with an array.
Ling Xiao caught the stone, his arms sinking under its weight. To his shock, the small stone weighed nearly two thousand jin.
The wonder of array formation lay in using various materials to achieve diverse effects, with array stones serving as mediums to store arrays or formations.
