At Bai Lu Academy, Li Fan focused intently on his cultivation.
At the mont, he was seated cross-legged beneath the plum blossom tree in the courtyard, eyes tightly shut, Sword Intent swirling around him as he cycled through the Nine Heavens Mysterious Sword Scripture.
In the boundless starry sky, the Sword of the Great Tao seed eternally present, suspended high above in the heavens.
Li Fan’s Primordial Spirit sat before the Sword of the Great Tao, sensing its imnse vigor. Starlight illuminated his Primordial Spirit, making it remarkably radiant, as though birthed from condensed Sword Intent.
On the Sword of the Great Tao, countless runes began to light up. Their brilliance fell upon Li Fan’s Primordial Spirit, which gradually turned transparent—transforming, astonishingly, into the shape of a sword.
A sword hung amidst the cosmos above, with starry radiance continuously cascading onto it. Encased within the blade were various elental powers, shifting endlessly.
Beyond the Soul Ergence Realm lies the Foundation Establishnt Realm.
To build the foundation of the Great Dao—if he were to establish his cultivation base, what kind of sword should he create as its cornerstone?
On the sword, at tis, Wind and Thunder Intent danced around it; at other tis, it transford into a dazzling golden blade; occasionally, fierce flas veiled the edge; and sotis, it embodied the steadfastness of solid rock.
*A sword is lifeless; a person has emotions.*
What kind of sword should he forge? Whatever he decided, that sword would embody his essence.
*Li Fan asked himself inwardly, "What kind of sword do I want to create?"*
Images of various figures swirled within his mind.
Senior Brother Mo Yang’s sword was the Sun God Sword, blazing like the scorching sun, illuminating the world and sealing the heavens.
Junior Brother’s sword was the Sword of Slaughter, its murderous aura reaching the skies.
There were also the swords of Senior Brother Ji Hua, the Grand Elder, and the legendary Jian Yi’s Sword of Resentnt.
Every Great Sword Cultivator had their own unique Sword Dao.
*So then, what would his sword beco?*
Li Fan had once answered Jian Yi’s question about his purpose in wielding the sword.
Now, he needed to determine what kind of sword he wanted to forge.
"To slay what I resent, to protect what I love." Li Fan mused inwardly. The sword light of the Great Dao cascaded down incessantly, countless runes falling upon the Primordial Spirit Sword.
Suddenly, Li Fan’s Primordial Spirit Sword beca increasingly weighty, as though manifesting into a tangible sword.
This sword carried both the sharp edge of slaughter and the unwavering stability of a stone.
Li Fan cultivated for a long while.
In the courtyard, beneath the plum blossom tree, Li Fan opened his eyes. His pitch-black pupils seed to shimr with swirling sword light.
Though he was preparing for Foundation Establishnt, having not long ago broken into the late Soul Ergence stage, reaching Foundation Establishnt was far from an overnight endeavor. He would require more ti.
During this period, he needed to continually refine his sword—to pave the path toward Foundation Establishnt.
After a night of cultivation, the faint light of dawn had already begun to appear. Standing up, he willed his Sword Aura to coalesce and transform into a sword.
This sword was distinct from the other three swords in his possession. The newly condensed sword from Sword Aura carried an unusual weight—it was a heavy sword imbued with Earth Attribute power.
The forces of the five elents—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—each had unique traits: gold and fire were fierce, wood and water were gentle, while the Earth Attribute was steady.
The Wind and Thunder Attributes, on the other hand, were sharp forces.
Li Fan contemplated the Wind and Thunder Sword. It had astounding offensive capabilities; rging with Sword Intent to form Wind and Thunder Sword Intent could enhance attack power significantly. The sword carried imnse tearing strength, capable of shattering formidable defenses.
With Wind and Thunder Sword Intent combined with techniques such as One-Line Slash and the Li Hen Sword, its power was unparalleled.
Still, Li Fan didn’t wish to limit himself to understanding just one elental Sword Intent. His natural talent granted him multi-attribute capabilities, unlocking endless possibilities.
Water could evolve into the Ice Attribute, while Lu Yuan’s Dharma Form—the Bright Moon—was of the Taiyin Attribute, which shared the sa lineage.
Fire could embody the Sun.
Earth could transform into Earth and Star Attributes, akin to water’s connection to Taiyin, and fire’s association with the Sun. Earth’s corresponding evolved attribute could be the Stars.
Just like the Sword of the Great Tao, hanging high above the sky—it resembled the Sword of the Stars.
For a sword ant for protection, the Star Attribute seed most fitting.
Gripping the heavy sword, Li Fan swung it repeatedly, each motion carried a sense of weighted precision. In the air, a whistling sound echoed as plum blossoms were startled from the tree, drifting to the ground.
Li Fan swung his sword again and again, cycling through the movents, entirely losing track of ti.
When the sky was fully illuminated, Lu Yuan stepped out from her chamber and saw Li Fan practicing his sword. Without interrupting, she quietly stood to the side to observe.
*While possessing extraordinary talent, he remained diligent and tireless in his training.*
*As the ancient saying goes, "Diligence can make up for lack of skill." But if one already has exceptional talent and also works tirelessly, what heights could they achieve?*
After standing there for a long ti, Li Fan finally ceased his practice. Seeing Lu Yuan nearby, he smiled and greeted her, "Morning."
"Did you cultivate all night?" Lu Yuan asked.
"Mm, cultivation is also a form of rest—and it enhances our abilities, so why not?" Li Fan replied.
"The sword you were practicing earlier seems different from those before. Its movents appear slower but much more stable. Are you exploring another Sword Intent?" Lu Yuan asked again.
"You noticed? I excel at wielding different elental powers and am trying to integrate them with Sword Dao to strengthen my sword. Besides, with Foundation Establishnt ahead, preparing thoroughly is essential for any cultivator." Li Fan explained, then added, "Of course, don’t follow my example. Your exceptional innate Dharma Form grants you an extraordinary path to Foundation Establishnt."
"You secretly work hard on cultivation and then tell not to learn from you?" Lu Yuan glared at Li Fan. "Also, you’re saying I’m extraordinary with an Innate Dharma Form? Yang Qingshan, I suspect you’re just being sarcastic."
"That’s the truth; how’s that sarcasm?" Li Fan grumbled. Won truly were difficult to deal with.
Lu Yuan’s Bright Moon Dharma Form should rival Senior Brother Mo Yang’s solar-based Dharma Form—one yin, one yang—both wielding exceptional talents, destined to excel in the Great Dao.
Additionally, Lu Yuan’s talent in Sword Dao was remarkable, potentially enabling her to eventually match Senior Brother Mo Yang and ascend to the ranks of the elite Great Sword Cultivators.
"You know exactly what I an." Lu Yuan retorted. He himself possessed astonishing talent, yet deliberately made observations like these—how unreasonable.
"Early in the morning, the two of you are already teasing each other—is no one allowed to rest around here?" Liu Ji stepped outside, yawning while giving them an amused glance with her alluring eyes.
Though Lu Yuan couldn’t compare to Ye Qinghuang’s breathtaking beauty, she was still undeniably lovely. If Ye Qinghuang resembled a celestial maiden, Lu Yuan was a worldly beauty—especially since she was similar in age to Li Fan, making them appear well-matched standing together.
"You demoness—where’s the modesty you were supposed to learn here?" Li Fan addressed Liu Ji, his tone casual, showing no sign of taking her teasing words seriously.
Lu Yuan responded similarly, appearing unbothered and unfazed.
Liu Ji’s smile deepened as she glanced between Li Fan and Lu Yuan.
Despite being a Snake Demon, Liu Ji—as a female—often seed better attuned to understanding won’s feelings.
While her remark was half-joking, Lu Yuan didn’t refute her, suggesting that, while not necessarily feeling anything for Li Fan, she at least wasn’t opposed to the idea; otherwise, she wouldn’t exhibit such calm indifference.
"It’s precisely because I’ve learned that I understand even more," Liu Ji replied cheerfully, but Li Fan ignored her.
"Practice swords?" he asked Lu Yuan.
"Sure." Lu Yuan naturally didn’t refuse, and the two continued practicing.
"Hmph..." Liu Ji glanced at the pair and chuckled.
Other students of Bai Lu Academy began to awaken gradually, and Ji Xue approached this area.
Every ti she ca over, she would catch sight of Li Fan and Lu Yuan practicing their swords, a faint envy flickering in her beautiful eyes.
She longed to practice the sword too but didn’t know how to bring it up.
Moreover, her skill level was nowhere near theirs.
By noon, Qu Qingfeng approached Li Fan.
"There’s so news I need to share with you," Qu Qingfeng said.
"Please go ahead, sir," Li Fan replied.
"Bai Lu Academy’s investigation into the leak regarding your identity has found that those responsible were all the riffraff and lowlifes of Yun ng City, making it difficult to trace the original source. Evidently, the perpetrator worked with foresight, avoiding direct involvent. However, the ssage was disseminated simultaneously, suggesting that the instigator wields significant influence in Yun ng City—enough to spread information rapidly and widely."
Qu Qingfeng continued addressing Li Fan.
Li Fan’s expression turned contemplative as he said, "So, there’s a higher likelihood that it’s the Imperial Extre Sect."
"It’s only a possibility—there’s no concrete evidence," Qu Qingfeng responded. Suspicion wasn’t sufficient grounds for accusation.
"One question remains: how did the Imperial Extre Sect find out?" Li Fan asked.
"People have already been sent to investigate the movent of the Imperial Extre Sect during those days—to determine whom they interacted with. It shouldn’t take long to uncover the truth," Qu Qingfeng explained.
Li Fan nodded. While it was apparent that the informants were individuals tied to Yang Qingshan, they likely weren’t many in number and were unlikely to co from Yun ng City.
Those who might deduce his identity were likely within Bai Lu Academy itself.
After all, prior to this, he had openly displayed his sword technique at Bai Lu Academy.
Because of that, the elder had warned Bai Lu Academy students not to discuss or speculate about the matter.
If indeed the Imperial Extre Sect leaked the information, they likely had had contact with soone from Bai Lu Academy.
Walking along a path within Bai Lu Academy, Xiao Qiang looked troubled.
She had no opportunity whatsoever to connect with Li Fan. Despite lowering her pride to approach him proactively, he had remained utterly unmoved, even showing clear signs of guardedness.
Thus, acquiring any useful information seed incredibly challenging.
Not far ahead of her, another figure walked through the academy, this individual also appeared preoccupied. It was Yun Zhiqiu.
He had received word that Bai Lu Academy was investigating who leaked Yang Qingshan’s identity.
The elder’s stern warning still echoed in his mory. If the investigation continued, there was a real chance of leading back to the Imperial Extre Sect—and through them, possibly back to him.
In such an event, would he be expelled from Bai Lu Academy?
*Yun Zhiqiu felt uncertain.*
*He found himself regretting his earlier decision to let the Imperial Extre Sect manipulate him—having learned that once they obtained the information, they imdiately turned around and sold him out.*
At this mont, Yun Zhiqiu spotted Xiao Qiang ahead, and his eyes filled with a trace of cold disdain as he gazed at her.
Xiao Qiang noticed him too. However, instead of acknowledging his presence, she continued striding forward with her head held high—eyes straight ahead, entirely dismissing his existence.
Yun Zhiqiu clenched his fists tightly, a flash of anger sparking in his gaze.
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