Translator: Lynn
As Xu Ziqing stepped across the cave’s path and onto the threshold, his entire perception underwent a sudden and dramatic shift.
A ferocious gale surged forth, its currents bearing innurable frigid facets, akin to unseen blades endowed with a bone-chilling bite, slashing towards his face!
Startled, Xu Ziqing instinctively recoiled as if to retreat. However, in the very next instant, he channeled his inner energy down to his feet, steadying his stance.
Among these unseen blades, so carried vibrant life, others exuded an eternal dampness, so were solid and substantial, while others were swift and keen. Each corresponded to one of the five elental forces—wood, water, earth, tal, and fire.
There was no doubt that this was the Five Elents Wind Gust.
Shifting his gaze slightly, Xu Ziqing observed the sword cultivator stationed at the cave entrance. Although seated cross-legged, the figure’s deanor starkly contrasted with the exterior. Beyond the cave’s mouth, the tempestuous wind was imperceptible, and the guard remained entirely unmoved. Yet, as Xu Ziqing embarked on this first step into the cave, the Five Elents Wind Gust erupted. Not only did it assail his own senses, but it also battered the guard’s back incessantly. His attire suffered significant damage, much of it torn asunder by the fierce winds, leaving behind welts and scars.
A divergent reality existed within and without the cave. It appeared that outsiders’ perceptions were shrouded by an illusory veil, allowing them only a partial view. Upon entering the Sword Cave, however, the truth was laid bare.
Xu Ziqing inwardly marveled at the perseverance of the vigilant guard, now comprehending that the Five Elents Wind Gust was the initial trial he must endure. Failure to surmount this trial would bar his true entry into the depths of the cave.
Summoning his resolve, Xu Ziqing thought, “Onward!”
With a glint in his eyes, Xu Ziqing enveloped himself in his vital energy and ventured deeper into the cave.
At each step, an array of disparate sword winds assailed him—soft and rigid, plain and lively—each embodying its own swordsmanship essence. Regardless of his care, if any robust gust made contact, injuries were inevitable.
Pressing forward deliberately, Xu Ziqing found himself nicked by a cold blade of light, his skin marred by a thin, cold line where the breeze had grazed. But almost imdiately, a gentle Wood energy nded the wound, causing the blood to recede, and the skin to nd.
Infuriated by his rapid recovery, the Five Elents Wind Gust intensified, and a sudden burst of golden radiance drew near. Startled, Xu Ziqing swiftly turned his head—yet the golden light brushed against his forehead, and, in an instant, a single strand of hair was severed, reduced to fine particles by the powerful winds.
This incident left Xu Ziqing profoundly taken aback. The Five Elents Wind Gust adhered to no discernible pattern, alternately ranging in intensity, and the elental characteristics contained within each gust shifted unpredictably.
Now presented with two options, Xu Ziqing contemplated his course.
The first was to remain vigilant, evading the gusts with swiftness, progressing only when the wind ebbed—an expedient path.
The second, more arduous choice was to contend against the tempest, steadfastly pressing onward.
After a brief reflection, Xu Ziqing opted for the latter. Committed to self-improvent, he resolved to confront any challenge head-on. Difficulties, he reasoned, were the crucible from which one erged stronger. And considering his senior brother’s journey, a path of countless trials surely led him to his current cultivation.
In the palm of his hand, a glimr flashed as Xu Ziqing grasped the steel-wooden sword.
His senior brother had imparted that in swordsmanship, the foundation rested upon slashes, stabs, chops, and swipes.
Focusing his thoughts, Xu Ziqing inhaled deeply, then swung his sword with conviction—slash!
With a regin of thirty thousand daily swings, the fundantal sword techniques had long been imprinted within him, ingrained as instinct. Every sword’s trajectory was familiar, and every strike’s impact point was precalculated. Amidst changing footing, he maintained optimal posture, a symtry of movents free from error.
Though the Five Elents Wind Gust raged unpredictably, as a swordsman, Xu Ziqing harbored no fear.
Guided by Yun Lie’s instructions, Xu Ziqing grasped the principle of unifying all sword techniques into one, bypassing the need for countless trials and discoveries.
Hence, regardless of how the wind blew or its direction, it rely represented the varying angles from which an adversary might attack. The Elental Wind had no sentience; it rely embodied the natural air currents that swept through the Sword Cave. Hence, Xu Ziqing rely had to et it with his most instinctive stance, addressing it through fundantal sword techniques.
thodically and earnestly, Xu Ziqing advanced, step by step.
Initially, his body bore many minor cuts from wind-driven attacks that slipped past his defenses. However, as he grew accustod, the injuries waned, edging toward insignificance. Chop, stab, chop, swipe…
With ti, Xu Ziqing assud a chanical rhythm, his sword becoming an extension of himself. Fatigue and surroundings lted away; he was imrsed in a transcendent state, akin to his daily sword practice, selflessly absorbed in his actions.
In an instant, the winds ceased altogether!
Xu Ziqing jolted awake. Before him sprawled an expansive cavern. Bewildered, he spun around, only to realize he had traversed the lengthy passage. Near its entrance, close to the cavern wall, sat over a dozen figures in tattered garnts—monks worn by the elents.
At that mont, Xu Ziqing understood. These individuals had endured the Elental Wind’s onslaught, relying on a thin veneer of qi to shield themselves.
This qi layer constantly fractured and regenerated, as their flesh and blood fused with the sword’s keenness within the wind. The result? Their bodies were virtually invincible!
An idea surfaced: Should he embark on such rigorous asceticism? Yet, he promptly dismissed the notion.
The path of the sword wasn’t his, nor was its temperant. Though his inner path remained undefined, Xu Ziqing had spent enough ti exposed to swordsmanship to discern that his journey would not mirror Yun Lie’s. Despite his longing to stand beside his senior brother, embracing the way of the sword wasn’t feasible. Moreover, his destiny lay entwined with the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique,” decreeing his future as a practitioner of the Dharma.
His path lay in mastering spells, harnessing the power to manipulate trees, and discovering an avenue that harmonized with his unique essence—an immortal route to tread.
In this instance, Xu Ziqing’s recognition solidified.
Indeed, he had ventured into the Sword Cave not to temper his physical body, but to unleash his latent potential through Four Seasons Sword Art training. Realizing this, clarity settled within him. Without hesitating, he proceeded, stepping into the imnse grotto without glancing back.
Inside the cavern, rings of passages and chambers sprawled. Absent were the elental winds; not a single trace remained.
Absolute silence enveloped the surroundings, resembling an ordinary cave’s interior. Yet, a distinct chill lingered, setting it apart from the norm.
Unease tinged Xu Ziqing’s thoughts. This unfamiliar scene sparked odd feelings. However, he channeled these emotions into vigilance—given the site’s purpose for honing, caution remained paramount in any situation.
Gripping his sword’s hilt, he trod carefully.
One step, two steps, three steps… nothing untoward occurred.
But this apparent ease only heightened Xu Ziqing’s alertness.
Approaching a circular aperture in the cavern’s floor, he paused before stepping in. Gradually raising the steel and wooden sword, he prepared to test the waters.
He couldn’t afford the sa recklessness he’d shown on Sixing Peak.
Failing due to negligence on his first day within this Sword Cave would dishonor his senior brother’s earnest guidance. Thus, even though curiosity enticed him to explore, caution remained his watchword.
With this resolve, Xu Ziqing opted to initiate a trial with the steel and wooden sword.
If a chanism lay in wait, he’d trigger it this way, possibly defusing any potential danger.
Amid his scrutiny, the sword’s point slowly entered the aperture.
Instantly, ripples manifested around the blade’s tip, coupled with a potent suction force!
Startled, Xu Ziqing almost relinquished his sword. But in the next breath, he sensed no hostility within the pull—it appeared to guide him inward. With this realization, he ceased struggling, aligning himself with the force. Relaxing his mind, he surrendered to the pull’s montum.
Indeed, the world flipped, and his vision blurred. As equilibrium returned, a new vista unfolded before him.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Xu Ziqing looked onward.
In the forefront lay a brownish-green mountain wall, devoid of any vegetation, exuding a simple and remote aura. Two prominent characters adorned the wall, stating “Sword Room.”
Surveying his surroundings, Xu Ziqing discerned a stone chamber with a radius of several feet. Though spacious, it held emptiness. His gaze swept across every corner, finding neither exit nor entrance; only the four mountain walls echoed an uncanny uniformity. Even the words “Sword Room” adorned each of these walls.
A sigh of understanding escaped him. This was the first level of the Sword Cave—the space where sword practice unfolded.
Yet, the mystery remained: what essence resided within this chamber, compelling latent potential and luring countless sword practitioners?
Though baffled, Xu Ziqing quelled his thoughts. If answers eluded him, he needn’t delve too deeply. The truth would reveal itself through practice.
Now, he needed to contemplate how immortals acquired swordsmanship—how many stages composed the so-called sword art and how to gauge its mastery.
During morning sword drills, his senior brother once opined that while swordsmanship had no fixed boundary, assessing its depth wasn’t entirely subjective.
Initial training focused on the basics: correct sword postures, precise moves, and varied honing techniques aid at refining one’s blade.
When the sword’s draw spawned luminance akin to starlight, the first level of proficiency was attained—the stage of sword light.
This light didn’t stem from the sword’s blade, but rather the mastery of the art itself, a feat achieved only when the wielder harmonized seamlessly with the sword.
Gradually, this luminance condensed, morphing into a semi-material form reminiscent of mist yet not. It was sword energy, capable of wounding foes even through the air. Magic tools and talismans could harness this energy for protection.
This marked the realm of sword qi. At this juncture, the practitioner could emanate sword pressure, intensifying into a “montum” that could sway battles.
Xu Ziqing recalled witnessing Xu Zifeng at this stage. His sister Xu Zitang’s defense against a monster butterfly, empowered by five sword energies bound to a jade talisman, followed by his lethal strike, stood out vividly.
Recalling those events, Xu Ziqing marveled at the strength displayed. But as ti passed, encountering Yun Lie, a genuine swordsman, revealed even more powerful and accomplished swordsn.
Reassured, Xu Ziqing resud his ditative state.
Beyond the sword qi phase, the energy coalesced into tangible sword techniques, dealing greater damage than re sword qi upon impact—this was Sword Star. This stage marked the “Sword Star Stage.” Only once a practitioner could manifest a solid sword structure were they truly deed a swordsman; anything less wouldn’t suffice.
Continuing training, the sword techniques would grow rounded and refined, enabling the wielder to divide and manipulate the blade in diverse ways—this was Sword Enlightennt. More potent than Sword Star, Sword Enlightennt offered versatility and comprised the “Sword Enlightennt Phase1Idk how to na this phase, the raws is 劍芒段. Does it fitting?.”
At this level, a swordsman’s mastery neared an apex, coinciding with a profound understanding of the art.
Thus, swordsn possessed considerable might, boasting the most potent offensive capabilities among peers of similar levels.
However, a swordsman’s supremacy wasn’t solely rooted in their gleaming blade.
Another factor ca into play: “Sword Intent.”
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