Chapter 58

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As Su Qignian drew his sword, the true qi field belonging to Qing Luo seemed to be cut open like paper, and he was greatly alarmed, feeling an intangible sharpness. This sharpness was not very fierce, but it was majestic and grand, even exuding a tragic aura.

"Sharpness? How is that possible, how can sharpness be cultivated?"

Daoist Jingshou muttered, others might not recognize it, but how could he not? As Su Qignian drew his sword, the force that cut through Qing Luo's true qi field was clearly the sharpness that only a master of weapons could cultivate after practicing internal true qi.

"Heaven will bestow a great mission, testing one's will, laboring one's muscles and bones, starving one's body, and emptying one's spirit, so as to strengthen one's resolve and increase one's capabilities..."

Su Qignian drew his sword, reciting the words of Mencius from the Book of Gaozi. His eyes met the rising sun, his back straight, and his legs slightly bent. An ancient and profound aura flowed through him. In Daoist Jingshou's eyes, Su Qignian's figure became blurry, as if an ancient divine tortoise had awakened from a long slumber, suppressed by a mountain of demons for a thousand years, and suddenly let out a thunderous roar.

"The fourth move, Wind-Sitting Water Shift, and the sixth move, Earth-Fire Mingyi, both have reached the essence of the art!"

Daoist Jingshou vaguely understood something. Observing the sharpness about to burst forth from Su Qignian, it was like a light that had been suppressed by darkness for many years, a great sun rising from the depths, illuminating the entire world.

"According to legend, the sixth level of the Turtle-Snake Art and the sixth move of the Turtle-Snake Fist, Earth-Fire Mingyi, were derived from one of the moves of that sword technique. Advancing inevitably brings danger, and danger inevitably brings injury. When evil prevails, light is defamed and wounded, and the righteous forces lie dormant. The gentleman conceals his light, enduring hardships, and finally, after much suffering, breaks through the darkness."

"Bad! It's the Xiuming Sword! Retreat quickly!"

Daoist Jingshou was finally alarmed. He shouted, and Su Qignian's long sword was already out of the scabbard.

No one could describe the brilliance of this sword. The red blood qi gathered on the blade, even forming a few inches of qi at the tip, which was not internal true qi but the qi of blood and bone infused with sharpness. The air split like silk, torn by the sword, leaving a long white trail.

This sword was the light after suppression, the awakening of a divine tortoise that had endured for a thousand years, the integrity of a gentleman who had endured hardships and humiliation.

This sword was not the first move of the Xiuming Sword, but the second, infused with the various human emotions and countless icy blades and snow swords Su Qignian had experienced in the Xianxia Valley.

This sword was the clarity of a gentleman's mind, the manifestation of light, the endurance and blood qi of a martial artist.

Qing Luo gritted his teeth, feeling utterly powerless against this sword. Under the sharpness and will, the internal true qi in his dantian became stagnant, and even his gaze avoided the sword light. Under such unyielding and enduring light, the spirit of a gentleman made him feel ashamed.

Not far away, four outer courtyard disciples were stunned. Even some other disciples who had rushed over upon hearing the news stopped in their tracks. Many held their breath, entranced, seeing that such a majestic and brilliant sword technique could exist, not just the rough and wild image they had imagined.

Damn!

Qing Luo roared inwardly. Daoist Jingshou had spoken, and he could not avoid it, as the sharpness of the Xiuming Sword had already locked onto him.

That intangible will had merged with Su Qignian's spiritual cultivation. Even a second-rate Dragon-Tiger Realm martial artist would find it hard to escape easily.

Clang!

The white iron sword was drawn, the sword light flashing, infused with internal true qi, the blade trembling.

The first move of the Wudang Sword Technique, the Rising Sun.

This was a third-rate sword technique commonly studied and comprehended by outer courtyard disciples after they had established their foundation. Though it was third-rate, in terms of sword dao fundamentals, it was unparalleled throughout the Great Han Empire, created by the first generation of the Three Mad Daoists, integrating the principles of yin and yang, and providing the most solid foundation for understanding the sword principles of yin-yang and taiji.

Qing Luo's sword whistled through the air, the sword light like the rising sun, carrying a faint purple aura. It was clear that his understanding of the first move of the Wudang Sword Technique was profound, having reached a level of mastery and insight.

At the tip of his sword, a half-inch-long pure white qi flickered, tearing the air, the pure yang qi of Daoist true qi resisting the brilliant and proud sword light.

Clang!

A loud clash, the sword and sword met, as if penetrating the soul, an invisible wave of qi sweeping out in all directions.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Except for Daoist Jingshou, the four outer courtyard disciples all retreated, the wind stinging their faces, like sharp blades cutting through the air.

The wind died down.

Su Qignian sheathed his sword, standing tall. Seven paces away, Qing Luo stood still, his white iron sword pointing at the ground, his face expressionless, looking down at his right hand holding the sword.

Blood trickled down his palm, and a large tear appeared in the blue silk of his sleeve, an inch-long piece falling to the ground, while the white lining inside remained unharmed.

"Excellent sword technique, I have lost."

Qing Luo sheathed his sword, looking deeply at Su Qignian, and said, "It seems you have deceived everyone."

"Human emotions are all for the sake of survival."

Su Qignian took a deep breath, then looked at Daoist Jingshou, and said, "Is Uncle satisfied?"

Daoist Jingshou's gaze changed, as if he was lost in thought. After a long while, he sighed, "True and false, real and illusory, I never thought that at my age, I still couldn't see clearly. After five hundred years, through many generations, to see this sword technique that only exists in historical records, you have not disgraced it; it is I who have insulted it."

"Uncle speaks too much."

Su Qignian was somewhat surprised, not expecting Daoist Jingshou to be so open-minded. The last bit of turmoil in his heart finally calmed down.

This was an old Daoist with a clear conscience, who had spent decades living on Wudang, leaving his entire youth and life there.

Waving his hand, Daoist Jingshou said, "No need to say more, go in. Don't go upstairs, walk through the first floor, and you will reach the courtyard where you can study the last three levels of the Turtle-Snake Art."

Watching Su Qignian's figure disappear into the Xuanwu Tower, the gathered disciples in the distance sighed. In the outer courtyard of Baiyun Peak, how many disciples had mastered the fourth and sixth moves of the Turtle-Snake Fist to such a peak of perfection, reaching the essence of the art?

A young boy, not yet having established his foundation, had used two moves of the Turtle-Snake Fist to borrow and store force, ultimately delivering that stunning sword strike, defeating even a foundation-established disciple who had just entered the third-rate Kai Tian Realm. Such talent and insight could not help but be admired.

"Unfortunately, most of the foundation-established seniors have already descended the mountain, beginning their journeys in the world, enduring life and death trials. Otherwise, they could have tested Su Qignian's true strength."

"After today, there will be no more Su Qignian."

…

Huangya Peak.

In a courtyard fragrant with plum blossoms.

Gu Yuehe sat on a carved cloud-patterned rosewood chair. The room was exquisitely decorated, with delicate blue-and-white porcelain on the antique shelf and a unique tranquility incense from Chang'an burning in the incense burner on the table.

He stroked the tortoise shell in his hand, the white jade piece covered with a thick layer of paste, while his other hand tapped lightly on the armrest.

"The events are as such. This is the news from Baiyun Peak's outer courtyard half an hour ago." A disciple in his late teens stood below, speaking cautiously.

"Oh, so Zhou Qin couldn't stop him. It seems he suffered a great loss. I underestimated this boy, he is quite enduring," Gu Yuehe said calmly, "Is it the sword technique of the Qingyang Peak lineage? Heaven's will and the cessation of life, suppressing evil and promoting good? The world is not so simple that it can be defined by good and evil, but now that this boy has made a name for himself, he cannot act as he did before. Investigate! Find out everything about his experiences after descending the mountain, where he has been, who he has met, and what he has done. I want all the information by tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Senior Gu." (How about three updates today? I hope everyone logs in and clicks on the new chapters to increase the views, and the recommendation votes can go wild. Yes, if new readers like it, please add it to your favorites.)