The Contest of Sword Qi?

Laodeno considered his internal energy quite formidable, certainly superior to that of a Junior Disciple Brother who had only entered the sect a month ago. He intended to reinforce his bare hands with internal energy and seize the Precious Sword. Once that happened, his Junior Disciple Brother would naturally have no further recourse.

Ji Boying was startled by Laodeno's sudden lunge and instinctively unleashed another fierce sword strike.

The instant the sword flashed, Ji Boying regretted it. He truly lacked experience in facing enemies; he had overreacted.

Laodeno merely wanted to snatch away his sword, but how could he possibly withstand this strike?

Laodeno only knew that he had cultivated his qi for many years. He did not know that Ji Boying's internal energy had also progressed at astonishing speed. This sword strike was fierce and powerful, and it was infused with Ji Boying's internal energy.

If Laodeno really grabbed at it with both hands, blood would surely splatter on the spot. At best, he would lose half a hand.

Though Ji Boying knew he was a spy, he could not injure him now!

Ji Boying hurriedly circulated his qi and withdrew his sword, forcefully bringing it to a halt. The backlash flushed his entire face red.

He then thrust out another palm, pouring all his internal energy into it as he exchanged a blow with Laodeno, before staggering back three steps with a "thud, thud, thud."

He struggled to steady himself, sharply gathered his qi, and took several breaths before calming down.

Laodeno, meanwhile, had lunged and missed, nearly falling flat on his face. Fortunately, the exchanged palm strike with Ji Boying allowed him to halt himself in a stagger, but the empty lunge followed by the solid clash still sent his blood and qi roiling. Though his internal energy was slightly deeper, his cultivation technique was at a lower level than Ji Boying's. It took him five or six breaths to barely settle himself.

This lightning-fast exchange left everyone dumbfounded. The younger disciples could not see the mysteries within it at all. Only Linghu Chong vaguely caught a glimpse of the truth, yet he found it too unbelievable to trust.

Ning Zhongze saw that Ji Boying's internal energy was far from ordinary, and her worry turned to joy.

The disciples could not tell who had won or lost. They only knew that Ji Boying seemed to have the advantage in swordsmanship. After that, they could no longer understand what was happening, though it appeared the two were evenly matched.

The fact that their newly initiated Junior Disciple Brother had already fought the Second Senior Disciple Brother to a draw left them deeply shaken.

For a time, Yuntai Peak was utterly silent. Only the mountain wind howled. Ji Boying stood proudly in the center, his robes fluttering and his bearing heroic. Beside him, Laodeno—with graying hair, a bent body, and eyes full of disbelief—only made Ji Boying seem all the more youthful and vigorous.

After a long while, only Lu Dayou, looking utterly distraught, spoke with difficulty.

"Wasn't it supposed to be using qi to control the sword? But Junior Disciple Brother has only been on the mountain for a month. Where did he get any qi? Could sword moves alone really make us look so bad? This... this..."

The others erupted in an uproar at Lu Dayou's words, yet none dared respond. Though thoughts had arisen in their hearts as well, they did not dare reveal them.

The others had no particular objection to their Junior Disciple Brother being strong. At most, they had once been unable to defeat Linghu Chong, and now they would be unable to defeat either Linghu Chong or their Junior Disciple Brother.

Only Lu Dayou had formed a prejudice against Ji Boying beforehand, so he was unwilling to acknowledge this fact. That was why he asked such a question.

Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, Ning Zhongze's lovely face turned cold as she rebuked him.

"Dayou, don't talk nonsense! It's only that you all..."

"Junior Sister."

Yue Buqun interrupted Ning Zhongze with a dark expression, cutting off her attempt to smooth things over and protect Lu Dayou.

"Senior Brother..."

Ning Zhongze called softly.

Yue Buqun stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.

"Boying."

"Master!"

Ji Boying saluted him.

"Let them see your internal energy."

"Yes, Master."

Mount Hua Breathing Technique: Proficient (273/300)

Ji Boying focused his mind and gathered his qi. After that intense exchange with Laodeno, he could cultivate merely by breathing, and his proficiency had increased by another three points.

By Ji Boying's own estimate, the distinction between Proficient and Beginner on the panel was not actually so clear in reality. Once one had entered the door and practiced a little, people would consider them proficient. Yet if one reached a deeper level of proficiency, they could generally be said to have truly entered the hall.

By that measure, Ji Boying was already at this stage, while Lu Dayou and the others were still outside the door.

If one reached the Mastery level, that was called consummate skill. Beyond that came minor achievement and major achievement, but Ji Boying's system did not distinguish between them. They were all collectively called Mastery, followed by completion in a single day.

Ji Boying untied his wrist guards, letting his long sleeves fall and cover his palms.

He raised both hands before his chest, and his green robes naturally draped down over the backs of his hands.

Everyone watched without blinking. Only Laodeno knew this was indeed real. The other senior and junior disciples still struggled to accept reality, though they seemed to have realized what their Junior Disciple Brother intended to do.

Ji Boying took a deep breath, drawing it in like a great whale drinking water, his breathing deep and resonant.

After gathering himself for two or three breaths, he circulated his qi and exhaled outward. Before the horrified eyes of the crowd, the sleeves of his robe actually shifted slightly against the wind, while the cloth covering the backs of his hands lifted faintly. It was clearly strenuous. This was also because the mountain wind on Yuntai Peak interfered with him; in a quiet chamber, the effect would surely have been more obvious.

Ji Boying could only sustain it for two or three seconds before stopping.

Though the duration was brief, everyone was already so astonished that they stood frozen like wooden chickens.

Was such internal cultivation impressive? Not really. Yue Buqun and the others could casually circulate their qi outdoors and make all their robes billow without moving their bodies.

Ji Boying had exerted himself so greatly merely to make his sleeves stir slightly. It truly was not much.

But this level of internal cultivation already far surpassed the other senior disciples. Only Laodeno and Linghu Chong were slightly ahead due to having cultivated longer.

"How... how is this possible?"

It was not only Lu Dayou. Gao Genming and the others also found it impossible to believe.

Ji Boying smiled. "Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, your little brother has considerable talent in martial arts, excellent natural aptitude, and good comprehension. Our Mount Hua entry-level cultivation method may not be as powerful as the Primordial Chaos Technique, nor can it compare to the subtlety of the Purple Mist Technique, but it has one advantage. If one studies it deeply enough, one can increase one's cultivation even while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, and breathing."

"Ordinary people must sit in meditation to cultivate qi, relying on Stillness Cultivation to still their restless minds and make their hearts as calm as water. But your little brother has some comprehension and can perceive the mysteries of internal cultivation. Thus, I am spared the hardship of meditation and can cultivate simply through breathing."

"Just as now, though I am speaking with everyone, I am still cultivating. Everyone only sees me diligently practicing the sword and assumes I am painstakingly training sword moves. That is completely mistaken. I am cultivating internal energy at every moment."

Liang Fa muttered, "Even so, your progress should not be this fast, should it?"

Ji Boying smiled. "Your little brother met Master at the foot of the mountain. To make travel more convenient, I began learning the Mount Hua Internal Cultivation Method then; I did not start only after coming up the mountain. Secondly, my natural aptitude is exceptional. The internal energy others gain from a day of hard training naturally cannot compare to what I gain from a day of hard training. Though you Senior Brothers have cultivated qi for many years, how many of you understand the Mount Hua Internal Cultivation Method better than I do?"

Everyone shook their heads with no small amount of melancholy. Even now, none of them could cultivate qi while walking, sitting, or lying down.

Only old Yue felt rather pleased with himself. Nearing sixty, he now mainly cultivated the Purple Mist Technique. However, the Purple Mist Technique was more a method of circulating qi than a passive cultivation method, so he had continued practicing the Mount Hua Internal Cultivation Method and had also reached this level. Still, without meditating, his progress was simply too slow.

Otherwise, old Yue would not have been so troubled. Comprehending the Purple Mist Technique had already exhausted all his energy.

Perhaps the difference in talent truly was too great. His young disciple could circulate his internal energy at full force with every breath, even faster than ordinary people meditating.