Discussing Swords on the Barren Mountain

Chapter 3: A Sword Discussion on a Barren Mountain

Night fell, and a spot beneath a rock face remained uncovered by the falling snow, with bare woods flanking it on either side.

The two men built a fire in the wilderness, roasting and sharing the wolf demon's meat.

The wolf meat sizzled and dripped oil over the campfire in the snowy woods. Lu Canghai, who had brought wine, took a few sips and gnawed on the previously ferocious wolf meat, finally easing the stiff atmosphere.

"Immortal Master is truly a hidden master."

"Still as unmoving as Mount Tai, and when he moves, he's like a Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens."

"To have shown off my skills before you earlier was truly like showing off to an expert, a laughable display."

The swordsman removed his bamboo hat. He was no longer young, appearing to be past forty, with streaks of white at his temples.

More importantly, his eyes were blind. This was something Gao Xian had never expected.

"I am Lu Canghai, known in the martial world as Heart Sword. On the Heavenly Secrets Ranking, I am ranked third among swordsmen." Lu Canghai announced his name, a hint of dejection in his voice, as if the vanity of being third in the world was not worth mentioning.

But Gao Xian felt he brought it up with everyone he met.

This was a show-off.

"This humble Taoist is Kongchenzi, merely a seeker of the Way in this mortal world." When it came to showing off, Gao Xian never admitted defeat.

"Immortal Master truly possesses the demeanor of a master!" Lu Canghai raised his wine gourd.

"I dare not! Today, to witness the grace of the world's most peerless swordsman, I must drink a toast." Gao Xian returned the gesture with his wine pot.

"Come!"

"Please!"

The two engaged in another round of polite mutual praise.

Lu Canghai was blind, and there was no such thing as cultivation arts in this world. Yet, he walked through the rugged, snowy mountain paths without the slightest deviation, his steps steadier than an ordinary person's. His movements were so natural that one could barely tell he was different from others.

Gao Xian, curious, asked him why.

"A swordsman only needs a heart. Without eyes, one can see more clearly."

"Flowers are not flowers, mist is not mist."

"People have eyes but no hearts, which is why they are blinded by the prosperity of the red dust."

Lu Canghai once again spoke words that were profound yet hard to fully grasp.

Gao Xian still didn't quite understand and asked Lu Canghai to elaborate.

Lu Canghai stroked his beard. The awkwardness from before vanished, and his previously less-than-straightened back straightened considerably as he faced Gao Xian.

Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. This young man, Gao Xian, where did he come from? At such a young age, his realm was beyond even his own comprehension. And that donkey he rode was utterly divine; he felt he wouldn't even have a chance to draw his sword before it.

However, he was young and inexperienced, shallow in his understanding. The third-ranked swordsman of the Jianghu, who had traveled the world for many years, would now teach him a good lesson.

Lu Canghai took down the treasured sword he carried on his back. Even though the sword was not yet unsheathed, just holding it unleashed a powerful aura that overshadowed the night.

It was like a ferocious tiger walking in the dark; even without seeing its form, the intense sense of danger was enough to chill one's heart. This was a power projected from the will.

"The heart of a swordsman can also be called Sword Momentum or Sword Intent."

"It is also the ultimate power that swordsmen pursue when they reach a profound level of cultivation. Therefore, although I cannot see, as long as there is a sword in my heart, every movement within the scope of my Sword Momentum, be it falling leaves, drifting snow, or rustling grass, is under my control."

A cold wind blew, and the last few withered leaves on the tree behind Lu Canghai finally succumbed and fell.

The sword in Lu Canghai's hand was drawn.

It was slow, very slow.

Yet, this slowness seemed to slow down the entire world along with it. The howling wind, the flickering firelight, the speed of the falling leaves – all seemed to be under its control. The blade emerged from the scabbard, rotated, and leisurely caught a falling withered leaf.

The withered leaf spun on the sword's tip, as if dancing.

"A heartless swordsman, even with a divine weapon in hand, is vulnerable."

"A swordsman with a heart can use a flying leaf or a scattered flower to wound others."

He sheathed his sword, and the withered leaf fell into Lu Canghai's hand, held between his fingers.

The fragile, easily crushed withered leaf became one with Lu Canghai. As he waved his wide sleeve, it moved like a sharp blade, its cold glint cutting through the night sky.

"Snap!"

A section of a branch from the tree behind Gao Xian fell, embedding itself in the snow beside him.

The cut surface of the branch was smooth. It was unbelievable that a withered leaf had severed it in mid-air.

This showed that Lu Canghai's swordsmanship had indeed reached a transcendent realm, truly qualifying him as one of the "strange individuals of the world" that the old Taoist had spoken of.

Although there was an element of boasting, this strength was not fake in the slightest.

Finally, Lu Canghai sat down, picked up his wine cup, and seemed to recall a scene from the past.

"In the past, the Sword Saint Sima Han cultivated the Spiritual Heart Sword. He faced an army by the river, holding a piece of deadwood, and his Sword Momentum alone caused the soldiers to fall from their horses. When his sword was drawn, a thousand swords sang in unison, and thousands of men bowed their heads, awaiting execution."

"This,"

"Is Sword Intent."

Lu Canghai concluded his last sentence, enunciating each word clearly.

He then drained the wine from his gourd in one gulp, as if he were drinking not wine, but the heroic spirit of a Sword Saint facing an army of thousands by himself.

Gao Xian seemed to understand something. He straightened his body, which had been leaning against the rocks and his book chest.

He casually pulled a branch from the snow, one that Lu Canghai had just trimmed, and imitated Lu Canghai's starting stance, as if it were already a treasured sword.

"How do you find my sword strike, sir!"

Lu Canghai saw what Gao Xian was trying to do and couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"Hahaha! There are countless sword practitioners in the world, but those who can cultivate Sword Intent are as rare as phoenix feathers. Every one of them has honed their will and broken through in desperate situations, not in a moment or a half..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Gao Xian move.

As the sword rose, the world in Lu Canghai's eyes changed drastically.

The entire world turned blindingly white, and an immortal descended from the nine heavens like a beam of light.

That twig transformed into a true immortal sword. The immortal's strike came from the heavens, arriving in an instant. Lu Canghai, like an ant in the mortal world gazing at the sky, couldn't move. He was instantly engulfed by the light.

Gao Xian's consciousness was merged with the Azure Dragon Guardian at this moment. Mimicking Lu Canghai's sword strike, which was inherently a sword technique, he mastered this move effortlessly.

When the strike landed, by the time Lu Canghai recovered his senses, the Daoist priest had already sat down and added the dry branch to the firewood.

And within a radius of dozens of meters, the winter snow had melted, leaving no trace of white. There was even a hint of warm spring.

Especially the few trees beside them, which had sprouted new buds in mere moments.

The branch that had been cut short behind Gao Xian now sprouted anew, growing a small white flower that stood proudly in the icy landscape.

Lu Canghai's body was stiff, his laughter long gone.

This was a sword technique that bordered on the Dao, a divine skill that no mortal could perform.

After a long while, he asked dazedly, "Did you also study swordsmanship?"

"Never. I merely heard what you said, and recalling your previous sword strike, I had a slight realization."

Lu Canghai had nothing more to say. He felt as though he had spent his entire life studying the sword, considering himself a top master in the world, yet he had been like a frog in a well, unaware of the vastness of the world.

Finally, Lu Canghai couldn't help but ask the name of this sword strike.

"What is this sword called?"

"You just said, Brother Lu, that I am as still as Mount Tai when I don't move, and like a Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens when I do."

"Why not call it Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens!"

"Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens..."

As Lu Canghai spoke these words, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

Although Lu Canghai's previous statement was a compliment, it also carried a hint of resentment.

He meant, "You're already so powerful at such a young age, why didn't you reveal it sooner? Why wait to make an old man like me look foolish? It's truly unkind."

"I am feeling a bit tired, so I will rest now."

As if deeply discouraged by Gao Xian, Lu Canghai had no intention of continuing the conversation. Coupled with the late hour, he lay down, covered himself with a piece of clothing, and placed his hat over his face to rest.

However, Lu Canghai, beneath his hat, did not sleep. He was recalling and contemplating Gao Xian's sword strike just now.

If he could truly comprehend it, he might no longer be the third-ranked swordsman in the world.

But the first.

As for Gao Xian, did he even count as a swordsman?

Lu Canghai had completely lost the will to compete with him.

Lu Canghai also realized that this Daoist priest was likely no ordinary person, nor a martial artist. Could he be a legendary immortal?

"This trip out, I've really run into trouble. First, I encountered a Wolf Demon, and now I've met an immortal cultivator. These are things an ordinary person wouldn't encounter in a lifetime, yet I've stumbled upon them all in one day."

Gao Xian leaned against the tree, which bloomed in winter, inhaling the fragrance of the flowers. He used his book chest as a pillow and drifted off to sleep.

The donkey beside him snorted a few times, protectively guarding Gao Xian, its ears occasionally twitching, alert to its surroundings.