Seated in the small courtyard, Lu Ming took a sip of tea and briefly recounted what had happened.
"Not bad, not bad. I never expected you to be able to defeat an Early True Qi Realm Martial Artist now."
After hearing Lu Ming's account, Old Man Zhao smiled as he stroked his beard. Though he knew about Lu Ming's cultivation, he had not known his exact combat strength.
After all, cultivation and martial skills were only one aspect. Some people cultivated the same techniques and martial skills as others, and their cultivation levels were even similar, yet they still could not defeat them.
Others not only had higher realms, but also superior martial skills and techniques, yet they could sometimes lose to people inferior to them in all those respects.
That was the gap in combat strength.
In short, it was a very complicated matter that could not be explained in a few words.
However, one thing was clear: the greater the combat strength one could display, the higher one's talent.
And Lu Ming being able to cross an entire major realm to defeat a True Qi Realm Martial Artist showed that his talent was astonishing.
"I have Old Man to thank for your Soaring Dragon Palm," Lu Ming said.
"You cannot put it that way."
Old Man Zhao waved his hand. "The palm technique is only one factor. It depends on whose hands it is in. Since you were able to use it to defeat your enemy, the credit is basically yours."
"Alright, go back and tend to your internal injuries. The longer you drag them out, the harder they will be to heal."
"Mm." Lu Ming nodded and did not linger any longer.
"This little fellow has begun to grow up. And I have been out for so long—it is time to return."
Old Man Zhao stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, watching Lu Ming enter the room as he murmured to himself.
"Saber Intent? What is that?"
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Lu Ming's internal injuries had completely healed. After recovering, he did not choose to go out again, instead reading through the booklet left behind by Old Man Heavenly Saber.
He had already retrieved it.
He had also secretly returned to the tomb and found traces left behind by many people. As for the treasure, it was certainly gone.
Only a field of bones remained.
Naturally, Lu Ming gathered them up and found another place of clear waters and green mountains to bury them.
It counted as repaying the favor of obtaining the book.
Back in the present, Lu Ming was reading through the travel records left by Old Man Heavenly Saber when he came across something interesting.
The travelogue said that Old Man Heavenly Saber had once journeyed to the neighboring Zhu Zi Kingdom, where he encountered a saber-wielding martial artist in his twenties.
His cultivation was impressive. Like Old Man Heavenly Saber, he was at the Early Gangqi Realm, but their strength was as different as heaven and earth.
With a single slash, the other man severed a waterfall more than ten zhang wide straight through its middle. If that were all, Old Man Heavenly Saber felt that he could have done the same.
Yet after the waterfall was cut apart, the saber qi remained condensed instead of dispersing, continuing to block the flow of water and preventing the waterfall from joining back together.
That gave him quite a fright. A Gangqi Realm Martial Artist's saber qi would normally dissipate soon after being unleashed, yet the other man's had endured for so long.
Moreover, it did not merely linger—it still blocked the current, clearly retaining considerable power.
Ignoring the difference in their ages, he hurriedly stepped forward and humbly asked for guidance.
He received only two words: "Saber Intent."
In the days that followed, Old Man Heavenly Saber pursued those two words, even delaying his advancement in realm.
Still, he eventually gained something. He touched the threshold of Saber Intent and fused it into the Heavenly Saber Art. Unfortunately, before he could continue exploring true Saber Intent, his lifespan came to an end.
Lu Ming now knew that Inner Qi Realm Martial Artists only lived a little longer than ordinary people.
If they had no hidden injuries, they could easily live to one hundred and twenty.
Those in the True Qi Realm could live to one hundred and fifty, Gangqi Realm Martial Artists to two hundred, and Gangyuan Realm Martial Artists to three hundred.
After that came the Sea Transformation Realm. Once gangyuan transformed into a sea and spread throughout the body, one could live to five hundred.
Beyond that was the Heavenly Human Realm. Old Man Zhao had said they could live to a thousand.
Yet Old Man Heavenly Saber had been at the Early Gangqi Realm and died before reaching two hundred.
Now, Lu Ming had inherited his mantle.
"Could Saber Intent be that feeling?"
Now that he knew Saber Intent existed, Lu Ming suddenly recalled the final slash when the Jade Pendant had demonstrated the Heavenly Saber Art.
Though that slash had not actually been unleashed, it gave him the sensation that there was nowhere he was not locked onto.
He hurriedly reviewed the contents transmitted by the Jade Pendant.
Before long, he stopped reading in disappointment. Perhaps the Heavenly Saber Art contained very little about Saber Intent, or perhaps almost none at all, so the Jade Pendant had not given him much information.
Or perhaps something like Saber Intent was illusory and intangible, something that could only be understood but not expressed.
Even the Jade Pendant could not transmit it to him.
Thus, he could only think it through himself.
First, what was "intent"? The first thing he thought of was an absurd notion that had suddenly occurred to him in the past.
When he had been poor and weak, he could not even carry a bucket of water steadily. Yet if it were replaced with silver of the same weight, he felt he could carry it while walking as swiftly as if flying.
That was probably because excitement and joy had caused him to overlook the weight of the silver.
For instance, he had once shattered a table with one palm strike while in a state of extreme rage.
Under normal circumstances, he absolutely could not have done it. Yet in his fury, he had succeeded.
Excitement, joy, rage—those were all forms of intent.
Under the influence of such intent, people could always accomplish things beyond their limits.
But then, what was Saber Intent?
As he pondered, Lu Ming drew out a long saber that the owner of a weapon shop had given him yesterday and began to stroke it.
He sensed it as he thought.
A saber could be sharp, but it could also be heavy; it could be cold, but it could also be blazing hot. It could be used for slaughter, but it could also be used to save people...
And so on and so forth. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
They plunged him into deep contemplation.
But very soon, he sprang to his feet, as if he had realized something.
"No. Those are all surface appearances. Or rather, the saber displays such qualities because of me."
"Saber Intent is my intent. If I make it sharp, then it is sharp. If I make it slaughter, then it slaughters. If I make it save people..."
In that instant, it was as though Lu Ming had pushed open a great door. He stood there blankly, utterly motionless.
Who knew how long passed before a sharp, piercing intent suddenly erupted from within him. The long saber lying nearby also began to tremble incessantly on its own.
"Eh?"
In the neighboring courtyard, Old Man Zhao had been reclining in a lounge chair when he suddenly sat bolt upright. Just moments ago, he had sensed an immensely powerful will.
Sharp, yet unyielding.
And its source was Lu Ming's courtyard.
"Could it be that this little fellow has comprehended Saber Intent?"
That will swiftly vanished. Old Man Zhao could no longer remain seated, and with a flash, he appeared in Lu Ming's courtyard just as Lu Ming opened his door.
"Old Man?"
Lu Ming was somewhat surprised to see Old Man Zhao.
Old Man Zhao did not speak. Instead, he carefully examined Lu Ming and found that he had changed completely. His whole person seemed like a treasured saber that had yet to leave its sheath.
At the same time, his eyes shone brightly with spirit.
It was as though they contained ten thousand razor-sharp blades, pressing upon one's mind.
"I never expected you to comprehend Saber Intent without making a sound."
After confirming that Lu Ming had indeed caused the disturbance just now, Old Man Zhao looked at him with even greater satisfaction.
Lu Ming was only slightly stunned before recovering. It was difficult to hide anything around this old man.
Still, there was nothing to hide. "It is not true Saber Intent yet. It is only a prototype."
"Of course this old man knows."
Old Man Zhao said irritably, "No one can comprehend complete Saber Intent from the very beginning. But you have already taken the most important step. All you need to do next is continue polishing it."
Lu Ming nodded.
Old Man Zhao asked again, "What are your plans next?"
Before you continue