Performance in training on the Northern Spiritual Plains was judged by the number and rank of the spirit beasts killed.
Mu Yuan figured that once he mastered the Sword Drawing Art, he would be able to stand on his own.
"Even if you smile at me like that, it's useless. I won't agree."
Mu Yuan spoke calmly.
A true powerhouse needed to endure the tempering of blood and tears.
The nine hundred and ninety-nine novels had taught Mu Yuan only theory. Those theories still needed to be put into practice personally.
Take Mu Chen, for example. After his experience on the Spiritual Road, an occasional maturity beyond his years would show beneath his childish face.
Although Mu Chen kept silent about what had happened on the Spiritual Road, Mu Yuan knew everything clearly.
On that Spiritual Road, Mu Chen had no idea how many life-and-death battles he had gone through.
He was only a teenager in his early teens, after all.
On the Spiritual Road, one had to push one's intelligence and willpower to the limit. A moment of carelessness meant the cruel outcome of elimination, leaving one to wait in the safe zone for the trial to end.
"Hmph!"
Tang Qian'er gave a soft snort and shot Mu Yuan a vicious glare.
She had turned down invitations from so many people, yet this guy did not even want to team up with her.
It was truly infuriating.
"Stop glaring at me. I won't be charmed by your beauty."
"Little Mu, you and Qian'er will team up for the Northern Spiritual Plains training."
Mu Yuan curled his lips, but inwardly thought:
To practice the Sword Drawing Art, I first need to find a longsword.
"Why me?"
Mu Chen asked helplessly.
"You're both too weak. I don't want you dragging me down."
Mu Yuan said this with utmost seriousness, then left the Spirit Art Room with his hands behind his back, leaving the two of them staring in stunned silence.
Mu Chen: "..."
Tang Qian'er: "..."
After a long while, Tang Qian'er finally came to her senses and complained indignantly:
"That guy really deserves a beating!"
"Sister Qian'er, when are you going to marry Brother Yuan?"
Mu Chen blurted it out for some reason.
Tang Qian'er did not refute him. Instead, her pretty face actually flushed faintly.
Remembering that they were in public, she immediately put on a stern expression.
"You seemed unwilling to team up with me just now?"
"I'm only at the middle phase of the Spiritual Movement Realm. If we fail to obtain the Spirit Nourishing Pill when the time comes, you can't blame me for holding you back."
Mu Chen was not merely being polite. At present, he appeared to possess only middle-phase Spiritual Movement Realm strength, and there were many people in the Northern Spiritual Academy more suited than him.
"Then that will be Mu Yuan's problem."
As Tang Qian'er spoke, she lightly spun the dark-red jade slip in her slender fingers.
"Then I can only risk my life to accompany you."
Mu Chen had no choice but to nod.
The jade slip recorded an offensive Spirit Art known as the Senluo Death Seal.
This Spirit Art had a fearsome reputation throughout the Northern Spiritual Academy, so it was naturally extremely powerful.
However, cultivating this Spirit Art required a domineering kind of spiritual energy.
The Great Pagoda Scripture he cultivated possessed that pitch-black spiritual energy, which was absolutely no ordinary spiritual energy. Its domineering nature should be enough to cultivate the Senluo Death Seal.
However, the old man managing the Spirit Art Room was an extremely old-fashioned and stubborn person. If he disliked someone, no one could take a Spirit Art out from his place.
Tang Qian'er, however, was quite skilled at dealing with this sort of old man.
"I wonder what Spirit Art Brother Yuan chose just now?"
After leaving the Spirit Art Room, Mu Chen could not help muttering to himself.
Northern Spiritual Academy, training grounds.
Numerous students sweated profusely as clear, resounding shouts filled with vigor spread into the distance.
"9,999, 10,000..."
Beneath a large tree, Mu Yuan swung the longsword in his hand, repeating one motion without pause: drawing his sword.
Few students in the Northern Spiritual Academy used weapons, so they could only have them custom-made.
This longsword had been custom-made by a blacksmith yesterday.
The blade was three feet seven inches long and weighed seven jin thirteen liang. It was a Black Sheath Longsword with an ancient and unusual design.
It had been forged entirely according to the dimensions of the sword carried by Ximen Chuixue.
It could be considered a small dream of Mu Yuan's to become a martial arts hero.
Ximen Chuixue always stood tall and straight, clad in white robes as pure as snow.
When the Sword God smiled, even immortals, Buddhas, ghosts, and gods would be moved!
"Huff, huff."
His sword-drawing speed was incredibly fast, nearly impossible to follow.
He had diligently practiced this Sword Drawing Art for several days already.
Unlike other sword arts with countless moves, the Sword Drawing Art had only one move: drawing the sword.
However, this sword draw differed from an ordinary draw. The Sword Drawing Art's method was highly particular: the cut at the koi's mouth, the downward slash, the blood flick, and... sheathing the sword.
"Unfortunately, my Sword Drawing Art still hasn't reached the major completion realm of drawing my sword a hundred times in a single breath."
Mu Yuan stopped, looked at the Black Sheath Longsword in his hand, and frowned slightly.
To reach major completion in the Sword Drawing Art, one needed to unite body, mind, and sword as one. Only then could there be a qualitative leap: drawing the sword a hundred times in a single breath and unleashing the unimaginable might of Sword Art: Blade Draw Slash.
Just then, a slender, jade-like hand suddenly reached out from behind him and patted his shoulder.
The instant that jade-like hand landed on Mu Yuan's shoulder, his black eyes turned icy. One hand gripped the hilt while the other steadied the sheath.
Clang!
A cold flash streaked past, and the longsword had already left its sheath.
"Ah!"
A startled cry sounded out. Mu Yuan then came to his senses and turned to look at the slender waist behind him. His gaze slowly traveled upward. The young woman wore an apricot-yellow dress, her full breasts rising proudly and her figure slender and alluring.
The coldness in his eyes swiftly faded, and he felt a little embarrassed.
"What are you doing?"
Tang Qian'er complained.
If she had not dodged in time, that sword would have nearly struck her.
"Sorry. I've been cultivating recently, and drawing the sword seems to have become instinct ingrained in my bones. I'm used to it."
Mu Yuan gave a bitter smile.
An ordinary Black Sheath Longsword seemed to have gained a soul in Mu Yuan's hands.
"What sword art are you cultivating? I didn't see any similar Spirit Art in the Spirit Art Room."
Tang Qian'er pouted.
Over the past few days, she had seen Mu Yuan constantly repeating the motion of drawing his sword and had grown quite curious.
The Spirit Art Room had no shortage of sword-art Spirit Arts, such as Azure Lotus Sword Song, Four Seasons Sword Art, and so on.
"A Sword Drawing Art."
Mu Yuan smiled lightly.
"Sword Drawing Art?"
Tang Qian'er cried out softly.
She was, after all, the little princess of the Tang Domain and had seen much of the world.
In the Great Thousand World, there was a superpower known as the Sword Domain, capable of rivaling the Endless Fire Domain and the Martial Realm.
It was the sacred land of swordsmanship that swordsmen throughout the Great Thousand World yearned for, gathering nearly all of the Great Thousand World's sword masters.
"I've heard that this kind of sword art is extremely difficult to cultivate."
"Because while others' swords are already out, you are still drawing yours. It is difficult for your speed to surpass theirs."
"And if your speed isn't fast enough, the outcome is already decided. You could say that this sword art becomes tremendously powerful once mastered, but its requirements are too high. You must be fast to the extreme, faster than every opponent, to kill with a single strike."
"I know."
Mu Yuan understood that Tang Qian'er was reminding him out of kindness.
If his sword draw was not fast enough, the Sword Drawing Art would not only fail to draw blood upon leaving its sheath, but would instead have the opposite effect and place him in danger.
"Then have you succeeded in cultivating it?"
Tang Qian'er asked, her willow brows furrowing.
"I've achieved a little success."
Mu Yuan smiled and drew his sword once more.
With a clang, the longsword had already returned to its sheath.
Tang Qian'er's rosy little mouth parted slightly, her face filled with astonishment!
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