Chapter 41

For those of ordinary comprehension, they must ponder day and night for even a sliver of a chance.

Not everyone is a heaven-defying prodigy like Ye Dingzhi.

"Brother Ye, not bad!"

Baili Dongjun walked up and clapped Ye Dingzhi on the shoulder.

There was no envy in his eyes—

only delight.

"In Second Mister's poem, sword intent runs rampant. At a glance, I can feel dozens of different sword intents weaving together within it."

"And every single character hides a mystery, as if concealing something."

"But I can only grasp a fraction of it."

Ye Dingzhi sounded regretful. The poem Second Mister had presented was absolutely a supreme treasure of martial arts under heaven.

Yet in this brief moment, he could only glean a few surface insights.

Ye Dingzhi patted Baili Dongjun's shoulder in return and encouraged him, "Dongjun, you can do it too."

But the words were simple.

Actually managing to comprehend something from it—

was incomparably difficult.

And just then, Yan Feifei—the first to pass the Heart-Questioning Illusion Realm in the Preliminary Test—stepped forward again.

She said, "I, too, have gleaned something from Second Mister's poem just now."

"I humbly request Second Mister's appraisal!"

Yan Feifei leaped up. Her movement technique was still superb, but this time, a unique artistic conception accompanied her lightness skill.

Without exerting much force, she rode the wind, soaring to the highest point of the Qianjin Platform in a single bound.

Then she descended, carrying the force of a thousand jun—

as if weighing a thousand pounds, intent on churning the vast seas!

Yan Feifei declared with pride, "A roc rises with the wind in one day, soaring ninety thousand miles on the whirlwind. This movement technique I have realized from Second Mister's poem."

"I name it—Soaring!"

The crowd was stunned once more. Were there really this many geniuses in the world?

Why could others comprehend artistic conception and movement from the poem, while no matter how they looked, they could see no mystery in it?

[Ding, imparted Soaring movement technique to Yan Feifei. Reward: Wind-Walking Water-Stepping!]

Jiang Mu Ming watched Yan Feifei with keen interest.

Her comprehension of lightness skills was indeed considerable—truly a promising talent.

And Wind-Walking Water-Stepping was also a supreme lightness technique.

Cultivated to its peak, one could ride the wind, pace on water, and roam amidst an army of thousands!

"Yan Feifei, pass!"

Yan Feifei was overjoyed and quickly bowed to thank Jiang Mu Ming.

"Thank you, Second Mister, for the grace of imparting the Dao!"

Today, she had not only passed the second trial but also comprehended a peerless lightness skill. Such a Fortuitous Encounter deserved her gratitude.

But below, the crowd watched the delighted Yan Feifei with sour hearts.

They still hadn't comprehended a thing.

And then—

"Baili Dongjun, has achieved enlightenment through the Dao. I humbly request Second Mister's appraisal!"

A flicker of joy passed through Baili Dongjun's eyes.

He stepped onto the Qianjin Platform, drew his Immortal Palace grade sword Bu Ran Chen from its sheath, and downed a jug of wine—

half drunk, half sober.

His sword intent suddenly turned ethereal beyond measure, as if transporting everyone to a world that did not exist.

A place that was both illusion and reality, both false and true.

"A youth should ride the wind! A youth should live with abandon!"

"A youth should be drunk and sing wild!"

"This is the Drunken Sword Intent I, Baili Dongjun, have comprehended!"

The youth's spirit was bold and unrestrained.

Jiang Mu Ming nodded in satisfaction. Baili Dongjun's talent was indeed extraordinary—though he hadn't studied much martial arts, he could still forge his own sword intent from it.

"Excellent!"

"Baili Dongjun, you pass."

Time trickled away.

One by one, talented individuals gleaned insights from Jiang Mu Ming's verses.

The results were a motley assortment, encompassing nearly everything imaginable.

For instance, Yue Yao perceived from the poem a technique called Zither-Sound into Sword—a skill that could kill without a trace.

Another example was Wang Yixing of Wangcheng Mountain, who went by the alias Zhao Yujia. From Jiang Mu Ming, he comprehended the Dust-Clearing Sword Intent.

Song Yanhui of Peerless City, meanwhile, grasped the Peerless Sword Intent.

Each gained something in their own way.

But in the end, only a minority could truly derive martial arts from Jiang Mu Ming's poem.

As the hour drew to a close, the examinees below the stage grew frantic, nearly burning holes through the verses with their eyes.