Five Peaks Swordplay, Atop Cliff of Reflection

A large axe lay beside the skeleton.

Ji Shu said:

"They're all dead. Don't be too scared."

"I was just startled."

Yue Lingshan gently patted her chest and said:

"How strange. How could there be such a hidden cave atop Cliff of Reflection? And there are so many dead people in this cave!"

They walked farther inside.

They saw even more skeletons.

Strange weapons lay scattered across the ground. Most had already broken or decayed away. A small number still appeared sharp, but they did not look like weapons used by righteous sects.

Yue Lingshan grew increasingly perplexed.

Then Ji Shu stopped before a wall and called to her, "Master Yue, look here."

Yue Lingshan stepped forward to examine it closely. Before long, she covered her mouth and cried out:

"Th-this, this is all swordplay from the Five Peaks Sword Sect?!"

"That's right. And they're all exceedingly exquisite Five Peaks Swordplay!"

Ji Shu had already begun studying them carefully.

His swordsmanship had long since reached a transcendent realm. As he examined these sword techniques, a single glance let him survey them from a commanding height. In mere moments, he grasped their essence, and with the aid of his two Supreme Talents, Sword Qi arose within him!

Mount Heng Swordplay! Mount Heng Swordplay! Mount Song Sword Style! Mount Tai Swordplay!

There were also many even more exquisite Mount Hua sword techniques carved here.

In a very short time, Ji Shu had comprehended the essence of all Five Peaks Swordplay. Five kinds of Sword Qi arose within him.

The Sword Qi rang and hummed, as if it might burst free from his body at any moment.

"These sword arts are all quite remarkable. Every one of them is a first-rate sword art no weaker than, or even surpassing, Fierce Wind Swift Sword! They are true superior sword techniques!"

Having absorbed the Five Peaks Swordplay!

Ji Shu's Sword Dao rose another level.

With a single thought from him, his Comprehension Talent began operating automatically. The many marvelous aspects of Five Peaks Swordplay slowly began merging into the sword techniques of the Righteous Qi Sword!

He began practicing his swordsmanship.

Mount Heng Swordplay!

Dense and rigorous, excelling in defense!

After practicing it nine times in succession, nine streams of Sword Qi arose within him!

Mount Song Sword Style!

Solemn and imposing, dignified and majestic!

After practicing it nine times, nine streams of Qi arose within him!

Mount Tai Swordplay!

Once he had practiced all Five Peaks Swordplay, producing many streams of Sword Qi, Ji Shu's face visibly turned pale.

Originally, when Yue Lingshan saw the Five Peaks Swordplay shattered to pieces by all sorts of marvelous moves, she had felt dazed, helpless, and lost. She had even begun doubting the swordsmanship she herself had learned.

But when she saw Ji Shu effortlessly cultivate Five Peaks Sword Qi, she immediately cast aside her confusion and doubts. With Ji Shu here, no matter how formidable others were, they likely could not withstand his sword!

Those people might be able to break other people's Five Peaks Swordplay, but they absolutely could not break Ji Shu's Five Peaks Swordplay!

After Ji Shu had turned the tide, Yue Lingshan had developed an inexplicable confidence in him!

Now, seeing Ji Shu finish practicing the Five Peaks Swordplay and his face begin to pale, her heart lurched. She immediately stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and said anxiously:

"Ji Shu, you can't practice any more. If you keep going, you'll drain your blood and vitality. I'm afraid your life will be in danger."

Ji Shu nodded, sheathed his sword, and smiled faintly.

"These sword techniques were simply too exquisite. I couldn't resist practicing them. Don't worry. I'm no longer the man I used to be. Practicing these sword techniques alone won't drain too much of my blood and vitality."

After reaching completion, both the Jade Breaking Sword Art and Huashan Heart Method could nourish and increase one's blood and vitality.

Ji Shu's blood and vitality now surged like a tide, far surpassing what they had once been.

Otherwise, he would not have dared to practice swordsmanship here directly.

Even so, he did not continue practicing. It was better to take it easy. Once he returned, he could nourish his body and practice again.

"Even so, you can't just act recklessly. If anything happens to you, what am I supposed to do? What about my father and mother? What about our Mount Hua Sect?"

Having spent every day with Ji Shu during this time, and with Ji Shu having saved the Mount Hua Sect from the brink of disaster, Yue Lingshan had clearly already come to see him as one of her own. She spoke very directly.

Ji Shu smiled and nodded. "I'll protect myself."

"Mm. I'll keep an eye on you. I won't let you act recklessly."

Yue Lingshan looked utterly serious.

Ji Shu smiled, then turned to study the peculiar heretical methods used to break the sword moves.

His comprehension was unparalleled. Before long, he had thoroughly understood all these heretical paths as well.

"Ji Shu, you said our Five Peaks Swordplay has all been broken by these people. Is our swordsmanship really that poor? Is there still any point in learning it?"

In the end, Yue Lingshan could not hold it in and asked Ji Shu.

Ji Shu said:

"Why don't you use their methods and see whether you can break my Five Peaks Swordplay?"

"Sure!"

Yue Lingshan's eyes brightened at once, and she immediately left the cave with Ji Shu.

The two arrived at the platform atop the cliff.

Yue Lingshan drew her sword, warned him to be careful, then rushed toward Ji Shu.

Ji Shu employed Five Peaks Swordplay. At times it was grand and magnificent; at others, exquisite as blossoms falling through empty air. Every move and stance was unbound by fixed forms, soaring freely like a celestial horse, uniquely distinctive.

Yue Lingshan was beaten into a desperate scramble. After a long while, she dejectedly leaped out of the fighting circle. "No more, no more. It seems those methods of breaking swordplay are merely heretical paths. Nothing remarkable."

She gave two indignant humphs. "Those Zhang Chengyun and Zhang Chengfeng even claimed they could break all of our Mount Hua swordsmanship. They were simply blowing their own horns. That was only because they had never met you, Ji Shu. If they had, let's see whether they would still dare claim they could break all our Mount Hua swordsmanship!"

Ji Shu nodded and smiled. "No matter what kind of swordsmanship it is, if you do not want others to break it, then do not be too rigid. As long as you can move like drifting clouds and flowing water, going wherever your will leads, others will find it difficult to break your swordsmanship. Your swordsmanship will have already ascended to a realm with no patterns to follow. Naturally, others will find it difficult to see through or break it."

Yue Lingshan's eyes glimmered, but she quickly sagged. "How could I compare to you? You're such a genius. You learn any swordsmanship at a glance. Of course you can move like flowing clouds and water, but I can't."

She deflated. "I think I'm too useless."

Ji Shu comforted her a few times, and Yue Lingshan rallied again. "It's perfectly normal that I can't compare to you, Ji Shu. Even my father and mother can't compare to you. If I'm going to compare myself to anyone, it'll be Second Senior Brother and the others."

She grinned. "Thinking of Second Senior Brother and the others has given me confidence again."

The two joked for a while.

Ji Shu said, "Let's head down the mountain. We should also tell the Sect Leader and Martial Mother about what happened here."

"All right."

Yue Lingshan blinked, suddenly recalling something. "I remember Eldest Senior Brother seemed to have stayed at Cliff of Reflection for some time before. There seemed to be traces of someone having broken open the cave wall. Could it be..."

"You guessed correctly. The secret in that cave must have been discovered long ago."

Upon receiving a definite answer, Yue Lingshan felt sad. "That person must have been Eldest Senior Brother. In recent years, he was the only one who stayed at Cliff of Reflection. He discovered the secret of this Five Peaks Swordplay, so why didn't he tell us?"

Ji Shu found it difficult to say much at this moment.

Although, due to the Players' involvement, Yue Lingshan and Linghu Chong were not as close as they had been depicted in the television dramas and the original work.

They had still grown up together, and under Linghu Chong's guidance, Yue Lingshan had created Chong Ling Swordplay with him.