Where Did That Sword Cultivator Go?

Clang!

The wooden blocks overhead were blasted away.

Xu Xiaoshou stood up from his collapsed room, naked and utterly bewildered.

"This was the first move of the White Cloud Sword Technique: Leisurely White Clouds?"

"Was this freaking modified by some demon?"

With a single slash, he had chopped the entire room into pieces. Was this really the White Cloud Sword Technique he had practiced for three years and never dared use in public?

Even Xu Xiaoshou himself could hardly believe it!

That move, Leisurely White Clouds—its draw, trajectory, form, and intent were all the same as before, yet its very flavor had been completely reborn.

This Sword Mastery was truly rather terrifying.

It had forcibly poured countless experiences of the sword path into him. Since Xu Xiaoshou already had a foundation in sword practice, he was actually able to put them to use right away.

He took some clothes from his ring and put them on, then walked out of the ruins, momentarily at a loss for words.

He had only intended to test a single sword strike. He had never imagined he would tear the house apart.

Still, being able to witness the power of his strike with his own eyes... this house had not died in vain.

Once he relaxed, weakness immediately washed over him. That one slash had actually drained all his spiritual power.

Xu Xiaoshou took out a Spirit Crystal and lightly drew in a breath of its energy to recover. After being tormented by the Spirit Refining Pill last time, his body seemed to have developed some resistance.

He only had a small taste and stopped there. Nothing serious happened.

As his body gave a slight shudder, he discovered that his Qi Sea had grown considerably.

"I broke through?"

Xu Xiaoshou confirmed it again and again. He had indeed broken through to the sixth realm, without question. And it was not merely the initial stage—he had reached the peak of the sixth realm, only a sheet of paper away from the seventh.

He had broken through without even realizing it?

He recalled that scene within the illusion. It must have been when he comprehended the Dao; his realm had been swept open along with it!

But this sweep had gone a little too far...

It had taken him only three days to break through the fifth realm. After that crazed battle in the group stage, he had finally stabilized his realm and had wanted to go through a proper transition period.

Yet he had broken through again!

Others worried that breakthroughs came too slowly. This fellow, on the other hand, was worried that cultivating so quickly would leave his foundation unstable.

But he was clearly overthinking it. A breakthrough born from enlightenment naturally fit the Great Dao perfectly—how could there be any question of an unstable foundation? Breaking through only one realm at a time was actually rather little.

A true genius could, in a single enlightenment, step from Houtian into the Innate Stage!

Two figures flew in from the horizon. Xu Xiaoshou looked over. Only Innate Stage experts could travel through the air like that.

Xiao Qixiu, Elder Qiao? What were they doing here? That sword strike had not made that much noise, had it?

Xu Xiaoshou was puzzled. His courtyard had a soundproof array, and that slash had been completely silent. At most, the room had made some noise when it collapsed. How had it alerted two elders? "Xu Xiaoshou?" The instant he landed, Elder Qiao spoke in surprise.

"This is your courtyard?" When Xiao Qixiu saw the youth, confusion flickered through his eyes. Was this not the masochist from the group stage who possessed an Innate Physique yet willingly served as a punching bag? "Greetings, Elders."

Xu Xiaoshou cupped his hands slightly. With outsiders present, he had to give Elder Qiao this much face. "It is indeed my courtyard."

Xiao Qixiu carefully examined the Sword Intent in the surroundings and confirmed that it had originated here.

In truth, one could tell just by looking. The room had been cut to such a state—how could nothing have happened?

He pointed at the collapsed, shattered house. "What happened here?"

"Uh..."

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated. He had wanted to conceal it, but the situation clearly would not allow it, so he honestly said, "I was testing my sword just now and accidentally cut it into this state."

Suspected, Passive Value +2.

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

I knew it!

Even when I tell the truth, this is the result!

You people just look down on me, Xu Xiaoshou, right? Just say it outright, will you?! Xiao Qixiu frowned. If he had not personally seen this brat's Innate Physique, he might almost have believed his nonsense.

He knew how difficult it was to cultivate an Innate Physique, and he also knew how difficult it was to cultivate Acquired Sword Intent.

How could both possibly gather in someone who was only at the sixth realm of Spirit Refinement?

If he had such talent, he would not have remained in the outer court for a full three years. He would have entered the Innate Stage long ago and been accepted into the inner court.

Elder Qiao was not nearly so restrained. He stepped forward and slapped Xu Xiaoshou on the head.

"Oh ho, so impressive?"

"You do not even bother drafting your lies first?"

"Last time, I was wrong not to believe in your Innate Physique. But this time, if you are saying this Acquired Sword Intent was cultivated by you too..."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Hehe!"

At any other time, Xu Xiaoshou would have argued with him. Yet now he was stunned. Acquired Sword Intent? Had this been brought to him by Sword Mastery? But why had he not noticed? Mm...

A passive skill...

Of course he would not be able to notice it!

Xu Xiaoshou had truly never expected that his sword strike contained Acquired Sword Intent. No wonder the house had been slashed apart, and no wonder the two before him had come to investigate.

One had to know that sword cultivators were several times harder to cultivate than ordinary Spirit Refinement practitioners. The existence of Acquired Sword Intent alone had trapped countless geniuses to death.

But clearly, Xu Xiaoshou was not among them.

Faced with Elder Qiao's suspicion, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly wanted to laugh again.

Back at the Spirit Affairs Pavilion, when Innate Physique had been brought up, this fellow had acted exactly the same way. After the group stage ended, had he not come running over obediently to admit it smelled good? What right did this old fellow have to doubt him?

Xu Xiaoshou laughed inwardly, but he obviously could not say that aloud. He pointed seriously behind him. "This is my house. Other than me, who else could have done it?"

"Ah!"

Elder Qiao sighed and earnestly said, "I know you have become far more arrogant since coming out of seclusion. Being young and reckless is fine, but everything must have its limits, must it not?"

Xu Xiaoshou curled his lips. That is not arrogance, all right? I was forced into it. My nature is actually pure and kind.

Elder Qiao continued, "See? Now all the people you offended have come to seek revenge. But at least they spared you. They only destroyed the house and did not take your life, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

What kind of imagination is that?

Your imagination has opened so wide that there must be nothing but potholes in your head. You even came up with enemies coming to my door for revenge...

I, Xu Xiaoshou, have always worked diligently and conscientiously. What life-and-death enemies could I possibly have? Seeing the stunned expression on his face, Elder Qiao immediately put on an expression of having everything under control, his words practically declaring, Just as I expected.

"Tell me, who was that sword cultivator..."

"Uh, if you are embarrassed, forget it. After all, you did have an entire house destroyed."

"How about this? You do not need to say his name. Just point out which direction he went. Elder Xiao and I will find him ourselves!"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned by Elder Qiao's ability to fill in the blanks and did not want to speak.

He looked toward Xiao Qixiu. This man was a sword cultivator; he should be more reliable. So Xu Xiaoshou sent him an inquiring look.

Xiao Qixiu nodded lightly, looking entirely agreeable.

"The humiliation of having your house destroyed can be repaid another day."

"Tell us, where exactly did that sword cultivator go?"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

These two would rather believe in an imaginary person he had fabricated out of thin air than believe that Xu Xiaoshou had comprehended Acquired Sword Intent? He held Hidden Pain in his hand and pointed behind him again, indicating that he himself had used his sword to slash the house apart.

The two looked at him with eyes full of encouragement. "Just say it!"

Xu Xiaoshou deflated. He casually pointed in a direction.

"Keep it up!" Elder Qiao revealed an expression that said the child could still be taught.

"Work hard!" Xiao Qixiu looked deeply gratified.

Encouraged, Passive Value +2.

Xu Xiaoshou plopped down on the ground and looked up at the sky like a deflated ball.

Why? Why does nobody believe me? Everything I said was clearly the truth!

Leisurely white clouds drifted on. They gazed at one another in silence. Only several fallen leaves from the spiritual tree in the courtyard, blown down by Sword Qi, were filled with sorrow.

Xu Xiaoshou moved into a guest room. As for that patch of ruins, he would head to the Spirit Affairs Pavilion tomorrow and post a task for someone else to clean it up. It would only cost a few Spirit Crystals.

After the group stage ended, there was one day of rest. He had to quickly recover to peak condition.

Returning to the red interface in his mind, he saw that he still had over seven thousand Passive Value left.

Xu Xiaoshou thought for a moment, spent all of it on skill points, and then added them to Sharpness.

Sword Mastery had brought him too much knowledge. He needed to digest it properly and could not charge ahead recklessly all at once.

If He Guess was correct, for proficiency-type passive skills like this, every level-up should bring a flood of knowledge like enlightenment crashing down upon one's head.

Before he had fully mastered the move Leisurely White Clouds, he had no intention of upgrading Sword Mastery.

As for upgrading the Breathing Method? Do not joke around. Xu Xiaoshou still intended to live a few more days! Unless his cultivation broke into the Innate Stage, the Breathing Method would remain forever at Houtian Lv.1. There was no why!

Information panel: "..."

Sharpness (Houtian Lv.8).

Xu Xiaoshou raised his right hand. His fingernails had not changed, but his fingers had become much more slender, unexpectedly attractive.

He poked at the ground again.

Ssh! There was no pain!

Like a sword piercing tofu, Xu Xiaoshou thrust even his wrist directly into the stone slab. At that moment, his long, closed fingers resembled a blade.

"Whew!"

Sure enough, it was exactly as he had thought. Once the level rose, the effect became completely different.

This was equivalent to permanently carrying two concealed weapons with him! No, they were open weapons! The sort of open weapons that enemies would basically never guard against! Xu Xiaoshou silently rose to his feet, staring at the small hole in the ground as he fell into thought.

If he faced an enemy in the future and suddenly changed a fist into a thrust...

Tsk tsk!