Descending the Mountain

This time, the sword dao insights flooding into Ye Feng's mind were even more violent and sharper than the Cloud Soaring Sword Art! It was as if a fierce gale were raging through his Sea of Consciousness! Countless sword movements, sword stances, and sword principles fused together, and the Gale Sword instantly reached the Perfection Realm!

Just when he thought everything was over, a sudden change occurred!

Ye Feng felt that the violent Gale Sword Intent in his mind had not calmed after reaching the Perfection Realm.

Instead, it began to condense and transform!

An incomparably sharp intent, as though it could slice apart heaven and earth, sprang forth from the depths of Ye Feng's soul!

Ye Feng instinctively drew the Iron Sword from the corner of the wall. Without using any movements, he merely swung it forward on instinct.

Sssht!

An invisible, razor-sharp aura shot from the sword tip, silently slicing through the air before striking the wooden wall opposite him.

There was no earth-shaking crash, but Ye Feng clearly saw a thin sword scar, over an inch deep, appear on the hard wooden wall!

That sword scar had not been caused by the Iron Sword itself—it was... pure Sword Intent!

"This is... Sword Intent?!" Ye Feng's eyes widened, his face filled with incredulous ecstasy. "I actually comprehended Sword Intent?!"

Sword Intent!

This was no ordinary martial skill realm! It was a unique force of will formed by fusing one's understanding of the sword dao into one's soul! A swordsman who possessed Sword Intent would undergo a qualitative leap in combat power—invincible among those of the same realm, with fighting above one's level as commonplace as eating and drinking!

Even in great sects, disciples capable of comprehending Sword Intent were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns—monster-level talents!

Ye Feng had never imagined that modifying the Gale Sword to the Perfection Realm would bring such a surprise, allowing him to directly comprehend a Nascent Sword Intent!

"No... this is only a nascent form..." Ye Feng sensed the sharp intent within him. Though powerful, it was not yet condensed enough. "What if... what if I use the system to modify this Nascent Sword Intent?"

An even bolder idea sprouted in his heart!

"System! I want to modify the production date of the 'Nascent Sword Intent' within me! Set it to ten years from now!" Ye Feng shouted inwardly without hesitation.

[Command received! Modifying the production date of "Nascent Sword Intent"...]

[Modification successful! Time has been set to ten years later.]

Bzzzz—

The instant the system notification ended, Ye Feng felt as though his soul had been cast into a colossal sword furnace. Countless true meanings of the sword dao and razor-sharp intents surged in wildly, tempering and merging with him!

His aura abruptly skyrocketed! A sharp aura far surpassing the one before shot into the sky, and even the air throughout the small wooden hut seemed to be sliced into fragments! The sunlight streaming through the window appeared to twist as well!

Ye Feng's gaze turned incomparably sharp, like a peerless divine sword drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed!

After a long while, that terrifyingly sharp aura slowly withdrew, finally merging into Ye Feng's body and becoming restrained yet profound.

Ye Feng slowly opened his eyes. A gleam flashed through them and vanished, while an utterly satisfied smile rose at the corner of his lips.

"Sword Intent... true Sword Intent! I succeeded! I actually comprehended true Sword Intent while still in the Body Refining Realm!"

He could clearly feel that his understanding of the sword dao had reached an unimaginable level. With every gesture, he could stir the sword spiritual energy between heaven and earth!

This was Sword Intent! True Sword Intent!

Stormy waves surged through Ye Feng's heart! He knew what comprehending Sword Intent meant! It meant that among those of the same realm—even when facing opponents one or two minor realms above him—he would be invincible!

"Comprehending Sword Intent in the Body Refining Realm... there probably aren't more than a few people like that in the entire Tianyuan Continent, are there?" Ye Feng drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his excitement. "This must not be exposed lightly! Otherwise, it will certainly cause an enormous uproar and may even draw assassination attempts from other hostile sects! A common man is innocent, but he is guilty for possessing a jade!"

The rarity and power of Sword Intent were enough to drive any faction mad.

After calming down, Ye Feng's gaze became incomparably resolute.

With a Human-grade High-tier Martial Skill at the Perfection Realm, and true Sword Intent—

The championship of the Inner Sect Selection Competition was already his for the taking!

Ten Low-grade Spirit Stones, come to me!

"Still, the most urgent matter is breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm as soon as possible!" Ye Feng's eyes flickered.

"Only by breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm can I absorb Spirit Stones, use the system to modify the time of Spirit Stones, and unlock the system's hundred-year modification authority! Only then can my strength undergo another explosive surge!"

And to break through to the Qi Gathering Realm, aside from accumulated cultivation, he also needed some supplementary pills, such as Qi Gathering Pills.

All of that required money!

"Looks like the rewards from the Inner Sect Selection Competition alone won't be enough." Ye Feng rubbed his chin. "I need to find a way to earn another sum before the competition!"

He glanced out the window. It was still early.

"No time to lose. I'll pack some simple provisions and head down the mountain! I'll check out the nearby market and see whether I can pick up any money-making jobs, or hunt some demonic beasts in exchange for resources!"

After quickly packing up, Ye Feng took his Iron Sword and the little loose silver he had, then strode resolutely out of the small wooden hut toward the foot of Feiyun Sect's mountain.

Resources! Resources were what he needed most right now!

To break through to the Qi Gathering Realm, and for the path of cultivation ahead, he had to take the initiative and earn his first pot of gold!

Feiyun Sect's mountain gate towered high, wreathed in clouds and mist.

At the foot of the mountain, a bustling small town nestled against the mountain range. Carriages and people flowed endlessly through its streets, voices rising in a deafening clamor—a complete contrast to the secluded, ascetic atmosphere of the sect above.

This was Black Forest Town.

Ye Feng stood at the town entrance, taking in the bustling scene before him, a trace of understanding flashing through his eyes.

Black Forest Town, as its name implied, was named for the vast, boundless Black Wind Forest at its back.

It was the most important town at the foot of Feiyun Sect's mountain and one of the foremost gathering places for cultivators within a hundred li.

Most cultivators traveling north and south had come for Black Wind Forest.

Some sought to hunt the Fierce Beasts in the forest for materials such as hides, sinews, bones, and inner cores; some intended to venture deep into the forest in search of rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures; others were merely passing through, stopping here to restock and rest.

As a result, the town saw an immense flow of people. Shops, inns, and auction houses stood row upon row, brimming with noise and vitality.

Wearing the Outer Court disciple robes marked with Feiyun Sect's signature cloud patterns, Ye Feng naturally drew quite a few looks as he walked through the crowd.

As one of the Four Great Sects of Yan Nan State in the Yan Kingdom, Feiyun Sect was renowned far and wide. Its disciples naturally received a measure of awe and attention when traveling outside.

Ye Feng, however, paid it no mind.

All he could think about now was earning Cultivation Resources and achieving a Breakthrough to the Qi Gathering Realm as soon as possible.

Without lingering at the town entrance, he headed straight into the depths of town and found an inn that appeared fairly clean and tidy, where he settled in.

"First, I'll fill my stomach. Then I'll head to Black Wind Forest." Ye Feng made up his mind.

Cultivation consumed enormous amounts of energy, and he had left the sect in a hurry, so he had not eaten anything yet.

The inn's main hall was packed to the brim, with scarcely an empty seat in sight. Most of the patrons were cultivators with fierce, imposing auras.

Finding a random seat in a corner, Ye Feng ordered several house specialties and a jug of Spirit Rice Brew.

Before long, the food and wine were brought over.

Ye Feng was indeed hungry. Not caring about his appearance, he dug in with gusto.

Having cultivated to the Body Refining Tenth Level, his appetite had grown considerably as well.

Just as Ye Feng was eating with great relish, the conversation of several cultivators at the neighboring table drifted into his ears.