Su Changyu left.
But he soon came back.
It was not because he had forgotten anything. Mainly, the more Su Changyu thought about it, the more frightened he became.
After all, that sword technique from earlier had been something he made up on the spot.
The opening stance really was from the River Sword Technique, but the few moves in the middle had all been fabricated by him. They were the sort of sword moves that looked grand and majestic, yet would be utterly useless in actual combat.
Ye Ping was rather straightforward. Su Changyu feared that Ye Ping might be too straightforward; if he went astray and fell into demonic cultivation, that would be troublesome.
So Su Changyu came back.
He planned to have Ye Ping demonstrate it once for him, then repeatedly remind him of a few things. That way, Ye Ping would not become overly fixated on it.
Very soon, Su Changyu arrived at the Back Cliff.
Ye Ping was not practicing his sword. Instead, he sat with his eyes closed, steadying his mind, as though pondering something.
"Junior Brother."
Su Changyu called out. Ye Ping immediately opened his eyes, looking puzzled.
"Senior Brother, why have you come back?"
Ye Ping was rather curious. He had only just sat down and was contemplating the Heavenly River Sword Technique. He had not expected Su Changyu to return.
"Junior Brother, demonstrate the Heavenly River Sword Technique from earlier once for your senior brother. I am worried that you may not be suited to this sword technique."
Su Changyu went straight to the point without any attempt at subtlety.
"Oh, all right."
Ye Ping nodded, then picked up the treasure sword beside him.
"Senior Brother, could you wait a moment? I had a few thoughts just now and would like to think them through."
Ye Ping felt a little nervous.
After all, demonstrating swordsmanship before an unparalleled master of the sword path—was that not like wielding a broadsword before Guan Gong?
Especially since he had only watched it once, Ye Ping feared making a mistake, so he wanted to think it over first.
"That is fine. Your senior brother will wait."
Su Changyu did not think much of it.
"Then please wait a moment, Senior Brother."
Ye Ping said nothing more. Standing where he was, he closed his eyes and began contemplating the sword technique.
The sword moves instantly appeared in Ye Ping's mind.
Within his mind, layers upon layers of sword shadows emerged.
The nine sword moves were continuously being deduced.
This Heavenly River Sword Technique possessed a vast and majestic Sword Momentum. In his mind, the Sword Moves were exquisitely intricate, carrying an incomparable sense of suppression.
It was as if he faced not a river, but a boundless ocean.
But why was it called the Heavenly River Sword Technique?
For a time, Ye Ping sank into deep thought.
But after a while, Ye Ping suddenly understood.
What was the Heavenly River?
The Milky Way hanging above the firmament was the Heavenly River.
The Heavenly River was the Milky Way.
No ocean could compare to the vastness of the Milky Way.
In that instant, Ye Ping completely comprehended it.
Not far away.
Su Changyu's legs were starting to go numb.
He regretted coming over, and he was even more depressed. Why was Ye Ping's memory so poor?
Why did he need so long to think over the sword moves Su Changyu had just demonstrated?
Could he not hurry up?
I am so tired.
Could you hurry up already?
Just as Su Changyu's thoughts ran wild.
Ye Ping suddenly drew his sword.
Whoosh.
It was the sound of waves.
Not the cry of a sword, but the roar of ocean waves.
In an instant, Su Changyu froze.
Ye Ping's Sword Momentum surged like a rainbow. After unleashing the first move, he smoothly flowed into the next like drifting clouds and running water.
Every move was like a crashing wave.
Each move was stronger than the last.
The twentieth move.
The fiftieth move.
The hundredth move.
Su Changyu was dumbfounded. He had only demonstrated nine moves for Ye Ping just now—how had there already been more than a hundred moves?
Moreover, the further Ye Ping went, the more powerful his aura became, like waves within a vast ocean.
Wave after wave, layer upon layer, endlessly stacking upon one another.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A fierce gale swept through the area. Within several dozen meters, every dead branch and fallen leaf was swept into the air, while ancient trees trembled one after another.
This was not Sword Momentum.
These were merely Sword Moves. As Ye Ping continuously swung his sword, the withered leaves actually rose and fell like ocean waves.
Boom.
The three hundred and sixty-fifth move.
Ye Ping thrust out with his sword.
An explosion rang out in an instant.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Ten meters before Ye Ping, sand and stones flew everywhere, shattered rocks stood in jagged heaps, and the dreadful explosions were deafening.
Yet Su Changyu himself was already utterly stunned.
Was this really the Heavenly River Sword Technique I taught him just now?
Su Changyu stood rooted to the spot.
It was clear that Ye Ping's Sword Momentum bore traces of what Su Changyu had taught earlier, but the difference in their power was like heaven and earth.
Su Changyu did not know how to describe Ye Ping's Sword Momentum.
The only thing he knew was that if he faced Ye Ping in battle, he should probably prepare his coffin in advance.
After all, although he was utterly ordinary, he was still a fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator.
And Ye Ping did not even have any cultivation, yet he was this strong?
Was there still any justice in this world?
Was there still any law?
I am so jealous.
Coming back to his senses, Su Changyu's sourness soared to the heavens.
He truly had not expected Ye Ping to comprehend that bullshit Heavenly River Sword Technique within a mere hour.
He was both furious and jealous.
Not far away, Ye Ping withdrew his sword and looked toward Su Changyu, a trace of nervousness on his face.
"Senior Brother, this junior brother's aptitude is dull. I fear I have failed to display the essence of this sword technique."
Ye Ping spoke honestly.
Because he felt that this sword technique was extraordinarily unique, far more profound than the Four Thunder Sword Technique. It was definitely not as simple as three hundred and sixty-five sword moves.
The sword of the Heavenly River.
"It is indeed rather ordinary. Still, being able to demonstrate three hundred and sixty-five moves in such a short time is passable enough. All right, Junior Brother, continue pondering it."
Su Changyu said lightly.
But inwardly, he felt utterly miserable.
He did not want to speak anymore.
He turned and left directly.
Watching Su Changyu leave, Ye Ping instinctively assumed his aptitude was too dull, which was why Su Changyu was unwilling to say more.
Thinking of this, Ye Ping could not help taking a deep breath.
"Senior Brother, do not worry. I will definitely work hard and strive to reach one percent of your level in my lifetime."
Ye Ping declared with absolute conviction.
Su Changyu nearly stumbled and fell to the ground.
One percent of me?
Are you insulting me?
Killing a man was one thing; stabbing him in the heart was another.
Stabbing him in the heart!
Fine. Fine.
Junior Brother, oh Junior Brother.
I, Su Changyu, swear that I will definitely make up a sword technique that even you cannot learn.
I refuse to believe that you can learn everything.
If you can learn my next sword technique too—
I will swallow every flying sword in Jin Kingdom right in front of you.
I will dip them in sauce before swallowing them.
Su Changyu clenched his hand tightly beneath his robe. He swore in his heart that he would definitely create a sword manual Ye Ping could not comprehend.
Definitely! Definitely! Definitely!
He had been struck too hard.
Right now, he only wanted to be alone in peace.
And so.
Time passed until deep into the night.
Within the Qingyun Dao Sect, Xu Luochen held a book as he walked outside his room, his brows tightly furrowed.
"The four main ingredients of the Blood Replenishing Pill are Benefit Grass, Blood Vine, Withered Heart Root, Good Supplement Leaf. The nine supplementary ingredients are..."
Xu Luochen muttered to himself, reciting something.
But soon, he picked up the book in his hand, glanced at it, and could not help muttering to himself.
"Wrong again. It is not Withered Heart Root. Withered Heart Root is the main ingredient for the Sudden Death Pill. Xu Luochen, Xu Luochen, why can you still not remember? The Alchemist Assessment is coming soon. If you fail again this time, it will be your eighth failure."
Xu Luochen lamented bitterly.
But soon, Xu Luochen spotted a figure on the distant cliff.
It was Su Changyu.
He stood alone, quietly gazing at the stars filling the sky, looking incomparably desolate.
"Senior Brother's condition has been getting worse and worse lately."
"Sigh, Senior Brother simply has no patience. Even if Junior Brother's aptitude is poor, it should not be this bad, right?"
"Is it not just poor aptitude? Whose aptitude in our Qingyun Dao Sect is not poor? He does not have the slightest bit of patience."
"As a role model for others, he has no patience at all. He gets crushed by the slightest setback. He truly cannot be entrusted with great responsibility. How will he take the Sect Leader's position in the future?"
"Tomorrow, I will go teach that junior brother myself. I will give Senior Brother a proper lesson and let him know what it means to be a master and teacher."
Xu Luochen could not help shaking his head, looking thoroughly dismissive. Then he continued reciting the pill formula.
Before you continue