The Young Man Drew His Sword to Cleave the Phenomenon, Entering Stillness in a Single Thought

Two precious manuals with bright yellow covers fell into An Le's hands just like that.

"The 'Five Animal Body Tempering Technique' is considered a fairly advanced method within Lin Manor. Since you are not a member of Lin Manor, I cannot give you our core body-tempering manuals. But this will be sufficient. At least through the first five realms of body tempering, it will not differ too greatly from top-tier methods. Should you encounter an opportunity in the future, you may choose a superior method to replace it."

Madam Hua sipped her tea and said evenly, "As for the 'Sword Waterfall Diagram,' it is a top-tier cultivation method for Spirit Refining. It is a personal gift from me to you. Should you have any doubts during cultivation, you may ask me. I cultivated the 'Sword Waterfall Diagram' in my youth as well. Though I have since changed my cultivation method, I still have some insights."

"Of course, if you do not encounter some great opportunity in this life, the 'Sword Waterfall Diagram' alone will be enough to temper your mind."

Madam Hua introduced the two manuals to An Le.

Whether it was the "Five Animal Body Tempering Technique" or the "Sword Waterfall Diagram," neither was a manual that ordinary outside factions could obtain. It could be said that An Le had encountered a great opportunity during this trip to Lin Manor!

The Sword Waterfall Diagram had even been cultivated by Madam Hua in her youth, so it was naturally extraordinary.

An Le was overjoyed inwardly, feeling that this trip had not been in vain.

"Alright. First, look through the manuals here in Water Pavilion Hall. As for me, I will present this painting of yours to Old Madam for her to see. Whether you can remain in Lin Manor will still depend on Old Madam's wishes."

Madam Hua rose, no longer continuing the conversation with An Le.

An Le rose as well and cupped his hands in salute. Learning that the painting would be shown to Old Madam, he still felt somewhat nervous and uneasy.

If he could remain in Lin Manor, then boundless opportunities awaited An Le.

There were many cultivators within Lin Manor. Just taking a stroll through Lin Manor every day would let An Le pluck Time Qi to his heart's content.

If his painting was not selected, then although Madam Hua had said he could come ask her about mind-refining methods, without any status, An Le would feel rather embarrassed visiting Lin Manor every day.

"Ninth Sister, Zhuifeng, keep Young Master An company. I will go to Tianbo Tower to see Old Madam."

Madam Hua said.

Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin both nodded.

Madam Hua rolled up An Le's Sketch Portrait and gracefully headed toward the Eight-Treasure Double-Eave Dripping Tianbo Tower, from which wisps of smoke drifted.

"Young Master An, after you finish painting the young masters, could you paint one for Ninth Sister and me too?"

"We truly like your paintings." Lin Zhuifeng grinned.

Perhaps because An Le had received Madam Hua's approval, Lin Zhuifeng's attitude had become more familiar and friendly.

"Of course." An Le agreed with a smile. His chance to enter Lin Manor and receive this opportunity had all come from Lin Qingyin's discerning eye. Naturally, he would not refuse, nor did he have any reason to.

"Then thank you, Young Master An. Alright, Zhuifeng, let us not disturb Young Master An as he reads the manuals." Ninth Sister Lin Qingyin said with a soft laugh.

Then she took Lin Zhuifeng away from the main hall. They strolled along the Great Pond, scattering crumbs of steamed buns to tease the ornamental fish in the water.

An Le withdrew his gaze, drew a deep breath, then let it out, calming the excitement in his heart.

After some thought, he placed the "Five Animal Body Tempering Technique" aside, picked up the "Sword Waterfall Diagram," and slowly opened it.

Eight-Treasure Double-Eave Dripping Tianbo Tower.

Inside the tower, sandalwood incense lingered, its smoke spreading from the carved wooden windows.

After ascending the tower, Madam Hua held the painting scroll and quietly knelt upon a meditation cushion, silently waiting for the old person in the room to finish chanting scriptures.

Perhaps sensing Madam Hua's arrival, the chanting gradually slowed.

"Jiebing, have you selected the painter?"

An aged voice came from within the room.

Madam Hua slowly raised her head. Her long lashes trembled lightly as she looked into the room. Beyond the screen painted with ink-wash mountains and rivers, she could see an old, bent-backed figure turning as though looking toward her.

Even through the screen, Madam Hua could feel that weighty, unfathomable gaze.

"Old Madam, I have chosen one. This is the painter's work. Please examine it."

Madam Hua said softly.

Using her Primordial Spirit to control An Le's Sketch Portrait, she sent it drifting into the room.

The Sketch Portrait fell behind the screen, and the elder held the painting and slowly unfolded it.

The elder's reflected silhouette upon the screen stiffened slightly.

After a long while, a sigh came. "This painter... can paint with such lifelike detail. This capture of spirit—it is as though I were personally witnessing your farewell with Eldest Brother..."

"This painter is very special."

"Jiebing, there is no need to choose any further. Let it be him."

The elder's voice was gentle.

Madam Hua lightly pursed her red lips. "Thank you, Old Madam."

The scroll drifted out from the room and fell into Hua Jiebing's hands. Hua Jiebing rose and dipped slightly in a curtsy, intending to turn and leave.

"Jiebing."

Suddenly, the elder behind the screen spoke again.

Madam Hua stopped and turned back in confusion. "What are your instructions?"

The elder inside seemed to fall silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"For this Palace Examination, His Majesty has chosen two rewards. Among them... is Eldest Brother's Golden Edge Blade, 'Calm the Waves.'"

The elder's words fell.

Madam Hua's delicate body trembled sharply.

After a long while, Madam Hua gracefully dipped in a curtsy. "This concubine understands... This concubine will endure it."

With those words, Madam Hua left Tianbo Tower.

After a long while, another sigh came from behind the screen.

"Alas, I truly have grown old..."

Before his eyes lay a complex preface, which An Le silently studied.

"Ancient sages observed Heaven, examined numbers, verified through the Changes, reasoned through measures, drew from the body, proved through things, exhaustively comprehended their principles, and established them as five, using methods to teach others..."

After reading the preface, he continued turning the pages and came upon the contents of the Sword Waterfall Diagram, illustrations accompanied by text.

On the first diagram was a sword. Patterns ran across its blade, intertwining with one another. With only a single glance, An Le felt as though the sword had come alive. His temples throbbed faintly, and a needle-like sensation spread from within his mind. It was not painful, but it was uncomfortable.

After observing the image for a moment, An Le could not help but look away, breathing lightly.

"The Sword Waterfall Diagram's first image contains only one sword. How can that become a waterfall? If swords formed a waterfall, how sharp would it be? How could the mind withstand it? Wouldn't one be carved into a thousand holes by that sword waterfall?"

An Le exhaled and closed his eyes to recover for a while.

Then he opened his eyes and hurriedly flipped through the pages. Sure enough, the subsequent diagrams contained more and more swords. By the end, a single diagram held what seemed to be tens of thousands of suspended swords, like a flying waterfall plunging down from the Ninth Heaven!

It was too terrifying, like being sliced into a thousand pieces.

But if a person's mind could endure the impact of such a sword waterfall, how powerful would it become?

At that thought, An Le's heart grew heated once more.

The First Realm of Spirit Refining was Entering Stillness.

The Sword Waterfall Diagram contained an explanation as well: observe the diagram and enter stillness; let the mind sink within, ignoring all external disturbances; sense the Light Peace Phenomenon. At that time, one would develop the illusion that one's body was growing ever larger, so large that it filled Heaven and earth.

Once that phenomenon faded, and one's mind became empty and lucid, one would have entered stillness.

The method of entering stillness in the Sword Waterfall Diagram was to observe the Sword Waterfall Diagram and cut away the five tangled branches of distraction, thereby sensing Light Peace and entering stillness.

An Le naturally could not accomplish this yet. The stabbing pain in his mind after observing the diagram prevented him from calming down.

Yet An Le did not give up. He flipped back to the first page and continued studying the sword diagram.

Water Pavilion Hall was quiet. In the gentle spring breeze, the young man sat upright in a sandalwood chair, holding the bright yellow manual like a sculpture.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

An Le persisted in observing the sword diagram for longer and longer.

He even felt as though he were about to touch the state of Entering Stillness.

"Is this the enhancement of the Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit... and the Sword Dancer Dao Fruit?"

Understanding dawned in An Le's heart.

The Time Dao Fruit, Sword Dancer, bestowed enhanced comprehension upon all things related to swords. The Sword Waterfall Diagram was naturally related to swords.

The Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit provided enhancement during cultivation. Under the combined reinforcement of the two, An Le had been able to rapidly approach Entering Stillness.

But An Le was still not satisfied.

The feeling of being stuck at Entering Stillness without being able to enter it was agonizing.

Since that was the case, a thought stirred in his mind.

A light screen hazily appeared before him.

Name: An Le

Time Qi: 3 strands

Time Dao Fruits: Cultivation Genius (0/10), Sword Dancer (0/10)

Cultivation Methods Mastered: "Qi Induction Breathing Technique" (1 strand), "Sword Waterfall Diagram" (0 strands)

Skills Mastered: "Zhao Ancestor Long Fist (Incomplete)" (1 strand)

He still had three strands of Time Qi. Earlier, he had painstakingly drawn a strand of golden Time Qi from Madam Hua. After that, An Le had been unable to continue absorbing Time Qi, even if he changed targets.

An Le guessed that it was probably related to Madam Hua's excessively powerful cultivation.

But that was not a major issue. It was not what An Le cared about now.

He now planned to use up his Time Qi, but he did not know which option he should enhance.

Should he enhance the "Sword Waterfall Diagram"? But the enhancement from Time Qi would merely let An Le become more familiar with the operation of the "Sword Waterfall Diagram" more quickly.

An Le's problem now was not that he did not know how to operate it. With the enhancement of two Time Dao Fruits, he had already mastered the First Diagram of Sword Waterfall. The problem was that he was stuck at the bottleneck of Entering Stillness.

Therefore, An Le decided to place all three strands of Time Qi into the Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit. What he lacked now was just that tiny bit of comprehension!

One strand, two strands, three strands!

Cultivation Genius (3/10)

Grey Time Qi burned in curling wisps. Images flashed rapidly past: Captain Huang practicing his blade in the rain, Lin Zhuifeng wielding her staff amid the snow. They were all moments when they had mastered martial arts, their hearts brimming with accomplishment.

And with every burn of Time Qi, An Le felt himself undergo an almost imperceptible transformation.

Previously trapped at the bottleneck of Entering Stillness, he broke through the shackles as naturally as water flowed into a channel. The Light Peace Phenomenon appeared.

Within his mind, his entire being seemed to grow larger and larger, so vast that even the heavens and the universe could not contain him!

Heaven and earth fell silent.

Within the water pavilion, the young man's breathing was long and faint.

The first sword diagram of the Sword Waterfall Diagram grew ever clearer before his eyes.

Within An Le's mind, his consciousness rose and fell, seeming to transform into a streak of sword light that cleaved through the Light Peace Phenomenon and roamed between Heaven and earth.

Below Tianbo Tower.

Madam Hua had just emerged from the entrance holding the painting when her delicate brows lifted slightly. Across the Great Pond, she looked toward the main hall of the water pavilion.

There, she saw the young man seemingly wield a sword to cleave apart the Light Peace Phenomenon...

Entering Stillness in a single thought.