Youth Wields Sword, Slices Anomalies; A Thought Enters Stillness

Two precious tomes with bright yellow covers landed in An Le's hands.

"The Five Beasts Body Tempering Technique is considered a fairly high-level method within Lin Manor. Since you're not a member of the Lin family, I can't give you our core body-tempering texts, but this will suffice. At least for the first five stages of body tempering, it won't fall far behind top-tier techniques. If you encounter an opportunity in the future, you can switch to a better method."

Madam Hua drank her tea and said flatly, "As for the Sword Waterfall Diagram, it's a top-tier mental cultivation method, a personal gift from me. If you have any doubts during your training, you can ask me. I practiced the Sword Waterfall Diagram in my youth, and though I've since changed my mental method, I still have some insights."

"Of course, if you never encounter a great opportunity in this life, the Sword Waterfall Diagram will be more than enough to temper your mind."

Madam Hua introduced the two texts to An Le.

Both the Five Beasts Body Tempering Technique and the Sword Waterfall Diagram were texts that ordinary forces outside could never obtain. It could be said that this trip to Lin Manor was a great stroke of fortune for An Le!

The Sword Waterfall Diagram, in particular, was a mental method Madam Hua had practiced in her youth—naturally extraordinary.

An Le's heart swelled with joy. He felt this trip had been well worth it.

"Alright, you can browse the texts here in Water Pavilion Hall for now. I'll take this painting of yours to show Old Madam. Whether you can stay in Lin Manor depends on her decision."

Madam Hua rose, signaling the end of their conversation.

An Le also stood and bowed. Knowing the painting was to be shown to Old Madam, he felt a mix of nervousness and anxiety.

If he could stay in Lin Manor, the opportunities for An Le would be boundless.

With so many cultivators in Lin Manor, just passing through every day would let him harvest Time Qi to his heart's content.

If the painting wasn't chosen, Madam Hua had said he could still come to her with questions about mental cultivation methods. But without a proper status, An Le would feel awkward visiting Lin Manor every day.

"Ninth Sister, Zhuifeng, keep Young Master An company. I'll 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 walked gracefully toward the Eight-Treasure Double-Eave Dripping Tianbo Tower, where wisps of smoke curled into the air.

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

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

Perhaps because Madam Hua had acknowledged An Le, Lin Zhuifeng's attitude grew more familiar and friendly.

"Of course, I can." An Le smiled and agreed. He owed this opportunity at Lin Manor to Lin Qingyin's keen eye, so he had no reason to refuse.

"Then many thanks, Young Master An. Alright, Zhuifeng, let's not disturb Young Master An while he reads the texts." Ninth Sister Lin Qingyin said with a light laugh.

Then she pulled Lin Zhuifeng away from the main hall. They strolled by the Great Pond, taking crumbs of steamed bread to tease the ornamental fish in the water.

An Le withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly to calm his excitement.

After a moment's thought, he set aside the Five Beasts Body Tempering Technique and picked up the Sword Waterfall Diagram, flipping it open slowly.

Inside the Eight-Treasure Double-Eave Dripping Tianbo Tower.

The scent of sandalwood lingered, and the smoke from burning incense drifted through the carved wooden windows.

After ascending the tower, Madam Hua held the painting and knelt quietly on a cushion, waiting in silence as the old man inside the room chanted scriptures.

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

"Jiebing, have you chosen a painter?"

An aged voice came from within the room.

Madam Hua slowly raised her head, her long lashes trembling slightly as she looked inside. Behind a screen painted with landscapes of mountains and rivers, an old man with a hunched back turned as if to look at her.

Even through the screen, Madam Hua could feel his heavy, profound gaze.

"Old Madam, I've chosen. This is the painter's work. Please take a look."

Madam Hua said softly.

Using her Primordial Spirit, she sent An Le's Sketch Portrait floating into the room.

The painting landed behind the screen. The old man took it and slowly unrolled it.

The old man's silhouette reflected on the screen stiffened slightly.

After a long pause, a sigh came: "This painter... can capture such lifelike detail. The essence he's caught is like witnessing your farewell to Eldest Brother in person..."

"This painter is very special."

"Jiebing, no need to choose further. It's him."

The old man's voice was gentle.

Madam Hua heard this and pressed her red lips together lightly: "Thank you, Old Madam."

The painting floated out from the room and into Hua Jiebing's hands. She rose, Slightly Bowed, and turned to leave.

"Jiebing."

Suddenly, the old man behind the screen spoke again.

Madam Hua stopped and looked back in confusion: "Do you have any instructions?"

The old man in the room seemed to fall silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

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

The old man's words fell.

Madam Hua's delicate frame trembled violently.

After a long time, Madam Hua gracefully bowed. "This Concubine understands... This Concubine will hold back."

With those words, Madam Hua left Tianbo Tower.

After a long time, a sigh came again from behind the screen.

"Alas... I truly am old."

What met his eyes was a dense preface. An Le silently studied it.

"The ancient sages observed the heavens, examined the patterns, tested them through divination, deduced them through measures, drew from their own bodies, verified them through things, exhaustively grasped their principles, and established them as standards, teaching others through methods..."

After finishing the preface, he continued flipping and saw the content of the Sword Waterfall Diagram, pictures paired with text.

On the first picture, a sword was drawn. The sword had lines, the lines interwoven. An Le only glanced at it and felt as if the sword had come to life. His temples pulsed faintly, a sensation like needles pricking spread from within his mind. Though it didn't hurt, it was uncomfortable.

An Le looked at the picture for a moment, then couldn't help but look away, breathing slightly heavily.

"The Sword Waterfall Diagram... the first picture only has a single sword. How can it form a waterfall? If a sword becomes a waterfall, how sharp must it be? How could one's mind bear it? Wouldn't it be riddled with holes by this sword waterfall?"

An Le exhaled, closed his eyes, and calmed himself for a while.

Then he opened his eyes and hastily flipped through the pages. Sure enough, the following pictures showed more and more swords. In the last one, it was as if thousands of swords hung in the picture, descending like a waterfall from the nine heavens!

Too terrifying, like being sliced by a thousand blades.

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

At This Thought, An Le's heart burned with fervor.

The First Realm of Spirit Refining is Entering Stillness.

The Sword Waterfall Diagram also introduced this: by viewing the diagram and Entering Stillness, the mind sinks deep, ignoring external distractions, sensing the Light Peace Phenomenon. At that time, a false impression arises that the body grows Greater and Greater, until it fills heaven and earth.

When this phenomenon fades, and the mind becomes clear and empty, that is Entering Stillness.

The method of Entering Stillness through the Sword Waterfall Diagram is to view it, cut away the five distracting branches, then sense Light Peace, and step into Entering Stillness.

An Le naturally couldn't do it now. The stabbing sensation in his mind after viewing the picture kept him from calming down.

Yet An Le didn't give up. He flipped back to the first page and continued studying the sword picture.

The waterside pavilion was quiet. A gentle spring breeze blew. The youth sat upright on a sandalwood chair, holding a bright yellow scroll, as still as a statue.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

An Le's endurance in studying the sword picture grew longer and longer.

He even felt as if he was about to touch the state of Entering Stillness.

"Is it the Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit... and the Sword Dancer Dao Fruit's blessing?"

An Le understood in his heart.

The Time Dao Fruit, Sword Dancer, granted insight into things related to swords. The Sword Waterfall Diagram was naturally related to swords.

The Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit amplified his cultivation. With both blessings, An Le was now rapidly approaching Entering Stillness.

But An Le wasn't satisfied.

The feeling of being stuck at the threshold of Entering Stillness without being able to enter was unbearable.

With a movement of his mind, the Light Screen hazily appeared before his eyes.

Name: An Le

Golden Time Qi: 3 strands

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

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

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

He still had three strands of Golden Time Qi. Earlier, he had barely extracted a wisp of golden time qi from Madam Hua. After that, An Le could no longer draw any more time qi, even from other targets.

An Le guessed it had to do with Madam Hua's cultivation being too strong.

But that wasn't a big problem. What An Le cared about now wasn't this.

He planned to use the Golden Time Qi, but he didn't know which option to boost.

Applying it to the First Diagram of Sword Waterfall? But the infusion of Time Qi only let An Le grow more familiar with the diagram's operation.

An Le's problem now wasn't that he couldn't operate it—under the boost of two Time Dao Fruits, he had already grasped the First Diagram of Sword Waterfall. The issue was that he was stuck at the bottleneck of Entering Stillness.

Thus, An Le decided to channel all three strands of Time Qi into boosting the Dao Fruit of Cultivation Genius. What he lacked now was just a spark of insight.

One strand, two strands, three strands!

Cultivation Genius (3/10)

The grey Time Qi burned in wisps, scenes flashing past—Captain Huang practicing his blade in the rain, Lin Zhuifeng swinging her staff in the snow. All were moments when they had mastered their martial arts, brimming with a sense of accomplishment.

And with each burn of Time Qi, An Le felt an imperceptible transformation within himself.

He, who had been stuck at the bottleneck of Entering Stillness, now broke through the shackles as if by natural course. The Light Peace Phenomenon emerged.

In his mind, he felt himself growing Greater and Greater, until even the vast heavens and the boundless cosmos could not contain him.

The world fell into silence.

In the waterside pavilion, the youth's breathing was long, slow, and faint.

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

Within An Le's mind, his spirit sank and rose, as if transforming into a streak of sword light, severing the Light Peace vision and roaming freely between heaven and earth.

Below Tianbo Tower.

Madam Hua had just stepped out the door, scroll in hand, when her delicate brows lifted slightly. Across the Great Pond, she gazed toward the main hall of the waterside pavilion.

And there she saw the youth, as if wielding a sword to cut away the Light Peace phenomenon...

A single thought, and he Entered Stillness.