Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art!

Great Bamboo Peak.

Before Shou Jing Hall, the wind howled.

Tian Buyi stood with his hands behind his back, his big belly jutting out.

The Crimson Flame Immortal Sword flickered in and out of sight amid a red glow, circling slowly around his short, stout frame.

He glanced at Ye Xuan, who stood below the steps, cleared his throat, and raised his voice.

"Seventh, watch closely!"

"The Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art is about using a mortal body to summon the might of heaven and earth."

"It is fraught with danger. The slightest misstep, and you'll be reduced to ashes."

As Tian Buyi spoke, he watched Ye Xuan from the corner of his eye.

Seeing no trace of fear on Ye Xuan's face, only anticipation, he gave a quiet snort.

Insolent brat.

Just wait until you witness the true might of heaven. Let's see if you don't wet yourself.

"Rise!"

Tian Buyi barked the command.

The Crimson Flame Immortal Sword blazed with red light and shot skyward like a streak of crimson.

Then—

The clear sky suddenly darkened.

Thick clouds seemed to appear out of nowhere, pressing down overhead in the blink of an eye.

Lightning serpents slithered faintly within the clouds.

The low rumble of thunder made one's heart tremble.

Su Ru stood beneath the corridor, her clothes snapping in the gale.

Yet her gaze remained fixed on Tian Buyi, a tender smile on her lips.

Her big, chubby husband hadn't put this much effort into anything for ages.

Tian Buyi stepped through the Seven Stars, his expression solemn. He held a sword mudra with his left hand and pointed skyward with his right.

Then he chanted the ancient incantation that had shaken the world for millennia.

"Nine Heavens' Profound Fiend, transform into divine thunder."

"Heavenly Might, draw it forth with the sword!"

Boom!

A thunderclap resounded across heaven and earth.

A blinding bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the Crimson Flame Immortal Sword.

In that instant—

Tian Buyi seemed to be bathed in lightning.

His short, stout frame suddenly radiated a towering, mountain-like presence.

Red light and lightning intertwined.

A terrifying pressure swept across Shou Jing Hall.

Even though Tian Buyi had deliberately restrained his power and hadn't actually brought the lightning down, summoning it into his sword alone would have been enough to make ordinary disciples' legs buckle.

A moment later—

The clouds dispersed, and the wind died down. The lightning faded away.

With a lingering warmth, the Crimson Flame Immortal Sword slid back into its sheath with a ringing clang.

Tian Buyi lowered his hands and let out a long breath.

Only then—

He slowly turned around, clasped his hands behind his back, and struck a pose of serene, otherworldly mastery.

"How was that?"

"Did you get a good look at the power of the Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art?"

Tian Buyi lifted his chin slightly and asked coolly without looking at Ye Xuan.

Inwardly, though, he was quite pleased with himself.

Well?

Stunned, are you?

Scared stiff, are you?

That's more like it!

Go back and meditate in seclusion for three to five years.

Stop spending all day scheming about this and that. Maybe then your master can enjoy a few days of peace.

But—

The gasp of amazement he'd expected never came.

The silence was downright eerie.

Tian Buyi furrowed his brow. Why wasn't the brat saying anything?

Had he been scared senseless?

He couldn't help cracking one eye open and peeking down.

Ye Xuan stood where he was, brow slightly furrowed, his right hand held at his side as if tracing something out. His lips moved as he murmured to himself.

He didn't look even slightly shaken.

Instead...

He looked like he was going over the technique?

Tian Buyi's heart gave a thump. This wasn't right.

"Master."

"The key to summoning the lightning is to use one's own vital energy as a catalyst, resonating with the thunder spirit energy between heaven and earth?"

A moment later—

Ye Xuan suddenly looked up, his eyes shining with excitement that made Tian Buyi uneasy.

At that, Tian Buyi froze.

That question... was rather profound.

Wouldn't it take decades of cultivation to ask something so precisely on point?

"Of course."

"But it's extremely difficult to get the balance right."

"A little too much, and the lightning will turn on you. A little too little, and the thunder won't come. You—"

Tian Buyi forced himself to stay calm and explained with a stern face.

"Oh, I get it."

Before Tian Buyi could finish—

Ye Xuan nodded and cut off his long-winded explanation.

"You get it?"

"What do you get?"

"You've only just seen it. How can you already get it?"

Tian Buyi's voice shot up several octaves, and his eyes went wide.

He'd only seen it once!

And now he was saying he understood?

Even boasting had its limits!

"Seventh."

"The Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art is no ordinary technique."

"You mustn't rush into it."

"If you pretend to understand and force yourself to cultivate it, you could easily damage your meridians."

Su Ru was just as astonished. She stepped forward and spoke gently.

"Mistress, I'm not pretending."

"I feel like... it's not that hard?"

Ye Xuan scratched his head, looking perfectly earnest.

He wasn't lying.

Not only did he have the Primordial Era Version of the Innate Dao Body, he also had God-tier Comprehension.

The Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art was one of the Qingyun Sect's four great sword arts.

But to Ye Xuan, it wasn't an especially complicated technique.

And Tian Buyi had deliberately slowed his movements when demonstrating it.

Now that Ye Xuan understood the technique's key points—

Naturally, he could master it with ease.

Only—

When Tian Buyi heard Ye Xuan's words—

He nearly spat blood.

Not hard?

You're calling one of the Qingyun Sect's four most difficult sword arts, a technique that's been around for a thousand years, not hard?

When I practiced the damn thing, it nearly roasted me alive. It took me several years just to reach a basic level of mastery!

"Good! Good! Good!"

"If you say it's not hard, then show your master how it's done!"

"If you can pull it off today, I'll teach you anything you want from now on!"

Tian Buyi was so furious he found it funny. He said "good" three times, his round face flushing red.

The moment the words left his mouth—

Tian Buyi regretted them.

Why was he picking a fight with a child?

What if the brat really didn't know his limits and forced himself to practice, damaging his foundation?

He was about to take it back—

Clang!

A clear sword ring suddenly rang out.

Ye Xuan reached back, and the Chang Qing Sword was already out of its sheath.

The next moment—

Ye Xuan's expression changed.

His usual playful grin vanished, replaced by a focus unlike anything he'd shown before.

That focus made Tian Buyi swallow the words on the tip of his tongue.

The brat's presence...

Why had it changed?

Ye Xuan held his sword in one hand. The steps he took were an exact match for the Seven Stars footwork Tian Buyi had just performed!

Tian Buyi's eyes widened.

Impossible!

Even if he had a good memory and could remember the steps, could he really learn the rhythm of the footwork and the circulation of vital energy at a glance?

Before Tian Buyi could recover—

The Chang Qing Sword in Ye Xuan's hand was already pointed at the sky.

His youthful yet resolute voice rang out before Shou Jing Hall.

"Nine Heavens' Profound Fiend, transform into divine thunder."

"Heavenly Might, draw it forth with the sword!"

The moment he uttered the final four words—

The sky, which had already cleared, darkened again!

Though it wasn't as gloomy or imposing as when Tian Buyi had summoned the clouds, a mass of clouds was undeniably gathering above their heads!

Crackle, crackle.

Tiny arcs of electricity danced within the clouds.

Tian Buyi's mouth slowly fell open until it was wide enough to fit an egg.

Su Ru's eyes widened too. Her jade hand instinctively covered her red lips, her face full of disbelief.

H-how was this possible?

He learned it after seeing it once?

Was this the Innate Dao Body?