The Three Realms of the Sword

Qian Daoliu laughed freely. Vast Soul Power surged within him as three pairs of wings spread behind his back. Every strand of his golden hair turned a brilliant, dazzling gold, and a gigantic Six-Winged Goddess Angel emerged behind him.

The instant he underwent Martial Soul Possession, Qian Daoliu seemed to transform into a true god descended upon the mortal world. An overwhelmingly holy radiance shone forth, unconsciously calming the heart and inspiring worship. Even the surrounding plants brimmed with springtime vitality beneath the holy light.

Qian Daoliu clenched his hand, gathering holy Soul Power into an exquisite holy sword two chi long, then tossed it into Qian Renhan's hands.

On Douluo Continent, everyone matured early. It was normal for commoners to have children at twelve, while Soul Masters developed even faster due to Soul Power acting as a hormone. Though Qian Renhan had yet to awaken his Martial Soul, his three daily meals consisted of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, supplemented by all kinds of soul beast meat to nourish him and build his foundation. Soul beast meat also contained Soul Power. Thus, although he was barely over one year old, he was actually about as tall as a two- or three-year-old child.

Then, Qian Daoliu made a grasping motion toward a nearby tree, and a one-meter-long branch flew over. Leaves fell away one after another in its wake.

By the time it landed in Qian Daoliu's hand, the branch was completely bare. The last green leaf happened to fall by his feet, making the whole display look exceptionally showy.

Qian Daoliu placed one hand behind his back and said calmly, "Xiaohan, attack Grandpa with everything you have. Grandpa's attack speed will remain the same as yours, and I won't use Soul Power."

"Then here I come, Grandpa!"

The moment Qian Renhan uttered the word "then," he thrust his sword at Qian Daoliu's chest without holding back at all. The gap between their strength was like that between an elephant and an ant. Could an ant break an elephant's skin with one bite? By the same logic, even if Qian Daoliu took this sword head-on with his bare body, it would be impossible for it to break his defense.

"You little rascal."

Qian Daoliu chuckled at Qian Renhan's little trick. His right hand thrust out as well, moving at almost exactly the same speed as Qian Renhan's. But an adult's arm against a little child's arm, a one-meter branch against a two-chi sword in a direct thrust—the outcome needed no thought. Qian Renhan's reach was too short. The branch struck him squarely in the chest, sending him back several steps with a muffled groan.

If his guess was correct, the spot struck by the branch would probably turn purple.

"Again."

Qian Renhan strode forward once more and swung his sword, this time slashing from the right.

"Your wind-up is too obvious, and your movements are too simple. The enemy can tell what move you're about to use at a glance," Qian Daoliu explained calmly. The branch thrust out again, positioning itself between Qian Renhan's swinging right arm and head, directly in the holy sword's path.

Just as Qian Renhan thought the branch would be cleaved in two by the holy sword, the corner of his mouth curled up. Yet when the holy sword collided with the branch, that seemingly fragile branch, which could be snapped apart with ease, became like an indestructible city wall. It blocked the holy sword, then used its force to lash Qian Renhan across the side of his head.

Qian Renhan cried out miserably, "Ow!"

Qian Daoliu smiled faintly. "Well? Having the force of your own sword swing hit you doesn't feel very nice, does it?"

Covering the spot where he had been struck, Qian Renhan said angrily, "Grandpa, that's not fair! You said you wouldn't use Soul Power. How could an ordinary branch block a holy sword that can leave marks on stone?"

Qian Daoliu said calmly, "Grandpa keeps his word. I truly did not use Soul Power, but I used something else."

Qian Renhan asked, "What was it?"

"Xiaohan, in the world of Soul Masters, aside from basic sword techniques, there are three realms of the sword. The first is Unity of Man and Sword. The sword is the man, and the man is the sword. Even a blade of grass in one's hand is a weapon. Yet relying on this branch alone still would not be enough to block the sword Grandpa condensed. The second realm of the Sword Dao is called Sword Qi. When one's understanding of the sword reaches a certain depth, even without a sword in hand, the sword can exist within one's heart. Even empty-handed, one can kill an enemy a hundred paces away with Sword Qi."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qian Daoliu's body trembled slightly. The air to Qian Renhan's left seemed to ripple faintly. He instinctively turned around and saw that a large tree in the distance, so thick that several people would need to link arms to encircle it, had fallen to the ground. Its cut was incomparably smooth.

At the sight, Qian Renhan unconsciously swallowed.

Qian Daoliu continued, "The third realm of the Sword Dao is called Sword Intent. The sword refers to the branch in Grandpa's hand, while intent refers to one's own conscious will. As long as one's intent is powerful enough, even an ordinary branch can become a divine weapon."

Qian Daoliu swung the branch in his hand without using even a trace of Soul Power. With one slash, he left a shallow but clearly visible mark on the rock wall in the distance.

In terms of power, it was far inferior to the Sword Qi that had felled the tree earlier. Of course, Qian Daoliu would not admit that it was because his own understanding of Sword Intent was too shallow for him to unleash much power. In truth, he had only reached this realm while sparring with Chen Jianjun, focusing entirely on defense against the Seven Kill Sword's attacks and gaining enlightenment from it.

Qian Daoliu extended his hand, and a glittering golden book appeared, bearing the four words Angel Swordplay.

"Food must be eaten one bite at a time, and learning must be done step by step. First, you must master every move in Angel Swordplay and use them proficiently, until it is no longer you wielding the sword, but the sword becoming one with you. Then all manner of sword techniques can be freely unleashed without passing through your mind." Qian Daoliu rubbed Qian Renhan's head. "Study diligently and devote yourself wholeheartedly. Don't be like your father, spending most of his time on official duties, and cultivating whenever he is not handling them. His understanding of the sword has not even perfected the first realm."

"I understand, Grandpa."

After handing Angel Swordplay to Qian Renhan, Qian Daoliu returned to Douluo Hall. Qian Renhan remained alone atop the mountain, a book in one hand and a branch swinging in the other.