Sword Qi Divided into Ten Levels

Jiang Ping was not without worries; he simply believed that with his talent, he should be able to cultivate Golden Bone in a short time.

Of course, that was something for after Seventh Rank. Right now, he was more concerned with how to maximize his strength.

Next, Escort Huang explained to the three of them the domains that came after Sword Qi or Saber Qi.

"At this level, ten strands of Saber Qi or Sword Qi count as Ten Percent, and it can be divided into ten levels!"

"Does that mean the Flying Snow Saber Qi we pursue amounts to only Ten Percent?" Liu Wensheng raised a brow.

"Even a Blade Art containing only the principles of Ten Percent is enough to keep you practicing for a long time."

Escort Huang shot him a glance before continuing.

Whether it was Saber Qi or the Blade Light beneath it, the limit was to control a hundred strands.

The difference was that the Blade Light realm had only three levels. Once one broke through, the number of Blade Lights one could control would increase greatly.

The Blade Qi Domain, however, was completely different. It was a grander, more powerful expression of skill. One had to comprehend it strand by strand; every Saber Qi cultivated was a step forward.

To put it more bluntly, reaching the pinnacle required one hundred advancements!

Moreover, the more Saber Qi one controlled, the increase was not merely in quantity. It also represented a deeper understanding of Blade Art principles, and the power of the Saber Qi itself would become even more terrifying.

If comprehending one strand of Saber Qi allowed one to fight above one's rank and pierce through the Iron Skin of someone newly entered into Eighth Rank, then after comprehending Ten Percent Saber Qi, the power of a single strand could tear apart the physical body of someone at Eighth Rank Great Accomplishment.

"How terrifying!" Liu Wensheng felt his heart pound in fright.

Of course, cultivating such a domain was extremely difficult. Escort Huang mentioned that across the dozen or so county cities of Changping Prefecture, many famous saber wielders and swordsmen pursued this kind of skill, yet after decades of bitter training, most had not even reached Ten Percent.

"But didn't Song Yuanshan unleash dozens of Sword Qi strands with every move?" Fang Yong said. The splendor Song Yuanshan had displayed that day remained unforgettable to him.

"He is a genius no weaker than you. How can ordinary logic bind him?"

Furthermore, Escort Huang revealed that when Song Yuanshan began training at sixteen, His Father had spent a fortune to hire a swordsman who had cultivated Twenty Percent Sword Qi to teach him. He trained under him for five full years.

That was how he attained his current strength. His Sword Qi had surpassed his teacher's, and he controlled more than Thirty Percent.

"His talent stands shoulder to shoulder with yours, he had a famous teacher's guidance, and he still needed five years of hard training just to command over Thirty Percent Sword Qi. Tell me, is this skill difficult or not? If someone without a good family background like you wants to reach his level of Sword Art, the time required will have to multiply."

Fang Yong fell silent after hearing that, even tasting bitterness as he deeply understood the importance of family background and resources.

Their talents were clearly about the same, yet their strength was as far apart as heaven and earth.

Beside him, Jiang Ping shrugged. He had merely wanted to ask about Sword Qi, yet it seemed he had dealt Fang Yong another crushing blow to the heart.

Escort Huang had no choice but to comfort him again. "You needn't worry about this, nor do you need to pursue it deliberately. Though skill is powerful, Martial Dao cultivation is the foundation and the most important pursuit. After Seventh Rank, fewer than Thirty percent Sword Qi cannot harm you. Once you cultivate Golden Bone, unless one reaches seventy percent Master Realm, they cannot shake you."

"Looking at it this way, Martial Dao cultivation is still more important." Fang Yong let out a breath, settling the focus of his future Martial Dao path.

Afterward, Jiang Ping asked where he could buy Blade Arts or Sword Arts with deeper Sword Qi principles, and how much silver they would cost.

Fang Yong did not need to deliberately pursue skill, but Jiang Ping did. Compared with improving his Martial Dao cultivation, he could advance far more rapidly in skill.

"Jidao Martial Academy has two Sword Arts with profound principles. One can cultivate Thirty percent Sword Qi, while the other can reach the realm of Sword Qi Master Realm."

Hearing this, Jiang Ping could not help grumbling inwardly. Why did every good thing come from Jidao Martial Academy?

He then asked about the price. Escort Huang replied, "These Sword Arts are quite precious, and only the Scorching Sun Swordplay with Thirty percent principles is sold to outsiders."

"An ancestral Sword Art?" Jiang Ping immediately recalled the peddler selling fake Sword Manuals he had encountered at the Black Market that day.

"You know quite a lot." Escort Huang gave him a surprised look, then smiled. "It is indeed ancestral, and its power is considerable. It is much stronger than the Flying Snow Saber, but the price is also quite steep: three hundred liang of silver. Stop entertaining wild thoughts for now and focus on practicing your saber."

Jiang Ping revealed a troubled expression.

It was not because of the silver, but because his younger brother was at Jidao Martial Academy. He also had an indirect grudge against one of that Martial Artist's Martial Arts Hall, so for the moment, he did not want to appear in Chen Weimin's sight.

"Is it sold in the Black Market?" Jiang Ping asked quietly.

Escort Huang glared at him instead, reminding him that powerful forces exercised extremely strict control over precious skills and cultivation methods. Everyone who sought to purchase them was on a list. If someone not on that list learned one and displayed it before others, they would certainly be watched, perhaps even killed.

Jiang Ping did not react much. He verbally promised to follow the rules, but he had already made up his mind to go to the Black Market and buy this Sword Art.

He had no intention of displaying it in public. It would be a trump card to save his life.

Moreover, Jiang Ping believed that different Sword Arts must have things in common. Practicing several more Sword Arts could only bring benefits.

Though Escort Huang warned Jiang Ping, he still mentioned that the Black Market in Yun County, neighboring Yang City, seemed to have it for sale. It appeared to cost only a few dozen liang of silver.

"Where can one find Grandmaster Swordplay?" Jiang Ping asked again.

Practicing the Scorching Sun Swordplay was merely a process. What he truly wanted was a Sword Art or Blade Art that could reach the Master Realm.

He was already looking forward to the sight of cutting Golden Bone with Grandmaster Sword Qi.

"The principles behind such Sword Arts are exceedingly profound. They are rare in the major county cities; you can only try your luck in Changping Prefecture City. There are Auctions there, but because Sword Qi is difficult to cultivate and few pursue it, few are put up for sale."

As soon as Escort Huang finished speaking, he suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Jiang Ping. "Since when did you become so lofty and unrealistic, youngster? You want to cultivate Grandmaster Sword Qi too?"

"Martial Examination Ranking!"

Escort Huang went on to speak of Changping Prefecture's most celebrated ranking of honor.

Across all the territories under Changping Prefecture's jurisdiction, it selected twenty heroes under the age of thirty. None who made the Heroes Ranking were anything less than exceptionally gifted.

They were all geniuses most likely to obtain Martial Examination Merit. Song Yuanshan, for instance, was among them.

"And the next Martial Examination will be held three years from now. With Song Yuanshan's talent, he has a certain chance of obtaining Martial Examination Merit."

"Even if he fails this time, he is still young and will have another chance." As Escort Huang spoke, he glanced at Fang Yong.

Fang Yong's talent was excellent, but sadly, he had started late and had no background. The Martial Examination Ranking was likely beyond his reach.

Fang Yong remained silent after hearing this. After thinking for a while, he suddenly said, "Escort Huang, Master Liang once said that as long as one's talent is good enough, the Chief might accept them as a disciple. I believe my talent is inferior to no one's, not even Song Yuanshan's. Why has that person never met me even once? If the Escort Agency were to devote its resources to me, I think Fifth Rank would not be out of reach."

"You came too late."

"Ah?" Fang Yong froze.

Escort Huang then explained the reason, and only then did he understand.

Long ago, the Escort Agency had already concentrated its resources on someone else, whose talent was also excellent.

This person was named Ji Baichuan. He was only twenty-five, his strength was about equal to Song Yuanshan's, and he had appeared on the Martial Examination Ranking twice before. The ranking changed once every season.