Flawless Sword Body

Unlike the corridor outside the Sword Grinding Cave, the inside wasn't dark. In fact, it was brightly lit.

It was just like daytime outside.

So the murals on both sides of the cave walls were perfectly clear.

"Left side, eighth mural."

Li Gan walked farther in.

At the same time, he counted the murals.

They looked simple and abstract, as if a powerful sword cultivator had carved them with Sword Qi. They had an almost scribbled quality.

Yet Li Gan had another feeling. The oppressive presence throughout the Sword Grinding Cave seemed to come from these murals—or, more precisely, the Sword Marks within them.

"Could every mural here represent a Sword Dao Technique? I wonder what's special about the eighth one, and why Master was so certain it contained the Flawless Vajra Method?"

Li Gan muttered to himself.

There was also a saying that the techniques of the Seven Main Peaks of the Divine Sword Sect all came from here.

He walked along the cave's left wall.

At regular intervals, a mural had been left on the rock face.

At last, he reached the eighth mural.

"This is the one?"

Li Gan stopped.

The difference between this mural and the others was that it was even more chaotic, its lines more carefree.

And amid the disorderly Sword Marks, there was an additional figure—a simple, abstract little person.

"Could this little figure really be why Master and the generations before him all believed the mural contained the Flawless Vajra Method?"

Li Gan was astonished.

With that thought, he immediately brought forth the Heartless Sword Intent he had comprehended.

When his Sword Intent touched the mural, the sound of swords rang out in his mind. A bizarre illusion even appeared, as though the abstract little figure on the cave wall had come to life.

The little figure's movements were exactly the same as those of the Heartless Sword Art.

The mural really did contain the secrets of the Heartless Sword Art.

The artist could only be described as a master beyond compare, concealing a profound sword art inside a mural in such a way.

"I can sense it because I've cultivated the Heartless Sword Intent. But how did the Founder manage to comprehend the Heartless Sword Art from this mural?"

Li Gan wondered.

After sensing it several times, Li Gan suddenly grew dizzy, and his mind became unusually exhausted.

He knew he had overused the Heartless Sword Intent, severely draining his mental strength.

He immediately connected with his Sacrificial Tool, the Chen Bell. As its clear, resonant chime rang through his mind, he felt his spirits lift, and his thoughts grew incomparably lucid.

All his attention focused on the little figure.

Suddenly—though he couldn't tell whether it was an illusion—the little figure, which had been practicing the Heartless Sword Art, changed its movements and struck a peculiar pose.

Without thinking, Li Gan's body moved like a puppet on strings, naturally taking the same pose.

At the same time, the Internal Qi in his body began to flow in reverse.

Following the little figure's movements, Li Gan performed an entirely new set of motions. His Internal Qi slowly dissolved as it flowed backward.

He had no idea how much time had passed. Li Gan awoke as if from a dream and came back to himself, his head pounding. He felt as though he hadn't rested for ten days and ten nights.

When he looked at the mural, he could no longer focus or connect with the secrets of the Sword Dao within it.

But after sensing his own condition, he couldn't hide his surprise.

His Internal Qi had indeed decreased somewhat.

In contrast, the blood and qi in his body had inexplicably grown more abundant.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He summoned the System Interface to check the latest information.

Host: Li Gan.

Cultivation Base: Postnatal Realm (Ninth Stage 99/100).

Sacrificial Tool: Chen Bell (Law 451/10000).

Martial Arts: Sword Piercing Fist (Perfection), Heartless Sword Art (Perfection), Immaculate Sword Body (Entry Level 1/100).

Martial Intent: Heartless Sword Intent (Virtual Image 31/100).

Secret Technique: Myriad Transformation Sword Qi.

"Immaculate Sword Body?"

Seeing the new Martial Art listed, Li Gan was overcome with excitement.

He had comprehended a new Martial Art from the mural.

Or, more precisely, a Flawless Vajra Method.

Cultivating the Immaculate Sword Body required using his perfected Internal Qi as nourishment to replenish his physical body, until he had forged the Immaculate Sword Body.

Once he achieved the Immaculate Sword Body, he could attain Perfect Xiantian.

"I wonder how long it'll take to cultivate?"

Li Gan wondered.

But with the Chen Bell aiding his cultivation, it should be much easier.

Just then, a masked figure walked over. "Junior Brother, it's almost dark. You should head out."

"Has that much time really passed?"

Li Gan turned around, deeply surprised.

Only then did he notice that the cave was considerably darker.

"Looks like Junior Brother gained something from comprehending the mural."

The masked True Disciple chuckled.

"Senior Brother, has the contest for the Sword Seed been decided?"

Li Gan suddenly remembered and asked.

Since it was nearly dark, it was clearly evening.

He remembered entering the Sword Grinding Cave in the morning. Without realizing it, he had spent five or six shichen in front of the mural.

He hadn't noticed the time passing at all.

"The result came at the quarter-hour of the Horse Hour."

The True Disciple replied.

"May I ask which Senior Brother won the True Disciple slot?"

Li Gan asked again.

"Junior Brother Nangong Bei of Guiyi Peak."

The True Disciple answered.

Li Gan had never heard of him.

After all, he never paid attention to matters in the Inner Sect and rarely interacted with Inner Disciples. He didn't know any of the prominent figures there.

"I still don't know how to address you, Senior Brother."

Li Gan asked again.

"You can call me Senior Brother Fu."

The True Disciple replied.

"Li Gan pays his respects to Senior Brother Fu."

Li Gan saluted, then turned and left the Sword Grinding Cave.

"This junior is rather interesting. He'd clearly comprehended Sword Intent, yet didn't compete for the Sword Seed or take part in the True Disciple Selection. He came just to comprehend this mural?"

True Disciple Fu Heng looked at the mural, thoroughly curious.

As a True Disciple, he could spend long periods cultivating in the Sword Grinding Cave.

This mural was somewhat unusual compared with the others. He had studied it many times, but never gained anything from it.

The square outside the True Disciple Hall had long since emptied.

The contest for the True Disciple position had already been decided.

Even though a few Inner Disciples had yet to come out of the Sword Grinding Cave, everyone's attention was fixed on the newly promoted True Disciple.

An old man with a ruddy face and a scraggly beard still stood outside the Divine Sword Hall, motionless as a statue.

Just then, a figure emerged from the Divine Sword Hall. It was none other than the portly Elder He.

"Old Ghost Zhou, why won't you give up? The True Disciple result's already out."

The portly Elder He smiled warmly.

The newly promoted True Disciple, Nangong Bei, was his Personal Disciple.

Only he knew just how high his disciple's natural talent was.

Though he hadn't comprehended Sword Intent for long, among the dozen or so disciples who had taken part in the Inner Sect selection, he was the youngest—er, no, Zhou Buping's disciple seemed to be the youngest.

So Elder He wasn't surprised that his own disciple had won the True Disciple position.

He'd thought Zhou Buping had spent half his life carefully searching for a disciple who'd be a peerless genius.

Turns out, he was nothing special after all.

Zhou Buping merely glanced at Elder He and snorted without saying anything.

Compared to Perfect Xiantian, what was a mere True Disciple worth?