One Sword, Forty-Five Shadows

[Zhaoxi Value +1]

The sun vanished beyond the horizon. A line of text flashed before Chen Xuan's eyes, and the translucent panel gave off a faint glow in the dusk. Only he could see it.

Host: Chen Xuan

Fate: Zhaoxi Bizheng

Aptitude: Average

Realm: First Layer of Qi Casting (early Pimai)

Martial Arts: Giant Whale Body Refining Technique / Ninth Layer, Mountain Crushing Fist / Mastery, Vajra Technique / Fifth Layer (Meridians Opened: 36/72), Nine Shadow Killing Sword / First Layer, Great Mastery

Zhaoxi Value: 1

Chen Xuan, who had been hurrying along the road, stopped and looked at the panel, sinking into thought.

The Zhuqi Realm was likewise divided into nine layers.

It simply was not divided as finely as the Body Tempering Realm. Every three layers formed a minor realm, divided into Pimai, Tongqiao, and Tuotai.

The first three layers were the Pimai Realm, whose core was opening and connecting the body's qi meridians.

The human body possessed a total of three hundred and sixty qi meridians, like a network of rivers running crisscross throughout the body.

These qi meridians were naturally blocked. A martial artist had to use true qi to force them open bit by bit, like dredging a silted river channel. With every meridian opened, true qi flowed a little more smoothly.

The more qi meridians one opened, the smoother the circulation of true qi became, and the greater both its quantity and quality.

However, the number of qi meridians different cultivation techniques could open varied as widely as heaven and earth. That was where the disparity in technique grades lay.

With Ordinary Technique, the first layer opened twelve qi meridians, the second layer opened twenty-four, and the third layer opened thirty-six.

That was the limit of Ordinary Technique. Even after cultivating one to the Qi Casting Realm Third Layer, one would possess only thirty-six qi meridians.

Such martial artists had thin true qi and sluggish circulation. Even if they broke through to the Zhuqi Realm, they were still the weakest among those in the realm.

Some Body Tempering Realm geniuses who cultivated Top-Tier Technique, or even Ultimate Arts, could fight across realms. The ones they slew were precisely these ordinary Zhuqi Realm martial artists.

Superior Technique was somewhat better. The first layer opened twenty-four qi meridians, the second thirty-six, and the third forty-eight.

That was the limit of Superior Technique. Those who broke through to the Zhuqi Realm using such techniques were already considered outstanding among their peers.

The Vajra Technique was a Top-Tier Technique. Its first layer opened thirty-six qi meridians, its second required opening seventy-two, and reaching the third required opening one hundred and eight qi meridians.

One hundred and eight qi meridians was the limit of Top-Tier Technique. Martial artists who reached that level were considered geniuses even within Overlord-Tier Faction.

Beyond that were Ultimate Arts and Divine Arts.

The limit of an Ultimate Art was opening one hundred and eighty qi meridians, while the limit of a Divine Art was opening all three hundred and sixty. With all three hundred and sixty qi meridians opened, All Meridians Connected, true qi could circulate without obstruction. A cultivator's true qi would be as vast as the sea, and every strike would carry the force to topple mountains and overturn seas.

Those with All Meridians Connected were invincible within the Zhuqi Realm.

Rumor had it that those super geniuses possessing Spirit Bodies were born with All Meridians Connected. For ordinary people, peerless Divine Arts that were unimaginably difficult to cultivate were as simple as breathing for them.

That was the difference in aptitude.

All roads led to Rome, but some people were born in Rome. Super geniuses with Spirit Bodies were born with the bearing of invincibility.

Chen Xuan withdrew his thoughts and fixed his gaze on the Zhaoxi Value.

One point of Zhaoxi Value could only open four more qi meridians through the Vajra Technique.

He was currently at the First Layer of Qi Casting, with thirty-six qi meridians. He was still thirty-six away from the seventy-two needed for the second layer. Even opening four more would not increase his strength by much. It would be better to improve the Nine Shadow Killing Sword.

The Nine Shadow Killing Sword had two layers in total.

The first layer was a Body Tempering Realm martial skill. At perfection, it could produce nine sword shadows with one strike. The second layer, however, was a Zhuqi Realm martial skill that required true qi to activate, and its power could not be mentioned in the same breath as the first layer.

"Consume Zhaoxi Value to improve the Nine Shadow Killing Sword."

With a thought from Chen Xuan—

Buzz—

Fragments of him cultivating the Nine Shadow Killing Sword flashed rapidly through Chen Xuan's mind, as clear and real as scenes in a revolving lantern.

He cultivated for a year within those images, yet only an instant passed in the outside world.

With his Zhuqi Realm cultivation and physical constitution, it took him only half a month to bring the Nine Shadow Killing Sword to perfection in its first layer.

His sword moves became practiced and fluent. His sword flashed like lightning, and nine sword shadows appeared almost simultaneously, leaving others unable to guard against them.

Then began the cultivation of the Nine Shadow Killing Sword's second layer. It was no longer tedious sword-move practice, but the fusion of true qi circulation and swordsmanship.

In image after image, Chen Xuan gripped a longsword and guided true qi out from his dantian time and again. Following a specific meridian route, he poured it into the blade.

The flow rate, direction, and output of the true qi—every detail required precise control, like dancing on a steel wire. Not the slightest mistake could be tolerated.

If there was too much true qi, the sword blade could not bear it and would shatter into fragments. If there was too little, its power would fall short, leaving only an empty form.

He failed countless times, breaking more than a hundred swords, but he did not give up. He adjusted again and again, tried again and again.

Finally, in one particular instant, he found that perfect point of balance.

True qi spread across the blade in fine, silken strands. The sword trembled faintly and gave a clear sword cry, as though it had come alive.

Nine Shadow Killing Sword / Second Layer (Proficient)

After a year of bitter cultivation—

Chen Xuan had raised the Nine Shadow Killing Sword from First Layer Great Mastery to Second Layer Proficient.

In the Nine Shadow Killing Sword's second layer, true qi drove the sword technique. Its striking speed was several times faster than the first layer's, and that was not merely the speed of the arm. True qi propelled the blade like an arrow loosed from the bow, arriving in an instant.

Once the sword emerged, shadows upon shadows followed.

The nine shadows of the Nine Shadow Killing Sword meant one sword produced nine shadows in the Body Tempering Realm. But in the Zhuqi Realm, driven by true qi, the number became a multiple of nine. At perfection, one thrust could produce eighty-one sword shadows.

At the proficient level of the second layer, it could achieve one sword, forty-five shadows.

More importantly, the sword shadows of the second layer differed from those of the first.

The first layer only appeared to create nine shadows because the thrusts were fast. In truth, it was nine consecutive thrusts aimed at different locations, with an order between them. If an opponent reacted quickly enough, they could neutralize them one by one.

But the sword shadows of the Zhuqi Realm were tangible Sword Qi condensed from true qi. Every sword shadow was like a real sword, possessing actual killing power.

With one thrust, all the sword shadows appeared at the same time, stabbing toward different locations—the throat, both eyes, chest, groin, dantian, heart from behind, temples, wrists, knees, and other vital points—with no order between them.

That was the true terror of the Nine Shadow Killing Sword: impossible to guard against, impossible to evade.

"Let's give it a try."

Chen Xuan withdrew his thoughts, anticipation flickering in his eyes.

His right hand rested on the hilt as he slowly drew the Hanfeng Sword. This was the high-grade sharp weapon he had obtained. Its blade was long and slender, its cold gleam biting, capable of slicing through iron like mud.

Pale golden Vajra True Qi surged from his dantian, following a specific meridian route into the blade. The Hanfeng Sword trembled faintly, and a layer of pale golden radiance appeared over its surface.

Chen Xuan flicked his wrist and thrust his sword.

Hiss—

The sound of air being torn apart rang out. Forty-five sword shadows appeared simultaneously, like a blooming golden lotus unfolding in the night.

Every sword shadow was solid as reality, radiating fierce killing intent as they blanketed an area several zhang ahead.

Where the sword shadows passed, fallen leaves on the ground were shredded into powder. Drifting dust was sliced into fine grains. Even the air itself seemed to be cut apart, emitting a shrill whistle.

Chen Xuan sheathed his sword and stood still, satisfaction flashing through his eyes.

This sword strike was enough to instantly kill any martial artist of the same realm. Even experts at the Qi Casting Realm Third Layer would surely be thrown into a flurry when faced with these forty-five sudden sword shadows. One moment of carelessness would mean death and the dissipation of all that they were.

"Time to go back."

Chen Xuan returned his sword to its sheath. His figure flashed, and he continued on his way.