Dragon-Slaying Peak: These bastards are damn fast with their moves

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 1: Entry (980/1000)]

Having only read it once, he had already reached the entry level, nearing minor completion.

Yu Xiu had not even begun to practice; he had merely sensed and comprehended it once more in detail.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 1: Minor Completion (840/2000)]

He practiced it once.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 1: Major Completion (1600/3000)]

He practiced it a second time.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 1: Perfection (Sword Intent +1)]

Oh no, my cultivation base is going to fall behind my realm!

His comprehension was too high; he had reached minor completion before even practicing the technique.

Practicing it twice resulted in perfection.

Looking at the true qi within his body, although it refined and progressed extremely quickly after consuming an unknown medicinal pill, it ultimately could not keep pace with the speed of his comprehension.

If nothing went wrong, he could complete all twenty chapters of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm in half a day.

His realm would follow suit and reach the perfection of the Five Viscera Realm, but as for his cultivation base, he estimated it would be difficult to even complete the first level of the Five Viscera Realm.

Refining medicinal pills required time, and his body absorbing the medicinal power likewise required time, but his comprehension was simply too high—it gave him no time at all!

However, it did not matter. Once his realm rose, he could slowly consume more pills, and his cultivation base would naturally catch up.

This was perhaps a unique kind of suffering: having such high comprehension that one's cultivation growth could not keep up with the growth of one's realm.

Yet, this was something other cultivators could never experience.

They would rack their brains just to achieve the slightest improvement in their realm.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 2: Perfection (Sword Intent +1)]...

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 10: Perfection (Sword Intent +1)]...

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm Chapter 20: Perfection (Sword Intent +1)]

Comprehension +600

Lifespan +600

Sword Intent +20

[Comprehension: 2789 (2189+600)]

[Lifespan: 16/2864 (2264+600)]

[Sword Heart: Sword Sound (2/800)]

The second layer of Sword Heart, 20 Sword Intent, could increase the Sword Heart progress by 1; not bad at all.

Especially since after the Five Viscera Realm techniques reached perfection, they no longer increased Sword Sense, but directly increased Sword Intent.

[Realm: First of the Four Great Passes, Five Viscera Realm Ninth Level Perfection (Cultivation base lagging, cannot break through)]

Yu Xiu practiced the sword, while Yuan Tiankuo watched him with half-closed eyes.

When he saw Yu Xiu practice the first chapter of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword for the first time, a doubt arose in Yuan Tiankuo's heart.

Su Wenjin said he only passed the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword to Yu Xiu today; why is he already at minor completion after practicing it once, and even crossed into major completion?

When he saw Yu Xiu practice it a second time, Yuan Tiankuo's heart jolted violently.

Perfection?

That is perfection, isn't it?!

He also practiced the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword and considered himself to have reached perfection.

But his perfection seemed different from Yu Xiu's perfection!

It was as if Yu Xiu's perfection was... even more perfect!

But Yuan Tiankuo was given no time to think it through, as Yu Xiu's second chapter of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword also reached perfection.

Then the third chapter, the fourth chapter...

The twentieth chapter!

All reached perfection, and all were different from his own!

He had no time to ponder why his perfection differed from Yu Xiu's, because he realized that by comparing the two, he might be able to mend his own deficiencies.

But Yu Xiu only practiced each chapter twice!

He could not see clearly!

And he could not keep up with the comparison!

I can't see it clearly!

Yuan Tiankuo was nearly driven mad with anxiety, but Yu Xiu was unaware that in just over an hour—not even half a day—he had already perfected all twenty chapters of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword's Five Viscera Realm and came to a halt.

So, Yuan Tiankuo's anxiety was useless.

What kind of comprehension is this? Or has he truly birthed a Sword Heart, making Five Viscera realm sword techniques pose no difficulty to him whatsoever?

Practicing it once brings it to Great Success, twice to Perfection—he had never even heard of such progress, let alone witnessed it!

He was anxious, and he desperately wanted to ask Yu Xiu for advice.

But he didn't know how to bring it up.

After struggling for a long time, he finally called out, "Junior Brother Yu..."

Yu Xiu stopped popping pills: "Senior Brother Yuan."

There was nothing more to say; Yuan Tiankuo's sullen nature caused his words to get stuck in his throat, and in the end, he only managed: "Your sword practice is not bad."

Not just not bad—it was unreasonably good, impossibly fast!

Is this even human?!

It was no wonder Ancestor Linyuan's Sword Intent was stirred by him; if his expectations were correct, Yu Xiu's comprehension was monstrous!

Perhaps, within three years, he will be able to rank among the Ten True Seeds, or even take the top spot!

Yuan Tiankuo could foresee that the sky over Dragon-Slaying Peak was about to change.

Within ten years, even the sky over the Qingwei Sword Sect might undergo a shift.

The list of the Ten Great True Disciples, which hadn't changed in sixty years, might also be shaken up!

Over the next few days, Yuan Tiankuo's state of mind could not be calmed.

Yu Xiu, however, just buried his head in consuming pills and didn't practice his sword.

Because there was nothing left to practice; it was nothing but refining medicinal pills.

He was like a Four Great Passes expert who had exhausted his True Qi and was now recovering his vitality.

Within his Life Spring, the power of life was vast and mighty, merging into his True Qi and surging into his Five Viscera, becoming increasingly grand.

In just five days, Yu Xiu's cultivation had stepped into the second stage of the Five Viscera realm.

It was also on this day that Wei Ling arrived again: "Brother Yu, the Shadow Demon that killed Fang Jiming and the other eight in Guiping County, Donghe Prefecture, has been identified. You need to make a trip there."

He leaned in close to Yu Xiu and whispered: "Hall Master Su says this is also an accumulation for your promotion to the Main Sect. The Flying Boat is already arranged; once you reach Guiping County, someone will handle everything."

"As long as Brother Yu has sufficient strength, you can head straight to Dragon-Slaying Peak upon your return."

"There is still a Shadow Demon in Guiping County?" Yu Xiu asked, surprised.

He had already slashed that Shadow Demon into mist back then, so how could another one have popped up?

Could it be a fake one arranged by Su Wenjin just for him to go through the motions?

Wei Ling: "There is, and it is a Shadow Demon of the Four Great Passes. Brother Yu, you must be extremely careful."

"I understand." Yu Xiu hadn't expected that such a small county as Guiping would actually harbor such a Shadow Demon.

But it didn't matter; with his current second-stage Sword Heart, he wouldn't be intimidated even if he encountered a Shadow Demon at the second level of the Four Great Passes.

He turned back and bowed to Yuan Tiankuo: "Thank you, Senior Brother, for the pills. Once I enter Dragon-Slaying Peak, I will certainly return the favor."

"Don't worry about the pills," Yuan Tiankuo said concisely, remaining as sullen as ever.

After Yu Xiu left, Wei Ling walked up to Yuan Tiankuo: "Regarding the intentions from Dragon-Slaying Peak, Senior Brother Yuan, please make a secret trip to Guiping County."

Yuan Tiankuo's expression remained unchanged: "Su Wenjin has great courage; to move the intentions of Dragon-Slaying Peak for this Junior Brother Yu."

He smiled, a rare sight: "But Su Wenjin did well. I should make this trip!"

The opportunity to protect this Junior Brother Yu on his path would likely only come this once.

In a few years, it was hard to say whether Dragon-Slaying Peak would even be able to contain Yu Xiu!

This junior brother's comprehension was definitely beyond what many people on Dragon-Slaying Peak could imagine!

"There are three Shadow Demons at Tantan Lake, but one of them has already surpassed the first level of the Four Great Passes, far exceeding Brother Yu in strength. Hall Master Su's meaning is that Senior Brother Yuan only needs to suppress that second-level Four Great Passes Shadow Demon; you don't need to worry about the rest," Wei Ling said.

A second-level Four Great Passes Shadow Demon! Yuan Tiankuo smiled inwardly.

In the past, a Shadow Demon of that strength wouldn't even have been worthy of him making a move.

However, for Yu Xiu's sake, making a move once wouldn't hurt!

"If I leave, who will guard the Earth-Fire Abyss?" Yuan Tiankuo asked.

As soon as the words fell, a lazy laugh rang out: "Naturally, I will guard it."

Yuan Tiankuo's face darkened, and he prepared to leave.

But he saw a tall, handsome young man emerge from the dissipating Sword Qi.

He looked lazy, smiling as he looked at Yuan Tiankuo: "Little maiden, it's been many days, you've become even prettier!"

"Lu Shizhang, I'll f*** your..." Yuan Tiankuo's composure shattered instantly, and he drew his sword, ready to kill.

"Look, you're anxious again." Lu Shizhang flickered and retreated far away: "I heard you're going to Donghe Prefecture to protect a little guy. Oh right, I also heard you protected him in the Earth-Fire Abyss for half a month. How is it, is the little guy handsome?"

Yuan Tiankuo had been waiting for this moment, and he sneered: "I am protecting a freak who rivals the True Seeds. Prepare to be knocked off your spot in the top five of the Ten Heroes—get ready to step down!"

Lu Shizhang let out a scoff. "I am ranked fifth, and you are eighth. If anyone is getting squeezed out, it would be you, so what does that have to do with my fifth-place standing?"

He shifted the tone of the conversation. "Is it true that a freak capable of rivaling the True Seeds has actually appeared?"

Yuan Tiankuo cast a disdainful glance at Lu Shizhang with his handsome phoenix eyes, then transformed into a streak of Sword Qi and vanished without a trace.

Lu Shizhang wiped the smile from his face and turned to look at Wei Ling. "Junior Brother Wei, tell me, what is this freak who rivals the True Seeds like?"

Although Yuan Tiankuo could be prone to nonsense when he was trying to be annoying, that was usually limited to his insults; when it came to certain matters, he wouldn't lie.

A freak capable of rivaling the True Seeds?

He doubted it. Yuan Tiankuo might be handsome and possess decent strength, but his perspective was mediocre.

Among the Ten Heroes of Dragon-Slaying Peak, he was only ranked eighth. Never mind the freakish Ten True Seeds; even the top three monsters among the Ten Heroes were far beyond what Yuan Tiankuo could comprehend.

He, however, was different. He had once crossed blades with the third-ranked He Guizhou and only lost by a single move.

Of course, if Yuan Tiankuo knew that Lu Shizhang held such a high opinion of himself, he would certainly sneer, "You call that losing by a single move? That was you barely surviving a single strike, you bastard."

Wei Ling felt a headache coming on. The man before him was not someone easy to deal with; even Yuan Tiankuo usually came out on the losing end when facing him.

"To use the words of Hall Master Su, this Junior Brother Yu Xiu does indeed possess the potential of a True Seed."

Lu Shizhang couldn't care less. "Su Wenjin? That kid's strength is lacking, he can't even compare to Yuan Tiankuo, so what kind of judgment could he possibly have?"

Wei Ling continued on his own. "Junior Brother Yu only stepped out of the Outer Court in the last three years..."

It took nearly three years to leave the Outer Court? Lu Shizhang fell into deep thought.

That meant it had taken Yu Xiu nearly three years to cultivate through the third stage of the Ascending Dragon, the Qi Sea.

With that kind of potential, let alone comparing him to a True Seed, even an average genius below the Ten Heroes would be ten streets ahead of him.

Such a simple comparison of potential was something Yuan Tiankuo could see, Su Wenjin could see, and even any random person could see.

So, did this Yu Xiu's potential only manifest after entering the Inner Court?

Sure enough, Wei Ling continued, "But after entering the Inner Court, this Junior Brother Yu broke through both the Qi Sea and Life Spring stages in just about two months, entering the Four Great Passes directly."

He did not mention the feat of Yu Xiu taking on nine people alone and slaying Fang Jiming and his group, as that was not something easily brought to the table.

Two months to break through the Qi Sea and Life Spring, and enter the Four Great Passes! Lu Shizhang rubbed his chin. Could he have stumbled upon some unknown opportunity?

But with such an obvious leap in strength, how could the elders of the Inner Court not investigate?

At the very least, the Library Pavilion Elder would not be fooled, because the cultivation techniques of Inner Court disciples all came from the Library Pavilion; the Pavilion Elder would be the first to notice Yu Xiu's sudden surge in strength.

And Yuan Tiankuo wouldn't be willing to act as a guardian for an unknown disciple just because they cultivated quickly!

Could it be that he had an epiphany and his comprehension skyrocketed?

Various thoughts flashed through Lu Shizhang's mind, but he said aloud, "Mediocre. How can he compare to a True Seed?"

He waved his hand and vanished from sight.

Wei Ling said nothing and simply turned to leave.

Everyone on Dragon-Slaying Peak knew: Yuan Tiankuo had the face, and Lu Shizhang had the mouth.

Yuan Tiankuo's face was handsome, while Lu Shizhang's mouth was stubborn and foul enough to match.

Inner Court, Library Pavilion.

Without a sound, a streak of sword light dissipated, and Lu Shizhang's figure appeared before the Pavilion Elder, Liao Jianshu.

Elder Liao was still lying down reading, but he cast a sideways glance at Lu Shizhang before turning over, ignoring him.

"Senior Brother Liao, still lying down?" Lu Shizhang greeted with a punchable, mocking smile.

Liao Jianshu put down the scroll in his hand. "If you have something to say, spit it out."

Lu Shizhang chuckled. "Senior Brother, you were once a proud talent of Jinding Peak ranked among the Ten Heroes. How is it that after your injury, you've spent all these years cultivating your temperament, only for your temper to grow worse? That won't do, that won't do at all."

Liao Jianshu's face turned cold. "If you keep spouting nonsense, Senior Brother will draw his sword."

"Calm down, calm down." Lu Shizhang grinned. "I'm here to ask about someone: Yu Xiu."

Liao Jianshu lay back down. "Stop asking. Be careful, or you'll get a beating later."

Lu Shizhang: "???"

I am the fifth of the Ten Heroes of Dragon-Slaying Peak; why would I be afraid of him?

No sooner had Lu Shizhang left than Yu Xiu arrived at the Library Pavilion and met Liao Jianshu.

"So you've entered the Four Great Passes!" Liao Jianshu sat up again, seemingly filled with a touch of emotion. "Logically speaking, with your talent and comprehension, you would eventually be able to read any book in this Library Pavilion. Why go through the trouble of making an extra deal with this old man?"

Yu Xiu bowed. "I just wanted to see them sooner."

Liao Jianshu said, "In the later stages of cultivation, most powerful practitioners who seek to go further choose to create their own techniques and walk a path unique to themselves. At that point, one must refine a hundred scriptures in the furnace and study all manner of laws.

"It is not wise for you to study all kinds of techniques so early.

"Because your realm is not high enough; although you may have deep insights into the techniques, you lack the perspective of a higher realm. You cannot view the situation from a position of strength, and instead, the power of the techniques might influence you, making it easy to stray from your path."

Yu Xiu understood clearly what Liao Jianshu was saying.

This was also the reason why, despite his comprehension being high enough that many cultivation techniques appeared flawed to him—to the point where he could modify them to be stronger and better—he had never dared to actually alter them.

Because while he could make a technique more powerful, just as Liao Jianshu had said, he might inadvertently derail his subsequent path of cultivation due to the increased potency, leading to a point where he could no longer bridge the gap to the next realm.

"This disciple will take the Elder's teachings to heart; I will not alter cultivation techniques lightly, nor shall I change them," Yu Xiu said. "I have come today for two reasons: first, to inform the Elder that I have entered the Four Great Passes.

"Second, I wish to trade for some medicinal pills with the Elder."

"Medicinal pills?" Liao Jianshu's gaze narrowed slightly as he scrutinized Yu Xiu. "Have you been practicing the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword?"

Good grief, those people at Dragon-Slaying Peak, they sure as hell move fast!