The People of Dragon-Slaying Peak Sure Move Damn Fast

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm, First Form: Beginner (980/1000)]

Just one look, and he had already reached the beginner stage, nearing minor mastery.

Yu Xiu had not even started practicing. He had only carefully studied it once more.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm, First Form: Minor Mastery (840/2000)]

He practiced it once.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm, First Form: Major Mastery (1600/3000)]

He practiced it a second time.

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

'Oh no, my cultivation is about to fall behind my realm!'

His comprehension was simply too high. He had not even practiced the technique, yet he had already reached minor mastery.

Two rounds of practice, and he had reached perfection.

By contrast, the true qi inside him, though it refined rapidly and advanced quickly after he swallowed an unknown pill, still could not keep pace with the speed of his comprehension.

If nothing unexpected happened, he could perfect all twenty forms of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword for the Five Viscera Realm in half a day.

His realm would rise along with them, reaching the perfection stage of the Five Viscera Realm. But as for his cultivation, he probably would not even manage to perfect the first level of the Five Viscera Realm.

Refining pills took time, and so did the body absorbing their medicinal power. But his comprehension was too high—it left him no time at all!

Still, it was no big deal. Once his realm advanced, he could slowly swallow pills, and his cultivation would naturally catch up.

This was probably another kind of suffering: having such high comprehension that his cultivation growth could not keep up with his realm's growth.

But other cultivators could never understand how that felt.

They racked their brains just to raise their realm by the tiniest bit.

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm, Second Form: Perfection (Sword Intent +1)]...

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm, Tenth Form: Perfection (Sword Intent +1)]...

[Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword Five Viscera Realm, Twentieth Form: 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)]

At the second level of Sword Heart, twenty points of Sword Intent could increase its progress by one. Not bad.

Especially since, after he perfected the Five Viscera Realm techniques, they no longer increased Sword Sense. Instead, they directly increased Sword Intent.

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

Yu Xiu practiced his sword while Yuan Tiankuo watched through half-lidded eyes.

As he watched Yu Xiu practice the first form of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword, a question rose in Yuan Tiankuo's mind after the first round.

'Su Wenjin said he only taught Yu Xiu the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword today. Why did he reach minor mastery on his first try, and even cross into major mastery?'

When he watched Yu Xiu practice it a second time, Yuan Tiankuo's heart lurched.

'Perfection?'

This was perfection, wasn't it?!

He practiced the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword too, and considered himself to have perfected it.

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

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

But Yuan Tiankuo had no time to figure it out. Next, Yu Xiu perfected the second form of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword as well.

Then the third form, the fourth...

All the way to the twentieth!

Every form perfected—and every one of them different from his own perfection!

He no longer had time to wonder why his perfection differed from Yu Xiu's. He realized that comparing the two might let him make up for his own shortcomings.

But Yu Xiu practiced each form only twice!

Yuan Tiankuo could not see clearly!

He had no time to compare!

'I can't see it!'

Yuan Tiankuo was on the verge of going mad, but Yu Xiu had no idea. In just over an hour—not even half a day—he perfected all twenty Five Viscera Realm forms of the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword, then stopped.

So Yuan Tiankuo's impatience was useless.

'What kind of comprehension does he have? Or did forming a Sword Heart make Five Viscera Realm sword techniques completely effortless for him?'

One practice to reach major mastery, two to reach perfection—he had never seen progress like that, nor had he even heard of it!

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

But he did not know how to begin.

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

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

And then nothing. Yuan Tiankuo's taciturn nature left his words stuck in his throat. In the end, all he said was, "Your swordsmanship isn't bad."

Not bad? It was so good it made no sense, so fast it was unbelievable!

Was this even human?!

No wonder Ancestor Linyuan's Sword Intent had been stirred by him. If nothing unexpected happened, Yu Xiu's comprehension was probably so good that he was a monster!

'Perhaps in less than three years, he'll join the Ten True Seeds, or even rank first among them!'

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

Within ten years, even the sky over the Qingwei Sword Sect would change.

The Ten Great True Disciples, whose ranks had remained unchanged for a full sixty years, might shift as well!

Over the following days, Yuan Tiankuo could not calm his thoughts no matter what.

Yu Xiu, meanwhile, just kept his head down and swallowed pills. He did not practice his sword.

There was nothing left to practice. All that remained was refining pills.

He was like a Four Great Passes expert who had exhausted his true qi and was recovering his strength.

In his Life Spring, life force surged like a boundless tide. It flowed into his true qi, then poured into his Five Viscera, growing ever more powerful.

Just five days later, Yu Xiu's cultivation advanced to the second level of the Five Viscera Realm.

That same day, Wei Ling came again. "Brother Yu, we've identified the Shadow Demon that killed Fang Jiming and the other eight in Guiping County, Donghe Prefecture. You'll need to make the trip."

He leaned close to Yu Xiu and sent his voice to him. "Hall Master Su said this will also help build your credentials for joining the Main Sect. The Flying Boat has already been arranged. Once you reach Guiping County, someone will take care of everything.

"As long as Brother Yu is strong enough, you can go straight to Dragon-Slaying Peak when you return."

"There's a Shadow Demon in Guiping County?" Yu Xiu asked in surprise.

He had already cut that Shadow Demon into smoke before. How had another one appeared?

Could it be that Su Wenjin had arranged a fake for him, just so he could go through the motions?

"There is," Wei Ling said. "And it's a Shadow Demon at the Four Great Passes level. Brother Yu, be extremely careful."

"I understand." Yu Xiu had not expected a small county like Guiping to actually have a Shadow Demon like that.

But it was no big deal. With his Sword Heart at the second level, even if he ran into a Shadow Demon at the second pass of the Four Great Passes, he would not be afraid.

He turned and bowed to Yuan Tiankuo. "Thank you for the pills, Senior Brother. Once I join Dragon-Slaying Peak, I'll repay you."

"There's no need to worry about the pills," Yuan Tiankuo replied tersely, still taciturn.

Only after Yu Xiu had left did Wei Ling approach Yuan Tiankuo. "Dragon-Slaying Peak has asked Senior Brother Yuan to secretly make a trip to Guiping County."

Yuan Tiankuo's expression did not change. "Su Wenjin has some nerve. For the sake of Junior Brother Yu, he actually got Dragon-Slaying Peak involved."

He gave a rare smile. "But Su Wenjin did the right thing. I should make this trip too!"

He might only get this one chance to protect Junior Brother Yu and accompany him on a journey.

A few years from now, whether Dragon-Slaying Peak could still contain Yu Xiu was anyone's guess!

This junior brother's comprehension would absolutely exceed what many people on Dragon-Slaying Peak could imagine!

"There are only three Shadow Demons in Tantan Lake," Wei Ling explained, "but one of them has already surpassed the first pass of the Four Great Passes. It's far stronger than Brother Yu. Hall Master Su's instruction is that Senior Brother Yuan only needs to hold back the Shadow Demon at the second pass of the Four Great Passes. You don't need to worry about the others."

'A Shadow Demon at the second pass of the Four Great Passes!' Yuan Tiankuo chuckled to himself.

Normally, a Shadow Demon of that strength would not be worth his trouble.

But for Yu Xiu's sake, making an exception and taking action once was no big deal!

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

As soon as the words left his mouth, a lazy laugh rang out. "Obviously, I will."

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

Then a tall, straight-backed young man with handsome features dispersed out of the sword qi, revealing himself.

He had a languid air about him. Looking at Yuan Tiankuo, he grinned. "Little lady, it's been days. You've gotten prettier again!"

"Lu Shizhang, I'll fucking—" Yuan Tiankuo instantly lost his composure, drawing his sword and lunging at him.

"Look at you, getting worked up again." Lu Shizhang flickered away, already a great distance off. "I heard you're going to Donghe Prefecture to protect some kid. Oh, and I also heard you protected him for half a month at the Earth-Fire Abyss. So, is the kid handsome?"

Yuan Tiankuo had been waiting for this moment. He sneered. "I'm protecting a monster comparable to a True Seed. I'm planning to knock you out of the top five among the Ten Heroes. Get ready to surrender your spot!"

Lu Shizhang scoffed. "I rank fifth, and you're eighth. If anyone's getting knocked out, it'll be you. What's that got to do with me in fifth place?"

Then his tone changed. "So there really is a monster comparable to a True Seed?"

Yuan Tiankuo shot him a disdainful sidelong glance with his handsome phoenix eyes, turned into a streak of sword qi, and vanished in an instant.

Lu Shizhang's smile faded. He turned to Wei Ling. "Junior Brother Wei, tell me about this monster comparable to a True Seed."

Yuan Tiankuo might spout nonsense when teased, but that was limited to insults. He wouldn't lie about something like this.

'A monster comparable to a True Seed?'

Maybe not. Yuan Tiankuo was handsome and strong, but his judgment was ordinary.

Among the Ten Heroes of Dragon-Slaying Peak, he ranked eighth. He had no idea how monstrous the Ten True Seeds were, let alone the few freaks in the top three among the Ten Heroes.

Lu Shizhang, on the other hand, had fought He Guizhou, who ranked third among the Ten Heroes, and lost by only one move.

Of course, if Yuan Tiankuo knew how highly Lu Shizhang thought of himself, he would surely sneer, 'You lost by one move? You only managed to take one move from him, damn it.'

Wei Ling looked troubled. This man was no easy person to deal with. Even Yuan Tiankuo got the worst of it around him.

"To use Hall Master Su's words, that Junior Brother Yu Xiu does indeed have the makings of a True Seed."

Lu Shizhang did not care. "Su Wenjin? That kid's not strong enough to hold a candle to Yuan Tiankuo. What does he know?"

Wei Ling continued on his own. "Junior Brother Yu only left the Outer Court nearly three years after he arrived..."

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

That meant Yu Xiu had taken nearly three years to cultivate Ascending Dragon's third pass, the Qi Sea.

With potential like that, let alone being comparable to a True Seed, even ordinary geniuses below the Ten Heroes could leave Yu Xiu in the dust.

The comparison was simple enough that Yuan Tiankuo could see it, Su Wenjin could see it, and anyone could see it.

So Yu Xiu's potential showed itself only after he entered the Inner Court?

Sure enough, Wei Ling went on. "But after entering the Inner Court, Junior Brother Yu took only about two months to break through the Qi Sea and Life Spring passes, reaching the Four Great Passes."

He did not mention that Yu Xiu had fought one against nine and killed Fang Jiming and the other eight. After all, that was not something they could discuss openly.

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

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

At the very least, the Pavilion Guardian would know. The Inner Court disciples got their cultivation techniques from the Library Pavilion, and the Pavilion Guardian would be the first to learn of Yu Xiu's sudden leap in strength.

And Yuan Tiankuo would never willingly protect some unknown disciple just because he cultivated quickly!

'Could he have had a sudden awakening, and his comprehension soared?'

All sorts of thoughts flashed through Lu Shizhang's mind, but he said, "So-so. He can't compare to a True Seed."

He waved his hand and vanished.

Wei Ling said nothing, simply turning to leave.

Everyone at Dragon-Slaying Peak knew about Yuan Tiankuo's face and Lu Shizhang's mouth.

Yuan Tiankuo had a handsome face. Lu Shizhang had a stubborn mouth—and a foul one at that.

The Inner Court, Library Pavilion.

A streak of sword light dispersed without a sound, and Lu Shizhang appeared before the Pavilion Guardian, Liao Jianshu.

Elder Liao still lay reading. He merely glanced at Lu Shizhang, then rolled over and ignored him.

"Senior Brother Liao, taking it easy?" Lu Shizhang greeted him with a smile that begged to be punched.

Liao Jianshu set down his book. "Spit it out."

Lu Shizhang grinned. "Senior Brother was once a prodigy ranked among the Ten Heroes at Jinding Peak. How come you've spent all these years recovering after getting injured, yet your temper's gotten worse instead? That won't do, that won't do."

Liao Jianshu's face was cold. "Keep talking nonsense, and I'll draw my sword."

"Take it easy, take it easy." Lu Shizhang kept grinning. "I want to ask about someone. Yu Xiu."

Liao Jianshu lay back down. "Don't ask. You might get beaten up one day."

Lu Shizhang: "???"

The fifth-ranked Ten Hero of Dragon-Slaying Peak, and I'm afraid of him?

Lu Shizhang had only just left when Yu Xiu arrived at the Library Pavilion and met Liao Jianshu.

"You've entered the Four Great Passes!" Liao Jianshu sat up again, sounding somewhat wistful. "By rights, with your talent and comprehension, sooner or later you'll be free to read every book in the Library Pavilion. Why go to all this trouble and make a separate deal with this old man?"

Yu Xiu cupped his fists in salute. "I just wanted to read them sooner."

"When cultivators reach the later stages of their path, most of the powerful ones who seek to go further choose to create their own techniques and walk a path that belongs to them alone. By then, they must forge a furnace for the myriad classics and study every kind of method.

"It's actually unwise for you to read every technique so early.

"Your realm isn't high enough. Though your understanding of techniques is deep, you lack a sufficiently lofty realm to survey them from above. Their power may instead influence you and lead you astray."

Yu Xiu understood what Liao Jianshu was saying.

This was also why, despite his exceptionally high comprehension—so high that he could modify many cultivation arts in his eyes, making them stronger and better—he had never dared alter one.

He could make a cultivation art more powerful, but just as Liao Jianshu had said, that might send his future cultivation down the wrong path. When he reached a certain realm, he might find himself unable to advance to the next.

"Elder, I'll keep your teachings in mind. Cultivation arts mustn't be altered lightly, and I won't alter them," Yu Xiu said. "I came here today for two reasons. First, to tell you that I've entered the Four Great Passes.

"Second, I'd like to trade for some pills."

"Pills?" Liao Jianshu's gaze sharpened as he studied Yu Xiu. "Have you cultivated the Dragon-Slaying Evil-Purging Sword?"

Well, damn. The people at Dragon-Slaying Peak sure move fast!

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