The Legendary Sword Saint

Li Mu smiled without a word. Some things could be done, but they were not suitable to be spoken of directly.

Challenging senior brothers above one's rank was not an isolated case in the Mount Hua Sect; it happened during almost every grand competition, though most of the time, the challengers returned in defeat.

Take the famous "Sword Saint" Feng Qingyang, for example. He had shone brilliantly during the sect's grand competition and nearly swept the entire field, yet unfortunately, he fell short of success in the end.

It was not that he lacked prowess, but rather that the gap in time spent practicing martial arts was too great. Among the senior brothers ahead of him, there was no shortage of geniuses who had entered the sect twenty years earlier, so naturally, they were not so easy to catch up with.

Following that, the "Qing" generation stepped onto the historical stage, and Feng Qingyang, not yet twenty, leapt to become a Mount Hua elder, no longer participating in the grand competitions.

The situation Li Mu faced now was much the same, only his goal was not as lofty as sweeping the entire field; it was enough to simply crush opponents of the same realm.

As for those senior brothers ahead who had already broken through to the First-Rate realm, the cautious Li Mu would not take such risks.

In this world, being one step ahead made one a genius, but being three steps ahead made one either a madman or a "martyr."

Crossing a small realm was acceptable to everyone. As long as one's sword technique progress was high enough, it was basically achievable.

Crossing a major realm, however, was extraordinary. The Mount Hua Sect already had one Feng Qingyang; no one wanted to see a second one appear.

If he were to hog the spotlight like that, Li Mu would likely have to hole up on the mountain, relying on the sect's protection to cultivate bitterly.

If it were a few years earlier, that might have been fine, but remaining trapped in Mount Hua now was not a good choice. If he were truly dragged into the chaotic infighting between the Sword and Qi factions, Li Mu could not guarantee he would escape unscathed.

Wanting to compete for resources while not wanting to stand out too much meant he had to carefully grasp this balance.

"Senior Brother Liu, please stop teasing your junior brother. Master has high hopes for you; he just glanced this way a moment ago. If this grand competition..."

He left the sentence half-finished, and Li Mu stopped abruptly. Liu Bufan's expression collapsed instantly, as if the sky had fallen.

"High expectations" also had two sides. Because he had been raised by Zhou Qingyun personally, they were practically father and son, which meant the demands placed on Liu Bufan were exceptionally strict.

If other disciples performed poorly, it was nothing more than a harsh scolding, or at worst, being sent far away to be out of sight and out of mind. But for Liu Bufan, he had to truly experience what a "strict master" was.

"Junior Brother Li, I've always treated you well, haven't I? You can't just stand by and watch me die at a time like this."

Seeing this, Li Mu felt a spark of amusement.

"Senior Brother, you know Master's temper; pleading for mercy would likely have the opposite effect. Instead of sighing here, you'd be better off practicing hard and striving to use the opportunity of the grand competition to seek a breakthrough."

This was not schadenfreude; for disciples at a bottleneck, the grand competition itself was an opportunity. Almost every time around the sect's grand competition, a group of lucky ones took the chance to break through.

With the help of the Jade Butterfly, Li Mu's discernment had also risen accordingly. The predicament Liu Bufan faced in his cultivation could not escape his eyes. It was just that since the man himself hadn't asked, as a junior brother, it was not his place to rashly offer guidance.

Having lived two lives, Li Mu had a deeper grasp of human nature. Especially for young people in an ivory tower, face was often more important than anything else.

Even though the two had a good relationship, Li Mu chose to approach it indirectly; the "grand competition" was the suggestion he offered. Using external force to stimulate a breakthrough was a common method among martial artists, lacking any novelty, yet it preserved Liu Bufan's dignity.

The sounds of "bang, bang, bang" rang out as Zhou Qingyun stepped onto the field himself to instruct the disciples. Thinking about it, that made sense; compared to internal energy cultivation, which varied from person to person, instructing sword techniques was undoubtedly simpler and the most effective way to improve combat power in the short term.

"Li Mu, you come down and try as well."

Perhaps worried that Li Mu had neglected his sword practice, or perhaps dissatisfied with Li Mu watching the fun from the sidelines, Zhou Qingyun called him out directly.

"Yes, Master."

He had long wanted to test his own martial arts but lacked a suitable opportunity; now that Zhou Qingyun had taken the initiative, it suited his wishes perfectly.

After drawing his sword, Li Mu's entire temperament changed. An air of scholarly elegance emerged, mingled with a touch of Taoist detachment. It was indescribable and profound.

Since he was instructing a disciple, Zhou Qingyun, mindful of his status, naturally could not strike first. Li Mu did not stand on ceremony; after a bow, he attacked directly.

It was clearly "piercing" and "slashing"—simple, basic moves that anyone could see were the Mount Hua Basic Sword Techniques. Yet, in Li Mu's hands, this set of basic techniques became extraordinary.

Those present were not novices in the martial arts world. Once the Basic Sword Techniques reached Grand Perfection, the expressions of the crowd changed drastically.

Although martial arts had levels of superiority, any technique that reached the realm of perfection became extraordinary. Even the most common basic sword technique, once perfected, could unleash power no less than that of a top-tier technique.

Zhou Qingyun on the field felt immense pressure; as the person involved, he felt it even more keenly. The faint, elusive sword intent woven into the basic moves made him groan inwardly.

However, as the master, Zhou Qingyun could not bring himself to admit defeat. He could only rely on his advantage in internal energy to suppress him, barely maintaining the upper hand.

As a Sword Sect elder, having to rely on internal energy to suppress a disciple left Zhou Qingyun feeling helpless. The only thing that comforted him was that the person on the field was his disciple—the student had surpassed the master, though this day had come a little too early.

Li Mu did not know this and assumed his master was intentionally going easy on him. He felt that "ginger is still spicier when old," and the trace of arrogance in his heart vanished without a trace.

He no longer stuck to rigid forms and unleashed all the sword techniques he knew. For a time, the two were evenly matched, and the scene was exceptionally spectacular.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Mu, having exhausted all his tricks and still remaining at a disadvantage, decisively chose to concede, ending the duel.

Zhou Qingyun, having caught his breath, stroked his beard with a slightly flushed face and commented, "Hmm, your sword technique cultivation, Li Mu, has already neared Great Completion. You could even hold your own against an average First-Rate expert."

"But you must not be complacent. Know that there is always a heaven beyond heaven and people beyond people. Not to look too far, your Uncle Feng was already above your current level of cultivation at this age."

"Next, you must find opportunities to increase your combat experience. What we just had was a friendly spar; if this were a life-and-death struggle, you would already be a corpse."

Feng Qingyang was a legend of the Mount Hua Sect. As the youngest disciple of the "Qing" generation, his real age was only a few years older than Li Mu's, yet he was already the world-renowned "Mount Hua Sword Saint."

He had broken through to the First-Rate realm before twenty and reached the pinnacle before twenty-five. Coupled with his profound sword techniques, any peerless genius who stood before him was completely eclipsed—he was a bona fide cheater.