Sword Intent

At dawn, a dense fog shrouded the secluded Green Sun Town, turning everything white and blurring the view.

"Whew... whew..."

At the summit of a mountain near Green Sun Town, Lin Ge used no Yuan Power as he lifted a massive boulder with his own strength and slowly carried it downhill.

The boulder's weight left a fresh pit beneath Lin Ge's feet with every step. That alone gave some idea of just how heavy it was.

By now, Lin Ge's robe was soaked with sweat. The veins stood out on his forehead and arms, and his small hands, clenched around the boulder, were streaked not only with sweat but also with thin trails of blood.

Lin Ge had already broken through the Body Tempering Realm, so his body was naturally strong. But carrying such a massive, heavy boulder without using Yuan Power—and doing so down a slope where a cliff lay just beside the path—required extreme care with every step. It would be all too easy to fall.

To anyone else, this reckless training would have made Lin Ge seem insane.

But to Lin Ge, it was necessary cultivation.

The path of the sword was difficult. Exceptional talent alone could not carry someone far. It also took grueling training beyond what ordinary people could endure, together with unflagging persistence. Only then could one travel far and stand firm.

Yesterday, meeting Lin Dong had stirred the calm waters of Lin Ge's heart.

According to the story's progression, Lin Dong would soon obtain the opportunity meant for him. From then on, he would rise like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring through the heavens, unstoppable.

Though Lin Ge was currently far stronger than Lin Dong, there was no denying that Lin Dong's growth was astonishingly fast. Even Lin Ge, with his Supreme Body, worried that he might be surpassed.

Lin Ge disdained the idea of taking Lin Dong's opportunities for himself.

A true overlord did not care what trump cards or opportunities his opponent possessed. So long as he stood in their way, they would never surpass him!

The sword path Lin Ge cultivated was one of passionless detachment. Even if his opponent were a powerhouse of the Sovereign Realm, he would still dare to draw his sword, without a trace of fear.

"Thud!"

After more than an hour of effort, Lin Ge finally reached his destination: a massive ancient tree.

He hurled the boulder from his hands, and the earth shook violently upon impact.

"Whew, whew..."

Panting heavily, Lin Ge shakily pulled a bottle of Foundation Building Liquid from his robe and downed it in one gulp. Then he sat cross-legged beneath the ancient tree and closed his eyes to meditate.

As time passed, Lin Ge gradually entered a meditative state.

His pale little face slowly grew rosy, the bloodied skin on his small hands gradually healed, and the sweat vanished from his face.

Today's training was meant to strengthen Lin Ge's body, filling every part of it with explosive power.

"I've rested enough. I can give it a try now."

At noon, Lin Ge opened his eyes beneath the ancient tree. His gaze was eager, and he was brimming with vigor.

"I wonder what my stats look like now."

Thinking this, Lin Ge opened his status panel and focused on it.

Name: Lin Ge

Age: Thirteen

Gender: Male

Realm: Earth Origin Realm

Weapon: Sword

Weapon Proficiency: 53%

"Is my weapon proficiency only just past halfway?"

Lin Ge murmured as he looked over the stats, then paid them no more attention.

After three years of practicing the sword, his foundations were rock-solid. Now he needed to improve his sword techniques.

The sword path consisted of sword force, sword intent, and sword qi.

Sword force was when a swordsman could stand with their sword still sheathed and, simply by being there, exert such immense pressure that others lost the will to fight. That was sword force.

Sword intent was also known as the heart sword.

Once a swordsman's comprehension of the sword reached a certain level, they could infuse that understanding into their blade, strengthening the offense or defense of their sword techniques.

Generally speaking, the deeper your understanding of the sword, the more powerful your sword techniques could become.

Sword qi was the formidable force produced by swinging a sword.

It was similar to powerful martial techniques unleashed through Yuan Power, but far more difficult to control.

Sword qi did not grow stronger simply through repeated practice.

It relied primarily on sword intent, with sword force as its support. Only when the two were combined could it unleash its full might.

If someone relied on sword force or sword intent alone, the sword qi they produced would be like a tiger with its teeth pulled—impressive to look at, but utterly toothless.

In the early stages, three years of relentless work on his sword foundations had already brought Lin Ge's sword force to a state of perfect harmony between mind and spirit.

It was fair to say that in terms of sword force alone, Lin Ge was no weaker than any top swordsman.

But beyond his sword force, his sword intent and sword qi were poor—not even up to an ordinary standard.

Lin Ge's greatest wish after coming to this world was to crush every enemy in his path. That was why the sword intent he sought to comprehend was the Peerless Sword Intent, domineering to the extreme.

Peerless Under Heaven, I alone reign supreme!

Unfortunately, Lin Ge had grasped only a trace of the Peerless Sword Intent. As a result, the sword qi he produced when he swung his blade was just as feeble; he could not even chop through a tree.

Because his sword intent was so weak, Lin Ge wanted to push every part of his body to its limits, thereby increasing the power of his sword.

Powerful sword intent required comprehension combined with practical experience. But Lin Ge lacked both right now. He planned to go to a beast-infested area near Green Sun Town to hone his combat skills and gain battle experience, and perhaps, through combat, strengthen his Peerless Sword Intent as well.

He had a feeling that the Peerless Sword Intent he had comprehended needed to be tempered in battles of blood and fire to grow, and that it needed life-or-death choices to become stronger.

"I can't wait to find out just how strong I can become."

Lin Ge looked toward the sun on the horizon. Its dazzling rays made him squint, and he wondered eagerly whether, when he returned from training, he would have fully formed his Peerless Sword Intent—or even brought it to the minor-success stage.