Dragon Slaying Sword Mastery, Sword Aura Manifestation

Heaven Sword Peak.

At the Mountain Gate.

Before the giant stele, Jiang Li stood silently in place, his gaze fixed intently on the sword scar upon the stone. He did not move at all.

As though he had been petrified.

He stood there for an entire day.

Jiang Li was dumbfounded.

He had never imagined that the spell "Dragon Slaying Sword" would pull something like this.

On his very first day after joining Heaven Sword Peak, it had turned him into a celebrity.

More and more Heaven Sword Peak disciples learned that a newly joined disciple was comprehending the sword scar before the giant stele at the Mountain Gate.

His talent in the Sword Dao was astounding.

As soon as the news spread, a crowd of disciples gathered at the Mountain Gate to watch the spectacle.

"Is that him? His name seems to be Jiang Li. Back at the Sermon Hall, he exposed three Yin Puppet Sect spies in one fell swoop. Elder Zhang took a liking to him and accepted him as a personal disciple."

A disciple pointed out Jiang Li's background.

His eyes were full of envy.

An Outer Sect Disciple who had been utterly unknown in the Holy Land had become a personal disciple simply because he suited an elder's tastes. He had even joined Heaven Sword Peak without any testing whatsoever. Calling it a single step to the heavens would not have been an exaggeration.

"Come to think of it, are there really sword scars on that giant stele? Isn't it just a defective piece? We pass it every day, yet none of us has comprehended anything from it."

Another disciple voiced his doubts.

He suspected Jiang Li was putting on a mysterious act and directing this whole performance himself.

After all.

That stele really was ordinary.

There was not the slightest trace of anything miraculous about it.

Ever since it had been erected at the Mountain Gate, no one had paid it any mind. Even the Heaven Sword Peak disciples had regarded it as nothing more than decoration.

If Jiang Li truly had gained some insight from it, would that not mean his talent in the Sword Dao had left them far behind?

They refused to accept it.

Some even copied Jiang Li, staring fixedly at the cracks on the giant stele in an attempt to discover something.

However...

They could not comprehend anything at all.

No matter how they looked, all they saw was a crack.

Nothing else was mixed into it.

In the end, they reached a conclusion: Jiang Li was playing tricks.

"Ignorant fools."

At that moment.

A man in blue robes carrying a sword case spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"That's Gu Qingshan. He's the eighth-ranked genius among our Heaven Sword Peak Outer Sect Disciples. They say he's already on the verge of comprehending Sword Qi Manifestation."

Someone whispered.

Gu Qingshan did not care.

The foxtail grass between his lips swayed as he spoke. "The sword scar on this stele was left behind by the peak master with a casual slash. The reason it stands at the Mountain Gate is to select true geniuses of the Sword Dao."

With those words, the crowd began to stir.

They understood Gu Qingshan's unspoken meaning.

The stele truly was special. It was merely that their talent was insufficient, so they could not comprehend it.

In other words.

Jiang Li really was comprehending the sword scar.

They simply could not glimpse the scenery seen by a true genius.

For a moment.

All the disciples' attention shifted to Jiang Li, their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and longing.

Elsewhere.

Jiang Li felt like crying without tears.

Stop talking, stop talking. If this keeps up, I really won't be able to keep a low profile.

He recognized the blue-robed man.

He was the Law Enforcement Hall member Jiang Li had encountered while wiping out the spies in Frostfeather City.

The other man had stepped forward to clear his name, and Jiang Li appreciated the kindness.

But...

He did not need it.

All he wanted now was to slip away as soon as possible, not keep expanding his reputation.

The greater his fame, the more likely he was to stand beneath the spotlight.

For a spy, that was an extremely dangerous signal.

As though it had heard Jiang Li's inner thoughts, the cold mechanical electronic voice finally sounded.

Ding! The spell "Dragon Slaying Sword" has thoroughly comprehended the sword scar upon the stele, broadening its narrow path of the Sword Dao and reaping abundant gains.

New trait acquired: Fire Intent.

Fire Intent: You can skillfully attach fire-attribute power to your sword, producing a sword of blazing fire.

Option Mission completed. Completion reward: Spell Mastery (Sword Aura Manifestation).

As the system notification faded.

Jiang Li regained control of his body.

He could clearly feel a strange new power within him.

Warm.

It sank into his Dantian.

Jiang Li knew that it was the new trait, "Fire Intent," mastered by the spell "Dragon Slaying Sword."

Besides that.

The Dragon Slaying Sword, having completed its enlightenment, had smoothly entered the mastery stage.

He could now wield a Foundation Establishment Realm spell at the mastery level.

That was a level even the vast majority of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could not comprehend.

Yet he, a mere Qi Refining Fifth Level cultivator, had achieved it.

It had to be said.

Though the system had ruined his Dao of Survival plan at the worst possible time, from a certain perspective, it was truly fucking incredible.

If he had been a proper Holy Land disciple, then with the system's help, he absolutely could have become the most dazzling genius.

Unfortunately...

He was a spy.

He had no feelings, and no desire for fame.

With that thought.

Jiang Li's eyes shifted.

After giving Gu Qingshan a slight nod in greeting, he took out his Spirit Boat and headed straight for the seventh level of Heaven Sword Peak.

Before long.

Jiang Li's Spirit Boat appeared at the Sword Palace on the seventh level.

At this level, the residences had already risen above the clouds. The buildings were no longer limited to cave residences, but were instead lavish palaces.

Standing by the window and looking out, one could take in the entirety of Heaven Sword Peak at a glance.

Following the address, Jiang Li arrived at the hall where his teacher resided.

"Teacher."

Jiang Li called out.

Zhang Song emerged from inside.

His gaze was sharp as torches.

He nodded repeatedly.

"Not bad. Judging by your appearance, you must have gained much. Remember this enlightenment and make it your own. Then you will be able to completely master the first realm of a Sword Cultivator."

Jiang Li's expression shifted slightly.

He recalled that the system reward for spell mastery had included the words Sword Aura Manifestation.

If he had guessed correctly, this was also the name of a realm in the Sword Dao.

He just did not know how many realms there were in total.

"Teacher, how many realms are there for Sword Cultivators?"

Jiang Li asked.

Zhang Song explained with a smile, "Five."

"Sword Qi Manifestation, Sword Aura Manifestation, Sword Form Like Rainbow, Sword Rainbow Dividing Light, Sword Light Congealing Evil."

"Generally speaking, to achieve Sword Qi Manifestation, one must at least possess Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, using True Essence to condense sword aura. A small number of exceptionally gifted Qi Refining stage cultivators can also use their talent to cultivate sword aura."

"Once one masters this realm, a Sword Cultivator has officially entered the path and possesses formidable combat power that surpasses cultivators of the same realm."

Jiang Li was secretly shocked.

Sword Aura Manifestation truly was the realm following Sword Qi Manifestation.

How long had it been since he learned the Foundation Establishment Realm spell Dragon Slaying Sword?

At most, no more than fifteen days.

Yet under the system's heaven-defying comprehension, his Sword Dao realm had directly reached the second stage.

Jiang Li did not even dare imagine what level his strength could reach with Sword Aura Manifestation.

He only knew that he was fucking awesome.

After leaving his teacher's hall, Jiang Li received the identity token marking him as a Heaven Sword Peak disciple.

Following the token's directions, he flew back down to the third level.

He found Cave Residence number 330.

Inside was a small Spirit Gathering Array, which could better draw in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.

The concentration of spiritual energy was at least three times greater than in his previous initial Cave Residence.

It could meet the daily breathing and cultivation needs of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

Jiang Li relaxed.

Though he had gotten off to an unfavorable start and the system had still caused quite a commotion, it remained within controllable limits. His fame was confined to Heaven Sword Peak, and there were not many channels through which it could spread.

As long as he kept a low profile from here on, this little bit of attention would soon fade.

In a few months, he would become a nobody again.

Jiang Li thought to himself.

He prepared to sort through this round of gains properly.

The first thing he tried was the mastered Dragon Slaying Sword.

Spiritual power surged around Jiang Li, and a pale golden, tangible sword aura condensed in his palm.

Then.

The sword aura began to change.

It was no longer constrained by form.

In the end, it transformed into a half-illusory, half-solid dragon-shaped phantom.

"Turning the sword into a dragon's form—this is the hallmark of the mastered Dragon Slaying Sword."

Jiang Li recalled the original Dragon Slaying Sword's explanation of the mastery level.

Once Dragon Slaying Sword reached mastery, its sword radiance transformed into tangible sword aura, its speed soared, and its slashes left distinct scorched sword marks.

Clearly.

In the original Dragon Slaying Sword manual, cultivators needed to reach the mastery stage before they could comprehend the realm of Sword Qi Transformation.

But in the version comprehended by the system, one could master Sword Qi Transformation at the minor mastery stage, while the mastery stage led to comprehending Sword Aura Manifestation.

Comparing the two.

The system version was still superior.

Love it, love it.