20% Sword Intent

Time flowed like water, slipping silently through the cracks between his fingers.

Several months had passed since Lin Chen returned the Torrential Rain Sword Diagram.

On the day before the Spirit Pool Baptism, Spirit Mist Mountain carried an air unlike any ordinary day.

In Bamboo Melody Pavilion, Lin Chen sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, holding a cup of tea as he gazed calmly at the mist-shrouded mountains beyond.

The guild had also arranged a martial arts gathering so those about to enter the spirit pool together could get to know one another.

Lin Chen had attended, of course.

Of the three, the Azure Cloud Sect had sent a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight named Shen Qingyun. He wore a blue-and-white sword robe and was at the first level of the Profound Martial Realm.

He spoke little, but Lin Chen could sense a faint, sharp aura around him—the edge of a sword cultivator.

Mystic Moon Pavilion had sent a woman named Su Yue. She appeared to be around twenty, wore a moon-white dress, and had delicate features and a gentle manner.

She was also at the first level of the Profound Martial Realm, but her aura was deep and enduring, with a hint of moonlight flowing through it. She had clearly cultivated Mystic Moon Pavilion's distinctive moon-aspected art.

The representative from Medicine King Valley, however, surprised Lin Chen.

His name was Zhou Yan. He looked to be in his early thirties, with an average build and unremarkable face, and wore dark red fighting clothes. Yet his cultivation had reached the third level of the Profound Martial Realm, surpassing the disciples sent by the other two first-rate powers!

During their conversation, Zhou Yan spoke with easy confidence. He knew about medicinal pills, pharmacology, cultivation arts, and martial techniques, and his knowledge was broad.

"The Spirit Pool Baptism won't be peaceful after all."

Lin Chen spoke the words aloud.

He rose and returned to the cultivation room, then summoned his Character Panel and began Attribute Allocation.

"Whatever tricks they have, if they get in my way, I'll crush them with 20% Sword Intent!"

Several thousand experience points flowed into his Sword Dao realm.

In that instant, Lin Chen felt as though brilliant light blazed within his eyes. Countless insights and mysteries poured into his mind for him to absorb and understand.

It was as if he were a sword cultivator devoted wholly to the blade, who had practiced for ten years through freezing snow and blazing sun.

Then, after ten years of practice, enlightenment had struck, and he had broken through on the spot.

"So that's what 20% Sword Intent is!"

Lin Chen murmured.

In his sea of consciousness, that swordlike glimmer of will blazed brightly and transformed into a transparent sword of thought that radiated a chilling edge!

The sword had no substance or physical form, yet it truly existed.

It hung at the center of Lin Chen's sea of consciousness, slowly turning. With every revolution, invisible Sword Intent spread outward.

Hiss, hiss, hiss—

Fine cutting sounds filled the cultivation room. Within three feet of Lin Chen, countless slender streams of sword qi crisscrossed the air.

Fortunately, Lin Chen had already used the Shadow Silk Binding Art to erect a black barrier around himself, separating inside from out.

Otherwise, those countless streams of sword qi would have destroyed his cultivation room, even as they flew about without direction.

Lin Chen opened his eyes.

A point of starlight flashed in them, then vanished. The edge that seemed capable of severing all things quietly faded as well.

"Every advance in the Sword Dao transforms a sword cultivator in every respect. Now that I've comprehended 20% Sword Intent..."

Lin Chen took a moment to gauge himself.

"Against me, a martial artist at the first level of the Profound Martial Realm would have no chance of survival."

"I could kill one at the second level on the spot, too."

"Even at the third level, anyone without exceptional combat strength would no longer be my match."

"As for martial artists who haven't reached the Profound Martial Realm..."

Li Yuan, who had once taken a strike from his sword, surfaced in Lin Chen's mind.

"Decades of experience, a thousand tricks, all the unwillingness in the world—before absolute strength, none of it would withstand a single sword strike!"

Lin Chen put those thoughts aside and looked at his Character Panel.

He found that raising his Sword Intent from 20% to 30% now required twenty thousand experience points!

After a moment's thought, Lin Chen found that reasonable enough.

When he had first entered the Profound Martial Realm, Lin Chen had not understood.

But after several years with the Four Seas Merchant Guild and some reading across its many cultivation texts, he did.

Ordinary martial artists could generally comprehend Martial Dao True Intent a few years after breaking through to the Profound Martial Realm.

For sword cultivators, that meant 10% Sword Intent.

But the further one progressed, the harder Martial Dao True Intent became to comprehend.

In the Profound Martial Realm, comprehending 30% True Intent was effectively the limit for an ordinary martial artist.

Reaching 40% True Intent was a threshold reserved for core disciples of the major powers—true geniuses.

As for pursuing 100% True Intent and perfection in the Martial Dao? That was simply beyond anyone in the Profound Martial Realm.

Even Earth Martial Realm martial artists found it exceedingly difficult.

Take the Earth Martial Realm sword cultivator Lin Chen had once seen lecturing at Dao Cliff. He had devoted centuries to the Sword Dao.

Yet his Sword Dao realm had only reached around 80% Sword Intent.

He was still far from the perfection of 100% Sword Intent.

"In any case, with 20% Sword Intent mastered, I can sit back and take tomorrow's Spirit Pool Baptism in stride."

With his Sword Intent established, Lin Chen rose and left the cultivation room.

He had intended to rest and quietly await the next day, but something else suddenly came to mind.

He summoned Liu Yun.

"What are your orders, Young Master?" Liu Yun asked with a bow.

"Any recent news from the Eastern Wilderness Ruins?"

Lin Chen asked.

"Young Master, over the past six months, the martial artists who entered the ruins have explored most of the outer area. Nearly everything of value has been taken."

"As for the inner area, intact formations from ancient times are still active. No Profound Martial Realm martial artist could force their way through."

"And then..."

Liu Yun paused.

"Half a month ago, an elder of Mystic Moon Pavilion personally led a group of elite disciples to guard the entrance to the underground ruins. They no longer allow anyone else inside to explore."

Lin Chen understood.

Cloudmist Territory had four first-rate powers, each with its own sphere of influence. The Eastern Wilderness fell under Mystic Moon Pavilion's.

Mystic Moon Pavilion had evidently planned this from the start. They had opened the outer ruins and let martial artists flock in for treasure, using them to scout the way and clear the outer area. Now that the ruins' core area had appeared, it was time for them to step in personally.

Lin Chen changed the subject. "How has Brother Zhao been lately?"

A trace of admiration appeared on Liu Yun's face.

"Young Master Zhao is truly remarkable."

"Over the past few months, he fought battle after battle in the outer ruins with his Prairie Fire Sword Technique and never lost. He also claimed an Ancient Body Tempering Art from a hall there and broke through to the third level of the Profound Martial Realm in one leap."

"He's made quite a name for himself now. The All-Knowing Tower has recorded him under the name Prairie Fire Swordsman."

Lin Chen smiled at the news.

"Brother Zhao may be a sword cultivator, but he's burly, with a powerful chest. That Ancient Body Tempering Art might really suit him."