Sword Intent

The first form of the Firmament Sword Art, Shadowless, bore a strong resemblance to the second, Phantom Sword.

But the difficulty of mastering them rose sharply.

To master Shadowless, the first form, one had to produce sixty sword shadows.

Phantom Sword, the second form, required sword shadows to surround the wielder—at least a hundred and eighty of them!

And three True Swords had to form at the same time!

A True Sword was one of three swords formed amid countless sword shadows, each carrying terrifying power... It was like gathering all one's strength into a single point. The force was easy to imagine!

That was the difference between Phantom Sword and Shadowless.

Shadowless spread its power out. Phantom Sword gathered it for one devastating strike—a strike impossible to pick out from the countless sword shadows.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Countless sword shadows appeared in an instant. This time, there were more of them, packed closer together!

In the blink of an eye, sword shadows surrounded Qin Hao.

Countless sharp blades seemed to envelop him!

At the sight, Liu Wei's eyes filled with disbelief. Qin Hao could produce so many sword shadows—he had clearly mastered Phantom Sword, the second form!

Liu Wei murmured, "Don't tell me Qin Hao can form the True Swords too. If he can, that's terrifying!"

The words had barely left his mouth when three streams of Sword Qi suddenly appeared in midair before Qin Hao!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three streams of Sword Qi slammed into the ground.

Three sword marks, each several meters long, appeared in the courtyard!

Liu Wei's scalp prickled.

He had known Qin Hao's comprehension was monstrous, but he had never imagined that in less than three months, Qin Hao would master both the first and second forms of the Firmament Phantom Sword!

It had taken Liu Wei a full three years to reach mastery, and even then, his moves had not seemed as natural as Qin Hao's did now!

Comparing himself to Qin Hao could drive a man to an early grave. Liu Wei was utterly speechless.

Yet Qin Hao still did not stop.

Liu Wei drew a sharp breath. Even his lips began to tremble.

Anticipation and excitement flashed in his eyes. Could Qin Hao have mastered the third form as well?

Even Liu Wei had not fully mastered that sword move!

"Firmament!"

The third form, Firmament, was entirely different from the first two. This time, there was only one slash!

Qin Hao brought his sword down.

Boom!

With a dull rumble, the slash struck the ground, leaving another sword mark.

But in power, it was little different from the second form.

"No, that's not right. The third form isn't right!" Qin Hao frowned.

Nearby, Liu Wei let out a quiet breath and watched Qin Hao with mixed feelings.

The third form of the Firmament Phantom Sword is incomplete to begin with. It's already terrifying that he's come this far. If he mastered even the third form, his comprehension would rank among the best in the Myriad Phenomena Hall! Liu Wei shook his head gently. He knew he was getting carried away.

How old was Qin Hao? How long had he trained?

To think he could master the third form already was asking for the moon.

Liu Wei stopped watching and strode into the courtyard, laughing aloud. "Qin Hao, that's not how you execute Firmament, the third form of the Firmament Phantom Sword!"

Qin Hao looked up, delighted. "Uncle Liu! I was just about to find you. I'd like to spar with you."

Liu Wei smiled. "All right. I'll practice with you."

"Good. Be careful, Uncle Liu!"

Qin Hao wasted no time. As soon as he finished speaking, he brought his sword down in a fierce slash.

The third form of the Firmament Phantom Sword—Firmament!

He opened with his strongest move!

"Well, look at you! If you're using the third form, I'll use it too." Liu Wei laughed, drew his iron sword, and charged at Qin Hao.

In an instant, the two iron swords met.

Clang!

A dull impact sounded. Qin Hao staggered back several steps.

Liu Wei did not budge.

It was not because Liu Wei's cultivation far surpassed Qin Hao's. It was...

Momentum!

The momentum behind Uncle Liu's slash... Qin Hao's expression shifted. He frowned, then sank into thought.

He could clearly feel it: Liu Wei's slash carried greater momentum.

That momentum made Liu Wei's strike far more powerful than his own.

And when Liu Wei swung, his sword carried a trace of the momentum from the first two forms.

Only a trace, but Qin Hao could feel it.

What exactly was Sword Force?

The sword moved with nimble grace! It struck from an unexpected angle! It pressed forward without fear and cleaved heaven and earth!

Seeing Qin Hao pause, Liu Wei did not attack again. He smiled. "Qin Hao, I've studied Firmament, the third form of the Firmament Phantom Sword, for years and only grasped a little of it. You've barely begun, so don't lose heart..."

Before he could finish, Qin Hao's brow suddenly smoothed, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes.

"Uncle Liu, again!"

Whoosh!

Qin Hao unleashed Firmament, the third form, once more!

"Hm?"

Liu Wei looked startled. Worried that Qin Hao was rushing things, he had tried to comfort him, but apparently he had misread the situation.

Hum!

Qin Hao slashed down.

This time, Qin Hao seemed to become one with the Iron Sword in his hand!

"How is that possible? Sword Force?!"

A powerful, razor-sharp force swept toward Liu Wei.

Caught in its grip, Liu Wei's heart jolted, and storm-tossed waves surged through him.

More importantly, he sensed a hint of danger!

"Firmament!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Wei swung his iron sword to meet it.

Clang!

A tremendous force struck Liu Wei. His feet carried him backward against his will, step after step. He retreated more than a dozen paces before stopping, his face aghast, his chest heaving, and his stance disheveled.

If Liu Wei had not long since reached the ninth level of the Body Tempering Realm, Qin Hao's slash would have injured him!

"Sword Force! It really is Sword Force! You actually developed Sword Force!"

Storm-tossed waves surged through Liu Wei's heart.

"I mastered Firmament, the third form of the Firmament Phantom Sword!"

Qin Hao's face shone with delight. Then he closed his eyes briefly, recalling that slash. Sword Force! So that's the essence of Firmament. It can produce Sword Force!

A moment later, he opened his eyes and looked at Liu Wei, whose expression was still shifting. "Uncle Liu, thank you. If you hadn't sparred with me, I doubt I could have mastered the third form anytime soon."

Liu Wei had immersed himself in the Firmament Phantom Sword for years. Though he had not fully mastered the third form, his understanding of it far exceeded Qin Hao's.

That sparring match had given Qin Hao the insight he needed to grasp the third form!

Liu Wei's eyelid twitched. "You... you little monster. Forget it. I'm not comparing myself to you! I'm an ordinary martial artist. Yes, just an ordinary martial artist..."

Liu Wei did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Qin Hao, now that you've grasped the third form of the Firmament Phantom Sword, your chances of placing in the top three at the Myriad Phenomena Genius Tournament are even better!"

Qin Hao shook his head. "The top three isn't my goal."

His goal was first place!

"As long as you know what you're doing." Liu Wei gave Qin Hao a long look and composed himself. "I came to tell you on the family head's behalf that the disciples from our three Lineages who study at the Myriad Phenomena Hall have returned."

"Qin Feng and Qin Peng?" Qin Hao asked.

The two had earned places in the Myriad Phenomena Hall through the Myriad Phenomena Genius Tournament years ago.

"That's right. During the last few days before the Myriad Phenomena Genius Tournament, Qin Feng and Qin Peng will instruct the Qin disciples in the square to improve everyone's strength as much as possible. Your father wants you to go too."

After a pause, Liu Wei gave a cold laugh. "Also, Qin Hao, Liu Ruoxue has returned to Tianshui City."