Before dawn had broken, a faint glow had already risen over the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect's outer sect training grounds. Ling Yun arrived at the bluestone platform earlier than usual, his fingertips brushing the coarse cloth sheath around the Sky-Rending Sword. The thread of Sword Qi that had merged into his meridians last night still circulated, warm yet cool, winding around his dantian like a stream.
"Today, I will teach you the foundational move of the Qiankun Sword Canon—the 'Heaven and Earth First Form.'" Sword Elder's voice rang in his mind, carrying a trace of severity. "This move appears to be nothing more than a single slash, yet it conceals the principle of 'bearing heaven and carrying earth.' You must use the sword to receive the Sword Qi of heaven and earth, then use the Chaos Sword Body to melt it into your own power. First, try guiding that thread of Sword Qi to the sword tip."
Following his instructions, Ling Yun sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. His consciousness sank into his body. That thread of Chaos Sword Qi, formed from vegetation and moisture, had originally been as hard to control as scattered sand. Yet when he thought, Guide it to the sword tip, the Sky-Rending Sword across his knees suddenly trembled lightly. The pale azure radiance leaking from its sheath seemed to develop a pulling force, slowly drawing the Sword Qi toward the hilt before passing it through his palm and into the blade.
Buzz—
A faint sword cry sounded. Beneath the coarse cloth, specks of light shimmered across the blade. Ling Yun felt his arm sink, as though what he held was no longer ordinary iron, but a piece of bluestone carrying the weight of heaven and earth. He abruptly opened his eyes, gripped the sword with both hands, and slashed diagonally through the air before him along the path Sword Elder had guided him through.
There was no earth-shaking phenomenon. Only a pale azure streak of Sword Qi spilled from the tip, skimming across the ground and leaving a hair-thin sword mark on the bluestone platform. Though shallow, the mark was exceptionally smooth, without the slightest crack along its edges. This was precisely the essence of the Heaven and Earth First Form: using softness to bear strength.
"Not bad. You were able to stir Sword Qi on your first attempt. The advantage of the Chaos Sword Body truly is extraordinary." Sword Elder's voice held approval. "But your sword intent is still shallow. If you can condense your Sword Qi a little further, its power will be vastly different."
Just as Ling Yun was about to continue practicing, familiar clamor came from behind him. Zhang Meng approached with five or six outer sect disciples, an Iron Sword gleaming coldly in his hand. He had clearly come prepared. After being startled by the Sky-Rending Sword's strange movement yesterday, Zhang Meng had gone back and thought it over, growing more and more unwilling to accept it. Today, he had deliberately taken a standard-issue sect sword to publicly blunt Ling Yun's edge.
"Ling Yun, stop hiding in the corner and practicing in secret!" Zhang Meng stabbed the Iron Sword into the ground, sinking half an inch into the stone. "Didn't you say there was no hierarchy in cultivation? Dare to compete with me? If you lose, get out of the outer sect training grounds. From now on, you'll only be fit to chop firewood in the back mountain!"
The disciples practicing nearby gathered around, their whispered conversations full of eagerness to watch a spectacle. Some believed Ling Yun was certain to lose—Zhang Meng was already a Late Stage Sword Apprentice and had awakened a low-grade earth spiritual root, allowing him to wield earth-element Sword Qi. Others recalled the phenomenon around the sword sheath yesterday and quietly guessed that Ling Yun might be hiding his true strength.
Ling Yun slowly sheathed his sword and looked at Zhang Meng. "We can spar, but we stop at the proper point. No taking lives."
"Ha! Afraid I'll hurt you?" Zhang Meng sneered as he drew his Iron Sword. Earth-yellow Sword Qi instantly coiled around the blade. "Watch closely. This is Stone-Splitting Slash. I'll only use thirty percent of my strength, lest you say I'm bullying the weak!"
Before his words had even faded, Zhang Meng charged forward with his sword. The earth-element Sword Qi made the Iron Sword incomparably heavy, and when it came down, it carried the dull rumble of rolling stones as it aimed straight for Ling Yun's shoulder. The surrounding disciples could not help crying out. An attack of this power was something an ordinary Mid Stage Sword Apprentice simply could not withstand.
Ling Yun, however, remained exceptionally calm. Sword Elder's voice swiftly reminded him in his mind, "Use the Heaven and Earth First Form. Receive his Sword Qi, then use the Chaos Sword Body to dissolve it!"
Rather than retreat, he advanced. Gripping the Sky-Rending Sword with both hands, its blade still wrapped in coarse cloth, he precisely met Zhang Meng's Iron Sword. The instant the two swords collided, Zhang Meng felt a gentle yet inescapable force travel along his blade. His earth-element Sword Qi seemed to flow into a bottomless abyss, and more than half of it was silently absorbed by that "ordinary iron sword."
"How is that possible?" Zhang Meng's pupils contracted sharply. He tried to pull back his sword and attack again, only to discover that his blade had been firmly stuck to the Sky-Rending Sword, unable to move in the slightest.
Ling Yun's gaze sharpened. With a slight turn of his wrist, he followed the subsequent changes of the Heaven and Earth First Form, merging the absorbed earth-element Sword Qi with his own Chaos Sword Qi before pushing it back through the blade. Pale azure motes mingled with earth-yellow Sword Qi and spread along the Iron Sword to Zhang Meng's arm. A numbing sensation shot from his fingertips to his shoulder, and the hand gripping his sword could no longer exert any strength.
Clang!
The Iron Sword fell to the ground. Zhang Meng staggered back three steps, staring at his numb arm with disbelief written all over his face. No matter how hard he tried, he could not understand how a disciple with "no spiritual root" had so easily received his Stone-Splitting Slash and even numbed his arm until it lost all strength.
An uproar broke out among the surrounding disciples, and the way they looked at Ling Yun completely changed—there was shock, awe, and curiosity. The two disciples who had mocked Ling Yun yesterday quietly shrank back as well, no longer daring to meet his gaze.
Ling Yun bent down, picked up Zhang Meng's Iron Sword, and handed it back to him. His tone remained calm. "You let me win. The path of cultivation places importance on sword intent, not spiritual roots."
Zhang Meng's face shifted between green and white. After taking back his sword, he shot Ling Yun a vicious glare, yet he could no longer utter a single word of provocation. He left the training grounds in a sorry state with his followers.
After the crowd dispersed, Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword once more. The pale azure glow on its sheath had gradually faded, yet it was slightly brighter than before. Sword Elder's voice sounded again. "In today's battle, you not only learned to use the Heaven and Earth First Form, but also fused earth-element Sword Qi. The potential of your Chaos Sword Body has been awakened another fraction. In a few days, the outer sect will hold its monthly assessment. If you can take first place, you can enter the inner sect. Then, you will be able to come into contact with a more complete inheritance of the sword path."
Ling Yun gazed toward the inner sect region deep within the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, where clouds and mist coiled together, and tightened his grip on the Sky-Rending Sword. He knew this was only the first step on his road of revenge. Only by growing stronger without cease could he one day personally uncover the truth behind the Ling Family's Annihilation and avenge his clansmen.
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