Sword Art Reaches Minor Accomplishment

Inside the cabin.

Chen Daoxuan opened his eyes, turning the Jade Slip in his hand as he sank into thought.

He had obtained this Jade Slip from Thirteenth Uncle ten days ago. It was said to contain a Sword Art inheritance that the family had exchanged for with Battle Merit from the Qianyuan Sword Sect years ago, called the "Chasing Wind Sword Art."

This Sword Art was not of a high grade, merely equivalent to a First-tier Spell.

Yet it was one of the Qianyuan Sword Sect's most basic Sword Arts, said to be a compulsory technique for disciples entering the sect.

Ignoring the ten Star Dust motes in his Sea of Consciousness, Chen Daoxuan immediately took a crimson flying sword from his Storage Bag. It was the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword, the one he had forged the most times.

As True Qi flooded into it, the tip of the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword erupted with Sword Light three feet long.

Under the pressure of that Sword Light, the air visibly warped.

Its power had nearly reached the limit of a First-tier low-grade flying sword.

Looking at the flying sword he had forged with his own hands, Chen Daoxuan nodded in satisfaction. "Three feet of Sword Light. Not bad!"

Although the grade of a Magic Artifact was determined by the number of Formations layered onto it, after the Fusion of Formations, the Formation Patterns of the Magic Artifact became hidden within. Outsiders could not tell how many Formations had been layered onto it.

Judging by a Magic Artifact's Spiritual Aura was not accurate enough either. If two Magic Artifacts differed by only a minor grade, it was easy to misjudge them.

Only judging by a Magic Artifact's power was the most accurate method.

After all, Magic Artifacts were made for battle. Combat strength was the only standard by which a Magic Artifact's grade should be judged.

Compared to Artifact Forgers, who classified Magic Artifacts by their Formation Patterns, ordinary cultivators still preferred to classify them according to their power.

Take flying sword Magic Artifacts, for instance.

Three feet of Sword Light was the limit of a First-tier low-grade flying sword's power. Beyond that limit, it could barely be considered a Medium-grade First-tier Magical Artifact.

As for Chen Daoxuan's Flying Snow Sword, once True Qi was poured into it, its Sword Light could vaguely exceed nine feet. Converted into the units of his previous life, that was Sword Light three meters long.

Once a flying sword with such power was unleashed, it would truly be terrifying beyond measure.

Putting away the Jade Slip, Chen Daoxuan planned to use the sword-controlling techniques from the Chasing Wind Sword Art to wield the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword.

Before long.

Under his control, the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword darted up and down through the air. In no time, the cabin was filled with chilling Sword Qi and fierce Sword Light.

After practicing for half an incense stick's time.

The Crimson Shadow Flying Sword flew back into Chen Daoxuan's hand like a swallow returning to its nest.

Feeling the scorching heat radiating from the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword, Chen Daoxuan smiled. "Not bad. I didn't expect that I'd only need ten days to get started with the Chasing Wind Sword Art."

The Chasing Wind Sword Art was the first offensive spell he had cultivated. Chen Daoxuan was deeply satisfied with such a result.

One had to know that getting started with this Sword Art in ten days had relied entirely on himself, not on the help of any cheat.

Even among the Qi Refining disciples of the Qianyuan Sword Sect, such an achievement would qualify him as a genius.

After giving it a try, Chen Daoxuan discovered that when he wielded the flying sword with the Chasing Wind Sword Art, the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword was thirty percent faster than usual, while its overall power had vaguely increased by ten percent.

One should not underestimate that ten percent increase in power. This was only the effect of having just gotten started with the Sword Art.

According to the records of this Sword Art, if one cultivated it to the Minor Accomplishment stage, the power of a flying sword could increase by thirty percent out of thin air. At Great Accomplishment, it could increase by sixty percent.

As for the Perfection stage—

The Jade Slip was vague on that point. Perhaps even its creator believed that no one could cultivate this Sword Art to the Perfection stage while still in the Qi Refining Stage.

At that thought, Chen Daoxuan drew a deep breath.

He had cultivated painstakingly for ten days just to get started with the Chasing Wind Sword Art. What kind of exaggerated effect would it have under Enlightenment?

Chen Daoxuan could not help but look forward to it.

He acted as soon as the thought arose.

Chen Daoxuan immediately stopped controlling the ten Star Dust motes in his Sea of Consciousness and allowed them to crash together.

As the ten Star Dust motes fused into one, Chen Daoxuan once again felt his consciousness rise in that familiar way.

Soon, a scene like the Big Bang appeared before his eyes again.

Countless balls of light burst forth from the depths of his consciousness along with the explosion, scattering before Chen Daoxuan.

With a thought, a dimly glowing ball of light floated before him.

When he opened the ball of light, what it contained was precisely the Chasing Wind Sword Art he had learned over the past ten days.

"Just as expected."

In reality, an involuntary smile appeared on Chen Daoxuan's face as his eyes remained shut.

As the ball of light opened, countless insights into the Chasing Wind Sword Art flooded into Chen Daoxuan's mind, making him feel as though clouds had parted and the sky had cleared.

"So this is what I should do when wielding a flying sword. Chasing Wind... so that's what it means."

"So that's how it is."

"..."

As his insights continued to accumulate, Chen Daoxuan's mastery of the Chasing Wind Sword Art visibly improved.

Very soon, an incense stick's time passed.

As the tide of insights receded, Chen Daoxuan emerged from his state of Enlightenment.

When he opened his eyes, an intense sense of loss rose in his heart.

He had a feeling that if that state of Enlightenment had continued, he would surely have cultivated the Chasing Wind Sword Art to the Perfection stage, a realm that almost no Qi Refining cultivator could attain.

"What a pity."

But Chen Daoxuan quickly adjusted his mindset.

This kind of Enlightenment came once every ten days. He only needed to wait another ten days.

With that thought, his disappointed mood brightened again.

"Now, let me see just how effective this Enlightenment was!"

Chen Daoxuan impatiently took the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword from his Storage Bag once more.

As Sword Light burst from the Crimson Shadow Flying Sword, it shot through the air like a rainbow.

"The sound of the flying sword cutting through the air has gotten quieter!"

Chen Daoxuan quickly noticed the difference in how he wielded the flying sword this time.

An incense stick ago.

When he controlled the flying sword, it made obvious hissing sounds. Chen Daoxuan knew that was the sound of air being torn apart.

But this time.

The hissing was gone!

The Crimson Shadow Flying Sword flew through the cabin like a nimble fish swimming through water—only, its speed was countless times faster than any fish in the sea.

This was clearly the effect recorded in the Jade Slip after the Chasing Wind Sword Art reached the Minor Accomplishment stage. Moreover, it was not merely touching the threshold of Minor Accomplishment, but having traveled quite far along that path.

Chen Daoxuan estimated that his mastery of the Chasing Wind Sword Art was probably not far from the Great Accomplishment stage.

Too terrifying!

Was this the effect of tenfold comprehension stacked together?

When he had created the Spirit-Melding Formation before, he had not gained such a deep understanding of this state of Enlightenment.

After all, the Spirit-Melding Formation had appeared for the first time, and he had no idea just how difficult it was to create such a Formation.

But now he knew.

Even for someone like him, who believed he had fairly good talent in sword arts, reaching his current level in the Chasing Wind Sword Art would take at least two or three years.

Yet now, in the time it took to burn a single incense stick, he had saved himself two or three years of grueling Sword Art cultivation.

"As expected of the Primordial Enlightenment Scripture."

For the first time, Chen Daoxuan felt that the name of this scripture truly lived up to its reputation.

"Rumble!"

Just as he was marveling over it, a suffocating pressure suddenly rose in Chen Daoxuan's heart.

"What's going on?"

Chen Daoxuan immediately rushed out of the cabin with his flying sword in hand. Looking up, he saw a mass of dark clouds slowly shrouding the Azure Dragon.