Spiritual Mountain Trial

"Object Control... is this how it works?"

Gu Yuanqing looked at the Kunwu Sword hanging on the wall and entered the Mountain Observation state. With a thought, the Kunwu Sword rang as it flew from its sheath, hovering in midair and darting back and forth through the room.

Gu Yuanqing kept familiarizing himself with the sensation of Object Control. Empowered by peerless Comprehension, he swiftly grew accustomed to this state. Moments later, sword flashes burst forth as a complete sword technique unfolded out of thin air.

Then, the window opened without wind, and the Kunwu Sword shot straight out through it, weaving through North Spring Mountain.

Gu Yuanqing's playful mood surged, and the Kunwu Sword flew faster and faster, its shrill sword cry tearing through the air.

Object Control—this is no longer martial arts, but the methods of immortals! Gu Yuanqing was thrilled. His thoughts scattered, and the Kunwu Sword slipped out of control, plummeting from the air.

He hurriedly focused his mind, and the Kunwu Sword immediately rose into the air once more.

In the side courtyard, the old man lying on the bed was startled awake by the noise. He opened his eyes, went to the window, and looked up.

In the military camp at the foot of the mountain, Deputy Commander of Divine Eagle Guard Chen Chuanshan, who had been sitting cross-legged in cultivation, abruptly opened his eyes. He rose, picked up his longbow, and walked out of the room.

"General!"

"Follow me up the mountain!" Chen Chuanshan shouted. His figure shot forward, racing straight toward the mountaintop.

At his command, the soldiers all headed into the mountains.

Gu Yuanqing sensed something. The Kunwu Sword returned to its normal speed and silently streaked through the air before returning to the courtyard.

Chen Chuanshan arrived at the summit and stood atop a treetop. He channeled Qi into his eyes, which shone with a dim light as he swept his gaze across North Spring Peak, but he saw no outsiders.

"Which friend has caused such a commotion on North Spring Mountain, yet does not dare show himself?" Chen Chuanshan's tone was ice-cold. No one would be in a good mood after being woken in the middle of the night.

North Spring Mountain was silent. No one answered.

Gu Yuanqing watched Chen Chuanshan and the others from afar. Embarrassed, he rubbed his nose. In his excitement, he had not expected to cause such a huge disturbance. Feeling guilty, he sheathed the Kunwu Sword and quietly resumed cultivating.

Chen Chuanshan used his Movement Technique, circling North Spring Peak like a great bird. Still finding nothing, he could only suppress his displeasure and descend the mountain back to the military camp.

North Spring Mountain returned to silence, and only then did Gu Yuanqing resume his attempts.

All sorts of objects floated up and fell back down in his room. After repeated experiments, he gradually became more familiar with his Object Control ability.

The heaviest object he could control weighed around twenty kilograms. When manipulating several objects at once, he could not make them move as nimbly as the sword had earlier.

Using one's mind for many purposes still requires practice. The ability to control objects should also be related to my spiritual strength. Empowerment merely provides the pull—it is like software and hardware. No matter how good the program is, it still needs good hardware to run.

Having become familiar with Object Control, Gu Yuanqing turned his attention to the Spiritual Mountain Trial.

At the stir of his thoughts, a flash of Mysterious Light swept past. Gu Yuanqing found himself in a broad training ground.

"This setting has been simulated using the martial arts grounds of North Spring Mountain as its model."

He looked ahead. A woman dressed in black fitted clothes emerged from the void.

"Zhang Yingdong, True Disciple of the North Spring Sword Sect, True Martial Fourth Layer."

Information about her automatically surfaced in Gu Yuanqing's mind.

The so-called Spiritual Mountain Trial extracted traces and imprints once left upon North Spring Mountain from the river of time, allowing one to battle them.

She is at the same realm as me. A fine opponent indeed!

Gu Yuanqing's eyes lit up, battle intent bursting forth. Since cultivating in these deep mountains, the only person he had ever fought was that young man on that night.

Over the past year, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, yet he had no idea what level he had truly reached. This Spiritual Mountain Trial had come at exactly the right time!

He looked at his hand, and a standard longsword appeared out of thin air.

At that moment, the woman, whose eyes had been vacant, seemed to come alive. A sharp gleam flared in her eyes, her face frosty as ice, and chilling killing intent swept toward him. The next instant, she sprang forward like an arrow. Her longsword thrust out, and a streak of sword light filled Gu Yuanqing's entire field of vision.

"Yaoguang Sword Technique of the Big Dipper Seven Swords!"

Gu Yuanqing narrowed his eyes slightly. In an instant, he recognized the sword technique she was using. The longsword in his hand had already met hers, and the ceaseless clang of weapons colliding rang out.

Among the Big Dipper Seven Swords, the Yaoguang Sword Technique embodied the intent of Pojun. Its sword momentum was like fleeting light and passing shadows, gone in a glance, swift to the utmost extreme.

The Zhang Yingdong before him had grasped its essence deeply. In the time it took to snap one's fingers, she could unleash as many as thirteen thrusts.

Gu Yuanqing had cultivated this sword technique as well. Though he had trained in it for less time than she had, his talent in the sword was extraordinary. His attainments in this technique were no weaker than hers, while his vision surpassed hers.

His only weakness was his lack of practical experience. Thus, at the beginning of the battle, he was somewhat flustered. Yet after a few exchanges, he steadily regained his footing.

After battling for more than a dozen moves, Gu Yuanqing spotted a fleeting opening and pierced her throat with a single thrust.

Zhang Yingdong's figure dispersed.

"Again!"

Gu Yuanqing's battle intent was at its peak. How could he possibly stop there? At a thought, another figure appeared. This time it was a tall man, wielding the Kaiyang Sword of the Big Dipper Sword Technique.

Kaiyang was law; its sword drew upon an unyielding, resolute force, its movements broad and open.

In the man's hands, it seemed less like swordsmanship from the martial world and more like a general on the battlefield. Every strike carried the force of a thousand jun.

Gu Yuanqing had only received a few strikes before his arms went numb from the shock.

In strength alone, I am no match for him! Gu Yuanqing made the judgment instantly and changed his approach. His sword moved with agility, using softness to overcome strength.

Another twenty-odd moves passed. Gu Yuanqing once again saw an opening. As they brushed past each other, a flash of sword light swept across the man's neck.

The man's figure vanished. Gu Yuanqing propped himself up with his sword, gasping for breath, his arms trembling faintly.

Combat truly is completely different from practicing swordsmanship. I may have spotted my opponent's opening long ago, but an opening I cannot seize is no opening at all.

Gu Yuanqing gained an insight. Looking back at the sword technique he had created, he found many parts of it exceedingly immature.

No wonder the sword technique I created has lost so much of its power. In pursuing perfection too much, I instead made it imperfect. Sword techniques must have trade-offs. If this strike of mine can force the enemy to save himself, then the opening I expose will no longer be an opening.

Gu Yuanqing straightened his body and cried in a low voice, "Again!"

An hour later, Gu Yuanqing opened his eyes. At first, his gaze was vacant. Then a trace of fear surfaced in his eyes, his breathing halted, and only afterward did he finally come fully back to himself. His breath turned ragged, and his body trembled faintly.

Just now, he had died in the Spiritual Mountain Trial. The sensation of having his heart pierced by a sword was still vividly etched in his memory.

It took quite a while before he fully recovered.

"With all my strength, I can fight a True Martial Sixth Layer cultivator. At the Profound Martial Seventh Layer, although I can still see their openings, I simply cannot seize the chance. Even if Sword Qi can break through a True Martial cultivator's protective Gang Qi, it still cannot kill the enemy."

"Still, I gained much today. Compared with practicing swordsmanship alone, my progress cannot be mentioned in the same breath."

Gu Yuanqing's eyes were filled with fatigue. The Spiritual Mountain Trial did not consume True Qi, but it drained the mind.

He did not go to sleep. Instead, he lay on the bed and entered the Mountain Observation state. By now, he had become one with North Spring Mountain. Mountain Observation no longer consumed his spiritual strength; instead, it nourished his mind.

The night passed, and he was vigorous once more.

Early the next morning, he went again to the rocks on the eastern side of the mountain. He entered the Mountain Observation state and quietly waited for the sun to rise, absorbing Heavenly Gang Qi.

Suddenly, he "heard" someone in the imperial guards below the mountain say, "Brother Qian, have you heard the news?"

"What news? You're acting all mysterious."

"Our Great Gan Dynasty's Princess is getting married!"