Chapter 671: Mere Parlor Tricks

“That is indeed the case. I, Bai, did not come from a swordsman’s background. Or rather, compared with swordsmanship, I am still more skilled in Thunder Techniques.”

Bai Jinye spoke so calmly that he seemed not to have been angered at all:

“Everyone present is a heaven-chosen talent from one of the various cultivation sects across the Chenping Continent. I believe there must certainly be someone here who is more skilled in swordsmanship than I am.”

As he spoke, Bai Jinye walked over to the disciple who had just thought there was something wrong with his sword swing. He extended his right hand and gently crooked his index finger.

The wooden sword at the disciple’s waist instantly flew into Bai Jinye’s hand.

Bai Jinye lowered his head slightly and first examined the wooden sword in his hand. Then he lightly twisted it, gripped the blade of the wooden sword, and placed the hilt into the disciple’s hand.

“If there is anything wrong with my swordsmanship, please feel free to instruct me.”

Faced with Bai Jinye’s words, the disciple who had just believed there was a problem with Bai Jinye’s sword swing hesitated somewhat.

After pausing for a moment, he took several steps forward and first bowed toward Bai Jinye.

“The technique Senior Bai taught just now is something this junior already practiced several months ago. However, based on my experience, if one relies solely on controlling true qi to drive the wooden sword, there is simply no way to cut through a dark iron sword-training post this thick.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Jinye’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Why are you so certain?”

“Because I have tried many times before, and I truly had no way to cut through this dark iron sword-training post.”

The disciple continued.

“Just because you cannot do it, does that mean no one else can?”

Bai Jinye continued:

“Moreover, when you say that relying solely on controlling true qi can never drive this wooden sword to cut through the dark iron sword-training post, what you mean is…”

“I suspect that Senior Bai used innate true energy to cut through this dark iron sword-training post.”

The disciple raised his head and stared directly into Bai Jinye’s eyes. He looked as though he were interrogating him, as if he had uncovered some earth-shattering secret.

Bai Jinye was almost angered into laughing on the spot.

What this brat meant was that he, a dignified late-stage Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator and an elder of Lingxiao Temple’s Nine Heavens Platform, had secretly used his innate true energy to teach in front of these marginalized Passable God Realm cultivators who had no standing whatsoever on Du Cang Mountain, all just to show off in public?

“You think I used innate true energy to cut through this dark iron sword-training post?”

Bai Jinye suppressed his emotions and spoke in this manner.

“Yes. That is precisely what this junior means.”

The disciple answered.

“What is your name?”

Bai Jinye asked.

“Wang Jiahao.”

The disciple immediately answered.

“Which sect are you from?”

Bai Jinye continued asking.

“The Unmoving Sword Sect of the Southern Region of the Chenping Continent.”

Wang Jiahao answered.

“Oh, the Unmoving Sword Sect.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Jinye said:

“That is a very famous cultivation sect. Eight thousand years ago, the celebrated battle between Sword Master Wuxin He An and the Falling Star Realman at Heavenly Summit Mountain has been passed down to this day.”

“Yes.”

Wang Jiahao nodded.

“If not for that battle between Grandmaster He and the Falling Star Realman back then, Grandmaster He would not have abandoned the study of the sword, and my Unmoving Sword Sect would also have been missing one volume of the Wuxin Sword Canon.”

“As a top swordsmanship sect on the Chenping Continent, the Unmoving Sword Sect must indeed possess some insight into the sword path.”

Bai Jinye spoke with a sigh, as though he were praising Wang Jiahao and the Unmoving Sword Sect behind him.

At the same time, Wang Jiahao could not help but straighten his chest with some pride.

“However, for a Passable God Realm cultivator from the dignified Unmoving Sword Sect to have never even seen innate true energy, is that not a little too embarrassing?”

Bai Jinye’s following words carried a hint of mockery.

Wang Jiahao’s expression also began to turn bewildered.

“You are saying that I could not have used true qi, and instead used innate true energy to cut through that dark iron sword-training post?”

Bai Jinye asked.

Wang Jiahao did not speak. He merely nodded with absolute certainty.

“If activating innate true energy could only split this dark iron sword-training post into two, then I would have no reason to continue loitering on Du Cang Mountain. Nor would there be any need for me to remain an Offering Elder of Lingxiao Temple’s Nine Heavens Platform. I might as well throw myself into the Endless Sea and end my life…”

Bai Jinye spoke as though he were mocking himself, yet also as though he were ridiculing Wang Jiahao. Then he slowly raised his right hand.

An extremely powerful pressure began surging into the meridians of the several Passable God Realm cultivators standing not far from Bai Jinye, causing the circulation of their true qi to become slightly sluggish.

Immediately afterward, a wisp of pale golden innate true energy slowly emerged from Bai Jinye’s right hand. It coiled around his arm like a flood dragon.

Then Bai Jinye suddenly turned around and swung his arm, using it as a sword to slash toward the dark iron sword-training post.

Bang!

After a muffled sound rang out, the dark iron sword-training post that had originally stood on the ground vanished completely, as though it had evaporated out of thin air.

The violent and ferocious sword aura, however, still remained over the open ground, making everyone present feel shaken to the core.

A single wisp.

It was only a single wisp of innate true energy!

Wang Jiahao’s expression shifted from green to white and back again.

Of course, he had seen the Myriad Transformations Realm elders of his own sect, but he truly had never seen any Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator make a genuine move.

“As I said before, I, Bai Jinye, come from Lingxiao Temple’s Nine Heavens Platform. I only have a slight understanding of swordsmanship, and it is not my strong suit. If any of you have something to teach me, I, Bai, am all ears.”

Bai Jinye said.

Silence.

“Is there anything else you would like to teach me?”

Bai Jinye said teasingly as he looked toward Wang Jiahao.

“…”

Wang Jiahao was left speechless. He merely bowed toward Bai Jinye, then retreated two steps and said nothing more.

Bai Jinye did not continue quarreling with such an ignorant and arrogant junior. He simply shifted his gaze toward the middle-aged man standing more than ten zhang from the open ground, dressed in a pure white daoist robe and wearing two long swords at his waist.

“Now, someone skilled with the sword has arrived.”

Bai Jinye said with a smile:

“Elder Li, why don’t you teach us how to use a sword?”

Li Haowen, who was standing not far away, merely shook his head first. Then he beckoned toward Bai Jinye, indicating that he should come over.

“Practice among yourselves.”

Bai Jinye said to the dozen or so Passable God Realm cultivators before walking toward Li Haowen.

“What wind blew you here, Elder Li?”

Bai Jinye said with a smile:

“So, how is it? Has my swordsmanship improved?”

“Merely a trifling parlor trick, not worth mentioning.”

Li Haowen spoke faintly.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Bai Jinye’s face first stiffened slightly. Then it suddenly grew even broader.

“If Elder Li puts it that way, then naturally, I, Bai, am convinced.”