Chapter 346: Sword Intent 3

Chapter 346: Chapter 162: Sword Intent 3

He had once debated the Dao with the Sword Fool for three days and fought a life-and-death battle with the Mad Swordsman. Now, all those memories served as fuel for Liang Cheng.

…

「The first day.」

Liang Cheng sat cross-legged in meditation, repeatedly analyzing the Profound Yin Sword Technique within his Sea of Consciousness.

Sword Techniques.

Sword Momentum.

Sword Principle.

He deconstructed and reconstructed them, piece by piece.

…

「The second day.」

He began to draw upon the memories of the Crossing Sea Master, reliving the Sword Dao insights of the Sword Fool and the Mad Swordsman.

The Sword Fool said, ‘A Swordsman is the blade of the heart. Where the heart leads, the sword follows.’

The Mad Swordsman said, ‘The sword has no fixed form; only speed is absolute. Draw your sword without regret, sheathe it without a trace.’

…

「The third day.」

Liang Cheng raised his hand, his fingers held together like a sword.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Ling Frost Short Sword trembled lightly.

A sharp intent slowly gathered at his fingertips.

That sharp intent was completely different from when he had gathered his Blade Intent.

His Blade Intent strove to be first; based on the Nine Heavens Mountain-Breaking Saber, it was an indomitable will to cut down everything and forge ever forward.

The Profound Yin Sword Technique, however, was enigmatic and unpredictable, designed to pierce through falsehood with its naked edge.

The fourth day…

The fifth day…

The sixth day…

Liang Cheng remained in that posture, completely motionless.

The sharp intent at his fingertips grew stronger and stronger.

But it was always missing something.

It was like being separated by a sheet of paper—he could see it, but he couldn’t touch it.

…

「The seventh day.」

「Midnight.」

The Quiet Chamber was pitch-black.

Liang Cheng was still seated cross-legged, his fingers held like a sword.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

In that instant, a flash of sword light appeared out of thin air within the Quiet Chamber.

The sword light flared from within Liang Cheng’s eyes and vanished in a flash.

Immediately after—

HUMMM—!!!

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Ling Frost Short Sword trembled violently, letting out a clear, sonorous sword cry!

The sword cry shot upward, bursting out of his Sea of Consciousness, out of the Quiet Chamber, out of his private courtyard, and straight into the heavens!

Above the First Peak, an invisible Sword Qi shot toward the sky!

In the night sky, the dense cloud cover was torn open by the Sword Qi, creating a rift a thousand feet long!

Moonlight poured down through the rift, shining directly on the roof of Liang Cheng’s Quiet Chamber!

On the roof of the Quiet Chamber, a few tiles were lifted by the aftershock of the Sword Qi. Moonlight cascaded down like liquid mercury, bathing Liang Cheng.

He still maintained the posture of fingers-as-sword, his eyes slightly closed.

At his fingertips, a faint Sword Aura flickered in and out of existence. The Sword Aura was ice-blue and transparent, yet it emanated a bone-chilling cold.

This was the aura of the Profound Yin Sword Technique.

But now, this Sword Aura was more than just Sword Aura.

It had a soul.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Ling Frost Short Sword rang out joyfully without end, its body trembling as if welcoming a new birth.

The golden ocean surged with violent waves. Countless specks of golden light rose from the surface, merging into the Short Sword.

The Ling Frost Short Sword, obtained from the Cold Pool Wanderer, had been a Spirit Soldier embryo. Now, at the very moment Liang Cheng’s Sword Intent was born, it had finally and fully accepted him as its master.

HUMMM—!!!

Another hum rang out.

This time, the sound came from Liang Cheng’s waist.

The Zhenxian Saber slid three inches out of its sheath on its own. The blade flared with starlight as it, too, let out a passionate cry!

Blade Intent and Sword Intent surged within Liang Cheng’s body at the same time!

Two completely different True Intents—one striving to be first, the other razor-sharp—were now coexisting peacefully within his body, each consolidating on its own, yet faintly resonating with the other.

Liang Cheng opened his eyes.

A gleam of a saber and a flash of a sword flickered through his eyes simultaneously.

He looked down at his hands.

His left hand was clenched into a fist, Fist Intent manifesting on its own.

His right hand formed a sword-finger, a Sword Aura pulsing at its tip.

At his waist, the Zhenxian Saber let out a soft hum.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, its clear light stretching for thousands of miles.

Liang Cheng suddenly smiled.

‘In three months is the Inquiry Conference.’

‘Second Senior Brother’s Sword Intent is piercingly sharp, and Third Senior Brother’s Fist Intent is as solid as a mountain.’

‘And as for me—’

‘My Blade Intent strives to be first, my Fist Intent can suppress mountains, and my Sword Intent is newly born.’

‘I cultivate three Intents at once.’

‘When the time comes, on the Inquiry Platform, I’ll be able to properly test my Senior Brothers’ skills.’

He took a deep breath and turned to look toward the main hall of the First Peak.

The commotion he had just caused was quelled in an instant. He suspected that besides a select few, no one else had sensed it.

‘Master Lie Mountain must have stepped in, right?’

…

「First Peak, Main Hall.」

Lie Mountain stood before the hall’s entrance, his hands clasped behind his back. He gazed at the rift in the clouds, which was slowly closing.

“Good lad!”

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, his eyes filled with admiration.

He had sensed it the moment that Sword Qi shot into the sky.

Moreover, mixed within that Sword Intent was a passionate Blade Intent and a steady Fist Intent.

Lie Mountain had lived for over three hundred years and had seen countless prodigies.

But he had never seen anyone like Liang Cheng, who, in less than a year since joining the Sect, had comprehended Blade Intent and Fist Intent, and had now grasped Sword Intent as well.

He raised a hand and waved it gently.

An invisible force spread from his palm like a great net, instantly enveloping the entire First Peak.

The aftershocks from the Sword Qi and the tremors from the sword cry dissipated without a trace.

Besides himself, no one would know the truth of what happened tonight.

Lie Mountain withdrew his hand and looked toward Liang Cheng’s private courtyard, his gaze profound.

“Sword Intent, Blade Intent, Fist Intent… cultivating all three.”

“This kid… just how far can he go?”

He suddenly recalled something the Sect’s founding ancestor once said.

“Martial Dao True Intent is not about quantity, but quality. However, if a peerless talent can master and integrate them all, unifying all techniques into one, they can establish their own sect.”

Lie Mountain muttered:

“Master and integrate… unify all techniques…”

He shook his head and turned to walk back into the hall.

“In three months, on the Inquiry Platform… Liang Cheng, I’m eager to see just how much you can surprise me.”

…

「First Peak, Halfway Up the Mountain.」

Li Jianfeng stood in his courtyard, looking up at the sky.

There seemed to have been some kind of commotion just now, but it vanished in an instant.

He frowned, extending his Divine Sense to scan the entire First Peak.

He found nothing.

Everything was calm and peaceful.

‘An illusion?’

He shook his head and walked back into his house.

Behind him, green bamboo swayed, their leaves rustling.

…

「First Peak, Another Courtyard.」

Yu Xiuqi sat cross-legged in his Quiet Chamber, eyes closed, regulating his breathing.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

He looked out the window.

In that moment, he had sensed a faint, almost imperceptible sharpness.

But it was only for an instant before it vanished without a trace.

Yu Xiuqi was silent for a moment, then closed his eyes again.

He continued his Cultivation.