Li Yuanbai had just finished outlining the principles of swordsmanship, detailing its four tiers, before pausing slightly and saying, “Your understanding is accurate, but knowing is easier than doing. To reach a point where the man is unconstrained by the sword forms—that is not easy either.”

“Moreover, the cultivation of swordsmanship demands steady progress; one cannot be impatient.”

“Take your time.” Li Yuanbai’s tone was remarkably placid. Having weathered countless storms in his life, such calm was natural for him.

Lu Yuan listened internally, thinking that he certainly knew cultivation required incremental advancement, that mastery would come naturally at a certain point. Unfortunately, the time allotted to him was terribly short—only six months.

He absolutely needed to devise a rigorous plan for his sword practice to rapidly elevate his swordsmanship.

—————— The Wild Wind Willow Grove.

This was a rather obscure location on North Peak.

This area possessed two defining characteristics.

The first was the wind—a relentless gale blowing nearly around the clock, twelve hours a day. For an ordinary mortal, survival here would be extremely difficult. Even cultivators needed to expend spiritual energy to stabilize their forms, lest they be swept away by the fierce gusts.

The second was the abundance of willows. This place was almost entirely populated by willow trees, their leaves dense. Usually, the wind often rose here, whipping the countless willow leaves into a tempestuous, ever-shifting dance.

However, despite these features, they weren't significant enough to draw attention. North Peak was vast, boasting countless famous spots such as the True Martial Temple, Jiao Gong’s Stone Chamber, Changchun Stone Chamber, Maiden’s Window, Immortal Oil Tribute, Divine Earth Cliff, Cloud-Leaning Pavilion, Lao Jun’s Plow Hanger, Iron Ox Terrace, and the White Cloud Fairyland Archway. These landmarks meant that very few people ever visited this particular grove.

Occasionally, perhaps one or two individuals might venture here.

And at this moment, the wind was strong.

A youth clad in green, somewhat slender, with a flicker of cunning in his eyes, was entering the area.

“What a Wild Wind Willow Grove,” Lu Yuan mused internally. “The wind is certainly strong, and there are indeed many willows. Standing within it feels like being submerged in an ocean of willows.”

As for how he ended up here, the reason was quite simple: he had come to practice his swordplay.

When considering a place to train, this spot had eventually come to mind.

The Wild Wind Willow Grove.

The countless willow leaves, tossed and agitated by the gale, could serve as his targets for practice. As soon as he conceived of a training plan, this location unexpectedly sprang to mind.

Since he thought of it, naturally, he had come.

He strained his eyes amidst the fierce wind to fix his gaze on his own stance, and simultaneously, on a single leaf. These constantly fluctuating leaves were challenging to track. Now, he designated this one leaf as his opponent and began his drill.

“Cloud Comes, Wind Disturbs,” “Wind Passes, River and Mountain Leave No Trace,” “Cloud Locks Deep Mountain, Wind Does Not Stir”... “Cloud Intent Lingers,” “Wind Cannot Be Chased”...

One by one, sword forms were unleashed, stabbing toward the leaf. He swiftly cut down that leaf, then searched for the next. Leaf after leaf was struck, though sometimes the leaves moved too fast in the gale, or too many other leaves provided cover, resulting in missed strikes.

Gradually, Lu Yuan noticed that while the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms were profoundly mysterious, sometimes the moves required too much time. By the time his technique was executed, the targeted leaf had often been blown far away by the wind. Sometimes, even half a move was sufficient.

From his previous spar with Ye Fang, Lu Yuan had already grasped the second realm of swordsmanship: the sword forms are rigid, but the man is fluid; one need not be bound by the specific motions. Of course, understanding this concept and actually achieving it were two entirely different matters.

Now, he began to practice this realm.

“Cloud Comes, Wind Disturbs”—using only the first half of the move, just “Cloud Comes.”

“Wind Locks the Land”—using only the preceding segment.

“Cloud Wind Deeply Hidden in the Mountain”—using only the latter section.

He was diligently testing himself, practicing against the incessantly moving willow leaves, day after day, training relentlessly. The usual Lu Yuan would never maintain such a state, but now that Sima Changbai and Sima Hao had bullied him to his doorstep, how could he not strike back fiercely? No matter how habitually lazy he was, this time, he had to strive.

At the start, achieving this was impossible. Using only half a move was simple, but immediately flowing from that partial move into the next required skill he lacked.

“Hoo... so tiring.” Even though swinging the sword itself wasn't exhausting, performing thousands of swings in a day left him utterly spent. Yet, at this point, persistence was the only option. If he didn't exert himself now, even when pushed this far, he would truly be a good-for-nothing. He was merely lazy, not worthless.

Sweat streamed continuously down his forehead.

He trained from daylight until nightfall.

In this silent, deserted Wild Wind Willow Grove.

During his training sessions, he usually slept only two or three hours a day.

Time passed amidst endless sword practice.

One month slipped by in this manner. Within that month, Lu Yuan grew accustomed to using only half of each sword stroke. Regardless of which of the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms he executed, he could casually use only the first half or the latter half. This set of forms had been dismantled thoroughly, piece by piece. Paradoxically, dismantling these forms made them smoother, more adaptable, and more comfortable to use.

In this Wild Wind Willow Grove, it became even more practical. Lu Yuan now understood that he had reached the second realm of swordsmanship: the sword forms are static, but the man is dynamic; one should not be constrained by the forms, but rather, should command the sword.

His original objective had been achieved.

He had finally attained the second layer of swordsmanship: the man is not bound by the sword forms.

However, he felt inclined to continue practicing for a while longer. After all, the North Peak Grand Competition was still five months away. If he returned now, he would have little to do. It was better to continue honing his sword skills; perhaps another breakthrough was possible. Although his master mentioned that the third realm, Sword Intent, was something fewer than ten people among the Ninth Generation Elders had reached, he wanted to try.

Man always harbors ambition.

...

This was now the second month in the Wild Wind Willow Grove, during which Lu Yuan had trained ceaselessly.

At this point, Lu Yuan began to sense something subtle.

Practicing here, sometimes when striking the willow leaves in the gale, he needed less than half a move; sometimes, only a single action sufficed. Gradually, he realized that all one hundred and eight movements of the Wind and Cloud Forms were constructed from a set of fundamental actions: Cleave, Chop, Thrust, Sweep, Guard, Wash, Intercept, Stab, Coil, Press, Hang, Cloud—these basic motions.

There were no other actions. Therefore, the so-called Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms must actually be composed of these fundamental actions combined with a certain intent—such as the intent of Cloud or the intent of Wind. So, what was the intent of Cloud? What was the intent of Wind?

The fourth month in the Wild Wind Willow Grove.

Lu Yuan continued to execute his sword forms casually, while simultaneously pondering the intent of Cloud and the intent of Wind. He had a general grasp of the intent of Wind now. After all, he had endured the willow leaves buffeted by the gale for a full four months, constantly influenced and assaulted by the strong winds. What is wind? Wind that passes subtly, leaving no trace, is wind.

What is wind? Wind that rushes past, leaving devastation in its wake, is also wind. These were all aspects of wind.

Unbidden, threads of wind intent began to integrate into his sword moves.

In truth, he owed this discovery largely to practicing the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms. Too many of the forms inherently contained the intent of wind. If he had practiced a different technique, even training in the Wild Wind Willow Grove for decades, unless he possessed prodigious, world-shaking talent, he would never grasp wind intent, nor integrate it into his sword forms.

And what about Cloud? Lu Yuan suddenly realized he had been immersed in an ocean of clouds for four full months. Indeed, the willow leaves, tossed by the wind for over four months, were effectively an ocean of leaves, a sea of cloud cover. Having existed between wind and cloud for half a year, constantly sensing, constantly experiencing...

Lu Yuan understood what wind was, and what cloud was.

There was a flash of sudden realization, but much of it was a natural awakening.

What is wind? Wind that passes subtly leaving no trace is wind; wind that sweeps through leaving devastation is also wind; a warm breeze that intoxicates is also wind. Cloud intent accumulates as cloud; a rolling sea of clouds is also cloud; a slight movement is also cloud. The intents of wind and cloud had both entered his consciousness. Having understood the intentions of wind and cloud, he now began to integrate their essence into the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms.

Starting from the basic actions—Cleave, Chop, Thrust, Sweep, Guard, Wash, Intercept, Stab, Coil, Press, Hang, Cloud—and adding the intent of Cloud and the intent of Wind, he reconstructed the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms.

Exquisite sword moves, one after another, materialized in Lu Yuan’s hands.

“Cloud Comes, Wind Disturbs,” “Wind Passes, River and Mountain Leave No Trace,” “Cloud Locks Deep Mountain, Wind Does Not Stir”... “Cloud Intent Lingers,” “Wind Cannot Be Chased”...

This was still the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms.

But Lu Yuan knew his version was completely different now.

If, previously, the sword forms were rigid, and he was bound by them, executing the complete forms—that was seeing a mountain as merely a mountain, and water as merely water.

Then, when the forms were rigid but the man was fluid—when he only used half a move or residual fragments—that was seeing a mountain as not a mountain, and water as not water.

But now, by using the fundamental movements of Cleave, Chop, Thrust, Sweep, Guard, Wash, Intercept, Stab, Coil, Press, Hang, Cloud, infused with the intent of Cloud and the intent of Wind—the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms he now executed brought him to the state of seeing a mountain as a mountain, and water as water.

He had comprehended Sword Intent.

A sliver of sudden epiphany, coupled with a greater sense of inevitability, had allowed him to grasp the Sword Intent of the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms.

Lu Yuan looked down at his hands, then at the long sword in his grip. His master, Li Yuanbai, had said that among the entire Ninth Generation of North Peak, fewer than ten had comprehended Sword Intent, including the Six Sword Immortals of North Peak. Not a single person of the Tenth Generation had grasped it. Yet, he had managed to comprehend it.

Even now, Lu Yuan found it hard to believe. But he also knew that he had genuinely attained Sword Intent, reaching the third level of swordsmanship: the Sword Intent level, only one step away from the ultimate highest level, Ultimate Sword Intent.

Sword Intent, Sword Intent, Sword Intent.

He still couldn't quite accept that he had comprehended Sword Intent so casually.

He stood in a daze for a long time before snapping back to reality. He clapped his hands. Having mastered the Sword Intent of the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms, it was time to return. Four months without a single piece of wild game or a drop of wine had made his throat yearn desperately.

Cultivation, complete.

With a sharp pa, the Yangwu Sword slid back into its sheath. Shouldering the scabbard, Lu Yuan strode out of the Wild Wind Willow Grove where he had practiced for four months.

—————— What Lu Yuan did not know, and what was not even recorded in the histories of Mount Hua’s North Peak, was that the Second Generation Ancestor of the North Peak—the one who created the Cloud Dragon Heart Method and the Wind and Cloud One Hundred and Eight Forms, and who was invincible throughout the cultivation world of the Great Jin Kingdom in his time—had achieved his inspiration and created both the Heart Method and the Sword Forms right here in the Wild Wind Willow Grove.

Of course, there were always elements of luck involved; sometimes, a fortuitous insight simply occurs.

(This chapter is quite substantial, over three thousand characters.)

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