The weather lately has been a tapestry of extremes. For a time, the torrential downpours brought ruin, as if the very river of Heaven had spilled over, nearly battering the trees and blossoms in the courtyard into submission. Then, in a flash, it settled into a soft, persistent drizzle, a fine, gauzy net woven across the sky, shrouding the world in a pale, indistinct haze. On the covered walkway of Changchun Residence, a youth whose upper lip was just beginning to show the softest downy fuzz watched this overwhelming display of rain—the raging storm followed by the misty persistence. Different rains presented different faces, and in that moment, Lu Yuan was lost in deep thought. Cloud can be forged into a sword; wind and cloud yield the One Hundred and Eight Swords, which are fundamentally the sword intents of two blades.

But what about rain? Could rain be forged into a sword? Could he condense the Sword Intent of Rain?

The answer was clearly yes. If cloud can manifest the Sword Intent of Cloud, and mist can manifest the Sword Intent of Mist, then rain must surely be capable of manifesting the Sword Intent of Rain.

However, to decipher the Sword Intent of Rain on his own was no easy task. Lu Yuan stood transfixed on the walkway, observing the rain’s shifting moods—the initial fury, the subsequent gentle weeping, and then the sudden sharp beads of rain slanting sideways. These different manifestations of rain ceaselessly played out and mimicked themselves within his mind. At that moment, Lu Yuan was utterly absorbed in contemplation.

Originally, Lu Yuan was meant to be taking medicine to his Master, Li Yuanbai. The Master often required decoctions, a task usually handled by the aged servant Song Shu, who attended him closely. Now that Lu Yuan had returned and found himself with time to spare, he had taken on the duty of delivering the medicine. Yet, there on the walkway, gazing at the twilight showers, he had unexpectedly slipped into a state of Sword Enlightenment.

And so, tragedy struck. He forgot everything, lost in the contemplation of whether this rain could be integrated into the realm of Sword Intent.

Li Yuanbai, having waited for the medicine that never arrived, eventually came out to check. He immediately spotted Lu Yuan standing in the corridor as if entranced—this was Enlightenment. Enlightenment of the Dao of the Sword. Such moments of realization only manifested in disciples with extraordinary talent.

Of course, possessing this wu did not guarantee success, but to experience such a profound moment of insight was invariably beneficial for one's growth on the path of the sword. Li Yuanbai watched for a while, then quietly turned back to his room, unwilling to disturb his disciple.

The rain continued to fall.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lu Yuan suddenly exhaled sharply. His mind had been chaotic just moments before; everything had dissolved into confusion. The entire deluge seemed to transform into myriad flying swords rushing toward him. In that instant, his heart wavered. Alas, he had ultimately failed to grasp the Sword Intent of Rain. But there was no need to dwell on it; achieving a single Sword Intent and forging an entire sword form from it was the mark of a Sword Dao Grandmaster. He was still young; there was time.

In truth, for someone like Lu Yuan to grasp a Sword Intent by the age of seventeen was already astonishing throughout the entire Great Jin Kingdom.

If one were to achieve this—to observe Heaven and Earth at seventeen and spontaneously comprehend the Sword Intent of Rain—it would be utterly earth-shattering. Such a feat had only been accomplished by two of the Six Sword Immortals of North Peak: Grandmaster Yuanyuan and Dugu Ye. The other four had not managed it. To observe the world and intuit a Sword Intent on one’s own—what a profound realm that represented!

If I didn't grasp it, then I didn't grasp it.

Lu Yuan smiled, only then noticing the decoction in his hands had long gone cold. A jolt went through him. Damn, he’d forgotten the medicine for his Master! Standing around daydreaming like this—he immediately hurried toward the inner chambers, only to find Master Li Yuanbai lying there, a gentle smile on his face, looking at him. “That was good just now. To seek the observation of Heaven and Earth to comprehend Sword Intent.”

“Ah, I failed. In the end, I still couldn't grasp the Sword Intent of Rain,” Lu Yuan admitted.

“Failure is normal. To comprehend a single Sword Intent is no simple matter,” Li Yuanbai said. “It is also nearly time for me to explain to you the true stages of Sword Arts. Otherwise, I fear I may not have the chance again. I told you before, the Sword Arts have four distinct realms.” As he spoke these words, Li Yuanbai felt immense joy. He had truly believed that even until his death, he might not have the opportunity to impart this knowledge, as it required a disciple to be at a considerable stage of cultivation. He never expected his student to brush against the edge of such a realm so quickly.

“The first level is your current state: the sword moves are rigid, and the person wielding them is rigid.”

“The second level: the sword moves are rigid, but the person is flexible; the self is not constrained by the established forms.”

“The third level: Sword Intent.”

“The fourth level: Ultimate Sword Intent.”

“And the transition from the third level to the fourth is exceptionally difficult,” Li Yuanbai continued. “The Great Dao has three thousand variations, and thus, there are three thousand types of Sword Intent within Heaven and Earth. You have currently mastered two: the Sword Intent of Wind and the Sword Intent of Cloud. If you manage to gather all three thousand, you will reach the true Ultimate Sword Intent. At that point, once the Ultimate Sword Intent is grasped, all things under heaven—every blade of grass, every stone—can be assimilated into the sword, transforming into an overwhelming torrent of sword techniques. Even the elements, the natural phenomena of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, can be woven into the Sword Intent, becoming one of the Three Thousand Intents.”

“Of course, the Ultimate Sword Intent remains legendary. The most powerful cultivator in the Great Jin Kingdom currently is our Huashan Immortal Sect’s Leader, Ancestor Yan Cangsheng. Ancestor has condensed ninety-seven Sword Intents, which already secures his status as the foremost expert in our Great Jin Kingdom.”

The more Sword Intents one comprehends, the higher one’s Sword Arts.

Lu Yuan listened to Li Yuanbai’s lecture. So, this was the path ahead of him. His current level of Sword Arts was essentially unparalleled among the tenth generation of the Huashan Immortal Sect. Only some of the most formidable elders of the ninth generation could challenge him in mastery of the sword, yet now he realized there was still so much room for advancement.

The Three Thousand Sword Intents leading to the Ultimate Sword Intent—once achieved, all phenomena in nature could flow into the sword. Indeed, the kingdom’s foremost master of the sword, Ancestor Yan Cangsheng, had mastered ninety-seven Sword Intents. He currently possessed two; the kingdom’s peak master held ninety-seven.

——————

Lu Yuan’s mind was racing as he organized his Master’s words.

One who has mastered a single Sword Intent is called a Sword Master. One who has mastered ten Sword Intents is called a Sword Dao Grandmaster. One who has mastered one hundred Sword Intents is called a Great Sword Dao Master. One who has mastered one thousand Sword Intents is called a Sword Dao Colossus. One who has mastered three thousand Sword Intents is called a Sword God.

These were essentially the classifications his Master had outlined—the subsequent tiers of Sword Arts. He was currently at the level of Sword Master. According to his Master, these five successive realms could easily crush the realms below them. The Six Sword Immortals of Huashan’s North Peak were all at the level of Sword Master; none had reached Sword Dao Grandmaster. A person who could master ten Sword Intents to reach the rank of Sword Dao Grandmaster was exceedingly rare, almost extinct.

Lu Yuan mused: If he has already mastered two Sword Intents, he is a Sword Master. If he masters just eight more, wouldn't he become a Sword Dao Grandmaster, surpassing every one of the Six Sword Immortals of North Peak? Perhaps mastering Sword Intents wasn't as impossibly difficult as imagined—that was Lu Yuan’s current feeling.

If anyone knew what was transpiring in Lu Yuan’s mind right now, they would likely weep. For others, cultivating a Sword Intent was a feat as difficult as scaling the heavens, yet for Lu Yuan, it was merely a bit easier.

(The new book is in its final week for the New Book Chart push; recommendations are requested. If it makes the chart, there will be five chapters released on Monday. Please help this novel, which features a unique style and many sword duels, reach the New Book Chart.)