Now, there wasn't just Lu Yuan who was idle. With the exception of the two Nine Generations Sword Immortals handling the cleanup, practically all the more than ten core disciples found themselves with nothing to do.

If you considered Lu Yuan, Ye Fang, and Ye Yuan—the three disciples particularly fond of fine food and exquisite wine—idleness passed quickly as they sought out delicacies and enjoyed various dishes with their drinks. But for the others, being idle meant truly having nothing to occupy their time.

As boredom mounted, the news that Lu Yuan was arranging a sword competition with Wei Bei and Shen Luo drew them all together. Lu Yuan was the strongest among the eight core disciples from North Peak.

Wei Bei and Shen Luo were the two strongest among the seven core disciples from South Peak. Furthermore, it was rumored that Wei Bei and Shen Luo intended to join forces against him; one practiced the Myriad Changes Cloud Sword, and the other the Thousand Illusions Mist Sword.

Naturally, the spectators’ interest soared. In mere moments, those previously in their own quarters were now crowded together.

However, before the sword fight commenced, a profound silence descended. The air was thick with tension as these masters of the blade prepared to clash, each fearing that the slightest sound might shatter the delicate atmosphere.

“Coo—” A yellow oriole took flight from atop a rockery, and a fish leaped clear from the pool below. At that instant, Wei Bei drew his blade, unleashing the Myriad Changes Cloud Sword immediately.

His movements constantly shifted and transformed, yet the variability of his swordsmanship barely registered in Lu Yuan’s mind. The Sword Intent underpinning the Myriad Changes Cloud Sword was the Intent of Clouds.

Although manifested in such a complex sword form, truthfully, it held no weight against Lu Yuan, for having grasped the core Intent, all external forms were mere illusions. Of course, even so, the other core disciples gasped sharply upon witnessing Wei Bei’s technique; his swordsmanship was utterly bewildering.

“Vast Cloud,” this move created a boundless expanse of cloud; within that endless expanse, one could not locate the sword’s true position. “Rolling Dark Clouds,” as this strike was delivered, it was like heavy storm clouds gathering, assaulting the opponent with the force of spilled ink.

“Faint White Clouds,” this posture was utterly casual, supremely free-form and expressive. “Cloud Roaming Four Forms,” once employed, the sword danced and moved such that one never knew where the blade was or from where the next thrust would originate.

... Meanwhile, Shen Luo had taken up the Thousand Illusions Mist Sword, which was itself a formidable swordsmanship style.

With the move “Flower in the Mist,” the sword appeared as if glimpsed through haze—simultaneously real and illusory, suspended between true and false. You believed one strike was the genuine article, only to find it a feint, with the real sword positioned behind you.

Yet, if you dismissed that perceived real strike as false, it would instantly resolve into reality. “Smoke Fades, Mist Dissipates” was similar to the flowing and scattering movements of the Wind-Water technique, fundamentally designed to drain the opponent's vital energy.

“Thick Fog, Bitter Cold” was a grim, mournful display of sword energy. “Poisonous Torrent, Vicious Mist” was the notorious killing move of the Thousand Illusions Mist Sword, one so deeply concealed it was seldom perceived until too late.

It could be said that both Wei Bei’s Myriad Changes Cloud Sword and Shen Luo’s Thousand Illusions Mist Sword were practiced to a high degree of mastery. Unsurprisingly for disciples of the Sword Sect, both techniques had clearly reached the second stratum of swordsmanship, showing considerable attainment.

In reality, to counter the Myriad Changes Cloud Sword, Lu Yuan could break it quite simply. Since he had comprehended the Intent of Clouds, any cloud-based sword technique used against him would be ineffectual.

As for the Thousand Illusions Mist Sword, though seemingly profound, in a direct confrontation, he could shatter it using the Overwhelming Gale technique. The Overwhelming Gale: the sword movements would surge like a violent wind.

Once the gale passed, any mist, no matter how dense, would be swept away. The Wind element inherently held a slight edge over the Mist element.

Whether facing Wei Bei or Shen Luo individually, Lu Yuan could secure an easy victory without any trouble. However, the combination of the Myriad Changes Cloud Sword and the Thousand Illusions Mist Sword seemed to subtly weave into an entirely new set of maneuvers, foreshadowing the South Peak’s ultimate technique, the Cloud and Mist of Myriad Changes and Thousand Illusions Thirteen Hundred Forms.

This combination multiplied the deceptive complexities of both original styles several times over. If that were all, it would have been manageable.

But what truly complicated matters was the most bizarre aspect of their combination Lu Yuan quickly discerned: he spotted a weakness in the Myriad Changes Cloud Sword, yet as he moved to attack it, he found that spot instantly covered by Shen Luo’s Thousand Illusions Mist Sword. When he shifted to strike a flaw in the Mist Sword, it was immediately shielded by Wei Bei’s Cloud Sword.

Wei Bei’s style had flaws; Shen Luo’s style also had flaws. But precisely because of their synergy, these flaws perfectly complemented and concealed one another, rendering the combined swordplay flawless.

South Peak truly bred masters of the blade. The ancestor who first devised the Cloud and Mist of Myriad Changes and Thousand Illusions Thirteen Hundred Forms possessed an inscrutable depth of swordsmanship, and the subsequent ancestor who successfully fragmented that technique into the Cloud and Mist and Mist Sword styles possessed an equally profound cultivation.

Directly striking at perceived weaknesses seemed useless now. After a quick calculation in his mind, Lu Yuan realized subtlety was futile; he had to employ the fighting style born from complete mastery of Intent.

His Yangwu Sword moved. “Wind and Cloud Both Stir”—this move split into two attacks directed at different vectors, one a Wind Sword and one a Cloud Sword, simultaneously aimed at Wei Bei and Shen Luo.

Lu Yuan’s sword play at this juncture discarded concern for specific forms; it only grew faster, attacking both adversaries. With the long sword in hand, he commanded his opponents completely.

This was the capability achieved by fully grasping Sword Intent. The reason Lu Yuan’s sword moved so rapidly was that he was treating himself as two individuals, wielding one sword as if it were two, simultaneously forcing Wei Bei and Shen Luo apart.

They had initially intended to remain linked, their synergy magnifying their power immensely, but they were suddenly horrified to find themselves compelled to retreat under Lu Yuan’s dazzling sword light, as if every action they took was being dictated by his blade. And this was only the beginning.

What followed was even more shocking: not only could they not join forces, but under Lu Yuan’s sword light, it seemed that whatever action they attempted was being dictated by Lu Yuan—they were merely executing his commands. Could this truly be achieved through swordsmanship?

Was this really not some form of Puppetry Art? In the cultivation world of the Great Jin Kingdom, very few fiends or demons specialized in Puppetry Art.

However, Lu Yuan’s current swordsmanship was clearly different. Puppetry required seizing control of the body, allowing the puppeteer to manipulate movements directly.

Lu Yuan achieved this result purely through the sword. Sword light flashed, and Lu Yuan grew increasingly comfortable in the exchange.

Wei Bei and Shen Luo, conversely, became more distressed with every passing moment. Their techniques were often halted mid-swing, unable to continue.

Their bodies were constrained, forced to move within certain boundaries. Both men and their swords appeared utterly governed by Lu Yuan’s Yangwu Sword.

At this point, a deep sense of tragedy settled upon Wei Bei and Shen Luo. Was it really so difficult to simply use their swords in a normal fashion?

The other core disciples watched, utterly dumbfounded. Was this truly a match between North Peak and South Peak?

South Peak was renowned for swordsmanship, affiliated with the Sword Sect, while North Peak emphasized the balance of sword and qi. How could this be?

The North Peak disciple, known for sword and qi balance, now displayed superior swordsmanship, while the Sword Sect disciple was the weaker swordsman? Which one was the true Sword Sect?

Which one practiced the balance of sword and qi? It felt as if the roles had been inverted.

(Writing classical Xianxia requires attention to atmosphere and artistic concept; it is slow going. Incidentally, the last few sentences of this chapter are an homage to The Smiling, Proud Wanderer [Xiao Ao Jiang Hu], specifically the scene before the Mountain God Temple where Linghu Chong battles the masters of the Sword Sect.

That line—which one is the Sword Sect and which is the Qi Sect?—was always my favorite.)