The summer evening sun had already sunk behind the western hills, leaving the sky awash in brilliant, magnificent crimson and gold.

A gentle, temperate north wind drifted over from the mountainside, rustling through the branches and leaves of the forest. It reached the Li Family Estate like this—a subtle breeze, whispering, making the willow leaves sway and the bamboo leaves dance lightly, pausing and then stirring again. The wind softly disturbed the placid surface of the water, creating ripples that spread outward.

This particular breeze swept away the oppressive heat and clamor of summer, awakening the lilacs and crabapple blossoms in the courtyard.

The cool air flowed silently amidst the green leaves, and the scent of flowers drifted softly beneath the eaves of the houses.

This current of mild wind seemed to originate from the mountain woods, or perhaps from the cold moon and distant, glittering stars above.

On such an evening, leaning in the courtyard, one savored the sensation of the wind, the blessing of the breeze.

Lu Yuan sat beside the pond, resting against a bamboo rocking chair.

Leaning back into the chair.

Rocking, back and forth.

His entire body was relaxed.

Every inch of his skin had reached a state of utter ease.

The wind truly was comforting.

The wind of nature was different from the wind conjured beneath his sword.

Although he had grasped the Sword Intent of Wind, compared to the true wind of nature, he felt a significant gap remained.

Right, if his sword, utilizing the Sword Intent of Wind, could move as effortlessly as the wind in nature, what level of attainment would that be?

Could his swordsmanship advance further?

Lu Yuan pondered this, allowing his skin to relax fully, absorbing every particle of air that flowed past him.

Gust after gust of cool wind passed by. Wind—the very spirit of nature—was omnipresent, sometimes still, sometimes flowing ceaselessly, allowing people to sense its presence. Continuously feeling this current breeze, Lu Yuan raised his hand and drew his Yangwu Sword. It shimmered lightly as he attempted to imitate the cool wind blowing through the mountain forest this evening.

The sword moves should not be so rigid; they ought to be more spontaneous.

The sword should issue from the heart, not merely from the memorized patterns in the mind.

Everything must follow his own comprehension.

...

As night deepened, the wind grew steadily colder, carrying a distinct chill. Especially within the mountain woods, even on a summer night, the wind felt like a cold blade. The biting wind whipped through the forest, making the trees rustle with a sharp, constant shua shua sound. Countless leaves scraping against each other merged into a roar, like the very voice of the wind. Lu Yuan’s Yangwu Sword instinctively shifted, transforming into a different style of swordsmanship—one colder and more austere than the previous.

...

Night yielded to day, and the sun began to assert its dominance. The wind still blew, but under the fierce glare of the sun, it was no longer cool; it was hot, scorching air. This dry wind blasted everything beneath it, forcing all living things to seek shelter, sapping their vitality—only the cicadas chirped on joyously.

...

Nature held countless forms of wind.

There was the wind that howled past in great gusts, the breeze that stroked the face gently, the cool air of the evening, the searing hot wind under the midday sun, the icy wind in the mountain forest at midnight, the light breath that stirred the water's surface, the fierce gale that whipped the willow leaves into a frenzy, darkening the sky, and the driving wind accompanied by a fine drizzle...

Over the course of the last half-month, Lu Yuan had experienced all manner of winds, and within the process of experiencing these different winds, he continuously refined his sword techniques. The fundamental structure of the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud remained the same, but the details had become far more personalized, fitting his movements more smoothly.

On this particular day, a slanting wind and a fine, steady rain.

In the corner of the wall, swallows flew in pairs.

And in the courtyard, Lu Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

The moment his eyes opened, his hand moved, and the Yangwu Sword was unsheathed. The move Great Wind Rushes Down was executed. This move, originally displayed with immense savagery, now seemed to vanish upon release; it passed through the air like the great, roaring wind of nature itself.

He had mastered it; he had finally achieved it.

All along, sword intent was believed to have three levels: the initial grasp of intent, the mid-stage where one could strike at an opponent's weakness at will, and the complete mastery that allowed one to control the opponent entirely beneath one's sword. Only now did he realize there was a fourth level, existing beyond complete mastery.

This level was what he had just realized—an undeniable state, transcending the level of Complete Mastery of Sword Intent.

The Yangwu Sword returned to its sheath. His brief test confirmed his attainment. Withdrawing his spirit from the long blade, he noticed, near the semicircular edge of the courtyard, an elder surnamed Lu standing with his hands clasped behind his back. Lu Yuan called out instinctively, "Uncle Lu!" That was how he addressed him on North Peak. Yet, Lu Yuan noticed the elder seemed distant, not fully responding, as if momentarily stunned by something.

The elder surnamed Lu finally snapped back to attention. "Young Master, what you just executed was Transcendent Sword Intent?"

"Transcendent Sword Intent?" Lu Yuan countered, "What is that?" It seemed this elder, who had followed his master for so long, knew of knowledge not recorded in books.

The elder nodded. "I followed the Old Master for a long time and have witnessed it. Every sword intent normally progresses through three stages: Initial Comprehension, Mid-stage Intent, and Complete Mastery. However, in reality, after achieving Complete Mastery, there is one final stage: Transcendent Sword Intent."

"Upon reaching Transcendent Sword Intent, when the sword moves, it is no longer just a sword. Whatever intent you possess will fundamentally trace back to the primal essence of nature. For example, Young Master, you practice the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud; with the Transcendent Sword Intent you just grasped, your sword and techniques can transform into the very wind of nature."

"When you executed that move just now, if I were not your opponent, I could still perceive your blade. If I were in the position of your opponent, I would see nothing but wind," the elder praised with a click of his tongue. "For the Young Master to reach this level at your age is simply genius. Among the Three Thousand Sword Intents, you have mastered the Intent of Wind to its absolute peak."

So this was the ultimate manifestation of sword intent—to transmute the sword and its movements into the actual form of nature itself, transcending both the blade and the technique, returning to the origin point of heaven and earth.

He had advanced another step on the path of the sword, a crucially important one.

Regrettably, this step was incomplete. He practiced the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud, a set that integrated both the Intent of Wind and the Intent of Cloud. His Wind Intent had reached its most fundamental state—Transcendent Intent—but his Cloud Intent had not reached that same level.

Simply put, he had not yet achieved a true, holistic advancement in swordsmanship. Only by mastering the Intent of Cloud to the Transcendent level would he truly progress.

...

In the days that followed, Lu Yuan observed the clouds and mist in the heavens, striving to bring his Intent of Cloud to the Transcendent level, to restore it to its primal state. However, it proved exceedingly difficult. After two full weeks of effort, Lu Yuan finally acknowledged his endeavor had failed; he simply could not raise the Intent of Cloud to the state of Transcendent Intent.

Very well, he would abandon it for now. There was no point in continuing the strained effort.

Practicing the sword was not an endeavor of a single morning. When sudden enlightenment fails, one must rely on the slow accumulation of days and months; haste was unproductive.

——————

Since progress in swordsmanship had stalled, he might as well focus on cultivation.

Seated cross-legged in his room, five talisman papers shot out, establishing the Spirit Sealing Array.

He had fleeced the Sun Family Estate’s Sun Tian-gang quite effectively the last time. He now possessed a substantial fortune of two hundred and thirty Spirit Stones. To let such a vast sum go unused would be a waste. From his Asura Pouch, he pushed out fifty Spirit Stones. The Yangwu Sword pierced and slashed through them rapidly, instantly shattering the stones and releasing vast amounts of Celestial and Earthly Qi.

Absorbing the Heaven and Earth vital energy, Lu Yuan fell into contemplation.

He was currently in the early stage of the Ninth Cycle of the Qi Refining stage. The hurdle before him—the Great Perfection of the Tenth Stage of Qi Refining—was not the true obstacle. The real challenge lay in the second major realm: the Body Tempering stage. The Body Tempering stage differed entirely from the Qi Refining stage; a cultivator needed not only profound magical power but also a formidable physical body.

The Qi Refining stage had ten levels, and the Body Tempering stage also had ten levels.

The first level was Qi Control and Aerial Movement; the second, Five Viscera and Six Entrails; the third, Essence of Sun and Moon; the fourth, Blood Refining; the fifth, Innate Vital Blood; the sixth, Refining of Skin and Bone; the seventh, Tempering the Brain; the eighth, Sword Control and Soaring Flight; the ninth, Residual Body Regeneration; and the tenth, Great Perfection. These ten stages each held distinct advancements.

For instance, achieving the first level, Qi Control and Aerial Movement, granted the ability to fly.

The fifth level, Innate Vital Blood, allowed one to forge one's own flying swords.

At the eighth level, Sword Control and Soaring Flight, one could use sword control techniques to attack enemies remotely with flying swords, achieving something akin to the appearance of a Sword Immortal.

The ninth level, Residual Body Regeneration, meant that even a crippled body could quickly regenerate. From this point on, severe injuries like severed meridians would no longer pose an insurmountable problem; if meridians were cut, one could immediately use Residual Body Regeneration. However, there was a limitation: while severed meridians could regenerate, fatal injuries would still result in death.

Of course, he didn't need to look that far ahead for the moment. His immediate goal was to reach the Tenth Heaven of Qi Refining and then break through from the Qi Refining stage into the Body Tempering stage.

The power of the Body Tempering stage far surpassed that of Qi Refining. The Body Tempering stage marked the true entry into the gate of immortal cultivation.

Qi Refining: drawing in a breath, condensing it into immortal energy. Body Tempering: refining the body, transforming it into an immortal form.

In essence, every stage represented a transformation from mortal to immortal.

...

Returning to the present, after a period of aggressively using Spirit Stones to force his cultivation, Lu Yuan finally advanced his magical power to the mid-stage of the Ninth Cycle of Qi Refining. There was no need to rush toward the late stage now; the cultivation of magical power should be slow and steady; taking firm, reliable steps was the true kingly path.

(The third update is here; requesting monthly tickets for support. There is one more update, but it will likely be quite late.) [.16U

For more novels, visit storyread.net.