What would it feel like to observe the clouds from the sky, having seen them so often from the ground and from the mountaintops?

What exactly is the nature of white clouds?

These were the very things Lu Yuan was curious about.

After nearly a month of dedicated study in flight techniques, Lu Yuan had finally mastered the skill. Now, the time had come to fly towards the white clouds for the very first time—a dream he had nurtured for years was finally being put to the test. Directing his body, Lu Yuan ascended toward the heavens.

One zhang, two zhang, three zhang...

Ten zhang, twenty zhang, thirty zhang...

One hundred zhang, two hundred zhang, three hundred zhang...

Higher and higher he flew, ever ascending.

The vast sky stretched for ten thousand li, dotted with floating white clouds. These clouds would sometimes roll into dense masses like spun cotton, or shift into long strips of silk ribbon, swirling around the mountain peaks, drifting in and out of sight amongst the Five Peaks of Mount Hua. Lu Yuan watched these clouds intently as he climbed.

Rising ever higher, he gradually reached a point above the clouds. To view the clouds from above them presented an entirely different vista.

It was a true sea of clouds, and as he ascended, the mist grew thicker. From above the white expanse, the ground became completely invisible, save for the occasional, towering mountain peak that pierced the dense cloudscape. These summits stood in sharp, solitary relief against the vaporous ocean, like majestic, craggy isles in a misty sea. Lu Yuan gazed upon the scene before him.

The cloud sea truly resembled the ocean—it possessed the vastness of the sea, the imposing momentum of the sea, the look of splashing white foam, and the deep troughs and abyssal valleys, all shrouded in an infinite, pervasive mist.

Standing atop the clouds, he looked down upon the cloud sea below.

Lu Yuan soared high, suddenly seized by the urge to explore the depths of this cloud sea, to venture within and discover the true essence of the clouds themselves. Since acting upon a thought was a long-held habit of Lu Yuan's, he abruptly plunged downward, rushing straight into the heart of the cloud sea, tumbling headlong into the vaporous mass.

Splat!

His body sank as if falling into the softest cotton imaginable. The sensation was exquisitely pleasant; the white clouds felt utterly yielding and fluffy. He luxuriated in rolling around within them until, opening his eyes, he found himself enveloped entirely in softness like fleece and whiteness like snow. Lu Yuan began to tumble within the cloud layers, behaving almost like a child.

So, this was the white cloud.

Lu Yuan never bothered with pretense; feeling joy when joyful was simply his nature. To realize the dream of flying in the sky after entering the Immortal Path, to finally touch the clouds with his own hands—Lu Yuan naturally reveled in the absolute freedom, rolling and tumbling with unadulterated delight.

“I... can... fly...” After tumbling for a while, Lu Yuan stood atop a cloud, roaring his declaration toward the surrounding cloud sea. The sound traveled a short distance before gradually fading away, leaving behind not even an echo, vanishing into nothingness.

Having reached the Body Tempering Stage, the first step was practicing flight.

The second step involved familiarizing himself with Qi projection.

Mastering Sword Qi was achieved during the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage with the skill Qi Manipulation: Separation from Body. However, at that seventh level, one’s magic power could not sustain Sword Qi for very long periods, nor could it support prolonged combat using it. Thus, even though the method was learned, Sword Qi was rarely employed in actual fighting then.

It was only upon reaching the first level of the Body Tempering Stage, Qi Manipulation: Freedom in the Void, that one’s magical power saw a significant surge. At this point, one’s own Sword Qi could extend a full zhang—far exceeding the length of a physical longsword—and the abundant magic power allowed the Sword Qi to be sustained in combat for a considerable duration.

Of course, the crucial point was that if one cultivated spells and reached the realm of Qi Manipulation: Traversing the Air, Sword Qi was unnecessary, as spells could be cast remotely.

But if a Sword Cultivator reached the first level of Body Tempering, Qi Manipulation: Freedom in the Air, yet refrained from using Sword Qi, their effective reach would remain only about three chi. Wouldn't the very ability of Qi Manipulation: Freedom in the Air be rendered useless in actual combat? Therefore, the first level of Body Tempering, Qi Manipulation: Freedom in the Air, was precisely when Sword Qi truly came into its own.

Combat in this era had shifted from the Longsword style to the Sword Qi style; the offensive range and engagement area provided by Sword Qi far surpassed that of the Longsword style.

Naturally, not until reaching the eighth level of Body Tempering, Sword Control: Flight through the Void, would the focus shift entirely to the Flying Sword style, where controlling a sword remotely offered unparalleled effectiveness and a far greater reach than the current Sword Qi style.

Admittedly, the fundamental sword techniques remained the same; the sword arts themselves did not change.

However, even extending the reach of a longsword affects the execution of sword forms, let alone Sword Qi, which extended the attack range several times over—this naturally brought about a considerable impact, necessitating an adaptation period. Lu Yuan's enthusiasm for practicing his swordplay had been quite high recently; purely practicing the sword had always energized him, and practicing it now above the white clouds only amplified that feeling.

Lu Yuan had changed his practice location. Previously, he had trained at Changchun Residence.

This time, having mastered flight, he chose to practice his swordplay atop the clouds.

As he practiced his forms amidst the white clouds, Lu Yuan gradually adapted to the attack style of the zhang-long Sword Qi. Furthermore, practicing above the clouds began to instill a deeper sense of peace and openness in Lu Yuan’s spirit. Training in such an environment, gazing upon the changes across heaven and earth—the very secrets of the white clouds naturally exerted a beneficial influence on one’s temperament, disposition, and overall perspective.

He became increasingly unrestrained and free, his demeanor growing calmer and more relaxed, akin to the clouds on the horizon, and his perspective broadened immensely.

There were other anecdotes associated with the cloudscape. For instance, Spirit Beasts of the Cloud lineage were formed from countless white clouds accumulating over eons—a fact Lu Yuan already knew. This time, flying up to the clouds, he had hoped to find some Cloud-lineage Spirit Beasts. Yet, no matter where he looked, he couldn't find a single one.

He soon realized the truth: this location was high above the North Peak, above the clouds of Mount Hua. If any Cloud-lineage Spirit Beasts existed here, they would surely have been collected by the various ancestors of Mount Hua long ago, leaving none for him. This realization was merely a minor anecdote during his time above the clouds, in no way dampening Lu Yuan’s profound joy.

During this excursion, Lu Yuan truly played to his heart's content above the clouds.

Alone, he freely savored the sky, the clouds.

Lu Yuan remained in the cloud layer for about a month.

And a month of time could not possibly consist solely of clear skies and drifting white clouds. Occasionally, a period of sharp, driving rain would arrive. When the sharp rain fell, Lu Yuan observed that the clouds seemed to diminish slightly—this was likely the process of cloud transforming into rain. If a true thunderstorm brewed, the clouds above would transform, darkening into masses of ink and pitch, spreading across the sky and drenching the earth. Heaven and earth became a single canvas, and the torrential downpour acted like streaks of ink in a grand, unrestrained splash-ink painting, offering an indescribable sense of exhilaration.

Lu Yuan watched the white and black clouds traversing the world, the light and heavy rains, and the infinite bolts of lightning. Innumerable insights sparked in his mind. Although he didn't forge any new Sword Intent during this period, simply observing the awe-inspiring lightning, the churning black clouds, and the varying intensities of rain—witnessing these phenomena of heaven and earth—laid an exceptionally solid foundation for comprehending his existing Sword Intents.

One day, descending from the sky, the thunder was crashing continuously. He dared not linger in the open air any longer; being struck by heaven’s lightning was no joking matter. As soon as he landed, the heavy rain hammered down like pillars, cooling the oppressive summer heat in Changchun Residence considerably.

“Ah, returned from the sky,” Li Yuanbai remarked with a smile. When he himself first learned to fly, he too had spent a period playing among the heavens. His disciple was following in his footsteps.

“Yes,” Lu Yuan nodded.

Li Yuanbai continued, “The investigation into Li Feng’s assassination attempt has concluded. Behind Li Feng stood Murong An, the Black Swordsman among the Four Sword Masters under my command. This man has followed me for many years, yet I never expected him to commit such deeds for power. Following my usual custom from years past, I should have killed him immediately. However, perhaps because my lifespan is nearing its end, my heart has softened somewhat, and I actually allowed Murong An to escape. Murong An possesses the strength of the sixth level of Body Tempering, Bone and Skin Refined. With this escape, he will likely cause you trouble in the future, so you must be careful.”

This was the final outcome. Li Yuanbai was not the Li Yuanbai of yesteryear; his power had diminished from its peak, and he had grown soft-hearted. Otherwise, how could a mere Murong An, at the sixth level of Bone and Skin Refined, manage to flee his presence? Nevertheless, the objective of this recent action had been achieved: Li Yuanbai had essentially purged the factions within his ranks, which would make the succession process much smoother when Lu Yuan eventually took over. Most of those disloyal or resistant to Lu Yuan had been effectively eliminated during this turmoil.

As Li Yuanbai spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Lu Yuan.

He noted his disciple's reaction—an attitude as calm as wind passing over clouds—and felt satisfied.

Although the Cultivation World currently enjoyed a prosperous peace, it was still rife with various feuds and killings, as conflict inevitably arises wherever people gather.

To fight against Heaven—endless joy!

To fight against Earth—endless joy!

To fight against others—joy beyond measure!

The feuds and killings in the Cultivation World primarily remained focused on the 'joy beyond measure' found in battling others. To survive in this grand environment, one must contend; without struggle, survival is impossible. However, if one completely immerses oneself in constant strife, becoming obsessed with maneuvering and fighting—that path leads to the Demonic Way.

Fortunately, it seemed his disciple, while certainly drawn into various struggles, understood that conflict was merely a means, not an obsession.

Revenge for grievances is a given; cultivation cannot escape contention. But being consumed by the struggle itself is a descent to a lower level.

True cultivation ultimately lies in the profound comprehension of Heaven and Earth.

Heaven above is like a painted scroll, the Earth below like a chessboard. Existing within, one perceives the vastness of the cosmos.