Wang Chong passed by that alluring maidservant, her brows and eyes brimming with charm, her every glance and movement graceful, her bearing captivating. He handed her the long sword and said with a smile, "Thank you, Sister. Might I know your esteemed name?"
The maid glanced at her mistress. Su Luo Yan nodded slightly, and she broke into a smile, answering softly, "This servant's name is Yu Zao!"
Wang Chong thought to himself: "A great fox demon?"
He did know that Yu Zao was a jade ornament on imperial crowns, and that before Yu Zao was a great fox spirit, but this maid gave him the feeling of a fox spirit—seductive to the bone, with a kind of youthful yet imperious charm. He raised his hand to thank her again, but said nothing more. Chu Qiuzi, however, remembered this maid deeply, after all Yu Zao had stolen her task—it ought to have been her handing over the long sword so Wang Chong could defeat Qian Luo Yi.
Hmm, Chu Qiuzi had not noticed that Qian Luo Yi was injured, but she was certainly partial to Wang Chong to some degree. Qian Luo Yi abandoning the fight and leaving was, in this Qingcheng Second Senior Sister's eyes, naturally losing a move.
Chu Qiuzi had never imagined Wang Chong's martial arts were so superb! She wanted to ask clearly, but with so many eyes about, could only keep it bottled up in her heart.
Su Luo Yan was more reserved. She knew Wang Chong only gave his name but never spoke of his sect, and there must be a reason. She thought to herself: "On Wudang Mountain, I know several sisters; I don't believe I can't find out your origins."
"No wonder the famed Purple-Green Jade Maiden looks so much like she's throwing herself at him—turns out she already knew Wang Chong's identity and background were extraordinary, both his literary talent and martial arts outstanding."
On the way back, Wang Chong did not speak again. He had already deeply sensed a brand-new change in his internal force! Originally warm and gentle, his internal force split into yin and yang, steadily casting off impurities and yin qi, leaving only true yang qi. This change was called—Dispelling Yin to Generate Yang!
At the same time, he finally remembered that the inner-power art he cultivated was called: Innate Pure Yang Art!
This heart method, at the outset, cultivated internal force that was extremely mild, following the Orthodox Xuanmen path.
This inner-power art had no special features at the outset, and progress was slower than others, but once accumulation reached completion, there was a barrier—exactly the "Dispelling Yin to Generate Yang" Wang Chong had just passed. Internal force thereby transformed, gradually shedding dross and becoming pure yang.
Wang Chong finally understood why his original body knew Holding-Candle Swordplay: because this swordplay was not only top-tier swordsmanship but also required internal force support, needing the Innate Pure Yang Art to match, so that the sword would emit candlelight, illuminating the eight wildernesses.
Returning to the garden Su Luo Yan was using, Wang Chong requested a quiet room and began closed seclusion.
This seclusion lasted seven or eight shichen.
When he had fully comprehended the barriers in inner power and swordsmanship, he left the quiet room. The moon was already high in the sky.
Wang Chong looked around, picked up a dry branch from the ground, and thrust eight sword strikes. On the seventh strike, smoke curled in wisps from the tip of the dry branch, and flames sprang forth. On the eighth thrust, the dry branch shattered with a loud bang into flying ash.
After all, it was just a dry branch—how could it withstand the supreme pure yang internal force of the Orthodox Daoist gate!?
Wang Chong discarded the dry branch, and an indescribable joy rose from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to dance and shout wildly.
Whether swordsmanship or this Innate Pure Yang Art, a breakthrough was not inborn, but something he had comprehended himself. This benefit earned through effort and sacrifice brought more endless joy than a vast fortune falling from the sky.
A woman in white appeared, like pale snow, her beauty peerless, her carriage like an immortal's, her voice like a jade zither—clear and lingering, every word and sentence stirring the heart. She said: "Young Master Wang Chong, your swordsmanship has advanced again—truly worthy of congratulations!"
Chu Qiuzi had just wanted to speak, but felt herself outdone. She opened her mouth twice, only to feel slightly stifled, and simply did not speak. She leaped down, took hold of Wang Chong, smiling warmly, brimming with delight, showing even greater affection.
Wang Chong was slightly embarrassed. It was the middle of the night; neither woman slept, and they appeared here—surely something fishy was going on!
But no matter what, he could not explain this clearly, and could only say vaguely: "This humble one is ill-mannered, practicing the sword at midnight and thus disturbing your pure dreams. I feel deeply ashamed."
Su Luo Yan smiled slightly, like a myriad flowers in brilliant bloom. She had already seen that Wang Chong used the dry branch as a sword, and candlelight was born from the sword. With her insight and experience, she naturally knew how difficult this was to achieve. Whether it was pure yang internal force or swordsmanship reaching the divine level, both were one in ten thousand, outstanding talents of the present age!
She said leisurely: "Young Master Wang, now that your Innate Pure Yang Art is perfected, the next step should be to advance to the Pure Yang Sword Forging Art, is it not?"
Wang Chong originally had no such memories at all in his mind, but Su Luo Yan's words brought forth countless heart methods, secret arts, and martial arts essences, and he suddenly remembered the origins of the inner-power art he cultivated.
The art he cultivated was divided into four volumes. The first volume was the Innate Pure Yang Art: cultivate one's internal force to pure yang, eliminate all yin dross, advance to the innate realm. The second volume was the Pure Yang Sword Forging Scroll: refine the yang-fire qi, remove the coarse and keep the essence, cultivate a wisp of supremely yang and fiercely intense sword qi, advancing one step further within the innate realm.
He pondered for a long time, then suddenly felt something was amiss. This inner-power art was far more precious than Holding-Candle Swordplay—many times over—and superior to the Seven Paths Divine Sword. It was a Wudang mountain-protecting absolute art; how could ordinary people learn it?
"I'm probably not the lecher White Chrysanthemum, but I also can't be Mo Yuncong. Surely I'm not the Wudang sect leader's illegitimate child? That old man is quite advanced in years; he probably couldn't father one..."
Wang Chong sighed once, saying nothing. But in Su Luo Yan and Chu Qiuzi's eyes, he was sighing over the difficulty of the martial way and its arduous steps, and they couldn't help but feel a measure of admiration.
Su Luo Yan thought to herself: "He just fought Qian Luo Yi to a draw, his swordsmanship advanced again, yet he remains humble and self-deprecating, not proud at all. His family discipline must be very strict to produce such a temperament."
Chu Qiuzi secretly mused: "Our Qingcheng has a secret art that can condense a maiden's primal yin to help a man break through a bottleneck. When I first heard of this method, I found it despicable... When I return to Qingcheng, I'll quietly practice it a bit!"
Wang Chong suddenly thought: "I should get a long sword."
Originally he had worried that White Chrysanthemum would also know Holding-Candle Swordplay, and that he himself knew it—what if they ended up overlapping in swordplay with the lecher? But now "White Chrysanthemum" was dead. Whether real or fake, his internal force had broken through and he walked the pure yang path; he absolutely could not use the Ice Soul Finger, so there was no need to hide his swordplay.
Su Luo Yan was as bright as ice and snow. Wang Chong had only a folding fan and no sword at his waist; when sparring with Qian Luo Yi, he had borrowed a sword from her maid Yu Zao. After returning, she had long prepared, and smiling, presented a long wooden box, saying: "Young Master Wang Chong appears to have no sword at his waist. Coincidentally, I have a newly made long sword here. After I received it, I found it a bit heavy and not suited for use, so I'll pass it on to you."
Wang Chong was not one to stand on ceremony. He immediately laughed and reached out to take it, opening the box. Indeed, a long sword lay horizontally within, adorned with gold and jade, extremely luxurious.
Chapter 27