Sword Momentum

Once the sparring session concluded, the two returned to Peach Blossom Valley. Bai went straight into seclusion. Qin Sang walked through the peach blossom grove to Senior Qingzhu's grave. After paying his respects, he returned to his cave abode as well. He brought out the piece of charred wood Yunyouzi had left behind. Whether his cultivation was still lacking or the trace was simply too faint, Qin Sang could not sense Yunyouzi's original true spirit. "Bai is right. Waiting until after I achieve Nascent Soul to try is the only surefire way." Qin Sang pondered silently. *After forming a Nascent Soul, I will first upgrade the ebony sword. The remaining Soul-Nurturing Wood will be enough to push it to a top-grade magic treasure, and only then can I integrate the charred wood.* Thinking up to this point, Qin Sang brought out the Calamity Crossing Pill again. Previously, he had not been in the right frame of mind to examine it. *Pop!* The jade bottle was unsealed, and a spiritual mist coalesced without dispersing. There was none of the medicinal fragrance he had envisioned; instead, Qin Sang felt a sudden wave of clarity wash over his spirit terrace. In his sea of qi, his golden core and true essence stirred with rippling waves, seemingly agitated by the spirit pill. "Worthy of being the divine Calamity Crossing Pill!" Qin Sang calmed his sea of qi, his gaze darkening slightly. There was only one Calamity Crossing Pill. When attempting to form a Nascent Soul, failure was not an option! Afterward, Qin Sang sat cross-legged. A flash between his brows signaled the ebony sword flying out. Back in the Canglang Ocean, after comprehending Sword Light Differentiation, Qin Sang had never slacked off. He had devised the sword wheel on his own, undergone the trials of the Sword Path, sparred against the puppet sword array in the Trial Realm, and studied the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture*... Yet between him and comprehending sword momentum, an impassable barrier had always remained. Originally, Qin Sang had planned to focus on his cultivation, intending to pursue the sword path again after forming his Nascent Soul, when everything would naturally fall into place. He had not expected to comprehend sword momentum so suddenly at this juncture. Bai had suggested sparring to dispel the pent-up gloom in his heart. In the heat of battle, Qin Sang had cast aside all thought of retreat as never before, giving himself over to pure catharsis. This had unexpectedly resonated with his sword heart, providing the opportunity for a breakthrough. Even so, he had still fallen just a bit short. Fortunately, Bai was vastly experienced. Noticing Qin Sang's unusual state, he had immediately grasped what was happening. Under Bai's immense pressure, Qin Sang had finally broken through the bottleneck in one fell swoop! Sword momentum was the inception of a sword array. Previously, Qin Sang had shelved the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture* because he felt that with his current attainment, it would take up too much time, and it was better to raise his cultivation and achieve an early breakthrough. Now that he had comprehended sword momentum, contemplating the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture* would no longer be so arduous. If he could execute a sword array, his combat strength would increase substantially. A succession of thoughts flashed through his mind. Among them was the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture*. There were the myriad permutations previously displayed by the puppet sword array. There were the fragments concerning the Seven Po Killing Array found in the next tier of the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter*. And there were the words Bai had spoken during their conversation just moments ago: "Though what you cultivate is a killing dao sword array, from observing your sword intent in the past, it carries an aura of grandeur and majesty, not an extreme killing sword. But the sword qi you revealed just now carried a trace of sorrow." Qin Sang was lost in thought. He knew very well why Bai had felt that way in the past. Cultivating the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter* required comprehending killing talismans amidst slaughter. Even if one were not bloodthirsty, stepping out of a sea of blood and mountains of corpses would inevitably affect their mindset. Yet Qin Sang had always been shielded by the jade Buddha, keeping his mindset perpetually calm. He had treated this cultivation technique merely as a stepping stone. He was probably the practitioner with the least bloodlust among all who cultivated killing dao arts. Furthermore, the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter* was all-encompassing; the technique itself was merely a foundation. Every practitioner arrived at their own insights, thereby carving out a path uniquely their own. Without realizing it, Qin Sang had adhered strictly to the technique without veering, unconsciously capturing the essence of an upright, grand dao. The sorrow within his sword momentum was tied to the circumstances of his breakthrough and was merely temporary; after forming his Nascent Soul, it would return to the proper course. Reviewing the *Qingzhu Sword Scripture*, Qin Sang realized the sword intent within it differed from his own: it pressed forward with indomitable brilliance, yet held a sliver of hatred and hesitation, mirroring Senior Qingzhu's past experiences. The puppet sword array was different still. That sword array possessed boundless permutations, exceptionally intricate and complex. One thing was certain: the master of the puppets shared deep ties with the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter*, having derived the puppet sword array using the Seven Po Killing Array as its foundation. "Senior Qingzhu's dao is not entirely suited to me. I should only absorb the essence of his scripture and continue along the path of the original manual, rather than being swayed by Senior Qingzhu." Qin Sang remained clearheaded and made his choice. *Drawing from the permutations of the puppet sword array, I should be able to grasp some of the intent of the Seven Po Killing Array. Deploying a sword array based on that for now is what suits me best. The benefit of doing so is obvious: after forming my Nascent Soul, the ebony sword will be used to nurture Senior's original true spirit. If I comprehend the Seven Po Killing Array on my own, I will be able to deploy it against enemies without relying on my natal spirit sword.* After carefully organizing his thoughts, Qin Sang solidified his path. Senior Sister Qingjun remained without word. Only when she returned could he enter Pointing Sky Peak. For now, cultivation and forming the Nascent Soul remained his primary focus. However, the time previously spent on the *Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis* was now freed up, allowing him to dedicate a portion of it to pondering the sword dao. ... Five years came and went. Time was enough to smooth over everything. The sorrow over Yunyouzi's demise gradually faded. Qin Sang stepped out of his cave abode. Outside, heavy snow drifted down upon thousands of li of frozen terrain, yet within Peach Blossom Valley, the air was as mild and balmy as spring. A white crane flew over, carrying a voice transmission talisman in its beak. Qin Sang opened it and saw it was left by Li Yufu, stating that he had hit a cultivation bottleneck with no clues found in seclusion, and had decided to travel and wander abroad. Over twenty years had passed since Qin Sang's return. It was rare for the cultivation world to enjoy peace for so long, fostering the illusion that Sin Abyss was powerless to invade again and that this tranquility would last forever. Li Yufu was naturally intelligent and had solid cultivation, so Qin Sang was not worried. Noticing that the peach grove looked somewhat unruly, he walked in and carefully pruned the branches. These peach trees seemed to emanate a sense of loneliness. Senior Sister Qingjun had been away for far too long this time; with the master absent, the peach blossoms bloomed and withered with no one to admire them. Just then, the restrictions outside the valley were suddenly stirred. Qin Sang's heart leaped. Looking outside the valley, he finally caught sight of that flash of red dress! "Senior Sister!" Qin Sang flashed forward to welcome her. Qingjun's bearing was as striking as ever. Looking at the delicate peach blossoms in the valley, the sharpness in her eyes softened. "Eh? You are already close to the peak of the Core Formation stage!" Taking a close look at Qin Sang, Qingjun was quite surprised. She was certainly aware of the miraculous efficacy of the killing talismans in the *Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter*, but what surprised her was how much Qin Sang had transformed during her absence—far beyond just rapid progress in cultivation. "I still need a few more years to polish my cultivation," Qin Sang replied. "Have you prepared for forming your Nascent Soul? How confident are you? It seems that before long, the Xiaohan Realm will welcome another Nascent Soul Patriarch." As the two walked into the peach grove, Qingjun seemed to be in high spirits and took the initiative to ask. "There is indeed a minor matter regarding my Nascent Soul breakthrough that I would like to ask Senior Sister's help with." Not knowing how long Qingjun would stay this time, Qin Sang hurried to explain his plan. "Senior Qingzhu once mentioned that a powerful physical body aids in forming a Nascent Soul. I practice a body refinement technique that requires infusing astral essence into my body to break through to the fourth layer, and Pointing Sky Peak is the ideal location. Do you know if that teleportation array and the immortal's cave connected to Pointing Sky Peak are still intact?"