Prerequisite to the Sword Charm

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Xu Yuan carefully sensed the strange sensations spreading through his body following his breakthrough. Breaking through from Iron Body to Soul Condensation was the first major bottleneck on the path of cultivation. An intent-soul was not something just anyone could cultivate; a secret art, sharp comprehension, and innate talent were all indispensable. Originating from the sea of consciousness, an intent-soul brought a qualitative leap to a cultivator's five senses. Furthermore, a solidified intent-soul capable of separating from the body could practically be used as telekinesis. Although an intent-soul's solidity upon newly entering Soul Condensation was not exceedingly strong, it could still cause plenty of trouble for an opponent in battle. In a life-and-death clash, a single split second of disorientation was the difference between life and death. However, that was only for ordinary cultivators. Thanks to the Innate Dao Body, Xu Yuan's intent-soul had been able to leave his body from the very start of his cultivation, and utilizing it had long since become a part of his everyday life. Because of this, Xu Yuan did not feel a particularly dramatic change in his intent-soul—he only sensed that it had grown somewhat more solid. The strange sensations in his body stemmed mostly from the Source Qi within. Like a dam bursting, his Source Qi reserves had grown vastly larger. Not only had the quantity increased, but during the breakthrough, it seemed to have undergone compression by his intent-soul, becoming extraordinarily dense and refined. Musing over this, Xu Yuan pulled on his boots and walked out of the bedchamber. He could feel that all his fundamental capabilities were more than twice as strong as they had been in the Iron Body realm. It truly lived up to the common saying among cultivators: Beneath Soul Condensation, all are mere mortals. In the eyes of commoners of Great Yan or low-level cultivators, the Soul Condensation realm was already terrifyingly formidable. In small aristocratic clans, one could easily become a consecrated retainer. After all, back then, even with Xu Yuan's verbal order to hunt down the former protagonist Qin Mo, the steward at the Jingjiang Xu Manor had only been able to deploy a few seventh-rank Bone Tempering cultivators; mobilizing anyone at the sixth-rank Iron Body level or higher had required filing a formal request. Reining in his thoughts, Xu Yuan silently rose, pulled on his boots, and prepared to seek out his uncle for training. Although the Soul Condensation realm was undeniably strong, Xu Yuan did not feel any genuine sense of accomplishment or reality about this breakthrough. Even though he could clearly feel that his strength had visibly surged, it still felt intangible. Silently, he walked out of the wing. Silently, he stepped onto the stone-paved path. Silently, he took a few paces. And then, a figure in green robes appeared at his side. Utterly abrupt. No one had been there a blink before, and in the next blink, there he was. See? He had only crawled up from the sewers of the Chancellor's Manor onto the floor tiles—what sense of reality could he possibly have? Xu Changge said nothing, so Xu Yuan said nothing either. The two brothers walked silently toward the outer edge of the inner court. Stepping out of the inner court and gazing at the verdant lawn in the courtyard, Xu Changge suddenly asked as though it were nothing, "You broke through?" Xu Yuan glanced sideways at him. "What of it?" Xu Changge frowned slightly. "I heard movement from your quarters, so I came over to check." Xu Yuan looked away, retorting, "With your cultivation, you can't tell for yourself? You just had to come over and ask? Are you sick?" "..." Hearing this, Xu Changge's gaze flickered. He seemed about to flick his sleeves and storm off, but restrained himself. "Changtian, you achieved a breakthrough. As your elder brother, naturally I came to show some concern." Xu Yuan gave Xu Changge an odd look. He slowly raised a finger, pointed at Xu Changge, then pointed at himself, cocking his head. "..." Xu Changge remained expressionless. Xu Yuan suddenly scoffed. "Xu Changge, did you take the wrong medicine today?" "..." Xu Changge. Xu Yuan stepped beside him and patted his shoulder. "Don't be scared. Even though I cultivate fast, I won't beat you up until I reach the Origin Realm." "..." Xu Changge took a deep breath, glaring at Xu Yuan as his aura began to leak outward. "Changtian, to dare fight the Origin Realm the moment you enter Soul Condensation—truly admirable." Xu Yuan sneered, looking past Xu Changge's shoulder. "Father, Xu Changge's head is full of nothing but muscles. Aren't you going to do something about him?" Xu Changge froze for an instant. If their father truly arrived, he indeed would not be able to detect him. Reining in his aura, he turned his head around. "..." Xu Changge. The vast courtyard was completely empty. There was not a trace of their father. Xu Changge turned back with a faint smile, only to find that Xu Yuan behind him had already raised his sword. Void-Stepping Slash! "..." Xu Changge. The man was gone. Watching his third brother vanish into thin air, Xu Changge trembled slightly with exasperation. Clenching his fists, he stared toward the Sword Pavilion in the northwest, seemingly debating whether to chase him down and beat the kid senseless. A moment later, however, Xu Changge suddenly chuckled. "Honestly... still the same as ever. I was even planning to tag along and persuade Uncle to go easy on him. Looking at it now, he might as well enjoy it all on his own." With that, Xu Changge retrieved two bottles of foundation-consolidating pills from his Sumeru ring, sent them drifting into Xu Yuan's room, and shook his head before leaping back toward his own courtyard. *** Chancellor's Manor, northwest, the Sword Pavilion. Borrowing the Saint's soul power to teleport a hundred zhang, Xu Yuan abruptly materialized atop the apex of the Sword Pavilion. It was sudden, yet no sooner had his front foot landed than a figure clad in snow-white robes appeared beside him on the pavilion roof. He was probably a bit faster than Xu Changge, though to Xu Yuan it made no difference. Facing Feng Jiuxuan, Xu Yuan acted with utmost respect. "Uncle, I have broken through." Feng Jiuxuan gave him a brief glance, a touch of gratification in his eyes. "Fast. Very good." Xu Yuan grinned. "On top of all the pills, there were medicinal diets and medicinal baths to assist me. Naturally, my cultivation would be on the faster side." In less than a year, Xu Yuan had charged recklessly all the way from an ordinary mortal with zero cultivation to the Soul Condensation realm. Beyond his innate talent, the larger factor was an almost inexhaustible supply of cultivation resources. Literature was for the poor; martial arts were for the rich. The reason you weren't strong enough was often simply that you hadn't spent enough. A grand tree provides ample shade. The silver Xu Yuan had spent on his cultivation was beyond count. Especially after returning to the Imperial Capital, everything from the start of his cultivation added up to four hundred thousand taels. In this world, perhaps not a single soul could pop pills as extravagantly as he did—not even the current Crown Prince. Looking at the bigger picture, the resources he had consumed so far were already enough to groom several Grandmasters, yet they had merely been used to rapidly elevate a novice like him. If he continued popping pills all the way to a third-rank Grandmaster, it would cost his father at least a million taels of silver. Feng Jiuxuan neither agreed nor disagreed, instead saying with a hint of intrigue, "That sword skill you used just now has some depth to it. It looked almost like teleportation." Hearing this, Xu Yuan smiled. "It was created by a genius of boundless talent. It is indeed formidable." Feng Jiuxuan asked crisply, "A genius of boundless talent?" Xu Yuan gave a faint smile. "Qin Mo, the one Xu Changge went to Jingjiang Prefecture to kill." "That Burial Village remnant? To create such a technique at the eighth rank..." Feng Jiuxuan's eyes took on a touch of gravity. "In the same realm, even your elder brother might not have been his match. Had he been allowed to grow, he truly would have become a dire threat." Xu Yuan spread his hands. "Dead men don't grow." The two figures stood atop the pavilion. The sky was clear, and an early summer breeze drifted gently past. Feng Jiuxuan's narrow eyes took on a sliver of amusement. Choosing not to dwell on the matter, he asked instead, "Changtian, are you ready now?" Xu Yuan found it strange. "Huh? Ready for what? Didn't you tell me to come find you once I broke through to the fifth rank, Uncle?" Feng Jiuxuan looked at him strangely. "Did Changge not tell you?" "..." The corner of Xu Yuan's eye twitched, and he answered unequivocally, "No." Feng Jiuxuan seemed to understand. He cast a helpless look at his third nephew, patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder, and vaulted over the railing, dropping down from the pavilion. "It's all the same. Once we begin, you will know. Come down first." The Sword Pavilion stood roughly forty zhang tall—the highest structure in the Chancellor's Manor—and housed countless divine weapons and sharp blades within. Xu Yuan was in no hurry to jump; his strength did not permit such carelessness. Leaning over the edge, he peered down at the distance to the ground. It was roughly enough to kill forty witchers, though it probably wouldn't kill him. With that thought, Xu Yuan carefully maneuvered through a few mid-air shifts before landing heavily on the ground. In front of the Sword Pavilion lay an enormous martial drill ground, roughly the size of two football fields. This was also a restricted area within the Chancellor's Manor, reserved exclusively for Feng Jiuxuan to study and practice his sword arts. After all, it was the Dao domain of a Sword Saint. Upon landing, Xu Yuan felt his feet go a little numb. Looking up, he saw Feng Jiuxuan standing dead center on the drill ground, watching him calmly. "Changtian, try swinging your sword at me." "Swing my sword?" Xu Yuan was somewhat bewildered and asked in a low voice, "Like back in the inner court?" Feng Jiuxuan shook his head, his tone gentle. "Swing however you like. As long as you can swing your sword toward me, Changtian, that will suffice. You may use that Luo Daofan's soul power." Hearing this, although Xu Yuan still had his doubts, he did not press further and first gauged the distance. His uncle stood about twenty zhang away. Better stick to the old playbook. Void-Stepping Slash + Blood-Ink Jade. Having made up his mind, Xu Yuan raised Qingyu level before his chest, his eyes fixed on Feng Jiuxuan, who had rested his thumb against the hilt of his sword not far away. The instant their gazes locked— Xu Yuan suddenly felt himself flying. And in the midst of his flight, he saw a headless body dressed in blood-red robes. His vision plunged into darkness. *** No telling how much time had passed. Startling awake from his stupor, the first thing to meet his eyes was a magnificent star-strewn sky. Exquisite. Yet that shudder of absolute death still lingered within Xu Yuan's body. It wasn't near-death; it was the utter, absolute despair of dying. Forcing down the sickening dread in his chest, Xu Yuan slowly sat up. "Hah... whew... Did... did I just die...? No, Uncle couldn't possibly kill me..." "You're awake?" Feng Jiuxuan's calm voice drifted over from nearby. Xu Yuan turned his head to look at him, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "U-Uncle... just now... what was that?" Feng Jiuxuan smiled faintly, his voice soft. "One way of applying sword intent." Xu Yuan recalled the illusions the big ice block and Ying'er had inflicted on him when he had first transmigrated. Once losing his head, once losing a hand. Struggling to prop himself up, Xu Yuan probed, "Before I started cultivating, I felt something like this from Ran Qingmo and Ying'er, but I remember it never felt this real." Feng Jiuxuan shook his head, his gaze gentle. "It's not the same. What you experienced then was likely just an illusion caused by overwhelming pressure, whereas my 'intent' can directly inflict lethal harm on a person." Killing someone with a single glance. Xu Yuan pondered for a moment and asked, "Uncle, did you tell me to reach Soul Condensation before coming here because you were afraid my intent-soul would collapse?" "That was one consideration." Feng Jiuxuan nodded and pointed to Qingyu lying on the ground nearby. "Let us continue." Xu Yuan stood frozen in place, obedient and utterly unmoving. Seeing this, Feng Jiuxuan let out a soft laugh. "Don't worry. Your uncle will go a bit easier. This is to temper your perception of intent." Xu Yuan still didn't budge. What a joke. He wasn't stupid—the moment he picked it up, his head would probably part company with his neck again. Pausing, Xu Yuan forced an awkward smile and asked gingerly, "Uncle, weren't we going to cultivate the Sword Dao? And what about that Sword Charm from Tianmen Mountain..." "You must first perceive 'intent' before you can wield the Sword Charm," Feng Jiuxuan explained. "Furthermore, once you grasp this, you will never again be caught unaware when someone's strikes have already reached your face." "..." Xu Yuan remained rooted to the spot, glancing around. Feng Jiuxuan smiled amiably. "Changtian, stop looking around. Pick up the sword. Your father has handed you over to me. Even if he came here to call it off, it wouldn't do any good. "Here, your uncle has the final say." "..." A silence of several breaths followed. In the end, Xu Yuan chose to bend down and retrieve the sword, figuring that as long as he didn't look his uncle in the eye, things might be slightly better. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the moment his fingers touched the sword, he was gone again. *** Ten days later. Xu Yuan discovered that apart from experiencing every conceivable way to die, he couldn't perceive what the damn hell this "intent" his uncle spoke of even was. Waking once more, gazing at Feng Jiuxuan, who still stood in the center of the grounds without having shifted an inch, Xu Yuan deeply missed his eldest brother, Xu Changge. This uncle struck even harder than Xu Changge! A round moon hung high in the sky. Xu Yuan slumped limply on the ground. Having his head lopped off over and over had wrought a slight shift in his mindset. In short, he felt like throwing in the towel. After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan suddenly asked in his mind, "Old Man Luo, how do I break through this?!" His uncle had said he could borrow Old Man Luo's power. Though fallen on hard times now, the old man was still a Saint after all; he had to have a way around this. Hearing him, Old Man Luo answered quite nonchalantly, "Simple. Tell your uncle not to lop your head off right away. Experience it a few more times and you'll get it." "What does that mean?" "Literally what I said." "..." Silent for a moment, Xu Yuan asked in his mind, "If you were dodging, could you dodge it?" "Naturally. The intent your uncle is using is within your current capacity to dodge." "Then take control of my body and dodge it once?" Xu Yuan said. Old Man Luo's voice sounded peculiar. "Is there any point?" "At least demonstrate it." "Fine, relax." Old Man Luo agreed readily, a note of eagerness creeping into his voice. "This old man would also like to see just how strong the young fellows are these days." "..." Feng Jiuxuan, who had been standing in the center of the grounds waiting for Xu Yuan to rise, suddenly raised an eyebrow. He said nothing, but a flicker of intrigued curiosity appeared in his eyes as he watched Xu Yuan. Amid the silence, Old Man Luo leisurely picked up Qingyu from the ground. Without a sound, the Qingyu sword in his hand tilted slightly upward, as if parrying something. Alas, a novice like Xu Yuan couldn't see a thing. Under Old Man Luo's control, the cold gleam rising from the blade fluttered like a butterfly under the moonlight. Suddenly, the uncle who had remained motionless all this time tilted his head slightly, as if something had just whizzed past. And this time, Xu Yuan caught a faint glimpse. It was not qi. It was an indescribable, elusive phantom blur.