Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 450

Volume 3 - Chapter 133: Sword Intent Mastery, Confrontation with Bian Ruxue - Part 1

Various thoughts converged as Li Hao recalled the scenes of Lin Qingying practicing swordsmanship over recent days.

Her graceful figure danced vividly in his mind.

However, Li Hao’s mind grew tranquil, his gaze focused and solemn.

The small flaws he had observed in her sword practice melded in his thoughts, gathering naturally at the tip of his brush.

He prepared ink, raised his brush, and let it fall onto the paper. The silhouette of a woman, elegant in posture, emerged on the white sheet, her movements full of vitality.

Her swordplay was divine, her eyes like clear lakes, her entire presence exuding the essence of supreme gentleness in the Sword Dao.

Under Li Hao’s brushwork, her sword intent became purer, softer, like a pool of clear water or the delicate threads of drifting rain.

The sword intent was as gentle as cotton, the sword edge as fine as thread. Her form, like rippling waves, moved fluidly, her attacks shifting without form, unfathomable and elusive!

As the first painting was completed, Li Hao used his force to suspend it in mid-air before proceeding to the second and third paintings.

Three paintings were completed consecutively, taking three hours in total.

With the completion of the three paintings, Li Hao gained 70,000 experience points in the Dao of Painting, drawing closer to the milestone of one million experience points.

Returning from his engrossed state, Li Hao looked toward the courtyard, where Lin Qingying still sat cross-legged, meditating on the Sword Dao. He sent the three paintings floating over to her and said:

"These are three paintings for you. Take a look."

After speaking, he stood up, collected his drawing board and brush, and returned to his small courtyard.

Lin Qingying opened her eyes and gazed at the three paintings hovering in front of her. When her eyes fell on the first painting, the image of the woman leaping and dancing on the white paper caused her heart to tremble.

When her gaze focused on the painting, it seemed as though the woman stepped out from the canvas into reality, gracefully wielding her sword before her. Her movements were seamless, and every swing and turn exuded a beauty of supreme gentleness.

She suddenly remembered that she had practiced in a similar manner half a month ago.

Yet, her movements at the time seemed less perfect compared to the depiction in the painting.

Lin Qingying froze, her thoughts drawn into the sword intent within the painting, fully immersed in it.

As the sword techniques in the painting concluded, Lin Qingying was struck with a sudden insight. She realized where her flaws lay.

She was astonished. He had not only identified the weaknesses in her sword intent but had managed to illustrate them through his art!

And there were three paintings?

Suppressing her urge to immediately train, Lin Qingying focused her attention on the second painting.

The sword practice depicted in the second painting reflected her movements from a week ago.

Lin Qingying carefully observed it for a long time before comprehending its essence. Her expression grew complex as the second painting also enhanced her sword intent, completing it further.

Her gaze moved to the third painting. Unlike the first two, this one included another indistinct figure. Lin Qingying instantly recognized it as a depiction of her previous battle with the Dragon-Slaying Holy Son.

The battle seemed to replay before her eyes.

However, in the painting, the woman’s sword strikes were incredibly decisive. When her opponent unleashed the power of their Heaven and Earth Avatar, a single silent strike shattered the avatar and defeated their true body!

Supreme gentleness!

What is supreme gentleness? Softness like water, like air, gentle yet omnipresent!

The sword intent flowed endlessly, dispersed among all things, yet it gathered from all things in return!

Lin Qingying’s eyes glimmered with realization. In that instant, her entire being seemed to ignite with uncontrollable excitement.

This was perfected supreme gentleness in the Sword Dao—a Mastery of Sword Intent!

She quickly turned her head, intending to find Li Hao, but his usual spot was empty.

A surge of indescribable emotion welled up in Lin Qingying’s heart, as though time had slipped away, irretrievable.

This feeling left Lin Qingying momentarily dazed, but she soon extended her divine sense and located Li Hao in his small courtyard, calmly carving wood as always.

The taut strings in Lin Qingying’s heart quietly relaxed.

She gazed at him deeply for a moment. At this instant, she vaguely sensed that the unassuming breeze she had picked up was anything but ordinary.

Pulling her thoughts back, Lin Qingying carefully put away the three paintings, rolling them meticulously before storing them in her spatial realm.

Two of the paintings depicted her usual sword practice. Lin Qingying bit her lip gently, her eyes flashing briefly, but soon her focus returned to her sword.

Recalling the mastery of sword intent she had just comprehended, she began to wield her sword once again.

As a Holy Daughter-level genius, her talent in the Sword Dao was exceptional. With this guidance, she quickly assimilated and mastered the insights.

Furthermore, the instruction through the Dao of Painting was even easier to comprehend than her master’s teaching—it was akin to being guided step by step.

In the courtyard, her sword intent rose like the wind and fell like the breeze.

The swaying grass and swirling leaves carried more than just the sword’s motion...

...

The decisive battles for the top sixteen began.

The arena was packed, with no empty seats in sight. All outer sect disciples had arrived early, and over ten thousand inner sect geniuses sat quietly below the stage. Having already completed their own battles and secured their rankings, they were here to observe and learn from the duels.

Now, the battles of the sixteen strongest geniuses within the Sword Ancestor Holy Land promised to deliver a dazzling feast of swordsmanship.

The clashes among Holy Son-level talents were primarily between cultivators of the Five Extremes Realm. Since their cultivation levels were the same, their mastery of Dao Domains and swordsmanship would be the deciding factors.

Li Hao followed Lin Shanhai and a group of alchemists to their floating seats. Though the matches had yet to begin, the atmosphere was already electric with anticipation.

Li Hao glanced at Lin Qingying, standing calmly on the holy stage. Her gaze was as serene as still water, and he could tell that she had fully absorbed the insights from his paintings.

“This will be a tough battle today. I hope Qingying’s fortune isn’t too poor and that she doesn’t encounter one of those troublesome opponents right away,” Shi Huajin said, her expression laced with worry.

Because of their connection to Lin Shanhai, they all naturally hoped for Lin Qingying’s victory.

However, the first place was occupied by the Haoyue Holy Son, a towering presence that had to be overcome to claim the top position.

The other rankings were more attainable but would still be fiercely contested.

“As long as she makes it into the top ten, she’ll receive the incense offerings of a hundred cities. First place would grant her the incense offerings of an entire nation!”

Lin Shanhai’s eyes showed a hint of concern. Incense power was the key to sainthood, and the competition for it would be intense.

Moreover, the reward wasn’t a one-time grant—it came with a six-decade supply from the awarded territory.

On the holy stage, the dozen or so Holy Sons and Holy Daughters stood in silent splendor, their temperaments each unique. Though they seemed gathered together, they each carried an air of solitary brilliance.

The Dragon-Slaying Holy Son glanced at Lin Qingying, his eyes alight with battle intent. After his earlier defeat, he was eager to face her again for a proper duel.

Soon, the Sword Saint arrived, and the chaotic laws of the stage activated, drawing the competitors’ tokens into a randomized order.

Each competitor was quickly paired with an opponent.

“Hm?”

Qiu Wuhen noticed that his opponent was none other than the Haoyue Holy Son. His brow furrowed slightly before quickly returning to normal.

The others also noticed this outcome, remarking on Qiu Wuhen’s unfortunate draw against the top contender.

This brought a sigh of relief to many others. While none of them assumed certain defeat against the Haoyue Holy Son, facing him in the finals would be preferable to encountering him so early.

Meanwhile, the Dragon-Slaying Holy Son saw that his opponent wasn’t Lin Qingying but the Ziyang Holy Son, leaving him somewhat disappointed.

Lin Qingying also raised her head to see her opponent—someone who turned out to be a direct disciple of the Sword Saint himself.

Her eyes flickered as she turned to look. At the same time, another woman in snowy robes gazed back. Their stunning eyes met briefly before both withdrew their gazes.

“Disciple, the Haoyue Holy Son’s Sun and Moon Sword Technique is especially suited to countering you. Be cautious and conserve your strength for later battles,” Qiu Wuhen’s master’s voice echoed in his mind.

Qiu Wuhen was silent for a moment, not responding. Retreat? No, he wanted to try.

Perhaps an extreme challenge would help him see where his sword intent was lacking and lead him closer to the Dao.

The first match began quickly.

Today, there was only one battlefield, not the usual three simultaneous platforms. This ensured that all eyes were focused on a single stage.

The first match featured the Haoyue Holy Son against Qiu Wuhen.

Li Hao noticed that his fishing companion had drawn the Haoyue Holy Son as an opponent. He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret for him.

Yesterday, Li Hao had witnessed the Haoyue Holy Son’s swordsmanship. It was truly formidable—on a level above that of the other Holy Sons. His sword intent had already reached mastery, and it was extraordinarily powerful.

Of course, unless the other competitors had been concealing their abilities, the Haoyue Holy Son’s sword intent alone made him the frontrunner.

On the stage, both the Haoyue Holy Son and Qiu Wuhen descended into their positions.

“The Thousand Threads Sword Technique is but a drizzle before the Sun and Moon Dao. Your sword is restrained by mine; you cannot win. Surrender,” the Haoyue Holy Son said, his hands behind his back. His tone was calm, as though he was stating a fact, devoid of arrogance.

Qiu Wuhen’s expression remained composed. He replied coolly:

“Drizzle can carve stone; gentle rain can obscure the sun and moon. A spring curtain can shroud all things. How will we know who is stronger unless we try?”

“You wish to use my sword intent to temper your own? You won’t get the chance,” the Haoyue Holy Son said coldly, his sharp eyes perceiving Qiu Wuhen’s intent. There was no way he would allow himself to be used as a whetstone.

As the formation activated, the battle officially began.

The Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, including Lin Qingying, watched intently from the holy stage.

On the battlefield, Qiu Wuhen did not rely solely on his sword intent this time. Instead, he immediately unleashed his extreme realm power.

Golden light radiated from his body as his divine power surged, greatly amplifying his physical strength, resistance, and regeneration abilities.

The Earth and Heaven Meridian in his body spun like a vortex, gathering the surrounding forces and pushing him to his peak state.

His Primordial Spirit remained hidden within his body, uniting with it to help him detect even the subtlest attacks.

This extreme realm, though exceedingly difficult to master, was one that all Holy Sons had long since achieved thanks to their unparalleled resources and talent.

“He’s finally forcing Qiu Wuhen to reveal his extreme realm,” remarked Luo Cheng, who had lost to Qiu Wuhen in an earlier match. Though he smiled wryly, his gaze turned serious as he observed.

Elsewhere, one of the six Semi-Saints watching the match sighed. He could tell that his disciple was determined to give it his all.

The Semi-Saint shook his head with a faint smile, knowing well his pupil’s tenacity. While Qiu Wuhen appeared outwardly calm, his resolve was ironclad.

The Haoyue Holy Son sensed the might of Qiu Wuhen’s extreme realm but remained indifferent. Gradually, golden light also surfaced around him as he activated his divine power extreme realm.

With a sharp sound, Qiu Wuhen moved first, vanishing abruptly using the Void Teleportation technique.

During his earlier bout against Luo Cheng, Qiu Wuhen had refrained from using this skill, relying solely on his sword intent to secure victory. Now, he had chosen to strike first.

The Haoyue Holy Son’s gaze shifted, the golden edges of his eyes gleaming as he seemed to perceive something. He flicked his sword, and Qiu Wuhen, emerging from the Void Teleportation, seemed to step straight into the path of the strike.

However, Qiu Wuhen abruptly retreated. This initial assault wasn’t a genuine attack but a probing move.

“The Sun and Moon Divine Eyes can pierce the Void Teleportation!”

Qiu Wuhen’s eyes narrowed as he realized that the Haoyue Holy Son’s innate divine eyes, rumored to reveal the Void’s movements, were indeed as formidable as the legends suggested.

These divine eyes were said to be a gift from the ultimate Dao, containing the essence of sainthood. With them, the Haoyue Holy Son could trace movements within the void effortlessly.

Since Void Teleportation was ineffective, Qiu Wuhen had no intention of continuing to rely on it. He drew the sword at his waist, its blade covered in what appeared to be rust.

But as the rust began to fall away, it revealed gleaming sword light as bright and clear as autumn water.

“Sword Passing—Without a Trace!”

Qiu Wuhen struck decisively, unleashing one of his ultimate techniques!

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