Chapter 391 - 388: Perfection of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting
Chapter 391: Chapter 388: Perfection of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting
"Donor Lei has a point."
The old monk Hui Ming placed his palms together, his voice calm.
"If that Demon truly escaped, this matter will become troublesome."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group.
"In this humble monk’s opinion, we should first return to our Sects and have them send out people to investigate throughout the county. If any trace of the Demon is found, we can then join forces to deal with it."
The group contemplated for a moment, then all nodded in agreement.
"It seems this is the only way."
Liu Meiniang sighed softly and dispelled the small flower of Gang Qi that had formed in her hand.
Bai Yujing said nothing, merely giving a slight nod.
Li Hanjiang stood with his hands behind his back. His grey-white eyes lingered on Gu Changqing for an instant before moving away, and he too nodded.
Gu Changqing stood with his hands clasped behind him, gazing into the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. A trace of worry was hidden in his eyes, which were as deep as an ancient well.
After a moment, he retracted his gaze and nodded slightly.
"Then it’s settled."
The old monk Hui Ming placed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist mantra.
The seven figures did not linger. They each executed their Body Technique and vanished into the deepening twilight.
...
「Qingxuan Sect, Courtyard Thirty-Five.」
Fang Han sat cross-legged in the Quiet Chamber, slowly withdrawing his Cultivation.
With a 256-fold Root Bone amplification, his current Cultivation speed was like riding a rocket.
With just a single Cultivation session, the Inner Qi from his Profound Wind Technique had grown immensely. He was no longer far from the Late-Stage Fourth Grade Limit.
He opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them before vanishing. He rose and pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber.
The morning sun spilled down, bringing with it a gentle warmth. The plants in the courtyard had already put forth tender green shoots, brimming with vitality.
Several days had passed since his return from the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.
For the past few days, aside from necessary rest and meals, he had dedicated almost all his time to Cultivation.
Practicing the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting took up most of that time.
But breaking through to Great Success was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. Several days had passed, yet he was still just one step away.
The feeling was like being separated by a thin veil; he could clearly see what lay behind it but couldn’t seem to lift it.
This was normal.
As a top-level Swordsmanship, the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting was renowned for its extreme difficulty.
The bottleneck between Great Success and Perfection was arguably the most difficult part of the entire Swordsmanship, and many people would get stuck there for years, or even decades.
Some were even trapped at this stage for their entire lives, unable to ever break through.
Even with his Swordsmanship Talent improved by the Sword-shaped Grass and a 128-fold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, he couldn’t achieve a breakthrough overnight.
However, he believed that this bottleneck wouldn’t trap him, and not for long.
Suppressing the frustration in his heart, Fang Han walked into the courtyard and sat cross-legged on a green stone.
’I’ll cultivate something else and try to change my mood!’
Temporarily setting aside his Swordsmanship practice, Fang Han switched to cultivating the Secret Technique, Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill.
He had rarely invested time in cultivating this Top-grade Secret Technique.
After all, compared to Swordsmanship, Body Technique, Inner Power, and Body Hardening, a Secret Technique for concealing one’s aura was ultimately just a supplementary skill.
But back in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, You Xin had sent a Steward skilled in Tracking to hunt for him. If he hadn’t practiced the Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill to the Minor Achievement stage and suppressed his aura to the absolute limit, that Steward would have likely tracked him down long ago.
The consequences of being cornered by You Xin would have been unimaginable.
Although this Secret Technique wasn’t used often, its importance was not to be underestimated.
BZZZ—
At a certain moment, a profound and mysterious enlightenment flooded Fang Han’s mind.
A soft hum, audible only to him, resonated from deep within his body.
Following this hum, his aura changed abruptly, becoming more restrained, more like that of an inanimate object.
’I didn’t expect the first breakthrough to be the Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill...’
Fang Han slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of joy passing through them.
He stood up and, with a slight thought, fully activated the Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill to test the limits of his current aura concealment ability.
In an instant, the vigorous life force of a Late-Fourth Grade Martial Artist and the energy fluctuations naturally emitted by his circulating Inner Qi receded like an ebbing tide, becoming contained and silent.
His skin temperature dropped to match his surroundings, his heartbeat grew slow and drawn-out, and the sound of his breathing became nearly inaudible.
At this moment, even if he were standing right in front of someone, he would probably be mistaken for a lifeless stone or a piece of dead wood.
The concealment effect was more than twice as strong as it had been at the Minor Achievement stage.
’With this Secret Technique, I’ll have a better chance of escaping even if I’m tracked by a powerful enemy in the future.’
Fang Han was pleased.
For the next few days, Fang Han continued to dedicate all his time to practicing the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting.
He suppressed his previous impatience and became calm.
He had long understood that in the cultivation of the Martial Dao, the more advanced one became, the more difficult it was to break through.
「One day.」
Fang Han stood in the courtyard, his Cloud Splitting Sword angled toward the ground, his eyes closed in concentration.
In his mind, the sword technique of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting flowed. Its moves, transformations, and Mental, which he had long since memorized, unfolded slowly like a scroll.
Suddenly—
He opened his eyes.
The Cloud Splitting Sword left its scabbard.
This thrust was not fast, not slow; not hard, not soft. It was just an ordinary thrust.
Yet, where the tip of the sword passed, the air silently split, leaving a fine tear.
The tear was extremely faint, almost invisible, but it lasted longer than any before.
The moment the sword’s tip stopped, the fine tear lingered for a long while before slowly closing.
Fang Han stood holding his sword, a flash of understanding in his eyes.
’So that’s how it is.’
The true meaning of "Sky Splitting" was not about speed or power, but about "sharpness."
With ultimate sharpness, even the slowest thrust could tear the void.
The difference between Perfection and Great Success was this final "sharpness."
He closed his eyes, carefully savoring the feeling of that last thrust.
The feeling was profound and mysterious, as if he had resonated with the formless "Momentum" between heaven and earth.
The sword was no longer a sword, but an extension of his will; the wind was no longer wind, but a vessel for his power.
He opened his eyes again.
The Cloud Splitting Sword thrust out once more.
This time, it was a bit "sharper" than before.
Where the tip of the sword passed, the air once again split with a fine tear.
This tear was fainter than the last, yet more solid, as if the thrust had torn an opening in space itself.
He retracted his sword, then thrust again.
Once, twice, three times...
Each thrust was more harmonious, more natural than the last.
The awkwardness that had plagued him for so long vanished in that moment.
After an unknown number of thrusts, he suddenly stopped.
He stood holding the sword, closing his eyes in concentration.
A moment later, he opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed within them as he thrust his sword out again.
This time, there was no probing, no hesitation—just a simple, straightforward thrust.
But the instant this thrust was made—
—the world seemed to freeze for a moment.
Where the sword’s tip passed, the air silently split, creating a fine tear a zhang long.
The tear was as clear as a knife’s cut through paper, and it lingered for a long time.
An unprecedentedly mystical feeling welled up in his heart—a perfect resonance with the "Wind Momentum" of the world.
"I’ve finally reached Perfection!"
Fang Han retracted his sword and stood tall, an unconcealable joy flashing in his eyes.
The Nine Swords of Sky Splitting had finally reached the Realm of Perfection.
He could clearly sense that his control over "Wind Momentum" had soared from seventy percent to one hundred percent.
It seemed like a mere thirty-percent increase, but the magnitude of the improvement was extraordinary.
It was a qualitative leap.
The concentration of his Sword Momentum, its sharpness, and even its ability to draw upon the Power of Heaven and Earth were on a completely different level.
He casually thrust his sword.
Where the sword’s tip passed, the air once again split with a fine tear.
Its power was several times greater than it had been at the Great Success stage.
’If I were to face Meng Xian again...’
A surge of confidence rose in Fang Han’s heart.
In the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, he had fought Meng Xian and managed to force him back, but it had taken a great deal of effort; he had used every trick up his sleeve.
Now that the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting had reached Perfection and his Sword Momentum’s power had increased severalfold, if he were to face Meng Xian again, he was confident he could take his life within dozens of moves.
He sheathed his sword and let out a long, turbid breath.
Reaching Perfection in the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting meant that he had reached the apex of Top Martial Arts in the path of Swordsmanship.
The next step was to redeem a Grandmaster-level Sword Technique and cultivate a higher level of Swordsmanship.
And he had already saved up the one major merit point required to redeem a Grandmaster-level Sword Technique.
’I’ll go to the Library Pavilion right now!’
Fang Han strode out of the courtyard and headed for the Library Pavilion.
The Library Pavilion still stood majestically, with its flying eaves and bracketed cornices, exuding an ancient charm.
Fang Han crossed the first-floor hall and spiraled up the familiar wooden staircase.
The handrail of the staircase, worn smooth and warm by countless hands, gave off a faint scent of wood.
His steps were steady, and before long, he arrived on the fourth floor.
At the entrance to the fourth floor, Elder Mo’s familiar figure was still leaning back behind a sandalwood desk.
He was holding an ancient scroll, engrossed in reading it.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting a faint, warm golden sheen on his graying hair and beard.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly raised his eyes. When he saw it was Fang Han, a trace of warmth flickered in his world-weary eyes.
"Fang Han, you’re here."
Elder Mo put down his scroll. His voice was old but resonant, carrying the unique kindness an elder shows to a junior.
"Elder Mo."
Fang Han took a few steps forward and bowed respectfully.
Elder Mo nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Fang Han as he asked in a searching tone,
"Fang Han, how is your practice of that Grandmaster-level Body Hardening Technique, the Xuanwu True Skill, coming along? Have you succeeded in cultivating it yet?"
"Reporting to the Elder, this disciple has already reached the Entry Level with the Xuanwu True Skill."
Fang Han raised his head, met Elder Mo’s gaze, and spoke with a calm expression.
But as he said this, a brief silence fell over the fourth floor of the Library Pavilion.
Elder Mo’s hand, which had been reaching for his teacup, paused almost imperceptibly in mid-air.
The gentle smile on his wrinkled face froze instantly, replaced by a faint hint of astonishment.
His eyes stared fixedly at Fang Han, as if trying to discern something from his expression.
After a moment, he finally asked, his voice tinged with disbelief,
"You not only succeeded in cultivating it, but you’ve already reached the Entry Level so quickly?"
"Yes. This disciple was fortunate enough to have cultivated the Xuanwu True Skill to the Entry Realm."
Fang Han nodded, his expression still calm.