Chapter Sixteen: Fingertip Swordsmanship

  This week is about to pass, thank you everyone for your support of Ten Steps, hoping next week everyone will continue to support Ten Steps, vote if you have a ticket, collect if not, help Ten Steps rush into the top 20, Ten Steps will repay everyone with stable updates.

  Zi Zhu Yuan

  Lu Qing sat quietly on the bed, a purple hilted sword with a three-colored deerskin scabbard and a four-foot long blade lying horizontally across his knees. A faint purple glow floated around his body. If Duan Qingyun were here, he would have felt the rapid influx of the world's yuanqi into Lu Qing's pores with his post-establishment sensitivity, almost as fast as his own.

  It must be said that Lu Qing's innate talent for cultivation, although not a top-notch genius, is also among the exceptional. In the Sword God Continent, a world entirely belonging to swordsmen, how far one can go on the endless path of seeking the way of the sword depends on two major factors.

  The first point is innate talent, referring to the natural affinity for the heavenly yuanqi. If those with low innate talent can only absorb one-tenth of the heavenly yuanqi in a day, ordinary people can absorb two to three-tenths, while those with exceptional talent can increase it by another one or two-tenths. Someone like Lu Qing's absorption level is probably less than five-tenths, already considered above average. However, someone like Duan Qingyun has an even higher level of understanding, belonging to the superior category, with an absorption level reaching six-tenths, which is extremely rare in the entire Chaoyang Peak, almost only seen in the top five ranked senior brothers. Unfortunately, this guy doesn't cultivate diligently, although his cultivation isn't bad, if he focuses all his thoughts on it, he might be able to reach even higher levels.

  Again, on top of that, it's a genius-like talent that is almost demonic, with an absorption level of over 70%, and the heavenly energy of the universe flows in almost instantly. In Zhaoyang Peak, Lu Qing heard that only Nie Qingtian had reached such a level, this is what one is born with, it's fate.

  And this second point belongs to acquired talent, which is enlightenment. Enlightenment is the product of accumulated experience after birth. As long as one is not born foolish or mentally closed off, even slightly clever people can accumulate enough to understand and infer, grasp one corner and reflect on three corners. This enlightenment relies on diligence.

  Only when both are present can one go further on the path of swordsmanship, this is the swordsmanship principle left by the founder of the Purple Mist Sect, the Sword Emperor Purple Mist.

  Looking at Lu Qing again, his mind sank into the dantian, and under internal observation, a purple sword-shaped yuanqi was constantly circulating, following the meridians from the guanyuan point, flowing along a unique route throughout the body, and occasionally separating out a part of it slowly seeping into the inner wall of the meridian, stimulating the growth of skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. Finally, it returned to the dantian qihai once again, circulating repeatedly, making his whole body feel soft and numb, as if he had soaked in warm spring water.

  A moment later, Lu Qing woke up from his meditation, only to feel a surge of heat in his dantian, which was even more profound than before. It had been half a month since he arrived at Chaoyang Peak, and the past ten or so days of forging the giant sword and tempering his heart had greatly increased the difficulty of his training by the Moonlight Pond. From barely being able to hold onto the hilt in the dark currents of the pond water at first, he was now able to barely complete a set of Chaoyang's Seven Styles after ten days had passed. Although this seemed like minimal progress, Lu Qing knew that his own progress had almost surpassed an entire month's worth from before. Not only had his sword energy increased by nearly two layers through constant consumption and recovery, but his body's muscles and bones had also become even stronger.

  Let's get back to the story. When Duan Qingyun and the others saw Lu Qing recite the Heart Sutra by the Bright Moon Pond, they were all shocked. Apart from Duan Qingyun's loud cries and Yu Ji's astonishment, even Zhao Qianye's face showed a hint of surprise. This made Lu Qing feel slightly pleased in his heart. Although he now knew Zhao Qianye's good intentions back then, good medicine is bitter to the taste, and this bitterness still needed some time to dissipate.

  The crescent moon was like a hook, and one night had passed in this way. Lu Qing had already replaced sleep with meditation. Although he was very tired at first, he had improved a lot recently. After all, he only had five years left to him. How to stand out among the young disciples of the Purple Mist Sect, where masters were as common as clouds, still depended on himself. Lu Qing believed that the greater the effort, the greater the reward would be.

  When the crescent moon sets, a snowy light floats up at the edge of the sky, and dawn breaks immediately. Today is the mid-month period, according to Duan Qingyun's words, this is the time when Master Xuanqing holds his bi-weekly discussion, any questions or doubts about swordsmanship can be raised at this time.

  Opportunities are hard to come by, because at the level of Xuan Qing's peak master, the requirements for cultivation are even more important, and the heart of seeking the Tao is also stronger. Therefore, in daily life, a lot of time is needed to comprehend, like Lu Qing who has just entered the door, generally encounters what confusion can only be solved by seeking higher-ranking brothers, and looking at the current situation, Lu Qing, although previously suffered some insults, but in cultivation is still relatively lucky.

  Arriving at the square, people had already gathered in twos and threes. As for the seating arrangement, the disciples of Chaoyang Peak still attached great importance to it. Of course, the first row's premier seat belonged to Big Brother Disciple. Lu Qing noticed that no one was there yet.

  Xuan Qing was already sitting on a futon in the front, with a silver-white ancient long sword on his back, without any concealment. However, Lu Qing clearly felt a terrible power that could almost make one's soul tremble.

  "Sit down." Xuan Qing's voice was calm and clear.

  Everyone sat down on the ground, and then Xuan Qing answered some questions about their cultivation. Although most of it belonged to the Sword Holder stage or above, Lu Qing carefully took note of everything, thinking that knowing more wouldn't hurt. Afterwards, he analyzed the sword techniques, specifically the thirteen swords of the Xuanyang style, which was mastered by those at the Sword Holder stage. However, since all sword techniques share a common origin, Lu Qing compared it to his current practice of the Tengyun Nine Swords and gained much from it.

  Just as Lu Qing closed his eyes and carefully comprehended, a desolate voice entered his ears: "Stay after it's over."

  Lu Qing was startled and looked up, coincidentally meeting Xuan Qing's gaze full of deep meaning. He quickly lowered his head again, while the person beside him remained completely unaware. Lu Qing knew that this was a mental transmission technique that only a swordsman at the second realm of the Sword Dao could master.

  Until the sun rises, this sermon ends. The crowd of disciples either have a thoughtful look or keep gesturing with their fingers, generally speaking, they all gain a lot. They all have an unfinished expression on their faces. After everyone disperses, only Lu Qing is left in the square.

  As Xuan Qing's footsteps approached, he arrived at the main hall of Chaoyang. All along the way, Xuan Qing didn't say a word. Upon entering the grand hall, two rows of bright red candles were burning on both sides of the platform. The candle flames shone brightly yellow, without a single flicker.

  But then, Xuan Qing's left hand waved, and the temple door seemed to be pushed by an invisible hand, slowly closing. He turned around to look at Lu Qing, his originally calm face suddenly becoming solemn, "You and I don't need to exchange two moves with our cultivation." After saying that, he didn't care about Lu Qing's astonishment, and pointed his sword straight at Lu Qing's chest.

  Although somewhat caught off guard, Lu Qing remained calm, his right hand also forming a sword finger. The Tengyun Jiu Jian's first move, Floating Clouds Covering the Sun, transformed into a sword curtain in front of his chest, with the shadow of his finger dancing about, instantly sealing off Xuan Qing's advancing attack.

  A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, but Xuan Qing's move was not slow. The same set of Sword Servant Stage's Tengyun Nine Swords seemed to have transformed into countless sharp swords in Lu Qing's eyes. The sword tips were so swift and unpredictable that one move wouldn't work, and immediately transformed into the Guangmang Wanzhi of Chaoyang Seven Styles. His fingertips quickly pointed, and in an instant, it was as if sunlight illuminated everything, piercing through clouds and sprinkling down countless golden lights. The speed of his changing moves left Lu Qing gasping in amazement.

  The relentless attacks allowed Lu Qing to display his skills, and the results of his training over the past half month gradually emerged. Except for a slight awkwardness at the beginning, his defense became increasingly smooth, with his sword movements calm and measured as he connected the defensive moves of the Tengyun Nine Swords and Chaoyang Seven Styles, although not perfectly, but already quite impressive.

  In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged over a dozen moves. Lu Qing was getting more and more comfortable with each strike, and the results of his practice over the past half month were already evident in this brief exchange. Practicing with someone like Xuan Qing, a master of swordsmanship, was completely different from practicing with Yu Jiuhua or others - the precision and power of each move were on a completely different level, and the benefits he gained from it were naturally much greater as well.

  On the other hand, Xuán Qīng's heart was somewhat surprised. Although he had high expectations for Lù Qīng, Lù Qīng's current performance still exceeded his expectations. As a disciple of Cháo Yáng Fēng, he knew exactly how many catties and taels were on each person's hands. At this moment, if one didn't consider their cultivation level, but only their swordsmanship, Lù Qīng could already be ranked among the top thirty. It was worth noting that apart from Lù Qīng, the other fifty or so disciples had all successfully built their foundations and had been cultivating for a longer period of time than Lù Qīng.

  Originally thought that Lu Qing could only take five or six moves, Xuan Qing's heart was filled with emotion at this moment. What kind of outcome there will be depends on your luck.

  At the slightest movement of his mind, Xuan Qing's speed increased greatly, and his sword finger moved like a shadow, creating countless afterimages around Lu Qing. Although he didn't use his cultivation, Lu Qing still felt as if a sharp sword was about to strike him, and the air was filled with a chilling aura. Wherever Xuan Qing's fingertips hovered, Lu Qing's body hair stood on end.

  Neither of them moved their feet, only the sleeves of their upper body fluttered. In the blink of an eye, they exchanged two moves, and a faint whistling sound appeared between their fingers. The candle shadows on both sides flickered. After two moves, Lü Qing's face was already sweating. At the thirteenth move, Lü Qing seemed to see a violent gust of wind rising from Xuán Qīng's hand. With one finger pointing out, it had the momentum of wind rolling up residual clouds. His eyes couldn't grasp the direction of this finger, as if it were a single sword, yet seemingly countless long swords merged into a shadow, gathering and transforming into wind, without leaving any trace. Téng Yún Jiàn Sword, Ninth Style: Wind Rolling Up Residual Clouds.

  Never had Lu Qing thought that the sword servant's Tengyun Nine Swords would have such power. If Yu Jihua's previous display of Tengyun Nine Swords was a floating cloud in the blue sky, then Xuanqing's was a storm that pierced through the clouds and gathered the winds, its momentum unstoppable.

  When the finger shadow disappeared, Lu Qing's defensive posture also relaxed, because in front of him were two ordinary fingers, with fingertips less than three inches away from his forehead, pointing directly at his brow.

  Lu Qing took thirteen moves and fell in defeat. (Seeking recommendations and collections)