Chapter 8: First Try (Part 2)
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Zi Zhu Yuan, four rooms made of purple bamboo, two by two in a row, surrounded by countless purple bamboos, the leaves swaying gently, the rustling sound is exceptionally fresh and clean. Occasionally, returning birds land on their nests, causing a pleasant chirping sound. In front of the house is a square empty space of several meters, a stone table, four stools made of woven purple bamboo, while the outer layer of the bamboo is wrapped in a neat wooden fence, giving off a sense of carefree comfort.
Lu Qing was led to an empty room in the second row by Duan Qingyun, who said: "From now on, you'll be living here, Brother. Some daily necessities will be sent over by a disciple in charge of chores soon. If you need anything, just let me know. You've just arrived and the mountain road is not easy to walk, so I'm sure you're tired. Get some rest here, and I'll come to call you again tomorrow morning." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left.
The room was relatively clean, obviously swept regularly. In the center was a bamboo bed, next to it a delicate bamboo table and several chairs. In one corner of the room was a bookshelf, on which were neatly arranged dozens of books, mostly historical records of Zhaoyang Peak and biographies of past figures from the Purple Mist Sect. There were also a few basic swordsmanship manuals, but Lu Qing had long since memorized them and they now served only as decorations.
Half a time later, a outer door disciple who was on duty that day brought over Lu Qing's things: a quilt, a set of black martial arts attire, an identity waist card, and a handwritten copy of the Xiang Yang Heart Scripture, which recorded all six layers of heart methods. The back pages of the handwritten copy were some daily regulations and geographical distribution of the Chao Yang Peak. There was also a black iron sword that had been tempered 100 times, and Lu Qing was informed to participate in tomorrow morning's morning exercise, with the sword technique being the most basic Chao Yang Seven Styles of the Chao Yang Peak. This set of sword techniques Lu Qing was familiar with, or rather, it was the first formal sword technique he practiced when he started learning about swordsmanship three years ago. Because the Lu family was affiliated with the Chao Yang Peak, they had been practicing the Chao Yang Peak's sword yuan gong and sword techniques for generations, including the Xiang Yang Heart Scripture that Lu Qing was currently practicing. However, back then, Lu Yun feared that his cultivation was still shallow and he would harm himself by practicing randomly, so he only taught him the first three layers.
It was night, Lu Qing lay quietly on the bed, outside the bamboo window a bright moon rose, the moonlight poured down like water, everything seemed so unreal. In just half a month, life had undergone such great changes, it couldn't be said that it wasn't fate playing tricks on people. When human strength is unable to resist heaven, one can only be led by the trajectory of the heavenly way, this is what people often call destiny.
He gently stroked the sword wrapped in a purple cloth, and a faint sense of connection through their bloodlines arose. Nian Yun, we only have five years left, Lu Qing thought to himself silently. As if sensing his emotions, a soft hum emanated from the purple fabric, followed by a gentle whisper: "Father, are you encouraging me?" Lu Qing's hand caressed the wrapped sword as he softly murmured, before drifting off into slumber. The moonlight remained, casting an ethereal glow on the swaying purple bamboo.
The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Duan Qingyun woke up Lu Qing. It was time for their morning exercise. After Lu Qing washed and came out, Zhao Qianye and others were already waiting in the courtyard. They chatted for a few words before heading to the square in front of the palace together.
When the four of them arrived at the square, almost everyone was already there, with only two or three people yet to arrive. However, in the distance, figures could be seen gradually appearing. According to Duan Qingyun's words, the positions for morning practice were arranged according to the ranking of fellow disciples. The further forward one stood, the stronger their abilities needed to be. As Lu Qing had just entered the sect and was ranked last among his fellow disciples, he could only stand in the last row.
He said a word to Duan Qingyun and the three of them, Lu Qing came alone to the end of the team, drew out the black iron sword behind his back. As for Nian Yun's divine sword, Lu Qing didn't use it. Firstly, he was afraid of being suspected of being arrogant, and secondly, his cultivation was only in the first stage of swordsmanship, just at the Sword Servant Stage. If he relied too much on divine weapons, it would be a great obstacle to his own growth and understanding. However, Lu Qing also discovered that among the five rows of people standing scattered around him, the first two rows all had their unique swords, either forged from fine iron or smelted from silver, or cast with black iron mixed with mysterious iron, varied and diverse. The last three rows were much more ordinary, almost uniformly made of hundred-refined black iron, although they were still handy to use, but couldn't be compared with the first two rows at all, this was the gap between classes.
Moreover, Lu Qing also noticed that in front of the first row, about ten feet away, there was a circular stone platform protruding from the ground, about six or seven feet wide. He couldn't help but curiously ask a fellow disciple beside him: "Brother, may I ask what is the purpose of this stone platform? Is our master not coming for morning practice?"
That disciple was probably only a few years older than Lu Qing, about 14 or 15 years old. At this time, he was carefully wiping the dust off his sword with his sleeve. In Lu Qing's eyes, there wasn't a speck of dust on the sword, but the more he wiped, the brighter it seemed to shine. When he heard Lu Qing's question, the disciple replied in a very friendly manner: "Lu Shidi, you just arrived and don't know, this morning practice is just a thousand-year-old tradition of our Chao Yang Peak, it can only be considered as a warm-up for daily cultivation. The real cultivation is after the morning practice, everyone finds their own place, whether it's the maple forest next to Chao Yang Palace or the back mountain, they are all good places to go. As for Master, he doesn't come every day, generally speaking, he comes once or twice a month. As for that stone platform in front..."
He said that the stone platform was also known as the Yangyang Platform, where their ancestors had watched the sunrise and suddenly realized the creation of the Yangyang Sword Style. It was also a place where generations of senior brothers would come to receive their swords during morning practice. However, nowadays, the senior brother only cared about swordsmanship and rarely came for morning practice even with permission from the master. Now it's up to the second senior brother to lead the sword receiving ceremony.
As soon as the disciple's voice fell, a cyan-gray figure slowly stepped onto the stone platform. Lu Qing looked closely and saw that this person had an ordinary appearance, about 23 or 24 years old, wearing a cyan-gray waist-bound martial attire. His steps were like floating clouds and flowing water, with an elegant demeanor that was both refined and unrestrained. He walked to the center of the platform, turned around, and drew out a black-gold long sword from behind his back. The sword was about three feet six inches long, and in Lu Qing's eyes, it was comparable to Zhao Qianye's Purple Cloud Sword, made from a hundred-year-old fine iron mixed with black gold after a hundred refinements, and was considered one of the best swords among the cyan-grade divine swords.
As for the two masters, Ling Xiao and Lu Qing, they were also introduced by Duan Qingyun yesterday. They are distant nephews of their master, whose parents died early, and were brought to the mountain by their master. Their talent in swordsmanship is quite good, although not as good as Nie Qingtian's, but they have the cultivation of a middle-ranking swordsman. In the younger generation of the Purple Mist Sect, they are also quite famous. With one hand wielding the Purple Clouds and Clear Sky Sword, even Zhao Qianye would admit that he is not yet able to withstand them. At this time, stepping onto the stage, their originally carefree demeanor suddenly changed, with a steady and majestic aura emerging, "Begin!"
Upon hearing the command, Lu Qing hastily gathered his thoughts and entered a state of calmness, like an ancient well with no ripples. On the other hand, the disciple who had heard the command and appeared somewhat disheveled earlier looked at Lu Qing with bright eyes, whispering to himself about how Lu Qing's mental state was so stable and composed, which was something that was hard to come by for disciples like them who were ranked at the bottom. However, what he didn't know was that since Lu Qing learned to read and write at the age of three, Lu Yun had begun teaching him the sword-forging traditions of their family. At eight years old, under Lu Yun's guidance, Lu Qing started attempting to forge swords. From the very first day, Lu Yun taught him through words and actions the mental state that a true swordsmith should possess. The art of sword-forging was vast and profound, requiring attention to detail in every aspect, from selecting materials to controlling the temperature and quenching the fire. As such, it demanded a calm and composed mind that would not be swayed by external pressures. Although Lu Qing had not yet fully attained this state, he had long since reached a point where ordinary events could no longer easily disturb his mental equilibrium.
Chaoyang Seven Forms, along with Tengyun Nine Swords, are the foundational sword techniques of Chaoyang Peak. Although they are just foundational, after being modified and refined by generations of disciples, they have become a perfect representation of the essence of basic sword techniques. Lu Qing has already mastered these two sets of sword techniques. As he activated the second layer of the Xuanyuan Heart Technique within his body, a thin layer of pale purple sword energy appeared on the black iron sword. Following Ling Xiao's movements on the stone platform, from the first move "Biyun Xiari", the black iron sword in Lu Qing's hand transformed into a purple glow that pierced through the air. The long sword moved upward, emitting a faint humming sound. With his eyes fixed intently on Ling Xiao's movements, he saw a white shadow flashing about on the stone platform, as the dark gold long sword emitted a foot-long purple sword energy. As dozens of people practiced simultaneously, Lu Qing felt an astonishingly sharp aura rushing towards him from the front.
It has to be said that Ling Xiao's swordsmanship has already reached the level of mastery, with a hint of elegance and refinement. From the first move "Cloud Dispelling Sun" to the subsequent "Morning Sun Emerges", the clouds are steaming and the mist is rising, all the way to the fourth move "Radiant Light for Thousands of Miles" and the fifth move "Reflecting the Sun on Mountains and Rivers". The five moves are seamlessly connected, flowing smoothly like a river or a cloud. In his hand, the sword seems to be an extension of his arm, with a thick and heavy sword energy that is both condensed and expansive. The purple sword energy spreads out from the sword, instantly locking down all directions around him, before suddenly opening up again, like clouds gathering and dispersing. Dozens of clear sword shadows form a dense defensive circle around him, with the sparkling purple light on the tip of the sword making one's heart and soul sink into a state of intoxication.
In comparison to Ling Xiao's movements, Lu Qing couldn't help but feel that his own swordsmanship was far inferior. Whether it was the level of mastery or the connection between moves, his own swordsmanship was too rigid and formulaic, with obvious signs of awkwardness between moves. Swordsmanship like this could only be practiced by oneself, and if taken to fight against others, it would be easy for them to grasp the changes in one's moves and take control with a single strike.
Ling Xiao's swordsmanship was etched in his mind, and he continuously compared it with his own, Lu Qing felt that he had gained a lot, and the black iron sword in his hand swung more smoothly, allowing him to grasp some previously undiscovered techniques for wielding power. Now, his two-part force has gradually achieved the effect of his previous three-part force. This doesn't mean that Lu Qing's swordsmanship was particularly bad; at least among the disciples ranked last, there were four or five senior brothers who were inferior to him, and even the worst among them had already completed their foundation-building and reached the Sword Holder stage.
After all, the Lu family's status in the Purple Mist Sect is not low, and Lu Yun and Yan Ruyue both have the strength of a sword master and a sword guest. They also guide Lu Qing's swordsmanship from time to time, but because Lu Qing's cultivation is still shallow, he only focuses on some basic sword techniques. Only when the foundation is solid can one understand the sword path later on. So, relatively speaking, before coming to Chaoyang Peak, Lu Qing was simply practicing sword techniques and moves. This first morning practice was undoubtedly a profound reminder for him, making him realize the direction he should strive for in the next period of time.
Closely following Ling Xiao's moves, Lu Qing's black iron sword was shrouded in a rich purple aura. As he shifted his feet, the aura transformed into a stream of purple light. The long sword danced through the air, gradually producing a faint humming noise that stirred up the dust beneath his feet. The sudden change startled several disciples who had gathered to watch, especially the one who had just spoken with Lu Qing. His eyes betrayed a deep sense of helplessness, for he knew that if Lu Qing could successfully build his foundation, with swordsmanship like that, in half a year's time, during the big competition, he would likely become the lowest-ranking disciple once again.
Time passed like a fleeting dream, and when Ling Xiao finished his last move, the warm sunlight shone down on him. The heavy, thick sound of his sword had already become a continuous hum, as his long sword stretched out and transformed into a majestic, circular sword aura. A purple-colored sword energy flowed from it, shining brightly like a dazzling purple sun, illuminating everything around. Over ten strands of purple sword energy shot out from the sword, whistling as they broke through the air in front, shooting out over ten zhang before gradually disappearing into the sky. Even Lu Qing, who was standing behind him, could feel the sword wind generated by the sword energy breaking through the air, subtly lifting his temples.
Sheathing his sword, the black gold longsword was drawn back into its scabbard by Ling Xiao in a reverse motion, tracing an elliptical arc. Meanwhile, at the back of the crowd, Lu Qing stood with his sword still in hand, lost in thought. The recent display of Ling Xiao's Chāo Yáng Seven Forms had brought him considerable gains, and he couldn't help but mentally rehearse the insights he had gained earlier.
