Chapter 49: Sword Intent Cultivation Begins!

  Is this the power of sword intent? What a terrifying idea! Lu Qing was barely able to hold on to his mind at this moment, and in an instant, he seemed to have returned to the time when he refined the beast dan Lei Jing. The cycle of life and death was only in an instant, and at this moment, the will that had experienced two life-and-death struggles burst out with unprecedented power. Lu Qing's waist, which had been slowly bending under pressure, suddenly straightened up, and although his body was suppressed and unable to release any aura, a will that was unshakeable between life and death burned in his eyes.

  I have not yet preserved my ancestors' legacy, nor have I restored the glory of the Lu family that has lasted for a thousand years. The unparalleled sword path, I have not even touched it yet. How can you make me bow my head to you here? At this moment, the Purple Electric Sword Yuan in Lu Qing's dantian seemed to have undergone a transformation, becoming as crystal clear as jade. On the surface of the Sword Yuan, faint sword energy began to appear, and the aura of dominance was even stronger than before. Moreover, within it, there seemed to be a kind of pure vitality slowly being born.

  In an instant, Lu Qing's divine sense sea also broke free from its suppression and rapidly rotated along the mysterious trajectory of the Soul Refining Mantra. Within a few breaths, it reached its limit, as if giving birth to heaven and earth, suddenly bursting out in an instant.

  On the crown of the head, Bai Hui acupoint, Lu Qing only felt a huge hot flow surging violently, Bai Hui acupoint rising and falling, as if a young pheasant wanted to break out of its shell, but it was always impossible to break through that layer of membrane, as if the toughest beast skin was covering it. However, the transformed Purple Electric Sword couldn't bear such a result, and the overbearing energy turned into a huge flood, surging straight up along the meridian's conduit.

  Boom!

  In the blink of an eye, the Baihui acupoint was blasted open by a powerful and overbearing force, and the originally gestating hot flow rushed out in an instant. At this moment, Lu Qing only felt his body lighten, as if it had lost weight and was floating up, but Lu Qing's mind was firm and calm, knowing that this was just an illusory phenomenon that seemed real, maintaining a tranquil state of mind.

  At this moment, if there was a discerning swordsman looking at Lu Qing, he would discover that at this moment, Lu Qing's body surface had appeared with a faint purple electric glow, his skin quickly becoming crystal clear like jade, and his entire body emitted an extremely fresh aura, as if a newborn baby holding a primordial energy, pure and unmatched. The yuanqi of the heavens and earth seemed to be extremely willing to approach such a Lu Qing, condensing from the heavens and earth around him, drilling into his body through the pores that opened on his skin.

  Around Lu Qing, the primordial energy of heaven and earth gathered too quickly, and a rapidly rotating tornado was faintly formed around Lu Qing, lifting his body to float three inches above the ground.

  Never had Lu Qing felt such a sense of calm, as if everything around him had vanished, including the powerful sword intent that had almost suffocated him just moments before. The air was so clear, it was as if he was seeing the world for the first time, and everything was filled with new meaning.

  When Lu Qing opened his eyes and looked at the world again, he only felt that the world around him had become incredibly clear. Whether it was the gravel on the ground or the wood grain on the eaves of the houses in the alleys on both sides, they all seemed to have enlarged before his eyes at this moment. This was different from Lu Qing's usual use of his divine sense to observe the world; this time he was using only his physical eyes to look at it.

  Is this what the fourth layer of the Rising Sun Heart Sutra means by refining and transforming one's innate nature, shedding the old shell and washing away the origin? It turns out that it was indeed this meaning. Lu Qing already knew about the changes he had undergone in an instant when he woke up, relying on the pressure of his sword intent, he used his accumulated will to live and die to suddenly understand his true heart, gathering and dispersing his divine consciousness to expel the impurities from his body, using the transformed purple electric sword energy to blast open the Tianqiao Baihui acupoint, connecting his physical body with heaven and earth, washing away his physical body, thereby achieving the Sword Origin Realm that many people dream of, one foot stepping into the small heavenly realm of the Swordsman.

  Lu Qing was also relieved, originally according to the third layer of the Xuri Heart Sutra, when a sword is first born with spiritual consciousness, it cannot be released externally and can only accumulate gradually. When it reaches the peak of the sword's great heavenly position, the condensed spiritual consciousness can attempt to break through the original heart, explode the spiritual consciousness, and blast out the impurities from the body. Then, by borrowing the powerful sword yuan transformed, break open the Tianqiao Baihui acupoint, and discharge it through the heavens.

  These three points can be said to be lucky, and his divine consciousness is still good. He has cultivated the Soul Refining Technique, and his divine consciousness is strong, comparable to that of a general Sword Guest. The Purple Electric Sword was originally an extraordinary species that gathered the majesty of heaven and earth, with great power. After its transformation, it reached a level that could rival the power of an ordinary Sword Guest's Great Heavenly Rank. This was also his previous destiny. As for breaking through to the original heart, whether it was his past experiences of life and death or the current pressure of sword intent, they were all fundamental to his achievements.

  So, it can be said that his breakthrough today was extremely lucky, which is almost unimaginable to others. After feeling the incredibly agile and freely controllable Purple Electric Sword Yuan within his body, Lu Qing's mouth corner revealed a hint of a smile. Although he still only had the quantity of a Heavenly-ranked Sword Yuan, it was now merely a matter of quantity; as long as he was given time, coupled with the Silver Participation and Purple Bamboo he obtained, he believed that he could absolutely step into the Small Heavenly Realm of Sword Guests in a short period of time.

  The Refining Soul Technique was also re-condensed in the instant after the explosion of divine consciousness, and in Lu Qing's feeling, it had already reached the peak of nourishing the soul. Under the cover of divine consciousness, everything within a radius of twenty feet could not escape his ears and eyes. Moreover, he knew that if he consolidated for another month, he might be able to make another breakthrough, and thus take another step forward on the hundred-foot pole.

  At this moment, Lu Qing's face showed an unprecedented determination. He knew that he had taken another step closer to his goal.

  He felt the surroundings, and the originally overflowing sword intent had dissipated completely. The hammering sounds in the Sword Casting House also stopped abruptly at some point. Lu Qing's heart was filled with gratitude as he knew that someone among them had used their extremely strong sword intent to help him break through his confusion and directly point out his true heart, which was the person Huang Lao had entrusted him to meet.

  As I stepped into the sword casting house, it was very simple inside. It's about five zhang square, even less than what an ordinary novice sword caster would have. There is a black iron furnace that seems to be made of pure refined black iron, several oil-brushed wooden stools, an octagonal table with a pot of hot wine on the fire basin, and nothing else except for a very simple wooden bed placed in one corner, so simple that there isn't even a mattress, just a bare board.

  At this time, the casting furnace was left with only a dark red flame and a few white ashes floating around. Next to it sat an old man with a kind face, quietly smoking a yellow copper pipe, exhaling faint blue smoke in circles from his mouth.

  It's really too ordinary, if not for the fact that he had just experienced it himself, Lu Qing wouldn't have dared to believe that this plain old man in a green robe was actually the powerful swordsman who had just unleashed a sword intent as thick as paste and as overwhelming as a mountain.

  He bowed deeply to the old man, his face sincere: "Thank you for your help, I have no way to repay it."

  Put down the cigarette holder, the old man's mouth cornered a faint arc, saying: "That is your determination, at a young age you can break through the barrier of life and death, you must have great willpower. I am just an old boatman, pushing the waves to help them."

  The old man paused for a moment and then said: "You were sent by Huang Tie Xin, from now on just call me Seasoned Old Man."

  After finishing speaking, he stood up and raised his hand to beckon. Lu Qing felt a lightness on his body, and the package that Huang Lao had originally prepared was as if it was being supported by an invisible hand and floated into the old man's hands.

  Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat as he realized that the old man had used his incredibly powerful spiritual sense to lift the package. The sheer strength of that spiritual sense left Lu Qing in awe, and he feared that even if he had reached the Condensed Soul stage with his own Soul Refining Technique, he might not be able to match the old man's spiritual power. What kind of cultivation was this? A Sword Master? A Sword Lord? Or perhaps...

  It seemed as if the old man had sensed Lu Qing's thoughts, and he let out a sigh, saying: "The way of the sword is vast and boundless, even with my current cultivation, I have only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg. However, since one has embarked on this path, it is not necessary to possess the great wisdom of the ancient sages, although their words and deeds have almost disappeared. Nevertheless, one must have their unwavering determination and perseverance. Over the past 50,000 years, the world has undergone countless changes, and many things have been reduced to nothingness, including those ancient sages who did not fall behind. Yet, after 50,000 years, the way of the sword remains unbroken and continues to thrive, able to transcend time and be passed down through generations. This is the will of heaven, this is destiny."

  Turning his gaze to Lu Qing, in an instant, Lu Qing suddenly had a feeling of being seen through from head to toe. The old man's eyes were calm and clear, yet seemed to absorb all the light around him.

  Guarding his heart, Lu Qing's mind was as clear as a mirror at this moment, without any thoughts, and he simply looked at the old man with an ordinary gaze.

  "Alright, you're qualified to stay. For these three days, follow me and work at the iron forge."

  Lu Qing was stunned, he had been studying the art of sword casting since he was eight years old, and had mastered all aspects of it, including refining, quenching, shaping, and fusing. He had practiced day and night for nearly ten thousand hours, and his skills were unmatched. Additionally, he had also learned the Lu family's unique technique of wielding a hammer, which made him almost as skilled as a fifth or sixth rank sword casting master, and even comparable to the previous Huang Lao. So, how could he not be stunned when Ji Lao asked him to follow him to learn how to forge iron?

  Without a word, the old man turned around and picked up a heavy yellow bronze hammer with flat sides, weighing over 20 kilograms. He then grabbed a pair of tongs next to the casting furnace, clamped a piece of black iron ore from the nearby basket and put it into the dark red flames. The large hammer drew a clear arc and fell down.

  Ding! (Rushing to the new person chart in ten steps, urgently seeking recommendation votes and collection, hoping everyone will generously assist, making Ten Steps truly kill one person, leaving no trace for a thousand miles, killing all the way to the top ten!)