Chapter 117 – Comprehending Sword Techniques, Azure Lotus Sword Art

Bright Moon Sword Intent—this was something Shangguan Yunmeng naturally comprehended after cultivating the ‘Moonlight Swordplay’ she learned from Fairy Sister in her dreams to a profound level.

Initially, Shangguan Yunmeng didn’t even know what Sword Intent was.

She had merely followed Fairy Sister’s instructions and practiced accordingly.

Then, through continuous practice, she unknowingly mastered the Bright Moon Sword Intent.

Had Jade Void Mountain not later instilled in her the concept of Sword Intent,

she might have mistaken this achievement for something trivial.

After all, in her view, the ‘Moonlight Swordplay’ resembled a sword dance more than actual sword techniques.

When she first learned it, she never intended to study swordsmanship.

She purely approached it as a form of dance.

Perhaps it was precisely because of her pure and simple Heart-Nature

that she progressed rapidly while practicing Moonlight Swordplay.

On the Dao Platform, as Shangguan Yunmeng unleashed her Sword Intent,

a mesmerizing nightscape emerged before everyone’s eyes—a reversed day and night with a bright moon hanging high.

For some reason, when that full moon appeared, it became the sole focus in everyone’s vision,

as if they had fallen into some kind of illusion.

If those standing over twenty meters away from the Dao Platform were affected so profoundly, Yi Hanqing on the platform experienced it even more intensely.

The peach blossoms surrounding Yi Hanqing seemed suppressed by the moonlight,

not only accumulating glistening dew on their petals but also making Yi Hanqing himself feel an inexplicable chill.

Yi Hanqing knew clearly that the cold he felt wasn’t due to any actual temperature drop,

but rather the influence of Shangguan Yunmeng’s Sword Intent.

The full moon suspended in the sky above him at this moment

carried an aura that could make one shiver to the bone.

Though reluctant to admit it, Yi Hanqing recognized that his Peach Blossom Sword Intent was being suppressed by Shangguan Yunmeng’s Bright Moon Sword Intent.

Yet instead of feeling defeated, this ignited excitement within him.

After all, compared to one-sided victories, he craved worthy opponents!

Only through such challenges could his Sword Path advance!

With this thought, a faint smile touched Yi Hanqing’s lips as he raised his gourd and took a deep drink.

In the next moment, the peach blossoms around him stirred without wind.

A vibrant spring atmosphere began radiating from him, neutralizing the chill brought by Shangguan Yunmeng’s Bright Moon Sword Intent.

Simultaneously, the frozen ground on the Dao Platform started thawing gradually, evoking the imagery of spring returning to earth.

“Hmm?”

Noticing the blossoming patterns emerging from the ground, Shangguan Yunmeng glanced at Yi Hanqing in surprise.

Then, as if struck by a realization, she immediately raised her hand.

Soon, an ancient, ephemeral white Spirit Sword materialized in her grasp.

While the surrounding Azure Cloud Sect disciples showed little reaction to Shangguan Yunmeng wielding the ephemeral white Spirit Sword,

the Azure Cloud Sect Elders observing the discourse from the clouds

all turned astonished gazes toward Luo Anshan, the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator leading Jade Void Mountain’s delegation.

Among the crowd, Jing Gong couldn’t help but remark: “Fellow Daoist Luo, has Jade Void Mountain actually entrusted the Jade Void Sword to this girl? Are you preparing to groom her as the next Sect Leader?”

Hearing Jing Gong’s words, Luo Anshan smiled and replied: “With the bearing of a True Immortal, if she truly becomes our Sect Leader… it would be our sect’s great fortune.”Jing Gong was taken aback, for he hadn’t expected Luo Anshan to hold Shangguan Yunmeng in such high regard.

One must understand that the phrase “True Immortal’s bearing” was not something to be uttered lightly.

Throughout history, only a handful of individuals could truly deserve these four words.

Among them were the six ancient prodigies who had obtained the True Immortal Inheritance.

And now, Luo Anshan’s words undoubtedly placed Shangguan Yunmeng on the same level as those six individuals.

He believed that Shangguan Yunmeng’s future achievements would at least match theirs.

But… was this girl really that remarkable?

Jing Gong remained skeptical.

Although throughout history, there hadn’t been many Cultivators at the Qi Condensation Stage who could master Sword Intent,

looking back over tens of thousands of years in Central Province, quite a few had indeed emerged.

Some of these individuals were naturally gifted, while others stumbled upon it by chance.

However, mastering Sword Intent at the Qi Condensation Stage didn’t guarantee one would eventually reach the Harmony Realm or Transformation Dao Realm.

After all, Central Province’s history also recorded numerous cases of Cultivators who entered the Entering Dao Realm during Qi Condensation but ultimately faded into obscurity.

Therefore, Jing Gong believed that Shangguan Yunmeng being called “True Immortal’s bearing” by Luo Anshan

must not be solely because she had mastered Sword Intent during Qi Condensation.

There had to be some other reason.

Jing Gong was quite curious about what this other reason might be.

So he focused his attention on Shangguan Yunmeng standing on the Dao Platform, wanting to see how she would break through Yi Hanqing’s Peach Blossom Sword Intent that had partially fused with “spring essence.”

That’s right—Yi Hanqing’s Peach Blossom Sword Intent was no longer a pure form of Sword Intent.

It had already begun advancing toward the Harmony Realm.

Though his current fusion of Sword Intent remained rather rudimentary, belonging to a very simple form of fusion,

it was still light-years away from true Harmony.

Nevertheless, such fused Sword Intent was beyond what ordinary people could match.

Especially for someone like Shangguan Yunmeng, who was still only at the Qi Condensation Stage.

If she didn’t employ some special methods, she would undoubtedly lose this Dao debate.

In response, Shangguan Yunmeng began performing a sword dance with the Jade Void Sword in her hand.

Under the hazy moonlight, Shangguan Yunmeng resembled the Moon Goddess stepping out from a scroll,

clad in moonlight, dancing with her sword, enchanting all who watched.

As she danced gracefully, changes began to appear in the originally tranquil full moon hanging high in the sky.

A faint, faceless figure seemed to materialize on the moon’s surface.

What was even more astonishing was that the celestial being on the moon was performing the exact same movements as Shangguan Yunmeng beneath the moonlight.

Before long, Yi Hanqing’s Peach Blossom Sword Intent, which had been somewhat suppressing Shangguan Yunmeng’s Bright Moon Sword Intent, now showed signs of potentially collapsing.

This was because after Shangguan Yunmeng began her dance, the empty Dao Platform had been replaced by a calm water surface.

The enormous full moon reflected on the tranquil lake, creating a beautiful yet dangerous scene of twin moons.

However, Shangguan Yunmeng seemed immersed in some kind of enlightenment, dancing upon the moonlight as if in her own world, completely unaware of the changes around her.

Faced with such breathtaking beauty, most Cultivators from Jade Void Mountain and Azure Cloud Sect were captivated by the enchanting scene, their eyes growing dreamy.

Yet among these disciples, a few not only failed to lose themselves in the beautiful “beauty dancing under the moonlight” but instead grew serious.

Without exception, these individuals had all mastered the Entering Dao Realm.Because only they understood just how earth-shattering the events unfolding around Shangguan Yunmeng truly were.

Watching Shangguan Yunmeng’s increasingly fluid dance, Meow King said with a grave expression, “Dual Sword Intent! Is this girl really only at the Qi Condensation Stage? She’s practically halfway into the Harmony Realm!”

“If she advances further, wouldn’t she master Harmony Realm techniques while still at Qi Condensation Stage?”

“Wait, was she this formidable in her past life?”

The Elders of Azure Cloud Sect floating atop the clouds had also noticed this phenomenon.

A Golden Core Elder from Hidden Sword Peak narrowed his eyes sharply, his goatee twitching upward. “Half-step into Harmony Realm! How did this child cultivate to such an extent? Could she truly be an Immortal’s Reincarnation?!”

Another Golden Core Elder from Azure Cloud Sect added with complex emotions, “To achieve such feats at Qi Condensation Stage – calling her True Immortal material wouldn’t be an exaggeration at all.”

“And the Sword Intent is secondary! Haven’t you all noticed this child possesses the legendary Immaculate Immortal Physique?”

The surrounding Golden Core Elders froze momentarily before carefully examining Shangguan Yunmeng’s bone structure.

This inspection nearly shocked them into falling from their clouds.

“Crystal jade physique, Qi like secluded orchids, utterly spotless and flawless! This child truly has the Immaculate Immortal Physique!”

“Doesn’t this mean that when she establishes her foundation, she’ll achieve at least Third-Grade Heavenly Dao aptitude at minimum? With better fortune, she might even attain First-Grade Great Dao Immortal Foundation!”

“I dare not imagine what Innate Divine Ability she’ll awaken then.”

Hearing this, Jing Gong also showed a complicated expression. “Even Third-Grade Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment grants Heavenly Dao blessings. Not only does it enhance one’s innate potential, but any previously awakened Innate Divine Abilities can advance further.”

“The higher the grade of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, the more powerful the blessing effects.”

“Among the six True Immortal candidates from back then, two achieved First-Grade Great Dao Immortal Foundation.”

“One obtained the Supreme Immortal Physique, surpassing ordinary people in cultivation level, physique, and spell potency at the same stage.”

“The other gained Heavenly Dao Jade Bones, enabling them to cast Great Dao techniques across realms at minimal cost.”

“This demonstrates how terrifying First-Grade Great Dao Immortal Foundation truly is.”

“No wonder! No wonder your Jade Void Mountain entrusted her with the Jade Void Sword! Everything truly aligns with your words. Having her as your Jade Void Mountain’s Sect Leader wouldn’t be her fortune, but Jade Void Mountain’s great blessing!”

However, as if recalling something, Jing Gong spoke to Luo Anshan, the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from Jade Void Mountain beside him, with complicated tones. “But Immortals face Three Calamities. Is your Jade Void Mountain truly confident about weathering those three calamities with her?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Anshan’s smile gradually faded as he looked seriously at Shangguan Yunmeng on the Dao Platform. “If we can help her overcome these three calamities, our Jade Void Mountain can maintain prosperity for another ten thousand years.”

“If we cannot, that wouldn’t be her fault, but rather our Jade Void Mountain’s destined encounter with these three calamities.”

Jing Gong nodded. “Understood. It seems you’ve already considered everything thoroughly. I spoke out of turn.”

The Three Calamities of Immortals – this was a long-circulated saying in the Immortal Cultivation World, though its origins remained unverifiable.

Yet this saying had persisted through the ages.

It stated that every individual possessing True Immortal aptitude would encounter three nearly insurmountable calamities in their lifetime that couldn’t be overcome through individual strength alone.They needed others to help them face their tribulations.

As for whether this claim was accurate, the Immortal Cultivation World had no definitive conclusion.

After all, not to mention those with True Immortal aptitude, even ordinary cultivators couldn’t sail smoothly through life—they would inevitably encounter life-and-death calamities.

However, compared to tribulations like the Three Immortal Tribulations that could annihilate entire sects and schools, the tribulations of ordinary cultivators hardly counted as significant.

Among the six with True Immortal aptitude who had obtained True Immortal Inheritance, even the two who were Rogue Cultivators without sect affiliation had brought catastrophic disasters to the sects and Holy Lands they were friendly with.

The only one among them who fell had met his end because his school was dragged to the front lines of the righteous-demonic war, leading to the complete destruction of the entire school.

Although the other five survived the Three Immortal Tribulations, three suffered damage to their Foundation, permanently stuck at the Great Vehicle Stage.

Only two safely passed through the three tribulations and Ascended to the Immortal Realm.

The terror of the Three Immortal Tribulations was evident.

But risk and opportunity coexisted—the sects behind those two True Immortals who Ascended gained tremendous benefits.

One of them was the Azure Cloud Sect.

Because among those six from back then, one was the founding Ancestral Master of the Azure Cloud Sect… the Azure Cloud Immortal.

Though Yi Hanqing didn’t know these hidden secrets of the Immortal Cultivation World, he could still feel the overwhelming strength of Shangguan Yunmeng’s Sword Intent at this moment.

“The bright moon shines upon clear pools, peach blossoms bathe in spring breeze—my Sword Intent seems more than just a step behind hers.”

Watching the peach blossom spring scenery around him being continuously eroded by that chilly moonlight, Yi Hanqing understood he couldn’t continue like this.

He put down the wine jug in his hand, and a cyan Spirit Sword fell into his grasp.

“Rise!”

Under Yi Hanqing’s control, the peach blossoms around him began converging, quickly forming a Peach Blossom Tide that surged toward Shangguan Yunmeng.

Pink peach blossoms wrapped in spring breeze—beneath this seemingly gentle scenery lurked deadly intent, for each blossom was equivalent to a Flying Sword that meant instant death upon contact.

At this, Shangguan Yunmeng, who had been immersed in her own world, seemed to finally snap back to reality.

Seeing the overwhelming Peach Blossom Tide, she swung her sword.

In the next moment, a Sword Qi resembling moonlight broke through the waves.

Upon closer look, one would notice this Sword Qi actually resembled a silvery crescent moon.

As this silver crescent met Yi Hanqing’s Peach Blossom Tide, it immediately tore through the sky-full of blossoms with unstoppable force.

Then, its power undiminished, the silvery crescent swept fiercely across Yi Hanqing’s body.

Crack!

With a sound like shattering glass, the Sword Intent scenery around Yi Hanqing instantly dissipated.

He staggered back three steps before finally steadying himself.

The surrounding disciples of Azure Cloud Sect and Jade Void Mountain now seemed to awaken from a dream, looking dazedly at the two on the Dao Platform as if unsure what had just happened.

Gazing at Shangguan Yunmeng who had already sheathed her Sword Intent and stood calmly, Yi Hanqing smiled bitterly and said, “…I’ve lost.”

These words caused an immediate uproar throughout the arena.

Even the Jade Void Mountain side hadn’t expected that Shangguan Yunmeng, in a pure Sword Intent contest, could actually defeat Yi Hanqing—the current Sword Burial Peak Leader of Azure Cloud Sect.

What did this mean?

This was an overwhelming victory!

Because Yi Hanqing was at Foundation Establishment Perfection, while Shangguan Yunmeng was only at Qi Condensation Perfection.The disparity in their cultivation levels was not insignificant.

Although they were well aware that in a real battle, Yi Hanqing could easily defeat Shangguan Yunmeng.

But a discourse on the Dao was not a battle.

Because a discourse on the Dao did not compare cultivation levels!

Win, an overwhelming victory!

The cultivators from Jade Void Mountain cheered excitedly, and some of the more boisterous ones even sneered at the nearby Azure Cloud Sect disciples, fully displaying their smugness.

Faced with such direct provocation from the Jade Void Mountain cultivators, the Azure Cloud Sect disciples could only lower their heads and pretend not to notice, like ostriches burying their heads in the sand.

There was no other way—even Yi Hanqing, whom they had believed would surely win, had lost.

In this discourse on the Dao, they had lost both face and substance.

In contrast to the dejected Azure Cloud Sect disciples, Yi Hanqing himself was quite composed.

As he had previously told Xue Youqing of the Myriad Talismans Peak, in a discourse on the Dao, wins and losses were normal and not something to dwell on.

After all, the focus of a discourse on the Dao was not on winning or losing, but on whether one could gain something from it.

Although he had lost to Shangguan Yunmeng in this discourse,

he felt he had gained a great deal.

Not only had he identified several weaknesses in his Peach Blossom Sword Intent and Spring Breeze Sword Intent,

but he had also vaguely found a direction to perfectly fuse these two Sword Intents.

Though knowing the direction and being able to achieve it were two entirely different matters,

Yi Hanqing still felt that this discourse had been immensely valuable to him.

Thinking this, he did not mind Shangguan Yunmeng’s junior status and sincerely said, “Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Shangguan. I have benefited greatly from this exchange.”

“Huh?”

Shangguan Yunmeng looked at Yi Hanqing in confusion, seemingly not understanding what he had gained.

After all, she had merely performed the Moonlight Sword Dance by mimicking the movements of the Fairy Sister from her dream.

Could Yi Hanqing have gained something from that sword dance?

Did he want to learn the sword dance too?!

At this thought, an image of Yi Hanqing wearing cloud-like robes, holding a sword and dancing, involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

The moment this image appeared, she couldn’t help but gasp.

She quickly shook her head, trying to rid herself of that awkward mental picture.

After all, that image… was just too strange!

Perhaps due to her resistance to the mental image, Shangguan Yunmeng subconsciously took half a step back, putting a little more distance between herself and the polite Yi Hanqing.

She was afraid he would ask her to teach him the sword dance in the next moment.

With her personality, which made it hard for her to refuse others, she wouldn’t know what to say if that happened.

She definitely did not want that bizarre mental image to become reality.

Yi Hanqing, noticing her movement, did not think much of it.

He was already immersed in his own world, replaying the scenes from the discourse in his mind as he bowed his head and stepped down from the Dao Platform.

Before long, only Shangguan Yunmeng remained on the vast Dao Platform.

Shangguan Yunmeng waited on the platform for a while. When no one else came up, she turned to look in the direction of Li Xueke behind her.

Li Xueke immediately understood—her Junior Sister was asking if she could come down now.

Given Shangguan Yunmeng’s somewhat reserved nature, she was not very comfortable in such a public setting and appeared quite nervous.

Just as Li Xueke was about to signal for Shangguan Yunmeng to step down, someone else walked onto the Dao Platform.

“Huh? It’s you?”

Seeing Lu Chen appear on the platform, Shangguan Yunmeng immediately showed a curious expression.She hadn’t expected Lu Chen to appear at this moment.

After all, she considered herself to have developed some rapport with Lu Chen—he was the first friend she had made in the Azure Cloud Sect.

Thus, she wasn’t particularly keen on discussing the Dao with him.

Because she was afraid she might accidentally hurt him.

Although Shangguan Yunmeng might be absentminded, that was only in matters of everyday common sense.

This was a result of being confined in the palace for many years.

In other aspects, however, Shangguan Yunmeng appeared much more normal.

For instance, in cultivation, or in the realm of Sword Intent.

If possible, she still didn’t want to harm her friend.

In response, Lu Chen said with a serious expression, “Lu Chen, Inner Disciple of Danyang Peak, seeks guidance from Fellow Daoist.”

“Ah?!”

Hearing that Lu Chen intended to take this seriously, Shangguan Yunmeng immediately made a bitter face.

She was somewhat reluctant.

But since things had come to this, it seemed she had no other choice.

So she looked at Lu Chen, frowned, and said earnestly, “Alright then, I’ll do my best to ensure I don’t hurt you.”

With that, Shangguan Yunmeng unleashed her Sword Intent.

Instead of hastily displaying his own Sword Intent, Lu Chen once again observed intently.

His azure lotus-shaped pupils began to spin continuously, as if recording something.

The reason he wasn’t in a hurry to reveal his Sword Intent was related to the skill he had comprehended while observing the Sword Intent contest between Shangguan Yunmeng and Yi Hanqing earlier.

Yi Hanqing’s Sword Intent was primarily centered on peach blossoms, supplemented by the spring breeze.

Shangguan Yunmeng’s Sword Intent was primarily centered on the bright moon, supplemented by a clear pond.

While observing them, Lu Chen not only gained insights from their techniques but also, by combining his own circumstances, comprehended an entirely new skill.

[You observed a Sword Intent contest and gained enlightenment from it. You have comprehended the skill… Azure Lotus Sword Art.]

(End of Chapter)