"Oh, wow!"
Three days later, high above the Qionghua Sect, Yun Tianhe was gleefully flying around on his sword, his excitement written all over his face. To his right, slightly above him, Han Lingsha and Liu Mengli stood side by side on their swords, quietly watching him as he played in the air.
Meanwhile, Daniel Davis was on his sword to Yun Tianhe's left, slightly higher up, surveying the entire Qionghua Sect below. From this vantage point, the Qionghua Sect looked small and insignificant, its layout reduced to a faint outline. Among the notable features was the Sword Forest, with its numerous stone pillars resembling swords. Daniel couldn't help but wonder how such a peculiar landscape came to exist.
Daniel, Yun Tianhe, Han Lingsha, and Liu Mengli were all exceptionally talented. After only two days of learning sword-flight techniques from Murong Ziying, they had already achieved basic mastery. By the third day, they were able to freely maneuver their swords through the air.
Their rapid progress left Murong Ziying and Huai Shuo astonished. Even Huai Shuo, who had been praised by his master for his exceptional talent, had taken about a week to fully master sword flight. Xuanji, on the other hand, had taken around ten days. Seeing the quartet's progress lit a fire under Xuanji, who, despite being someone who didn't enjoy cultivation, pressured Huai Shuo into training her more seriously.
For most new disciples, mastering sword flight typically took about a month. It was the foundational skill for becoming a sword immortal. Without it, one couldn't hope to become a competent sword immortal and would likely be dismissed from the Qionghua Sect.
That said, there was a difference between the basic sword flight that most disciples learned and Yun Tianhe's current playful flights. For the average disciple, sword flight meant simply standing stably on the sword and moving through the air at a moderate speed. There was no requirement for elegance or agility.
Despite their impressive progress, Murong Ziying refrained from praising the four, likely to prevent them from becoming arrogant. As this was his first time teaching disciples, Murong Ziying was extremely attentive, supervising their practice every step of the way.
One week later, Murong Ziying had to leave for other responsibilities, leaving the four to practice on their own. Yun Tianhe immediately saw this as an opportunity to go out and explore. Cultivation could be incredibly dull, and if not for Murong Ziying's strict oversight, Yun Tianhe would have already found a reason to leave after learning sword flight.
"Dreamli, Lingsha, A-Fei, since Little Uncle-Master isn't here, let's head out and have some fun!" Yun Tianhe suggested enthusiastically.
Han Lingsha, though initially unwilling to call Murong Ziying "Uncle-Master," had ultimately relented after facing his unyielding demeanor. However, she cheekily added "Little" in front of the title. Yun Tianhe, seeing this, followed suit.
"Didn't expect Immortal cultivation to be so boring. We can always fly back quickly with our swords. Let's go!" Han Lingsha immediately agreed. Liu Mengli, after a moment of thought, nodded as well.
Three against one. Daniel, curious about the area surrounding the Qionghua Sect, also agreed. The group mounted their swords and flew off, leaving the Qionghua Sect's territory. This wasn't against sect rules, as there were no restrictions on the range for practicing sword flight.
"Look, a bear!"
After leaving the sect's boundaries, Daniel quickly realized why Yun Tianhe had been so eager to leave. It wasn't curiosity—it was his insatiable appetite. After days of eating nothing but the Qionghua Sect's fasting pills and bland vegetarian meals, Yun Tianhe had reached his limit.
"Hunting is so much easier now!" Yun Tianhe exclaimed. Upon spotting a massive three-meter-tall brown bear, he immediately descended on his sword and used his sword techniques to slay it with a single strike. Excitedly gripping his sword, he began to butcher the bear on the spot.
Sword flight and sword techniques were hallmarks of a sword immortal. With his natural talent and newfound skills, Yun Tianhe had quickly mastered both. It was clear that he had been eagerly anticipating putting these skills to use for hunting.
Liu Mengli hesitated, wanting to say something as she watched Yun Tianhe, but ultimately remained silent. Daniel, after observing for a moment, joined Yun Tianhe in processing the bear. He, too, had grown tired of the sect's bland food and found the idea of a fresh meal appealing.
The two worked quickly. In no time, the bear was cleaned and butchered. They didn't even need to fetch water from a nearby stream; Daniel used water-elemental techniques to summon clean water. Yun Tianhe then pulled out some seasoning he had been carrying and used his sword as a makeshift skewer to start roasting the meat.
Unfortunately, Yun Tianhe's first attempt at roasting ended in failure. Impatient, he had used fire-elemental techniques for cooking but, unable to control the heat, ended up charring the meat.
Under Daniel's guidance, Yun Tianhe, who had previously shown little interest in elemental techniques, began to see their practical value. For example, fire-elemental techniques could be used to start fires in the wilderness without the need for kindling—something Yun Tianhe found incredibly exciting. He remarked that if he'd known such techniques earlier, he wouldn't have struggled so much with lighting campfires, especially when the wood was damp.
Similarly, Daniel introduced Yun Tianhe to the practical uses of other elemental techniques: water techniques for creating drinking water, earth techniques for building shelters and stoves, wind techniques for clearing debris, and lightning techniques for stunning prey. Yun Tianhe, realizing how much these techniques could enhance his hunting, developed a newfound enthusiasm for learning them.
"You'll need to practice controlling the heat over time. For now, just use the fire techniques to ignite the fire," Daniel advised. He then used his sword to chop more firewood and employed earth techniques to build a proper grill. Yun Tianhe's sword was repurposed as a spit for roasting the bear meat.
Most of the bear meat ended up in Yun Tianhe's stomach, with Daniel eating a fair share as well. Han Lingsha and Liu Mengli ate only a small amount. The remaining meat was roasted and stored away to be secretly eaten later. The bear's paws, being particularly difficult to cook, were set aside by Daniel for another time.
This impromptu barbecue outing lifted Yun Tianhe's spirits considerably. Afterward, the group returned to their cultivation under Murong Ziying's watchful eye.
"So, people's understanding of sword flight is all wrong."
Thanks to their rapid progress, combined with Daniel's persistent questioning, Murong Ziying eventually explained the true levels of sword techniques.
Flying on a sword was the hallmark of all sword immortals and the image most mortals had of them. However, this was merely the foundational level of sword flight. The highest level of sword techniques didn't require a physical sword at all. At that stage, one flew using sword-light, a radiant energy formed from spiritual power.
For example, during the battle between the previous Qionghua Sect leader, Master Taiqing, and Chan You of the Demon Realm, Master Taiqing used sword-light for flight, defense, and offense.
However, reaching this level was exceedingly rare in the cultivation world. As a result, most mortals only ever saw ordinary sword immortals, perpetuating the image of them gracefully standing on their swords.
There was another reason for this misconception: practicality. Sword-light consumed significant amounts of spiritual power, making it impractical for long distances. Physical swords, on the other hand, allowed even those with average strength to travel thousands of miles. For short distances, sword-light might be more elegant, but for long journeys, a physical sword was far more efficient.
"And let's be honest," Murong Ziying added, "flying on a physical sword just looks more dashing."
"Who would have thought the Water Spirit Pearl is here in the Qionghua Sect? Offering such a treasure up as an artifact seems like such a waste."
As time passed, the four quietly continued their cultivation in the Qionghua Sect. Through conversations with Huai Shuo, Xuanji, and other disciples, they learned many things about the sect, including the fact that the Water Spirit Pearl, one of the Five Spirit Pearls, was the sect's treasured artifact.
The Water Spirit Pearl's most notable ability was its gradual enhancement of a person's innate potential. Li Xiaoyao from Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 had been one of its greatest beneficiaries.
"I wonder if Murong Ziying ever used the Water Spirit Pearl as a child? Then again, considering Su Yao's personality, she probably wouldn't have allowed it," Daniel mused. The possibility briefly crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed due to what he knew of Su Yao's character.
On another day, after Murong Ziying left to deal with some demons, Yun Tianhe proposed a new outing: "Let's head to Chen Zhou today!"
"Alright," the others agreed.
Using their swords, the group quickly left the Qionghua Sect, their reason being to "practice sword flight." Many other disciples used similar excuses to visit places like Bosian Town for food and drinks. Clearly, Yun Tianhe wasn't the only one struggling with the sect's diet.
Upon arriving at the outskirts of Chen Zhou, Han Lingsha turned to Liu Mengli and asked, "Mengli, do you want to visit your family?"
After a moment of silence, Liu Mengli shook her head. "Maybe another time."
Had this been right after leaving Shouyang County, Liu Mengli would have undoubtedly rushed back to see her parents after learning sword flight. However, after spending time in the Qionghua Sect, her fragmented memories had begun to surface. Though she hadn't fully recovered her memories, the blurry images had cast a shadow over her mood, leaving her visibly less cheerful in recent days.
Han Lingsha, sensing Liu Mengli's homesickness, had suggested the visit out of concern. Yun Tianhe, oblivious to it all, remained as carefree as ever.
"Looks like the Thousand Buddha Pagoda isn't as revered as it used to be," Daniel commented.
The four entered Chen Zhou, heading first to an inn for a hearty meal. There, they overheard various rumors about the martial world. One topic was the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, which had fallen into disrepute following the death of the Qin family's daughter-in-law and the revelation that the sacred light atop the pagoda was merely a crystal orb. Many wealthy families had since removed their ancestral tablets from the pagoda.
The disappearance of the sacred light was Daniel's doing. Before leaving Chen Zhou with Huai Shuo, he had left behind a shadow clone. While he had considered destroying the crystal orb, he ultimately decided to replace it with a fake, timing the switch to coincide with a moment when the sacred light was most visible, exposing the truth.
Other rumors spoke of demon sightings and heroes defeating them, with the most famous being the Lin Family Fortress, known for its "Sword-and-Palm Dual Mastery."
"Let's explore Chen Zhou properly this time," Yun Tianhe suggested after leaving the inn.
The last time they were here, their focus had been on helping Qin Ji and finding Huai Shuo. They hadn't had a chance to truly enjoy the city. Unfortunately, the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, once a major attraction, no longer held any interest for them.
Chen Zhou still had other picturesque sites, such as the Yilan Pavilion, a place known for its poetry, art, and performances. It was a must-visit for the wealthy and cultured, but Daniel reluctantly had to pass on visiting. Han Lingsha, unwilling to expose Yun Tianhe to such a venue, didn't mention it.
As they wandered, the group came across a temporary art stall that had drawn a large crowd. Han Lingsha's eyes lit up, and she immediately approached.
"Ah, it's you, the so-called top scholar of Chen Zhou. Still selling your work, huh? Sold much?" she teased the young man running the stall, a scholar-like youth of about seventeen or eighteen.
"Ugh, it's you again, the self-proclaimed most beautiful woman in the Central Plains. Why don't you mind your own business?" he shot back, clearly irritated.
Daniel glanced at one of the paintings and couldn't help but twitch slightly. It depicted a woman resembling a hibiscus flower—albeit an overly plump one—alongside a poem:
"She twirls gracefully like a hibiscus,
Swaying left and right like a duck.
With sleeves that flutter and waist that turns,
She sets my heart aflame."
The crude art and clumsy poem explained why, despite the crowd, no one seemed interested in buying anything. Even at the low price of ten wen per painting, the paper alone cost more than that.
Liu Mengli, reading the poem, covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Among the four, she was undoubtedly the most talented in poetry and the arts.
Han Lingsha, on the other hand, seemed genuinely interested in the paintings. After exchanging a few words with the young scholar, he closed his stall and followed her over to the group.
"This is Jing Yang, the esteemed Young Master Jing of Chen Zhou," Han Lingsha introduced.
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