In the martial practice area deep within the cave dwelling, Xiaoqi held the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword. He did not immediately begin to move but closed his eyes and concentrated, his heart-mind sinking into a profound state of contemplation.
The sword in his hand trembled slightly, emitting a low hum, as if responding to his thoughts. On the blade, the dragon and phoenix reliefs glowed faintly under spiritual power infusion, radiating a scorching yet noble aura. However, what Xiaoqi pursued was not merely the Crimson Flame Sword's power itself, but to infuse his own "Dao" into the sword technique.
He recalled the spiritual perception imprint his father Xu Zhan left in the Heritage Hall—that sword intent full of resolve and unwillingness, yet also sacrifice. That was not a set of concrete sword moves but an artistic conception, a belief—to protect those behind him with the sword in hand, to guard his heart-Dao, even if his body perished and his Dao vanished, his will would never bend.
This sword intent was heavy and tragic, carrying the taste of blood and fire.
He also recalled his own heart-state when, at the secret realm exit, he invoked the Crimson Flame Sword to rescue fellow disciples and slashed at the demonic vines. At that time, he had no complex thoughts, just one pure idea: cannot let them harm fellow disciples! It was precisely this pure protective thought that invoked the source power within the Crimson Flame Sword, cutting out that strike containing a trace of protective true intent.
"Protect..." Xiaoqi murmured in his heart.
His father's protection was for family, for responsibility, carrying sacrifice and grief.
And what was his protection?
Was it Qingxu Temple that gave him shelter and growth? Was it Master, Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother—these elders and fellow disciples who cared for him? Was it that compulsion to uncover truth and demand blood repayment? Or... in the depths of his heart, an instinctive treasuring of the beautiful things in this world?
Thoughts tangled, eventually settling into a clearer, firmer belief.
His protection did not originate from heavy responsibility or hatred but from inner choice, from treasuring everything he had, from love of "life." He wanted to protect this hard-won peace (however brief), protect the warmth around him, protect his right to seek the great Dao, and protect those people and things worth protecting.
This protective thought, not as tragic as his father's, was broader and firmer, carrying vital activity that grows endlessly.
"My father's sword intent is 'sacrificial protection,' using himself as a barrier to block all threats."
"My sword intent should be 'vital-protection,' protecting the existence itself, protecting hope and future."
Understanding gradually formed. Xiaoqi felt his Daoist heart and the Crimson Flame Sword produce a deeper resonance. The noble, scorching power inherent in the Crimson Flame Sword unexpectedly matched this "vital-protection" thought perfectly. Nobility could break evil; scorching could incinerate darkness; and protection gave it direction and soul.
He began trying to infuse this understanding into his sword technique.
He did not discard the basic sword forms inherited with the Crimson Flame Sword itself. Those were crystallizations of predecessors' wisdom—the skeleton. But he no longer stuck rigidly to fixed moves. With his own "vital-protection" sword intent as the spirit, using the Evergreen Art's endless vital spiritual power as the guide, he re-interpreted and perfected these moves.
He slowly waved the Crimson Flame Sword.
The first form was not a fierce thrust but an seemingly peaceful "horizontal block." The sword lay horizontal, crimson flame spiritual power flowing on the blade yet not displaying violence. Instead, it formed a warm, tough curtain of light, like early spring sunlight—soft yet containing the power to melt ice and snow. This move emphasized "defense" and "protection," not head-on parrying but using softness to overcome hardness, dissolving attacks, protecting the surroundings. He named it [Spring Sun Melts Snow].
The second form, the sword momentum shifted from defense to offense. But this strike did not pursue pure lethality. Sword light like silk threads, like endless spring rain, penetrating, entwining, purifying. Where the sword intent locked, the goal was not to utterly destroy enemies but to expel their malice, purify their erosion, disintegrate their attacks. This move contained the Purification Source's characteristics—offense with defense, defense with offense. He named it [Gentle Rain Cleanses Dust].
The third form, the sword momentum suddenly became grand. The Crimson Flame Sword raised high, drawing in spiritual power from all around. The blade blazed brilliantly, like the sun rising in the east, illuminating the earth. This strike, momentum vast, carried a sense of upright, open, washing away demons and evil with righteousness, aiming to use absolute light and upright energy to suppress and expel a wide range of evil and darkness. This was the expansion and manifestation of protective power. He named it [Morning Sun Shines on All].
The fourth form was extreme condensation. All protective faith, spiritual power, and sword intent gathered at the sword tip's single point, transforming into a condensed-to-extreme, seemingly weak yet containing infinite vitality and resolve crimson-gold sword glow. This move's purpose was not destruction but "stabilizing," at critical moments using point to break surface, stabilizing the battle situation, protecting that most critical thread of hope. He named it [Starry Fire Guards Through the Year].
One sword form after another, displayed in his hands, were no longer merely cold killing techniques but full of unique rhythm and meaning. The Crimson Flame Sword's light was no longer pure scorching but carried a warm, firm, hope-filled aura.
He immersed himself in creating and perfecting the sword technique, forgetting the passage of time. Within the cave dwelling, crimson-gold sword light was sometimes gentle as spring sun, sometimes dense as gentle rain, sometimes grand as morning sun, sometimes focused as star fire.
He felt that with the sword intent integrated, the connection between the Crimson Flame Sword and himself became closer. The dragon and phoenix reliefs on the blade seemed more vivid. And his own Evergreen Art spiritual power, driven by this vital sword intent, circulated more smoothly, even faintly causing the jade pendant's Purification Source at his chest to produce harmonious resonance.
After an unknown duration of practice, Xiaoqi slowly put away his sword and stood. His brow showed sweat, yet his breathing was exceptionally long and his eyes bright as stars.
This sword technique, derived from basic sword forms but infused with his own "vital-protection" sword intent and Evergreen Art characteristics, although still just a prototype with only several forms, far from perfect, its direction was set and foundation laid.
It did not belong to Xu Zhan, did not belong to any predecessor. It belonged only to him—Tang Xiaoqi.
This was no longer simply "Crimson Flame Sword Technique" but an extension of his own Dao, the starting point of his future sword cultivation path. He named it—[Evergreen Crimson Flame Heart-Guarding Sword Art].
The name was long yet clearly expressed his foundation (Evergreen Art), his weapon (Crimson Flame Sword), his intent (heart-guard), and his path (sword art).
He believed that as his cultivation advanced, experiences accumulated, and Daoist heart grew, this sword art would continuously improve, deriving more variations and exploding with stronger power.
Holding the sword, Xiaoqi's heart surged with heroism. External strong enemies surrounded him, internal fate tangled him—so what? He had his sword in hand, his Dao in heart, capable of cutting through thorns and guarding his original heart!
He placed the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword across his knees, nurtured it with his heart-mind, communicated with it through spiritual power, and continued perfecting the newborn [Evergreen Crimson Flame Heart-Guarding Sword Art]. The sword hummed softly, emitting a pleased sound, as if also rejoicing in this newly matched sword art.