The top three contestants in the Qianlong Conference had larger rooms, and even the sword-training area was more spacious.
Ying Bing had just opened the door to the sword-training ground and pulled out the Taibai Sword when she dismissed the laughter in her eyes. The solemnity of the Gui Palace Master regarding martial arts naturally enveloped her in an aura of divine truth mastery.
As the brisk spring breeze greeted her, she was suddenly lost in thought, reminiscing about the days she used to instruct her disciples in the Gui Palace.
Back then, had she been too severe?
Would a gentler teaching method have been… better?
She was about to turn around when suddenly her body stiffened slightly. She realized a chest was pressed against the back of her head, and a pair of hands—acting with their own will—had already made their way to her waist.
The action was fluid and seamless, as though orchestrated by heaven itself.
And just like that, the ice-cold Gui Palace Master, Ice Chunk, found herself enveloped from behind.
“Aren’t we practicing swordsmanship?”
“Maybe… I need to recharge first?”
Ke Mo didn’t even report before initiating his “recharge.”
Not that he had time to think it through.
Picture this: the morning light shining brightly, a gentle spring breeze rustling, an otherworldly beauty with her skirt fluttering in the wind, leaving behind a lonely and elegant silhouette.
Who could resist that?
Little Ke wasn’t even going to ask if he could resist. Why question the inevitable?
“…”
Ying Bing slightly lowered her eyelids, lips pressed together as she stayed still.
Being wrapped in his embrace, she felt unusually warm, faintly hearing a heartbeat—whether hers or his, she wasn’t sure… Her expressionless face contemplated what to teach him next but couldn’t help but wander in her thoughts.
Was this considered… gentle teaching?
If this counted, then would wearing those peculiar stockings during dual cultivation also count?
After all, when she manifested her divine forms, especially the Vermilion Bird and the Imperial Peacock forms, Little Ke’s soul fluctuations definitely increased significantly…
As the Palace Master was lost in her musings, she suddenly shivered slightly, pulled her neck back a bit, and the solemnity she had been pretending vanished instantly.
“Ke Mo, wasn’t your hammer already transformed into the Taibai Sword?”
Ying Bing held the Taibai Sword firmly.
“That’s true. Isn’t it right here in your hands right now?”
“So what is this…?”
“It’s the Hammer Treasure!”
“…”
Ice Chunk’s eyelashes trembled slightly, wanting to believe his nonsense but knowing that the Panqie Meteor Hammer surely wouldn’t just partially replicate heavenly phenomena.
“We are going to practice swordsmanship soon. Your hammer should… should be put away first.”
“Hammer Treasure is pretty clingy. It’ll make a fuss if I do.”
The so-called God Hammer Little Overlord seemed serious on the outside but was internally panicking like crazy.
Some things happen quicker than thought. It’s not even a matter of “wanting” or not.
“… Then I’ll teach you the essence of the Shenshao Dantian maneuver first.”
Ying Bing didn’t want him to say anything more because every time he opened his mouth, his breath tickled her ears like little bugs crawling around.
“I’ve revised this sword manual, and there are subtle differences.”
“Your body must move before your intentions, but inside those intentions, you must forget the self and act as the heavens. Even though the body moves before the intention, afterward, your intention must guide heavenly intent.”
“The original Shenshao Dantian was a sword form without self, completely following the heavenly flow. After revision, it becomes about your own intention guiding heavenly intent…”
“What does ‘the body moves before intention’ mean?”
Little Ke was studying with great care and attentiveness.
If he wasn’t focused, Ice Chunk might decide to stop letting him hug her while teaching the next time.
It was countless tiny details!
Ice Chunk softly explained to him:
“‘The body moves before intention’ means that your body should respond optimally even before your thoughts have fully materialized. This is the key to the entire Shenshao Tianxin Sword technique.”
“I should learn this quickly.”
Ke Mo nodded confidently, his eyes dipping down to catch a glimpse of the delicate collarbone in front of him.
Just as they were talking, a knock at the door interrupted them. Du Wufeng and Xie Xuan had arrived to look for the third place contender of the Qianlong Conference.
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Both were renowned in their own rights; Du Wufeng, a master swordsmith honed his craft for a lifetime, and Xie Xuan, a lifelong student of the sword ranked third in the Qianlong Conference. Exchanging glances, each detected the other’s shared bewilderment.
“Master Du, there seems to be no ripples of sword energy or sword intent within.”
“I do not sense anything either.”
How could the Cold Fairy teach swordsmanship like this? It was strange.
Finally, to prevent the God Hammer Little Overlord from straying off the righteous path, Xie Xuan, upon Du Wufeng’s silent indication, knocked on the door.
“Hm? Old Du, Brother Xie, what brings you here?”
Li Mo’s head poked out of the door, his expression laced with confusion and mild irritation towards the two.
Xie Xuan cleared his throat. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your studies, Brother Li.”
“Oh, I was indeed losing myself in a state of total absorption.”
Du Wufeng internally sighed. How had Xiao Li become so enthusiastic about studying yet remain so inexperienced?
Even Xie Xuan, known as the Sword Obsessed, didn’t reach this degree.
Though slightly abrupt, Li Mo still invited them inside.
“Brother Li, weren’t you completely absorbed? Why don’t you have a sword in hand?”
Xie Xuan sat down, his expression carrying a hint of strangeness as he asked.
“I have no sword in my hand, but I have a sword in my heart.”
“But how will you learn?”
“Heh.”
“?”
Xie Xuan felt the look of pity in Li Mo’s eyes, a look that felt quite impolite. This was the first time someone regarded his discussions on swords with such an expression.
“Old Du, and your reason for coming…?”
“Let me advise you. Return the Divine Sword of the Celestials to the City of the Divine Beings. With your current mastery, unless you face someone with an equally divine weapon, you won’t be able to summon it. And if your opponent wields a divine weapon, can you confidently defeat them? You’ve held the divine sword for not long, and you are not primarily trained in the sword. How will you handle it?”
Du Wufeng’s words were earnest and heartfelt.
Li Mo remained silent and asked, “Who among them can truly wield divine weapons?”
Du Wufeng caught Li Mo’s underlying thought but chose not to disclose it.
“As far as I know, there are seven who can: the 13th Qianlong Contestant, the eldest disciple of Fangzhang Island, wielding the Zimi Star-Moon Halberd, crafted by overseas master swordsmiths, unheard of domestically but ranked 33rd on the divine weapons chart.”
“The Pure Qi Heaven-and-Earth Brush of the National University is in the hands of the top scholar from the Great Yu.”
“Ning Que from Mount Penglai with the Clear Sea Relic Sound Zither, Tian Miao of the Yantian Sect with the Yantian Jade Disk; Sikh Liang of the Thieves Guild… the Abbot of Dragon-Elephant Ancient Pagoda… and Xie Xuan himself, with the Ancestral Sword considered a divine weapon…”
“And there’s Crown Prince Jiang Yu of our dynasty, wielding the first-ranking divine weapon, the Eight Desolation Six Harmony Seal.”
“All of them can at least bring forth three to four tenths of their weapon’s divine power.”
Li Mo quietly committed those names to memory in his heart.
Hmm, a few didn’t need recording. He already knew them well.
They would be his primary opponents in the Qianlong Conference. It would surely be a challenge without Hammer Treasure.
“Is Brother Xie one of the stronger ones?”
“Did you forget? I’m the third-ranked in the Qianlong.”
Xie Xuan’s lips twitched.
“Sorry…”
Li Mo thought silently. Brother Xie lacked the prestige of the third-ranked Qianlong competitor but then greeted them respectfully.
“Thank you, Master Du!”
Du Wufeng sipped his tea. “If you change your mind, I can find you a hammer suitable for the competition.”
“No need.”
Li Mo glanced at Ice Chunk standing silently nearby and his expression turned solemn.
“I still want to continue learning the sword from her.”
“?”
Why was this young man so obstinate?
Did he have such a deep interest in swordsmanship? So much so that it became an obsession?
—
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