### Chapter 319: The Way of the Sword
“Are you serious? You’re a Yuan Ying Stage sword cultivator and you can’t even fix an illusion exit?” Mu Jixue’s voice cut through the air like a sharp blade, no mercy given.
Inside the bl**d Pool Illusion, Mu Jixue and Xia Linglong were busy trying to repair the exit.
“If you think you can do better, why don’t you give it a shot? If not, zip it!” Xia Linglong snapped back, her tone sharp but her hands never stopped working.
She didn’t want to get into a spat with this white-haired loli, her own anxiety far eclipsed Mu Jixue’s.
Just a moment ago, Yun Zhonghe’s sword momentum had disrupted the exit, and now they were left in the dark about what was happening outside.
Every second spent here felt like an eternity, gnawing at their nerves.
The sword qi Yun Zhonghe unleashed had thrown the exit’s barrier into chaos. Though it carried only a faint essence of the Sword Dao—it was hardly enough to be called the real deal—the mere presence of it stuck at the barrier felt like a heavy stone splashing down into calm waters, stirring ripples that wouldn’t settle.
To reopen the exit, they first had to disentangle this sword qi’s Dao energy from the barrier.
Yet, despite Xia Linglong being a Yuan Ying sword cultivator, her understanding of the Sword Dao was still sorely lacking. It was hardly surprising—she’d only stumbled through the threshold of the Sword Dao thanks to Yun Zhonghe’s guidance.
Even with this weak essence of the Sword Dao, attempting to unravel it proved a monumental task for her.
Xia Linglong concentrated with all her might, trying to grasp that elusive Dao energy caught in the exit barrier, desperately searching for a clue to decipher it.
The more she focused, the more alarmed she became.
How on earth had Yun Zhonghe triggered the Sword Dao?
She was acutely aware that Yun Zhonghe’s Sword Dao mastery couldn’t possibly reach the level of invoking the Dao; he probably hadn’t even fully grasped sword intent—no, it might even be fair to say he hadn’t fully comprehended sword momentum…
Now, a quick explanation on sword momentum: it’s a force of the Sword Dao that exists at a lower level than sword intent, yet it’s a crucial cornerstone for sword cultivators to understand sword intent.
Once a swordsman spends years honing their craft and enters the Sword Dao threshold, if they dig deep enough, they might awaken the momentum of their sword technique.
Gaining this sword momentum would mean they could unleash all the power of their techniques without even trying.
As the daughter of the Xia Family Business, Xia Linglong had mingled with plenty of sword immortals and divine swordsmen, so her perspective was certainly not narrow.
She had witnessed too many dedicated swordsmen; even among the elite, many struggled to comprehend sword momentum. Reaching for sword intent or evoking the Sword Dao was akin to climbing a mountain.
It was clear that while Yun Zhonghe displayed talent in the Sword Dao, he had not yet reached the stage to leap over sword momentum and intent to directly invoke the Sword Dao.
If he could master sword momentum, he might as well be dubbed a sword immortal, revered by the masses!
Xia Linglong had seen Yun Zhonghe’s fierce sword moves, but they hadn’t crossed the threshold into sword momentum.
This baffled her. How had Yun Zhonghe managed to bypass sword momentum and sword intent to summon the Sword Dao directly…
That was the holy grail even countless divine swordmasters yearned for!
Who on earth was Yun Zhonghe?
Adding to the confusion, as Xia Linglong analyzed the Sword Dao energy, she noticed something perplexing.
Though Yun Zhonghe had triggered the Sword Dao’s essence, he clearly lacked control over that power; it was a rough, careless manipulation, causing chaos among the surrounding laws.
Xia Linglong rubbed her temples in frustration. It felt like everything she’d experienced today was tearing her previously solid worldview apart, piece by piece.
First, there was the Eight-Foot Lady’s unexplainable mystery, then Su Xiaoxiao’s unexpected breakdown, and now, Yun Zhonghe’s Sword Dao.
It was like they all lived in different worlds from her.
But then…
While trying to decipher the essence of Dao, Xia Linglong found herself lost in thought, Yun Zhonghe’s image floating into her mind.
In her moment of despair, his selfless rescue became etched in her memory, stirring something within her—it was like she was developing a strangely special feeling for him.
Confusion reigned in her heart.
She liked Su Xiaoxiao, didn’t she? Yet here she was, unable to shake her thoughts of Yun Zhonghe…
She was distressed—she wasn’t a fickle flower!
But Xia Linglong also knew the urgency of their situation; there was no room for distraction. Yet, try as she might, the fact that she could lose focus at such a crucial moment left her speechless.
But what could she do? Yun Zhonghe was so kind, not only saving her life but also showing incredible talent in the Sword Dao. They shared the same hobby, and to top it all off, he was rather handsome…
“How’s it going? How much longer until it’s fixed?” Mu Jixue’s impatient voice pulled Xia Linglong from her thoughts.
She was utterly fed up with waiting; her mind was elsewhere with worries for Yun Zhonghe: “This isn’t the time for meditation on Dao energies!”
Xia Linglong jolted, “I know! Don’t rush me! If I mess up this Dao energy, the exit could be permanently sealed, and we’d be really in trouble!”
Mu Jixue rolled her eyes, “Maybe a good slap would do the trick. You never know.”
Cultivators often carried numerous magical items, and occasionally these items would act up; a good slap might just restore their functionality.
Xia Linglong’s face went pale in an instant.
Could it be the same situation? This was Dao energy we were talking about, for crying out loud! Slapping it wouldn’t solve anything!
If things went awry, they might just end up spending an eternity in this illusion.
Moreover, the idea that a slap could fix magical items was already suspect.
Totally unscientific!
As Xia Linglong and Mu Jixue wrestled with the barrier’s problems, suddenly, they heard a rapid, heavy pounding from outside the exit. It sounded as if something colossal was ruthlessly crashing against the barrier, shaking the entire space around them.
Both girls froze, and Xia Linglong felt cold sweat bead in her palms from the tension.
The force of each impact sent vibrations through the exit barrier, causing the lingering Dao energy to tremble. It felt like it might shatter at any moment, with her heart racing up into her throat.
What the heck was happening? Who—or what—was causing all this ruckus? If that Dao energy broke away, it could destroy the whole barrier!
Before Xia Linglong could even scream a warning, the Dao energy blocking the barrier really did start to shift!
Nervously, she shut her eyes, bracing for disaster.
Yet, to her surprise, nothing catastrophic occurred.
The Dao energy simply dissipated like a wisp of smoke, floating harmlessly into the air without the explosive aftermath they had anticipated.
Mu Jixue looked on, disbelief etched across her face as she rolled her eyes at Xia Linglong, “Looks like a good slap really can solve things. What were you even fussing over before?”
Xia Linglong’s eyes widened in shock, utterly incredulous.
It really just… worked?
Why was this reasonable? This was absurd!
But soon, a thought struck her.
The reason she hesitated to touch the Sword Dao’s energy was because her master had instilled such caution in her.
She recalled her journeys with her master to the Western Continent, where they visited a battlefield where two ancient sword masters had once fought. Every inch of land bore the scars of their battle, even after a thousand years, retaining the residual sword qi filled with Dao energy.
Her master’s goal was to have Xia Linglong comprehend the remnants of the Dao energy to elevate her Sword Dao stance.
At that time, her master had been unusually stern, warning her against carelessly handling this Dao energy.
Though each sword master invoked the Sword Dao, each had unique styles and techniques, making their approaches as distinctive as their sword arts.
The lingering Dao energy was molded by the masters, and if one failed to approach it correctly, it would react like a provoked beast, delivering devastating backlash; minor injuries at best, soul-shattering at worst.
However, Yun Zhonghe’s Sword Dao energy was radically different; it didn’t retaliate at all.
That was because he hadn’t manipulated it in any complex way—his Dao energy was pure and elemental, hence incredibly stable.
With this realization, Xia Linglong’s confusion evaporated, and clarity washed over her.
Yun Zhonghe’s Sword Dao mastery simply hadn’t reached that level; he had merely borrowed the faint echo of the Sword Dao without wielding any real power.
That thought made her exhale softly. If he could manipulate the Sword Dao at such a young age, he would truly be a god among men, transcending the ordinary!
But even in his rough, forceful evocation of the Dao energy, it was enough to cause a stir throughout the cultivation world.
If this all came to light, the Immortal Alliance would undoubtedly come knocking for answers. If Yun Zhonghe’s background was exposed, it could lead to quite the ruckus!
Xia Linglong fell into deep thought—after all, she was a young lady of the Xia Family Business, her insights vastly exceeding the norm, thinking several steps ahead.
She began contemplating the recent upheaval in the cultivation world, recalling how many Yuan Ying experts had been assassinated. This wasn’t about just the Chen Family from Tianhai City; it indicated there were likely hidden demonic cultivators lurking throughout the entire realm.
In this chaotic period, gifted talents like Yun Zhonghe would undoubtedly become prime targets for the demonic sects. If his past leaked, it could spell disaster for him.
Given how Yun Zhonghe had saved her, Xia Linglong was determined to protect him.
Meanwhile, Mu Jixue had been watching Xia Linglong drift off into her thoughts, furrowing her brow with a nagging feeling that “she wants to swoop in and steal my stuff!”
“Hey!” Mu Jixue called, snapping Xia Linglong back to reality, who blinked at her, utterly dazed.
“What’s next?” Mu Jixue pressed, staring at her. “Since the Dao energy dissipated, the laws around the barrier should be returning to normal. Why hasn’t the exit opened yet?”
“Just a sec…” Xia Linglong trailed off, caught up organizing her thoughts. Right then, the exit barrier was assaulted by another round of loud knocks.
