Long Jiang'an, the top outer disciple of the Divine Dao Sect, is said to be at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Elemental Martial Realm. His iron fists are rumored to be capable of splitting mountains and rocks. He is the most renowned outer disciple of the Divine Dao Sect. If not for this joint assessment, he might have been taken in by the sect's elders long ago.
Long Jiang'an followed the path of fierce and forceful fists, excelling in overpowering enemies with strength. Jiang Yun was confident that even without using a sword, he could have a slight advantage against Long Jiang'an. Tai Chi's principle of using softness to overcome hardness happened to counter Long Jiang'an's style.
Jiang Yun put away the information on Long Jiang'an and continued to read about Xiao Jinhu, the leading outer disciple of the Yan Yue Sect. As the chief disciple of the Yan Yue Sect, there was limited information available about Xiao Jinhu's strength. All that was known was that he also had the cultivation of the peak Ninth Layer of Elemental Martial Realm and excelled in psychic attacks.
Squinting his eyes, Jiang Yun thought about psychic attacks, a unique technique on the Lingwu Continent that targeted a warrior's mental state.
Psychic cultivation was a rarity among martial artists on Lingwu Continent, so those proficient in psychic attacks held a significant advantage in battles. However, Jiang Yun wasn't particularly fearful of this technique. As a practitioner of sword intent, he was quite mindful of protecting his mental state. He especially strengthened his mental defenses after experiencing a near-possession situation, making him more resistant to psychic attacks.
Considering all this, Jiang Yun realized he held a considerable advantage against the other two sect's chief disciples. He relaxed slightly, reaffirming his pride. Even without their information, he wouldn't be daunted when facing them.
With a clear view of the situation after studying the information, Jiang Yun felt confident about the upcoming joint assessment. In the following three days, Jiang Yun didn't train as rigorously as usual. Approaching the critical point of the Earth Martial Realm, breakthroughs weren't just achieved through effort; they depended on finding the right opportunity.
The Earth Martial Realm represented a threshold in a martial artist's journey. Some naturally broke through when reaching the peak of the Ninth Layer of Elemental Martial Realm, while others remained stuck at this level throughout their lives.
Jiang Yun didn't consider himself one of those destined individuals who instantly achieved enlightenment. He wasn't overly pessimistic, either, believing that he could eventually break through.
Tianjian Sect's approach to disciples on the verge of the Earth Martial Realm was apt. Usually, when an ordinary disciple reached the peak of the Ninth Layer of Elemental Martial Realm, they were sent down the mountain to experience the world. After encountering various ups and downs in the secular world, they could gain insight and understanding. This experience often marked a breakthrough.
However, these matters would be addressed after the joint assessment. For now, Jiang Yun's focus remained on the upcoming event. If he could help Tianjian Sect achieve a good outcome, the sect could gain an advantage in the distribution of resources among the three sects. This would indeed be a significant contribution on Jiang Yun's part.
In the past three days, apart from his daily practice, Jiang Yun didn't spend much time on cultivation. Instead, he provided guidance to other outer disciples.
Among them, Li Dadan and Wang Kaihai benefited the most. Although Li Dadan had slightly lower comprehension ability, his persistence was unmatched among the outer disciples.
While Jiang Yun didn't teach Li Dadan any formidable sword techniques, three days ago, he replaced Li Dadan's longsword with a heavy sword. He then led Li Dadan to the waterfall where he had previously practiced. He had Li Dadan practice his swordsmanship there for three days.
This method of sword practice had been attempted before. Legend had it that in Jiang Yun's previous life, there was a master named Dugu Qiu Bai, who practiced his swordsmanship under a waterfall. He was undefeated throughout his life.
Jiang Yun didn't expect Li Dadan to reach the same level as Dugu Qiu Bai, but he wanted him to find a sword style better suited for him. Li Dadan wouldn't benefit much from practicing agile sword techniques. Tailored practice was always more effective than random practice.
So, three days later, when Li Dadan emerged from the waterfall, other outer disciples noticed that his demeanor had become steadier compared to three days ago. This indicated that Li Dadan's swordsmanship had developed some personal style.
Jiang Yun advised Li Dadan to focus on cultivating the vigorous and impactful sword techniques. Light and agile techniques, like the Solitary Wind Twenty-One Sword Form, didn't suit Li Dadan and wouldn't be beneficial to him.
Wang Kaihai, on the other hand, was the opposite of Li Dadan. His style was more suitable for the fast, precise, and fierce route, akin to the works of Gu Long, a famous martial arts novelist. Jiang Yun didn't have much time to provide tailored training for Wang Kaihai, so he taught him a set of sword techniques that matched his style.
The Thirteen Consecutive Lethal Strikes, also known as the "Thirteen Strikes of Death," was a set of sword techniques that had made waves in Jiang Yun's previous life. It was said that even the Sword Saint, Xie Xiaofeng, had difficulty resisting it.
The creator of this technique was called Yan Shisan. He was a nemesis of Xie Xiaofeng and knew him better than anyone else. Although this set was called the Thirteen Consecutive Lethal Strikes, there was a legendary fifteenth move, even beyond Jiang Yun's mastery. Although Jiang Yun had taught Wang Kaihai this technique, he didn't expect him to master the fifteenth move.
Wang Kaihai had a high level of comprehension for this set of techniques. Despite the limited three-day timeframe, he managed to reach the tenth move. With Wang Kaihai's skill, if he could execute up to the tenth move, he would be unbeatable among the outer disciples of the three sects, except for Long Jiang'an and Xiao Jinhu.
Apart from Wang Kaihai and Li Dadan, Jiang Yun generously provided guidance to other outer disciples. Whenever someone sought his advice, he tailored his guidance according to their sword style. These tips might not be groundbreaking, but they were enough to provide a moment of enlightenment.
Yang Jinyan sought Jiang Yun's advice the most during these three days, excluding Wang Kaihai and Li Dadan. After Jiang Yun's guidance, Yang Jinyan's attitude towards him became more respectful. Every time he saw Jiang Yun, he insisted on paying his respects as a junior disciple. Despite Jiang Yun's attempts to discourage him, Yang Jinyan persisted.
If there was anyone among the outer disciples who still didn't accept Jiang Yun, it would be Zhou Ziyue. After the confrontation with Jiang Yun, Zhou Ziyue's reputation among the outer disciples had declined. Many disciples taunted him by mentioning Jiang Yun. This had fueled Zhou Ziyue's growing resentment towards Jiang Yun.