The thirty-third Qingfeng Sword Battle Festival had come to an end.
However, this year's Sword Fighting Gathering was not only discussed enthusiastically by the Sword Faction disciples, it was also discussed enthusiastically by the various elders and sect masters. The center of their discussion was naturally Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng.
Regardless of whether it was Chu Mu or Xiao Qianfeng, they had both displayed heavenly talents that they could only look up to.
There was a saying that went like this: When you are only a little better than others, others will be dissatisfied, hostile, and even jealous. However, when you are far better than others, all that is left is to look up to you, and they can only look up to you.
… …
"What is a pseudo sword?"
"A pseudo sword is a weapon that is between a Hundred Refinements Sword and a true sword."
"A sword has a unique spirituality and is extraordinarily powerful. Compared to a Hundred Refinements Sword, the difference is like heaven and earth. Not only does a sword surpass a Hundred Refinements Sword in terms of hardness, toughness, and sharpness, it also contains a special characteristic that a Hundred Refinements Sword does not possess, which is the so-called spirituality. "
"A sword is made for swordsmen of the Qi Transformation Realm and above. A Hundred Refinements Sword is simply unable to withstand a Qi Transformation Realm swordsman's Xiantian Sword Qi. A pseudo sword may be able to withstand it, but it is unable to fully display the power of the Xiantian Sword Qi. Only a sword can withstand the Xiantian Sword Qi and fully display the power of the Xiantian Sword Qi. It can even increase the power of the Xiantian Sword Qi to a certain extent. "
"For swordsmen of the Sword Qi Realm, their Sword Qi is Houtian Sword Qi and is not enough to activate a sword. Thus, a Hundred Refinements Sword is the best choice. However, once one's cultivation reaches the tenth stage and can condense Sword Qi, the Hundred Refinements Sword will no longer be able to withstand it. At this time, an even stronger sword is required. The solution is often to strengthen the Hundred Refinements Sword. The better choice is naturally a pseudo sword. Especially for swordsmen of the half-step Qi Transformation Realm, their Sword Qi is purer and is between Houtian Sword Qi and Xiantian Sword Qi. Only a pseudo sword can withstand it. "
"This pseudo sword of yours, the pseudo Clear Wind Sword, was forged based on the low rank sword, the Clear Wind Sword. In terms of strength and sharpness, it is not inferior to the Clear Wind Sword by much, but it lacks the spirituality of the Clear Wind Sword."
The words of the High Wind Palm Academy echoed in Chu Mu's mind. Only then did he feel that another door to the world of swordsmen had opened before his eyes. There were endless mysteries.
In the pavilion, on the balcony, Chu Mu held the white silk cloth in his left hand and the fake Clear Wind Sword in his right.
Footsteps could be heard as Li Wei jogged over.
"Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother sent someone to invite Senior Brother over for a small gathering." Li Wei glanced at the fake Clear Wind Sword and felt that it was a little dazzling. She quickly retracted her gaze and looked at Chu Mu's back.
She felt a slight throb in her heart. It seemed to be a kind of inexplicable good feeling. However, because of the huge gap between them, it was firmly suppressed and sealed in a corner. She could only stand behind and watch silently.
"Oh, okay." Chu Mu put down the white silk cloth and carefully lifted it from the sword guard. His line of sight flowed like water towards the sword tip. Soon after, he waved his hand and the sword flashed. A faint cyan color flowed in the air, as if a cool breeze was blowing.
A melodious sound rang out as the sword was sheathed. Chu Mu got up, looked at Li Wei, smiled, and went downstairs.
In the pavilion, there was already an eighth level disciple waiting to lead the way.
…
The mountain road was rugged, and the mountain wind was blowing. There were a few sparse pine trees around, growing in the wind. A figure was walking quickly.
This was one of the many small peaks in Qinglan Mountain. At the top of the mountain, there was a pavilion. In the pavilion, there were four people sitting.
"Junior Brother, you are late. Drink a cup as punishment." A voice that carried a faint smile and sounded like white clouds drifting away rang out. Immediately after, there was the sound of wind breaking. Chu Mu saw a shadow break through the air and fly over. Surprisingly, it was a small wine cup.
He reached out his left hand and pinched the small wine cup with his thumb and index finger. There was a cup full of mellow wine inside, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.
With a slight smile, Chu Mu didn't decline. He poured a cup into his mouth and flicked his finger. The small wine cup shot out and landed on the stone table in the pavilion, where it remained motionless.
"Good." Everyone clapped and laughed.
He took a step forward and as if he was blown away by the wind, he came to the pavilion and sat down on the empty stone chairs. There were five stone chairs, corresponding to five people.
Besides Chu Mu, there was Xiao Qianfeng, Li Yi, Yuwen Wenhua, and Wang Tinghao.
Xiao Qianfeng had a cold and sharp personality. He was a man of few words and usually did not smile. He was a typical swordsman. Li Yi was as relaxed as the clouds. Yuwen Wenhua had a strong and domineering personality. He was very confident and open-minded. Wang Tinghao was also a man of few words. He was straightforward and always meant what he said.
In this year's Qingfeng Sword Battle Festival, after a round of fighting, it could be said that friendship grew from fighting.
Although Li Yi, Yuwen Wenhua, and Wang Tinghao were defeated by Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng, they were not jealous or resentful. Instead, they admired Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng and took the initiative to befriend them.
The three of them had different personalities and extraordinary temperaments. Chu Mu saw them as people worthy of befriending. Therefore, he did not reject their good intentions.
Xiao Qianfeng was now an elite disciple of the Main Palace. Although he was a swordsman, he was not someone who did not know the ways of the world. He also expressed his goodwill to the three of them.
Therefore, in the past few days, when they were not cultivating, the five of them would gather here from time to time. They would drink a little, talk about their swordsmanship, talk about their own ideas, and discuss various problems in cultivation.
As the saying goes, there is always someone to learn from!
In terms of swordsmanship, Chu Mu was the best among the five of them. However, it did not mean that Chu Mu was the one who knew the most.
Xiao Qianfeng had some kind of fortuitous encounter. Li Yi and the other two's cultivations were far superior to Chu Mu's. Moreover, they had experienced a lot and were knowledgeable. During the discussion, Chu Mu also gained some benefits. Not only did his horizons broaden, but he also gradually understood the bottleneck between the peak of Stage Eight and Stage Nine.
"Junior Brother, when I fought with you that day, my state of mind was disturbed. After a few days of settling down and adjusting, not only did my state of mind adjust, but my swordsmanship also improved a little." Li Yi drank a cup of wine and suddenly stood up. He smiled and said, "Today, I will show you what I have learned. Junior Brothers, please comment on it."
"Senior Brother, please."
As he spoke, Li Yi had already walked out of the pavilion. His sword cloud moved, complementing the white clouds outside the mountain.
In this way, drinking a little wine, discussing together, and comparing notes with each other was more effective than cultivating on their own.
"How pleasant. I have stolen half a day of leisure, wine, sword, and friends." Yuwen Wenhua suddenly sighed and poured a cup of wine into his mouth. Then, he laughed and drew his sword with a clang. He leaped into the air, somersaulting a few times before shooting out. His sword seemed to come from beyond the heavens, piercing towards Li Yi. At the same time, he shouted, "Take this, Senior Brother."
"What a nice half a day of leisure, wine, sword, and friends …" Chu Mu and the other two clapped and laughed.
… …
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed. The weather was even colder.
As usual, Chu Mu woke up early. Under the hazy night sky, the biting cold wind blew as he sat on the balcony, cultivating the Zhongyuan Sword Qi Art.
He was already at the peak of the eighth stage, and if he broke through, he would be at the ninth stage.
However, Chu Mu's Sword Qi cultivation was basically supported by the Qi Refining Pill, so it was more or less unstable. Right now, he was constantly moving the Sword Qi, not hoping to break through, but only to purify the Sword Qi and eliminate the side effects of the pill, so that it could completely stabilize.
At that time, it would be safer to break through to the ninth stage.
As for the sharpness of the pseudo Clear Breeze Sword, Chu Mu had tried it before. When he clashed with the Hundred Refinements Sword, the Hundred Refinements Sword was directly pierced through, and when the three swords slashed at the same place, the pseudo Clear Breeze Sword was not damaged at all, and the Hundred Refinements Sword broke.
After completing the twenty-four great cycles, the Sword Qi became even purer. Chu Mu headed to the Wind Sword Discourse Arena to cultivate his sword arts.
Although the cold was deep and the sky was still a little hazy, when Chu Mu arrived at the Wind Sword Discourse Arena, he discovered that there were already sixty to seventy disciples practicing their swords on the Sword Discourse Arena.
Seeing that Chu Mu had arrived, the disciples all stopped and saluted to Chu Mu. Their eyes were filled with unconcealable passion and worship, causing the cold to immediately disperse.
Following that, under the sincere request of the many disciples, Chu Mu led everyone to practice the Soaring Wind Sword Technique. In an instant, the disciples on the Sword Discourse Arena consciously stood in an orderly manner, practicing their swords together. The scene was extremely spectacular, and the atmosphere was extremely good.
He had already cultivated the Soaring Wind Swordsmanship to perfection, so it was a piece of cake for him to guide his disciples.
After a round of guidance, all the disciples felt that they had gained something. Some of the doubts that they could not figure out in the past were suddenly enlightened, and they were extremely grateful to Chu Mu.
He did not stay on the Sword Discourse Arena for long, because today, he had more important things to do.
Chu Mu said a few words, then sheathed his sword and left the Sword Discourse Arena, heading towards the Soaring Wind Sect.
… ….
Two figures left the Soaring Wind Courtyard and headed towards the main hall.
"You are the champion of this year's Qingfeng Sword Competition, so you have three days to comprehend the Qingfeng Sword Stele. Make good use of it." The Soaring Wind Sect advised as they walked.
"Yes, Sect Leader, since comprehending the Qingfeng Sword Stele is of great benefit, why doesn't the Sword Sect allow more disciples to comprehend it?" Chu Mu asked.
"The conditions are limited. There's nothing we can do about it." The Soaring Wind Sect smiled and said, "The entrance to the Azure Sharp Cave is hidden in the void and will only appear once every three years. After it appears, the number of people entering each time cannot exceed five, otherwise, the Azure Sharp Cave will not be able to withstand it and collapse. In the past, after every Sword Competition, other than the top three, there would also be two elders or the Sect Leader who would enter to comprehend it together. But this time, the five of you are all very outstanding. Therefore, the Sect Leader decided to give up two spots and let the five of you enter together. As for us, to be honest, we have already entered once or twice. Other than the first time we reaped a lot of benefits, the second time we entered, we basically didn't gain much. The third time we entered, it was almost negligible. In addition, every time the Azure Sharp Cave opens, it consumes a lot of energy. It can't support everyone for three days, so we can only adjust the length of time. After it closes, it will take three years to replenish it. "
Chu Mu nodded in realization. So there was such a mystery in the Azure Sharp Cave.
An hour later, he came to the main hall with the Soaring Wind Sect Leader and met up with Xiao Qianfeng, Li Yi, and the others. Under the lead of Sect Leader Luo Tianxiong, they headed to the Azure Sharp Cave.
As an important place of the Azure Sharp Sword Sect, ordinary people were naturally not allowed to approach.
With Luo Tianxiong in the lead, Chu Mu and the other four followed closely. Luo Yuling stood at the side and watched. She stared at Chu Mu, a strange light flashing in her eyes. Her pink lips moved as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. She could only watch as Chu Mu left.
The Soaring Wind Sect Leader glanced at Luo Yuling and secretly smiled. He shook his head slightly. He was an experienced person and could naturally see some clues. He couldn't help but feel pity.
After interacting with Chu Mu many times, the Soaring Wind Sect Leader could see that Chu Mu was not the kind of person who was obsessed with love. In his eyes, there was only the sword and the way of the sword. Everything else was secondary.
At least, it was for now. As for what would happen in the future, no one could be sure.
… …
The entrance to the Azure Sharp Cave was located in the basement of the Azure Sharp Main Hall. There were three checkpoints, and the last one was sealed with a heavy steel door. Even a Qi Transformation Realm expert wouldn't be able to break through.
Moreover, there were two old men guarding this place. When Chu Mu's gaze fell on the two old men, he only felt a faint obscure fluctuation. They seemed to be old, but in fact, their bodies contained powerful and majestic sword qi.
Chu Mu intuitively felt that the cultivation of these two old men was stronger than the Qi Transformation Realm experts he had seen so far.
"Luo Tianxiong greets the two Grand Elders." Luo Tianxiong respectfully saluted the two old men. Chu Mu and the others were secretly surprised. They were actually Grand Elders. No wonder Luo Tianxiong was so respectful.
The old men slowly opened their eyes. They were turbid, without the slightest light, but they made people feel that there was a hidden depth. Their gazes moved away from Luo Tianxiong and fell on Chu Mu and the others. Immediately, Chu Mu and the other four felt as if their bodies were bound by an invisible force. In that instant, they couldn't breathe and their thoughts seemed to have stopped.
"Grand Elder, the five of them are the most outstanding disciples of our sect in this Sword Battle Festival. Originally, only the top three disciples were allowed to enter the Azure Edge Cave to comprehend the Azure Edge Sword Stele." Luo Tianxiong hurriedly explained, pointing at Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng. "But this time, Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng appeared out of nowhere and displayed even more extraordinary talent. They obtained first and second place, so I made the decision without permission to let Chu Mu and the other two obtain third place and enter the Azure Edge Cave to comprehend the sword stele together. I seek Grand Elder's permission."
The gazes of the two old men fell heavily on Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng, causing Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng to feel an indescribable pressure. They were completely unable to resist, so much so that they couldn't even muster up the thought of resisting.
Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng's expressions changed greatly. Their hearts beat three times faster, their blood vessels almost burst. Their eyes glared angrily. Their sharpness condensed. Although they were like ants trying to shake a tree, they were unyielding, unyielding, and uncompromising.
Boundless sharpness appeared on Xiao Qianfeng's body once again, while Half-step Sword Force condensed on Chu Mu's body.
In an instant, the two old men closed their eyes. Chu Mu and Xiao Qianfeng only felt that all the pressure on their bodies had disappeared. Just as they were about to resist with all their strength, it was as if they had punched cotton. The emptiness made them feel even more uncomfortable. Their chests swelled up, making it difficult for them to breathe. It took them a while to adjust.
The two old men each pointed a finger from their sleeves as fast as lightning, shooting out two rays of Sword Qi that struck a certain spot on the roof of the secret underground room. In an instant, a creaking sound rang out. The heavy steel door slowly moved to the side, revealing a pitch-black entrance.
"Wait a little longer." Luo Tianxiong stared at the entrance and said softly.
Time slowly passed. This place made Chu Mu and the other four feel somewhat oppressed, and the source of this pressure was the two old men.
"It's here." Luo Tianxiong's tone contained a trace of excitement, and a bright light flickered in his eyes. Chu Mu and the others looked over, only to see layers of ripples suddenly appear in the darkness behind the steel door. It was as if a stone had fallen into a calm water surface.
"The five of you can enter now." Luo Tianxiong said, "When the time comes, I will remind you."
Chu Mu and the others were filled with excitement and curiosity as they walked towards the Azure Edge Cave. They stepped into the cave and disappeared.
"Thank you for your trouble, Grand Elders." Luo Tianxiong once again performed a sword salute, looked at the steel door that was slowly closing, and turned to leave.
"I didn't expect that someone would actually obtain the inheritance of the Way of the Sword. This is truly shocking."
"As for the other one, I can't see through him …"
Two old voices slowly rang out, echoing in the secret underground room before it gradually returned to silence.