What is happening?"
"Could this fellow be practicing some terrifying martial technique again?"
At the entrance of the palace, Lin Fei wore a look of astonishment as the oppressive force emanating from within grew increasingly potent, causing his heart to race.
Before long, this pressure seemed to reach its zenith, akin to a tempest, hurling the palace doors wide open.
Standing at the entrance, Lin Fei found himself directly in the path of the flung doors, and in a panic, he summoned his true essence to shield himself. Yet, at that moment, a wave of overwhelming pressure surged toward him, momentarily stalling his true essence.
"This..." Lin Fei's face turned pale with shock, and before he could recover from his astonishment, he was sent sprawling by the impact of the doors.
Fortunately, as a Martial Spirit practitioner, he suffered little harm and quickly rose to his feet, casting a bewildered glance into the palace.
With the doors no longer obstructing his view, he could see everything inside, and at that moment, Lin Fei noticed Ye Tian practicing a peculiar form of swordsmanship.
Why was it peculiar?
Because Lin Fei had the strange sensation that Ye Tian's blade moved slowly yet swiftly.
This contradiction perplexed him, leaving him to wonder if the impact from the doors had left him dazed.
Thus, Lin Fei observed Ye Tian in the grand hall of the palace, repetitively executing that erratic and enigmatic sword technique.
Three days later, Lin Fei noted that Ye Tian had not ceased his practice of this technique even for a moment. Instantly, he began to suspect that Ye Tian might have become obsessed with his training.
However, some individuals enter such a state while comprehending martial arts. Therefore, Lin Fei refrained from interrupting Ye Tian and swiftly informed the Thirteenth Prince, Yun Shuiyao, and Meng Shiyun.
"What is going on?" Yun Shuiyao rubbed her somewhat drowsy eyes and lazily inquired, clearly just awakening from slumber.
Lin Fei was at a loss for words; the palace was brimming with spiritual energy, and with only a month remaining, he had not anticipated that Yun Shuiyao would be sleeping while the Thirteenth Prince and Meng Shiyun diligently cultivated.
Yet, at that moment, he had no time to scold her, as the Thirteenth Prince and Meng Shiyun had already noticed Ye Tian's unusual state, both visibly astonished.
"Is this enlightenment?" the Thirteenth Prince said uncertainly.
It is said that when a martial artist achieves enlightenment, they enter a state of unity with the heavens, experiencing a dramatic surge in both cultivation and martial skills—an encounter coveted by all martial practitioners.
However, attaining such enlightenment is exceedingly difficult. Even the most exceptional talents find it challenging; it requires not only innate ability but also various fortuitous circumstances.
Thus, the Thirteenth Prince's face was filled with envy.
"It is possible. Did you not notice? He has already ascended to the third level of Martial Spirit," Meng Shiyun remarked, her eyes sparkling with astonishment, her fair skin glowing with an ethereal radiance, exuding an extraordinary aura.
"Is it truly enlightenment?"
Yun Shuiyao's eyes widened, finally shaking off her drowsiness.
Lin Fei was equally astonished, his excitement bubbling over as he exclaimed, "The third level of Martial Spirit? With this, Ye Tian will surely be able to defeat that fellow known as Mad Blade!"
"Not necessarily! That Mad Blade is at the pinnacle of the seventh level of Martial Spirit, on the verge of breaking into the eighth level. With a difference of four or five tiers, Ye Tian may not be able to defeat him," Meng Shiyun countered, her expression grave.
"Indeed, I have also inquired about this Mad Blade. Aside from the powerful inner disciples within the palace, he is the strongest among them. He previously seized a palace but was quickly defeated. He is a formidable opponent," the Thirteenth Prince nodded, stating solemnly.
"That may not be the case. I believe in Ye Tian; just wait and see!" Lin Fei declared confidently, then turned his curiosity back toward Ye Tian in the palace, asking, "Can you discern what sword technique Ye Tian is practicing? I find it quite peculiar."
"Unclear!" the Thirteenth Prince shook his head.
"It is indeed strange—an interplay of speed and slowness, a bewildering rhythm that confounds the mind," Meng Shiyun replied, her expression slightly tense.
"Moreover, this technique seems devoid of any offensive power. Did you notice? It appears to be a defensive sword form," Yun Shuiyao suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
The sword is known as the king of all weapons, while the blade reigns supreme among them; throughout history, all blades were designed for killing, and never has anyone created a defensive sword technique.
The Thirteenth Prince and Meng Shiyun quickly recognized this point, their expressions shifting to a mix of shock and confusion.
Within the palace, though Ye Tian's eyes were open as he practiced his sword technique, it seemed as if he was oblivious to Lin Fei and the others. He was completely absorbed in his training, disregarding all people and objects around him.
This was a wondrous state; Ye Tian found himself enveloped in darkness, unable to see anything, save for a vast Taiji diagram beneath his feet, radiating a soft glow.
Standing atop the Taiji diagram, Ye Tian executed the Three Styles of Burial; with each strike, it felt as if he were aligning with some celestial trajectory. This seemed less like swordsmanship and more like a manifestation of universal principles.
"Heaven and Earth are boundless; from boundlessness springs the Taiji..."
As Ye Tian swung his blade, it traced a semi-circular arc, a brilliant curve infused with two distinct energies—one being true essence and the other, blade intent.
True essence is tangible, while blade intent is intangible; together, they complement one another, giving rise to the Taiji.
A small Taiji diagram emanated a fierce light, materializing in the void as Ye Tian struck, suppressing the surrounding emptiness.
In that instant, a flash of brilliance illuminated Ye Tian's mind, akin to a shooting star streaking across his consciousness.
"First Style of Burial!"
Suddenly, Ye Tian's eyes flew open, and from his dark irises burst forth two radiant beams of light, blazing like the sun in the sky.
In an instant, an overwhelming aura erupted from Ye Tian, sweeping across the entire hall.
However, he quickly reined in his aura, and the brilliance in his eyes gradually faded, returning to a state of ordinariness.
Yet, Lin Fei, stationed at the entrance of the palace, had already been roused by that powerful aura. He opened his eyes from his meditation and immediately spotted Ye Tian before him.
"Ah, Ye Tian, you have finally awakened!" Lin Fei exclaimed in delight.
At that moment, Ye Tian appeared unremarkable, with no significant changes, save for his eyes, which gleamed with an otherworldly light that was difficult to gaze upon directly.
"Finally? I have only practiced for a brief moment; is such a reaction truly warranted? And what of the palace doors?" Ye Tian replied, his face etched with confusion.
"A brief moment? More than twenty days have passed! Tomorrow is the day Mad Blade challenges you. After all this time, did you not feel a thing?" Lin Fei rolled his eyes, then grew curious. He understood that Ye Tian had entered an enlightened state, though he was unaware of what that state entailed.
"More than twenty days!"
Ye Tian's eyes widened in shock. He felt as though only a moment had elapsed; he distinctly remembered just returning from the battle hall.
To think that in that practice, over twenty days had slipped by was simply unbelievable.
Ultimately, through Lin Fei's explanation, Ye Tian learned that he had entered the legendary state of enlightenment. No wonder he had felt so extraordinary; he had been in a state of unity with the heavens.
"More than twenty days! No wonder I mastered the first style of the Three Styles of Burial. I initially thought it was due to my blade intent and knowledge from my past life that I learned so swiftly; now it seems I have greatly benefited from this enlightenment."
Ye Tian mused to himself.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian discovered that his cultivation had ascended to the third level of Martial Spirit. The ten blood cores within him had expanded more than twice their original size, and his profound true essence surged throughout all his meridians.
At this moment, with every gesture and movement, Ye Tian exuded an overwhelming aura of power.
Though he had only reached the third level of Martial Spirit, Ye Tian felt confident that he could contend with a ninth-level Martial Spirit practitioner. This was not mere arrogance; rather, it stemmed from a profound sense of assurance.
"The Three Styles of Burial: the first style is one of defense—an absolute defense. Utilizing the inclusiveness and smoothness of Taiji, it dissipates the enemy's offensive power."
Ye Tian's eyes sparkled with clarity; he had not anticipated that the first style of the Three Styles of Burial would be a defensive technique, and one so formidable at that.
He sensed that among practitioners at the Martial Spirit level, few could breach the defense of this technique.
The inability to penetrate his defenses placed Ye Tian in an invincible position. Regarding the challenge from the Mad Blade the following day, he felt an unwavering confidence in his victory.
"Ye Tian, news of your impending battle with the Mad Blade has spread throughout the inner sect. I've heard that some disciples have even set up betting odds; the odds for the Mad Blade are one to one, while yours are one to ten," Lin Fei's voice echoed.
Startled, Ye Tian snapped back to reality and glanced at the visibly excited Lin Fei. He promptly retrieved the thirty remaining spirit stones from his possession and tossed them to him, declaring, "Bet it all on my victory!"
"Are you certain?" Lin Fei asked, his gaze fixed on Ye Tian with a hint of eager anticipation.
"Absolutely certain!" Ye Tian replied with a slight smile.
"Good, just wait; with those odds, we're in for a substantial profit," Lin Fei remarked, his doubts dissipating as he took the spirit stones and departed.
Time passed swiftly, and as the morning sun illuminated the sky the next day, many inner sect disciples began to converge upon the palace where Ye Tian resided.
Within the entire Divine Star Sect, there were over three thousand inner sect disciples; however, most were either out on missions or honing their skills across the Great Yan Kingdom, leaving only a little over a hundred disciples in the sect.
Nonetheless, on this day, the area in front of Ye Tian's palace was abuzz with activity, even drawing a few elders clad in black robes to witness the event.
Ye Tian sat cross-legged within the palace, eyes closed in meditation, striving to elevate his spirit to its peak state.
Even though he felt confident about this battle, he dared not be complacent; after all, the Mad Blade was a seasoned veteran who had been in the Divine Star Sect for over a decade, and one could never know what special techniques he might possess.
With so many eyes upon him, Ye Tian did not wish for any unforeseen incidents; ultimately, he still harbored a competitive spirit.
"The Mad Blade has arrived!" Suddenly, a gasp rippled through the crowd.
Ye Tian immediately opened his eyes, two brilliant beams of light shooting forth, dazzling like the sun and illuminating the entire palace.
Boom!
A towering figure, wielding a massive cleaver, descended rapidly from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground with a resounding thud.
As the crowd turned to look, they realized that the newcomer was indeed the Mad Blade, his piercing gaze fixed intently upon Ye Tian inside the palace. The two locked eyes, and a flicker of sparks seemed to ignite between them.