The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

Points, lines, and planes? In the midst of a fierce battle between cultivators, such descriptions of geometric properties have appeared and been given such important meaning and connotation? It sounds utterly absurd, seemingly laughable, and utterly incomprehensible.

Tang Xin, who had long been determined to learn from and emulate Zhao Qing, subconsciously regarded these three extremely simple concepts as proverbs containing profound truths of the universe. She knew that the other party was helping her to analyze and instill the essence of understanding that leads to a higher realm, and her mind flashed with inspiration.

It's like I've figured something out, but then again, I haven't figured anything out at all...

Seeing this, Zhao Qing wasn't disappointed, after all, she had only just begun to speak. Her gaze pierced through the turbulent flow of energy, clearly reflecting Tang Xin's condition:
This person is already extremely close to the eighth realm. Relying on the immense and powerful natal energy, coupled with the intense and pure fighting spirit, he is comparable to, or even surpasses, the sect leader of the Lingxu Sword Sect, Gu Huai.

However, he ultimately failed to truly unlock some of the core techniques belonging to the Eighth Realm, and could not be considered a "half-step Eighth Realm" like Mo Shoucheng, who had already grasped the basics; he was still a step behind.

"The key to moving from the seventh to the eighth realm lies not in the absorption and control of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, but in the word 'letting go'! When the spirit and will are infinitely emptied, the physical body also becomes ethereal, and only then can a new world be truly drawn in, resonating and generating with it, thus reaching a higher level."

"But if one truly and completely emptys one's mind, without any support, that is the path to losing one's power and perishing."

"Therefore, the balance between 'letting go' and 'holding on,' and the transformation between 'emptiness' and 'existence,' contain profound skills and principles that cannot be attained without great wisdom, great perseverance, and great opportunity."

"The points, lines, and planes I mentioned are the keys to measuring this path and opening even half a step or the true gate to heaven!"

Zhao Qing's voice, like the grand pronouncements of the Dao, possessed a penetrating power that pierced through illusion. It rang out clearly amidst the howling wind and roaring sword intent, striking directly at the core:
"The point is the deepest obsession in one's heart! The line is the line of the law of primordial energy, a bridge connecting the inside and outside and drawing upon the great power of heaven and earth! The surface is the manifestation of the fundamental meaning, the prototype of the domain formed after the resonance of spirit and will with heaven and earth!"

"The condensation of intent is the core, the extension of momentum is the line, and the spread of domain is the surface! Piercing through illusion, the line guides the law, and the surface embraces heaven and earth! In my opinion, it can also be called 'Spiritual Void,' 'Divine Bewilderment,' and 'Awakening of Heaven.' These are all different names for the Eight Realms, representing three paths of cultivation that are not related to each other but lead to the same goal!"

"Look at his sword—a scene of turmoil and universal sorrow! A grand compassion, like the sky collapsing, covering the eight directions, boundless and limitless, this is its 'face'! This is the essence of Tuoba Wuchou's sword!"

"However, the core of its meaning lies not in the vastness of the wind and rain, but in a single fallen leaf fluttering in that boundless storm! Even if heaven and earth collapse and all things perish, leaving nothing but emptiness, that fallen leaf still has its attachments and its obsession with returning to its roots! Within it lies Tuoba Wuchou's will to protect the ancestral mountain and isolate it from disaster!"

"These fallen leaves are like 'points'! They represent the deepest obsessions in our hearts, the threads of our longing!"

Tang Xin was shocked! A fallen leaf? A seemingly insignificant fallen leaf that could be torn apart by the wind and rain at any moment?
"The key lies in—" Zhao Qing's voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap exploding in Tang Xin's mind, "'The vastness of wind and rain' and the insignificance of 'fallen leaves' are not separate, but one! They evolve simultaneously and merge with each other! Their compassion is broad, and their protection is subtle! Their meanings give rise to each other, and that is what makes them unparalleled!"

"The unparalleled power of this sword intent lies not in its vast coverage or the intensity of the storm, but in its use of a single 'concern' in people's hearts as a guide, transforming boundless wind and rain into a single point of destructive sharpness! Points transform into lines, lines form surfaces, intent moves heaven and earth, mutually generating and accompanying each other, each being the other's inner and outer essence, thus forming the suppression of you on the level of sword intent!"

"I see! No wonder?!"

After Zhao Qing's systematic explanation and guidance, Tang Xin finally realized why the sword move of the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword produced a paradox that subverted ordinary people's understanding, breaking her own understanding of the inverse relationship between "range" and "power", and achieving the ultimate unity of "breadth" and "sharpness".

Against a powerful enemy who has mastered such techniques, not to mention that Tuoba Wuchou's efforts far surpass his own, even in a battle of equal strength, the profound mystery of using "points" to control "areas," projecting sword intent onto every part of the sword's momentum simultaneously without weakening due to dispersion, is difficult to resist!

So, what is my obsession? What is my "point"?
An unprecedented sense of confusion and bewilderment instantly gripped Tang Xin's mind, a mix of insights from countless past battles, her mastery of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and her pursuit of her own path with the sword...

Countless fragments were instantly absorbed and reassembled by this grand framework, sparking brilliant ideas to solve the mystery!
A relentless desire to conquer heaven and earth, to transcend one's own limits? This seems to be the direction of his inner sharpness, the source of strength that sustains his continuous ascent. A burning passion entrusted to the sword, regarded as a lifelong companion? Undoubtedly, the sword has long been an extension of his life.

But what about at a deeper level?

Homeless and countryless, utterly alone. Wandering the world, seeking vengeance and revenge, yet never finding a true companion, nor bound by blood ties. That deep-seated sorrow, born of an orphan, a profound loneliness and desolation, a feeling of being adrift in a vast world with nowhere to belong…

Is this the true, underlying color of his heart? Is it the "fallen leaf" he has never faced squarely?
To understand one's true nature and illuminate one's original essence is a profound mystery, residing solely within one's own mind. Even with his extraordinary wisdom, Zhao Qing could not guide others; he could only rely on himself to question and comprehend it amidst the passage of time, the brink of life and death, and the confusion on the path of enlightenment.

Go and confront the purest part of your heart, and find the "connection" that can link the laws of primordial energy.

Just as Tang Xin was feeling agitated and trying her best to capture her own "fallen leaf", another unexpected change occurred!

The light emanating from the giant purple jade tree suddenly became dazzling! At the tree's roots, Tuoba Wuchou's pale, empty eyes seemed to pierce through centuries of chaos, truly "focusing" on the two intruders for the first time!
He didn't seem like a living being at all; his left hand was stretched out straight, exuding a powerful aura of his destiny.

Then, a loud buzzing sound rang out.

The wind and rain at the bottom of the valley suddenly stopped, and there was no sign of wind or rain again.

A rumbling sound began to echo over the entire ancestral mountain.

An indescribably vast and immeasurably distant silver beam of light, originating from the deep, dark outer space beyond the reach of sight, began to crash down! Thousands of feet above the ground, it suddenly disintegrated, transforming into billions of pitch-black raindrops!
Each drop of black rain contained the coldest and most violent baleful energy condensed from the heavens above, forming an extremely cold gale! They were as sharp as needles, as heavy as lead, and carried a murderous will that could pierce through the void, howling as they accelerated their descent!
They are no longer just rain, but countless knives and swords falling from the sky, carrying the meaning of the annihilation of stars!

The true dawn! Connecting with the primordial energy beyond our realm!
Tuoba Wuchou's remaining fighting instincts, faced with the invisible pressure from Zhao Qing and Tang Xin's ruthless challenge, finally stopped being limited to the clash of sword intent at the eighth realm level. Instead, he used the terrifying method of the Qitian realm, which truly leverages the laws of heaven and earth and draws down the power from beyond the heavens!
This all-encompassing rain of destruction not only enveloped Tang Xin, but also completely engulfed Zhao Qing, who was standing quietly to the side!
It no longer seeks to break through, but instead crushes with absolute power, sealing off all room for evasion and forcing you to confront it head-on!

The shadow of death had never loomed so heavily over Tang Xin's spine.

Even before the cold, black rain sword reached him, his soul already felt a piercing, tearing sensation.

In this critical moment, time seemed to stretch out infinitely.

The black starfall falling before my eyes suddenly distorted and faded, replaced by a blinding sunlight so distant it was almost forgotten, from a corner long since sealed away by time...

It's not about grand national righteousness, nor is it about deep-seated love and hate. The imagery is exceptionally simple, even somewhat lonely:

It was a desolate, cold frontier region, a dilapidated courtyard with earthen walls.

A thin, ragged child squatted alone in a corner. In his hand, with a broken wood-chopping knife he had found, he clumsily but intently carved a piece of dead wood. Wood chips flew everywhere, and gradually, the crooked shape of a wooden knife began to emerge.

He had no playmates because he was an orphan.

Furthermore, his innate, unconventional, lone wolf-like gaze instilled fear and alienation in the other children.

He could only climb up that low earthen wall, like a fledgling separated from its flock, gazing into the distance. Outside the wall, a group of teenagers in the town were noisily playing a game of "heroic chivalry," also wielding wooden swords and knives, laughing and frolicking.

"Hey! You villain! Take my 'Heaven-Opening Sword'!" A chubby child, brandishing a wooden sword, clumsily stabbed at his companion, who was wearing a black turban and dressed as a "mountain king".

"Hahaha! A mere trick! Behold my 'Sweeping Through a Thousand Armies'!" The boy dressed as the mountain king exaggeratedly swung his wooden sword, deflecting the "Heaven-Opening Sword," drawing laughter from those around him.

"The hero has arrived! You villains, surrender at once!" Another child jumped out, striking what he thought was a dashing pose. "Rule of law is on the rise today!" "Yes! Rule of law is on the rise!"

"Kill!"

The children's innocent shouts and laughter echoed through the town's streets. Sunlight shone on their carefree faces and on the small figure peeking over the wall.

The child on the wall, lips tightly pursed, had no envy or jealousy in his bright black eyes, only an almost greedy focus as he chased after those freely flying figures.

A chivalrous hero? So this is what a chivalrous hero is like? Gathering friends and companions, upholding justice, and settling scores with gusto? Surrounded by a crowd, playing the role of a hero in a certain story or for a certain group?
The noise outside the wall crashed against his eardrums like a tidal wave, but inside he felt a profound loneliness.

He gripped the wooden knife tightly, his knuckles turning white.

No, that wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to play anyone's role, follow anyone's rules, or belong to any banner or group. The bustling scene of heroes outside the wall contrasted sharply with the utter loneliness inside.

He suddenly understood what the inextinguishable flame in his heart was when he gripped the sword.

free!

Not bound by any person, any force, any country, or even this world!

Formless and shapeless like the wind, unrestrained and wild like thunder, like an eagle soaring through the heavens, he listens only to the deepest voice within his heart! Transcending all tangible and intangible cages, he arrives at true freedom! This is where his sword points, this is where his Dao heart resides!
This yearning for absolute freedom, deeply rooted in his lonely soul, is the "fallen leaf" that sways in the wind and rain, the "point" where all his spirit finally condenses!
boom--!
Deep within my consciousness, something seemed to explode!
It wasn't a surge in power, but rather a sudden illumination and tightening of some unifying "thread"!
All past insights into the heavens and earth, all methods of harnessing the power of nature, all the sword and saber intents that pursued ultimate speed and destruction—at this moment, they all found their one and only ultimate anchor—freedom! The thought of being carefree and unrestrained!

The cyan longsword in his hand, formed from the earth's gale and black sand, suddenly stopped its violently churning sandstorm!
Immediately, an unprecedented pure will was injected into it, no longer control, but... assimilation!
The sword is me, and I am the sword! The tearing and grinding of the wind and sand is no longer a tool he wields, but an outward manifestation of his will to pursue freedom and break through all obstacles!

The blazing white lightning blade, formed from the lightning strikes of the Nine Heavens, silently merged into the wind. It was no longer aided by the runes attached to it, but transformed into the pure sharpness within the sword intent of wind and sand, capable of severing all shackles and destroying all laws!

The once dim Wind and Thunder Blades seemed to sense the transformation and sublimation of their master's soul, emitting a clear and resonant hum!

Unlike ordinary sixth and seventh realm cultivators who use solid crystals and refined gold as their natal objects, the knife and sword in his hand, which seem to be incredibly hard and leave no room for retreat in their attacks, are actually made entirely of the aura of real lightning and sandstorms. Their resilience is beyond imagination, and they are not afraid of injuries in the usual sense.

Thunder has no form, and dust storms are unpredictable.

Therefore, although it was hit by a huge force earlier, and the runes seemed to collapse and the sword body was about to break, it was actually collapsing but not scattering, collapsing but not being damaged, and collapsing but not losing its "spirit".

The "intention" of wind and thunder has not been extinguished. With just a thought, it can instantly reassemble into form, and even... the two can move at will, radiating an even more dazzling brilliance!

The wind's trajectory traces lines of unbridled will, while the thunder's roar reverberates a declaration to break free of shackles! Tang Xin advances instead of retreating, boldly facing the black rain that overturns the sky, going against the current, her knife and sword thrusting out resolutely, like a lone goose striking the clouds hanging in the sky!
However, understanding it doesn't mean you can withstand it! That earth-shattering strike, originating from an eighth-realm expert communicating with the outer realms and drawing down the stellar energy, still has an insurmountable gap in power level!

He touched the threshold, but Tuoba Wuchou was already standing high inside the door!

The moment the dazzling sword light pierced through the black rain, a sharp, piercing sound was heard. The hundreds of icy water droplets at the forefront were forcibly annihilated by the extreme sharpness and unrestrained sword intent, turning into dissipated energy!

But what followed was an endless, seemingly without end, torrent of destruction!

The hard cave walls and stiff green grass shattered and vanished silently like fragile pieces of paper, leaving behind countless bottomless and terrifying ravines! Green sap mixed with stone powder flowed down like a viscous waterfall of blood and tears.

Even the surrounding area within a hundred miles of the ancestral mountain was distorted and disordered by the unparalleled wind and rain sword intent, as if it had fallen into a violent vortex.

"This herb is extremely poisonous; even a seventh-level grandmaster would find it difficult to withstand it..."

Zhao Qing, who was not far away, blinked, but showed no awareness of being in danger or being attacked as well. Instead, he took a deep breath of the swirling, turbulent mist, indicating that the medicine was still effective. At the same time, he had a somewhat awkward opinion of Tang Xin's performance.

The reason was that her words were clearly meant to teach the other party how to thoroughly understand the true meaning and basic framework of "Peerless Wind and Rain Sword", highlighting the most crucial domain fulcrum, thereby enabling them to specifically see through, analyze, and break through moves, and to cut off the symbols and lines connecting the "points" and "surfaces" one by one during combat.

By using this method of insight and cutting the lines, one can effectively weaken the power of those sword moves, cleverly interfere with and disrupt them, and fine-tune the stable energy structure of the sword stance, like a butcher dissecting an ox, achieving effects such as deflection and shifting, and dissipating the sword's momentum.

This is undoubtedly the correct strategy needed to fight an Eighth Realm cultivator who has lost their ability to react, even with the power of a half-step Eighth Realm cultivator.

"There are priorities, and this was too reckless."

Zhao Qing's telepathic message was filled with a mix of exasperation and exasperation, as if saying, "You've grasped a bit of your own obsession and connected the 'thread' of the law of will. That's very good!"

"But this kind of understanding is for 'cognition,' for 'leveraging,' for finding weaknesses and breaking the balance in the opponent's vast 'surface'! It's not for you to use this newly formed ember to extinguish that world-destroying karmic fire that can burn the sky and boil the sea!"

"It's like finding a newly forged key in a lock, but insisting on using it to smash that massive iron gate! How foolish!"

Her words were sharp and incisive: "Even if you choose to confront them head-on, you're still using the wrong method! Using a point to break through the surface is a way to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. However, the advantage of a point lies in its 'sharpness.' If the opponent also comes at you with an endless 'surface,' trying to break through with a point is not a wise move, but rather like throwing an egg against a rock."

"Ugh……"

Zhao Qing sighed inwardly. Tang Xin, this free-spirited swordsman who sought the Dao, still seemed to lack inspiration and comprehension. He was limited by his stubbornness in hitting a wall and did not understand that obstacles in his path could be transformed into a foundation for freedom. His adaptability was limited.

If I were to disregard everything, I would be crushed to ashes in the next instant, my bones and flesh scattered, my body and soul annihilated!
"It seems I have no choice but to take action myself."

Before she finished speaking, her aura suddenly changed! It was no longer the supreme spiritual emptiness that had been restrained like a deep pool, but a kind of complete release, as if she had transcended all things and brought a pause to the symphony of destruction: "How about we each bear half?"

"never mind……"

Zhao Qing glanced at Tang Xin's bones, meridians, and internal organs, seeing them burning and overburdened. He realized that if Tang Xin managed to block even half a blow, she would be practically crippled, and he would have to find a way to treat her. So, he decided to take on more of the burden himself.
"You carry as much as you can, and leave the rest to me."

The final three words, "Leave it to me," carried an unquestionable and absolute confidence of being in control of the entire situation.

Then, she gently raised her hand.

...(End of chapter)