Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

As night fades and the morning sun shines once more upon Laoshan Mountain, the spiritual energy surrounding the bamboo hut by the Lingquan Spring remains rich and lingering.

After the training incident the previous day, Lin Yan and his group realized even more clearly that although the outer sect seemed calm, there were undercurrents. Su Chen and Zhao Kui's shadows had not yet dissipated, and they would certainly not let the matter rest so easily.

Under the blazing sun, everyone focused intently on their cultivation, daring not to slack off in the slightest. Chen Dagang, holding the jade slip of "Shadow Chasing Steps," repeatedly studied it in the courtyard, refining his footwork step by step in conjunction with his own powerful physique. Although he lacked the support of spiritual power, he still walked steadily and swiftly, his figure becoming increasingly agile. Yi Azhu sat by the spiritual spring, circulating her water spirit body and absorbing the medicinal power of the condensed water spirit liquid. Her body glowed softly, her Qi Refining Level 2 realm becoming increasingly stable, and her spiritual perception was also slowly improving.

Lin Yan stood in the open space in front of the bamboo hut, his fingertips gripping the peach wood sword, practicing sword control techniques and the "Waves Sword Finger" repeatedly. After many days of honing his skills, his control over his seventh-level Qi Refining spiritual power had become increasingly refined. The peach wood sword moved nimbly and freely in his hands, sometimes hovering in mid-air, sometimes piercing through the air. Water-attribute spiritual power flowed along the sword's blade, each sword finger technique carrying a clear, refreshing watery melody, its power gradually becoming apparent. The spirit tortoise lay quietly at his feet, its shell patterns occasionally shimmering, spontaneously purifying the surrounding impurities and protecting his cultivation.

Yunxi stood alone at the edge of the bamboo forest, her body surrounded by sword intent, yet she always seemed somewhat hesitant, and her brows furrowed with unconcealed sorrow.

Holding her natal spirit sword, she closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to circulate her spiritual power to refine her sword intent. However, the spiritual power in her dantian could not circulate smoothly, and the originally refined sword intent became scattered and elusive. After several attempts, she was unable to enter the state of unity between mind and sword.

A soft sigh escaped Yunxi's lips as she sheathed her sword and stood there, her beautiful brows furrowed with worry.

Since entering Laoshan, her cultivation has been smooth, and her sword intent has become increasingly refined. However, recently, the more she wanted to break through her realm, the more anxious she became. Fragments of past memories would flash through her mind from time to time, but they remained blurry. Only the sword-shaped black jade she wore close to her chest remained cold, yet she had no clue about it.

This obsession with her origins gradually became her inner demon, hindering her swordsmanship and making it difficult for her to advance further.

"If the sword intent is scattered and the mind is not calm, the sword will not be steady."

Another steady voice came, and Lin Yan walked slowly over, holding a peach wood sword, with the spirit turtle following closely behind. He had sensed the disordered sword intent here while he was cultivating, and knew that Yun Xi had encountered a bottleneck in her cultivation.

Yunxi turned to look at Lin Yan, suppressing the scattered sword intent around her, her tone tinged with melancholy: "I still can't understand it. My mind is too cluttered with distractions, my sword heart cannot be clear, and my cultivation is difficult to advance."

The mystery surrounding her origins became the biggest obstacle on her path of cultivation. The more she wanted to become stronger, the more eager she was to find out about her past, the more chaotic her mind became, and the more stagnant her sword intent became.

Lin Yan stopped in front of her, his gaze falling on the sword-shaped black jade on her chest, which was faintly glowing. A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. He had noticed before that this black jade was no ordinary object. When he broke through his cultivation level, Guan Hai Mo Yan had a slight resonance with this sword-shaped black jade, which was definitely not an ordinary ornament.

"The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with inner demons, and the mystery of one's origins will eventually come to light. There's no need to rush." ​​Lin Yan's tone was calm, and every word was sincere. "You cultivate not only the sword but also the heart. Only by letting go of your anxiety and calming your mind can you achieve unity of heart and sword and break through the bottleneck."

Having said that, Lin Yan raised his hand, and a wisp of pure water-attribute spiritual energy emanated from his palm, slowly spreading towards Yun Xi's body. This spiritual energy was gentle and peaceful, carrying the clarity of the Observing the Sea Technique, gradually soothing the scattered sword intent and restless spiritual energy around her.

At the same time, the Guanhai Inkstone in his dantian rotated slightly, and a faint spiritual aura quietly overflowed, echoing the sword-shaped ink jade on Yunxi's chest from a distance.

hum-

An extremely faint chime emanated from the sword-shaped black jade.

The originally dull black jade suddenly glowed with a faint luster, and several fine sword patterns appeared on its surface. A pure sword intent emanated from the jade, instantly soothing Yunxi's anxiety and frustration.

Yunxi shuddered, her eyes filled with astonishment. She felt her distracting thoughts vanish instantly, her sword heart suddenly opened up, and the spiritual power that had been dormant in her dantian suddenly surged. The barrier of her fifth level of Qi Refining was shattered under the impact of her clear sword heart and pure spiritual power!

Pure spiritual energy swept through his body, constantly cleansing his meridians, and his cultivation level steadily rose, breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining!

His sword intent soared into the sky, but instantly receded back into his heart. His sword heart was clear and pure, without any hesitation. His whole demeanor became increasingly sharp and aloof.

A glint of light flashed in Yunxi's eyes. With a gentle flick of her fingertips, her natal spirit sword was drawn from its sheath, transforming into a streak of light that hovered before her. The sword hummed incessantly, its blade resonating with her will. Without needing any complicated practice, she directly channeled her spiritual power with her sword intent, silently reciting the sect's basic sword control technique.

"rise!"

She uttered a soft word, and the spirit sword instantly soared into the air, steadily carrying her figure as she slowly lifted off the ground, rising several feet into the sky. Her clothes fluttered gently in the mountain wind, and sword intent swirled around her. Although she was only flying at low altitude, and her flying distance and skill were not as good as Lin Yan's, she had truly stepped into the realm of sword control and wind manipulation, fully displaying her talent as a sword cultivator.

Seeing that she had already stood firm, Lin Yan smiled slightly. With a thought, the peach wood sword under his feet rose into the air. He leaped onto the sword, surrounded by water spirit energy, and flew straight to Yun Xi's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.

The morning sun shone on the two of them, and the mountain breeze fluttered their clothes. The peach wood sword at Lin Yan's feet gleamed with a warm and lustrous light, while the spirit sword beside Yun Xi had its cold light concealed. One wood and one spirit, one water and one sword, the two figures stood in mid-air, shuttling through the morning mist of Laoshan Mountain.

Yunxi was still somewhat inexperienced in wielding the longsword for the first time, so Lin Yan slowed down and carefully supported her, occasionally pointing out how she adjusted her spiritual energy output and controlled the direction of the sword. The two rode side by side, soaring through lush bamboo forests and across the surface of a spiritual spring lake. Below them were green mountains and clear waters, and they were surrounded by swirling clouds and mist. The sounds of swords clashing and the soft vibrations of spiritual energy intertwined, showcasing the youthful vigor and spirit of the young cultivators.

After flying low for a while, Yunxi had become much more skilled and slowly landed back on the ground with Lin Yan. Her usual coldness had faded, replaced by a more radiant look after breaking through to a higher realm.

She bowed deeply to Lin Yan, her tone sincere: "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Lin."

"You were born with exceptional talent, but your inner demons have haunted you. Now that your sword heart is clear, a breakthrough is a natural outcome." Lin Yan nodded slightly. "With your strength, you'll be able to establish yourself firmly in the outer sect competition."

While the two were diligently cultivating and flying on their swords in the bamboo forest, in a secluded bamboo hut in the outer sect, Su Chen and Zhao Kui were plotting something with resentment on their faces.

"With the real person protecting them, we can't do anything to them openly. Are we just going to let it go like this?" Zhao Kui clenched his fists, recalling the scene of being repelled by Ye Qing the day before, his heart filled with resentment.

Su Chen's eyes flashed with a sinister glint, a ruthless glint in them: "Let it go? Impossible! The outer sect competition is just around the corner. On the arena then, swords and spears have no eyes. We'll have plenty of opportunities for revenge. I'll make Lin Yan and Ye Qing lose face in front of the entire sect, completely disqualifying them from competing for inner sect status!"

He had already made up his mind to set a trap for Lin Yan and his group during the outer sect competition, in collusion with his confidants. Even if he couldn't severely damage them, he would ruin their reputation and vent his hatred.

Zhao Kui's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "You've thought of everything! The mini-competition is the perfect opportunity; we must teach them a lesson then!"

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with resentment and ruthlessness, and a sinister scheme quietly took shape in the shadows.

Inside the bamboo forest, Yunxi calmly stabilized her cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Her fingertips lightly twirled sword techniques, and the spiritual sword beside her hummed slightly, ready to take flight again at any moment.

Lin Yan gazed into the distance, his eyes calm and undisturbed. He had already anticipated that Su Chen and Zhao Kui would not let the matter rest, and the outer sect competition would likely be a tough battle.

A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo grove, and beneath the seemingly calm exterior, undercurrents were already stirring.