Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

Upon returning to Tianyan Peak, the lingering feelings and turmoil in Lu Ming's heart caused by Hu Zhen were replaced by the pressure of the upcoming competition and the Immortal Relic Land.

He knew that his greatest advantage and variable compared to the heirs of those aristocratic families and holy lands was the sword intent he had obtained from the Qingping Sword Immortal and had initially stirred up during the life-and-death struggle in Yunmengze.

In these three days, he must do his best to turn this opportunity into real combat power.

He went straight to the black bamboo forest where his senior brother Mo Yuan often stayed.

Mo Yuan was dressed in black, seemingly blending into the shadows. The long sword in his arms was neither a sword nor a ruler; it had no blade and was entirely black.

"Senior Brother Mo." Lu Ming bowed respectfully.

Mo Yuan opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a sword: "This sword is named Mo Mei. Draw your sword."

Before he finished speaking, and without any visible movement from Mo Yuan, a streak of dark light flashed like lightning, aiming straight for Lu Ming's throat!

This sword strike was faster than anyone could imagine, and it carried a terrifying killing intent, instantly locking onto Lu Ming's aura, making his hair stand on end!

Lu Ming was terrified. Almost instinctively, he took a step and retreated like a willow catkin. At the same time, his spiritual power exploded and his fingertips gathered spiritual power. He pointed his fingers like a sword and hastily pointed at the side of the dark light.

"laugh!"

The wind between the fingertips and the sword tip produced a soft, explosive sound.

Lu Ming felt a bone-chilling coldness from his fingertips, his entire arm instantly went numb, and his body was shaken back several steps by the force, his blood and qi surging within him.

"The reaction is acceptable, but the footwork is too unsteady, and the spiritual energy is scattered and not condensed."

Mo Yuan's voice remained unchanged, and the black-browed sword in his hand was still pointing at Lu Ming.

"Remember, your opponent won't give you time to prepare. In a battle of wits, life and death can be decided in an instant."

Lu Ming suppressed his churning blood and began to fight with all his might.

He knew that this was how Senior Brother Mo taught: giving guidance in actual combat, with every word a gem.

He stopped thinking and focused his mind. The Wind Spirit Sword was drawn from its sheath with a clang and hovered in front of him, its blade shimmering with azure light.

"Again!"

This time, Lu Ming took the initiative.

The Wind Spirit Sword transformed into a blue rainbow and headed straight for the center, while he followed closely like a cheetah, gathering power in both palms.

Use flying swords to harass the enemy, then engage in close combat!

Mo Yuan remained expressionless until the sword light reached three feet above his body, at which point his dark eyebrows twitched, their trajectory mysteriously alternating between drawing and pressing down!

"clang!"

The Wind Spirit Sword struck an invisible wall of energy, its light dimmed and its trajectory deviated, barely grazing past his clothes.

As Lu Ming's mind trembled slightly, Mo Yuan approached like a ghost, his dark eyebrows sweeping down like iron whips, his momentum like a mountain, sealing off all escape routes!

Before Lu Ming could recall his flying sword, his spiritual power and body-strengthening blood and qi erupted simultaneously. He lowered his waist and hips, rooted himself to the ground, and crossed his arms to forcefully strike!

"Bang!"

A dull thud. Lu Ming felt a sharp pain in both arms, slid back several feet, and felt a sweet taste in his throat.

"The intent to control a sword must be pure; if it is distracted and one gets close, it will lose its agility. In close combat, spiritual power must be integrated with blood and qi; if it is scattered and not condensed, it will only have the form."

Mo Yuan commented, "The Dao is the application, and martial arts are the essence. When wielding a sword, one must be able to react quickly and decisively. In close combat, one can either concentrate spiritual energy to break through defenses, disperse it throughout the body, or enhance martial arts techniques with elemental attributes."

"The essence of sword intent is selflessness and unwavering will, but you are forcing it, which is a inferior approach."

Lu Ming suddenly realized.

He had previously tried to actively drive his sword intent, but instead lost that selfless purity.

He wiped away the blood, his eyes focused: "Please continue, senior brother!"

Over the next two days, Lu Ming persevered amidst Mo Yuan's relentless onslaught.

Mo Yuan's sword strikes were sometimes as dense as rain, forcing him to use the Qingfeng Talisman and the Lightness Technique to their limits.

At times, it was as fierce as thunder, forcing him to use all his spiritual power and body-strengthening fist to parry.

Sometimes unpredictable and bizarre, testing their intuition and cunning.

Lu Ming constantly tried to integrate Daoist martial arts. When harassing enemies with his sword, he would distract himself by casting fireballs and water bullets to restrain them, or set up small five-element array flags to harass the enemy.

In close combat, spiritual energy can be concentrated at the fingertips, dispersed through the legs to aid wind movement, or focused into the fists to ignite fire.

More importantly, under the oppressive killing intent of Mo Yuan, he stopped deliberately searching for sword intent and gradually emptied his mind to feel it.

He recalled the azure sky and flowing Dao patterns when Qingping Sword Immortal bestowed his enlightenment, and the state of mind he had when he selflessly saved his friend in Yunmeng Marsh.

Gradually, the wisp of Qingping sword intent deep within his mind was no longer a force to be driven, but rather like an extended sense, spontaneously capturing the gaps and weaknesses in Mo Yuan's sword momentum.

His evasion and counterattacks became increasingly agile and precise.

Occasionally, a sharp sword intent would naturally emerge from his sword moves.

Although far from reaching the state of selflessness, he had already glimpsed the basics, repeatedly causing Mo Yuan's attacks to falter slightly.

On the evening of the third day, the final sparring session took place.

Although Lu Ming was in a sorry state, his eyes remained bright.

He stood with his sword in hand, his mind calm. He no longer planned his attacks, but simply felt the flow of energy in the surrounding world, the fluctuations of his opponent's spiritual power, and the spontaneous sword intent flowing within his body.

Lu Ming made a move.

The Wind Spirit Sword traced an arc around him, his left hand compressed a fireball and shot it toward his face, while he thrust his sword straight forward.

The three appeared to be no different from before, but this time, his mind was not scattered in directing them, but rather unified under a single pure intention.

Especially at the moment he thrust his sword straight forward, his mind was no longer on moves or victory or defeat, but only on that fleeting flaw in Mo Yuan's sword style.

The trajectory of the Wind Spirit Sword, the speed of the fireball, the angle of its own advance, and even the surge of spiritual power within its body were all naturally controlled by the active Azure Lotus Sword Intent at this moment!

At the tip of the sword, spiritual energy was highly concentrated, and a cyan ray of light suddenly flashed, causing the surrounding light to distort slightly.

It wasn't that he deliberately guided it, but rather that his mind and sword intent were in harmony, and it naturally erupted!

A fleeting look of surprise crossed Mo Yuan's eyes.

Mo Mei emitted a deep hum, the sword shone brightly with dark light, and its sword aura suddenly spread!

"town!"

Buzz!

As if an invisible pressure had descended, the speed of the azure light decreased sharply, and its trajectory became clearly visible.

The crimson fireball, about a foot away from Mo Yuan, seemed to sink into a quagmire, its light quickly dimming before finally annihilating with a "poof".

Lu Ming's sword, which concentrated all his strength and a trace of sword intent, also felt a tremendous resistance the moment it pierced into the range of the dark light.

It was as if it had pierced into hard black iron, and could not go any further!

Sword aura! This is a realm of swordsmanship that transcends mere sword intent and reaches a new level!

An invisible pressure descended.

The Wind Spirit Sword's speed decreased sharply, and the crimson fireball was annihilated, but Lu Ming's sword energy, which contained a trace of Qingping Sword Intent, remained resilient.

Despite the immense resistance, it did not come to a complete halt, but instead pierced the dark light by about a foot before finally stopping due to exhaustion!

Lu Ming grunted and was pushed backward by the recoil, but he immediately circulated his spiritual power to stabilize himself. His eyes showed no frustration, only excitement and enlightenment.

The sword's momentum was slightly shaken!

He felt it! That feeling of the natural fusion of intention and sword intent, Daoist principles and martial arts!

Mo Yuan withdrew his sword, looked at Lu Ming, nodded slightly, and his cold tone softened slightly:

"Three days of honing, the initial essence of swordsmanship is formed. Remember this state: it is not about controlling your will, but about letting your will move with your heart, so that the Dao and martial arts naturally complement each other."

"During the competition, maintain this mindset, and do not be arrogant or impatient."

"Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother Mo!" Lu Ming bowed deeply.

In these three days, he finally found the opportunity to integrate the Qingping Sword Intent into combat.

In the darkness of night, Lu Ming sat cross-legged in the courtyard, contemplating the moment when sword intent naturally erupted.