A ruthless bandit from the celestial realm, he began his cultivation journey after kidnapping the Em

Before everyone could recover from the shock of Ye Chen tossing Cheng Tieniu aside with one hand, hearing his words, they felt he was extremely arrogant...

But he just happens to have that kind of strength, and no one can refute it.

"When did this senior brother begin his studies? He looks unfamiliar!"

"Another prodigy with superhuman strength has emerged from the outer sect, meaning another spot for the inner sect selection will be taken away..."

"I've never seen him before. Could he be hiding somewhere on a mountain, secretly cultivating?"

Many people looked at Ye Chen with more wariness...

The number of inner disciples selected each year is limited. Each additional prodigy means another competitor for the other disciples, making their chances of entering the inner sect even slimmer...

This is clearly not a good thing!

After the initial shock, the disciples present were all quite somber, each speculating about Ye Chen's true strength and weighing their own gains and losses...

Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Ye Chen looked up at Lin Ningxue, who was still standing there in a daze, waved to her, and said with a smile.

"What are you still standing there for? Come and sit down..."

The spot is now empty, and no one dares to try and take it.

After all, even a heavyweight like Cheng Tieniu was thrown away by Ye Chen with one hand; anyone else would probably have been killed with a single punch...

The disciples who had witnessed the spectacle were now trembling with fear, not daring to entertain any other thoughts.

"Huh? Oh..."

"Senior brother, I'm here..."

Lin Ningxue snapped out of her shock, met Ye Chen's gaze, quickly nodded in agreement, and hurried forward to sit down in the empty seat next to him...

A pair of clear eyes were still unconsciously staring at Ye Chen, blinking adorably.

"Senior brother, you're amazing..."

"They said that the fat guy you just threw out was the infamous Senior Brother Cheng Tieniu among the outer disciples. There are no more than ten people in the outer sect who can defeat him..."

"It's not that he's particularly powerful, it's just that he's incredibly tough and resilient. Not only can he withstand a lot of damage, but he's also as stable as a mountain, making him difficult to move..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen scoffed dismissively.

"Him? And he's as steady as a rock?"

"I can lift him like I'm lifting a chick, it's no different..."

He wasn't bragging; after breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, his own strength also increased accordingly...

Before this, Ye Chen was already able to unleash a force of 10,000 jin, and now he has reached an astonishing 15,000 jin!

Even if Cheng Tieniu were twice as strong, Ye Chen could easily throw him away...

The opponent's abilities were only good enough to show off in front of the outer disciples; against him, they were as weak as a chick, easily crushed...

Lin Ningxue was taken aback. Seeing Ye Chen's confident demeanor, she admired him even more...

As expected of my senior brother, he's really amazing!

She couldn't help but feel a pang of regret that she couldn't cultivate her senior brother's techniques; otherwise, she would probably be very strong by now...

Lin Ningxue pondered to herself, thinking that she should also work hard in her cultivation so as not to become a burden to her senior brother.

Suddenly, a gasp rang out from the crowd...

"Elder Xu has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present looked up at the void...

A figure in flowing white robes is approaching from afar on a sword, moving with incredible speed, leaving a long trail in the air...

In a short while, they appeared above Tianling Peak!

"It really is Elder Xu..."

"Quick, quick, Elder Xu is here to give a lecture! Find a seat quickly..."

"Elder Xu's lectures are a rare opportunity, and we must not miss them."

"I still have many questions about swordsmanship that I'd like to ask Elder Xu. I hope I'll have the opportunity to speak with him this time..."

A commotion broke out in the crowd.

The disciples still at the foot of the mountain rushed towards the mountainside the moment they saw Xu Changqing appear, afraid of missing the wonderful lecture...

The originally chaotic training ground became orderly after Xu Changqing's appearance.

Most disciples remained in their positions and stopped wandering around. Those who had been in conflict also calmed down and each took a step back...

On a seat in the training ground...

"Senior brother, that's Xu Changqing, Elder Xu, whom I told you about!" Lin Ningxue pointed to the sword-wielding man above.

Ye Chen's gaze was also fixed intently on the other person...

Dressed in a white robe, he stood with his hands behind his back on the spirit sword, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a face as handsome as jade, and an unassuming appearance, as clean and simple as a block of white tofu...

Even from a distance, Ye Chen could vaguely sense the sword energy emanating from the other party, like a thunderbolt gathering momentum!

"Is this what a Nascent Soul stage expert is like?"

"I, this great king, will one day become as powerful as him... no, even more powerful than him..."

Ye Chen muttered to himself, his heart filled with fighting spirit.

At this moment, Xu Changqing, who was in the void, landed on his sword in the middle of the crowd. This was the central area of ​​the martial arts arena, a space that the disciples had tacitly reserved.

At the same time, the disciples in the training ground all stood up...

"Greetings, Elder Xu!"

The disciples bowed respectfully.

Xu Changqing sheathed his spirit sword, looked around at everyone, and said calmly.

"Everyone, please sit down..."

"Thank you, Elder Xu!"

The disciples took their seats, and the scene was orderly.

Meanwhile, more disciples continued to arrive outside the training ground. They couldn't squeeze in, and they didn't dare to disturb the lesson, so they could only stand on the edge and listen.

Seeing that his disciples had almost all arrived, Xu Changqing pondered for two seconds before slowly opening his mouth and speaking loudly.

"What I want to talk about with you today is—sword intent!"

"Sword techniques are the bones, sword intent is the heart. If one only knows the sword techniques but not the sword intent, one is like a walking corpse, and what one has learned is merely the tip of the iceberg..."

His voice wasn't loud, but amplified by spiritual energy, it carried throughout the entire training ground...

No matter how far away the disciples were, they could hear it clearly.

Among the crowd, Ye Chen nodded to himself as he listened, a hint of surprise flashing across his brows.

"Why does that sound just like what my father, who died young, said?"

He couldn't help but mutter something under his breath...

When he was a child practicing swordsmanship, his adoptive father would often say that practicing swordsmanship wasn't just about practicing the sword itself; one had to understand the essence of the sword to unleash its true power...

Otherwise, any powerful sword technique is merely a fixed, fatal move, revealing flaws at every turn in the eyes of a true swordsman...

Ye Chen had kept these words in mind since childhood, and every time he practiced swordsmanship, he tried to find the essence of swordsmanship in the sword moves. Over time, however, he gradually forgot about it...

He didn't know when it started, but he gradually discovered that every time he practiced swordsmanship, he experienced a state of divine inspiration. The sword moved as he pleased, his mind was clear, and the sword in his hand felt like an extension of his body, making his movements exceptionally smooth...

He simply assumed it was because he had practiced his swordsmanship for over ten years and had become proficient through experience.

As for the sword intent his father spoke of, he had never been able to find it. What exactly was it?

This question had troubled him for many years, and he had never been able to ask anyone.

Hearing Xu Changqing's lecture, I had the urge to go forward and ask him for guidance...