SWDnovel Chapter 15 Introduction
Chapter 15 Introduction
At noon, at the Hall of Transmission.
The Qingyun Sect's Transmission Hall is located halfway up the main peak. It is a three-story stone pagoda, constructed from a single piece of bluestone, and has withstood three thousand years of wind and rain. In front of the pagoda stands a three-zhang-high sword stele, inscribed with only one character—
sword.
There was no signature, no year, and not even any spiritual energy fluctuation. But every Qingyun Sect disciple who passed in front of the sword monument would unconsciously slow their pace and hold their breath.
"This sword tablet was left behind by the first patriarch before his ascension. He said that if anyone can read something from the word 'sword,' it means that person is destined for the path of swordsmanship."
Jian Xuan stood with his hands behind his back in front of the sword monument, his back to Ling Chen who had just entered the courtyard.
"The first lesson for every inner disciple is to stand in front of this sword monument for one hour. Some people stand for an hour and comprehend one or two moves; some stand for a whole day and comprehend nothing; and some stand for three days and three nights and break through to a higher realm. Do you know what you're seeing?"
Ling Chen looked up at the sword monument. It was just a single character for "sword," its strokes neither particularly vigorous nor its structure complex. Yet, in his perception, that character was "alive"—it was breathing, it was pulsating, and within its strokes lay a suppressed sharpness. Like a peerless sword sealed within stone, it awaited, across three thousand years, the one who could pull it out.
"It figured it out," Ling Chen said instinctively.
Jian Xuan suddenly turned around, stared at him for a long time, and then asked Ling Chen a question that he hadn't expected.
"You really have never practiced swordsmanship before?"
Ling Chen shook his head, recalling his three-part Wind-Breaking Fist technique. The Ling family's ancestral methods were fist and saber techniques; no one had ever taught him swordsmanship.
"That's strange. Your swordsmanship contains sword intent." Jian Xuan seemed thoughtful, but didn't press further. He raised his hand and cast a soundproof talisman that enveloped the entire courtyard before continuing, "I called you here for three things."
"First, Fairy Su left you a letter before she left."
He took out an ice-blue letter from his sleeve. The letter was cold to the touch, sealed with a complete ice crystal snowflake that wouldn't melt. Ling Chen opened the letter in front of Jian Xuan; it contained only a few words—
"Ling Chen: The Blood Fiend Sect has been eliminated, and all those in Qingzhou City who colluded with Meng Hu have been dealt with. There are no more demonic spies in Qingzhou City, but there are already disturbances in the Spirit Realm. I need to return to Zhongzhou to inform my master, which will take about three months. After three months, no matter the outcome, I will come to find you. During this time, you must cultivate discreetly and not reveal your Chaos Power too early. The Qingyun Sect cannot be fully trusted, but Elder Jian Xuan can be relied upon. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush the Ice Crystal. — Su Qingyuan"
Ling Chen folded the letter, tucked it close to his body, and looked up.
"What kind of ice crystals did she mean?"
Ling Chen took out the Ice Soul Communication Talisman from his pocket. Jian Xuan glanced at it, his eyelids twitching.
"Ice Soul Communication Talisman. A life-saving talisman that only core disciples of the Central Continent Immortal Sect can refine; there are no more than ten in the entire mortal realm. She even gave you this; it seems you hold a greater place in her heart than I anticipated." He said no more, took a thin booklet from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Ling Chen. The booklet cover had no words, only a drawing of a sword.
"The second thing. Now that you've joined the Qingyun Sect, you should know what the foundation of the Qingyun Sect is."
"The sword," Ling Chen replied.
"Yes, and not entirely." Jian Xuan opened the booklet to the first page, which was densely covered with annotations. The handwriting was sometimes vigorous, sometimes elegant, and sometimes messy, clearly from different people. "This booklet contains the sword insights passed down by the inner disciples of the Qingyun Sect over the generations. There are no names or signatures. Each person adds a few pages of their own insights and passes it on to the next destined person. Every page here embodies the essence of a senior's life's work in swordsmanship. It is one of the most precious inheritances of the Qingyun Sect."
"This thing is too valuable," Ling Chen said.
"This is for the most promising newcomers. It won't gather dust in the library." Jian Xuan shoved the booklet into his hands without further ado. "Su Qingyuan said you haven't properly studied swordsmanship, and your knife skills are all just relying on talent. In Qingyun Sect territory, a Qingyun disciple who doesn't know swordsmanship—do you think that's acceptable?"
Ling Chen silently accepted the instruction.
"The third thing," Jian Xuan's tone became even more solemn, "is that there are demons within the Qingyun Sect."
Ling Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Don't be alarmed. It's not some kind of lurking spy. It's similar to Meng Hu's case—a disciple came into contact with something he shouldn't have while on a training trip, and a demonic seed was planted in his body. After Meng Hu's death, the sect secretly investigated all disciples who had returned from training trips in the past year, and we've already discovered two. One is in the outer sect, and the other is in the inner sect. They've been secretly imprisoned by us, but the problem isn't that simple—Meng Hu's demonic seed was planted by the Demon Lord himself, while these two people's demonic seeds came from someone else. A demonic cultivator with a high status who is hiding within the Qingyun Sect."
Jian Xuan looked at him, speaking each word clearly.
"Currently, only the sect leader, the sect master, and two other elders know about this. I'm telling you because you are the person the demons most want to eliminate. Meng Hu revealed your Myriad Dao Returning to the Void Diagram before he died. Although he was silenced by Hei Mang, you know the demons' rules—killing someone who knows the truth and killing someone who might know the truth have the same result. From now on, within the sect, you will only trust me, the sect leader, and Elder Gu, who is in charge of the Scripture Pavilion. You cannot fully trust anyone else."
He paused.
"Including Han Railways."
Ling Chen's heart skipped a beat: "Is there something wrong with Han Tie?"
"No. Han Tie himself is fine. But the people around him are another matter. Han Tie's father is the head of the Han family, and the Han family has connections with all the major powers in Qingzhou, as well as all sorts of people. If a demonic cultivator's spy gets in touch with Han Tie through the Han family, Han Tie might not know it, but that would create a loophole around him. I'm not telling you to doubt Han Tie, but to keep a clear head about everyone."
Ling Chen nodded: "I understand."
"Very good." Jian Xuan's tone softened. "The important matters are settled. Starting tomorrow, you will participate in morning lessons and trials with the other inner disciples. If you have any questions during your private sword practice, feel free to ask me."
Ling Chen recalled Han Tie's words from earlier that day and couldn't help but ask, "Elder Jianxuan, I've heard that the cultivation intensity at Qingyun Sect is several times that of the outside world?"
"Who told you that?"
"Han Tie"
"That kid wasn't trying to scare you." Jian Xuan stood up, his face looking somewhat meaningful in the flickering candlelight. "The morning lessons at Qingyun Sect begin at Mao Shi (5-7 AM). Mao Shi is when the sun has just risen, but you'd better arrive half an hour early—because the first disciple to arrive can receive an extra Qi Gathering Pill."
"By the way," he said, walking to the door before turning back, "that seal within you is not something you can touch right now. Don't rush to break through. Once your foundation is solid, I will personally protect you."
Watching Jian Xuan's departing figure, Ling Chen suddenly felt he needed to revise his judgment of the Qingyun Sect. This Elder Jian Xuan knew everything—the Myriad Dao Returning to Nothingness Diagram, the seal, the Demon Clan, even Su Qingyuan's identity. He was simply waiting for Ling Chen to speak. Choosing not to ask was a deeper form of trust.
-
The number of inner disciples in the Qingyun Sect is actually not that large.
This is something Ling Chen realized during his morning class on the second day.
On the second floor of the Transmission Hall, before dawn, more than thirty inner disciples had already taken their seats in order of their entry into the sect. Each person's sword rested on their lap, the scabbards facing the same direction, their posture upright and sturdy. Jian Xuan explained sword intent and dissected sword moves on the platform, occasionally pointing out a disciple to step forward and demonstrate. The disciple called upon had to dissect the sword move within three breaths; those who failed were punished with an extra hour of practice.
Ling Chen sat upright in the last row, his Po Jun Dao (a short sword) lying across his lap. Among the group of disciples carrying swords, this short sword stood out, attracting the attention of many.
"A sword? When did the Qingyun Sect start accepting disciples who use swords as part of its inner sect?"
"He's Ling Chen from Qingzhou, personally brought back by Elder Jianxuan. I heard he fought three Qi Gathering Peak cultivators single-handedly on the arena, and the last one even turned into a demon in public, only to be killed by Ling Chen with a single strike."
"Killing a peak Qi Gathering cultivator with a single strike during the early Qi Gathering stage? That's just bragging."
"My senior brother was there that day. He said that they were all dumbfounded by that strike. The blade's aura was cyan, and it had a devouring effect; even the three elders had never seen such power before."
A murmur of discussion arose. Among them, one gaze was particularly sharp—a young man in white sitting in the second row, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding arrogance, did not participate in the discussion from beginning to end, but only glanced at Ling Chen, his eyes full of undisguised disdain.
"Silence." Jian Xuan tapped his sword sheath. "We have a new junior brother today. Ling Chen, stand up and let everyone recognize him."
Ling Chen stood up, holding the Broken Army Blade, and bowed slightly to the surroundings.
"My name is Ling Chen, from the Ling family of Qingzhou. I am at the early stage of Qi Gathering. I hope you senior brothers will give me your guidance."
"I heard you defeated a Qi Gathering Peak cultivator on the arena, not an Early Qi Gathering cultivator," the white-robed youth said. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly. "Since you were able to defeat an opponent of a higher level, you must have some insights into swordsmanship. I wonder if Junior Brother Ling would be willing to spar with me? My name is Xiao Lie, and I'm the seventh in the inner sect."
The surroundings fell silent instantly, and even the air seemed to grow colder.
Ling Chen had heard Han Tie mention this name before. Han Tie said that once you enter the Qingyun Sect, it's best to avoid someone named Xiao Lie. It's not that Xiao Lie is treacherous, but rather that he's extremely combative and enjoys defeating all the so-called "genius" newcomers one by one with his bare hands. In his eyes, the Qingzhou selection arena is nothing more than a formality that the sect is too lazy to take seriously—he looks down on it.
Jian Xuan didn't intervene this time. He simply leaned against the podium and said calmly, "That's enough," his tone imperceptibly suggesting he was enjoying the show.
Ling Chen remained silent for a moment, then placed the Broken Army Blade on the table.
"Senior Brother Xiao, please."
The two walked out of the training hall one after the other, followed by more than thirty inner disciples who were eager to watch the spectacle. The news spread faster than the wind, and even the outer disciples who were sparring in the training ground all sheathed their swords and craned their necks.
Xiao Lie stopped, without drawing his sword, and raised his chin: "I don't use a sword. You can use a knife."
"Need not."
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Lie's eyes, then he laughed: "Interesting."
He raised his hand, signaling Ling Chen to attack first. Ling Chen didn't hold back, stepping out with his Shadow Step, his figure as swift as an arrow released from a bow, his right fist piercing the wind as it aimed straight for Xiao Lie's face.
Xiao Lie sidestepped, effortlessly parrying Ling Chen's fist with his left hand, while his right hand, with fingers as swift as lightning, gripped Ling Chen's wrist. This seemingly casual grip actually contained an extremely subtle technique of applying force—once Ling Chen was firmly gripped, his entire arm would be locked in place by the opponent's wrist strength and unable to move.
Under Elder Mo's tutelage, Ling Chen was no longer the novice who relied solely on his Wind-Breaking Fist for brute force. He flicked his wrist to dodge the grab, and simultaneously struck Xiao Lie's ribs with his left fist—precisely targeting the weakest point in Xiao Lie's spiritual energy circulation.
Xiao Lie let out a soft "hmm," took a half step back, and glanced down at his clothes, which had been brushed by the force of the punch: "You can see through the flow of my spiritual energy?"
Ling Chen didn't answer. His Eye of Insight remained open, clearly reflecting every trajectory of spiritual energy within Xiao Lie's body and every point of convergence. The spiritual energy flow of a peak Qi Gathering cultivator was more refined and seasoned than Han Tie's, almost without any obvious flaws. But the absence of flaws was only temporary—no one could maintain perfect operation forever during intense offensive and defensive transitions. He only needed to wait, wait for a fraction of a breath's time.
Xiao Lie's smile faded, and he re-examined the newcomer in the early stages of Qi Gathering before him, his gaze turning serious. He no longer held back, his hands flashing with sword-like fingers, the air crackling with increasingly sharp sounds. Each strike sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers—Xiao Lie only ever used this formless sword technique when sparring with his top ten senior brothers, never before unleashing his full power against a new disciple.
Ling Chen used his fingers as a sword, employing the sword intent of Lie Feng to dismantle the sword-finger technique. Sword intent clashed with sword intent, and the two fought evenly in the center of the arena. Ling Chen never drew his sword, maneuvering bare-handed between Xiao Lie's sword-finger attacks.
Seventy-two moves. Ling Chen counted silently in his mind. When Xiao Lie changed his move to the seventy-second move, the circulation of spiritual energy finally slowed down for a moment—there was a very brief interruption in the flow of spiritual energy between the dantian and the Shaohai acupoint on the left arm, lasting less than half a breath.
But that's enough.
With a swift movement, Ling Chen pushed his figure to Xiao Lie's left side, where he had created an opening. Three fingers silently lifted from below, precisely supporting Xiao Lie's left wrist pulse point. Chaotic spiritual energy condensed into a needle at the fingertips, stopping an inch from his wrist pulse, motionless in mid-air.
"Senior Brother Xiao, you flatter me."
The training ground was completely silent.
Xiao Lie looked down at his restrained wrist, remained silent for a long time, and then suddenly burst into laughter. There was no resentment or anger in that laughter, only the unexpected excitement of his fighting spirit being ignited. He took two steps back and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ling Chen.
"I take back all my words of contempt for you. Your sword intent is more ferocious than your fists. Next time, don't hold back—draw your sword and strike."
"And one more thing—join my Sword Pavilion. The top ten inner disciples are all in the Sword Pavilion, and you must join them in the future."
When Ling Chen returned to the Transmission Hall, Jian Xuan leaned against the doorframe, picked up the roster, ticked his name next to it, and casually asked, "Being able to see through Xiao Lie's spiritual energy circulation, is it some kind of eye technique?"
Ling Chen knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he nodded.
Jian Xuan closed the roster, casually tossed out a remark, "Next time use a knife, not your fists—that brat Xiao Lie won't submit," and turned to leave.
Ling Chen's first morning at the Qingyun Sect passed just like that.