When Cui Yigeng drew his sword, the entire bamboo sea seemed to fall silent.
All that was sharp, restless, and piercingly painful, at this moment, subsided.
All that was wounded by the sword, was also subdued by the sword.
Cui Yigeng’s eyes, neither large nor small, looked at Jiang Wang no differently than he looked at the bamboos.
He seemed to be probing something, yet also simply immersed in his own world.
His sword-wielding hand was incredibly steady.
You felt that in this posture, after ten or twenty years, his sword and his hand would not deviate in the slightest.
The process of him drawing his sword was incredibly detailed.
In vision, it appeared remarkably slow.
His five fingers, one by one, descended.
His finger bones began to exert force, and slender meridians surfaced on the back of his hand, protruding like roots.
The劍柄 (jiàn bǐng – sword hilt) made of raw wood seemed to have grown into his palm.
He drew his sword from the bamboo sheath as if extracting his bones from his body. And his blood, his persistence, his countless nights drenched in sweat, had long been forged into the sword blade.
At this moment, Jiang Wang even thought of the scene where Zhao Rucheng drew the Son of Heaven’s Sword on the Guan He Platform.
What kind of sword is this?!
The process of it leaving the sheath felt as though a person’s entire life had already ended!
And the long sword after it had left the sheath was merely announcing such a conclusion.
For ten years, for twenty years, ever since his childhood… Autumn frost, spring moon, summer wind, winter snow, through all his experiences, Cui Yigeng had only practiced this single sword strike.
Without a single day of rest.
The long sword in his hand is named “Yi Xin” (一心 – One Heart/Mind).
Reading the scriptures of the sages, practicing the Yi Xin sword.
At that time, the waves of the bamboo sea subsided, and heaven and earth fell silent.
A million bamboo leaves pointed, and the sword intent was all condensed into this sword.
Thus, this single sword came forth alone.
It cleaved open the air, cleaved open space, and even cleaved open sight.
Everything seen, everything experienced, everything encountered,
Must be cleaved open by it!
Jiang Wang found that it was utterly impossible for him to resolve this sword strike!
Purely on the level of swordsmanship,
He was already challenging the peak of this realm. After replicating the technique of sword energy forming threads, he was undoubtedly already at the peak.
But he could not receive this sword strike with pure swordsmanship.
A true inheritor of a renowned sect, like Swordswoman Ning, practiced绝剑术 (jué jiàn shù – Absolute Sword Arts), each of which could be called peak swordsmanship. She had cultivated every single绝剑术
To the extreme of the current realm.
But Swordswoman Ning could not block this sword.
Because some swordsmanship, in the hands of a specific person,
Can break through limitations.
Swordswoman Ning cultivated the swordsmanship of those who came before.
What Cui Yigeng cultivated, however, was his own sword,
And it had already reached the utmost extreme.
The so-called one step above the peak.
Is a scenery impossible to behold in this realm.
Only one who truly embodies their own essence,
One who truly comprehends the ultimate intent, can achieve this step.
That incomparably pure sword strike came head-on,
In the sensory experience of sight,
It was as if the entire world had plunged into darkness — that was because this sword had already shattered vision into pieces.
Although nothing could be seen before his eyes, he could still feel this sword.
Its sharpness, its resoluteness,
Its cutting edge.
Impossible to evade, impossible to block.
Thus, it approached.
Thus, the sword arrived.
There was the light of Five Palace Divine Abilities,
Shining in his chest and abdomen.
There was flowing fire rising around his body.
There was frost cloak fluttering in the wind.
In his crimson-gold eyes,
Sword light shone.
The Physique of the Heavenly Palace,
Manifested the Sword Immortal!
Jiang Wang was enveloped in a splendor difficult to describe, with momentum, intent, technique, Dao, Qi… all unified into the most extreme sword intent. Merged with his body,
It reached beyond the heavens.
The so-called Sword Immortal is a divine ability where the sword evolves all methods.
It is inherently the integration of all his ultimate intent divine abilities, and it naturally grows with the growth of his personal strength.
Today’s Jiang Wang.
The Jiang Wang who sat alone in the Wuyan Imperial Mountain Range,
Meditating deeply on the Dao.
The Jiang Wang who had digested all the gains from the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Duke of Huai’s Manor, and the City of No Redemption.
The Jiang Wang who used technique to break technique, shattering the strongest defense of Yi Tang from Ren Xin Guan.
The Jiang Wang who embodied himself with the sword, manifesting this sword that could topple a peak,
With infinite sharpness!
The pillar supporting the sky has been broken.
What of this moment? What of this world?
When the sky collapses and the earth sinks, let humanity be extinguished!
He could not defeat Cui Yigeng’s Yi Xin sword on the level of swordsmanship.
But Cui Yigeng’s utterly refined and pure sword,
Also had a most appropriate countermeasure — pour out everything, erupt with full power, counter one heart with ultimate intent.
It is to break skill with force, to strike the sword tip with a great hammer!
The entire bamboo sea, the green bamboos in front of Jiang Wang,
All bent backward. The pervasive terrifying sword intent,
Like a fierce wind, caused them to bend at the waist. What bent was Cui Yigeng’s waist!
But their bamboo leaves still pointed like swords at Jiang Wang.
They pointed to Cui Yigeng’s sword heart.
The Yi Xin sword and Chang Xiang Si (長相思 – Longing) finally met!
Even the sword energy had already collided and created sound first, that chirping like ten million sparrows… was precisely the fiercely battling sword energy.
The two renowned swords under heaven did not, in fact, meet.
In that distance, perhaps less than a hair’s breadth, Cui Yigeng suddenly stepped back.
This step, he retreated into “emptiness.”
He retreated from the swordsman who was sharp and seemed capable of cleaving through everything, back into a state of being outside the world, isolated in a non-existent place.
And he, with a specific movement, in the visual sense of slowness, returned the Yi Xin sword to its bamboo sheath.
He had already seen the result of the two swords colliding, so there was no need to continue.
He had only this one sword, and thus the outcome was decided.
Sometimes sheathing the sword requires more courage and ability than drawing it.
Across from him.
Jiang Wang gathered his ultimate intent into a sword strike, pushing the peak that could tilt the heavens, controlling such terrifying sword intent—
In the end, he merely flicked lightly, the tip of Chang Xiang Si trembled slightly, like ripples on an autumn lake, creating a sword flower woven from sword energy and sword intent.
The semi-transparent sword flower reflected the blade like frost and snow.
The petals fell one by one.
And all the splendor regarding the sword’s momentum, also lightly dispersed like clouds and wind…
He returned his sword to its sheath.
With a specificity similar to Cui Yigeng.
The two renowned swords under heaven each fell silent.
Those bent green bamboos straightened again, and those sharp bamboo leaves, of course, softened their cutting edge.
Only then could the wind blow.
Thus, swish-swish, swish-swish…
The bamboo sea heard the tide.
“You win.” Cui Yigeng emerged from the state of ’emptiness’ and said calmly, “Do you need me to announce it to the world through the academy?”
Jiang Wang said seriously, “My purpose for this trip was solely to spar, not for fame. No one in the world will know the outcome of this battle.”
Cui Yigeng merely said “Oh.”
That was truly not an important matter.
Jiang Wang then bowed his hands to him, “I take my leave.”
For such a person, not wasting his time is the greatest respect.
Leaving Qin Ku Academy, he continued eastward.
The two kingdoms of Mu and Jing had formally begun fighting, and the front line was currently still centered around Liyuan City.
But this situation is bound to not last long. Elite troops like Jing’s Eight Armors, Iron Pagodas, and Royal Tent Cavalry cannot be confined to a small area. It is foreseeable… as the war intensifies, the entire Sheng Kingdom might become a battlefield for the two great hegemonic nations!
The Northern and Central Regions will also inevitably fall into turmoil.
Jiang Wang, who had never set foot in the Central Region, now came in person this time.
Contrary to the imagined atmosphere of approaching storms, what he saw along the way was remarkably peaceful. People seemed completely unaware of the great war happening, the clash of the two hegemonic nations was like clouds in the distance.
Perhaps it was because the place Jiang Wang reached was still far from Sheng Kingdom, or perhaps it was due to the confidence built by the people of the Central Region over a long period.
After all, from the beginning of the Dao Calendar until now, Jing Kingdom has consistently occupied the center of the current world.
Of course, regarding Jing Kingdom, the current Jiang Wang did not have many thoughts.
If he were to challenge the Outer Tower realm geniuses of Jing Kingdom… he wondered if Chen Suan had achieved Divine Landing. Even if not, Chen Suan would probably be too busy to bother with him at this time.
Back then, on the Star and Moon Plain, he borrowed the starlight given by Master Guan Yan to suppress the opponent with a sword. Jiang Wang himself could not feel completely at ease, and presumably Chen Suan would not truly be convinced either.
But between personal honor and a major event like the Jing-Mu Great War, Chen Suan’s choice is self-evident.
As for the others… not fighting is fine.
It’s not that there are no worthy opponents in Jing Kingdom, it’s just that Jiang Wang only seeks the strongest one.
That person who died after the Ten Thousand Monster Gate before the Yellow River Convention, the first in the Jing Kingdom’s Inner Mansion, if he had survived, he would undoubtedly be a formidable opponent now.
But reality is this cold, like a corpse, having lost its body heat, gradually cooling… no matter how exceptionally talented that person was, how much he surpassed his peers in Jing Kingdom, after death, he was quickly forgotten.
Let alone Jiang Wang, even within Jing Kingdom, probably not many people still remember his name.
But it is not very important.
Jiang Wang’s purpose for this trip was for Qing Ya Academy.
In the Central Region, which is almost a monopoly of the Daoist Sects, Qing Ya Academy has managed to establish itself and gain widespread fame, ranking among the four great academies under heaven, becoming a temple of learning yearned for by all scholars. Naturally, it has its extraordinary qualities.
Perhaps due to the romantic and free-spirited nature of the Daoist Sects in the Central Region, Qing Ya Academy also possesses some uninhibited and natural Daoist temperament within it.
In the ranks of academies like Qin Ku, Long Men, and Mu Gu, which are oriented towards progress, Qing Ya Academy’s leisurely style is unique.
Of course, Jiang Wang also has a very deep understanding of this…
Presenting Yi Tang’s letter of recommendation when visiting did not encounter any obstacles.
And he easily met the target of this trip—
Mo Ci, known as the Three Wonders Talent.
Unlike Xu Xiangqian, who called himself the Divine Elegance Talent.
Mo Ci’s nickname of Three Wonders Talent was personally certified by renowned senior scholars.
The so-called Three Wonders are unparalleled poetry, unparalleled zither, and unparalleled sword.
Mo Ci considered poetry the first, zither the second, and sword the third. But even this third, the sword, was peerless among his fellow students in the academy.
And his poetry collection, “Cloud Peach Blossoms,” has been a bestseller in the Central Region for many years, at one point causing paper prices in Tianjing to soar.
In contrast, Xu Gao’er’s self-funded poetry collection, “Divine Elegance Poetry Collection,” has only “sold” nineteen copies to date.
The buyers were Li Longchuan, Jiang Wang, Yan Fu, Yao Zishu…
The Mo Ci who appeared before Jiang Wang at this moment was somewhat slender, with expressive eyes and eyebrows, and a long robe that exuded a natural grace. At his waist hung only a piece of dark green jade ring, subtly inscribed with extremely fine characters, difficult to see without close inspection.
His attitude could be described as excellent, especially after Jiang Wang removed his bamboo hat and stated his name—
“Isn’t this the other prodigy from our Gan Ma Mountain Duo!”
Jiang Wang: …
He swore he would never in his life mention to anyone that he had once been to Gan Ma Mountain.
But Mo Ci’s tone was actually friendly, with some teasing elements, but no malice.
Jiang Wang could only say, “I didn’t expect Gan Ma Mountain to be so famous.”
“That’s naturally so!” Mo Ci said seriously, “As the saying goes, ‘The final song of Gan Ma Mountain, literary thoughts like a torrent. Unmatched in the human world, this peerless duo.’ This poem was widely sung here for a time… Hahahaha…”
Mid-sentence, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Jiang Wang immediately wanted to leave.
Fortunately, after laughing for a while, Mo Ci came back to his senses and changed to a relatively serious tone: “Right, what is the purpose of your visit to Qing Ya Academy this time?”
He shook the letter in his hand: “Did you really need Yi Tang to write a letter?”
“To be honest, I came to Qing Ya Academy this time intending to spar with Senior Brother Mo Ci.” Jiang Wang said with a wry smile, “I didn’t expect to be late.”
The reason for saying he was late.
Was because the Mo Ci before him, with his condensed spiritual consciousness and deeply hidden Qi, was clearly already at the Divine Landing cultivation level.
Mo Ci naturally understood what Jiang Wang meant and said with a somewhat strange expression: “You want to test your sword against the world, don’t you first inquire about intelligence? I have been at Divine Landing for a long time.”
The importance of intelligence is beyond doubt.
The saying “Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated” is absolutely not an empty phrase, but a military truth verified countless times with blood over tens of thousands of years.
This holds true on the battlefield, and equally true in personal combat.
If Jiang Wang had not received bamboo Bi Qiong’s warning in advance, and gained intelligence on Hai Songming through Chong Xuan Sheng, and had the targeted approach provided by Chong Xuan Chu Liang… even with Xiang Qian’s help, it would have been difficult to kill Hai Songming.
Conversely, if Hai Songming had a complete understanding of Jiang Wang’s situation, then he would basically have no possibility of turning the tables.
What Mo Ci meant by this was… Jiang Wang was perhaps too confident. He didn’t even do the most basic intelligence work and went to challenge them one by one, completely entrusting the outcome to his personal strength.
But after speaking, he thought for a moment and realized that testing one’s sword against the world, challenging the strongest in the same realm from various major sects, is itself a manifestation of confidence.
Jiang Wang is young, and enjoys great fame. It is normal for him to have such confidence.
“It is not that Jiang Wang is arrogant and looks down on the heroes of the world,” Jiang Wang said very seriously, “It is just that I have come this way to verify my own learning, and I do not want to be disturbed by any other factors… Honestly, my combat ability will affect my judgment of my own cultivation.”
This statement sounds incredibly arrogant at first hearing!
Because one’s combat ability is so strong that it affects the judgment of one’s personal cultivation. Therefore, he doesn’t inquire about intelligence beforehand, and doesn’t allow himself to prepare in advance. He just goes along the way, engages in combat, understands in combat, and simply spars with the strongest of the same realm from the world’s great sects, fully testing himself!
How many people dare to say such a thing?
However, Jiang Wang’s expression was so sincere.
Mo Ci then knew that he truly thought so, and truly was doing so.
“Interesting, interesting!”
Mo Ci said, “With your ambition, I doubt any junior brothers or sisters in my Qing Ya Academy can surpass you. However, since you have come, you shouldn’t leave empty-handed. Among the Outer Tower disciples in the academy today, those I can see… ”
He counted with his fingers: “Seventeen people!”
A smile unconsciously appeared on his face: “I will call them all over, and you can spar with them one or two times to help you verify yourself, how about that?”
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