Reaching the destination

"Only with 4 months of sword training, after 6 months of awakening and without any spirit ring" Mucheng smirked looking at Xueqin sleeping "And they called us monsters. What a joke! I was able to do it in a year all thanks to my first spirit." He sighed in relieve "At least, he wouldn't need to worry about being discovered. Having a sword intent at such age would make people think that it was about the spirit innate ability, making it possible to explain his innate soul power."

"With this, I am able to fully teach him without threats" He turned to one side, looking at the distance "It won't be any problem for him to past the first test."

The next day, Xueqin woke up at dawn like every day. Somehow, he found himself better than ever, like something trapped inside him had been released, his body being in perfect state.

"You have woken up" Mucheng threw a food cube towards Xueqin who growled and reluctantly chew it "Today won't be any training or run."

"Really?!" Xueqin said excitedly as he looked everything around "We had already arrived at our destination."

Mucheng frowned "Why are you thinking that?"

"I thought that maybe it was some kind of a test. Once I obtained my Sword Intent, you will bring me to the destination and we were only running in circles" Xueqin explained his idea "To push me."

Mucheng looked down at Xueqin, letting some killing intent crash with him, forcing him to kneel "I wouldn't do such a trick. Don't think it too much as you were simply lucky to obtain the Sword Intent." Mucheng said with a threatening voice "Now that you accomplished your task, I would tell it to you. We have 360 km to reach our destination. If in 8 days you hadn't obtained the Sword Intent, you would have died."

Xueqin gulped as how close he had been from death "So?" He asked shyly "Why there's no training today?"

"You formed your Sword Intent, but it isn't like if you had mastered or even controlled." Mucheng explained "Meditate, remember the feeling and sensations of yesterday, learning to use you Sword Intent at will."

Xueqin invoked his sword over his hands. He clenched, remembering the feeling of yesterday, wanting to become stronger to meet Chi again. Focusing all this feeling over his sword, he could feel how his heart and sword beat at the same time. The sword started shining brightly, a gray aura surging from it. It was a formless and uncontrolled aura that Xueqin.

Mucheng approached at the sword and touched, closing his eyes and sensing the intent "Like I thought" he turned to Xueqin "You can stop now."

"Yes, master" Xueqin stopped that unusual connection with his sword, the gray aura disappearing from the sword.

"How do you feel?" Mucheng asked.

Xuequin looked at his sword and over his body "I feel a little tired. It seems that keeping the Sword Intent is very exhausting."

"The Sword Intent is a manifestation of your will. It would consume a great deal of your stamina and spiritual strength" Mucheng explained "Especially at first as your intent is running uncontrolled, you should control as a thin layer over your sword, optimizing it and only using it for the required time without wasting it. As you become stronger, you will be able to last longer and even reinforce it with soul energy. However, you must never negate it, this is part of yourself, embrace it."

Xueqin nodded thoughtfully, thinking about Mucheng's explanation "Master, do you know what is my intent? When forming it, I thought about becoming stronger to meet Chi again, but I really can't determinate the will over my Sword Intent. On the other hand, in yours a could sense darkness, sadness and something similar to joy."

Mucheng was a little shocked by the little kid words, for the kid to be able to sense his own intent when their difference it was so high it was an oddity. It didn't matter how talented he was, it should be impossible. Without his maximum manifestation, the only thing that he should feel was power. Mucheng shook the though away of his mind, it should be some sort of rare talent of him.

"You Sword Intent is a strange one, but at the same time the simplest and most complex one"

Xueqin tilted his head confused. Gaining a sight from his master (Why the kid must always do that cute face? Even being dirty is effective. We would have problems in the future) "Your Sword Intent is simply that a Sword Intent. Usually, people form a Sword Intent based on their most prominent characteristics, normally, highly related to their spirit."

"It can be from an element like water, fire, darkness..." Mucheng invoked his sword, lifting it up, a dark aura manifesting from it, Xueqin feeling darkness from it. "It could also be a physical characteristic like speed or strength" The dark aura from his sword disappeared, replaced by an oppressive aura that seemed to shout strength "Or a more esoteric concept like an emotion or feeling, like one of the most known" From Mucheng's greatsword a familiar red aura surged that made Xueqin's body go cold and start trembling "Killing Intent." The red thick killing intent quickly vanished "Others famous and considered the most powerful are Life and Death, but it didn't affect you yet, so don't think too much about them."

"And mine what of them it is?" Xueqin asked.

"Yours is neither of them," Mucheng said "Yours is a Pure Sword Intent and unspecialized type of intent that can include all the others. Your emotions and spiritual strength were strong enough to form it, but you are too young, without any of your characteristics taking the lead, it created a perfect balanced Pure Sword Intent which improves your overall characteristics a little"

"It's a bad intent?" Xueqin asked worriedly.

"Not bad nor good, it's simply balanced." Xueqin made a strange face "You don't need to worry as you grow, it would transform, becoming completely different. For example, if your feelings for that Chi grow, your intent could beco-m-e" He said slowly almost stopping, a sad tone appearing over his voice "the Love Intent" Mucheng shook his head "Forget about it and focus on increasing your control and power of the intent that would be kept even if muted."

Xueqin nodded and changed the topic "Master, I sense something else" Xueqin touched over his heart. "It's strange, like if it's something outside from me."

"You have discovered, eh? I suppose that sensing it is the proof that you stepped forward the sword arts" Mucheng said "That is my intent. A projection of me created by pure sword qi that implanted to you in your awakening day."

Xueqin flinched remembering Mucheng's sword piercing over his body "With this, I can know your position and state, being impossible to escape from me in this world. Of course, I will detect if you use your other spirit."

Xueqin looked at Mucheng with a dubious face "Why explain it? What would you do if I destroy it?"

"Hahahaha" Mucheng broke up laughing. Surprisingly, it wasn't a dark or frightening laugh, all the opposite, it was a pure laughing like you do to a friend "You can try it, kid." he said as he stopped laughing and breathed profoundly "That is an image of me. To destroy it, you will need a greater comprehension than me, and I doubt that you find anyone that access to try it."

"Kid" Mucheng turned serious "That image would be your last test. If you are able to break it, you would show that your sword comprehension is stronger than mine. Then, I won't be able to stop you from using your spirit. You will have enough strength to decide your own destiny."

Xueqin focused seriously on the image. It was strong, very strong, like an immovable mountain in front of him, impossible to climb.

"You don't need to worry" Mucheng said laxer "There's no time limit and it would take a lot of time before you even could start trying. Don't worry about it now, simply never use your other spirit or tell anyone about it." He said "You had taken a big step, calm down for today and meditate about it a little."

Xueqin nodded, however, he passed all the day swinging his sword until his soul power ran out, recovering it and starting again.

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7 days after forming his Sword, Xueqin, with Mucheng at his side, was running over a very marked path, being able to see road and rails at his surroundings. Xueqin following them as they went in the same direction.

Finally, over the horizon, a tall peak could be seen. More than a mountain, it seemed the top of a very tall building "Master, what's that?" Xueqin said pointing at the strange peak.

"That is the Spirit Pagoda's headquarters" Mucheng explained "Which means that we arrived at our destination, Shrek City."