Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao

Cold Pond, crane shadow. Cold Moon, Qing Qiu.

On the silver surface of the lake, wild cranes flew, and in the water, a young man practiced swordsmanship.

"Striking the water lacks strength, resistance is still immense, it seems it's still not enough!"

The young man's dark eyes were filled with determination.

He bit his lips tightly, the corners already swollen and red, with scarlet blood trickling, striking but unfazed.

"Boof, boof, boof—"

The silver long sword shimmered with a ghostly cold light under the moonlight, but once it entered the water, its trajectory changed, completely uncontrollable and imprecise.

The boy's face gradually turned pale, the lake water mingling with sweat, indistinguishable from each other.

His arms were already sore and numb, his body utterly exhausted.

"Either drown in the lake, or continue to push my body's potential! I'm young; I can't give up so easily! Grandfather treats me so well; I can't bear to see his disappointed look again!"

With such a thought, the young man's resolve grew even stronger!

Reaching out, he continued to wave the long sword, his face paler, but his expression even more determined.

...

Time passed, past days of cultivation like remnants of a dream, vividly presented in front of bewildered eyes.

Every day's cultivation was extremely difficult, yet fulfilling each day. But today, time felt exceedingly long, every minute and second like bearing the weight of mountains and rivers.

The lake water remained icy cold, the body long numbed, the frail figure in the lake swayed like a falling leaf in the wind.

He was unable to endure and was about to collapse.

"Is it just... to fail? To meet my mother?"

He murmured, and a vague, graceful silhouette emerged in his memory.

It was an imprint deep in his spirit, a back that seemed always about to turn around but never did.

He knew clearly that the woman was his mother, someone whom his father believed had been dead for years.

His consciousness grew dim, his body lost the final strength to support him, and he fell into the lake water.

At that moment, he seemed to see countless stars in the night sky suddenly, a misty radiance flew down, dyeing this piece of Heaven and Earth red.

...

"Blood essence holds ancient meaning, the sun and moon nurture the soul.

Meditating Xingyi Fist, Heaven and Earth are mine to respect."

...

"Mixed Yuan Qi, my Tao is achieved, achieving the Tao leads to the True Form.

The True Form hides the True Spirit, hidden spirit within Qi, the Alchemy Dao is achieved.

If asking the True Form requires truth, to know the True Form harmonizes with truth.

True phenomena harmonize into the True Technique, True Technique harmonizes with the Tao for ultimate enlightenment."

...

"Cultivating the spiritual root and acting with the heart, this is martial arts;

Stabilizing the spiritual root and calming the heart, this is cultivation."

...

"Xingyi Fist, the first form, Dragon Form. The Dragon Form has the maneuvers of a descending dragon and a soaring dragon in the heavens, and a method of searching the bones. The dragon is indeed a yin creature, descending the heart fire within the belly."

The Elixir Book states, "The dragon exits where the fire is," it also states, "The clouds follow the dragon," in the fist referred to as the Dragon Form. This form's strength, starting where the conception vessel begins, connects with the Qi cycle of the Tiger Form, one advancing, the other receding.

If the fist flows correctly, the heart fire descends; if against, the body must burn with Yin Fire, the body cannot be lively or the mind not open..."

...

In the mind, there was an unknown energy swirling, as if suddenly penetrating the marrow, making the boy in darkness gasp, then tremble and regain consciousness.

At this time, the lake water had inexplicably frozen over.

And his body trapped halfway in ice felt an immeasurable chill.

His body had already become stiff from the cold, his face purple from frost, and his breath grew weaker. But in his mind, like reciting a scripture, strange and wonderful things continuously repeated, and he inexplicably understood much absurd knowledge of a bizarre world.

Among these, particularly a certain fist technique seemed exceedingly profound, like the lifetime insights of a pinnacle figure.

"Earth? Xingyi Fist? What's that? Is there a place called 'Earth' in this world? Are there swift 'cars'? Are there 'computers'?"

These inexplicable pieces of knowledge momentarily piqued his curiosity but were quickly filtered out, as his mind soon was absorbed by the endless essence of Xingyi knowledge.

Despite his body's extreme weakness at this moment.

"This is a Sword Dao world, that Earth, who knows what place that is. But what that deceased Xingyi Fist grandmaster said is very true, thousands of Daos head to the same destination.

Now that I have nothing, I might as well take the Xingyi Fist as my foundation and use its profound mental method to assist, practicing my own Xingyi Swordsmanship!

This predecessor could shatter the void; even on our continent, he was a divine-like figure; his inheritance must be much better than the basics I've been practicing."

The young man muttered to himself, having already made a decision for his future.

...

"Zhou Yan, are you still practicing here? By pushing your body's potential like this, even if you break through to the Swordman Triple Heaven and reach the First Realm of Sword Beginning, your body would be ruined!

Swordmen, the body is fundamental, how can you reverse this order? Was your past talent bolstered by secretly squeezing your potential into a false reputation? If this is so, then you're truly disappointing!"

A girl in a purple gauze dress, with delicate, beautiful, and cold demeanor, spoke with extraordinarily icy words.

At this moment, she stood on the stone wall by the lake, her long black hair flowing like a waterfall, surrounded by an aura of ethereal Sword Intent. Her attire billowed, and her purple gown swept the ground, making her extremely eye-catching.

She was the Zhou family's number one genius beauty, Zhou Lingyi.

She was also the goddess in Zhou Yan's heart, his object of secret admiration for a long time.

Originally, he should have been very excited to explain or timidly bow to apologize; this would have been his immediate reaction in the past.

But this time, he did not do so, seemingly influenced by the soul of that grandmaster, bringing about a qualitative change; he looked at this girl indifferently and curled his lips in a few rebellious smiles, "Did I let you down? When have I ever not disappointed you?"

His slightly mischievous smile and cheeky tone made the girl standing tall on the stone wall furrow her delicate brows.

At the same time, Zhou Yan, who said these words, couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.

Speaking like this felt very casual, very comfortable, and very free. There was no need to be cautious, no need to cover up, everything was up to the heart, even thoughts flowed unimpeded.

He was initially surprised at why he acted this way, but having done so, he felt it was quite good.

"Is this your success, speaking to me like this?" The girl had a bit of anger mixed with cold laughter in her tone.

Zhou Yan couldn't discern such things before, but this time, he felt all his senses became extraordinarily sharp; he could grasp these emotional nuances.

"And how have you spoken to me? In the past, you never cared about anything of mine; I was good to you, compliant in every way... only because I loved you, making myself utterly lowly. But now, my sights are set on the Sword Dao, succeeding in it will naturally bring women."

Zhou Yan's words were strong and resounding, with a ring of finality in his speech.

The girl Zhou Lingyi looked at Zhou Yan with surprise, her delicate face showing a mix of anger and coldness, her eyebrows arched, "It seems you've truly gone mad! Then I'll see how you fare in the talent and physical examination a month from now!"

The girl restrained her anger, flicked her sleeve, and gracefully departed.

Zhou Yan looked at the lake surface, which had thawed without him realizing it, and at his frail and weak body, his face showing a few wry smiles.

He felt as if he had become a different person, seeing things that seemed natural before now as ignorant and naive; even recalling some past actions, he felt constrained.

For instance, humbling himself for loving a woman, making himself exceedingly lowly, something he hadn't considered before, now felt shameful.

So, even having driven Zhou Lingyi away with words, he felt no trepidation.

He took a deep breath, rotating the Primordial Energy within him, his legs lifted, leaping out of the lake onto the stone wall by the lake.

Then, facing the moonlight, he took a deep breath and began to gather Qi.

This time, Zhou Yan sensed a unique, powerful energy, as if lurking in his body. According to the grandmaster's words, an area called the 'Dantian' held powerful energy!

This energy seemed not to belong to him.

"If this is Inner Strength, then it must also be refined into my own!"

Zhou Yan thought.

With this in mind, he began breathing according to the Sword Skill Heart Method he cultivated.

Yet as soon as he tried, he found the Sword Skill Heart Method he practiced insufficient to influence even the small cluster of energy!

He frowned, pondering deeply.

Moments later, Zhou Yan suddenly thought of a special "Nine Yin and Nine Yang Heart Scripture" from the grandmaster's soul fragment memory, and instinctively began using this breathing technique's First Layer!

The method was the same, but the path of the meridians was the pattern of the Family Sword Technique!

This time, that energy cluster immediately became furious, like a divine sword, rampaging like a war god within Zhou Yan's body!

Countless mysterious meridians, under the impact of this violent Sword Qi energy like a divine sword, were blasted open.

From Zhang Gate, following the brilliance along the Tai Xu, Yuan Chong, Shouren, marvelous governors, and foot brilliance, mysterious acupoints, all breached in one sweep!

During this process, Zhou Yan's entire body steamed, as if struck by lightning, uncontrollably twitching, various painful sensations constantly appearing!

Yet even spitting blood three times, even as his whole consciousness grew blurred, even when that pain from his flesh pierced deep into bone and soul, Zhou Yan did not utter a single moan!

He, by nature extremely determined, after merging inexplicably with a grandmaster's soul fragment, now possessed an even more astonishing will!

Cold sweat sticky on his body, the previously scorched robe from the body's heat once again drenched in sweat, but Zhou Yan remained unmoved.

"Soo—"

A jet of black turbid air spurted out, and Zhou Yan suddenly felt three parts more spirited, his eyes even more profound, a dignified aura flashing in his pupils, yet instantly veering into the void.

He finally refined that energy cluster into his body and, as expected, achieved a breakthrough like washing the muscles and cleansing the marrow, reaching the realm of Sword Beginning of First Heaven from Swordman Triple Heaven!

Standing there, he caught a handful of lake water like a white silk ribbon, grabbed it, and it exploded over his body.

This meticulously controlled water vapor cleansed the endless impurities from his body, thoroughly washing them away.

"Merely the First Layer possesses such capability; I, Zhou Yan, need not submit to anyone in the future? I too can be a genius! I too can gain the family's attention! I don't have to see that look of disappointed grief in grandfather's eyes anymore!"

Zhou Yan's gaze was dark as an abyss, immensely profound, holding boundless confidence in his future!