Power of the Sword

During Lu Yao's idle contemplation, Jiang Yun let out a long roar, and the mountains and valleys echoed.

The results of Jiang Yun's cultivation this time exceeded his expectations. Not only did he reach the first level of the second stage of the Jiuli Divine Technique, but there were also changes in the internal strength of the Yijinjing.

Originally, Jiang Yun had planned to achieve a slight breakthrough in sword intent and advance to the ninth level, taking advantage of the resonance with the Jiuli Divine Technique. However, at the moment of breakthrough in the Jiuli Divine Technique, the internal strength of Yijinjing and the sword intent within his body were in a stalemate.

The sword intent stood on its own, unique and different from others, while the internal strength of Yijinjing was all-embracing. After a long period of stalemate, Jiang Yun had a sudden inspiration, recalling the principle of Taiji, where yin and yang harmonize.

Using the principles of Taiji, Jiang Yun merged the sword intent with the internal strength. The sword intent was like the yin aspect of Taiji, embodying the path of destruction, while the internal strength was like the yang aspect, embodying the path of survival.

Under this fusion, yin gave birth to yang, and yang gave birth to yin, a cycle of endless creation. In that moment, Jiang Yun felt a profound enlightenment, and the blended aura of sword intent and internal strength circulated ceaselessly within his body.

Originally, the internal strength within Jiang Yun's body was roughly equivalent to the cultivation level of the eighth layer of Qiwu among martial practitioners on the Lingwu continent. But this sudden enlightenment directly propelled him to the ninth layer and even impacted the first layer of Yuanwu with unabated momentum.

At the moment when the Jiuli Divine Technique stabilized at the ninth level, influenced by the dantian, there was also an intention to break through to the next level. Jiang Yun remained calm and indifferent towards these breakthroughs, experiencing a state of not being elated by external things nor saddened by personal setbacks.

"Crack!"

Jiang Yun seemed to hear the sound of something breaking through the earth. Then, the Jiuli Divine Technique broke through to the first level of the second stage, and the blended aura within his body broke through to the first layer of Yuanwu. This breakthrough was significantly different from Jiang Yun's previous ones, giving him a sense of natural and effortless progress.

After the breakthrough, Jiang Yun couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart. He looked up to the sky and let out a long roar, startling the birds and people in the mountain valley.

From this moment on, Jiang Yun began to integrate his own learnings with the practices of the Lingwu Continent, although it was still in its infancy, it was far less chaotic and mixed than before.

Before Jiang Yun's breakthrough, his body cultivation technique was the Jiuli Divine Technique, an ancient inheritance. However, his cultivation of spiritual energy differed from ordinary warriors as he cultivated internal strength. Later, he also acquired the sword technique to cultivate sword intent, resulting in a completely blended style.

Now, the fusion of sword intent and internal strength formed a new type of inner energy, which Jiang Yun called the "Power of the Sword." The Jiuli Divine Technique focused on body refinement internally, while the sword technique focused on external cultivation, creating a mutually beneficial combination.

Although Jiang Yun's current cultivation level, according to the standards of the Lingwu Continent, was only at the first layer of Yuanwu, the attack power of the Power of the Sword had already surpassed that of ordinary practitioners at the Yuanwu realm. It was comparable to Qin Elder, a True Martial realm expert, and the defense capabilities of the Jiuli Divine Technique were also formidable.

The ancient sword sensed the changes in Jiang Yun's body and circled around him continuously. Jiang Yun looked at the ancient sword and smiled, saying, "It's all thanks to you."

As if understanding Jiang Yun's words, the ancient sword made a few more circles in the air, seemingly saying, "Of course."

Seeing the ancient sword's spiritual connection, Jiang Yun couldn't help but say, "Since you are so spiritually connected, how about I give you a name?"

The ancient sword nodded again, prompting Jiang Yun to contemplate what name to give, something that wouldn't diminish its value. Just then, a breeze blew through the valley, and green duckweed floated above the river in the deep gorge.

"The wind starts from the end of green duckweed, and you happened to meet me in this Qingyang Cave. Let's use 'Qing' as your surname. How about we call you Qingping?"

Naturally, the ancient sword didn't understand the concept of names, but if Jiang Yun said it was good, then it was. With a name now, the ancient sword immediately soared into the sky, sometimes flying upwards and sometimes diving down, before returning to Jiang Yun's side after a while.

"Qingping, let's go."

Jiang Yun called out to the ancient sword and reached out to grasp the Qingping Sword. In that moment of grasping the Qingping Sword, the fusion of man and sword, the feeling of complete harmony, permeated his soul.

"Jiang Yun, come and see. There's a thatched cottage over here."

Lu Yao's voice came from a distance. Jiang Yun walked over to Lu Yao's side and followed his pointing finger, indeed seeing a rudimentary thatched cottage leaning against a tree. Jiang thought to himself, "It's rare to find signs of human habitation here."

two people's curiosity piqued, they approached the thatched cottage. It was evident that the cottage had been empty for a long time, seemingly abandoned. The door swung open with a push, and at first glance, Jiang Yun saw a skeleton sitting in the center of the room. Judging from the signs, the owner of the skeleton hadn't been dead for long, as the clothes on the body hadn't decayed.

Jiang Yun had sharp eyes and quickly deduced that this person was likely from Yanjing City because the style of clothing was favored by the major families of Yanjing City. When Jiang Yun saw the floral pattern on the chest of the clothes, his mind shook.

The pattern turned out to be the symbol of the Jiang family. Jiang Yun immediately made a connection with what Xiao Wanshan had said about his father going missing in the Qingyang Cave. It dawned on him in an instant that this person was most likely his father's remains.

Jiang Yun's eyes turned red, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead. He struggled to walk to the skeleton and called out, "Father."

"Thud!"

Jiang Yun fell to his knees, the silent grief instantly permeating the thatched cottage. Lu Yao also sensed Jiang Yun's emotions at this moment and, recalling his own origins, his eyes turned red too. He didn't know how to console Jiang Yun.

In front of the skeleton, there was a torn piece of paper from the clothes. After paying his respects to his father, Jiang Yun picked up the torn paper and saw a few lines of writing in blood.

"Xiao Wanshan, Xiao Wanshui." Jiang Yun's teeth gnashed as he read the words clearly written on the torn paper. Jiang Fan's death was entirely due to Xiao Wanshan and Xiao Wanshui.

Back then, Jiang Fan accidentally learned about the Qingyang Cave, and Xiao Wanshan and Xiao Wanshui were present at the time. They agreed to explore the cave together, but in the end, Xiao Wanshan and Xiao Wanshui plotted against Jiang Fan. After Jiang Fan suffered severe injuries, he activated the prohibition of the Qingyang Cave and escaped inside. Xiao Wanshan and Xiao Wanshui failed to catch up and were left outside the prohibition.

Although Jiang Fan entered the cave, his injuries were too severe, and not long after, he died in this thatched cottage. Before his death, he recorded the deeds of Xiao Wanshan and Xiao Wanshui. It was unexpected that Jiang Yun would see it four years later.

As fate circled back, retribution was unavoidable. After reading the torn paper, an intense killing intent emanated from Jiang Yun. Previously, although Jiang Yun had killed Xiao Kuan, it was for self-defense, and he never intended to involve the entire Xiao family. But now, Jiang Yun felt that destroying the entire Xiao family was worth it.

"People cannot be brought back from the dead. Don't be too heartbroken. Mourn his passing," Lu Yao said softly, seeing Jiang Yun's overwhelming killing intent, concerned that it would affect his state of mind, he tried to console him.

"I know, but blood debts must be repaid in blood!"

Jiang Yun's voice was cold, causing Lu Yao to involuntarily take a step back.