Chapter 17 - Intents

"What...?" Lu Ai couldn't believe it. The sect from which her admired father had been the master had done evil?

She felt her heart clench as unease spread through her veins, filling her body with unfamilliar dread.

She had been too spoiled. Contrarily to Yu Weiyuan who was cultivated as an heir and learned of the dark side of the sect, Lu Ai had only ever been exposed to its bright side. To the loyalty of the disciples, the heroism of her father and the wisdom of the Grand Elder.

"Sister, get a grip on yourself." Yu Weiyuan took her by the shoulders, preventing her from reacting too hard. "You are the successor to Master's legacy. You need to go through this."

"Was your determination so easily shaken? Did Master change just because he dipped into evil?"

Yu Weiyuan's eyes wavered a little as he uttered a last sentence with difficulty. "Did I change?"

Lu Ai could feel the unease in her little brother's pair of bedazzling golden eyes so clearly.

'So what if we have done evil?' Lu Ai's thoughts roiled as they succeeded themselves swiftly within her consciousness.

'Brother didn't change. No. He only became stronger. Why?'

She recalled her purpose in cultivation. 'My goal is to perpetuate Father's sword arts and take them to the peak of the world.'

Her eyes slowly shone in realization as she slowly became enlightened. 'Only one can stand on this highest peak. If I want that person to be me, I need to be ruthless, just like Weiyuan was when he took revenge.'

Her gaze sharpened as Sword Intent filled her emerald eyes. 'To kill Buddhas and Gods, to slay Demons and Immortals. To cut down everything on my path to realize the Dao.'

'The Dao is cruel and the path to attain it is filled with bones and grime.'

'I finally understand what Father told me so long ago.'

Yu Weiyuan, who saw Lu Ai fall in a daze, burst in excitement. 'An enlightenment!!!'

He ordered Elder Liu and Elder Xia to prevent anyone from approaching and disturbing her as they hurriedly obeyed, layering a barrier around themselves with the power of Heaven and Earth, sealing the space and barring any person or sound from entering.

After some time, the shimmering Sword Intent flowing around Lu Ai's body began to condense, forming strands of razor-sharp energy that seemed to cut space and slice the void.

Xia Fang communicated through his Divine Sense with Yu Weiyuan and Liu Ning, shouting within their minds in happiness: <This is... Sword Intent condensing into energy, the Formation of Sword Qi!!!>

Yu Weiyuan nodded in happinness, his Spiritual Sense vibrating in glee. <She finally reached this step although it was only a matter of time.>

<Young Mistress possesses the Innate Sword Heart after all. Her talent in the Sword Dao is nearly unmatched.> The peaceful lakes of Elder Liu's eyes reflected pride in Lu Ai's achievement.

Hearing this, Yu Weiyuan sighed a little. 'Yes, the Innate Sword Heart is nearly unmatched in sword talent... Except by the Innate Sword Bone... which Master possessed.'

'One is spiritual while the other is physical. Master's Innate Sword Bone is still preserved tightly in the Treasury. I need to think of a good time to give it to her.'

While he was lost in thought, Lu Ai awoke from her daze feeling the strands of cutting Sword Qi swirling around her, and found them to be in her control.

Her heart filled itself with pride and happiness. A tiger father doesn't beget a dog daughter after all! She was the proud daughter of Sword King Lu Yingjie!

She had her hands on her hips as she loudly laughed in glee. "Hahaha!!! This Young Mistress is peerless!"

"Congratulations, Sister." Yu Weiyuan smiled warmly at his big sister's antics, finding her quite cute.

Her pride increased under her brother's praise as she haughtily raised her chin. "This lady's Sword Intent has broken through a higher realm!!!"

Sword Intent was one of many different Intents.

Intent is the spiritual manifestation of a cultivator's comprehension of a concept. Hence, every concept, every Dao had its own Intent.

Intent can thus strengthen every attack related to its concept: Sword Intent strengthens sword cuts, Fire Intent reinforces fire spells, Fist Intent increases the power of punches, etc.

However, each cultivator can only condense a single Intent in their lives. In the situation they form another, the two Intents will clash inside the cultivator's Sea of Consciousness, thus directly wiping out their Mind.

Each Intent can be cultivated to become stronger and break through different realms of power and concept comprehension.

The first realm consists in the formation of Intent while in the second realm, the Intent cultivated can condense into Qi.

Consequently Sword Intent forms Sword Qi, Wind Intent forms Wind Qi, Killing Intent forms Murderous Qi...

After some more time, Lu Ai stopped indulging in her pride and asked her little brother something. "But why did you tell me about the sect's cruelty, Weiyuan? You could have done the same thing as Father and keep me away from all this."

Even if she was spoiled, Lu Ai was clever and intelligent. She could understand her Father's dilemna and she held no resentment over this matter and even felt grateful. Her childhood wouldn't have been so carefree without his overprotection.

She now felt that her brother's purpose in bringing her to this trip wasn't so simple as to prevent her from feeling grief. She believed that he wanted to involve her in the sect affairs and took this opportunity to reveal to her the sect's moral standpoint so she could be prepared.

"Sister, the Profound Heaven Sect is your father, my Master's Sect." Yu Weiyuan began. "And I believe he would have wanted you to participate in its rise."

Lu Ai listened carefully, not interrupting him in the least.

"The Grand Elder has no successor and has no intention to take in a disciple."

"In the future, I want you to take his place and help me take the sect to grandeur."

Lu Ai's eyes widened in realization. "You intend to cultivate me into the future Grand Elder of the sect?!"

"Grand Elder Jia Feng is in the know." Yu Weiyuan said lightly. "When we return to the Sect after the auction, you will study under his watch and he will teach you the ropes."

Lu Ai looked at Yu Weiyuan. She could feel his profound trust through his words. 'He truly believes in me.'

"I won't betray your expectations, Weiyuan."