In an instant, the entire Blood Prison began to tremble, pressing down on the Saber Intent.
Xu Yang’s mind was highly focused, as if he had transformed into an indestructible blade to fight back against the Blood Prison. The aura emanating from his body grew increasingly sharp.
Within his Heart Spirit, countless insights about the saber flooded his mind. They formed an invisible, giant hand that gathered his will, kneading and forging it into an indestructible blade of will.
"Saber Intent, form!"
Xu Yang’s scattered will gathered, condensing into a blade. An intangible yet palpable Saber Intent erupted from his body, and a chilling aura radiated from his entire being.
A few meters away, Cold Abyss, which lay on the table, seemed to sense something. It let out a humming buzz and began to hop on the tabletop.
"Success!"
He opened his eyes, and a saber’s glint seemed to flash within them. His entire aura had changed, giving off a disquieting feeling.
[Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture·Minor Achievement (1/10,000)]
His Cultivation hadn’t improved at all, but he felt he could now effortlessly slay his former self.
He now had a completely new understanding of both his Fiery Sun Gang Saber and Earth Demon Six Harmonies Saber techniques. His spirit and will had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. He felt as if there was nothing in the world his saber could not sunder.
"Slash!"
He raised a finger and slashed through the air toward a nearby teacup.
No Gang Qi shot out, and there was no sound. The air simply distorted. An invisible blade passed through the teacup, which silently split in half.
’So this is Saber Intent?’ Xu Yang’s heart surged with emotion.
’Without using Gang Qi, my thoughts alone can form a blade, allowing me to cut things from a distance. The Power of Heart and Spirit is truly miraculous.’
’If I combine it with a Saber Technique, the power will be even greater.’
He closed his eyes to feel it out carefully and discovered that both his control over his body and his application of Gang Qi had reached a new level.
’My Gang Qi seems to have changed somehow, but since my Saber Intent has just formed, the change isn’t obvious yet.’
Gang Qi was a product of the fusion of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Now that he had cultivated Saber Intent, his Heart Spirit and will had undergone an earth-shattering transformation, and his Gang Qi had changed in response. Amidst its usual domineering and condensed nature, it now carried a faint, incisive edge, as if it had become sharper.
To test this theory, Xu Yang activated his Golden Gang Skill.
Sure enough, his Gang Qi began to change rapidly, as if a Treasure Saber was being sharpened. It began to take on a blade-like aura that scraped against his meridians and flesh, causing a stinging pain.
’What sharp Gang Qi!’
He never imagined that achieving Minor Achievement in the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture and forming his Saber Intent would yield such an unexpected bonus. His Golden Gang Qi had transformed into Golden Saber Gang Qi, and even his formidable Physique seemed somewhat fragile in comparison.
He then activated his Fuyue Bear Scripture and Bright King Unmoving Body and discovered that the effects for both Marrow Cleansing and Body Refining had improved significantly.
’The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture truly is a Supreme Technique. It’s a shame the rest of it is missing.’
He got off the bed, grabbed Cold Abyss from the table, and drew it from its sheath. He felt an immediate connection, as if they were linked by flesh and blood. It was a strange illusion, as though the saber were an extension of his own body.
’This must be what they call Man and Saber Unity!’
He hadn’t infused it with any power, yet Cold Abyss was spontaneously breathing out a frosty qi. The air near the edge of the blade faintly distorted, as if it were about to unleash a saber’s gleam of its own accord.
’What a fine saber!’ Only now did he truly realize what kind of Treasure Saber Cold Abyss was.
’Or rather, only by comprehending Saber Intent can one truly unleash the power of a Half-Spirit Weapon. My previous use of Cold Abyss was merely scratching the surface.’
With a few flourishes, the blade hissed through the air, and a biting cold filled the entire room.
’Below the Celestial Essence Realm, I no longer fear anyone—not even someone who has also comprehended a Martial Dao Imagery.’
A deep confidence swelled within him!
’My only weakness right now is my Physique. Once I’ve cultivated the Bright King Unmoving Body for a while longer, my physical body, Gang Qi, and Heart Spirit will be perfectly balanced, with no shortcomings.’
’Secondary Dragon Ascension...’
Now that he had formed his Saber Intent, he was confident about achieving the Secondary Dragon Ascension. He had more than two years left. By then, he would surely break through to the Celestial Essence Realm and rise above the countless other prodigies.
「The next day.」
The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to look at his panel:
[Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture Minor Achievement, Points +50]
[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 345]
He nodded in satisfaction, closed the panel, then got up and began his cultivation.
A night passed, and the change in his Gang Qi was even more pronounced. The blade-sharp aura was stronger, and the effectiveness of his Marrow Cleansing had increased accordingly.
An hour later, he activated his Breath Concealment Skill, concealing his sharp aura until he seemed completely ordinary. Only then did he emerge from his meditation chamber. After washing up, he pushed open the door to his courtyard, intending to get a meal at the dining hall.
"Haha... Brother Xu, you’ve finally stopped hiding your cultivation."
He had just stepped out of his courtyard when he heard a hearty laugh from behind him.
Xu Yang turned to look and saw Jiang Fan and Jiang Yan striding over.
’He really did know my true cultivation level.’
Xu Yang smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. "Brother Jiang, Senior Brother Jiang, long time no see."
"It’s only been a little over a month, but I didn’t expect to return to the Purple Sun Sect and find you so famous, Brother Xu. Ranked fifth among the Ten Prodigies! Congratulations are in order," Jiang Fan said with a wide smile.
He possessed an Exotic Treasure that could, within a certain range, sense the cultivation of those who approached him. That was how he had known Xu Yang’s true cultivation level all along.
He had thought Xu Yang would continue to hide his strength, just as he did when he was an Outer Disciple. He never expected a single mission at Qiushui Manor to blow his cover.
"Fifth among the Ten Prodigies is nothing compared to Brother Jiang’s first place," Xu Yang said with a laugh.
"If you had..."
Jiang Fan was about to say that if he hadn’t hidden his strength so deeply and revealed his Minor Achievement in Marrow Cleansing cultivation earlier, first place among the Ten Prodigies would have been his.
He knew this because Xu Yang had reached Minor Achievement in Marrow Cleansing even before he had. Even what Xu Yang was revealing now was just a fraction of his strength. Fifth place didn’t do justice to his true talent at all; he deserved to be first.
But before he could finish his sentence, the Exotic Treasure on his body suddenly began to heat up.
’This is...’
Jiang Fan was shocked.
Strictly speaking, his Exotic Treasure didn’t sense a person’s Cultivation Realm. Instead, it sensed whether they posed a mortal threat to him.
Ever since he had also reached Minor Achievement in Marrow Cleansing, the Exotic Treasure had stopped reacting to Xu Yang’s presence. He never expected it to start reacting again today.
A reaction meant that Xu Yang could threaten his life.
’Marrow Cleansing Great Success?’
This was his first thought: Xu Yang had reached Marrow Cleansing Great Success, which was why the Exotic Treasure was reacting to him again, warning him.
But on second thought, he felt it was impossible for it to happen so quickly. Marrow Cleansing was a gradual process; no matter how talented someone was or how many resources they had, they couldn’t possibly reach Marrow Cleansing Great Success in such a short time.
’But if it wasn’t Marrow Cleansing Great Success, what else could have made Xu Yang a threat to me again? Had he perfected some powerful Martial Technique? Or cultivated a Martial Dao Imagery?’
"Brother Xu, you are truly astounding," Jiang Fan finally said with a sigh of admiration, without rashly questioning Xu Yang.
’The backing of the Marquis Mansion is truly extraordinary.’
Xu Yang had naturally seen the changing expressions on Jiang Fan’s face and understood that he must have discovered his great leap in cultivation.
’My Breath Concealment Skill is always active. Even someone like Elder Huoyun can’t gauge my true depth, yet Jiang Fan discovered it so quickly.’
The three of them went to the dining hall together.
After their meal, as they were leaving the dining hall, Gao Lin approached them.
"Junior Brother Xu, prepare yourself. You need to set out for Moon Lake by tomorrow at the latest."
Gao Lin had come to inform Xu Yang that he was to be stationed at Moon Lake.
"Understood."
Xu Yang nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Senior Brother Gao, with me going to Moon Lake, the only one I’m worried about is my sister, Xu Qing. While I’m away, I hope Senior Brother Gao can help look after her. I would be greatly indebted to you."
’There are quite a few people on bad terms with me. Most of them can’t touch me, but I’m afraid they might try to get to Xu Qing once I leave the Purple Sun Sect.’
Gao Lin laughed. "We’re martial brothers; you don’t need to be so formal. I’m on good terms with Elder Chang Chun’s head disciple. In a few days, I’ll find some time to go and have a word with him. I’ll make sure no one dares to give Junior Sister Xu a hard time."
"My deepest thanks, Senior Brother Gao!" Xu Yang hurriedly cupped his fists in gratitude.
With Elder Chang Chun’s head disciple looking out for her, he could finally rest easy.
’As long as no one uses their connections to get Xu Qing kicked off Medicine King Peak, a few minor grievances are nothing. I can settle those scores slowly when I get back.’
"Oh, right. Master wants you to pay him a visit before you leave for Moon Lake," Gao Lin added.
Xu Yang didn’t waste any time. After parting ways with Gao Lin, he headed straight for Fire Cloud Elder Hall.