21: Chapter 21 How could someone master this?! Master is panicking!

At the back of Changge Peak, a waterfall cascaded down a thousand feet, its roar echoing through the valley.

By the edge of the pool, Ye Qingyao held a notched iron sword, repeating basic sword techniques over and over.

Swings, thrusts, slashes, chops.

Her clothes were completely soaked by mist and sweat, clinging to her shapely, youthful figure.

Yet her gaze was terrifyingly focused; in the entire world, only the sword in her hand remained.

This was the fifteenth day.

She had already swung the sword over a hundred thousand times.

By her feet, broken and notched discarded swords piled up into a small hill.

From the initial splitting of her thumb webbing and the feeling that her arms would snap, to the effortless ease of today, she had completed a transformation that shed her old self.

"Hum—" Another plain and unadorned thrust.

The air in front of the sword tip actually emitted a trembling sound, and a visible ripple spread outward.

An invisible yet extremely sharp aura was condensing and growing within her body.

The will of the sword. The Soul of a swordsman. Sword Intent!

Although it was only a nascent sprout, it was truly real!

"Still a little bit off... just a little bit more..."

Ye Qingyao muttered to herself. She could clearly perceive that the barrier holding her back from advancing from the Early Foundation Establishment Stage to the Middle Stage was shaking violently before this nascent Sword Intent, on the verge of shattering.

In the shade of a tree not far away, Su Changge sneakily poked out half his head.

When he saw the ripple of airflow created by Ye Qingyao's sword thrust, he was completely stunned.

"Holy crap!" "No way? She actually practiced it into existence?"

Su Changge's inner world experienced a tsunami.

"I just bought the cheapest piece of junk from the System store! The kind that costs one hundred emotion points and gets delivered to your brain for free!"

"I just casually bluffed her with a few lines about 'the Dao is simple,' and she... she actually practiced basic sword techniques into Sword Intent?"

This world is too magical. Could I really be a one-in-a-million teaching genius?

No, impossible! That can only mean that the talent of this future female emperor Disciple has become unreasonably monstrous!

Su Changge was panicked inside.

What he feared most now was Ye Qingyao running over with an expression of admiration in a moment to ask him deeper questions about Sword Intent.

What is Sword Intent? Is it sweet or salty? How the hell would I know!

No, I must go over immediately to build some presence, say a few lines of incomprehensible nonsense, and then slip away immediately! I must not give her the chance to ask questions!

Su Changge made up his mind, cleared his throat, and strolled out from behind the tree.

With his hands behind his back, he took steady, measured steps and paced to a spot not far behind Ye Qingyao.

Watching her sweat-drenched back, he brewed his emotions for a moment, and in a tone that sounded very impressive, he spoke quietly.

"The heart is like still water, the sword follows the heart's movement."

Eight words, which he had just seen in a novel, full of pretentiousness, and he used them smoothly.

However, these words, which sounded purely pretentious to him, fell into the ears of Ye Qingyao, who was on the verge of a Breakthrough, and were better than any profound Daoist chants!

"The heart is like still water, the sword follows the heart's movement!" That's right!

I have been pursuing the ultimate sharpness and speed of the sword, but I have neglected the "heart" that governs it all!

Revered Master is enlightening me! Do not be disturbed by external objects, do not be trapped by the Bottleneck, return to the original heart!

My heart is the will of the sword! My thoughts are the direction of the sword!

"Hum!" The moment her thoughts cleared, Ye Qingyao's mind suddenly opened up!

The nascent Sword Intent within her body, as if infused with the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, instantly solidified and grew more than tenfold!

"Boom!" An overwhelmingly powerful aura erupted from her as the center, rushing straight into the sky!

The clouds above Changge Peak were forcefully torn open by this incomparably sharp Sword Qi, creating a hideous gap!

Countless tiny strands of Sword Qi intertwined and swirled in the clouds, actually forming a slowly rotating vortex of Sword Qi, a terrifying sight!

"Holy crap! Making such a big scene!" Su Changge was terrified, Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and roared frantically in his heart: "System! Quick! Quickly block the phenomenon! Don't let anyone see it! Low profile! We must keep a low profile!"

[Ding! Received Host command, Dojo special effect: Cloud Cover and Fog Envelopment, power set to maximum.]

In the next second, the originally ethereal fairy mist on Changge Peak increased in density a hundredfold, turning into a thick, bottomless blanket of clouds that wrapped the entire peak tightly, perfectly shielding the terrifying Sword Qi phenomenon.

Ye Qingyao, at the center of the storm, at the moment when the Sword Intent completely solidified, the cultivation Bottleneck within her body could no longer hold.

"Crack!" A crisp, clear shattering sound came from deep within her Dantian.

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage! It succeeded!

Vast Spiritual Qi poured in frantically, her cultivation climbed steadily, and in an instant, she completely stabilized at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Feeling the spiritual power within her that was several times stronger, and that sharp Sword Intent capable of piercing anything, Ye Qingyao's face bloomed with irrepressible ecstasy.

But she did not forget the source of all this. She slowly withdrew her sword and turned around.

Revered Master was standing with his hands behind his back, looking at her with an indifferent expression, seemingly not at all surprised by the earth-shattering commotion just now.

"Thank you, Revered Master, for your guidance!" Ye Qingyao, filled with endless gratitude, knelt down respectfully and bowed.

The heavy stone in Su Changge's heart finally fell to the ground, but on the surface, he just nodded indifferently, and in a tone that implied "basic operation, no need to make a fuss," he spat out two words.

"Acceptable."

Two words, plain as water. To Ye Qingyao, they were the greatest spur and encouragement.

"Acceptable" meant that in Revered Master's eyes, she was only barely qualified! This further meant that she still had unimaginable room for huge improvement!

She clenched her fists, and raging flames ignited in her clear eyes.

"Disciple will never let down Revered Master's high expectations!" "In the Sect grand competition a month from now, Disciple will definitely win the championship and bring glory to Revered Master and Changge Peak!"

Sect grand competition? Hearing these four words, Su Changge's heart twitched violently.

No way? Is another new pretentious plot about to start? This little heart of mine really can't take it!