42: Green Blade Willow

After continuously pinching over thirty Spirit Stones, the willow tree finally settled down.

Its originally soft branches gradually became straight and tough, their skin displaying a jade-like emerald color, with a metallic luster faintly shimmering on the surface.

The edges of its leaves were as sharp as sword blades, emitting crisp, metallic clashing sounds as they swayed in the wind.

In just a short moment, an ordinary willow tree had completely transformed.

Its branches were like carved green jade, its leaves like the cold light of sharp blades, and the entire willow tree radiated a fierce Sword Intent.

【 spirit plant Name: Azure Blade Willow 】

【 growth progress: 67 / 1000 】

【 spirit plant Property: Slightly improve a Cultivator's Comprehension Ability in the Dao of the Sword, branches and leaves can be used as Artifact Refining Materials. 】

【 Growth Status: Absorbing a large amount of Spiritual Qi, experience + 7 】

"It really is a Azure Blade Willow, what a miraculous property!" Lin Yan felt a jolt in his heart.

For this willow tree to transform directly from an ordinary plant into a Second-Order Spiritual Plant was truly rare.

And the spirit plant property of the Azure Blade Willow was even more miraculous; it could actually improve a Cultivator's Comprehension Ability in the Dao of the Sword!

Just as he was marveling, a massive stream of information flooded his mind, as if some ancient Sword Intent had been awakened.

At the same time, countless insights regarding the Nine Yuan Sword Technique surged in his mind.

This feeling was extremely wondrous.

Lin Yan did not deliberately try to comprehend the Nine Yuan Sword Technique, yet the various Profound Truths within the sword technique seemed to have been carved into his Divine Soul on their own.

Fierce Sword Qi condensed in his hands, one after another.

Originally, he had comprehended the Nine Yuan Sword Technique to the Realm of six Sword Qi, which could be considered the Major Achievement Realm.

At this moment, six Sword Qi condensed rapidly.

Without any hesitation, the seventh Sword Qi, the eighth Sword Qi...

Any Cultivation Technique or Spell becomes more difficult the further one progresses.

The nine Sword Qi that Lin Yan would have originally needed years of hard cultivation to condense were now all at Perfection at this very moment!

The nine Sword Qi swam around him, like fish with a life of their own.

Each one was as sharp as a physical object, faintly emitting a shrill sword hum.

The Nine Yuan Sword Technique is at Perfection!

But the Sword Dao insights fed back by the Azure Blade Willow had not yet stopped!

In the void, Lin Yan seemed to see a hazy figure.

The figure wore green clothes, resembling a willow swaying in the wind.

One could faintly tell it was a woman, slender and ethereal, like a green-clad female Sword Immortal.

She held a long green sword, demonstrating some profound sword technique, one strike after another.

Lin Yan's mind was involuntarily drawn into it, unable to extricate himself.

It was as if he were in an ocean of swords, every wisp of Sword Qi in complete harmony with his intent.

At this moment, he felt he had reached a certain indescribable Sword Dao Realm.

His consciousness perfectly synchronized with the Sword Qi, the Azure Blade Willow, and even the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, as if he himself were the sword, and the sword were himself.

The figure was still dancing with the sword.

Subconsciously, Lin Yan's hand began to Move along with it.

At this very moment, a profound sword Move emerged in his mind, as clear as if it were innate.

This sword strike fused the sharpness of the Azure Blade Willow, the vastness of the nine Sword Qi, and his own insights into the Sword Dao; its power was strong enough to cut water and split stones!

"This sword strike..." A brilliant light flashed in Lin Yan's eyes.

The nine Sword Qi condensed at his fingertips, merging into a single, transparent long sword.

Swish!

He slashed out with one strike!

The sword light was like emerald water in the vast sky, and also like a sudden flash of thunder; wherever it passed, the air was torn apart, and space twisted slightly.

The barrier of the Azure Spirit Concealment Array was sliced open like paper, failing to block it in the slightest.

One must know that although this Azure Spirit Concealment Array had not yet fully grown, it was enough to block a Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

Even a Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator would need to spend some effort to break the Formation.

This sword strike had no flashy Moves, yet it contained the purest true meaning of the Sword Dao.

The person is the sword, and the sword is the heart!

Lin Yan stood up with his hands behind his back, the Azure Blade Willow swaying gently beside him, the sharp edges of its leaves glinting with cold light, as if celebrating for him.

A realization welled up in his heart.

"Human-Sword Unity!"

Although he had not received systematic knowledge of the Sword Dao.

He could faintly feel that this state of his was the legendary Realm of "Human-Sword Unity".

Human-Sword Unity is not just some ambiguous statement.

It is a definite Sword Dao Realm!

Upon reaching this Realm, his comprehension of the Nine Yuan Sword Technique had already surpassed Perfection.

It seemed to have reached the legendary Transcendent level.

He had comprehended a sword technique that exceeded the Nine Yuan Sword Technique itself.

To avoid affecting the spirit plants in the spirit field, he stood up and left the ridge, arriving at the back mountain.

With a clank, the hundred refined azure steel sword was unsheathed.

With a slight thought, nine invisible Sword Qi suddenly appeared, circling the sword body like swimming dragons.

Each one was sharp and exposed, yet perfectly in tune with his intent, as if they were originally a part of his own body.

"Nine Swords as One!"

The nine Sword Qi converged together, reinforcing the hundred refined azure steel sword.

A buzzing sound emanated from the qinggang sword.

It was as if the power of this sword strike was too great, and the sword body forged from hundred refined steel could hardly bear it.

"Go!"

The sword body slashed straight forward.

His consciousness seemed able to attach to the sword body, and the sword body became as flexible as his own hands and feet.

"Puchi!"

The black rocks standing on the mountain were sliced clean through like blocks of tofu, the cross-sections all smooth as mirrors.

"Too strong!"

Lin Yan felt that this sword strike of his was terrifyingly strong.

However, the consumption was also great.

Catalyzing the Azure Blade Willow had provided quite a bit of feedback in Spiritual Qi cultivation.

Coupled with his recent rapid Cultivation speed, he seemed not far from the sixth level of Qi Refining.

With such a full-power sword strike, he could probably execute three strikes.

After three strikes, his Spiritual Qi would be nearly exhausted, and he could only wait for death.

Therefore, if he really encountered an opponent, this Move should be used with caution.

It must be kept as a trump card, to be used only for a sure kill.

The gains from catalyzing the Azure Blade Willow this time were significant, and Lin Yan now lacked a clear understanding of his own strength.

"My understanding of the path of Cultivation is still too little!" He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

There was no help for it; the Sword Pavilion was just like this, completely different from the Sects he had imagined in his previous life.

The Elders were all high and mighty big shots, the Sect's upper echelons, and they simply wouldn't take in any new Disciple.

Further down, the Sect managers and deacons all had important duties; how could they have time to take on Disciples?

The unified training Lin Yan received when he joined the Sect was all handled by the Senior Brothers in the Lingxu Pavilion.

The Sword Pavilion leads you through the door, but cultivation depends on the individual.

Only a very small number of Genius-level Disciples with exceptional talent would have a proper master.

...

Spirit Herb Hall, Ten Thousand Willow Peak.

Just as Lin Yan catalyzed the Azure Blade Willow, mysterious Spiritual Qi patterns faintly appeared in the space of Ten Thousand Willow Peak.

Immediately, on the towering mountain, countless Spiritual Qi gushed out from an unknown space.

Ten Thousand Willow Peak was originally a famous spiritual mountain of the Spirit Herb Hall.

Now, the Spiritual Qi in the mountain was even denser.

Each of the originally dormant Spirit Willow trees sprouted branches and leaves frantically, growing crystal-clear willow leaves one after another.

A muffled sound suddenly came from the depths of the earth, and an ancient Stone Gate slowly rose from the heart of the mountain.

The Stone Gate was carved with countless willow leaf patterns, each leaf lifelike, as if it could fall at any moment.

What was even more shocking was that the space around the Stone Gate presented a bizarre, twisted state.

That was a sign that space was being suppressed by some extreme power.

...

Wood Lineage jurisdiction.

In a small valley.

Under an unknown ancient tree, an old man slowly opened his eyes.

A flash of imperceptible brilliance passed through his cloudy eyes.

If Lin Yan were here, he would recognize that this old man was none other than Elder Xuan Mu, who had lectured at the Spirit Herb Hall last year.

"The Daoist field of Ten Thousand Willow Peak has emerged..." The old man whispered softly:

"Could it be that some lucky little fellow has cultivated a Azure Blade Willow?"

"Has someone finally been able to inherit the mantle of the Azure Blade Fairy?"

Immediately, the old man closed his eyes again, merging with the ancient tree behind him like a rock, as if nothing had happened.