84: Catfish! Reel it in!

With Lu Sheng's Sword Dao Divinity talent, even comprehending the Heaven and Earth Sword Qi on his own would be an easy feat.

However, in an environment like the Sword Pool, capturing Sword Qi was clearly more efficient and faster.

The only difference was that the former only required comprehension and wouldn't be subjected to much painful stimulation.

But the latter... the pain of Sword Qi entering the Physical Body was somewhat unbearable.

Yet, Lu Sheng didn't hesitate at all. The golden figure in his mind continuously practiced, and within Lu Sheng's Dantian, an extremely strong attractive force burst forth instantly.

Immediately after, an extremely subtle Sword Qi between heaven and earth seemed to sense Lu Sheng's pull, detaching itself little by little from between heaven and earth.

Finally... it surged towards Lu Sheng's Physical Body.

“This guy...”

In the room, Lan Zhan looked at the image of Lu Sheng, his brow involuntarily twitching slightly.

“He actually chose to actively pull it in? But taking this step is much more difficult. Although the efficiency goes up, the Heaven and Earth Sword Qi is not as docile as when comprehended on one’s own; instead, it's extremely violent!”

“One wrong move, and he could suffer Qi Deviation and have his Meridians severed!”

Lan Zhan mumbled, but he didn't move.

The Spirit Realm was a simulated world. Even if Lu Sheng died in the Spirit Realm, in reality, he would only be slightly disoriented for a period of time.

But that realistic sensation would affect Lu Sheng's nerves.

It was also a true experience of the feeling of death.

Therefore, even though Lu Sheng's choice was somewhat reckless, Lan Zhan wasn't worried at all; he merely commented on Lu Sheng's choice.

After a moment of contemplation, Lan Zhan no longer made any judgments in his heart.

Every time he commented on Lu Sheng's choices, it ultimately turned into a huge slap, fiercely hitting his own face.

This time, to be honest, Lan Zhan was also somewhat unoptimistic about Lu Sheng's reckless choice, even wanting Lu Sheng to suffer a little.

But thinking about the miracles Lu Sheng had created time and time again, Lan Zhan also suppressed this thought deep in his heart.

Don't say it, absolutely can't say it!

Otherwise, he would be slapped in the face!

Lan Zhan remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lu Sheng in the image... Pain!!!

The moment that extremely subtle Sword Qi surged into Lu Sheng's Physical Body, Lu Sheng's features instantly contorted.

He looked extremely ferocious.

He seemed to be enduring immense pain.

Sword Qi itself was the most important means of attack for a Sword Cultivator!

Sword Qi itself represented the ultimate power of slaughter!

Even a wisp of extremely subtle Sword Qi was comparable to a sharp sword blade!

An ordinary person, let alone bringing Sword Qi into their Physical Body, would be completely cut by its sharpness even if it merely landed on their skin.

And the sharpness of the Sword Qi entering the Physical Body continuously tore at the flesh and blood within Lu Sheng, as if it wanted to grind that flesh and blood into a paste.

It was fortunate that Lu Sheng had already reached Body Refining third layer; while his Physical Body was strong, his recovery ability was also extremely terrifying.

While the Sword Qi tore, the powerful recovery ability also continuously restored Lu Sheng's flesh and blood cells.

Tearing!

Healing!

Tearing!

...And so it went, back and forth.

Lu Sheng didn't know how long it had lasted.

Lu Sheng could only feel intense pain, so much so that his complexion turned pale.

His cheeks were covered in sweat.

From his forehead, beads of sweat relentlessly secreted.

Dropping to the ground.

However, before the sweat could reach the ground, it was completely shredded by the sharpness permeating the heaven and earth, turning into vapor.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo!!!”

Lu Sheng gasped for breath, and finally, he adapted to this terrifying tearing sensation.

At the location of Lu Sheng's Dantian, the originally extremely subtle Sword Qi, now after repeatedly tearing the Physical Body and the Physical Body continuously healing itself.

It was finally forcibly drawn into Lu Sheng's Dantian.

However... the size of the Sword Qi was significantly reduced.

Only one percent of its original size remained!

“This loss is too great!”

Lu Sheng grimaced slightly, feeling the one percent Sword Qi in his Dantian, and felt a bit helpless.

If he continued at this pace, he would have to endure this pain a hundred more times to create a wisp of Sword Qi within his Physical Body!

And creating Sword Qi was only the first step; next, he would have to forge the Sword Qi into Hidden Dragon Sword Qi!

Only then would he be considered to have truly stepped into the Hidden Dragon Realm!

“Indeed, after reaching Sword Dao Perfection, every increase in a Sword Dao Realm is incredibly difficult!”

Lu Sheng said helplessly.

Even with his Sword Dao Divinity, after reaching Sword Dao Perfection, it would still take a considerable amount of time to comprehend his own Sword Intent.

After all, only by comprehending one's own Sword Intent could one be considered a true Sword Cultivator!

Among ten thousand Martial Artists who Cultivate swordsmanship, basically only one Sword Cultivator will be born!

This... was the gap between Sword Dao Perfection and First Layer Sword Intent.

Like a chasm!

“However, although it's a bit tedious, at this rate, it won't take long for me to completely incorporate a true wisp of Sword Qi into my Physical Body!”

Lu Sheng took a deep breath, and at this moment, his expression became a little more resolute.

Subsequently, the Hidden Dragon Formless Sword operated again.

A pulling force, slightly larger than before, erupted from Lu Sheng's Dantian.

And between heaven and earth, a Sword Qi, also larger than the previous subtle Sword Qi, was attracted by this pulling force, slowly surging towards Lu Sheng's Physical Body.

“It seems I won't need a hundred times to condense my own Sword Qi!”

Feeling the difference between the first and this time, a gleam flashed in Lu Sheng's eyes.

For a moment, his inner drive also increased a bit.

As the Sword Qi entered his Physical Body, a pain even more intense than before instantly filled Lu Sheng's mind.

In just an instant, Lu Sheng's calm expression was once again covered by a ferocious grimace!

...Time passed little by little.

In the blink of an eye, a day passed.

The sun set in the west, and an orange-red glow stained the entire sky, as if setting the firmament ablaze, scorching the heavens!

In the room, one virtual pod after another slowly opened.

Long Tianxing, Gu Yun, Xia Kong, and Yu Qianqian rose from their virtual pods, each with a hint of fatigue on their faces.

But behind that tired expression, there was a sparkle in their eyes.

Clearly, even in one day, their gains were substantial.

However... just as they were in a good mood, they found Lan Zhan leaning against the table, his gaze fixed on the screen.

The four were slightly surprised, but they also followed Lan Zhan's gaze.

But when they saw the scene on the screen, the pupils of the four instantly constricted.

Especially Yu Qianqian.

Her reaction was the strongest among the four!

“He... he actually reached the second stage!”

Yu Qianqian looked at Su Yu, who was sitting cross-legged near the Sword Pool in the image, and couldn't help but bite her red lip, her beautiful eyes filled with a complex expression.

As a Disciple of the Sword Immortal, she knew very well the Karma between her Revered Master and the Sword Saint.

The Sword Immortal and the Sword Saint were Prodigies of the same era, and also the two most astonishing Sword Cultivators of that era!

Two astonishingly brilliant Sword Cultivators competed from their youth until their twilight years.

But ultimately... the Sword Saint was slightly superior, achieving a Saintly Position.

He won the competition between the two.

Later, the Sword Saint took Disciples, and the Sword Immortal took Disciples.

The competition between the two then fell upon the next generation.

When Yu Qianqian was taken as a Disciple by the Sword Immortal, the Sword Immortal was very happy.

This was because the Sword Saint's two Disciples had very ordinary Aptitude in the Sword Dao.

Don't look at Kong Xin, who was already a Creation Realm expert and also the Garrison General of Demon Slaughter City, but in terms of Sword Dao, her Aptitude was mediocre.

His second Disciple's Physique was special, but he was not a Sword Dao Prodigy.

This made the Sword Immortal say more than once that Yu Qianqian would be the most Heaven-Defying Sword Cultivator of this era, with the potential to walk the path of the Sword Saint!

However, with the news of the Sword Saint taking another Disciple, which reached the Sword Immortal's ears through some special channels.

The Sword Immortal finally allowed Yu Qianqian to descend the mountain and go to Star Academy, preparing to let Yu Qianqian and Lu Sheng compete in the Sword Dao.

When she first met Lu Sheng, Lu Sheng wasn't even at the Sword Dao Beginner stage.

Yu Qianqian once thought that her teacher seemed a bit overly worried.

She... was the most astonishing Sword Dao Prodigy of this era!

But as time went on!

Lu Sheng reached Sword Dao Beginner in seven days, Sword Dao Minor Achievement in seven days, and then Sword Dao Major Achievement in half a month.

And now... he even reached Sword Dao Perfection in one day, entering the second part of the training, catching up with her in Sword Dao Realm.

He even entered the second part of the training first.

Yu Qianqian felt a sense of despair in her heart for the first time.

She vaguely felt that the gap between her and Lu Sheng... seemed to be gradually widening.

Yu Qianqian stared blankly at the image of Lu Sheng on the screen, feeling somewhat at a loss for a moment.

Even her inner resolve began to waver.

Bang!

Suddenly, a muffled sound came from beside Yu Qianqian.

Gu Yun, with his cold and arrogant expression, unhesitatingly re-entered the virtual pod and continued his training, seemingly not intending to rest.

Gu Yun's actions also made Yu Qianqian's heart stir slightly.

Suddenly, a sentence the Sword Immortal had once said echoed in Yu Qianqian's mind.

“This old man competed with Kong Yunchang his entire life and lost countless times! But this old man has never admitted defeat! This old man is a Sword Cultivator!”

“What is a Sword Cultivator?”

“To prove the Dao with the sword! A Sword Cultivator's life, only one sword!”

“The sword is my life, why care about the rise and fall of others!”

The Sword Immortal's voice seemed to echo in Yu Qianqian's mind again at this moment.

Yu Qianqian's expression gradually returned to calm. She gently patted the pear wood sword box on her back and, like Gu Yun, re-entered the virtual pod.

Since Lu Sheng's Aptitude was superior to hers, then she would Cultivate diligently!

If twice the effort wasn't enough, then ten times the effort!

If ten times wasn't enough, then a hundred times!

A Sword Cultivator's life, only one sword!

The sword is my life, why care about the rise and fall of others!

Yu Qianqian's eyes became incomparably firm. She closed the virtual pod and entered the virtual world.

For a moment, only Xia Kong and Long Tianxing remained in the room.

Xia Kong looked at Lu Sheng in the image, chuckled, and then, like Gu Yun and Yu Qianqian, re-entered the virtual world.

Long Tianxing silently stared at the screen.

He lowered his head, his eyes slightly dim.

He couldn't help but clench his fists.

Once upon a time, he was the most precious Young City Lord of Tianlong City, surrounded by countless resources and flattery.

He once thought he was the most talented person in Great Xia!

Until one day he boasted that he wanted to enter the number one academy of Great Xia, Star Academy.

That day... he would never forget!

He would never forget his once loving father looking at him with a complex gaze.

“You will be devoured if you go to Star Academy!”

He was unconvinced!

He was clearly the most talented person in Tianlong City, so he should be the most talented Prodigy in Great Xia!

He resolutely chose to participate in the Star Academy's assessment.

But after joining Star Academy, seeing the talents displayed by his classmates of the same year, Long Tianxing suddenly felt that his father might not have been wrong.

Perhaps he... had always been a frog in a well.

He couldn't forget when he left Tianlong City, his father stood on the city wall, saying with a joking tone.

“Son, if you can't make it at Star Academy, come back. Dad will let you live off him your whole life!”

That sentence completely stimulated Long Tianxing.

He didn't want to be the object of everyone's flattery; he knew the contempt hidden deep in their eyes when they flattered him.

He wanted to prove himself, to prove that even if he left Tianlong City, he was still a top-tier existence in Great Xia!

“Hoo!!”

Long Tianxing slowly let out a breath, and the layer of gloom covering his eyes slowly dissipated.

A cynical smile once again appeared on his face.

He pressed the button of the virtual pod and lay back down.

Lines connected to his body.

He re-entered the virtual world.

In the room, Lan Zhan slowly withdrew his gaze from the screen, turned his head, and looked at everyone who had re-entered their virtual pods. A curve appeared at the corner of Lan Zhan's mouth.

“It is your sorrow to be in the same era as Lu Sheng, but at the same time...”

“With him, this catfish, you will also surpass the Prodigies of all previous eras and become the true stabilizing force of Great Xia!”

“By then... if I'm still alive, I will be proud of you!”

Lan Zhan whispered softly. This gentle tone coming from Lan Zhan's burly Physique.

No matter what, it seemed a bit out of place.