53: Nine Profound Sword Heart Technique

Lin Feng didn't want to prolong the fight. He kicked away a corpse and used the momentum to retreat rapidly. His Azure Wood Shield instantly expanded, enduring two Spells, which caused his Qi and blood to churn.

'I can only gamble.'

Lin Feng suddenly shouted, "Someone from the Meng Family is nearby! If you dare to kill me, Elder Meng will never let you off!"

All the Jiao Family Cultivators paused in unison, their eyes instinctively scanning their surroundings.

Lin Feng seized the opportunity to cast the Stealth Technique, transforming into a phantom and vanishing into the shadows.

"Stop him!" The Qi Refining tenth-level Cultivator reacted, and his crimson flying dagger pursued swiftly.

Pfft.

Lin Feng forcefully endured the blow, using its momentum to accelerate into a rock crevice, where he was swallowed by the miasma.

"Damn it!" The Qi Refining tenth-level Cultivator rushed to the crevice but was forced back a step by the miasma. "This cursed place... he's dead for sure."

His face was ashen as he recalled Lin Feng's words: "Meng Family... did they really interfere?"

After an unknown period, Lin Feng woke up, a sharp, burning pain in his back making him gasp.

He looked around and found himself lying on a warm stone bed.

'Where is this place?' He endured the pain and propped himself up. His last memory was being surrounded and attacked by those Jiao Family Cultivators.

He had thought he was doomed, but then he crashed into a stone wall, which surprisingly swallowed him whole.

After breaking a simple Formation, he woke up here.

Several crystal-clear stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and dripping water collected into a small pool in the corner.

An old sandalwood table sat in the center, its corners worn smooth. A set of white jade tea ware was on the table, the spout of the pot chipped.

There was also a white Jade Slip on the table.

'The owner of this place has an extraordinary Heart-Nature.' Lin Feng picked up the Jade Slip and extended his Divine Sense into it.

"Nine Profound Sword Heart, valuing intent over form. Where the heart goes, the sword follows; all things can be swords."

Just a few words at the beginning caused Lin Feng's mind to tremble.

The core of this Sword Art was to Cultivate a "Nine Profound Sword Heart," using the heart to control the sword and transforming intent into a sharp edge.

'I practice various Spells and lack a core Mind-Cultivation Technique that can unify everything, turning all methods into one sword. This "Nine Profound Sword Heart Art" can actually use all sorts of Spells as whetstones to temper the sharpness of the Sword Heart. This... this is practically tailor-made for me.'

After swallowing two Blood-Generating Pills, Lin Feng sat cross-legged and circulated his Qi to heal his injuries.

'The Jiao Family is frantically searching for me outside. This Immortal Cave is exceptionally secluded, making it the best place for secluded cultivation.'

Time flew by during his Cultivation.

Though there was no sun or moon in the cave, Lin Feng clearly felt his cultivation rapidly advancing and his Sword Heart gradually condensing.

Half a month ago, the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea had already surged like a tide, breaking through the Bottleneck of Qi Refining ninth-level.

His cultivation increase was a matter of course, but he didn't leave. Instead, he immersed his entire mind in comprehending the Nine Profound Sword Heart Art.

'Where the heart goes, the sword follows; all things can be swords... The core of this Sword Art is actually to temper an immaculate Sword Heart, using the heart to control all methods...' He seemed to have an epiphany.

He recalled the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art that Fang Lingyao had taught him earlier. That Sword Art followed a gentle path, emphasizing using softness to overcome hardness, and dispersing and deflecting force.

'If I use the Nine Profound Sword Heart Art as the guiding principle to unify all methods... I wonder if I can integrate the soft strength of the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art into it?'

With a slight shift in his thoughts, his right finger slowly pointed forward. This time, he circulated his spiritual energy according to the Flowing Cloud Water Dividing Sword Art, and the Sword Qi emanating from his fingertip immediately became ethereal and gentle, flowing and lingering like water.

At the same time, guided by his mind, he attempted to slowly integrate this supple Flowing Cloud Sword Intent into his own Sword Dao Foundation.

Initially, the two intents conflicted slightly; the suppleness of the Flowing Cloud Sword Intent struggled to fully align with the purity of the Nine Profound Sword Heart. But Lin Feng patiently guided it, carefully savoring it, using the Nine Profound Sword Heart Art as a furnace and his own understanding of the Sword Dao as fuel, slowly refining this Sword Intent.

'It really works.' Lin Feng suddenly stood up and clapped his hands.

'By stealing through the heaven-stealing vine and then integrating it into the Sword Heart, in other words, nourishing the Sword Heart with other Spells.'

Lin Feng only stopped Cultivating after completely stabilizing his new Realm and reaching a temporary Bottleneck in his comprehension of the Sword Art.

He took out Jiao Xuan's Storage Pouch. His Divine Sense scanned it, finding mostly ordinary Medicinal Pills and a good number of Spirit Stones.

There was a small banner with a ferocious azure Dragon embroidered on its surface, clearly a decent Magical Artifact.

There was also a tattered, scorched leather scroll of special material, with blurry mountains and rivers outlined on it. A peculiar rune was marked at the center, neither entirely a picture nor entirely a character.

'A treasure map? Or some Secret Realm clue?' He carefully put away the leather scroll, saving it for future investigation.

'It's time to go out and check the situation.'

Lin Feng concealed his aura and left the Immortal Cave.

He didn't immediately go to crowded places. After patiently observing for a few days, he restrained his aura and blended into the Double Dragon Market.

The market was still bustling with people, but the number of patrolling Jiao Family Cultivators had noticeably increased, scanning passersby. The Meng Family Cultivators, however, stood by with folded arms, observing coldly, occasionally letting out a sneer.

Lin Feng sat down in a corner of the busiest restaurant in the market, ordered a pot of Spirit Tea, and closed his eyes to rest.

"Did you hear? A few days ago, the Meng Family and the Jiao Family clashed again near Blackwater Marsh. It's said to be over that new spirit mine."

"More than that. I heard that the Jiao Family Patriarch personally went to the Meng Family to demand an explanation, suspecting the Meng Family of secretly interfering..."

"Shhh. Keep your voice down. Do you want to die?!"

"What's there to be afraid of? The two families are practically at each other's throats now. Look over there..." Someone secretly pointed to the high platform in the center of the market.

Lin Feng looked in that direction, only to see that the high platform in the center of the market, which symbolized the joint management of the two families, was occupied by only one group of people today.

A young man in brocade robes, leading the group, was lounging lazily in the main seat, toying with a Spirit Fruit in his hand, looking down at the entire market. Behind him stood several fierce-looking Meng Family guards.

Lin Feng's pupils suddenly constricted.

'It's him.'

That young man in brocade robes was the same young man he had seen at the auction, chatting and laughing with Jiao Xuan.

The hushed discussions of the tea guests nearby confirmed his guess:

"Tsk tsk, see that? Young Lord Meng Tianqing of the Meng Family... Today, the Jiao Family people didn't even show up. This platform has become exclusively theirs..."

"I heard that after Jiao Xuan died, the Jiao Family fell into chaos, and this Young Lord Meng took the opportunity to seize a lot of the Jiao Family's businesses..."

'Young Lord Meng... Meng Tianqing...' Lin Feng's mind suddenly cleared. 'So he was with Jiao Xuan at the auction back then.'

Immediately after, a bigger question slammed into his mind:

'Wait! If he is Meng Tianqing... then that Masked Man from before...'

'Qi Refining tenth-level cultivation... hostility towards the Jiao Family... asking for that black iron plate... that suggestive warning...'

At this moment, a Meng Family confidant quickly ascended the platform and whispered to him. Meng Tianqing's lips curled into a cold smile, and he subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing a dark jade pendant hanging from his waist.