212: Second-grade swordsmanship!

As Sword Saint Dugu's voice faded, the celadon teacup suspended in mid-air slowly drifted towards Li Shengyuan.

The tea in the cup was perfectly still, like a piece of jade.

"Many thanks for the senior's spiritual tea!"

A slight smile played on Li Shengyuan's lips. Had it begun?

He formed his right hand into a sword-finger gesture and gently beckoned.

The teacup traced a graceful arc in the air, steadily descending towards his outstretched left hand.

Just as his fingertip was about to touch the cup's rim—

"Om!"

An invisible sword qi suddenly burst from the cup, instantly tearing several gashes in Li Shengyuan's left sleeve.

His pupils constricted slightly, and his right sword-finger shot out like lightning, a purple-gold sword qi colliding in mid-air with the sword intent assailing him from the cup.

"Ding—"

A crisp sword chime resounded through the pavilion, yet the tea in the cup remained as still as a mirror, not even a ripple stirring.

"Sword Saint Dugu's 'Cup Water Sword Intent' truly lives up to its reputation."

Li Shengyuan's left hand finally steadied the teacup, but several sword marks had already seeped into his fingers, "Using water as a sword, silently nourishing all things."

Sword Saint Dugu stroked his beard and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Li, to be able to receive this cup of tea, your foundation in the Sword Dao is indeed extraordinary. However..."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "The tea won't taste good once it's cold."

No sooner had he spoken than the teacup in Li Shengyuan's hand began to tremble violently.

He felt a vast sword intent surge from the cup, rushing through his meridians like a mighty river, straight to his dantian.

"Excellent!"

Li Shengyuan let out a long laugh, and the sword intent within his body erupted.

He held the cup steady with his left hand, while his right sword-finger lightly traced the rim of the cup.

A purple-gold sword qi, like a coiling dragon, encircled the teacup, intertwining and clashing with Sword Saint Dugu's sword intent.

"Cha—"

The exquisite celadon teacup finally couldn't withstand the clash of the two sword intents and developed several fine cracks.

Yet, the emerald green tea within the cup eerily floated in mid-air, forming a perfect sphere of water.

The Chancellor, at some unknown point, had retreated to the side, watching the scene with a smile:

"If you're going to fight, go fight outside. Don't ruin my good tea set."

"Precisely my intention!"

Li Shengyuan's sword-finger beckoned, and the mass of tea water transformed into a crystalline water sword.

With a flash of his figure, he was already in the open area of the Star Gazing Platform.

Sword Saint Dugu laughed heartily, his wide sleeves fluttering as he followed close behind.

The thousand-year-old willow tree on the Star Gazing Platform swayed in the wind.

Sword Saint Dugu stood firm, breaking off a section of willow branch casually: "Fellow Daoist Li, please."

The water sword in Li Shengyuan's hand trembled slightly: "Senior, please enlighten me."

Before his words finished, the willow branch in Sword Saint Dugu's hand had already struck like lightning.

This strike seemed simple, yet it contained the profound truth of the Sword Dao returning to simplicity. The air three inches from the tip of the willow branch was compressed to the extreme, emitting a piercing sword chime.

Li Shengyuan dared not be negligent. He blocked with his water sword, simultaneously retreating rapidly.

Just as the two swords were about to meet, he flicked his wrist, and the water sword suddenly transformed into dozens of fine water threads, showering down on Sword Saint Dugu like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

"What a marvelous move, 'Fine Rain and Flying Flowers'!"

Sword Saint Dugu praised, and the willow branch traced a perfect circle in the air.

The dozens of water threads seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, all entering this "circle" and actually coalescing into a crystalline water droplet at the tip of the willow branch.

"Here, take it back!"

Sword Saint Dugu flicked his wrist, and the water droplet shot towards Li Shengyuan's glabella at an even faster speed than it had arrived.

Li Shengyuan neither dodged nor flinched. With a point of his sword-finger, a purple-gold sword qi burst from his fingertip, splitting the water droplet in two.

"First move."

The Chancellor counted leisurely from the pavilion.

Li Shengyuan took a deep breath. If they were to fight with full strength, the outcome would be uncertain, but he knew his Sword Dao cultivation was still shallow. When facing a Sword Dao expert like Sword Saint Dugu, he couldn't afford the slightest carelessness in a Sword Dao competition!

What the Chancellor wanted to see was not him exchanging ten moves with Sword Saint Dugu, but rather him breaking through his Sword Dao cultivation to the Second Grade within ten moves!

If he failed, even exchanging ten moves would still be a failure!

He clasped his hands together, then slowly pulled them apart, and a light sword, entirely condensed from sword qi, formed between his palms.

"Condensing qi into a sword? A bit interesting."

A hint of admiration flashed in Sword Saint Dugu's eyes. The willow branch in his hand suddenly glowed brightly with green light, and the originally soft branch became as straight as iron.

For the second move, Sword Saint Dugu used seventy percent of his strength.

As the willow branch struck out, a fierce wind immediately swept through the courtyard. All the fallen leaves were drawn by the sword qi, transforming into countless tiny flying swords that surged towards Li Shengyuan.

Shengyuan's light sword danced like a wheel in his hand, forming an impenetrable sword curtain in front of him.

The clanging sounds of "ding ding ding" were incessant, and every fallen leaf that collided with the sword curtain erupted in dazzling sparks.

"Second move."

The Chancellor's calm voice sounded again.

Li Shengyuan's expression was serene, but he secretly praised, 'As expected of Sword Saint Dugu, his sword intent is profound and ever-changing. No sword is better than having a sword. Just two moves have already made him struggle a bit.'

One must know that although he was a Third Grade Sword Dao practitioner, his overall strength and Blade Dao were both Second Grade, and his vision and reactions far surpassed ordinary Third Grade sword cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist Li, be careful."

Sword Saint Dugu suddenly put away his willow branch and stood with his hands behind his back.

Li Shengyuan's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew Sword Saint Dugu was getting serious!

Sword qi surged around Sword Saint Dugu, actually condensing into seven distinct light sword phantoms behind him.

"Seven Absolute Sword Array!" The Chancellor smiled slightly, "Old Dugu, are you getting serious?"

Sword Saint Dugu smiled but did not answer, merely waving his hand lightly.

The seven light swords flew out simultaneously, weaving into an impenetrable sword net in the air, enveloping Li Shengyuan.

Purple-gold light surged in Li Shengyuan's eyes. The light sword in his hand suddenly split into seven, each meeting one of the seven light swords.

However, upon contact, his seven sword qis were shattered.

"Third move." The Chancellor's voice carried a hint of interest.

At the critical moment, Li Shengyuan suddenly closed his eyes.

In this instant, he entered a state of 'Sword Heart Clarity' comprehension!

"So that's how it is..."

Li Shengyuan suddenly opened his eyes. The light sword in his hand suddenly changed its trajectory, no longer meeting force with force, but instead tracing out a mysterious arc.

The sword net formed by the seven light swords was actually deflected by his strike, grazing past his clothes.

"Oh?" Sword Saint Dugu's face showed surprise, "This is..."

Before he could ponder further, Li Shengyuan had already taken the initiative to attack.

The light sword in his hand transformed into a long rainbow, piercing directly towards Sword Saint Dugu's chest.

This strike seemed ordinary, yet it contained a profound and eternal essence of the Great Dao's simplicity and endless vitality. Where the sword edge passed, space subtly distorted.

Sword Saint Dugu dared not be negligent. He pointed with his willow branch, precisely striking the tip of the light sword.

"Boom!"

The two sword qis collided, erupting in a deafening roar.

Li Shengyuan was pushed back more than ten steps, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Fourth move." A joyful smile also appeared on the Chancellor's face.

Sword Saint Dugu gazed at Li Shengyuan, slowly saying: "Fellow Daoist Li, that sword just now... I seem to have seen it somewhere..."

Li Shengyuan smiled: "That means my Sword Dao cultivation is no longer far from yours, Senior. Again!"

After he spoke, he suddenly tossed the light sword into the air and formed hand seals.

The light sword in the air multiplied from one to ten, then ten to a hundred, instantly filling the entire sky above the courtyard.

Endless and eternal!

Sword Saint Dugu's brows furrowed, and the sense of familiarity in his heart grew stronger. The willow branch in his hand suddenly grew, transforming into a three-foot green blade.

Just as Li Shengyuan was about to unleash his sword rain, he suddenly felt the Eternal Sword Body within him completely boil.

The hundred scattered sword qis suddenly reorganized on their own, condensing into a simple and unadorned giant sword phantom in the air.

Sword Saint Dugu's brows were tightly furrowed, and the unease in his heart grew even stronger.

At this moment, the sword intent within Li Shengyuan was already driving that giant sword phantom to strike down towards Sword Saint Dugu.

This strike seemed to carry the might of heaven and earth. The stone slabs in the courtyard cracked one after another, and the ancient trees shook violently.

Sword Saint Dugu's expression was solemn. The green blade in his hand suddenly became transparent, and seven star patterns appeared on the sword body.

He raised his sword to meet it. The moment the two swords clashed—

"Rumble!"

The entire Imperial Observatory trembled.

Li Shengyuan and Sword Saint Dugu stood facing each other.

The light sword in Li Shengyuan's hand had dissipated, and the willow branch in Sword Saint Dugu's hand had also turned to dust.

Li Shengyuan's eyes gleamed brightly, and he said with fervent gaze: "Again!"

"Fifth move." The Chancellor slowly stood up, his eyes sparkling, smiling with both surprise and satisfaction:

"Little Li, your Sword Dao... has broken through!"

Li Shengyuan was slightly startled. Only then did he realize that the sword intent within his body had undergone a qualitative change at some unknown point, leaping from the peak of Third Grade to the Second Grade realm!