35: Chapter 35 Sword Qi Soars to the Sky
At the 108th ring of the morning bell, Lu Mingyuan opened his eyes.
He had been sitting quietly atop Tianzhu Peak for two days and two nights. His body was covered in frost, and ice hung from his eyebrows, yet he was completely unaware. Inside his body, three streams of qi surged like three great rivers through the "riverbeds" constructed by the Xuanwu Mountain-Suppressing Art—the Quietude Qi was as clear as a celestial spring, the Noble Qi was as balanced as the earth's veins, and the Pure Yang Qi was as blazing as lava. The three rivers flowed together without conflict, and at their confluence, that strand of Chaos-colored qi had grown from the thickness of a hair to the robustness of a little finger.
Today was the final day of his cultivation on Wudang Mountain and also the day of the "mini-exam" appointed by Daoist Master Qingxu.
Lu Mingyuan rose, shaking off the frost covering his body. He looked toward the east, where the morning sun was leaping out from the sea of clouds, its first ray of purple qi piercing the sky like a sword. He took a deep breath, drawing that ray of purple qi into his Dantian and merging it into the Chaos Qi.
The Chaos color brightened slightly before returning to its deep, heavy state.
"It is time to head down the mountain."
---
Behind Zixiao Palace, the Sword-Testing Ground.
This was a square bluestone platform a hundred zhang wide, with sheer cliffs on three sides and a sea of clouds on the other. Complex formation patterns were carved onto the ground; it was the place where generations of Wudang Mountain Disciples sparred and competed, capable of withstanding a full-strength strike from a Golden Core stage expert without being destroyed.
When Lu Mingyuan arrived, seven people were already standing on the ground. Besides familiar faces like Zhao Shouzhen and Zhou Yi, there were also three young Daoists he hadn't met before—two men and one woman, all wearing the black robes of True Disciples with long swords hanging from their waists, their auras as deep and still as an abyss.
"Layman Lu has arrived," Zhao Shouzhen said with a smile. "These three are the True Disciples of our Wudang Mountain's current generation: Lin Jianqiu, Qin Yue, and Su Zhenzhen."
The three of them bowed. The leader, Lin Jianqiu, was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a face like fine jade and eyes like bright stars. He already possessed a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivation, just a step away from the Golden Core stage. Qin Yue had a burly build and carried a broad-bladed heavy sword on his back, at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Su Zhenzhen was the only woman, about twenty years old, with cold features and a long sword at her waist as thin as a willow leaf.
"By order of the Sect Leader, the three of us will test what Layman Lu has learned over the past two months today," Lin Jianqiu said in a gentle voice. "The rules are simple: Layman Lu needs to endure for the duration of one incense stick under our joint attack. You may attack or defend, and there are no restrictions on your methods."
Lu Mingyuan felt a chill in his heart. Three True Disciples joining forces, including one at half-step Golden Core—this test would definitely not be easy.
But he did not shrink back. Holding his sword, he bowed and said, "Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, please grant me your guidance."
Zhao Shouzhen lit an incense stick and placed it in the incense burner at the edge of the stone platform. "Begin."
Before the words had even faded, the three of them moved.
Lin Jianqiu's figure flashed like a gentle breeze, his sword already unsheathed. This strike was entirely devoid of worldly heat; the tip of the sword trembled slightly, sealing three major acupoints on Lu Mingyuan's left flank. Simultaneously, Qin Yue let out a low roar, his heavy sword sweeping across with a dull whistling sound like a giant axe splitting a mountain. Su Zhenzhen circled to the right like a ghost, her thin sword flickering like a venomous snake's tongue, thrusting straight toward his ribs.
The three of them cooperated with tacit understanding, clearly accustomed to fighting together. Their offensive was like a net, sealing off all paths of retreat.
Lu Mingyuan did not retreat; instead, he advanced.
He stepped forward, executing the first form of the Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Sword Scripture, "Suppressing the Mountain." This strike was not aimed at anyone but was slashed toward the ground—the moment the sword tip touched the ground, the formation patterns on the bluestone platform suddenly lit up, and a thick Sword Intent rose like a mountain peak, forcefully stalling the trio's offensive for an instant.
Seizing this momentary opportunity, his figure shifted sideways, avoiding Lin Jianqiu's acupoint-sealing sword, and his green bamboo staff tapped against the side of Qin Yue's heavy sword.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out. Lu Mingyuan's web between thumb and forefinger shook violently, and the green bamboo staff nearly flew out of his hand. Qin Yue's heavy sword was powerful and heavy, far beyond what ordinary swords could compare to. But he used the force to retreat, while simultaneously flicking his left sleeve. A "Mountain-Suppressing Talisman" flew out, transforming into a mountain-shaped phantom that pressed down toward Su Zhenzhen.
Su Zhenzhen's thin sword tapped repeatedly, her sword tip piercing seven points of starlight onto the mountain phantom, causing it to collapse with a boom. However, her pursuit was also halted because of it.
Lu Mingyuan barely managed to withstand the first round.
But the true test had only just begun.
Lin Jianqiu's sword style changed, shifting from a gentle breeze to spring rain—the sword light became as dense as silk, covering the sky and earth. Every strand of sword silk contained Zhenwu Sword Intent; it appeared soft but was actually incomparably sharp. Qin Yue changed his horizontal sweep to a vertical cleave, raising his heavy sword over his head like Mount Tai pressing down. Su Zhenzhen's figure was elusive, her thin sword specifically attacking the blind spots of his lower body.
Lu Mingyuan felt the pressure increase abruptly. He fully circulated his three Cultivation Techniques. The Quietude Mind-Cultivation Technique allowed him to remain calm, seeking gaps in the sword net to dodge. The Noble Qi bolstered his Sword Intent, making every block with his green bamboo staff carry a meaning of "upright and unmoving." The Pure Yang technique stimulated his blood and qi, ensuring he showed no fatigue during his high-speed movements.
However, the trio's cooperation became increasingly tight. Lin Jianqiu led the attack with exquisite swordplay, forcing him to reveal openings; Qin Yue used power to suppress him, making him afraid to take hits directly; Su Zhenzhen waited for opportunities to launch sneak attacks, making her impossible to guard against.
By the tenth move, the Daoist robe on Lu Mingyuan's left shoulder was slashed by Lin Jianqiu's sword tip. Although it didn't wound his flesh, he was already showing signs of defeat.
By the twentieth move, he took a heavy cleave from Qin Yue head-on. Although he neutralized seventy percent of the force with the "Suppressing the Mountain" Sword Intent, he was still shaken until his blood and qi surged, forcing him back three steps.
By the thirtieth move, Su Zhenzhen's thin sword thrust toward his heart from behind. His turn to parry was half a beat too slow, and before the sword tip could reach his body, he could only barely twist aside—the thin sword grazed his ribs, leaving a three-inch-long bloody trail.
Beads of blood splattered.
Lu Mingyuan groaned, but his mind suddenly became clear.
This trio's siege reminded him of the "Cross" character seal in the Zhenwu Map—that was not a passive defense, but a "this realm shall not be invaded" boundary drawn amidst ten thousand demonic tides. It also reminded him of the moment in the Needle-Grinding Cave when he used a sword arc as a boundary to block the black mist.
Defense is not about being a passive punching bag.
It is using my realm to define the enemy's momentum.
He suddenly stopped all dodging and stood with his sword in the center of the platform.
The trio's offensive surged toward him like a tide.
Lu Mingyuan closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his Dantian. He fully activated that Chaos-colored qi, letting it travel through his Meridians in a full cycle. The Quietude, Noble, and Pure Yang Qis no longer acted independently but began to truly fuse, with the Chaos Qi as the core—
Quietude as the spirit, steadying the spiritual terrace so it wouldn't waver;
Noble as the intent, propping up the Guardian Realm;
Pure Yang as the power, forging an unbreakable Foundation.
At the moment of Fusion, Lu Mingyuan felt a certain shackle within his body break. The three Cultivation Techniques were no longer simply synergistic but had transformed into a single whole: Chaos.
He opened his eyes, and it seemed as if rivers of stars were flowing within them.
The sword rose.
It wasn't any single form from the Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Sword Scripture, but a sword technique he had realized himself—with Chaos Qi as the Foundation, the Guardian Sword Realm as the intent, and Wudang sword techniques as the framework.
The sword light, like a circle, was drawn out.
A pale gold circular sword realm expanded outward with him as the center, three zhang in diameter. The air within the realm seemed to solidify; Lin Jianqiu's sword silk, Qin Yue's heavy sword, and Su Zhenzhen's thin sword all felt as if they had fallen into a quagmire the moment they touched the sword realm, their speeds dropping sharply.
The expressions of the three changed simultaneously.
"Is this... a prototype of a Domain?!" Lin Jianqiu blurted out. "He's only at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment!"
Lu Mingyuan had no time to explain. Maintaining this sword realm consumed an enormous amount of energy; the Chaos Qi poured out like a floodgate being opened. He had to break the situation before his qi was exhausted.
He took a step forward.
The sword realm moved with him, like a shifting mountain, crushing forward. Lin Jianqiu and the others were forced to retreat—they felt that if they tried to forcibly break through the sword realm, they would surely suffer a backlash.
But Lu Mingyuan's target was not them.
He pointed his sword toward the clear sky, and the Chaos Qi soared upward.
"Boom—!"
A Chaos-colored Sword Qi pierced into the sky, breaking through the sea of clouds and reaching a height of a hundred zhang. Within the Sword Qi, the intents of Quietude, Noble, and Pure Yang flowed and perfectly fused, transforming into a grand Sword Intent that encompassed all things and protected heaven and earth.
On the Sword-Testing Ground, everyone stopped their movements and looked up at that sky-piercing Sword Qi.
In the incense burner, the final bit of incense ash fell.
One incense stick's time was up.
The Sword Qi slowly dissipated, and Lu Mingyuan stood with his sword, his face as pale as paper—this single strike had drained all his spiritual power, and even the Chaos Qi had grown dim. But he stood very steadily, like an ancient pine rooted in mountain rock.
Lin Jianqiu and the other two withdrew their swords and cupped their fists together. "Junior Brother Lu, we are impressed."
Zhao Shouzhen stroked his palms and laughed loudly. "What a 'Chaos Sword Qi'! What a 'Guardian Sword Realm'! Layman Lu, through these two months of cultivation, you have already grasped the true essence of our Zhenwu Legacy."
From above the sea of clouds came the voice of Daoist Master Qingxu: "Everyone, disperse. Mingyuan, come to Zhenwu Hall."
---
Inside Zhenwu Hall, incense smoke curled in the air.
Daoist Master Qingxu sat cross-legged before the bronze statue. Seeing Lu Mingyuan enter, he pointed to the prayer mat in front of him. "Sit."
Lu Mingyuan sat down as instructed. His body was empty, but his state of mind was clear.
"In that sword strike just now, what did you see?" Daoist Master Qingxu asked.
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment. "This Junior saw 'boundaries'—the way of protection is to define boundaries. What is within the boundary is what I wish to protect; what is outside the boundary is what must be resisted. But boundaries are not eternal; they move with my heart and follow my sword."
"Good," Daoist Master Qingxu nodded. "You have grasped five-tenths of the Zhenwu intent. The remaining five-tenths must be experienced in the Mortal World and realized between life and death."
He took out a black token from his sleeve, with "Wudang" carved on the front and "Zhenwu" on the back. "This is my Zhenwu Token. Whoever holds this token is like my True Disciple and can freely enter and exit the Wudang Mountain gates, and can seek help from Wudang Mountain Disciples across the world in times of trouble. I give it to you today as recognition of your two months of cultivation."
Lu Mingyuan solemnly accepted it. "Thank you, Sect Leader."
"Tomorrow, you will set out for Mount Qingcheng." Daoist Master Qingxu paused. "Before you go, I have one thing to tell you—that Chaos Qi in your body is a sign of the Fusion of the three systems. This path has not been walked by those before you, and its fortunes are unpredictable. But since you have chosen it, do not look back. Remember, the true 'Dao' lies not in imitating predecessors, but in walking your own path."
He rose and walked to the temple doors, looking out at the sea of clouds. "The Seven Great Calamities are approaching, and the world is about to change. Since you are the 'Person of Destiny,' you should draw on the strengths of many and integrate the hundred schools. Mount Qingcheng's 'Sword Heart Clarity' might help you take another step forward."
Lu Mingyuan bowed deeply. "This Junior will keep your teachings in mind."
When he left Zhenwu Hall, the sun was setting in the west. Lu Mingyuan looked back at the golden peak of Zixiao Palace, where the sunset glow was like fire, dyeing the seventy-two peaks a brilliant reddish-gold.
Two months of cultivation on Wudang Mountain began with "Sword Courage" and culminated in "Sword Qi Piercing the Sky." He had gained the Zhenwu Legacy, realized the way of protection, and taken the first step toward the Fusion of the three systems.
The road ahead was long, but he already had a direction in his heart.
Next stop, Mount Qingcheng.