And the way this Dugu Ming looks at me is incredibly intense! He is an inner disciple who hasn’t even obtained a spirit sword, yet you, a mere sword-guarding disciple at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation, possess one. How could he not be jealous? However, he is quite devious and didn’t reveal these feelings to your face, but I captured them!"
Upon hearing Hongqi’s words, Meng Fan’s expression turned solemn. He knew Hongqi would never deliberately deceive him about such a thing; it had to be true.
"This kid, he seems silent and honest. I never expected him to be such a dark and terrifying person," Meng Fan said, frowning.
If Dugu Ming had provoked him openly, claiming he didn’t deserve a spirit sword, Meng Fan might not have taken it to heart. But the fact that the other party pretended not to care, said nothing at all, and yet harbored murderous intent toward him in secret, proved this man was a treacherous schemer who would strike when he least expected it.
"For the time being, you should reduce your outings, especially to remote places with few people. Otherwise, if he really targets you, he might kill you to steal the sword!" Hongqi’s voice sounded in Meng Fan’s mind.
In Hongqi’s view, Meng Fan was still too weak. Even with her cooperation, it would be difficult for him to face a cultivator in the True Martial Realm.
"Don't worry, why would I go to any remote place?" Meng Fan replied.
He did not argue with Hongqi. Although he wasn't afraid of Dugu Ming, there was no need to be stubborn right now. It was true that Dugu Ming was an inner disciple in the True Martial Realm, but Meng Fan possessed the Supreme Ruthless Sword Intent seed—a major trump card. If they really fought, it wasn't certain who would live or die. No, it should be said that it was highly probable Dugu Ming would be the one to die! The Supreme Ruthless Sword Intent seed, while a one-time consumable, would unleash the power of a complete sword intent upon activation. Using such a thing to kill a True Martial Realm cultivator was overkill!
"However, couldn't you hide your presence a bit? When someone else is around, please don't leak the aura of a spirit sword," Meng Fan said to Hongqi.
Spirit swords have spirits; if they deliberately hide their aura, ordinary people cannot detect their nature. Of course, those big shots who have condensed a Sword Soul Primordial Spirit cannot be described as "ordinary people."
"Fine, I'll pay attention in the future," Hongqi said, being extremely cooperative.
A moment later, Senior Brother Luo returned. Meng Fan did not mention the matter regarding Dugu Ming; he couldn't share his worries and suspicions with Senior Brother Luo. Even if he did, the senior brother wouldn't be able to help, and it would only make Meng Fan look timid and fearful of death.
At night, Meng Fan practiced silently. With the enhancement of the Qi Gathering Pill and the Body Tempering Pill, combined with the assistance of the Origin of the Sword, Meng Fan’s cultivation speed was as fast as a rocket. Through Hongqi, Meng Fan also learned the name of the "Sword Essence"—it shouldn't be called that; it was actually the [Origin of the Sword].
Late that night, Meng Fan’s aura surged abruptly. 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation! After these days of bitter training, he had finally broken through.
"Congratulations on reaching the 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation," Hongqi’s phantom floated out from the Hongqi Sword to congratulate him.
Meng Fan smiled and said, "Just the 2nd Layer, not worth mentioning."
Hongqi said with a look of amazement, "Even though it's only the 2nd Layer, you absorb the Origin of the Sword from sword weapons every day to assist your practice. Your cultivation speed is comparable to someone with a top-grade spirit root. You're a monster!"
After a moment of thought, she continued, "If one day you truly cultivate the Xiantian Sword Body and absorb the Origin of the Sword continuously, wouldn't you be comparable to someone with a Heaven-grade spirit root?"
A Heaven-grade spirit root was the ceiling of this world. As for a God-grade spirit root, that was a legendary existence that only existed in theory. No one had ever possessed a true God-grade spirit root, and there were no clear historical records of such a person.
"I really didn't misjudge you. Following you, there is hope for revenge!"
Hongqi was filled with excitement; she was even happier than Meng Fan about his breakthrough. She floated in front of Meng Fan with a blushing face and said with a smile, "Master, to celebrate your breakthrough, how about I serve you in bed?"
Meng Fan immediately rolled his eyes. *Serve in bed? What kind of service can a spirit provide? You just want to suck out my yang energy, right?*
"Get back into your sword!" Meng Fan said irritably.
"Am I not beautiful?" Hongqi had already drifted right in front of Meng Fan, her small face only an inch away from his, almost pressing against his skin.
Without a doubt, this was pure teasing. Meng Fan simply closed his eyes and continued practicing, ignoring her.
"Boring guy!" Hongqi muttered, then turned into a red light and dove back into the Hongqi Sword.
Soon, the sky brightened. Meng Fan walked out of his room, washed up, and began to wipe his long sword. After wiping forty long swords, only one contained baleful qi. After refining the baleful qi, Meng Fan learned a sword technique from the memory of the sword's baleful aura: *Lingyun Sword Technique*.
It was an unremarkable sword technique. In fact, Meng Fan had seen it while observing swords at the Sword Enlightenment Hall. Although he didn't care much for it, it still served to perfect his "Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin."
"Little Meng, I'm not going out today. If you want to go to the Sword Enlightenment Hall, just go," Senior Brother Luo said, waking up late as usual around noon. Yesterday he had bought plenty of wine, enough to last him a few days.
Meng Fan didn't stand on ceremony. After saying a word to Senior Brother Luo, he left the Sword Pavilion. Since he had already finished wiping his swords for the day, there was nothing to do at the pavilion anyway.
Senior Brother Luo watched Meng Fan’s back, a flash of surprise on his face. "This kid is truly extraordinary. It seems the Sword Pavilion stumbled upon a treasure this time."
When Meng Fan first came to the Sword Pavilion, he was just a handyman disciple who hadn't even reached the Qi Condensation Realm and didn't have a single wisp of True Qi in his body. How long had it been? He had broken through straight to the 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation! Honestly, it was a bit absurd.
*"Is it a waste of talent for such a person to be in the Sword Pavilion?"* Senior Brother Luo couldn't help but think. *"No, such talent in the Sword Pavilion has truly limitless prospects! For ordinary people, being a sword-guarding disciple is a dead end. But for a truly exceptional genius, the Sword Pavilion is where it's easiest to soar! Danger is often accompanied by astonishing opportunities. It’s just that ordinary people don't have the ability to overcome the danger to obtain the opportunity."*
"It looks like I might be able to find a chance to take him upstairs to see Old Lin ahead of schedule," Senior Brother Luo muttered to himself. However, although Meng Fan hadn't met Old Lin, that didn't mean Old Lin hadn't seen Meng Fan. Perhaps Old Lin had been watching this kid for a long time. Back then, he hadn't qualified to be Old Lin’s personal disciple, but perhaps Meng Fan had a chance!
After leaving the Sword Pavilion, Meng Fan went straight to the Sword Enlightenment Hall. To his surprise, there were no disciples practicing sword techniques there today. What was going on? Meng Fan frowned. Usually, the hall was crowded; today it was completely empty, which was clearly abnormal.
A moment later, Meng Fan slapped his forehead. He realized it was the day of the Shushan Sword Sect’s grand tournament. Whether handyman, outer, or inner disciples, everyone had to participate in the ranking tournament to update their status. The former Meng Fan had always finished at the bottom of the handyman rankings, so this tournament was a source of trauma for him. But now that he was a sword-guarding disciple, he didn't need to participate anymore.
"The grand tournament is actually a better place to see more sword techniques than the Sword Enlightenment Hall," Meng Fan muttered, leaving the hall. Since he didn't have to compete, he had time to watch others spar. In the Shushan Sword Sect, 99% of disciples used swords and studied sword techniques. It was rare for someone to practice other weapons. Thus, the tournament was the perfect place for him to observe.
Soon, Meng Fan arrived at the Heaven Sword Plaza. This plaza was vast, occupying nearly half of Shushan; it was the face of the Shushan Sword Sect and could hold tens of thousands of people at once. Even if everyone in the sect showed up, they would all fit. Meng Fan had arrived late; many disciples had already begun their matches.
The Heaven Sword Plaza was divided into three areas: handyman disciples, outer disciples, and inner disciples. Although the handyman disciples had the lowest status, their area was the largest. There was no helping it—there were more handymen than outer and inner disciples combined! Since he was watching, Meng Fan naturally chose to watch the strongest. He moved quietly to the inner disciple area. Even though he was only a 2nd Layer Qi Condensation cultivator, looking out of place, today was a big day, and no one was going to jump out to mock him for not belonging. Everyone was on their best behavior.
"Meng Fan? Why did you run over here?" Not long after arriving, Meng Fan heard a familiar voice. It was the little rich girl, Liu Yanping! He had a deep impression of this wealthy patron who had given him eleven Spirit Stones in one go.
"Senior Sister Liu," Meng Fan quickly greeted her.
Liu Yanping approached him, looking curious. "Aren't you supposed to be over by the outer disciples? Oh, wait, I remember now. You're not an outer disciple, you're from the Sword Pavilion. You don't have to participate in the tournament, right?"
Meng Fan nodded. "That's correct, Senior Sister Liu."
"Then what are you doing here? Watching everyone spar?" Liu Yanping knew Meng Fan’s hobby—he loved hiding in corners watching others practice. During the tournament, a "peeping tom" like him wouldn't miss it for the world.
Meng Fan laughed bitterly. "Senior Sister, you answered your own question and stole my lines, what am I supposed to say?"
"Haha!" Liu Yanping laughed, her demeanor extremely free-spirited. Seeing Meng Fan watching a pair of inner disciples, she shook her head and said, "Don't bother watching them, there's nothing to see. Look at this instead." She dragged Meng Fan in another direction, where another man and woman were sparring.
"Is there something special about them?" Meng Fan asked curiously.
"This woman is named Yang Xiaohua. In the last two inner disciple rankings, she finished exactly one place ahead of me. I’ve been annoyed with her for a while and want to knock her down," Liu Yanping said indignantly.
"Then what's the point of dragging me here?" Meng Fan asked.
Liu Yanping replied, "I noticed you’re well-versed in many sword techniques. Have you learned the *Cloud and Mist Thirteen Swords* she's practicing?"
*Cloud and Mist Thirteen Swords?* Honestly, Meng Fan didn't even know if he had learned it. He had watched many techniques in the Sword Enlightenment Hall without knowing their names.
"This is the *Cloud and Mist Thirteen Swords*? I do know a thing or two about it," Meng Fan told her.
*Know a thing or two?* Hearing this, Liu Yanping breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that when Meng Fan said he knew "a thing or two" about the *Ocean Tide Sword*, he was actually a master of it. Therefore, she understood that Meng Fan’s "a thing or two" was equivalent to being highly proficient.
"Junior Brother Meng," Liu Yanping hurriedly said, "as long as you point out the flaws in Yang Xiaohua’s technique so I can beat her, I’ll give you ten Spirit Stones!" She knew Meng Fan was interested in Spirit Stones and offered it upfront.
"That won't do!" Meng Fan shook his head.
"Don't worry," Liu Yanping insisted, "this doesn't affect the rules of the tournament. You're just giving me pointers; it's based on ability, not cheating. You don't need to worry about breaking the rules."
She thought Meng Fan was hesitant, but he wasn't.
"It's not about whether it's against the rules or not," Meng Fan said earnestly.
"Then what's the problem?" Liu Yanping asked anxiously.
"You'll have to pay more!!!"
Liu Yanping rolled her eyes. *If money can solve a problem, is it even a problem?* This brat really underestimated her, the wealthiest inner disciple.
"If you can help me win, I'll double it—twenty Spirit Stones!" she said, annoyed.
Meng Fan shook his head. "Thirty!"
"Are you robbing me?"
"This Yang Xiaohua is much better than Ye Feng; she’s worth the price! Plus, if she ever finds out I helped you, she might hold a grudge. I'm taking a risk here, thirty is not much," Meng Fan said, haggling with a straight face.
Liu Yanping thought about it and felt his logic held up. To her, thirty Spirit Stones and three Spirit Stones were no different; she wouldn't feel the pinch unless it reached three hundred. "Fine. As long as you can help me win, thirty Spirit Stones it is."
Hearing this, Meng Fan perked up and watched Yang Xiaohua’s technique with renewed focus. While he had seen the *Cloud and Mist Thirteen Swords* before, the person he had watched clearly wasn't as good as her. Everyone had their own habits, so he had to study her technique specifically.
Soon, Yang Xiaohua’s opponent was defeated, and she stepped off the stage.
"Well? Her next match is against me. Did you find the flaw?" Liu Yanping asked urgently.
"How long until the next match?" Meng Fan asked.
"Less than half an incense stick of time," she said.
"That's enough time. Come with me."
Meng Fan took her to a secluded spot. "Watch and listen carefully. I'll only say this once. Remember it, and you should be able to defeat her." He drew his Hongqi Sword.
Liu Yanping glanced at the sword in surprise. Last time they met, he didn't even have a sword. Hongqi followed his instructions to hide its spirit aura, so to others, it looked like an ordinary weapon.
Meng Fan performed a thrust and explained, "The sixth move of the *Cloud and Mist Thirteen Swords* has an obvious flaw. Because Yang Xiaohua is small, she amplifies this flaw. When she uses the sixth move, perform the second stance of the *Ocean Tide Sword*, dash to the right, and then flick your sword upward. There is a 90% chance you can put your blade to her throat. This is the surest way to win—as long as you don't mess up, you'll win!"
"Your rank is only one below hers, so the gap in strength shouldn't be huge. Holding on until she uses the sixth move shouldn't be hard, right?"
"Not just not hard, it's easy," Liu Yanping said proudly. "She only won by a hair last time."
"Don't brag. It's easy to fail if you only talk. I'll play Yang Xiaohua and perform the sixth move; you try it."
To ensure he got those thirty stones, Meng Fan went all out. He even crouched into a horse stance to match her height during their practice. He was too tall, and Yang Xiaohua was too short. To provide the best service, he had to endure the discomfort.
A moment later, Meng Fan was satisfied, and Liu Yanping was even more so, her smug smile impossible to hide. "You kid, your cultivation is low, but your research on sword techniques is truly impressive!"
Mentioning cultivation, she realized he was already at the 2nd Layer. "Not bad, you were at the 1st Layer just a couple of days ago."
"Thanks to you, Senior Sister. Without those Spirit Stones, I couldn't have broken through," Meng Fan laughed.
Liu Yanping patted his shoulder, acting haughty. "Well said. Follow me, and you'll have plenty to eat. I'll make sure you reach the True Martial Realm soon."
"Then I thank you, Senior Sister," Meng Fan said, remaining very "respectful" toward his human ATM.
With that, Liu Yanping rushed back to the plaza. Meng Fan didn't watch the other matches; he was fixated on waiting for Liu Yanping and Yang Xiaohua. He wanted her to win even more than she did—it was as if he had placed a bet. If she won, he would earn thirty Spirit Stones!