Whether it was [White Night], [Black Wind], or the [Copper Mountain] currently in Meng Fan's hand.
[White Night] had been the personal sword of the peerless Divine Lord of Eternal Night, and Meng Fan had learned the Ultimate Drawing Technique from it.
[Black Wind] had been the personal sword of Li Qingyun, the sect master of the Infinite Sword Sect, and Meng Fan had obtained the seed of the Supreme Emotion-Severing Sword Intent from it.
As for [Copper Mountain], although Meng Fan did not know the identity of its owner, anyone capable of forging a Sword Intent was definitely no nameless nobody!
If these three swords fell into the hands of others, they would indeed be ordinary mortal swords, not worth mentioning.
It was precisely because Meng Fan possessed [Sword Dao Divine Communion] that he was able to refine the sword baleful qi, absorb the memories within them, and reap astonishing rewards.
Therefore, it was not strange that these three swords appeared on the first floor of the Sword Pavilion.
In a sense, what was strong was not these three swords, but Meng Fan...
and his talent of Sword Dao Divine Communion.
"Sword Intent..." Meng Fan muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his mind. He clutched his head and returned to his room to rest, stopping the wiping of the long swords.
Although he had only wiped twenty-six long swords, falling short of forty, the intense pain in his mind made it impossible for him to continue.
He had to rest!
The sword baleful qi erupted by the Copper Mountain Sword this time was actually more astonishing than that of all the previous swords combined.
Consequently, the toll it took on Meng Fan was also the most severe.
Upon returning to his room, Meng Fan began to regulate his breath.
The warm current within his body, which Meng Fan now directed as the energy of sword essence, began to be consumed once again.
With a sleepless night, Meng Fan's headache gradually began to subside.
At this moment, dawn was breaking, and the night had passed.
"The sword baleful qi of this Copper Mountain Sword is simply too strong." Meng Fan walked off the bed and rubbed his head.
The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity it represented.
Naturally, Meng Fan had not suffered in vain!
Last night, within those memories, he had witnessed that strand of Sword Intent—[Mountain Splitting].
Sword Intent was a concept far too profound.
Even with Meng Fan possessing [Sword Dao Divine Communion], it was impossible for him to condense Sword Intent just by looking at it once.
Perhaps if his cultivation base were sufficiently high, there might be a possibility.
However, at present, Meng Fan was merely a fledgling at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation.
Sword Intent!
It was far too distant for him.
Yet even so, Meng Fan was not without gains.
Although he could not condense the Mountain Splitting Sword Intent, he had grasped the sword technique known as Mountain Splitting.
He had fused this strand of Sword Intent into a sword maneuver of his own.
This was the enlightenment brought to him by [Sword Dao Divine Communion].
Meng Fan walked out of his room, went over to the wooden rack outside, casually picked up a long sword, and drew it from its scabbard.
Then, with a gentle stroke, he slashed downward!
The movement was identical to that of the person in last night's memories.
Every slash delivered by the person in his memories had looked utterly ordinary—except for that final strike!
Yet the slash Meng Fan executed at this moment, though seemingly identical, possessed a special kind of power.
[Treating the heavy as if it were light.]
What looked like a fluttering, effortless slash actually contained the force of a thousand jun.
He withdrew his sword, returning it to the scabbard,
and placed it back on the wooden rack.
A faint smile appeared on Meng Fan's face.
Chapter 15: The Return of Ten Thousand Swords, the Rudiment
Although Meng Fan could not condense Sword Intent, through this Mountain Splitting Sword Intent, he had comprehended a sword maneuver of his own.
Meng Fan also named this maneuver [Mountain Splitting].
When executing this [Mountain Splitting] maneuver, he could achieve the effect of wielding heaviness as lightness.
With the same amount of force, a strike delivered through this technique could multiply his power three to fourfold.
It could be called utterly absurd!
And most importantly, as Meng Fan's cultivation and realm improved,
this sword maneuver [Mountain Splitting] would sooner or later evolve into the Sword Intent [Mountain Splitting].
A satisfied smile graced Meng Fan's face.
In fact, the [Mountain Splitting] sword maneuver he had comprehended was quite important to him.
Because this was an enhancement of his hard strength!
Once this sword was unleashed, Meng Fan's offensive power could completely rival that of a martial artist at the 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation.
Although relying on his talent and mastery of sword techniques allowed Meng Fan to easily fight opponents above his realm,
that still felt somewhat like taking shortcuts rather than true hard strength!
This [Mountain Splitting] maneuver made up for Meng Fan's shortcomings in hard strength.
After testing the sword, Meng Fan contentedly began wiping the long swords.
In his haste the previous night, he had returned the Copper Mountain Sword to the rack without getting a chance to wipe it.
Most importantly, he had not yet absorbed its sword essence.
This was an "elixir" for boosting cultivation speed, and not a single drop could be wasted.
Meng Fan drew the Copper Mountain Sword, and instantly a wisp of sword essence flowed into his body.
Then he began wiping the Copper Mountain Sword, and once finished, he proceeded to wipe the other long swords.
Senior Brother Luo had not yet woken up, and Meng Fan had nothing else to do, nor would it be proper to simply leave the Sword Pavilion. Thus, besides wiping long swords, he could find no other task.
An hour later, Meng Fan finished wiping all forty long swords.
It was hard to tell whether this should be called good luck or bad luck.
None of these forty long swords contained sword baleful qi!
Actually, the probability of Meng Fan encountering sword baleful qi was already very high. If someone else had been battered by sword baleful qi so many times, they might already be at death's door, gasping their last breath.
Yet Meng Fan remained as lively as ever!
Feeling bored, Meng Fan began mentally rehearsing the various sword techniques he had seen at the Sword Enlightenment Hall yesterday.
A messy assortment of sword techniques, numbering in total several dozens.
The vast majority he didn't even know the names of.
Yet this did not hinder him from learning them.
The talent of [Sword Dao Divine Communion] was known as a supreme talent, terrifyingly powerful.
On the path of the Sword Dao, Meng Fan was a born sword seed, the future supreme being of the sword!
Therefore, even by merely watching someone else perform a set of sword techniques, he could thoroughly master a technique.
It could only be described as monstrous.
"However, these sword techniques are chaotic and scattered. Having seen so many, there is no need to actually practice every single one of them," Meng Fan muttered to himself.
In a single day, he had viewed dozens of sword techniques and could even barely master them all.
Yet whether it was sword techniques or anything else, there was a universal truth—greed leads to indigestion!
Meng Fan had the capacity for greed and could barely manage to digest it all.
Yet these sword techniques held no real meaning for him!
To put it bluntly, Meng Fan looked down upon these sword techniques.
The reason he observed so many sword techniques and browsed through a vast array of swords actually stemmed from a personal ambition.
He wanted to fuse the strengths of a hundred schools and create a sword technique of his own.
If anyone else harbored such a thought, it would be no different from a pipe dream, utterly ridiculous.
Because that was something only a Grandmaster of Sword Dao was qualified to do, qualified to even think about!
Although Meng Fan was not a Sword Dao grandmaster, he possessed [Sword Dao Divine Communion] and thus had the qualification.
Every time he observed a sword technique, he could master it and comprehend its inner essence.
"Once I have accumulated enough, I will definitely create a sword technique of my own!" Meng Fan muttered.
Though it was still a long way off, Meng Fan had already decided on a name for this sword technique.
*Return of Ten Thousand Swords*
The name of this technique carried a suspicion of plagiarism, but Meng Fan believed that once he created it, he certainly wouldn't shame these four words!
Harboring this wonderful thought, he continued to mentally rehearse and deduce the sword techniques he had seen yesterday.
He did not practice these techniques in reality, choosing instead to rehearse them in his mind, fearing that if he were to display so many different techniques, Senior Brother Luo would discover it and make it difficult to explain.
Besides, even if he could fool Senior Brother Luo, there were higher floors in the Sword Pavilion housing experts he didn't know, and his performance would surely be noticed.
Although Meng Fan had always performed brilliantly since joining the Sword Pavilion, this brilliance had not yet exceeded a certain limit and could not be considered monstrous.
So when it was time to conceal one's capabilities, one still had to hide them!
Half an hour later, Senior Brother Luo woke up and walked out of his room.
Seeing Meng Fan sitting cross-legged on the floor, a trace of surprise crossed his face as he asked, "You kid, instead of meditating in your room, what are you doing out here in the hall?"
Meng Fan got up and said, "I woke up early to wipe the swords. Since I had nothing to do after finishing, I simply continued meditating."
Senior Brother Luo chuckled and said, "You kid, beaten down so miserably last night, yet you're still able to crawl out full of life today. It seems I didn't misjudge you. Maybe you really can adapt to being a sword-guarding disciple of the Sword Pavilion!"
Senior Brother Luo had actually felt the astonishing baleful qi erupted by the Copper Mountain Sword last night.
Originally, he had expected Meng Fan to be thoroughly tormented by that baleful qi, at least unable to get out of bed and forced to lie down today. He hadn't expected Meng Fan to still be so spirited.
For a little newbie at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation to possess such astonishing willpower and endurance was truly impressive!
"However, even though you have the talent to be a sword-guarding disciple, your physical body has to keep up as well. Especially your cultivation; you mustn't let it fall behind and must raise it up," Senior Brother Luo glanced at Meng Fan.
Then he returned to his room, took out three Spirit Stones, and handed them to Meng Fan.
Meng Fan looked at Senior Brother Luo in sudden surprise, somewhat bewildered.
Senior Brother Luo said, "Sword-guarding disciples receive a monthly subsidy of three Spirit Stones. Although it's not yet time for the subsidy to be distributed, your cultivation resources are lagging behind. Consider these three Spirit Stones as a loan from me; you can just pay me back when the official subsidy comes down!"
Meng Fan did not stand on ceremony. He took the Spirit Stones and said gratefully, "Thank you, Senior Brother Luo."
"Don't thank me. Helping you is helping myself, after all, if you kid were to kick the bucket, I'd still have to wipe all these swords myself," Senior Brother Luo shook his head and said.
Meng Fan looked at the three Spirit Stones in his hand with deep emotion.
In the past, he had never even possessed a single complete Spirit Stone.
Now, he suddenly had three of them!
Happiness had arrived too abruptly.
"With these three Spirit Stones, you'd better go to the Pill Pavilion and buy some Qi Gathering Pills to boost your cultivation. Although your physique is decent and you've withstood the invasion of sword baleful qi these past few times, your cultivation is simply too low and must be raised quickly, otherwise something will go wrong in the Sword Pavilion sooner or later!"
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Luo, I understand."
The doors of the Sword Pavilion opened. After bidding farewell to Senior Brother Luo, Meng Fan left the Sword Pavilion.
He planned to visit the Pill Pavilion first.
Senior Brother Luo was right; he indeed needed to raise his cultivation as quickly as possible, because his cultivation level was simply too weak.
Although [Sword Dao Divine Communion] was powerful, it was not omnipotent.
What if one day, while wiping a sword, he encountered one that looked completely ordinary but was actually terrifyingly formidable?
At that time, Meng Fan would likely flip over and crash!
Meng Fan arrived at the Pill Pavilion.
The Pill Pavilion was where the Shushan Sword Sect sold medicinal pills, backed by the Alchemy Hall.
The only pill suitable for a little newbie like Meng Fan at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation was the Qi Gathering Pill.
One Spirit Stone bought ten Qi Gathering Pills.
Meng Fan bought twenty Qi Gathering Pills in one go.
With the remaining one Spirit Stone, he bought ten Body Refining Pills.
Body Refining Pills, as the name suggested, were used for refining the physical body.
Meng Fan possessed [Sword Dao Divine Communion], so he had nothing to complain about regarding comprehension.
However, his physical physique could not be considered strong, and coupled with the fact that he hadn't practiced any Body Refining cultivation techniques, purchasing some Body Refining Pills to temper his body was quite necessary.
In fact, compared to Body Refining Pills, Meng Fan would have preferred to directly acquire a Body Refining cultivation technique, but he had no such opportunity.
"Let's take it slow!" Meng Fan muttered to himself, then tucked the pills away and left the Pill Pavilion.
After leaving the Pill Pavilion, Meng Fan once again arrived at the Sword Enlightenment Hall.
Watching sword techniques at the Sword Enlightenment Hall was his most important avenue for perfecting his self-created sword technique, *Return of Ten Thousand Swords*.
Upon reaching the Sword Enlightenment Hall, just like yesterday, Meng Fan found a corner and squatted down.
He didn't spar with anyone, nor did he exchange pointers; he simply watched others practice their swords in silence.
There were actually a few others in the Sword Enlightenment Hall like Meng Fan who only watched without practicing; they were observing masters who practiced the same sword technique as them,
hoping to learn from those masters' techniques to spot their own shortcomings and improve.
As for someone like Meng Fan who watched every kind of sword technique without discrimination, he was definitely the one and only.
"What a coincidence, running into you again."
Just as Meng Fan was intently watching the Shushan Sword Sect disciples practice their swords, a slightly familiar voice sounded beside his ear.
He turned his head slightly and saw a face he could barely recognize.
Liu Yanping, the delusional girl from yesterday, the one who had wronged Meng Fan by accusing him of peeping at her.
Chapter 16: You Know Nothing About the Wealth of a Rich Woman
Meng Fan glanced at Liu Yanping and smiled bitterly, "Miss, I'm not squatting behind you today."
He was somewhat traumatized by being falsely accused.
After all, when encountering such a situation, it was simply impossible to explain!
She claimed you were peeping at her, and that point was completely irrefutable,
because you were indeed looking at her—only you were looking at her sword technique.
Yet how could you possibly explain whether you were looking at the sword or at the person?
It was unexplainable!
Even though he had demonstrated Liu Yanping's Sea-Surging Azure Waves Sword yesterday, she had only acknowledged it in her speech while remaining unconvinced in her heart.
She still believed Meng Fan had been peeping at her, though she chose not to pursue the matter further.
One had to admit that young men out in the world truly needed to protect themselves well.
Because often when you were falsely accused by a girl, no one would listen to your explanation, and you were naturally at a disadvantage.
Liu Yanping looked at Meng Fan and said helplessly, "Relax, I'm not here to give you a hard time."
Although she said that, Meng Fan felt that this person herself was the trouble.
"That's good," Meng Fan said with a smile on his face.
He had no desire to continue conversing with Liu Yanping, but Liu Yanping did not let him off, taking the initiative to say, "After listening to your insights regarding the Sea-Surging Azure Waves Sword yesterday, I gained some new comprehension upon returning."
"Uh, congratulations," Meng Fan perfunctorily offered.
"Although I don't know why you know the Sea-Surging Azure Waves Sword, you really do have some accomplishments in this sword technique. Care to exchange pointers with me in a spar?"
Meng Fan looked at Liu Yanping in surprise.
He truly hadn't expected this girl to come looking for him to spar and test her sword.
Was this what they called becoming friends through a fight?
Did she actually latch onto him just like that?
Being a young lady, wasn't she being a bit unreserved?
Meng Fan felt helpless; he really didn't want to be "latched onto" by anyone.
But if a person was too brilliant, even if they tried their utmost to conceal it, it was still very difficult, and they would eventually be discovered by others.
However, it seemed that this girl Liu Yanping had a tendency to be a martial arts fanatic, which was why she was so unrestrained by minor details.
Yesterday she had falsely accused him of peeping, and today she wanted to spar with him over sword techniques without feeling awkward in the slightest!
"Actually, I don't have any interest in the Sea-Surging Azure Waves Sword you mentioned, nor do I plan to practice it..."
Before Meng Fan could finish his refusal, he was interrupted by Liu Yanping's domineering voice.
"Accompany me in a sword sparring session for one hour, reward of one Spirit Stone."
This...
Hearing Liu Yanping's words, Meng Fan couldn't hold his ground.
He had indeed been very determined to refuse, but this girl was simply offering too much.
Meng Fan's monthly subsidy was only three Spirit Stones.
And that was the "prestigious" treatment he received only after becoming a sword-guarding disciple of the Sword Pavilion.
When he was a handyman disciple, he had never even obtained a single complete Spirit Stone!
"Deal," Meng Fan said without the slightest hesitation.
A trace of a smile appeared at the corners of Liu Yanping's lips.
Want to refuse me?
What do you have to refuse me with?
As the favorite granddaughter of Elder Liu from the Alchemy Hall of the Shushan Sword Sect, while she might not be the strongest inner sect disciple, she was definitely the wealthiest inner sect disciple.
Filthy rich!
This Liu Yanping was the most renowned little rich girl within the inner sect circle.
In fact, had Meng Fan still refused just now, she would have pulled out ten Spirit Stones to throw at him.
If he still refused, she would throw twenty...
Throwing until he agreed!
If Meng Fan had known what Liu Yanping was thinking, he would surely have regretted it to his very intestines.
Unfortunately, he lacked spine.
He surrendered unconditionally for a single Spirit Stone.
"Since you've agreed, let's start now." Liu Yanping looked at Meng Fan, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she asked, "Where is your sword?"
A sword?
Meng Fan smiled bitterly. Where was he supposed to get a sword?
Only the top fifty outer sect disciples were qualified to take a sword from the Sword Pavilion.
Right now, he was neither a handyman disciple nor an outer sect disciple; he was a sword-guarding disciple of the Sword Pavilion.
It was only then that Meng Fan remembered that while his status as a sword-guarding disciple was equivalent to that of an outer sect disciple, he had no ranking.
Under these circumstances, did he even have the qualification to take a sword from the Sword Pavilion?
He would have to ask Senior Brother Luo when he went back tonight. After all, they were all family within the Sword Pavilion; taking a sword to use shouldn't be too much to ask, right?
Meng Fan walked over to the wooden rack on the side and picked up a wooden sword.
Liu Yanping shook her head in utter helplessness, and she too replaced the sword in her hand with a wooden sword.
Since this was a sparring session and not a fight, let alone a life-or-death battle, there was no need to take advantage of someone else's weapons.
In a real battle, she certainly wouldn't be so hypocritical; crushing an enemy with the advantage of her weapon and letting them die in frustration was something she considered quite exhilarating.
But right now they were merely sparring in sword techniques, and Meng Fan was not her enemy; the nature of it was completely different!
"I really don't understand how a kid at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation like you, without even your own sword, managed to practice the Sea-Surging Azure Waves Sword to that extent," Liu Yanping muttered, finding it somewhat incomprehensible.
The mastery Meng Fan displayed yesterday over the Sea-Surging Azure Waves Sword truly wasn't something a little newbie at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation should have been able to achieve.
"Half an incense stick of time has already passed, and this is all counted within the one hour," Meng Fan said to Liu Yanping with a serious expression.
Hearing Meng Fan's words, Liu Yanping couldn't help but laugh.
This fellow knew nothing about the wealth of a rich woman!
"Junior Brother, to say nothing of hiring you for an hour, even hiring you for a day, a month, or even a year, this young lady can afford it!" When Liu Yanping said this, her expression was full of disdain, and her eyes held an unhideable arrogance.
Meng Fan's brow furrowed, a faint, ominous premonition arising within him.
Ever since this girl started causing trouble for him yesterday, the way she looked at him had been wrong.
Could it be... that she wanted to keep him as a kept man?
The possibility was quite high!
The body Meng Fan inherited after transmigrating was exceptionally handsome.