The entrance to the Scripture Pavilion.
The elder guarding the Scripture Pavilion was curled up in his chair, snoring loudly with a wine gourd clutched in his arms. As Qin Xuan passed by, the elder suddenly opened his eyes and said indifferently, "Fighting is forbidden within the Scripture Pavilion. Let this be the last time."
Clearly, he knew everything that had happened inside earlier.
To this, Qin Xuan did not feel surprised. His voice was even more detached than the elder's. "I only strike if I am struck first."
Zhou Yuanbo had been the one to use foul language and throw the first blow; Qin Xuan could hardly just sit there and wait to be beaten. In fact, Qin Xuan felt that sparing his life was already doing the man a favor.
The elder of the Scripture Pavilion remained noncommittal. Shifting the subject, he said, "You are a disciple of the Qingshan Sect, after all. Let me give you a piece of advice: that Xuantian Sword Formula is a cursed thing. Just reading it is enough; as for trying to practice it... you’d best avoid making a fool of yourself."
Qin Xuan bowed slightly and replied, "Thank you for the warning."
The elder’s expression darkened. By the sound of it, this fellow still refused to give up.
"Suit yourself!"
He waved his hand impatiently, no longer paying any mind to Qin Xuan. Qin Xuan said nothing more and left the Scripture Pavilion directly.
An hour later, they reached the territory of Tianling Peak.
At this point, Shen Tianming bowed slightly to Qin Xuan. "Senior Brother Qin, thank you for what happened earlier."
Qin Xuan waved a hand, saying nonchalantly, "You offended that fellow while standing up for me, so naturally, I wouldn't stand by and watch."
Shen Tianming shook his head, his face filled with bitterness and helplessness. "No, no... even without you, that guy would still have bullied me."
He paused for a moment, not wanting to dwell on the matter, and changed the subject. "Senior Brother, I know you are going to contemplate the Xuantian Sword Formula now, so I will take my leave."
"Very well." Qin Xuan nodded.
He did indeed intend to study this incomplete manuscript. Afterward, he returned to his own cave dwelling and courtyard. The courtyard was fully equipped with everything one might need, from a meditation room and study to a pill-refining room. Behind the courtyard, there was even a martial arts training ground paved with bluestone.
He went straight to the training ground and began to contemplate the Xuantian Sword Formula. This sword formula, which seemed like an incomprehensible heavenly scripture to the outside world, was completely understood by him after just one reading.
"No wonder that group of people couldn't learn it," Qin Xuan muttered to himself. "This incomplete manuscript only has three forms, but each move flows into the next. It should be treated as a single, cohesive unit. Trying to practice them separately is a waste of time with no effect."
The creator of this sword formula possessed a unique insight into the way of the sword. The sword intent was fused and whole. Therefore, the sword techniques could not be practiced in isolation; all three moves had to be cultivated in sequence. Yet, achieving this was nearly impossible because it was an incomplete manuscript. How could one connect parts of something that was already broken?
"Many people must have discovered this problem, but not a single person has been able to solve it," Qin Xuan mused. Identifying the problem wasn't hard—at the very least, Li Wushuang, the Peak Master of Potian Peak, must have realized it. But with his strength at the Xuanji Realm, repairing an incomplete Xuan-tier or higher manuscript to make it fluid was impossible. Thus, he could only give up.
This problem seemed unsolvable, but given Qin Xuan’s cultivation and perspective from his previous life, it was effortless.
"The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. This sword formula happens to retain three forms. As long as I integrate the concept of Taiji Yin-Yang into the sword intent, this problem can be solved."
Once he understood the principle, Qin Xuan drew his long sword with a backhand motion and swept it downward, carving a perfect semi-arc in front of him. His mind was clear, and in an instant, he had simulated the move countless times in his thoughts.
"First Form: Profound Light Dust-Settling!"
*Swoosh!*
Qin Xuan unleashed a strike. A burst of profound light suddenly erupted from the blade and shot outward. Soon, the light dispersed into countless specks, which pierced the bluestone floor, causing the thick, heavy stones to shatter into powder.
*Hah...*
Qin Xuan pulled back his sword, his breathing ragged, his chest heaving. "The flaws in this incomplete manuscript are indeed significant; to force it into action consumes such a vast amount of energy!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Xuan's eyes. Even with countless simulations, his current cultivation was too low, and under his full-force execution, the sword formula still had many holes. Using the first form required integrating the other two moves into it, and when combined with the existing flaws, the consumption was predictable.
"It seems that with my current cultivation, executing the second form is impossible," Qin Xuan muttered.
Fortunately, the improved Xuantian Sword Formula, even just the first form, possessed power approaching the high-grade Yellow tier. It would suffice for dealing with enemies in normal situations.
"This sword formula will need constant honing to reach perfection," Qin Xuan thought. Once the Xuantian Sword Formula was polished further, the energy consumption should decrease significantly.
Thinking of this, Qin Xuan buried his head in his practice. To improve one's strength, talent was one aspect, but it also required the watering of diligent sweat.
...
Potian Peak.
Zhou Yuanbo limped toward a grand and imposing cave dwelling. The area around it was lush with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and the dense spiritual energy manifested as a mist—an extraordinary sight. This was the cave dwelling of Zhou Yuankun, the Senior Brother of Potian Peak.
"Big Brother... help me!!"
Zhou Yuanbo took a deep breath, making his face look even paler. He pressed his lips tightly together, forcing a streak of blood to appear at the corner of his mouth to look particularly miserable. He sprawled against the gate of the cave, triggering the barrier and shouting weakly.
*Hum—*
The cave gate opened quickly. A young man stepped out with long, purposeful strides. He looked eighty percent like Zhou Yuanbo, but his face was grim, and his dark eyes were as cold as ice. This was Zhou Yuankun.
Seeing Zhou Yuanbo before him, Zhou Yuankun was momentarily stunned, and his expression suddenly turned gloomy. "Bo’er! What happened to you?"
"Which bastard did this? Tell your big brother, and I will certainly see justice done for you."
Seeing Zhou Yuankun, the grievances in Zhou Yuanbo’s heart erupted. He let out a loud wail, flopped onto his knees, and sobbed, "It was that fellow, Qin Xuan!"
"Big Brother, you have to avenge your brother!"
"Qin Xuan?" Zhou Yuankun pondered for a moment, then recalled something. "Is that the new Dao Child from Tianling Peak?"
"Who else could it be but him?" Zhou Yuanbo became agitated at the mention of the name.
Hearing this, a flash of cruelty crossed Zhou Yuankun’s eyes. He said coldly, "Even if he is a Dao Child of Tianling Peak, he has no right to treat you this way. Even if the sect rules cannot govern him, I, Zhou Yuankun, will not let him off. Tell me, exactly what happened?"
As the Senior Brother of Potian Peak, he held a lofty position and did not consider himself inferior to any Dao Child.
Zhou Yuanbo blinked his eyes and began to weave his tale. "That fellow, thinking himself so extraordinary, chose the Xuantian Sword Formula at the Scripture Pavilion. You know, Big Brother, that thing is impossible to practice. Out of brotherhood, I offered him a word of advice, but guess what happened..."