Sword Peak.
Jian Wuming was startled awake once again.
Gazing in the direction of Spirit Sword Peak, he fell into deep thought. "Why is the sword intent being absorbed so violently tonight? Could it be that we've startled the snake in the grass after all?"
He thought of the events of the day.
At his level, a cultivator possessed extremely sharp spiritual sense and easily noticed hidden clues. It now seemed that Junior Sister Bai Yue must have let something slip.
"Is he planning to leave the Sword Sect?"
Frowning, Jian Wuming transformed into a streak of white light and quickly descended upon Spirit Sword Peak.
Yet Spirit Sword Peak, while not exceptionally vast, was certainly not small either.
Especially now, as vast torrents of sword intent poured downward, interfering with Jian Wuming's spiritual sense and making it utterly impossible to pinpoint where the sword intent was going.
He only knew it originated somewhere on Spirit Sword Peak.
"Sect Master, Senior Brother."
A voice sounded from behind.
The master of Spirit Sword Peak, Bai Yue, with her white robes and hair tied up, was walking out from the cave behind him.
"What brings Senior Brother to Spirit Sword Peak in the middle of the night? Is it still because of that senior from today?"
Bai Yue asked.
"Yes. Junior Sister hasn't slept yet?"
Jian Wuming asked with a puzzled look.
"After hearing Senior Brother's words today, I couldn't calm my mind tonight. I desperately wanted to find out the identity of that senior to share some of Senior Brother's burden,"
Bai Yue said with a wry smile as she stepped forward.
"However, my cultivation is low, and even after focusing my spiritual sense on Spirit Sword Peak for half the night, I haven't found anything unusual—though I did notice Senior Brother arrive."
"Senior Brother, could that senior be absorbing sword intent again?"
"Yes."
Jian Wuming nodded gravely. "But I suspect he might be leaving soon; otherwise, he wouldn't be absorbing sword intent so frantically tonight."
Leaving?
Bai Yue was taken aback.
Then she heard Jian Wuming ask, "By the way, Junior Sister Bai Yue, is anyone leaving your Spirit Sword Peak tomorrow?"
"No one?"
Seeing Bai Yue remain silent, Jian Wuming asked again.
"There is someone!"
A flash crossed Bai Yue's eyes as she said,
"Luo Mingyue."
"It's her?"
Jian Wuming instantly frowned.
Luo Mingyue? Why would it be her? "Sect Master, Senior Brother, could it be that you suspect the senior in secret has taken a liking to Mingyue and is leaving tomorrow, which is why he's leaving as well?"
Bai Yue chuckled and said.
"That's a possibility!"
Jian Wuming said. "After all, Luo Mingyue possesses the Inborn Sword Body. It's only natural for a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to take an interest in her."
"Sect Master, Senior Brother."
Bai Yue finally spoke,
"I haven't had the chance to announce that the girl Mingyue is leaving the Sword Sect tomorrow. Right now, I am the only one who knows."
"You haven't announced it yet?"
Jian Wuming was stunned.
"Tell me, what is this all about?"
"Actually, quite a while ago, the mortal family clan where Luo Mingyue originates sent word to our Sword Sect, asking for Mingyue to return home for a visit."
"However, I was constantly considering Mingyue's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage. Who would have thought that right after Foundation Establishment came the Grand Sword Selection Ceremony, so the matter was delayed until now."
"Now that everything has finally settled down for her, I was planning to notify her tomorrow to return to her family."
"Therefore, as for whether that senior is leaving simply because Mingyue is departing temporarily, I find it highly unlikely."
Bai Yue calmly laid out her plans and conjectures.
"You certainly put a lot of thought into it, Junior Sister."
Jian Wuming muttered offhandedly before falling back into deep thought.
If it wasn't Luo Mingyue, then who could it be? "Junior Sister."
"Then please keep an eye out tomorrow to see if anyone on Spirit Sword Peak suddenly goes missing."
"Very well, Sect Master, Senior Brother. I understand."
Bai Yue nodded.
Jian Wuming stood meditating in place for a long time, until the sword intent on Spirit Sword Peak gradually subsided, before transforming into a streak of light and returning to Sword Peak.
"Luo Mingyue?"
"Hmph, as if she's worthy!"
Bai Yue's expression instantly turned gloomy.
...
The sword intent converging on Spirit Sword Peak was fading.
Yet inside the cave dwelling,
it remained densely concentrated.
A vast amount of sword intent swirled around the iron sword, causing its body to emit a shimmering white light.
Some sword intent also merged into Luo Mingyue's body,
making her skin translucent and crystalline, pure and flawless like jade.
Yet at that very moment,
a heaven-shaking transformation was taking place within Luo Mingyue's sea of consciousness.
A brilliant golden streak of sword light flashed,
splitting the heavens and earth, blooming with ten thousand rays of blinding, dazzling brilliance.
"This sword technique is called 'Emperor Slaying'."
A grand and mighty voice resounded in Luo Mingyue's sea of consciousness.
It sounded as though an imposing sword cultivator,
upright, unyielding, and refusing to bend,
was currently wielding a golden sword, seeking to cleave this vast expanse of heaven and earth apart.
A single sword strike,
falling downward!
Her sea of consciousness roared.
Luo Mingyue snapped her eyes open and jerked upright from the bed.
"This..."
"Is this the Emperor Sword?"
She muttered to herself, still lingering in shock.
"An ultra-grade cultivation method!"
"Is this an ultra-grade cultivation method?"
Unable to help herself, Luo Mingyue turned her gaze toward the iron sword on the bed.
The iron sword still lay quietly by her side.
"Senior Sword Spirit."
Luo Mingyue called out softly.
Yet there was no response from within the iron sword.
"Senior Sword Spirit, Mingyue will never forget this immense kindness."
Luo Mingyue hurriedly got out of bed and once again bowed respectfully toward the iron sword.
Jiang Chengan seemed to have been disturbed by her voice,
as he directly rolled over on the bed.
Yet this scene took on an entirely different meaning in Luo Mingyue's eyes.
This was precisely what made Senior Sword Spirit an unfathomable master beyond the mortal realm.
He leaves without a trace when his work is done, hiding his profound achievements and fame.
"Senior Sword Spirit."
"Why are you making a racket in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
Jiang Chengan's voice suddenly rang out,
muffled and thoroughly impatient.
"This junior is coming right now."
Luo Mingyue quickly lay back down on the bed.
Yet for the moment, she could no longer fall asleep.
She could only stare blankly in a daze at the iron sword on the bed.
Time flew by in an instant, and dawn arrived.
Though she had barely slept half the night, Luo Mingyue felt full of spirit and glowing with vitality.
"Senior Sword Spirit."
"Thanks to your guidance last night, Mingyue has already gained some comprehension of the Emperor Sword. From here on, I just need to practice it until I master the basics."
Luo Mingyue said excitedly.
"Huh?"
Jiang Chengan was taken aback.
He thought to himself: *Is this girl Mingyue out of her mind from staying up half the night? When on earth did I ever guide her?*
"Senior, why don't I demonstrate the first stance of the Emperor Sword for you?"
"If there's anything incorrect, perhaps you could point it out?"
Luo Mingyue said excitedly.
"Uh..."
Jiang Chengan's head ached.
What did he know about the Emperor Sword?
After obtaining it from the system, he had merely glanced through it once out of boredom—when would he ever know how to use the Emperor Sword?
But looking into Luo Mingyue's intensely trusting eyes,
he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Fine!"
"Let me take a look."
"Mm-hmm-hmm!"
Luo Mingyue casually snapped off a withered branch inside the cave dwelling.
The spiritual Qi within her meridians circulated according to the technique of the 'Emperor Sword', and in an instant, her internal spiritual power surged like thunder, actually emitting the roaring sound of ten thousand surging rivers.
At that moment,
that withered branch truly resembled a sharp sword,
capable of cleaving the heavens and earth, advancing with unstoppable momentum.
The iron sword transformed by Jiang Chengan hung suspended beside the cave dwelling, narrowing its eyes slightly as it watched Luo Mingyue at that moment.
A phrase suddenly arose in his mind, and he couldn't help but recite it aloud: "When the Dao of the Sword is mastered to perfection,"
"a single blade of grass can slash down the sun, moon, and stars."
...