The spiritual mist clinging to Core Clear Sky Peak stirred gently as morning light painted the cliff faces in gold. Crystalline dew sparkled atop spirit grasses, and the gentle splash of a nearby waterfall echoed in harmony with the chirping of spirit birds. The energy here was different—thicker, purer, more aware.
Li Qingyun stood silently at the edge of the waterfall beside his new courtyard, hands behind his back. He had not cultivated that night, nor opened the system interface.
He had simply listened.
And now, as the first light spilled over the ancient sword monument that crowned the peak, he turned.
It was time.
____
Inside the Inner Sect Technique Vault, the atmosphere shifted.
The library was ancient—its walls engraved with shifting characters, bound by formation stones that shimmered with runes. There were no outer disciples here. Even inner disciples rarely stepped into the higher floors unless allowed. But today, the wards parted willingly for Li Qingyun.
The elder guarding the gate—a stern man with snow-white eyebrows—gave only a nod. No questions.
He knew the youth before him.
Li Qingyun walked slowly across the chamber, eyes scanning rows upon rows of jade slips and golden scrolls sealed behind thin spiritual veils. Each one radiated a sharp presence—techniques honed by generations of sword cultivators.
A whisper brushed his ears.
No words. Just… intent.
His eyes sharpened.
In the far end, resting alone on a black marble pedestal carved in the shape of an unsheathed blade, sat a silver scroll bound in obsidian rings. A plaque hung beside it, etched in ancient characters.
Moon-Severing Sword Scripture
— Rank 4, Supreme Grade —
When he touched the scroll, a cold clarity rushed into him. It wasn't rage or power that the technique promised. It was purity. The sword that cut not just flesh—but illusions, hesitation, falsehoods.
He chose it.
He bowed before the pedestal in solemn thanks, then left the hall with the scroll clutched to his side.
____
The month that followed was not calm.
But it was silent.
Even Xia Shuying, who now trained nearby, found no trace of him beyond faint disturbances in qi and the rhythmic pulse of a sword's intent rippling across Clear Sky Peak like echoes in a still lake.
Li Qingyun secluded himself completely, vanishing from the eyes of even the most curious disciples. No visitors.
Each morning, he bathed in the spirit spring, tempering his body. At noon, he practiced his sword arts beneath the waterfall, where the crashing current sharpened his perception. At night, he meditated before the sword monument, drawing comprehension from the intent engraved there.
Seven days in, he grasped the first stance: Silver Arc Descends — a cut so fast it left moonlight in its trail.
By the fourteenth day, he had mastered Mirror Flow Split, a defensive form that reflected an enemy's sword intent back with double the sharpness.
Each night, he meditated with the Tranquil Void Heart Scripture, stilling his mind until the world seemed to vanish. In this state of sublime emptiness, the Moon-Severing Sword Scripture bloomed within him like frost upon steel.
The Voidcleave Sword Manual had brought him far—its fierce intent forging his soul—but the Moon-Severing Sword Scripture refined it. The two merged silently in spirit.
On the twenty-ninth day, under the full moon's gaze, he stepped through a hidden threshold within himself.
[System Interface]:
[Technique Updated:] Moon-Severing Sword Scripture – Major Completion
He advanced quickly because he had already grasped the realm of sword domain and had already practiced a sword technique to transcendent stage, so it was easy for him to grasp what many others take decades to achieve in a single month. Still he is far away from transcendent stage if he wants to achieve it himself without relying on the system capabilities.
____
The same night, as spirit lanterns flickered over Clear Sky Peak, Li Qingyun sat alone in meditation. The spiritual energy around him surged unnaturally. His breathing slowed. His bones shone faintly beneath his skin.
Then—
Boom.
Lightning cracked in the clear night sky. Thunder rumbled. The ground trembled subtly as a pillar of qi erupted from his body.
His dantian expanded. Meridians pulsed like rivers of silver. His foundation surged.
[System Interface]:
[You have broken through to Foundation Establishment Realm — 3rd Layer.]
The system confirmed what he already knew.
But it was more than that.
There was a shift—not just in power, but in presence. The spiritual world now bent slightly around him, like reeds parting for a passing wave.
Li Qingyun stood up and drew Shadowfang.
The sword was silent. But its edge gleamed with expectation.
____
The next day, Xia Shuying arrived, sword in hand, standing outside his courtyard with a half-smile. Her presence had changed too—steadier, deeper, calmer like the lake beneath winter ice.
"I heard you disappeared for a month," she said. "Did you grow roots here?"
Li Qingyun replied with a rare grin. "Perhaps. But now the roots are sharp enough to cut steel."
She snorted. "I came to see if you were still alive. Or if the heavens had struck you down for being too smug."
He stepped forward, robes flowing like mist. "They tried. I struck back."
Their eyes met. For a moment, no words passed.
And then she smirked.
"You always say the most absurd things."
"And yet you keep coming back."
She turned. "Don't make me regret it."
But as she walked away, her fingers brushed the hilt of her sword.
She had seen something in his aura. Something hidden.
And it made her both curious—and uneasy.
_____
The next week, messengers arrived.
Scrolls sealed in gold. Invitations inked with spiritual pressure. Couriers from legendary sword peaks, from retired grand elders, from enforcers and peak lords.
Most came for Li Qingyun.
A few reached Xia Shuying—one from a reclusive female sword cultivator, once famed for her awakened Sword Bone Physique. The letter carried no demands, only a statement:
"Come and meet me if you want to fully utilize your Sword Bone Physique potential."
Xia Shuying's fingers trembled as she read it.
Li Qingyun, on the other hand, refused every invitation. One grand elder even arrived in person—robes embroidered with heavenly runes—but Li Qingyun bowed deeply and said only:
"I walk a path that is mine alone. Please forgive me."
The elder smiled faintly and left, but word of his refusal spread quickly—and shook the sect.
____
Meanwhile, at the main sword hall of the inner sect, a gentle meeting took place beneath blooming sword-bamboo trees.
Xia Shuying stood silently in front of a tall woman in long, silver robes. Her eyes were sharp and calm, her voice refined but firm.
This was Elder Chu Yue, the sect's most accomplished female sword cultivator—and the only living person in the sect to possess the Sword Bone Physique… for now. Her cultivation realm has long reached Nascent Soul Realm.
"I saw your battle," Elder Chu Yue said, folding her arms. "You were sloppy in your defense, too reactive when pressed. But… when you awakened your Sword Bone, your movements changed. They spoke."
Xia Shuying lowered her gaze. "I wasn't strong enough."
"No, you're not. But you have the same root that I once did."
Elder Chu Yue extended a hand. "Come with me. I will build your foundation myself. If you are worthy… you will become more than just another sword disciple. Maybe you will inherit my mantle."
A shiver passed through Xia Shuying's spine. But she nodded.
She followed.