Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Testing the Sword

At the Celestial River Windy Pass, Ling Fei moved his sword, and hurricanes swirled and giant waves surged in his wake.

This was precisely the state of Unity of Heaven, Man, and Sword.

Ling Fei had now impressively stepped into the Late Innate Stage.

’This is it!’ Ling Fei thought, his heart stirring.

He had once guided Sword Momentum in this very way within the world of the Celestial River Sword Wall.

But that was an illusory world, after all.

Only by comprehending it in the real world and guiding the Power of Heaven and Earth could one be considered to have truly mastered this Innate Intent.

At the Celestial River Windy Pass, Ling Fei continuously struck out, each slash more perfect than the last. He grew increasingly adept at guiding the power of the wind and waves.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

And so, at the Celestial River Windy Pass, the gale howled—not with its former untamed fury, but like a furious python coiling and circling in the air.

This scene piqued the curiosity of the many students who had come from afar to practice their comprehension.

”What’s going on at the Celestial River Windy Pass today? The gale seems to be guided by someone,” someone asked in surprise. ”Could there be a Late Innate Stage master practicing their sword in there?”

In their eyes, only a powerhouse at the Late Stage of Innate could possibly influence the path of the hurricane.

”I saw Young Master Ling Fei go in just a moment ago,” said a young man on a nearby Watchtower Pillar.

”What? Young Master Ling Fei? Don’t tell me... is he about to break through to the Late Innate Stage?” Hearing this, the newcomer’s eyes widened in surprise.

After all, Ling Fei was a new student!

If he had broken through to the Late Innate Stage, just how terrifying was his talent?

”That must be it!” said the man on the Watchtower Pillar, his gaze sharpening. ”A month and a half ago, during his battle with Zhao Chen, he was already on the verge of touching the state of Unity of Heaven, Man, and Sword. Now that a month and a half has passed, it’s not at all impossible for someone with his talent to reach this realm!”

The expressions of the people nearby changed at his words.

Then, they all turned to look ahead, their faces filled with solemnity.

As they sensed the gale ahead moving as if guided by an unseen hand, they had no choice but to accept the possibility.

If that weren’t the case, how could a Cultivator at the Mid Stage of Innate possibly command the power of wind and waves like this?

Guiding this howling gale and simply making the wind resonate with you might seem similar, but there was a world of difference.

Before, when Zhao Chen fought, he made the wind resonate, moving it with his will.

That wind was not wild or domineering; by controlling it, he was considered to be on the verge of breaking through to the Late Innate Stage.

However, the gales and waves of the Celestial River Windy Pass were different. They were like a raging tempest, possessing their own powerful, inherent momentum.

Making something like that move according to your will was easier said than done.

It was like leading a docile bull forward—easy.

But trying to lead a stubborn bull? You could exhaust all your strength and it would still be futile.

Ling Fei, guiding the ferocious gales and terrifying waves, was like a man forcing that stubborn bull to move at his command.

This was the difference between merely touching the Late Stage of Innate and truly stepping into it.

Only after stepping into this realm did Ling Fei truly understand how vast the gap was between the Mid Stage and Late Stage of Innate.

However, since the gales meant for everyone’s cultivation were now being guided by Ling Fei, the others could only watch helplessly from the lake.

Still, no one left the lake. They all wanted to see if the person within the hurricane was truly the legendary Ling Fei.

More and more people gathered in the lake, most of them Cultivators at the Innate Middle Realm.

WHOOSH!

A figure flickered across the lake, and a young man appeared.

It was Shangguan Qingmu, sweeping toward them, with Shangguan Yurou by his side.

They had just heard that Ling Fei had emerged from the Sword Tomb and had come to see his current strength for themselves, to find out if he had improved.

”Looks like he’s already broken through to the Late Stage of Innate,” Shangguan Qingmu murmured, his eyes glinting as he watched the guided winds and waves ahead.

”A cultivation speed like that... it’s enough to make anyone envious and jealous!” Beside him, Shangguan Yurou gazed ahead and sighed wistfully. She murmured, ”It’s only been a month and a half, and he’s already gone from the Mid Stage to the Late Stage of Innate. A speed like that... even my sister was only about this fast, right?”

Even she had to admit she was no match for Ling Fei’s speed.

Many others arrived, having heard the news.

Huang Xiaoman, Mu Xue, Zhou Qingshui, Gu Xiaomi, and others were among them.

A new student breaking through to the Late Innate Stage in just half a year was clearly a major event for Celestial River Academy.

That was why more and more people were gathering here.

Everyone wanted to confirm whether the person in the middle of the gale was really Ling Fei.

In the midst of the gale, Ling Fei’s comprehension of the Unity of Heaven, Man, and Sword grew ever deeper.

”Wind and Waves, Rage and Roil!” With a flash of his eyes, Ling Fei swept his Long Sword out. The river water below rose like a giant python, coiling upward to merge with his Sword Qi.

Then, the hurricane howled and followed suit.

In that instant, wind, wave, and sword all moved in accordance with Ling Fei’s Sword Intent.

This strike was truly like a furious, coiling dragon.

From a distance, the howling gale ahead transformed into a giant dragon, sweeping off into the distance.

All the wind and waves near the Celestial River Windy Pass were drawn into the attack. The sheer momentum left the distant Cultivators speechless with amazement.

As the wind and waves were pulled away by that one slash, Ling Fei’s figure was revealed to all.

”It’s Ling Fei!”

”It really is him!” Gasps of shock rose as Ling Fei’s figure appeared.

”He really has broken through to the Late Innate Stage!” At this point, even the skeptics had no choice but to accept the truth.

The sword strike shot forward like a furious, coiling dragon.

Just then, another hurricane swirled out from the pass ahead.

Instantly, the natural hurricane collided with the gale stirred up by his sword.

BANG!

A massive bang erupted as Ling Fei’s sword strike swept forward, completely crushing the hurricane that had just emerged from the windy pass.

Violent fluctuations rippled through the Void, kicking up terrifying waves on the lake. The scene was breathtakingly powerful.

”Such a technique... he’s really not someone an ordinary person can compare to!”

”So this is the power of the Late Innate Stage. With a single strike, the Momentum of Heaven and Earth follows his lead. The might is astonishing! In the eyes of a Body Tempering Realm Cultivator, this would be no different from a Divine Technique. This is why Innate Realm experts seem like untouchable beings to them,” a distant Cultivator said, their face full of awe.

Even these Cultivators of the Innate Mid Stage Realm could now deeply feel the gap between themselves and someone at the Late Stage of Innate.

After that one strike, the hurricane ahead momentarily subsided, held back by the terrifying aftershock.

Ling Fei sheathed his sword, and the aura within his body gradually subsided.

”Not bad, not bad at all! You’ve really reached the Late Innate Stage. In that case, allow me to be your sparring partner!” Just as Ling Fei sheathed his sword, Shangguan Qingmu laughed heartily. His body flickered, and he shot toward a Watchtower Pillar ahead as a sharp Sword Intent began to emanate from him.

’Shangguan Qingmu?’ The hearty laughter made Ling Fei pause, and he immediately turned to look.

It was only then that he discovered countless prodigies had gathered behind him.

’It seems my sword practice just now attracted a lot of attention,’ he thought.

Before he could dwell on it, he felt Shangguan Qingmu’s Sword Intent.

”Excellent! I was hoping for the same!” Ling Fei’s eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily in return.

His Sword Intent had only just reached the Late Innate Stage; it was still somewhat unrefined.

Practicing alone was obviously not as effective as training with a partner.

Now that Shangguan Qingmu, a senior student also at the Late Innate Stage, was offering to be his sparring partner, he couldn’t have been happier.

Shangguan Qingmu swept forward, drawing the Long Sword from his waist. Before the blade was even fully unsheathed, a powerful Sword Momentum was already spreading out.

Around him, the wind, the waves, and the lake water all resonated with his sword.

SWISH!

With one slash, Sword Qi howled, and the wind and waves moved in response.

This was the Late Stage of Innate. After reaching the state of Unity of Heaven, Man, and Sword, even a casual strike was astonishingly powerful, far surpassing the Mid Stage of Innate.

As Shangguan Qingmu struck with his sword, Ling Fei struck back.

SWISH!

His Long Sword moved, and a river of Sword Qi swept forward. The wind and waves around him merged into it, causing the strike’s power to suddenly skyrocket.

This was the Late Stage of Innate. Not only was the power of one’s own Swordsmanship significantly enhanced, but one could also borrow strength from external forces.

With this advantage, how could the strength of their Sword Momentum be compared to that of an ordinary Cultivator?

BANG!

The rivers of Sword Qi unleashed by the two men collided, kicking up massive waves on the lake’s surface.

At that moment, the hurricane from the Celestial River Windy Pass whipped up again, raging toward their location.

”Fight!” A deep voice escaped Ling Fei’s lips. His body darted through the wind, his Long Sword striking at Shangguan Qingmu.

”Not bad! To have such an imposing aura just after reaching the Late Stage of Innate. Now, face my Celestial Spirit Sword!” Shangguan Qingmu boomed with laughter from within the storm.

He then struck again.

This time, however, his aura was clearly a notch higher. His Sword Momentum was overwhelming, and it seemed as if his Sword Qi would cleave through anything in its path.

This was the Shangguan Clan’s Celestial Spirit Sword Technique.

Even though he had yet to enter the Celestial Spirit Realm and condense Gang Qi, the Sword Qi from his strike was as sharp and unstoppable as true Gang Qi.

This was the terrifying power of the Shangguan Clan’s Celestial Spirit Sword Technique.

Of course, Shangguan Qingmu was holding back. He was only testing swords, acting as a sparring partner for Ling Fei, so naturally, he wouldn’t use his full strength.

He adjusted his attacks according to Ling Fei’s demonstrated combat strength.

’The Celestial Spirit Sword Technique?’ As Shangguan Qingmu’s strike swept over, Ling Fei clearly felt an incomparably sharp Sword Qi within the attacking Sword River, one that threatened to tear his own Sword River apart. The sheer force of it moved him. ’Such sharp Sword Qi. So this is the Shangguan Clan’s Celestial Spirit Sword Technique?’

Only now did he truly understand the power of the Shangguan Clan.

Shangguan Qingmu had fused the Celestial Spirit Sword Technique with the Celestial River Sword Technique. The resulting attack had both the vast, imposing momentum of a great river and the sharp, fierce power of the Celestial Spirit Sword. The two techniques complemented each other, their fusion greatly increasing the strike’s might. This was precisely why most of the Shangguan Clan’s prodigies came to Celestial River Academy.

All for the sake of this Celestial River Sword Technique.

Shangguan Qingmu’s sharp sword light tore through the river of Sword Qi, making Ling Fei’s eyelids twitch. His body moved with the wind as he hurriedly dodged the attack.

”Haha, feel free to fight without holding back!” Shangguan Qingmu said with a smile, reining in his Sword Momentum.

He didn’t press his advantage.

Since he was a sparring partner, he naturally had to give his opponent a chance to make a move.

Otherwise, it would just be a slaughter.

After dodging the attack, a plan had already formed in Ling Fei’s mind. ’The Sword Qi from the Celestial Spirit Sword Technique is incomparably sharp, far beyond what an ordinary person could withstand. But I have my Cold Chi True Qi. The momentum of the Cold Chi True Qi is draconic, and its Cold Qi is incredibly domineering. To deal with this Celestial Spirit Sword Qi, I’ll have to rely on it.’