System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

58: Condensing intent into lightIn the quiet room of the Yunshen Courtyard, Ye Chen sat cross-legged, his aura settled and heavy. Three days had passed since he regained consciousness.

For these three days, he did not step outside, immersing himself entirely in healing and Cultivation. The ”Spirit Pill” and ”Hundred Herb Recovery Ointment” provided by the academy were highly effective. Combined with the rich Spiritual Qi here, which far exceeded that of the outside world, most of the minute cracks in his Meridians had healed. His depleted Dantian was once again filled with pure Spiritual Qi, even more condensed and robust than before the injury.

What surprised him most was that after being washed over by that ancient will and tempered on the edge of life and death, his insight into the ”Nirvana Sword Intent” had deepened by another layer. In the past, the Nirvana Sword Intent was more like a terrifying attribute attached to his attacks, enhancing their destructive power. But now, he felt as if this Sword Intent had a life of its own, taking root and sprouting in his heart, combining more closely with his own will.

”Destruction is not the end; it is also a kind of silence before a new beginning...” Ye Chen felt something in his heart and unconsciously traced his fingertip in front of him. A barely perceptible, dark golden ray, like a wisp of silk, coiled and flickered at his fingertip. Although weak, it carried a heart-palpitating aura of annihilation.

”Condensing Concept into Radiance...” he whispered to himself. This was an initial manifestation of materialization after the Sword Intent had reached a certain depth. Although there was still a gap before he could truly leave his body to injure an enemy, this was undoubtedly a huge step forward. It meant that his control over the Nirvana Sword Intent was no longer limited to attaching it to weapons, but he was beginning to try to directly draw upon the power of heaven and earth with his own will.

He tried to condense this wisp of Sword Qi onto his qingfeng sword. He saw that on the sword body, the dark golden luster was no longer violently overflowing as it had in the past, but flowed like mercury, sticking tightly to the blade. The luster was restrained, yet it appeared even more dangerous. He could feel that the power of this sword strike was far superior to before, yet the consumption of his own Spiritual Qi had actually decreased.

”Blessings and misfortunes are interdependent; the ancients did not deceive me.” Ye Chen sheathed his sword, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. This near-death experience, while extremely dangerous, had become an opportunity for a Breakthrough in his Dao of the sword.

Just then, the door of the quiet room was gently knocked.

”Junior Brother Ye, are you Cultivating?” A gentle male voice came from outside.

Ye Chen rose to open the door and saw a young man standing outside dressed in the attire of a Core Disciple with an elegant temperament. It was Chen Feng, the Senior Brother from the Law Enforcement Hall whom he had met a few times before.

”Senior Brother Chen.” Ye Chen cupped his hands in greeting. Chen Feng had an excellent reputation within the academy, his cultivation had already reached the Peak of the Kaiyuan Realm, and he was a Disciple highly regarded by the Dean and several Elders.

”Junior Brother Ye, no need for formalities.” Chen Feng smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over Ye Chen, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. ”It seems you have recovered well, Junior Brother. Your aura is steady, and you even seem to have made some progress. Congratulations.”

”I was lucky to have had some insights,” Ye Chen said modestly. ”What brings you here, Senior Brother?”

Chen Feng said with a serious expression, ”I am here on the orders of Elder Liu to take you to the Scripture Pavilion. The Dean has ordered that you are permitted to enter the third floor to select a Cultivation Technique and a Martial Skill. Now that your injuries have stabilized, it is the perfect time.”

Hearing this, Ye Chen was overjoyed: ”Thank you for leading the way, Senior Brother.”

The two left Yunshen Courtyard and walked toward the towering, ancient-looking tower deep within the academy. Along the way, Ye Chen could clearly feel that the atmosphere within the academy was different from the past. Patrol teams of Disciples were more frequent, and the team leaders were all inner-sect Elders with steady auras. The air was permeated with an invisible solemnity and tension; many Disciples’ faces lacked their usual ease and carried a few more layers of gravity.

”Senior Brother Chen, the academy is currently...” Ye Chen asked tentatively.

Chen Feng sighed and lowered his voice: ”Ever since you brought back the news, the academy has entered the highest state of alert. Elder Liu personally led a team, joined by several other Elders, and according to the map information you provided, they have eradicated three secret strongholds suspected to be Formation nodes around Liuyun City in the past few days. They have had several fierce battles with the Dark Hall minions guarding the strongholds, and both sides have suffered losses.”

He paused and continued, ”The City Lord’s Mansion is also fully cooperating, sealing the city and investigating moles. The Lin family has been completely controlled, but Lin Batian’s son, Lin Hao, and some of his trusted aides mysteriously disappeared on the night of the incident, suspected to have been picked up by people from the Dark Hall. Now, the Dark Hall is in the dark, and we are in the light; the situation remains grim.”

Ye Chen remained silent. It seemed the storm had not subsided but had merely shifted from the underground to the surface, and the struggle had become more intense.

”Junior Brother, do not be overly worried.” Seeing his solemn expression, Chen Feng comforted him, ”The academy has a deep foundation; the Dean and the Elders have their own arrangements. Your most important task right now is to improve your strength. Only by becoming powerful yourself can you have a foothold in the future upheavals.”

As they spoke, the two had arrived in front of the Scripture Pavilion. The ancient tower towered into the clouds, exuding an aura of accumulated time. Sitting cross-legged at the entrance was an old man with white hair and beard who appeared to be dozing off.

Chen Feng stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and handed over a token: ”Elder, I am Disciple Chen Feng. I am acting on the orders of Elder Liu to bring Disciple Ye Chen here to enter the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion to select a Cultivation Technique and Martial Skill.”

The Elder guarding the pavilion lifted his eyelids slightly, his murky gaze sweeping over Ye Chen, lingering for a moment on the Core Disciple token hanging at his waist, then waved his hand. The large door behind him, engraved with countless runes, slid open silently, revealing a gap.

”Go in. Third floor, time limit of two hours. Each person may choose at most one Cultivation Technique and one Martial Skill. Do not damage them, do not disseminate them; violators will be severely punished.” The guardian Elder’s voice was old and flat, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.

”Thank you, Elder.” Ye Chen and Chen Feng bowed simultaneously. Then, Ye Chen took a deep breath and stepped into the Scripture Pavilion, which was filled with the scent of books and ancient atmosphere.

The first and second floors were filled with many Disciples reading classics, while the staircase leading to the third floor was separated by a faint light curtain. Ye Chen pressed his Core Disciple token against the light curtain, and the light curtain rippled, allowing him to pass.

The space on the third floor was much smaller than below, and the bookshelves were more ancient. What was placed on them were not paper books, but Jade Slips of various colors, emitting different energy fluctuations. The Spiritual Qi here was so thick it was almost solidified, and the air was filled with the intertwined aura of various Cultivation Techniques and Concepts.

Ye Chen’s gaze swept over them, and he was shocked. Any one of the Jade Slips here, if it drifted to the outside world, would be enough to cause a bloody storm.

He collected his thoughts and began to carefully look for a Cultivation Technique and Martial Skill suitable for himself.

Regarding Cultivation Techniques, the ”Myriad Realms Sword Canon” was mysterious and had an extremely high level, so he had no intention of changing it. His goal was to find a movement-type or defensive Martial Skill that could better exert the power of the Nirvana Sword Intent or make up for his current shortcomings.

His Divine Sense sank into one Jade Slip after another, quickly browsing through their introductions.

”Flowing Light Evasion Technique,” Spirit Rank High Grade movement skill. When Cultivated to Major Achievement, the body turns into flowing light, traveling a hundred zhang in an instant, adept at linear charges...

”Indestructible Golden Body Technique,” Spirit Rank High Grade Body Refining technique. Condenses an Indestructible Golden Body, with extremely strong defense, but the Cultivation process is extremely painful and progress is slow...

”Great Sun Burning Heaven Palm,” Spirit Rank High Grade palm technique. Extremely yang and rigid, with vast power, but it does not match the attribute of his Sword Intent...

”Phantom Invisible Sword,” Spirit Rank High Grade sword technique. The sword strikes invisibly, mysterious and unpredictable, focusing on technique and deception...

Powerful Martial Skills flashed through Ye Chen’s mind, all very tempting, but he always felt something was missing, as they did not fully fit his current Dao of the sword and state of mind.

Time passed bit by bit. Seeing that the two hours were almost up, Ye Chen’s gaze fell on a nondescript, somewhat tattered dark gray Jade Slip in a corner. This Jade Slip was placed casually on the bottom shelf, covered in dust, and seemed to have been ignored for a long time.

His heart stirred, and as if guided by a mysterious force, he picked it up and probed it with his Divine Sense.

”Grand Void Roaming Dragon Steps,” Incomplete Manual (original rank unknown, current portion rated as Spirit Rank High Grade). Movement Martial Skill. The footwork is ethereal, like a Grand Void Roaming Dragon, leaving no traces. It focuses on the harmony of Concept and Qi, with steps following the heart. It allows for maneuvering in a confined space, is adept at avoiding the solid and striking the void, and is particularly marvelous in group battles. Cultivation requires extremely high Comprehension Ability and has harsh requirements for the Concept of movement. It is difficult for those who are not compatible to get started.

The introduction was simple, not even describing the specific effects after Cultivation, but the words ”Grand Void Roaming Dragon,” ”leaving no traces,” ”harmony of Concept and Qi,” and ”adept at avoiding the solid and striking the void” struck Ye Chen instantly!

When he was besieged before, his biggest shortcoming was that his movement was not agile enough, making him easy to trap. The description of these ”Grand Void Roaming Dragon Steps” fit his combat style of seeking a way out in desperate situations and deciding the outcome in a confined space perfectly! Moreover, the requirement of ”harmony of Concept and Qi” echoed the ”Condensing Concept into Radiance” Realm he had just comprehended!

”This is it!” Ye Chen made his choice almost without hesitation. He held the dark gray Jade Slip in his hand.

As for the attack Martial Skill, he thought for a moment and finally chose a Spirit Rank High Grade Martial Skill called ”Cloud Breaking Sword Finger.” This was a Martial Skill that condensed Sword Qi to the extreme and fired it through finger force. It had extremely strong penetrating power and could be used as a surprise move outside of his sword techniques, which happened to combine perfectly with his insights into ”Condensing Concept into Radiance,” making up for his lack of long-range attacks and instant bursts.

Having selected his techniques, Ye Chen did not linger. He brought the two Jade Slips down from the third floor and completed the registration with the guardian Elder.

Walking out of the Scripture Pavilion, the sunlight was a bit dazzling. Chen Feng was still waiting outside.

”Have you chosen?” Chen Feng asked with a smile.

Ye Chen nodded and showed the two Jade Slips.

”Grand Void Roaming Dragon Steps?” Chen Feng was slightly stunned when he saw the dark gray Jade Slip, then realized. ”This footwork has extremely high requirements for Comprehension Ability; very few in the academy have succeeded in Cultivating it. But if one can get started, it indeed has its unique aspects. The ’Cloud Breaking Sword Finger’ is also a Sharp Weapon for attack. Junior Brother Ye has a unique eye; I look forward to the day you master them.”

”Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother.”

On the way back to Yunshen Courtyard, Ye Chen was full of anticipation. With these two Martial Skills, his strength would definitely go up another level. He looked up toward the direction of Liuyun City, his gaze sharp.

The Dark Hall’s conspiracy had not yet been shattered, and the missing Lin Hao and the lurking Dark Hall forces were like poisonous snakes that could bite back at any time. He had to seize every minute and every second to become stronger!

In the days to come, he would Cultivate the ”Grand Void Roaming Dragon Steps” and ”Cloud Breaking Sword Finger” in this Yunshen Courtyard, polishing his Nirvana Sword Intent to be even sharper.

The calm before the storm was the best time to accumulate strength.