Martial Cultivator

Both Meng Sangshan and Jiao Xinchen were lovers of fine wine. In their younger years, they had once descended the mountain together to travel, and in a small county city of Great Liang, they had obtained several jars of excellent wine. After returning, Meng Sangshan couldn’t resist and finished them all within a year. Later, he descended the mountain again to find that same tavern. That time, he brought a large sum of skygold, intending to buy out the tavern’s stock and bring back as much as he could. But things didn’t go as planned. When he arrived, the old innkeeper who had brewed the wine had already passed away, and the son who inherited the tavern only possessed five or six parts of his father’s skill. The taste was no longer the same.

When Meng Sangshan returned to the Sword Sect in disappointment, he immediately set his sights on Jiao Xinchen’s remaining jars of wine. Over the following years, he managed to con three jars from him. Later, when Jiao Xinchen finally realized what had happened, he became far more cautious and never again easily took out the few jars he had left.

However, after so many years, even Jiao Xinchen occasionally couldn’t resist temptation. By now, only one jar remained. He couldn’t bear to drink it, nor could he bear to take it out.

It wasn’t surprising that Meng Sangshan wanted that jar of wine. What was unexpected was that he was actually willing to use the Sword Scripture of Sword Immortal Myriad as his wager.

That Sword Scripture was something Meng Sangshan had always regarded as a priceless treasure.

After a moment’s thought, Jiao Xinchen asked curiously, “You truly intend to put that thing up as a stake?”

Meng Sangshan smiled and said, “You don’t know what kind of person I am?”

Jiao Xinchen nodded. Having known each other for many years, he naturally understood the other’s character. Even so, when it came to taking out that last jar of wine, he still felt reluctant.

“Old Jiao, to know if a wine is good, you have to drink it. You just sit there holding it day after day, turning it over and over to look at it, what’s the point of that?”

Meng Sangshan narrowed his eyes, preparing to persuade this close friend with earnest words and the best intentions.

But before he could say more, Jiao Xinchen nodded and said, “A gentleman does not take what another cherishes. I won’t take your Sword Scripture, but if you lose, I’ll drink the wine here, and you can only watch.”

Meng Sangshan cursed, “Damn it, that’s even crueler than asking for my Sword Scripture!”

Jiao Xinchen smiled wordlessly and simply looked at Meng Sangshan.

“Old Meng, truth be told, deep down I also want to see him win. If he can defeat the Sect Master, it will also tell us that Sect Master, this mountain, is not insurmountable.”

Then Jiao Xinchen spoke again softly, “My own Sword Dao, I don’t wish for it to end here, either.”

Meng Sangshan smiled and remained silent.

Sword cultivators of the world ought to be this way. No matter how many towering mountains lie ahead, one should still raise their sword. No matter how high the mountain stands, one must believe their sword can cleave it open.

We sword cultivators have no need to feel inferior, no need to think ourselves lesser than others.

Your sword may soar beyond the heavens, but my sword is no less!

......

......

The battle between the Sword Sect’s Sect Master and Yu Xiyi contained not a trace of hesitation. After speaking those words, Yu Xiyi didn’t bother to see if anyone else could react, he had already raised his sword and advanced. The flying sword Wild Grass trembled in his hand, but there was no hint of fear. ṙáℕôᛒĚs

It was excitement.

It was like wild grass that had long been scorched down to its roots by a wildfire, and now, with spring rain falling from the heavens and a gentle breeze blowing, tender green shoots sprouted once again.

A poet from the previous dynasty had once written about such a scene.

Yu Xiyi gently thrust his sword forward. A vast surge of sword qi instantly swept across half the sky before him. The sword immortal who normally appeared careless and unrestrained now wore a solemn expression. Yet in his eyes and brows, there was not a trace of fear.

Only excitement remained.

A young man wielding a sword ought to be full of spirit and vigor.

Even if you are the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, even if you are the highest in the world’s Sword Dao.

The towering figure of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master stood amidst the sea of clouds. At this moment, he truly resembled a mountain, overlooking all beings from above the clouds. And the sword coming toward him was like a great tide, intending to drown him beneath its waves? Did that youth not consider whether he possessed such ability?

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master did not mind that the world would one day produce sword cultivators of extraordinary talent, nor did he mind if someday a sword cultivator stood higher than he. Yet as he had said before: if you wish to surpass me, you may try.

But if you expect me to step back and yield my place to you, that was impossible.

On the path of the sword, who stands higher and who stands lower can only be decided by the sword.

Extending a single finger, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master neither gripped his sword nor sought any object to serve as one. He simply pointed from afar. From his fingertip burst forth a terrifying sword qi that shot forward, colliding with the sword qi before him.

In just a moment, the two streams of sword qi were already clashing, their battlefield the vast sea of clouds.

No swords physically struck, yet between heaven and earth, the sound of metal colliding rang endlessly.

Everyone present heard it clearly.

At that moment, between the two sword immortals, there was no distinction of senior or junior.

Only swords being drawn.

Sword lights intertwined, sword qi surged in all directions, as though constructing a massive chessboard across the sea of clouds.

Terrifying sword light flashed continuously through the clouds.

Soon, a stream of sword qi spread toward Yu Xiyi’s side, winding like countless tiny serpents, invisible to the naked eye yet easily felt.

Yu Xiyi swept his sleeve, dispersing some of them, then reached out to grasp one strand directly, completely ignoring that the sword qi was sharp enough to cut open his palm.

Indeed, a moment later, a fresh wound appeared in Yu Xiyi’s palm. Blood flowed freely, yet he seemed wholly unaware of it.

With his other hand, he gripped his sword’s hilt and continued to strike. One after another, streams of sword qi poured from the sword tip, intertwining together until they formed a flying sword several yards long, which then shot forward into the distance.

At first, the flying sword moved slowly. But moments later, its speed grew faster and faster, and in the blink of an eye, it suddenly surged to incredible velocity, transforming into a streak of light that darted far away.

It was almost invisible to the naked eye.

Yet soon after, the flying sword halted abruptly, as though it had struck an invisible barrier, unable to advance even half an inch farther.

Yu Xiyi narrowed his eyes. Being a sword cultivator himself, he naturally saw that before the flying sword came to a stop, there had not been any sort of barrier at all, only countless strands of sword qi woven and intertwined in that space.

At the Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s level, even without deliberately tempering his body, it no longer mattered. For around him, sword qi would naturally form layers upon layers, and anyone wishing to approach would first have to shatter those sword qi barriers. Otherwise, it would be nothing but a fool’s dream.

But in this world, how many could truly claim they could break apart the Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s sword qi and stand before him?

Even though Yu Xiyi’s sword was magnificent, it was still exceedingly difficult.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master took a step forward toward the flying sword, extending his hand to lightly brush the blade, completely unconcerned with the sword qi emanating from it.

A moment later, he drew a strand of sword qi from within the blade. Without stopping, one thread after another was pulled out.

It was as if he were unraveling silk

Since Yu Xiyi’s sword had been forged from countless strands of sword qi combined together, the Sect Master now drew them out one by one, to see just what lay within.

Yu Xiyi’s expression darkened. Though his opponent had suppressed his cultivation, he was still a man born many years earlier, having spent countless seasons in arduous cultivation. His understanding of the true essence in Sword Dao was naturally far deeper than Yu Xiyi’s.

It was like a farmer who had tended his fields his entire life, knowing precisely when to sow, when to water, when to fertilize.

You, a junior, might have talent enough to grow fine crops, but you simply had not spent enough time in the fields; many things remained unclear to you.

Moreover, whoever said that the elder farmer was dull-witted?

He was also a true genius in his own right!

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