The day after returning from his leisurely trip to Jade Spring Lake.
Xiao Mo was still practicing swordsmanship at the Dao Inquiry Platform.
Originally, Xiao Mo thought the Book of a Hundred Lives should quickly prepare the fourth life, but a day had passed and the Book of a Hundred Lives still hadn't notified him.
"Clang!"
Xiao Mo thrust out with his sword.
A training dummy in the distance was pierced through with a large hole by Xiao Mo's strike.
"Not bad."
Just as Xiao Mo was withdrawing his sword stance, a woman's voice came from the courtyard wall again.
Xiao Mo looked up to see the veiled woman sitting on the roof tiles, her pair of eyes looking at him calmly.
Jiang Qingyi jumped down from the courtyard wall and walked in front of Xiao Mo, "Your talent is good. I didn't expect you to have fully mastered and integrated everything I taught you yesterday.""Fairy Jiang taught in detail and clearly yesterday, this is nothing special," Xiao Mo took out the "Grass Character Sword Formula." "The sword manual I promised Fairy Jiang."
Jiang Qingyi glanced at the "Grass Character Sword Formula" in Xiao Mo's hand, said nothing, and very straightforwardly accepted the sword manual, then flipped through it page by page.
After a little over half an incense stick's time, Jiang Qingyi put away the sword manual and also drew out a sword manual from her chest to hand to Xiao Mo, "This sword manual is called 'Wind Shadow Sword Formula.' Take a look, if you're not satisfied, I can exchange it for another."
Xiao Mo took the "Wind Shadow Sword Formula," opened it to look, and quickly became absorbed.
Although Xiao Mo was merely a Qi Refinement realm cultivator, because he had practiced the "Grass Character Sword Formula," he could sense the sharpness of the "Wind Shadow Sword Formula."
Both sword techniques shared a common characteristic.
They developed offensive power to the extreme.
These two sets of sword techniques could even complement and enhance each other.
"How is it? Do you want to exchange for another?" Jiang Qingyi asked.
"No need to exchange, I'm very satisfied with this sword technique," Xiao Mo accepted it, his respect for this Fairy Jiang increasing by several degrees.
This sword technique was definitely not randomly chosen by her, but selected based on the characteristics of the Grass Character Sword Formula.
"As long as Your Majesty is satisfied."
Jiang Qingyi's tone carried no fluctuation, like a master lecturing a disciple.
"Now, I will explain to Your Majesty what constitutes the Dao of the sword.
The so-called Dao of the sword consists of nothing more than three parts: sword techniques, sword qi, and sword intent."
"What are sword techniques?" Jiang Qingyi picked up the peach wood sword and made a simple thrust. "This can also be called a sword technique."
After speaking, Jiang Qingyi fluidly and beautifully danced with the peach wood sword, executing the first form of the "Grass Character Sword Formula," "This is also a sword technique. Sword techniques are like writing characters, each stroke is a sword technique, and the 'character' formed by each stroke is also a sword technique."
Xiao Mo nodded.
Jiang Qingyi continued, "By using sword formulas to mobilize spiritual power within the body or from the external world, one can endow sword techniques with true power."
After speaking, Jiang Qingyi made another simple sword thrust, and a marble floor tile in the distance suddenly shattered, "This is one strike of the Wind Shadow Sword Formula."
"And when you've mastered sword techniques, naturally, you will form sword qi," Jiang Qingyi pressed her fingers together and lightly pointed toward Xiao Mo's cheek, and a strand of hair slowly fell. "This is sword qi."
"As for sword intent, when your sword qi becomes sufficiently dense, you can form sword intent."
Jiang Qingyi merely glanced at Xiao Mo once, and Xiao Mo felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his body.
"Sword intent can contain a person's insights into the way of the sword. It can be as sharp as a blade or as heavy as Mount Tai. Each person walks a different path of swordsmanship, so their sword intent is also different."
Jiang Qingyi released her sword intent, and Xiao Mo breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"A sword cultivator can learn only one sword technique in their lifetime, or they can learn multiple sword techniques. The advantages and disadvantages cannot be compared, but in my view, drawing inferences from one instance and integrating all sword techniques for one's own use might be better."
Jiang Qingyi asked Xiao Mo, "Do you understand what I've explained?"
"I roughly understand," Xiao Mo nodded. "But may I ask, Fairy, do sword techniques, sword qi, and sword intent have distinctions of superior and inferior?"
"They do not."
Jiang Qingyi answered decisively.
"In this world, there is a sword cultivator who is proficient in countless sword techniques and can break ten thousand methods with sword techniques alone."
"There is also a cultivator who roamed the Demon Realm. He was once a scholar, and his sword qi is praised by the Demon Realm as the world's finest. When his long sword leaves its sheath, it manifests as thousand-li sword qi."
"For example, there is also a female sword cultivator..." At this point, Jiang Qingyi paused slightly and glanced at Xiao Mo. "Her single trace of sword intent can split mountains, cleave seas, and open the heavens."
"I see."
Xiao Mo truly wasn't very clear about these matters.
"You can cultivate the 'Wind Shadow Sword Formula' and 'Grass Character Sword Formula' simultaneously. You don't need to completely master one sword technique before learning a second. Practicing both together won't affect your cultivation, and instead will make your Dao of the sword more expansive."
"Thank you for Fairy's guidance."
"Your Majesty need not be polite," Jiang Qingyi turned her head. "Today, Your Majesty should just practice the 'Wind Shadow Sword Formula.' Your Majesty can observe for one hour, and after one hour, I will test Your Majesty."
After speaking, Jiang Qingyi knelt on a cushion not far away, closed her eyes, and meditated.
Xiao Mo then memorized the Wind Shadow Sword Formula on the other side while practicing sword techniques.
One hour later.
Just as Xiao Mo was becoming absorbed in his practice.
A sword light thrust toward Xiao Mo's forehead.
Xiao Mo's heart jumped in alarm as he raised his peach wood sword to meet it.
Xiao Mo could sense that she had clearly suppressed her realm to also be at fifth level of Qi Refinement but even so, after four exchanges, the long sword in Xiao Mo's hand was knocked away by the woman, and the peach wood sword in her hand was already pointing at Xiao Mo's throat.
"Continue," Jiang Qingyi threw the peach wood sword in her hand to Xiao Mo, then reached out to catch the fallen peach wood sword, which flew into her hand.
Another full hour passed.
Xiao Mo didn't know how many times his long sword had been knocked away, nor how many times her peach wood sword had pointed at vital spots like his throat and heart but in the final sparring session.
Xiao Mo felt something and deflected Jiang Qingyi's long sword, thrusting his sword toward her heart.
A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Qingyi's eyes as she changed her sword technique, dodging Xiao Mo's strike while slashing toward his waist.
Xiao Mo blocked horizontally with his sword and was shaken until his hands went numb but at this very moment, Xiao Mo broke through to sixth level of Qi Refinement.
"Your Majesty's talent is indeed good. I didn't expect you to break through so soon," Jiang Qingyi said with satisfaction.
"Thanks to Fairy," Currently, Xiao Mo wasn't using the Breath Concealing Formula to hide his realm from her, since being at fifth level of Qi Refinement, there was no need to hide from her.
"Let's stop here for today. Your Majesty should rest more."
"It's already noon. If Fairy doesn't mind, would you like to dine together?" Xiao Mo asked politely.
"That would be fine," Jiang Qingyi nodded.
"Then what would Fairy Jiang like to eat?" Xiao Mo hadn't expected her to actually not be polite...
Jiang Qingyi thought for a moment, "Steamed buns."
"Still steamed buns?" Xiao Mo was stunned.
"Mm," Jiang Qingyi nodded. "Still steamed buns."