CHAPTER 5
Transmitting the Sword Art
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In the Spirit Pool Hall, Ye Qinghan changed clothes in a private compartment. She suddenly noticed several new skirts. Had her master prepared these for her?
Come to think of it, there probably wasn't another person in Lingxian Hall who could wear skirts.
Ye Qinghan wasn't in a hurry to try them on. She planned to follow her master's advice and soak in the pool first.
She wondered if it would truly be as blissful as her master described…
But when she actually stood by the pool's edge, Ye Qinghan lost all composure.
This pool contained not water, but spirit essence…
No wonder the entire Spirit Pool Hall was so saturated with spiritual energy!
In other sects, this spirit liquid was only bestowed in small vials as a reward for exceptional contributions to the sect.
But with his master, it wasn't meant for drinking at all…
As a fox demon of royal lineage, Ye Qinghan considered himself well-traveled. Yet in his master's presence, he felt like a country bumpkin fox.
Bathing in spirit essence? Ye Qinghan couldn't even imagine what kind of dream would feature such a thing…
No wonder Master said it could purge impurities from the body. She'd been curious back then—how could a mere bath be so miraculous?
But now, Ye Qinghan believed it. She even wanted to soak here while cultivating.
Those legs, longer than Su Cheng's life, gently dipped into the pool to test the temperature. Just right~
Ye Qinghan sank into the water, unable to suppress a fox-like cry: "Ah~ Bliss~"
She could feel her body enveloped in the spiritual liquid, impurities peeling away from her skin, as if her entire being was being purified.
Ye Qinghan felt that even true immortals couldn't possibly enjoy such a treatment!
Somehow, perhaps overwhelmed by the sheer bliss, Ye Qinghan drifted off to sleep before long.
Afternoon…
"Qinghan? Qinghan? Are you in there?" Su Cheng tapped lightly on the door, rousing Ye Qinghan from his slumber.
Su Cheng paced back and forth before the Spirit Pool Hall, his mind filled with concern.
[Qinghan hasn't built her foundation yet. Could she have passed out from being unable to handle the spirit liquid?]
Su Cheng shook his head. Surely not…
【It's been a whole day. Why hasn't she come out yet?】
【But I can't just barge in—I'd definitely be seen as a beastly master.】
Ye Qinghan listened blankly before finally snapping to attention!
"Hey! Master, Qinghan's fine!" Ye Qinghan grinned mischievously. Master never expected to be so timid—daring to alter fate itself yet afraid to look at her?
"I'm relieved you're safe. Seeing you soak for an entire day without emerging, I feared something terrible had happened…"
Changing into a fresh dress, Ye Qinghan hurried to the Main Hall to meet her master.
Upon reaching the entrance to the Main Hall, she spotted a wooden dummy beneath a tree in the courtyard…
Soon after, Ye Qinghan stood before the entrance to the Main Hall. She smoothed the hem of her robe, tidied her long hair, composed her expression, and adjusted her appearance before entering.
Su Cheng watched Ye Qinghan enter the door with a cheerful smile. He naturally noticed her new dress and assumed her happiness stemmed from the new outfit.
In truth, Ye Qinghan was beaming with delight because she had grown exponentially stronger!
[These dresses have nearly emptied my little savings, but thankfully Qinghan seems to like them.]
Ye Qinghan's curiosity had been building for quite some time. Was her master really that short on funds?
She bathes in spiritual elixir—how could she be short on funds? Selling even a little of that elixir would fetch a fortune!
"Qinghan, how is your cultivation progressing?"
"The sword techniques and manuals Master has imparted are profoundly mysterious. This disciple is slow-witted and can only strive to comprehend them."
"There's no need to rush. Take it step by step. I've crafted a training dummy these past days for you to practice against."
At Su Cheng's words, Ye Qinghan felt a pang of panic. He silently cursed his own clumsiness—why did his hands have to be so uncoordinated?
"Uh… Master, are you referring to the one under the tree?"
Ye Qinghan looked utterly embarrassed, scratching his fox-like head one moment and fidgeting with his hands the next…
Correct. This dummy possesses the strength of a Golden Core Stage cultivator, balanced in both offense and defense. I crafted it specifically for you.
Seeing Ye Qinghan seemingly unmoved, Su Cheng found it rather odd.
After all, Ye Qinghan should be deeply committed to cultivation—she was single-minded in avenging her mother and would stop at nothing to grow stronger.
Could it be she feared the dummy was too powerful?
"But for your safety, I'll make some adjustments to the dummy later. You can treat it as your opponent without worry—no risk of injury."
Only then did Ye Qinghan realize it was meant for training…
Thud. She knelt on the ground. Ye Qinghan had made another mistake…
"Master, I think I broke it…"
"Huh?" Su Cheng thought to himself, that thing had Golden Core strength, it should be pretty sturdy…
Ye Qinghan spoke honestly: "I just came out of the Spirit Pool Hall and saw that dummy. It looked pretty sturdy, so I…"
Su Cheng followed Ye Qinghan into the courtyard. Under the tree, there was no trace of the dummy left—it had been completely shattered…
"Ugh…" Su Cheng stared at the dummy fragments he'd traded 400 system points for, then glanced at Ye Qinghan standing nearby with a look of utter dejection. For a long moment, he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
He'd thought Qinghan was only at the Qi Cultivation stage, so adjusting the Golden Core Stage dummy's strength to Foundation Establishment level seemed appropriate.
Who knew Ye Qinghan would be so ridiculously powerful? She casually shattered the 400 system point treasure while taking a bath…
"Master, please don't be angry. I truly didn't mean to! I had no idea that dummy was so fragile—like it was made of paper. One sword strike… and it shattered into dust."
Ye Qinghan clung to Su Cheng's arm, looking utterly aggrieved. Had she known it was specially crafted for her by her master, she would have treated it with more care.
"It's fine. Next time… I'll get you one from the Immortal Realm to play with in a couple days…"
Ye Qinghan froze. Was that even possible?
"Really?" She blinked those naturally alluring fox eyes, gazing at Su Cheng as if coaxing him.
【Don't look at me like that… Who could resist?】
"Master will do his best…"
Hehe, Ye Qinghan grew bolder. As long as she acted coy, she didn't even need to read minds—her master's thoughts were written all over his face~
"Master, while practicing the sword techniques these past days, I've encountered quite a few problems. If you're not too busy, could you offer some guidance?"
Ye Qinghan nestled into Su Cheng's embrace, tilting her little head up as if pleading, "Please, please~"
Those beautiful eyes were utterly irresistible to Su Cheng, leaving him unable to utter a word of refusal.
"Let me take a look."
"Thank you, Master!" Ye Qinghan said, guiding her master to sit nearby before stepping into the center of the courtyard.
Her aura abruptly transformed—her gaze sharpened like a blade, embodying the essence of the Frostsword Intent!
"Frostblade! Emerge!"
In an instant, the three-foot blade at her waist seemed to answer the call. As the jade hilt left its sheath, the air temperature plummeted!
Su Cheng felt utterly frustrated. This was nothing like the sword manuals he had studied!
What he had studied involved downward strikes, upward thrusts, parrying and countering…
Why was it that with Ye Qinghan, the Ling Frost Sword Manual started with a major technique right off the bat?
Fortunately, the system granted Su Cheng a disciple reward. As Ye Qinghan grasped the Ling Frost Sword Manual, Su Cheng instantly mastered it too.
After watching for a while, Su Cheng realized Ye Qinghan was grasping it remarkably well—far superior to his own understanding…
【Isn't this perfect? Aside from some clumsy movements, there's absolutely nothing wrong. What exactly am I supposed to teach him?】
[What's wrong with that? If I can't even spot this, wouldn't that be embarrassing?]
"Where exactly do you see the problem?" Su Cheng feigned sternness, trying to draw her out.
But Ye Qinghan had overheard every thought in his mind. The mischievous fox's playful spirit stirred, and he even wanted to tease his master a little more.
"Qinghan is slow-witted. I humbly request your guidance, Master."
【Huh? You're far smarter than your master here. It took me a whole month studying sword manuals just to master thrusting and downward strikes…】
Hmm… Got it!
"Do it again." Su Cheng assumed a stance, his tone brooking no refusal.
Ye Qinghan then demonstrated the Ling Frost Sword Technique for his master once more. Though each move was ruthlessly fierce, the technique took a heavy toll on Ye Qinghan.
Even Ye Qinghan, with his exceptional talent, found his breath becoming erratic and labored.
"Do you understand now?"
Ye Qinghan froze. Had his master spotted a flaw? Hadn't he just praised her comprehension moments ago?
Great. He'd just dug himself into a hole.
Seeing Ye Qinghan's silence, Su Cheng began to explain.
"Look at how out of breath you are. If your enemy isn't completely dead yet, could you even launch another attack?"
Ye Qinghan suddenly understood, her eyes widening in shock!
Master, you've got her!
【Heh heh, clever as ever! Your master is still your master!】
"I understand now, Master. Thank you."
Su Cheng slowly rose to his feet. After all, she was his disciple—he couldn't keep putting on airs forever.
"Qinghan, I'll demonstrate it for you. Watch carefully."
As he spoke, Su Cheng picked up a nearby branch, gripped it in his hand, and exhaled deeply.
"Frost-Piercing Sword Array!" With a thunderous shout, the heavens and earth shifted. Golden streaks of light coalesced into a sword formation that enveloped the world, sealing off space and time itself seemed to pause.
"Part the Clouds!" The branch in his hand became a sword, cleaving the heavens with a single strike, piercing straight through the azure sky!
In an instant, the sky split in two. Ye Qinghan was utterly dumbfounded!
"I shall impart one final technique to you. This is not part of the Frostblade Sword Art. I shall demonstrate this move only once—watch carefully!"
Behold the scholarly, fair-featured man standing with hands behind his back. A single sword stroke could turn heaven and earth upside down, overturn the cosmos. With such power, how could avenging her mother be impossible?
If it had been mere conjecture before, she was now utterly certain: encountering this master had likely exhausted even her next lifetime's fortune.
With a mere twig in hand, he could twist the heavens. Armed with a先天至宝 (innate treasure), he would likely have no equal in the world. With such a formidable master, Ye Qinghan no longer feared the path to avenging her shame.
Ye Qinghan's regard for this master had quietly shifted. With the master's affection for her and the master's formidable power, the day of her vengeance was drawing near.
"Thank you, Master!"
The Ling Frost Sword Formation alone was already unfathomable, leaving Ye Qinghan both honored and overwhelmed. And now, her master was personally imparting supreme techniques!
Ye Qinghan felt that if she could master even a fraction of it, vengeance would be within her grasp.
Ye Qinghan dared not remain seated. She wiped her eyes clean and knelt to watch…
This was a privilege reserved solely for his direct disciples! The Master had made his intentions clear: he would demonstrate the technique only once, testing how much she could grasp on her own!
As Su Cheng dissolved the sword formation, the sword intent vanished. To Su Cheng, who lacked cultivation, the sword techniques granted by the system were merely a few additional skills.
Only this one technique was Su Cheng's ultimate skill—slaying immortals and gods was not beyond his reach.
Su Cheng's steps were light as he slowly came to a halt, the branch resembling a sword resting at his side. "Watch closely!"
Ye Qinghan rubbed his eyes and focused intently: "Alright…"
Truth be told, Ye Qinghan hadn't seen a thing… The moment she finished speaking, Su Cheng had already finished his demonstration!
"That's it?"
Ye Qinghan was bewildered. Aside from seeing his master dart from left to right in an instant, he hadn't grasped a single thing…
"Exactly. This technique, which I also learned by stealth, is called Snow Flake. If one can seize the opportunity, even a mortal can slay a god with this move."
"That powerful?" Ye Qinghan hadn't understood a thing!
He hadn't even blinked just now!
"Master, could you slow down? Your disciple didn't see clearly!" Ye Qinghan felt a bit resentful. What kind of trick was this?
She had been watching intently! Kneeling the whole time!
The Ling Frost Sword Formation and Cloud Parting techniques before this, he could understand. Ye Qinghan knew his master wasn't toying with him, but he genuinely didn't get it!
"Catch this branch. Shall I demonstrate it again for you?"
Ye Qinghan nodded, and Su Cheng promptly tossed the branch to her.
【You little dummy!】
Ye Qinghan scrambled to catch it, while Su Cheng turned and headed back to the Main Hall to change clothes and prepare dinner.
Ye Qinghan caught the branch, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, it dissolved into dust and scattered like fine sand…
Great, tricked by Master again!
She should've known better than to catch it! She should've just grabbed Master and acted cute—Master would've melted for sure!
Ye Qinghan felt she was getting better at reading her master's mind, though her execution still needed work.
But this disciple will strive to improve!
Then! Hehe, Master will be mine! The Immortal Hall will be mine! And all of Master's treasures will be mine too!
"Qinghan, come help!"
"Coming, Master! Qinghan wants some meat!" Ye Qinghan suppressed her mischievous grin and skipped off toward the kitchen hall.
"Alright, Master will make it for you."
At that moment, in the Hall of Heavenly Principles, Cheng Liang was reprimanding the elder sent to search for Ye Qinghan.
"What? You didn't find him?"
The elder looked utterly helpless. "There was no one in that room at all!"
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