Chapter 272: Ten Meridian Sword Wave
"After Master left the Martial Market Academy, he left behind ten drops of Half-Saint True Liquid. With the medicinal power of those ten drops of Half-Saint True Liquid, reaching the Mysterious Extreme Realm later stage should not be a difficult task."
Kong Xuan stood by the pool, her figure slender as a willow branch, her skin emitting a faint white fluorescent light, with a pair of colorful peacock wings on her back.
After Zhang Ruochen left, Kong Xuan could not directly refine the Half-Saint True Liquid, so she could only drip the Half-Saint True Liquid into the bath and absorb its sacred power through bathing.
After fully absorbing the ten drops of Half-Saint True Liquid, her martial arts cultivation naturally advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching her current level.
Zhang Ruochen nodded, took out a storage bracelet, and handed it to Kong Xuan, saying, "This storage bracelet is yours from now on!"
As Zhang Ruochen's personal maidservant, Kong Xuan naturally understood the use of a storage bracelet. She extended both hands, took the bracelet, and bowed to Zhang Ruochen again, "Thank you, Master."
Zhang Ruochen said, "There are twenty drops of Half-Saint True Liquid and ten stalks of Three-Leaf Sacred Qi Grass inside the bracelet. That should be enough for you to cultivate to the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection. It seems you haven't started practicing martial techniques yet, have you?"
"No," Kong Xuan said.
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, I will teach you a Spirit-rank superior martial technique, the Ten Meridian Sword Wave."
Hearing the words "Spirit-rank superior martial technique," Kong Xuan's eyes lit up with a bright gleam, but she still felt some hesitation in her heart. She said, "Master, Kong Xuan's talent is low. Even now, with only Mysterious Extreme Realm later stage cultivation, even practicing a Spirit-rank inferior martial technique would take a lot of time. To successfully cultivate a Spirit-rank superior martial technique would probably take even more time, and there's no guarantee of success."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "So, you're worried that practicing a Spirit-rank superior martial technique will delay your cultivation of the gongfa (cultivation method)."
"For other martial artists, this is indeed a big problem. But you don't need to worry, because most of the time you'll be at the Martial Market Academy, and you'll rarely fight anyone. When I teach you this martial technique, I don't actually expect you to master it immediately. You just need to spend some time comprehending the Ten Meridian Sword Wave while practicing the 'Peacock Sacred Canon.' Maybe your comprehension is high, and you'll learn the Ten Meridian Sword Wave quickly?"
"Your servant understands! Thank you, Master, for bestowing the martial technique," Kong Xuan said.
In fact, the reason Zhang Ruochen planned to teach Kong Xuan the Ten Meridian Sword Wave was also because he himself intended to start practicing it.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged by the pool, picked up a branch, and drew a picture of a human left hand on the ground, then drew five meridian lines on the palm.
Zhang Ruochen pointed at the drawing on the ground with the branch and said, "Every martial artist can open their hand meridians, and the hand meridians connect to the ten fingers. By infusing true qi and releasing it from the fingertips, you can form a true qi pillar. Like this!"
Zhang Ruochen infused true qi into his index finger, moved quickly, and pointed outward.
"Swoosh—"
A pillar of true qi shot from Zhang Ruochen's fingertip, piercing through the trunk of a distant tree, leaving a wine-cup-sized hole.
"Master is amazing! Is this the Sword Wave?"
Kong Xuan looked at Zhang Ruochen with reverence, as if gazing at a saint.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "This is just a true qi pillar, not a Sword Wave. A true qi pillar can pierce trees, stones, and iron sheets, but it cannot break through the protective true qi shield of an Earth Extreme Realm martial artist, let alone the protective heavenly firmament of a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist."
"Then how do you cultivate the Sword Wave?" Kong Xuan asked curiously.
Zhang Ruochen said, "First, you must cultivate Sword Intent, temper your ten fingers, and make each finger into the sharpest sword. By merging Sword Intent into true qi, the true qi pillar naturally becomes a Sword Wave."
Kong Xuan asked, "What should your servant practice first now?"
"Practice Sword Intent."
Zhang Ruochen took out the Abyssal Ancient Sword and swung it in the air.
Nine sword qi flew toward a stone wall dozens of meters away. With a rustling sound, bits of lime fell from the stone wall, forming the character "Sword."
The strokes of the "Sword" character were very smooth, like dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing. Moreover, all nine strokes were of equal depth, showing a very even force.
Zhang Ruochen pointed at the "Sword" character and said, "The 'Sword' character contains my Sword Intent. You will meditate and comprehend it beneath the stone wall! When you reach the initial stage of Sword Following the Heart, you can begin practicing the Ten Meridian Sword Wave."
"Your servant will not disappoint Master's expectations and will reach the initial stage of Sword Following the Heart as quickly as possible."
Kong Xuan sat cross-legged beneath the stone wall, gazing at the "Sword" character, calming her mind, and began to focus on comprehension.
"She is practicing the 'Peacock Sacred Canon,' which should help her in comprehending Sword Intent."
Seeing that Kong Xuan had entered a meditative state in just half an hour, Zhang Ruochen nodded with satisfaction, turned around, and left. He walked out of the Martial Market Academy and headed straight for Liu Chuanshen's mansion in the Heavenly Demon Martial City.
He had important matters to discuss with Liu Chuanshen.
After losing an arm, Liu Chuanshen had been recuperating in the Heavenly Demon Martial City, still enjoying the treatment of a Silver Robe Elder.
On this day, Liu Chuanshen was in his mansion discussing martial arts with an old man, drinking tea and talking about swordsmanship. Ten maids stood on either side, attending to them.
Liu Chuanshen smiled and said, "Brother Yan, you truly deserve to be the former number one on the 'Mysterious Ranking.' After breaking through your shackles, you immediately transformed like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. In just a few months, you went from the Earth Extreme Realm initial stage to the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection. One can't help but admire you."
Yan Lixuan smiled and said, "I was stuck at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection for forty years. During those forty years, although my martial realm didn't break through, my martial experience, martial insight, martial technique practice, and spiritual power had long reached the level of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. Coupled with the cultivation resources I accumulated over forty years, once I broke through to the Earth Extreme Realm, it was naturally smooth sailing, with consecutive breakthroughs. Besides, I've only reached the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection. Whether I can reach the Heavenly Extreme Realm and become a martial arts legend is still unknown."
Liu Chuanshen said, "Brother Yan is being modest! With your current strength, even those top experts on the 'Earth Ranking' might not be your match. If it weren't for your age exceeding fifty, your name would surely be on the 'Earth Ranking.' With your attainments in martial arts, breaking through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm is just a matter of time."
Yan Lixuan was also very confident in himself. He sighed, "I must also thank Zhang Ruochen. If he hadn't untied the knot in my heart, I would probably have been trapped at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection for the rest of my life."
"Speaking of Zhang Ruochen, it's truly awe-inspiring. In just two years, he has risen so powerfully. Now, I'm afraid even I might not be his match," Liu Chuanshen sighed. "I've watched him grow step by step. His cultivation speed is so fast, it's rare in the world. I wonder how far he can go in the future?"
An old servant walked over and reported, "Master, Zhang Ruochen from the Martial Market Academy is here to visit."
Liu Chuanshen and Yan Lixuan exchanged a glance and smiled at the same time.
"Please, come in quickly," Liu Chuanshen said hurriedly.
A moment later, led by the old servant, Zhang Ruochen entered the mansion and saw Liu Chuanshen and Yan Lixuan drinking tea.
Yan Lixuan greeted from a distance, "Young friend Zhang, we meet again!"
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Yan Lixuan, found him somewhat unfamiliar at first, then recalled and immediately remembered.
This old man was the former number one on the "Mysterious Ranking," named Yan Lixuan, a quite formidable old man.
At the Mysterious Extreme Realm, Yan Lixuan had already mastered the Spirit-rank superior sword technique, "Infinite Sword Technique," to great perfection. It was worth noting that many Earth Extreme Realm geniuses had not mastered a single Spirit-rank superior martial technique to great perfection.
This showed Yan Lixuan's high attainments in martial arts.
Of course, it was also because of that Spirit-rank superior sword technique that he developed a mental knot, spending forty years without any progress in his cultivation.
Meeting again, his martial cultivation had already reached the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection.
Truly, once the breakthrough came, the sky was vast and the sea wide.
"Senior Yan, your cultivation seems to be almost reaching the Heavenly Extreme Realm, right?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Lixuan squinted his eyes and smiled, "Yan is old now, my blood qi is no longer as vigorous as before. I cannot compare to young friend Zhang. I heard that even Huo Jingcheng of the Cloud Terrace Mansion and the Zhenling Commandery Princess died under young friend Zhang's sword."
Sensing the battle intent emanating from Yan Lixuan, Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "If Senior Yan wishes to spar, this junior is always ready to oblige."
"Good! Yan has been longing for another battle with young friend Zhang ever since losing last time. Since that's the case, let's not delay. Today, we will decide the victor."
Yan Lixuan stood up abruptly, his aura changing dramatically, as if he had become a sharp divine sword.
"Bang!"
Yan Lixuan struck the stone table with his palm, and the tea on the table flew out of the cup, splashing three meters high.
Hiss!
A chill emanated from Yan Lixuan's palm, freezing the tea into ice, forming a crystal-clear ice sword.
"Whoosh!"
Although Yan Lixuan was over sixty, he showed no signs of aging. Instead, his blood qi was vigorous, and like a bolt of lightning, he crossed the pool and thrust his sword at Zhang Ruochen.
Yan Lixuan's Sword Intent realm had reached the peak of Sword Following the Heart, only one step away from the Sword Heart Illumination realm.
His attainments in swordsmanship were naturally extraordinary. What seemed like an ordinary thrust was filled with infinite killing intent.
Zhang Ruochen casually picked a blade of grass and held it between two fingers.
Only when Yan Lixuan's ice sword was three feet away from Zhang Ruochen's chest did Zhang Ruochen strike, thrusting toward Yan Lixuan's brow.
Although it was just a blade of grass, to Yan Lixuan, it was no different from a divine sword.
If he continued forward, he would surely be pierced through the brow and qi sea by the blade of grass.
Forced to do so, Yan Lixuan immediately withdrew his ice sword and executed the Spirit-rank superior sword technique, the Infinite Sword Technique.
"Infinite Break Kill!"
With a swing of the ice sword, a myriad of sword shadows appeared, all thrusting toward Zhang Ruochen at once.
When Yan Lixuan executed the Infinite Sword Technique at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection, the power he unleashed now was more than ten times greater.
The power of a Spirit-rank superior sword technique required strong cultivation to be brought out.
At this moment, the Infinite Sword Technique became even more exquisite and its power even greater.
Though it was just one thrust, it felt like a flood or waterfall rushing in, leaving no place to dodge.