Chapter 696: Yin-Yang Alternation, Yin-Yang Chaos
When Zhang Ruochen walked out of the Sword Pavilion, the world outside was just at dusk.
A slanting sun hung at the edge of the sky, radiating a crimson glow that turned that stretch of sky into a shape like flames.
Dusk was the moment of alternation between day and night, when yin and yang qi transformed into each other, and the rules between heaven and earth underwent subtle changes.
Night and day were, after all, somewhat different.
According to the notes of Qiangu Nüdi, Sword Two represented "day" and "night." Only by observing the changes of heaven and earth at dawn and dusk—the two moments of a day—could one comprehend the first level of Sword Two.
Qiangu Nüdi's understanding of Sword Two differed greatly from the current understanding of Sword Two by sword cultivators in the Kunlun Realm, yet it had many valuable points.
Therefore, Zhang Ruochen decided to cultivate according to Qiangu Nüdi's interpretation of the first level of Sword Two, while also incorporating some insights from the three Eastern Domain sword saints: Xuanji Sword Saint, Jiuyou Sword Saint, and Zangyue Sword Saint.
Sitting cross-legged at the cliff edge of the third mountain, Zhang Ruochen focused entirely on the setting sun at the horizon, appearing quite calm as he contemplated the subtle changes during the moment of day-night alternation.
"Tap, tap!"
Qi Feiyu walked out of the Sword Pavilion, wearing a green Daoist robe and carrying an ancient sword on her back. She looked like a fairy untouched by worldly affairs.
Who could imagine that such a cool, elegant, and holy woman was actually a holy maiden of the Demon Sect?
Her beautiful eyes, free of any impurity, fixed on Zhang Ruochen as she said, "You want to comprehend the changes of yin and yang qi through the process of day-night alternation?"
"Exactly," Zhang Ruochen replied.
"It's indeed a good method, but won't this cultivation be too slow? Can you reach the first level of Sword Two in a month?" Qi Feiyu's voice was beautiful, like a heavenly melody.
Zhang Ruochen just smiled and said, "Haste makes waste. Finding a cultivation path of one's own is already quite good."
In truth, after reading the Sword Two notes of various predecessors, Zhang Ruochen already had a deep understanding of Sword Two.
As he observed the changes of day and night, the Sword Intent Heart in his Qi Sea had already transformed into a human form and was practicing sword techniques.
"Senior Sister Qi, would you like to comprehend the sword together?" Zhang Ruochen invited.
"Alright."
Qi Feiyu's slender jade hands lifted her long robe, and she walked over to sit cross-legged beside Zhang Ruochen. Her back and waist were straight, outlining a perfect curve.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon the two of them, casting two long shadows on the ground. The mist on the mountain kept changing, rising from below the cliff, completely enveloping them both.
As the sun fully sank below the horizon, the world was swallowed by darkness. The air turned chilly, and bright stars appeared in the sky.
Under the starlight, Zhang Ruochen stopped his contemplation, took out the Void Sword, and began to wield it in sword techniques.
"Swish, swish!"
His footwork was extremely mysterious, sometimes shifting left, sometimes leaping, giving a sense of unpredictability.
A surge of cold air and a ball of flame simultaneously erupted from the sword's edge. As the sword momentum moved, the two forces began to spin, forming a faint Taiji mark.
Qi Feiyu stood to the side, quietly observing Zhang Ruochen's sword moves, thinking to herself, "His understanding of Sword Two is still at the most superficial level. At his pace, it will take at least three months for him to successfully cultivate the first level of Sword Two."
Reaching the first level of Sword Two in three months was actually quite remarkable.
After all, Qi Feiyu had spent an entire year to reach the first level of Sword Two.
Although Lin Yue had shown extremely high sword dao talent, he was not yet a threat to her. So, she stopped paying attention to Lin Yue, returned to the Sword Pavilion, and began closed-door cultivation to comprehend the second level of Sword Two.
That night, Zhang Ruochen stood by the cliff the entire time, continuously executing sword moves.
The next morning, he stopped, sat cross-legged again, and began observing the changes of day-night alternation once more.
Each day, Zhang Ruochen's sword dao proficiency improved rapidly, as he continuously integrated his insights into his sword path.
On the evening of the eighth day, as the sun set behind the mountain, a bone-chilling cold suddenly surged from Zhang Ruochen's body, freezing him completely into a human-shaped ice sculpture.
Sitting cross-legged within the ice, he continued to breathe and circulate the true qi in his body slowly.
Until the morning of the tenth day, when the morning sun slowly rose from the horizon, the ice on Zhang Ruochen's body gradually melted. Then, wisps of flame surged from the pores all over his body, turning him into a fireball.
Within the flames, Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. "So that's it. The first level of Sword Two isn't that difficult after all."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, took a breath of fresh air, and then headed down the mountain.
In the Sword Pavilion, Qi Hong was organizing sword manuals. A wisp of his saint soul detected Lin Yue leaving the Ancient God Mountain.
He stopped immediately, a strange smile appearing on his face as he muttered to himself, "Only six days left, and Lin Yue is going down the mountain at this time. Has he given up?"
Cultivating to the first level of Sword Two within a month was inherently an impossible task.
Qi Hong was not at all surprised that Lin Yue had chosen to give up.
He then walked to the second floor of the Sword Pavilion, intending to tell Qi Feiyu the good news so she could rest easy.
When Qi Feiyu learned that Lin Yue had left the third mountain, a hint of disappointment appeared in her eyes. She had always thought highly of Lin Yue's potential and wanted to recruit him under her command.
Now it seemed that Lin Yue's temperament was still lacking; he was not as outstanding as she had imagined.
With that, Qi Feiyu stopped thinking about it and continued her sword cultivation.
Zhang Ruochen leaving the third mountain was, of course, not about giving up the competition with Qi Feiyu.
Rather, he had already comprehended the first level of Sword Two and planned to return to the Zixia Spirit Mountain to use the Scroll World to race against time and cultivate the second level of Sword Two.
There were still six days left before the one-month deadline.
In the Scroll World, that was sixty days.
Naturally, Zhang Ruochen intended to enter the Scroll World to cultivate, rather than staying in the Sword Pavilion. The Sword Pavilion, for him, was not actually the best place for cultivation.
The second level of Sword Two was called "Yin-Yang Chaos."
Although this level was higher than the "Yin-Yang Alternation" level, because Zhang Ruochen had already crossed the threshold of Sword Two, the second level was relatively easier than the first.
For a full sixty days, Zhang Ruochen cultivated day and night without pause, becoming quite frenzied. His hair crown had shattered, his long hair hung loose, his eyes were bloodshot, and blue veins bulged on his forehead.
To an outsider, he looked like he had fallen into demonic possession.
In reality, Zhang Ruochen's state of mind remained clear, but because he was too exhausted and fatigued, he had ended up like this.
It wasn't that Zhang Ruochen didn't want to rest, but he deliberately put himself into a state of chaotic consciousness.
He was already very close to the second level of Sword Two, just one step away from comprehending the realm of "Yin-Yang Chaos."
According to the Sword Two notes of Jiuyou Sword Saint, the best way to comprehend "Yin-Yang Chaos" was to first make oneself go mad, using fatigue, exhaustion, and weariness to continuously stimulate one's own potential.
In his youth, to cultivate the second level of Sword Two, Jiuyou Sword Saint once dove into a bottomless ice lake, where he fought nonstop against aquatic barbarian beasts without sleep or rest. It took him three months to successfully cultivate the second level of Sword Two. During that cultivation, he nearly died at the bottom of the lake.
In Jiuyou Sword Saint's view, if a cultivator maintained clear thinking, they could never reach the realm of Yin-Yang Chaos.
For the sword to be chaotic, the person must first become "chaotic."
Of course, cultivating according to Jiuyou Sword Saint's method was a risky path. The cultivator might lose control of their spirit and fall into demonic possession. They might even die from overexertion.
Zhang Ruochen had strong spiritual power and the protection of the Divine Marks of the Gods, so he was relatively more advantaged than Jiuyou Sword Saint had been back then.
If even Jiuyou Sword Saint dared to take that risk, why shouldn't he?
For sixty days, Zhang Ruochen remained in a state of continuous sword practice, without sleep or rest. His consciousness grew increasingly blurry, and even the true qi in his body seemed about to run out, pushing him to his physical limits.
"Zhang Ruochen, the one-month deadline has arrived. You need to go to the Sword Pavilion," Xiao Hei reminded.
Zhang Ruochen stopped, using his sword to support his body. His eyes were bloodshot, and he panted heavily. "The second level of Sword Two is too difficult. It's really not something that can be cultivated in a short time. Perhaps... using the Sword Soul Ice Soul will speed up my cultivation."
In the end, he remained at the first level of Sword Two.
A treasure like the Sword Soul Ice Soul was rare and hard to come by. No matter what, Zhang Ruochen had to obtain it.
Not having cultivated the second level of Sword Two, Zhang Ruochen was naturally quite unwilling. On his way to the Sword Pavilion, he began to push his potential further, continuing to comprehend the sword.
As long as one worked hard, there would always be rewards.
...
The third mountain of the Ancient God Mountain was quite lively today, with many cultivators gathered.
All those ranked in the top ten of each realm in the sword dao competition had come to the square below the White Stone Saint Cliff. They were the most outstanding heavenly proud sons of the Liangyi Sect, who would become the sect's high-level members in the future, so they naturally had to be given focused training.
(To be continued.)