Chapter 373: Sword Flight?

"Martial Uncle's gaze is sharp as a torch."

Li Yuan was somewhat surprised inwardly—Long Xiang Heliu was a body-transformation combination, not an extraordinary Wu Gong in the ordinary sense, and he could tell that too?

"Long Xiang Heliu at Perfection?"

Xin Xin Wenhua was startled.

Although Long Xiang Heliu was not a divine art, the difficulty of cultivating it was far greater than ordinary ultimate techniques. As far as he knew, within the Great Dragon Gate today, only Dou Yue and Yin Fa had cultivated it to perfection, and that was after decades of bitter cultivation.

This…

He looked Li Yuan up and down, shocked and somewhat puzzled: "How did you, Elder, see it?"

"Any Wu Gong, once cultivated to a certain level, leaves traces. Long Xiang Heliu is no exception—it's just that the traces are a bit shallower, that's all."

Stroking his long beard, Nie Xianshan could not help feeling a touch of emotion inwardly—that old fellow's luck was truly far too good.

He had merely split off a strand of true Gang and made a trip to Huizhou, and not only took in a once-in-a-millennium disciple, but also broke through the bottleneck in the process, sweeping away the chronic old injuries of over forty years, shattering the Heavenly Gang—

Nie Xianshan's face flushed red.

"The marvel of a Spirit Form lies in the spirit. A weapon-like form without spirit is merely a divine weapon; a divine weapon with spirit becomes a Spirit Form. That spirit lies in visualization, and also in… comprehension."

Tsk, the lad has grown sly.

Li Yuan patted the table: "Form and spirit combined? That's right, very apt—a Spirit Form must possess both form and spirit!"

A moment ago, that wisp of sword-light had fallen back behind the crowd.

Using form to supplement form—when sinews and bones are naturally weak, vigorous qi and blood generate strength; strength transforms into qi; when qi takes form, it can endure, so one must transform the form. Only thus can qi be projected eight zhang, ten zhang…

Li Yuan stroked his long beard: "When the time comes, could he not try Yang Jian Tian Yi himself?"

"Surely a bit faster—it's feasible, isn't it?"

Under the gaze of all, I faintly touched upon the essence of the Spirit Form—form-resemblance comes first, spirit-resemblance precedes it.

"With your talent, Long Xiang Heliu, Thunder Dragon… and cultivating another mouthful of pure Li Yuan, it would also be… feasible."

As the eighth on the Dragon Ranking, Nie Xianshan's martial arts foundation was naturally profound.

"The so-called Spirit Form—"

"Then…"

Li Yuan's brows lifted slightly.

"That doesn't seem right?"

"He would say."

"This sword—I forged it only after cultivating the two minor divine arts, Dragon-Tiger Mysterious Scripture and Yang-Nurturing Pure Yang, to Minor Completion, and then traversed mountains and rivers, wandering through the strangest perilous places under heaven, gathering wondrous sights, and comprehending the divine intent."

Hmph!

He sighed inwardly, but quickly calmed himself:

Nie Xianshan noted it down silently at the side, yet a chill inevitably rose in his heart.

Li Yuan laughed in spite of himself. He flicked a finger, and the eight-chi longsword abruptly swelled to over a zhang in length, easily allowing two people to stand upon it:

The sword was eight chi seven cun long, with fine, dense patterns beneath the blade. A gentle tap, and the light rippled like water—viewed at such close range, it still seemed exactly like a real sword.

Yang Yang Jian raised his head to look, and saw the hundred-zhang sky split into seven, the speed pushed to the extreme, yet without the sonic boom of breaking the sound barrier.

"The marvels of a Spirit Form cannot be conveyed in words…"

That fluid, natural force had practically seeped into the very marrow.

"Yang Jian Tian Yi?"

Li Yuan smiled—this was what he was most proud of.

Li Yuan did not employ any sword technique, but the sharp aura overflowing from his interwoven strikes already made Yang Yang Jian, and all who witnessed it from afar, feel a chill in their hearts.

Nie Xianshan bowed slightly: "Like your pure Li Yuan Spirit Form—at the flicker of a thought, slaying instantly across a hundred paces, weaving freely, piercing through even thousands, coming and going as you please, like an immortal."

Regarding body-transformation combinations and Spirit Forms, Yang Yang Jian had pondered for a long time, but what left the deepest impression on him was still the time of the Heavenly Tower many days ago.

He still felt that Yang Jian Tian Yi was entirely feasible.

"Senior Brother Xin speaks truly."

"Martial Uncle, form can be transformed—but what of the spirit?"

Li Yuan withdrew that wisp of sword qi. As for Yang Jian Tian Yi, over the past several thousand years there had been no lack of attempts, but it was not exactly a pleasant experience.

Before Li Yuan, this true disciple of the Tiger Gate appeared rather ill at ease, but once the talk turned to martial cultivation, he gradually calmed down.

Li Yuan's expression grew urgent.

Yang Yang Jian hurriedly brought a chair over, and casually took along the small table bearing fruits and pastries.

"Marvelous skill."

Yang Yang Jian had no objection, yet he always felt that Old Daoist Nie Nie Xianshan's smile was somehow off.

With this sword he had fought his way to seventh on the Hero Ranking, and he asked himself whether he was inferior to the Hero Ranking's first, Xie Wangsun's Jasper Water Cold Light Sword.

"I've made a spectacle of myself before you all."

"Spirit-resemblance?"

Sure enough, Li Yuan glared at him: "Self-knowledge is precious—**you haven't even cultivated the 'Tiger-Form Sword' to Perfection, and you still want to practice a Spirit Form alongside it?"

"A bit slower is acceptable, but the significance is not great."

"In the past it wouldn't do, but in recent years a great matter occurred within the sect, after which the Dao Lord changed the rules, and there were no strict restrictions."

Li Yuan tightened his grip on his beard, calmed himself, and only then said:

Natural—far too natural.

Xin Xin Wenhua nodded slightly. Disciples of great sects often had very solid foundations, and their grasp of the theory behind various Wu Gong was also very clear—compared to wandering martial artists of the jianghu, their advantage was considerable.

"Form and spirit combined?"

At that moment, the seven Divine Artisans including Wan Chuan and Jiang Xie also walked over.

Nie Xianshan suddenly raised his head.

A single Daoist robe, riding his sword in pure Yang.

"With the mind holding the visualization, Qi moves with the heart, issuing forth like a tiger, like a dragon. The shape the true Qi takes comes from the Wu Gong one has learned; the combination of shapes is the interweaving of various Wu Gong. This is the Shape-Changing Combination…"

The sword's flight made sound.

Yang Yang Jian felt a slight headache. That old Daoist really knew how to teach disciples—was he plainly trying to drive a wedge between them?

Nie Xianshan answered: "True Qi disperses once it leaves the body, but true Gang contends with heaven and earth, condensing rather than scattering."

Nie Xianshan had not yet recovered from that old Daoist's suppressive teaching. Seeing this scene, he felt a sudden surge of admiration in his heart.

"Mm."

Boom!

Before Li Yuan could speak, Xin Xin Wenhua could no longer hold back and opened his mouth:

Before Li Yuan's heart, sword Qi interwove, the pure Li Yuan appearing faintly.

Yang Yang Jian coughed several times in a row, changing the subject: "Martial Uncle, regarding the Spirit Phase, this disciple has a few doubts in mind and was just thinking of asking you, Elder."

Sizzle sizzle sizzle~

In a flash, a roar was heard, the sword-shape vanished into the sky. Outside a water pool of over a dozen zhang, Cao Cao Changfang was in a wretched state, his clothes torn.

In a single instant, the air already held hundreds of visible traces, crisscrossing like a great net, covering the entire Startling Wave Hall within.

Carrying himself on his own back—what sort of sight would that be?

"You told me differently back then. I had a fierce tiger in mind, and you said the Spirit Phase values refinement, values purity, and cannot be cultivated alongside another. How is it that with him it becomes…"

Xin Xin Wenhua's thoughts wandered: "As for whether he can stand, Martial Uncle, he probably can't stand, right? True Qi protecting the body still can't resist the Gang wind and air currents…"

"What does Nephew Li think?"

"This old man has his own mount to ride—why go through all that trouble? Standing on a sword drains the heart; sitting on an eagle's back, I can still take a nap."

As his enthusiasm rose, Cao Cao Changfang suddenly flicked a finger. Visible to the naked eye, a long sword formed in an instant, and within the blink of an eye, slashed out a hundred zhang.

"Ah?"

"Well, Martial Brother Xin, you try first."

"A man should know himself, lest he invite dislike for no reason."

Li Yuan neither agreed nor disagreed, turning instead to look at Yang Yang Jian:

Nie Xianshan leapt down from the long sword in one bound. His Zhong Gong was very solid, his lower stance steady as well.

There were no strict restrictions, so this was clearly also…

The words escaped Nie Xianshan's mouth, but before he finished, he had already closed it, his face flushing red, wishing he could give himself a slap.

"What is the difference between the Shape-Changing Combination and the Spirit Phase?"

Cao Cao Changfang's heart was full of wonder, feeling even more stirred.

That was purely inviting humiliation upon himself.

"Did your master teach you that?

Li Yuan's manners were thorough. After a few rounds of pleasantries, they felt it time to discuss the specific matters of forging the pure Li Yuan.

Yang Yang Jian gave a bitter smile, having nothing to say.

"Cough cough cough~

"Not bad!"

The two—

Question and answer, the conversation flowed pleasantly.

"Hall Master Nie, fine swordsmanship."

"Fine!"

Catching a glimpse of Nie Xianshan from the corner of his eye, Yang Yang Jian nodded: "…Right."

Nie Xianshan gave a start and hurriedly answered:

Li Yuan flicked a finger. Accompanied by a "whoosh," a plume eagle with a wingspan of over ten zhang rose from the nearby mountain.

That sword—whether in killing power or in appearance—was first-rate, and its appeal to him was simply immense.

Li Yuan casually took a red-and-yellow fruit, took a bite, and glanced at the dumbfounded Nie Xianshan.

The seven Divine Smiths were all drawn to that sword, and their disciples and followers felt even more shocked and reverent.

"Even gods can be changed. The essence of the Spirit Phase lies in this: without a god one cannot act on one's own; if one cannot act on one's own, how can one speak of crossing ten li, a hundred li?

Sword Qi interacts with heaven and earth, so it can cross several li in an instant. But if a person stands upon it, the consumption is great—that's one thing; whether one can stand at all is also no small problem."

Your thunder dragon has excellent potential. Even after cultivating Long Xiang Heliu, don't set it aside. A Spirit Phase need not be limited to one.

Xin Xin Wenhua's thoughts shifted, but before he could feel his way, Li Yuan had already smoothly passed over that topic and taken out the Dragon Tiger Pure Cao Chang Tu.

"…Here."

Cao Cao Changfang's expression turned strange, and Cao Cao Changfang could not help but nod as well.

From his understanding of his own master, today he was probably going to get beaten badly…

"Want to try?

"Clang~"

After Li Yuan gave his permission, Yang Yang Jian reached out to touch it. It felt just like a real sword—the texture was excellent, it sprang back with weight, and there was a clear, ringing sword-tone:

Nie Xianshan was also gazing longingly: "Master, I want to try too."

Yang Yang Jian was somewhat tempted: "It's just, can those few Divine Arts within the sect be cultivated together?"

His true Qi was now full, his mind and spirit strong. The thunder dragon formed by his true Qi could range over ten-odd zhang, but it could not withstand that sword—in fact, he had no time even to react.

"The cultivation of the martial Dao emulates heaven and earth's nature. All Wu Gong are like this—emulating the hundred beasts to temper sinew and bone, using shape to supplement shape, hence the body grows robust, gaining the strength of a hundred beasts…"

"Mm."

"That is a wisp of true qi…

"Penetrating yin and yang, true qi bears witness to heaven and earth; the Yi-shape combination can transform into a spirit-image. It is no longer confined to the ten-zhang range, but can borrow the power of heaven and earth to cross a hundred zhang, or even farther…

Yang Yang Jian felt his teeth ache. Compared to the Yi-shape combination, the spirit-image seemed to be the same thing yet separated by a heaven of difference.

"Many thanks for your guidance, Martial Uncle."

"Martial Uncle, if he were to step on that sword, could he… fly by sword?"

Seeing Cao Cao Changfang's bright, intent gaze, Yang Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, "This disciple believes that when true qi takes form, it must resemble the form; when true gang transforms into a spirit-image, it must resemble the spirit."

"So that is how it is."

Pitiful himself, cultivating bitterly and wandering for decades, without a single divine weapon, his realm crushed, his disciples—far, far beyond comparison.