Volume Two: Snow over the Qin River Chapter 25: Tempering the Body with Sword Intent (Part Three)

Zhou Zihan spoke with complete composure, showing no trace of the person who had instigated the tense and explosive atmosphere just moments ago.

Feng Qi cast a surprised glance at her, thinking to himself that he had not expected Zhou Zihan to be this kind of person—measured and poised, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to a sword obsessive.

Was she not the youngest practitioner in the Upper Mind-Awareness Realm?
Was she not born with the Innate Formless Sword Physique?
Was she not the Sword Heir of the Stepping Snow Peak?
Should she not grow bolder with every setback?
Did she just back down like this?
Then how is she any different from that scoundrel Yun Changqing?

"Keep pushing forward, don't be afraid," Feng Qi whispered. "You are the Sword Heir of the Thousand Cliffs Peak; how can you back down to the Chasing Moon Peak!"

Zhou Zihan shot him a sidelong glance. "I am a sword obsessive, not an idiot."

Challenging the Void-Dao Realm from the Mind-Awareness Realm was something only an idiot would attempt.

A strange look flickered in Feng Qi's eyes.
Could this girl have mastered a fraction of the All-Connection Technique as well?

He pondered the possibility very seriously for a moment, then shook his head.
His own All-Connection Technique had already reached the third level.
Even so, after arriving at Snow Cloud, he could only determine whether others harbored malicious intent or were lying; it was utterly impossible to read people's thoughts as he had done in the past.
It had nothing to do with cultivation realms, for Feng Qi had previously been able to read Mo Ming's inner thoughts, and Mo Ming... was at the peak of the Light-Drawing Realm!
Since it had nothing to do with cultivation, the high probability was that it was an environmental issue—there must be a secret treasure within the Snow Cloud Sect specifically designed to counter this technique.

Zhou Zihan glanced at him and said calmly, "Stop guessing. I've never learned the All-Connection Technique."

Feng Qi felt a jolt in his heart, and realization dawned on him instantly.
He looked at Zhou Zihan with a deep, inscrutable gaze.
Even now, you still claim you haven't learned it?
Even if it's not the All-Connection Technique, it must undoubtedly be some other similar cultivation method.
What kind of technique could surpass the Chan Sect's All-Connection Technique in this aspect?
The Carefree Pavilion's Mind-Reading Art?
That shouldn't be the case either.

A trace of a smile tugged at the corner of Zhou Zihan's lips, but she offered no explanation.

"There are many rules within the Snow Cloud Sect, most of which were personally established by Senior Brother Jianlü," the First Disciple of the Chasing Moon Peak finally spoke calmly at this moment. "Yet, how can those who walk the path of cultivation be bound by too many restrictions? Thus, he personally set down a single rule."

She paused briefly before continuing, "As long as your sword is strong enough, you may ignore all rules."

Zhou Zihan nodded.
Feng Qi curled his lip in silent disdain.
Strong?
How strong?
Could it possibly mean the strongest in the entire Snow Cloud?
The contemporary Sword Pole and Lü-Jian were blazing like the midday sun, and the Sword Pole was even an elite among the Divine Concealment Realm experts. Wasn't becoming the strongest in Snow Cloud far more difficult than breaking the rules?

Thinking of this, he stopped arguing about the matter and instead said, "I recall... that Snow Cloud has a Rite of Sword-Visiting?"

The so-called Sword-Visiting meant that disciples of various peaks had the right to challenge all disciples of the same cultivation realm from other peaks to spar and exchange insights on sword techniques, at a rate of one match per day until they had completed debates on the sword with every single peer-level disciple of that peak.
As long as their cultivation realms were matched, the challenged disciple was barred from refusing under any circumstances.

Feng Qi and Zhou Zihan were the two strongest individuals in the Mixed Origin Realm, and now both of them had advanced to the Upper Mind-Awareness Realm.
Even the seated disciples of the Chasing Moon Peak would likely find it difficult to secure an easy victory against them.
Moreover, anyone with discerning eyes could see the dimensional-reduction strike these two inflicted upon their peers; He Liuci, who was among the top three of the Mixed Origin Realm, had failed to even receive ten swords from Zhou Zihan, and not even the previous generation's Sword Heir of the Thousand Cliffs Peak could extract the slightest advantage at the same realm.
If these two were truly allowed to join forces and visit the Chasing Moon Peak with their swords, they might genuinely cleanse the entire generation of Mind-Awareness practitioners in blood.

At this thought, a chill flashed in the eyes of the Great Elder of the Chasing Moon Peak, instantly turning dangerous.
How dare he threaten her.
Truly unbridled audacity!

Feng Qi had roamed Yibei for sixteen years; he could advance to persuade the imperial court to issue decrees, or retreat to balance various factions within the Prince's Mansion. Naturally, his grasp of boundaries and propriety was exceptionally precise. The moment he saw the expression of the Chasing Moon Peak's Great Elder, he knew he could not continue to provoke her further, so he kept his mouth shut and simply looked at her with a half-smile.

"The Sword-Visiting, is it? My Chasing Moon Peak accepts. All disciples in the Mind-Awareness Realm will await you," the Grand Patriarch of the Chasing Moon Peak returned to the side of the Illusory Dream Pool at some unknown point. Staring fixedly at Qiu Yue in the pool, she agreed without even turning her head.
After a brief pause, she continued, "As a return courtesy, you may go back and inform your master that after your Sword-Visiting concludes, Leng Yue and I will also pay a visit to the Trace-less Peak."

***

Feng Qi's expression stiffened slightly.
He cared not a whit about the latter sentence; ever since entering Snow Cloud, he had consistently played the role of a thorn in the side. When a dog has too many fleas, it stops itching, and he didn't mind one more mark against him. Besides, Sword-Visiting was an ancient "rite," and even his master could say nothing against it.
What he cared about more was the person who had spoken.
It felt rather like beating up a child right in front of their adult guardian.
Besides... all the disciples in the Mind-Awareness Realm, fighting them one by one—how much time would that waste?

He glanced at Zhou Zihan, feeling a pang of admiration when he found that the latter merely frowned without showing any other reaction.
He truly had spent over a decade tempering himself in the mortal world; although his Dao-heart was undeniably as firm as anyone else's, he could not achieve Zhou Zihan's crystal-clear detachment.

To his surprise, Zhou Zihan turned her head to stare straight at him, speaking word by word: "I will go to the Trace-less Peak first."

Feng Qi: "..."

He wanted to say something.
Before he had the chance, Qiu Yue, Wu Fan, and Zhang Chen stepped out together.
Using sword intent to temper the body and break through realms was, after all, something few people could accomplish; they were still in the Mind-Awareness Realm.
Yet the benefits brought by sword intent body-tempering were also obvious: the sword intent of these three was harmonious and integrated, with starlight faintly connecting them, clearly indicating they were not far from the Light-Drawing Realm.
Presumably, it would be a matter of these next few days.

"The so-called two paths of Mind-Awareness ultimately converge on the same destination," the Chasing Moon Peak's Grand Patriarch said with profound meaning. "It is merely about making the heavens take notice. Only when the heavens take notice can the three radiances of sun, moon, and stars descend."

Zhang Chen and Wu Fan frowned, deep in thought.
Qiu Yue's spiritual consciousness stirred slightly.
The sword intent in her sea of consciousness boiled, as if burning.
A beam of starlight descended from beyond the heavens.

The Great Elder of the Chasing Moon Peak looked at Qiu Yue, smiling radiantly.
This was the closing disciple she had personally chosen; she was so outstanding that she had not brought disgrace upon her.

The process was fleeting, entirely devoid of the harrowing life-or-death tribulations one might imagine.
Most disciples of the Chasing Moon Peak possessed empty and lucid Dao-hearts, making the tribulation of the heart when transitioning from Mind-Awareness to Light-Drawing far less terrifying.

The starlight was faint.
Qiu Yue had already entered the Light-Drawing Realm.
She solemnly executed a deep, formal bow to both the Great Elder and the Grand Patriarch of the Chasing Moon Peak, then turned her gaze fixedly upon Feng Qi, her expression less than friendly.

Feng Qi remained unperturbed, thinking to himself that if he didn't even fear the Grand Patriarch of the Chasing Moon Peak, why should he fear her?

Seeing that Feng Qi showed no intention of repentance, Qiu Yue nodded. "Tomorrow at noon, everyone on the Chasing Moon Peak will respectfully await the grand arrival of the Trace-less Peak's Sword Heir."

……

Thinking that the matter of Sword-Visiting was merely a minor interlude during the sword intent tempering, Feng Qi never expected that just as he set foot back on the Trace-less Peak, he would immediately hear the news of Zhou Zihan's Sword-Visiting challenge.

Looking at the deacon who had come to deliver the message, Feng Qi felt a wave of speechlessness.
"Even if we're going to have a Sword-Visiting, shouldn't it wait until tomorrow? I've been exhausted all day!"
"The Sword Heir of the Thousand Cliffs Peak has explicitly named your sword for the challenge; according to regulations, it cannot be refused."
"I didn't say I was refusing; I just want to get some sleep!"
"Those who walk the path of cultivation have no need for sleep, Sword Heir. Why resort to such an excuse to brush me off?"

Feng Qi sighed, feeling a sudden surge of nostalgia for his days in Yibei.
Back there, no one could compel him to do anything... though looking at it from another angle, he hadn't spoken this much when he was in Yibei.
With fewer words, naturally there were fewer troubles.

Feng Qi's mind drifted afar.
The deacon coughed twice.
Feng Qi sighed, stood up, and headed up the mountain.

The Trace-less Peak also possessed a sword platform, erected atop the clouds.
To reach the very summit,
And overlook all lesser peaks.

Only Zhou Zihan's slightly slender figure stood upon the sword platform.
Before Feng Qi's arrival, she had already won three consecutive matches, including the seventh seat of the Trace-less Peak, Yin Chen.

Although Zhou Zihan's goal was singular, the dignity of the Trace-less Peak obviously could not rely solely on Feng Qi to uphold it. The moment they heard that the Sword Heir of the Thousand Cliffs Peak had fought her way up the peak, every disciple of the Trace-less Peak felt a surge of bottled-up frustration.
The practice of Sword-Visiting, politely called fostering exchange among disciples, was bluntly put a deliberate provocation of strife.
Not everyone could perceive the true significance of Sword-Visiting.
They only knew that another peak was attempting to trample them underfoot.

Feng Qi trod upon his Green Frost sword, landing on the platform, and sighed as he looked at the young woman before him.
"Did you know I was helping you back then?"
"I knew."
"Then why are you still coming to give me trouble?"
"We are going to offer our swords together."
"Don't mention that; the mere mention of it makes me even angrier."
"Since we are offering our swords together, it is necessary for us to inspect each other's strength."
"And then?"
"Only then can we determine who leads and who follows."

Feng Qi could not help rolling his eyes, thinking to himself that someone as socially inept as her had the audacity to worry about who leads and who follows.

Amidst their exchange, the seated disciples of the Trace-less Peak also arrived at the scene. Further away, the figures of Mou Linhan and Wan Jiang could be discerned.

"Second Junior Brother, who do you think will win this sword debate?" Mou Linhan asked with a smile.
Wan Jiang frowned. "You are now an elder of the Light-Drawing Realm; how can you still address me as Junior Brother?"
Mou Linhan chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "What, yearning to call me Martial Uncle?"

Wan Jiang's expression turned somewhat unsightly, and he forcibly restrained himself from erupting.
Mou Linhan fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, "I will not become an elder."

Wan Jiang froze slightly, asking involuntarily, "Why?"
The question slipped out before he realized the impropriety.
His eldest senior brother had broken through realms in full view of the public, and quite some time had passed since then.
Yet no official news regarding the matter had been disseminated.

At this thought, Wan Jiang's complexion grew even darker. "Is it connected to the fact that you have never been officially instated as a Sword Heir?"
Mou Linhan nodded.
Back then, although he had miraculously escaped with his life, the corresponding punishments had not been spared in the slightest.
He was excluded from the elders' seats and denied the title of Sword Heir.
Without an edict from the peak master, he was forbidden from ascending the mountain, nor could he descend it.

Wan Jiang could not restrain himself from asking, "When you went down the mountain to offer your sword that year, what on earth did you do?"
He had only heard rumors of the events from back then.
Mou Linhan had gone single-handedly into the Wei River, consecutively slaying seventeen great demons, which provoked the ancestral demon of Wei River to personally take action, leaving him on the verge of perishing.
Yet slaying demons and eradicating devils was inherently the bounden duty of those on the cultivation path; every time the disciples of the Wind-Thunder Peak descended the mountain, the Wei River was stained as if with blood, earning widespread acclaim throughout the cultivation world.
Could it be that slaying demons was something only the Wind-Thunder Peak was permitted to do?
How absurd was that?

Mou Linhan shook his head, unwilling to elaborate further on the matter.
Wan Jiang was furious at his lack of ambition. "Do you truly harbor no thoughts whatsoever?"
Mou Linhan was silent for a moment. "None."
Wan Jiang's expression grew complex.
If truly he harbored none, why the silence?
Or perhaps, the secret you are guarding occupies a position of greater importance in your heart than the Trace-less Peak?

Wan Jiang opened his mouth to say more.
Mou Linhan smiled and interrupted him. "They are starting."

……
……