Chapter 7: Cutting Through Everything With One Move
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Su Changyu was stunned.
He had started practicing the Sword Dao 20 years ago since he was eight and the strongest Sword Dao practitioner that he had ever seen, was only able to split a boulder with his sword.
‘Cutting through everything in the universe with one move?’
‘He’s pretending to be impressive.’
He dared not even imagine cutting through the sun, moon, and stars with a sword at all.
‘Pretentious.’
‘So pretentious.’
‘Good, very good, excellent.’
‘Well said. It belongs to me now.’
After secretly gasping, there was no change in Su Changyu’s expression. He regained his composure and looked at Ye Ping again.
‘This little Junior Brother of mine is clearly the same as me.’
‘He’s just as good as me at pretending to be impressive.’
However, that was not good news for him.
If only one person was allowed to pretend to be impressive in the Qingyun Dao Sect, it had to be him.
No one was allowed to snatch away the position of the ‘Pretentious Eldest Senior Brother’ from him.
“Junior Brother, the path of cultivation is about stability. You’re being overly ambitious.”
Su Changyu said in a reproaching tone.
At that instant, Ye Ping immediately hung his head low, clearly a little flustered.
“That was just a casual remark. Please don’t hold it against me, Senior Brother. I won’t spout nonsense in the future.”
Ye Ping was a little anxious. He initially thought that he would be praised for what he said but he didn’t expect his Senior Brother to blame him.
Ye Ping came to a sudden realization.
In Su Changyu’s eyes, he was just an ordinary, new disciple of the sect who obviously did not know enough to come up with such a comment.
Hence, he had indeed spouted some nonsense.
However, those words made Su Changyu shake his head.
“That’s not necessary. I can understand that you’re ambitious but I just hope that you can keep to the conventional routine and build a strong foundation. In the future, if you have any enlightenment, you can tell me about it but don’t tell outsiders lest you get into trouble. Understand?”
Su Changyu said.
‘How can you not say such impressive words to me? If you don’t say such impressive words to me, how can I continue bragging and pretending in the future?’
‘However, I’m the only person you can say it to.’
Su Changyu thought in his heart.
“Okay, I already know how talented you are. Now, I’m going to teach you the real Sword Dao.”
Soon, Su Changyu stopped procrastinating.
He gently leaped off the boulder, appearing lithe and nimble.
Ye Ping was even more excited after he heard those words.
‘Real Sword Dao?’
‘Is it the peerless Sword Dao?’
Ye Ping was agitated.
He was overjoyed and filled with anticipation.
On the other hand, Su Changyu did not spout any nonsense at all. Holding onto the three-foot-long green sword, he threw out a fancy move and then stared at the ground before closing his eyes and staying silent for a long time.
After an entire incense stick burnt out, Su Changyu suddenly made a long mark on the ground with his sword.
All of a sudden, stone chips scattered everywhere and a long and straight mark appeared on the ground.
Phew!
Su Changyu exhaled.
He then looked at Ye Ping and said slowly, “Ye Ping, I’ve already engraved the peerless sword intent on the ground. Don’t underestimate this sword mark, as it’s the brand of my best sword move.”
“Now, take a good look and see how many sword moves there are along this sword mark. For the next seven days, you must stay here and stare at the sword mark apart from performing your daily chores. Not only do you have to comprehend the sword moves, more importantly, you have to comprehend the momentum and the sword intent. I’ll come by to test you in seven days and see if you have any talent in swordsmanship.”
Su Changyu said.
After saying that, he turned around to leave without hesitation, causing Ye Ping to be dumbfounded.
Su Changyu left.
He had already left the cliff.
His face was covered in a smile that he could not conceal.
He was elated, for he had obtained a pompous phrase for free, in addition to successfully deceiving Ye Ping.
Su Changyu was in high spirits.
As for the sword moves…
He had simply made a mark on the ground with his sword at random. Something would be very wrong if he could tell what moves there were.
What about the sword momentum and the sword intent?
That was even more impossible to deduce. If Ye Ping said that he could comprehend the sword moves, that was somewhat possible. After all, he really knew how to do that.
However, comprehending the sword moves and sword intent were impossible.
What was the sword intent?
It was the intent of the sword.
There was a finite number of sword moves but there was infinite sword intent. True powerhouses of the Sword Dao would form their own unique sword intent. The more sword intent one had, the stronger the Sword Dao. In other words, the sword intent was similar to an enhancement for sword moves. It was not something that anyone could have.
Hence, Ye Ping could never have comprehended the sword intent.
Su Changyu simply did that purely to hold Ye Ping back.
Even the best Sword Dao sect in Qingzhou would not let a new disciple comprehend the sword intent.
That solution was deceiving but it was their last resort.
To be honest, he was embarrassed about his substandard skills. How could he have the cheek to impart swordsmanship to Ye Ping?
It was more likely that he would mislead him.
Hence instead of teaching him the wrong things, he might as well give Ye Ping something to do to ease his boredom. At the very least, he wouldn’t lead him astray.
Thinking about this, Su Changyu felt a lot less guilty.
At this moment, a figure walked over.
It was his Junior Brother Xu Luochen.
Su Changyu immediately stopped smiling and greeted Xu Luochen.
“Second Junior Brother.”
Su Changyu called.
After hearing his voice, the latter immediately looked at Su Changyu.
“Eldest Senior Brother, what’s the matter?”
Xu Luochen was a little curious about why Su Changyu called him.
“Second Junior Brother, do you know how strong the extreme of the Sword Dao is?”
Su Changyu asked Xu Luochen.
The latter froze a little and scratched the back of his head in confusion.
‘What does the strength of the extreme of the Sword Dao have to do with me?’
‘I don’t practice swordsmanship, I refine pills.’
However, since Su Changyu was the one who asked after all, Xu Luochen had to answer him. He had no choice but to shake his head and say, “I don’t know.”
Su Changyu immediately said calmly after hearing his words, “I shall tell you today. The extreme of the true Sword Dao is cutting through the sun, moon, and stars with a single blade of grass.”
Su Changyu explained with an indifferent expression and a cold and arrogant tone.
Xu Luochen couldn’t help but be stunned.
Although he didn’t understand the Sword Dao, those words were shocking.
Coupled with Su Changyu’s appearance, he somewhat felt a reverence for it.
In fact, a certain scene appeared in Xu Luochen’s mind.
In the scene, Su Changyu was pinching a blade of grass and slashing the stars in the sky.
Xu Luochen gasped.
Thinking about this scene, Xu Luochen couldn’t help but tremble from head to toe.
‘This is so pretentious.’
Xu Luochen was stunned.
He could not extricate himself from his fantasy.
On the other hand, Su Changyu was overjoyed to see that expression on his junior brother’s face.
‘Awesome! Wonderful! Superb!’
However, his good manners allowed Su Changyu to maintain his aloofness.
Without uttering a single word, Su Changyu left, leaving behind a dumbfounded Xu Luochen.
A long period of time passed.
Xu Luochen finally snapped back to his senses but Su Changyu was no longer around.
“Eldest Senior Brother is getting better and better at pretending to be impressive. Had I not known earlier that he’s incompetent in the Sword Dao, I would have almost believed him.”
“However, these words are indeed very pretentious. Cutting through sun, moon, and stars with a single blade of grass.”
Xu Luochen muttered to himself with a trace of shock in his eyes. After all, those words did sound imposing.
As for Ye Ping, he honestly did not suspect Su Changyu’s words at all.
However, Ye Ping was a little worried because he had never practiced swordsmanship before and he might not be able to tell anything even after seven days.
However, even then, Ye Ping nonetheless stared at the sword mark on the ground.
‘How would I know if I’m talented or not if I don’t give it a try?’
Thus, Ye Ping stared at the sword mark on the ground for two hours.
To be honest, Ye Ping did not understand anything at all during those two hours.
In the end, he even felt restless.
However, at this moment, as a breeze blew past, Ye Ping suddenly felt refreshed.
At the next moment, when he looked at the sword mark again, a new comprehension emerged.