Chapter Nine: The Spectral Sword Technique

After leaving the Scripture Repository, Chen Yi made his way to a place where a sheer cliff dropped away into the void. He intended to practice his swordsmanship, for his own room was too cramped for such exercises; thus, he had chosen this secluded precipice.

He had stumbled upon this spot months ago while out fulfilling a sect mission. The cliff lay hidden in the rear mountain range of Sky Dragon Mountain, atop an inconspicuous peak. At the summit, he had found a small cave, a few meters long and over a meter high, its entrance shrouded by lush undergrowth—discovered only because he had been tracking prey. The place was well concealed: the cliff itself jutted out like a tongue, and its surface was two or three times the size of his room—perfect for practicing sword forms.

The ground atop the cliff was mostly level, though a few boulders stood near the edge, beside which grew a tall, dense pine tree. Aside from the pine, the cliff, and the rocks, nothing broke the view but an endless sea of clouds stretching out below.

Half an hour later, Chen Yi arrived. He gazed at the luxuriant pine and the boundless clouds, closed his eyes, and felt a profound peace settle within him. Yet, behind his eyelids, he seemed to witness the shifting of the clouds and the swaying of pine boughs.

He wished to practice swordsmanship first, for in both this life and his previous one, he had always loved the sword. Revered as the "King of All Weapons," the sword was considered the tool of a gentleman. Thus, in the Scripture Repository, it was a sword manual he had chosen above all else.

Sword techniques were built around cuts and slashes, crashing and flicking, blocks and sweeps, thrusts and twists—each move blending strength and suppleness, executed with grace and agility, as the old saying went: "The sword dances like a phoenix in flight." Its beauty lay therein.

With so many techniques to master, and having never learned swordsmanship before, Chen Yi had also taken a foundational sword manual from the repository, which described in detail the drawing, wielding, changing, returning, and sheathing of the sword.

Within mere days of practice, Chen Yi, relying on the knowledge of physics from his past life and his remarkable comprehension, brought the basic sword forms to perfection.

Once he had mastered the basics, he began to train in the Spectrum-Splitting Sword Technique.

With a resonant hum, his sword leapt from its scabbard into his hand. He named it Rainbow Longsword: three feet and five inches in length, its blade as crimson as blood, recalling a rainbow arcing across a clear sky. Chen Yi hoped his sword would shine as the rainbow after rain—never fading, always cleaving aside the storms that blocked his path.

The Rainbow Longsword was forged from the standard-issue blade of the Five Elements Sect, combined with a rare piece of artifact-grade material he had come by chance upon. Though not as powerful as the magical weapons wielded by cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage, it was a peerless treasure among mortal blades—able to slice through iron as if it were mud, cutting hair and down with the gentlest stroke.

Chen Yi well understood the wisdom of not flaunting one's wealth. He always kept Rainbow Longsword hidden in its case and never displayed it. Since its forging, only Fatty knew of its existence. Chen Yi had taught himself the art of sword-forging, so no one else had any inkling. He had no fear of anyone coveting his blade.

Were it not for his need to practice swordsmanship, perhaps the Rainbow Longsword would have remained unseen for even longer.

"Rainbow Piercing the Sun."

"Rainbow Across the Heavens."

"Sword Becomes the Rainbow."

"Fleeting Shadow of the Wild Goose."

"Lightning Swift Rainbow."

...

As he executed the thirty-six forms of the Spectrum-Splitting Sword, his speed increased with each repetition, especially when combined with his Golden Swallow Nine Steps, which he had brought to the minor achievement stage in just a few days—his extraordinary comprehension serving him well. By the ninth step, his figure blurred, enveloped by sword light and shifting shadows.

"Slash!"

With a soft shout, three arcs of sword light struck the cliff face beside him, leaving three deep scars in the stone.

Standing before the cliff wall, Chen Yi drew a deep breath.

He was pleased that, on his very first attempt, he could split his sword light into three arcs—reaching the minor achievement stage of the Spectrum-Splitting Sword. According to the manual, achieving this on the first try was rare, a feat recorded only among true prodigies. He knew well his own aptitude: after all, he had struggled for years to break through the second level of Qi Refining. For him to reach this stage on his first attempt was almost unthinkable.

His success owed partly to the strengthening of his soul and the sharp rise in his perception, and partly to having mastered the basic sword forms beforehand, which made learning the advanced technique far easier.

After completing the entire sequence, Chen Yi sat cross-legged atop a boulder on the cliff, facing the sea of clouds. He began to circulate the Five Elements Technique, absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stone in his hand, while silently reciting the Tao Te Ching:

"The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of all things.
Therefore, always desireless, one observes its wonder;
Always desiring, one observes its manifestations.
These two arise together but differ in name;
Both are called mysteries.
Mystery upon mystery,
The gateway to all marvels."

As he recited, the circulation of the Five Elements Technique within him accelerated, drawing spiritual energy from the stone into his body. The energy coursed through his meridians, his true essence growing ever stronger. After thirty-six full cycles, his meridians began to ache faintly, unable to withstand further circulation; he stopped, returning his energy to his dantian.

By the time he finished, the sun had set in the west. Yet Chen Yi felt no weariness—instead, his mind was clear and his spirit refreshed, his cultivation subtly advanced. The spirit stone in his hand, however, had turned to powder.

This pained him. He possessed only ten spirit stones in total, all of which he had seized from Wang Hu and his companions. The sect issued two stones a month to outer disciples, but Chen Yi's allotment was long since spent. Though the Five Elements Sect was one of the six great Daoist sects of the world, with immense resources, there were simply too many outer disciples to lavish them with spirit stones. Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, or Nascent Soul stages—becoming the backbone of the sect—would he receive more resources.

By his calculations, Chen Yi reckoned it would take at least ten such stones to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, and a staggering five hundred to reach Foundation Establishment. The thought made his head ache. Still, he knew he was luckier than most—even with five hundred stones, others might not succeed. That he could use spirit stones to break through was largely due to the effect of the Tao Te Ching, which accelerated his cultivation. As long as he could comprehend its teachings, he could perceive the presence of the Dao more clearly. This, in turn, would deepen his understanding of realms, swordsmanship, and spells. After all, only immortals who had survived the heavenly tribulation could perceive the Dao directly. For Chen Yi to glimpse it while still in the Qi Refining stage would greatly aid his future cultivation, making progress far easier than for others.