Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"Silent!" A stone statue of a patriarch standing at the top of the altar spoke up, and all the rest of the stone statues stopped talking immediately.
As it was known, the higher the stone statue was, the higher his position in the hierarchy was.
The stone statue at the top must have been the first patriarch of the Taotian Sword.
The first patriarch of the Taotian Sword was a skinny person with a high nose. A print of thunder was in between his eyebrows. And firelike light was given off by his pupils.
As a stone statue, it did give irresistible force to him.
The first patriarch stared at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Zhang Ruochen, do you know the origin of Nine-Life Sword Technique?"
"I don't know," said Zhang Ruochen.
The first patriarch added immediately, "There are four Saint Places for Way of Sword in the whole Kunlun's Field: Sword Pavilion of Taichi Sect, Mount Martial G.o.d of Martial Market Bank, Fragrance City at the side of Snow-Willow River, and w.a.n.g Family in Pluto Sword Tomb, which are called Sword Pavilion, Sword Mountain, Sword City and Sword Family."
"Sword monks could only learn sword techniques at the level of Saint Spell in the four Saint Places for Way of Sword. And Wordless Sword Manual, which contains all sword techniques, is in Sword Pavilion, making it the head of four Saint Places for Way of Sword."
"w.a.n.g Family was brilliant 10,000 years ago, which not only generated ten Sword Saints, but even a Supreme Saint of Sword Saint."
"But in recent years, w.a.n.g Family could no longer generate top talents in Way of Sword, and fell into a temporary shortage of talents, which made it fall to the last of the four Saint Places for Way of Sword."
"w.a.n.g Family has six sword techniques at the level of Saint Spell, and each of its six sword keepers would practice one of them and then pa.s.s it on generation after generation."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How could the keeper of the Zangtian Sword practice Nine-Life Sword Technique and Nine-Death Sword Technique at the same time?"
The first patriarch continued, "The so-called Nine-Life Sword Technique and Nine-Death Sword Technique were actually the same sword technique, Nine-Life Nine-Death Nine-Circle Sword Technique."
"But it was extremely hard to exercise, and only a few Saint Swords could exercise it to its utmost. Therefore, the patriarch of the Zangtian Sword split it into three simpler sword techniques, called Nine-Life Sword Technique, Nine-Death Sword Technique and Nine-Circle Sword Technique."
"It was not hard, nor easy for you to crack the first move of Nine-Life Sword Technique. One move of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique in the line of our Taotian Sword could restrain it."
Zhang Ruochen was delighted, and asked, "How long would it take to exercise True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique?"
"True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique is nothing easier than Nine-Life Nine-Death Nine-Circle Sword Technique. Even with your talent, you couldn't achieve it in less than 20 years," said the first patriarch.
Zhang Ruochen gave a weak smile, "I've gave my word to crack the first move of Nine-Life Sword Technique in three days. Tomorrow I will have to fight with her. And I will not be able to crack it."
"Maybe you can."
The first patriarch said again, "I've seen you fight with her. You used a sword technique with the power of time input into it. If you could combine the sword technique of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique with the power of time, you might have a chance to crack it."
Zhang Ruochen was encouraged by the words of the first patriarch.
The reason why True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique was hard to exercise was not that its sword moves were hard to learn, but that the Rule of Sword Way in its sword technique was hard to comprehend.
If Zhang Ruochen could learn the sword moves and combine the Time Mark with it, he would surely crack the Nine-Life Sword Technique of Ling Feiyu.
Next, the 16th patriarch taught the moves of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen had memorized 70% to 80% of the moves only by watching the 16th patriarch's moves.
After the third time the 16th patriarch played it, Zhang Ruochen could have a good command of the 72 moves of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique.
"All moves of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique have been pa.s.sed to you. It would depend on you whether you can crack the sword moves of the keeper of the Zangtian Sword."
After showing the moves, the 16th patriarch returned to the altar.
And Zhang Ruochen entered Universe Spiritual Map again to comprehend True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique.
Zoom.
A translucent human shadow with the same look as Zhang Ruochen came out from his body and condensed into another Zhang Ruochen at the foot of Divine Sky-Connecting Tree.
It was a dividing self of the Half-Saint.
After one reached the state of Half-Saint, one or more dividing selfs could be created.
In the following five days, Zhang Ruochen and his dividing self worked on Nine-Life Sword Technique and True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique respectively. One attacked, and the other defended.
After five days, Zhang Ruochen walked out of the Scroll World to challenge Ling Feiyu at Bamboo Mountain.
"Are you sure that you could crack my Nine-Life Sword Move?" Ling Feiyu sat beside a stream, which was originated from Spirit Spring, with her legs crossed. Her eyes, glimmering with purple sunlight, looked at Zhang Ruochen.
How could Zhang Ruochen progress in just three days?
Zhang Ruochen stood afar with his arms folded in front of chest, and said, "Nine-Life Sword Technique is too profound and variable to be cracked in just three days. But I would like to give it a try. What if I could crack it by luck?"
Ling Feiyu nodded lightly and stood up slowly.
Invisibly, a strong strand of Qi and might spread from her body and gushed toward Zhang Ruochen.
Now she was like a vast and boundless sea, but he was like a small boat on the sea.
With a random wave, Zhang Ruochen would be torn into pieces.
"Since you are so confident, I shall not prevent you."
With no sign, Ling Feiyu waved her sleeve and rolled up the water in Spirit Spring beside her. Between the time of opening and closing her two hands, 999 drops of water had condensed into a liquid sword.
Splas.h.!.+
She pushed forward with one hand and her thick Holy Qi pushed the liquid sword to fly away.
The liquid sword resolved in front of Zhang Ruochen into drops of water, which rushed to Zhang Ruochen with a speed ten times that of before as 999 rays of light shuttles.
At the minute Ling Feiyu attacked Zhang Ruochen, he also stabbed with his sword in front of him. With a shake of his wrist, nine shadows of sword moves appeared.
It all went smoothly like nine Zhang Ruochen were playing at the same time. But in a very short time, nine shadows overlapped one another.
Zhang Ruochen pulled the sword back immediately. He saw the water drops on the Abyss Ancient Sword, and laughed with joy. "Surely there are many changes of Splitting Light in Great Void, but it has only nine basic Rules of Sword Way. So I can crack it with only nine sword moves."
Ling Feiyu's round eyes looked surprised. "This is one move of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique, Nine to One……"
Then she shook her head immediately. "No, you just learned the sword moves, but didn't comprehend the Rules of Sword Way. You just borrowed the power of time to display the power of True-Thunder Fire Sword Technique in one second."
"I've cracked your move, no matter how," said Zhang Ruochen.
Ling Feiyu smiled beautifully, which was rarely seen. "Zhang Ruochen, if you were the same age as me, maybe I couldn't beat you. But now I'm way ahead of you, and talented as you are, you can't catch up with me. You've cracked the first move of Nine-Life Sword Technique, but can you crack the second move?"
Ling Feiyu never liked to be the loser, so she displayed the second move and attacked Zhang Ruochen.
"Green Sea Blue Sky."
The second move of Nine-Life Sword Technique was nothing delicate, but simple and with large movements.
Ling Feiyu used her hand as a sword and chopped at Zhang Ruochen.
It looked like the whole sky was chopping at him in Zhang Ruochen's eyes, and he couldn't retreat or advance, and he couldn't even take out his sword to resist.
The simple move was way harder to crack than Splitting Light in Great Void.
Zhang Ruochen had to display moves in Sword Technique of Time out of desperation, and wielded in a hurry.
Bang!
The Abyss Ancient Sword hit the arm of Ling Feiyu, and didn't leave a crack on her Lightning G.o.ddess Lilac Blouse. Instead, a strong strand of power was transferred by the sword to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen flew backwards to his right, and hit the stone wall of the cave. He slid down and half kneeled on the ground. He leaned on the sword, looking very awkward.
With a crack, his hat was broken and his hair poured down.
Ling Feiyu was content to see Zhang Ruochen like this, and she nodded. "Your Way of Sword did improve a lot in just three days, almost the same as the one-year-result of other sword monks. But, it is still too difficult for you to catch my play."
Zhang Ruochen stood up slowly, suppressing his pain.
Were she a different person, Zhang Ruochen would surely have detested her arrogance. But the haughtiness of Ling Feiyu didn't make him dislike her.
In fact, Zhang Ruochen knew clearly that it looked like they were fighting, but Ling Feiyu was teaching him Way of Sword.
And she looked like she was trying to teach him Nine-Life Sword Technique.
"Anyway, you've cracked the first move of Nine-Life Sword Technique, I should keep my promise."
Ling Feiyu took a little jade bottle from her Spatial Bracelet, and threw it to Zhang Ruochen. "There's a Saint Origin Pill in it, which could help you get to the Second Level of Half-Saint faster."
Zhang Ruochen picked up the little bottle and asked, "How many drops of divine blood do you want?"
"Ten drops for one sword practice. And ten drops for the Saint Origin Pill. You should give me 20 drops of divine blood."
Zhang Ruochen took out 20 drops of divine blood and gave them to her. He left the cave immediately to go to Sword Tomb.
"What a powerful talent in Way of Sword! If he could join the Divine Sect, he could fight for the position of Son of Deity with Ouyang Huan."
Ling Feiyu held 20 drops of divine blood in her soft hand, which was as white as jade, and her eyes gave out a deep brilliance.
People from Mu Family dared not to take Zhang Ruochen back to the Moon Wors.h.i.+p Demonic Sect, for they dared not to offend the forces supporting Ouyang Huan.
But Ling Feiyu was one of the Nine Palace Rulers and had a strong background.
Other than the Hierarch of the Demonic Sect, she dared to offend anybody in the sect.
