"He seems to have comprehended the true aning of the picture!" Seeing the changes unfolding on Ling Chen, Xiao Muyu’s eyes sparkled, her expression a mixture of surprise and joy.
"Humph, it’s too late. He only has half an hour left. What can he grasp in such a short ti?" Yun Tianhe said in a deep voice.
"Indeed, the ti is too short," Xiahou Lin and Li Liuxing chid in as they walked over.
"Elder Xie Chan, can’t we let Ling Chen cultivate here a little longer? For him, nothing is more important than ti right now," Xiao Muyu pleaded earnestly.
Hearing this, Elder Xie Chan’s gaze flickered for a mont, then she shook her head. "No. The rules cannot be changed for one person, Ling Chen. If we make an exception this ti, more and more people will use this as a precedent in the future."
"Exactly! Who’s to bla but himself for wasting so much ti? How can his own mistake be rectified by bending the rules?" Yun Tianhe sneered.
The Landscape True aning Picture Ling Chen was observing was clearly not simple. If Ling Chen managed to comprehend it, it would not bode well for Yun Tianhe. Naturally, he was pleased at the prospect of Ling Chen’s opportunity being cut short.
At this mont, Ling Chen was completely enveloped by a mysterious artistic conception. He was imrsed in the world depicted by the Landscape True aning Picture, entirely detached from the outside world.
Amidst the mountains and rivers, a bamboo forest ca into view. Strangely, this bamboo forest was filled with all sorts of swords thrust into the ground: long swords, short swords, soft swords, heavy swords, wooden swords, male-female paired swords... His entire vision was a dense thicket of blades.
RUSTLE! RUSTLE!
The instant Ling Chen steadied himself, a fierce gale swept through the entire bamboo forest, causing every sword to tremble.
Gazing at the blades that seed ready to leap from the earth, Ling Chen’s pupils contracted. The pressure of this astonishing sword montum involuntarily forced him back two steps.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
As Ling Chen had anticipated, in the blink of an eye, all the swords soared into the sky, converging into a storm of blades in mid-air. The densely packed Treasure Swords all pointed towards Ling Chen alone.
"This is—"
Before he could react, all the swords shot towards him, thousands upon thousands, slashing down fiercely all at once.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
All the swords finally pierced viciously into Ling Chen’s body, riddling it with countless holes in an instant.
Back in reality, beads of sweat the size of soybeans trickled down Ling Chen’s forehead.
"Ti is almost up."
Elder Xie Chan squinted her eyes. She could only grant Ling Chen the ti it takes to finish a cup of tea. If Ling Chen couldn’t conclude his session by then, she would be powerless to help and would have no choice but to interrupt him.
"Ti should be up now, right? I’ll go wake this kid up," Yun Tianhe said, about to step forward.
"Wait." Xiao Muyu pressed her sword to Yun Tianhe’s neck. "If you interrupt Ling Chen now, he might suffer cultivation deviation. Can you bear that responsibility? Besides, Elder Xie Chan hasn’t even spoken, so why are you in such a hurry?"
"She’s right." Li Liuxing also spoke up, his gaze fixed on Ling Chen, his expression grave. "Let’s wait and see a bit longer. Don’t you want to see what this fellow can actually comprehend?"
"Hmm, I’m quite interested myself. Why not give him a little more ti?" Xiahou Lin voiced his opinion. Although he had lost to Ling Chen in the True Disciple selection tournant and thus the position of Huiyuan, he still held Ling Chen in high regard.
Seeing one after another speak up, Yun Tianhe could only suppress his own intentions. He hadn’t expected them all to side with Ling Chen to such an extent.
"There’s a reaction."
Just then, Elder Xie Chan’s voice reached everyone’s ears.
They all quickly looked at Ling Chen, only to feel an extrely sharp aura emanating from him—an overwhelming, piercing aura. The Ling Chen of this mont was like a living sword, astounding everyone.
HUM! HUM! HUM!
At the sa ti, the Treasure Swords at the waists of Xiao Muyu, Li Liuxing, and Yun Tianhe began to tremble, as if drawn by so unseen force, resonating in unison.
"This is Sword Intent, isn’t it? The sa thing happened during the last selection tournant." Xiao Muyu placed her hand on her sword hilt but still couldn’t suppress the trembling of her Treasure Sword. This scene was nearly identical to when Ling Chen had dueled Li Liuxing on the martial arts platform.
CLANG!
Suddenly, the Long Sword at Li Liuxing’s waist was the first to unsheathe itself, flying out on its own. Imdiately after, the Treasure Swords of Yun Tianhe and Xiao Muyu also flew out. The three Treasure Swords flew and embedded themselves in the ground beside Ling Chen, quivering incessantly.
SNAP!
The next mont, Ling Chen’s eyes abruptly shot open, his gaze as sharp as lightning, as if it could shoot sparks into the air before him. Almost at the sa instant, the Landscape True aning Picture before him made a whooshing sound, disintegrated, and scattered like ash.
"The Martial Arts True aning Picture has dispersed!"
Everyone stared wide-eyed. There was only one explanation for the Martial Arts True aning Picture automatically disintegrating: Ling Chen had thoroughly comprehended all the Martial Arts True aning within it, leaving not a trace remaining.
Xiao Muyu, Li Liuxing, and Yun Tianhe walked to Ling Chen’s side, each drawing their own Treasure Sword.
Ling Chen also rose from the ground. The aura he exuded now was completely different from before, yet no one could articulate precisely how it had changed.
"Ling Chen, after comprehending the Sword Hider Elder’s Martial Arts True aning, your ntal Power must have broken through to Level 10, right?" Elder Xie Chan approached Ling Chen, her gaze fixed on him, sharp as a torch.
With her high ntal Power level, she could sense Ling Chen’s explosive increase in ntal Power.
"Mm, it should be about there." Ling Chen didn’t hide it. In front of Elder Xie Chan, concealnt was futile, so it was better to be forthright.
The Martial Arts True aning left by the Sword Hider Elder was indeed terrifying. Not only had Ling Chen’s ntal Power reached Level 10, but more importantly, his Sword Intent, initially still in its nascent stages, had reached the critical point of complete eruption. He was just one final step away from cultivating true Sword Intent.
Otherwise, the scene of the three individuals’ Treasure Swords flying out automatically would not have occurred.
"What? He comprehended all of it?" Yun Tianhe’s gaze was fixed on Ling Chen, his eyes burning with a jealousy so intense it seed he wanted to kill Ling Chen with his gaze alone. He had only comprehended less than a third of the Blood Sword King’s True aning Picture, yet Ling Chen had comprehended it all in one go. Ling Chen’s gains were undoubtedly several tis his own.
"My apologies, the Landscape True aning Picture has been expended," Ling Chen said with a hint of apology on his face. The Landscape True aning Picture left by the Sword Hider Elder had utterly vanished.
"These Martial Arts True aning Pictures are ant to serve the Sect. You comprehended its true aning; you didn’t destroy it. There’s no need to apologize," Elder Xie Chan said, shaking her head.
"Alright, it’s about ti. The Spirit Martial Hall is closing. Let’s go out together." Elder Xie Chan waved her hand, leading the six of them out. She then re-locked the great doors of the Spirit Martial Hall.
When Ling Chen returned to the Wuchen Courtyard, just as he was preparing to consolidate his explosively increased Sword Intent, Xiao Muyu burst in.
She was extrely curious about Ling Chen’s comprehension of the Landscape True aning Picture.
With so many people around and prying ears earlier, she hadn’t felt it appropriate to ask too many questions. But things were different in the Wuchen Courtyard.
"Ling Chen, what exactly did you see in the Martial Arts True aning Picture?" Xiao Muyu asked seriously.
"Why don’t you tell what you saw first?" Ling Chen asked with a smile, unhurried.
"A person—a swordsman, to be precise. He just brandished his sword at once, and I fainted," Xiao Muyu recounted honestly and directly.
Ling Chen, not wanting to be evasive, recounted his experiences in the bamboo forest in detail.
"Myriad Swords Pierce the Heart? Damn it! If only I could have withstood a few more of his sword strikes! You’re just too lucky," Xiao Muyu exclaid, both annoyed and regretful.
"Luck? My luck has always been terrible. Do you think geniuses rely on luck to grow? It’s all due to talent and strength," Ling Chen mused for a mont before stating this with a serious expression.
Hearing this, Xiao Muyu was sowhat stunned. She had never encountered anyone so brazenly shaless; it completely refreshed her understanding of the term.
"Don’t get complacent. I see Yun Tianhe gritting his teeth in hatred for you. Who knows what sches he might try next," Xiao Muyu said, changing the subject.
"Yun Tianhe himself is no great concern, but his senior martial brothers and sisters are another matter. They are truly difficult to deal with. I fear they might be plotting sothing." Ling Chen fell into thought. Xiao Muyu’s words had hit the mark. Although, after his defeat, Song Hailan hadn’t taken action for a long ti, it didn’t an their faction would give up on dealing with him.
"Yun Tianhe’s Second Senior Martial Sister, Yu Qingxuan, is ranked thirty-third on the Heavenly List. Yun Tianhe can’t handle you, and Song Hailan has already been defeated by you. I reckon the next one to act against you will be this woman," Xiao Muyu analyzed for Ling Chen.
"I’ve heard this Yu Qingxuan has a decent reputation and isn’t like Song Hailan and Yun Tianhe. She shouldn’t target without reason, should she?" Ling Chen had heard of this Yu Qingxuan; she had a good reputation among the Divine Intent Sect disciples and was thought to be an upright person.
Hearing his words, Xiao Muyu scoffed, looking at Ling Chen as if he were an idiot. "Don’t be naive. Even if she’s an upright person, she is Ye Nantian’s disciple. Rest assured, I believe she won’t show you any rcy."
"That’s true. I’ll be careful."
Ever since he was almost successfully ambushed by Prince Tai, Ling Chen’s vigilance had increased significantly. The dangers aid at him were ever-present. Who knew when a venomous snake might dart out from the undergrowth and deliver a vicious bite.
If Yu Qingxuan were to truly appear, he would be no match for her at all. Anyone capable of ranking on the Heavenly List was a monstrous talent of the younger generation. Even if she was only ranked thirty-third, dealing with him would be as easy as flipping her hand.
Geniuses are most vulnerable before they fully mature. A genius who perishes prematurely can no longer be called a genius.
Ling Chen was currently alone and unsupported. To protect himself, while leveraging external influence was important, the most fundantal solution was to rapidly enhance his own strength.
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