CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: PROFOUND CRANE TONGYOU, POWER SOARING

The beauty lay asleep in his embrace, while Lu Chengfeng closed his eyes, silently digesting all the memories belonging to the "Profound Crane Thousand Shadows Ghostly Sword Technique." He didn’t want to waste a single moment.

As the memories of this sword technique gradually got digested, Lu Chengfeng began to gain a deep understanding of this secret skill from Profound Crane Peak.

The "Profound Crane Thousand Shadows Ghostly Sword Technique" is a complete inheritance that includes Inner Cultivation Heart Method, Swordsmanship, Body Technique, and other comprehensive martial arts. It is vast and profound; just this secret skill alone could support a major sect in the martial world.

This cultivation technique is mainly composed of three parts: the Profound Crane Heart Method, the Thousand Shadows Body Technique, and the Tongyou Sword Technique.

"The inner strength cultivated through the Profound Crane Heart Method can make one’s body light as a crane, spirit agile, and even extend one’s life."

"The Thousand Shadows Body Technique is renowned for its mystery, versatility, and speed. Combined with the Profound Crane Heart Method, it allows one’s lightweight technique to reach a terrifying level, with the lightweight technique of Profound Crane Peak being the best among the five inner peaks."

"As for the Tongyou Sword Technique, it is a swordsmanship that seeks the Great Tao between life and death as its guiding principle. It emphasizes one sword to decide life and death, victory and defeat are determined in a single sword, known throughout the martial world as an unrivaled fast sword."

Lu Chengfeng silently comprehended Elder Li Guan’s insights into this sword technique, digesting the essence of his swordsmanship, honed through sixty years of intense practice, at an incredibly rapid pace.

"This elder from Profound Crane Peak has already cultivated his swordsmanship skills to the Twenty-Fourth Layer, comprehended the Tongyou Sword Intent, achieved Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, transforming it into True Qi, capable of killing invisibly with a single thought."

"In swordsmanship cultivation, from sword moves, to Sword Qi, and then to Sword Intent, every step in the path of swordsmanship has nine layers of heaven, becoming increasingly difficult the higher you go."

"Breaking through from sword moves to Sword Qi has stumped countless individuals lacking in talent; without sufficient aptitude, no matter how much effort is put forth, one can only become proficient in sword moves but can never slash out Sword Qi."

"And the step from Sword Qi to Sword Intent excludes ninety-nine percent of people unless one possesses extraordinary talent and insight, with Eighteenth Layer swordsmanship being the ultimate limit."

"Without gifted talent, I’m afraid it would be very difficult to comprehend Sword Intent."

Even with a brief insight, Lu Chengfeng deeply realized the complexity and obscurity of the "Profound Crane Thousand Shadows Ghostly Sword Technique," understanding that without at least half a year’s effort on his own, he wouldn’t even be able to get started.

As night passed, Lu Chengfeng rose to dress under the service of Luo Suyi, ate breakfast, and then continued towards the Enchanted Swamp.

...

In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed, and the sect’s campaign against the beast tide was nearing its end. Most of the demon beasts that escaped from Trapped Dragon Abyss had been exterminated, with only a few remnants hiding deep within the swamp.

Lu Chengfeng and Tan Xiong, among others, managed to slay a demon creature nearly every two or three days, having killed twelve demons in total during this time, accumulating immense sect merits.

However, what drew the most attention during the beast tide was Lu Chengfeng’s rapid improvement in swordsmanship. In just over a month, his swordsmanship skills advanced tremendously, jumping two layers of heaven consecutively.

The Bixiao Sword Manual had been cultivated to the Fifteenth Layer, slashing out a two-foot Sword Qi, matching Duan Li and Xu Changge, with his experience in demon hunting having made significant strides as well.

In the eyes of the other three, Lu Chengfeng seemed like a prodigy, with visible improvement in his abilities almost every day. By now, he was no less than a true disciple who was at least seven or eight years older than him.

This rapid pace of improvement shocked everyone present.

As their hunt in the Enchanted Swamp neared its end, Tan Xiong locked onto a Winged Tiger, horned on its head and capable of harnessing demonic wind, proving immensely difficult to deal with.

They had pursued it for three days and nights, finally cornering it in this narrow canyon, sealing off the exit, leaving it with no escape.

Tan Xiong charged in first, his copper rod making a thunderous roar as it struck the air, powerful and domineering, aiming fiercely at the tiger demon’s head.

Duan Li and Xu Changge attacked the tiger demon from behind, leaving it unable to attend to both head and tail.

Meanwhile, Lu Chengfeng and Lu Lingxi lay in wait at the flanks, opportunistically poised, having long adapted to this kind of collaboration, creating a mutual understanding amongst themselves.

"Roar!"

The whole body of the tiger demon was pitch black, with numerous wounds already torn open on its fur, thick black blood continuously pouring from its wounds, sizzling as it dropped to the ground, carving ghastly marks into the terrain.

The three days and nights of continuous pursuit left the tiger demon severely wounded and utterly exhausted, now merely struggling in its last moments.

Possessing intelligence no less than humans, upon seeing its hopeless situation, it stubbornly summoned its demonic wind, rapidly increasing its speed, suddenly dashing towards the left, completely ignoring Tan Xiong’s incoming rod.

Demon beasts are inherently ferocious, and retaliation in their dying breath is quite common, with many true disciples severely injured or even killed by a demon’s final strike.

At this moment, Lu Chengfeng watched the demon tiger pounce towards him, with the demonic wind carrying a foul smell, its gaping maw revealing fearsome fangs.

Yet his expression remained exceptionally calm and composed, his body lightly dodging with pinpoint precision, evading the tiger demon’s desperate strike, leaving its sharp claws clutching at air.

He then stepped aside, as his Cold Cicada Sword emitted a crisp and resonant hum, like the fluttering of cicada wings, drawing a cold arc through the air.

Pu-chi!

The sword blade pierced directly into the right ear of the tiger demon, causing a massive spurt of blood, tearing away a whole piece of flesh.

"Roar!"

The tiger demon emitted a sound of extreme pain and anger, its pair of dark-golden eyes streaming with blood.

Filled with immense hatred in its pupils, it disregarded its injuries, relentlessly charging at Lu Chengfeng.

"Damnable demon!" At this moment, Tan Xiong’s copper rod arrived, carrying immense strength, violently striking at the spine of the tiger demon.

With a crisp crack, half of the demon’s body immediately went limp, crashing to the ground with a thud, sending a cloud of dirt flying.

Buzz!

Lu Chengfeng seized the opportunity, thrusting his sword like a comet sweeping across the moon, drawing a cold streak, precisely stabbing into the tiger demon’s eyes.

Pu-chi!

Half of the sword embedded itself into the demon’s brain, and Lu Chengfeng infused inner strength, Sword Qi ejecting from the blade, then turned the sword handle and gave it a fierce twist.

"Roar!"

The tiger demon let out a hysterical roar, its massive body and head shaking frantically, taking a full quarter-hour before it finally lay motionless, drained of all life.

By then, Lu Chengfeng had already withdrawn his sword and stepped away, maintaining a safe distance, closely watching until ensuring the demon had breathed its last.

"Such precise swordsmanship, terrifying judgment, formidable confidence!" Tan Xiong didn’t glance at the tiger demon, turning to look at Lu Chengfeng, his eyes filled with undisguised astonishment.

"Junior Brother Lu, your swordsmanship, lightweight technique, and combat skills have truly reached the pinnacle. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d never believe that just a month ago, you hunted demons for the first time."

"With such frightening progress, at this pace, it won’t be long before you surpass me."

The other three also gathered around, their gazes on Lu Chengfeng appeared complex. To become a True Disciple of the Inner Peak, who among them was not a genius? Who was not arrogant?

Nonetheless, facing Lu Chengfeng, they seemed so ordinary, this huge contrast left some struggling to accept the reality.