CHAPTER 65.2: IF WE’RE ALL IN QI REFINEMENT, DOESN’T TURNING QI INTO A SWORD MAKE SENSE?

After finally logging out, Qi Yuan didn’t hit the books, but closed his eyes and replayed the fight in his mind.

As expected of one of the ten generals, Flower Burial Fairy’s combat prowess far surpassed his. However, thanks to Qing Pingzi’s sword experience, Qi Yuan held his ground. His eyes also saw through her Endless Sea of Blossoms, forcing her to abandon the technique. In the end, he gained the upper hand and defeated Flower Burial Fairy.

Qi Yuan ultimately received the Divine Reflections of the Yinyang Forbidden Zone’s experts, but was left drained and forced to log off. He decided to slowly consider how to rule the Yinyang Forbidden Zone.

He murmured to himself, “Sword Dao... Am I truly a swordsman?”

Yet he quickly shook his head. The true swordsman of the Great Shang bound their entire soul to a single sword. Break the sword, and the man was crippled. Qi Yuan had no such weapon. His vegetable knife, as mighty as it was, was no sword. Besides, entrusting his life to a single treasure was never his style.

The Five Elements Essence is still evolving. Wood should be next. I wonder if the Divine Radiance Sect disciples will be shocked again?

He stepped outside to the mid-slope of Seven-Color Peak, breathing in and out. The qi he exhaled exuded some metal radiance.

“Good thing it’s not fire. Otherwise I’d look like one of those Calabash Brothers... [1]”

Just then, a white crane appeared overhead. As it landed before him, it dropped a visitation letter into his hand.

“Myriad Arts Peak... Dong Xian wants to visit me?” He frowned, unable to place the name. “Well, might as well.”

Though he was famous in the Divine Radiance Sect, few ever came to visit him. His curiosity piqued, he scrawled his answer, Agreed.

The crane flew off.

Fifteen minutes later, a black-clad youth appeared.

When Qi Yuan caught sight of the youth, he froze for a moment. “You’re Dong Xian? I could’ve sworn your name was Xiao Yan.”

Dong Xian stiffened. “...Senior Brother, my name is not Xiao Yan. You must’ve mistook me for someone else.”

Qi Yuan sighed wearily. Had he known it was this person, he wouldn’t have agreed to meet in the first place.

“Well, you’re here now. What do you want?”

He wasn’t about to drive Dong Xian away. Who knew if offending Dong Xian now would one day bring his revenge? That’d be bad for a man’s sleep.

Meanwhile, Dong Xian plastered a flattering smile. “Senior Brother, I’ve long heard you’re quite addicted to games. I happened to bring a few rare editions with me.”

With that, he produced several jade slips. He’d really gone all out, offering up his prized collections just to forge some rapport with Qi Yuan. Once they grew familiar, he could extend an invitation for the chief disciple to join the Dragon-Seizing Contest.

Qi Yuan took one slip, and the moment his fingers brushed its surface, a flood of images poured into his mind.

He tilted his head, amused. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

He’d never encountered such an item before. The game was unconventional. The NPCs were actual projections of cultivators, their likeness faithfully preserved. Some of the storylines pushed the limits of decency, but they captured the art of role-play with startling precision.

Female characters abound: seductive fox spirits dripping with seductive appeal; sweet, next-door-sister disciples; arrogant young mistresses; and even aloof, icy swordswoman. Apparently, not all of the jade slips were in carnal variety. Some were dueling simulators, meant to sharpen the battle sense of Foundation Establishment realm cultivators.

“Senior Brother, do they meet your taste?” Dong Xian whispered, mischievously leaning close.

Qi Yuan cast him a sidelong glance. “I’m currently in sage mode. Not interested. Just tell me why you’re really here.”

He pushed the jade slips back, though he kept one. Coincidentally, it happened to be about the female swordswoman.

Dong Xian blinked, briefly thrown off. Qi Yuan really did talk in the oddest ways. Still, he’d kept one jade slip, that was good enough to open a door for friendship. And what better way to strengthen a connection than to ask for instruction, giving the other a chance to show off? After all, most people loved to play teacher.

“I’ve heard that your saber techniques are extraordinary. I was hoping to—” Dong Xian paused abruptly.

Artifact Master urgently cried in his mind, “Sword arts! Ask about sword arts!”

Dong Xian hesitated, then corrected himself. “Learn your sword techniques...”

Qi Yuan stared at him. Saber techniques, but then sword techniques? Is it just me, or is this kid confused? This kid clearly has a protagonist aura, but maybe not much upstairs.

Still, Qi Yuan didn’t mind. “I do know some sword techniques. What would you like to learn?”

Beyond his own Heaven-Cleaving Sword technique, he carried Qing Pingzi’s memories, whose sword mastery was terrifying.

Artifact Master fell silent, waiting. He wanted to uncover the secrets hidden within Qi Yuan’s swordsmanship. Rumor had it the Black Mountain Sect had been annihilated. Somehow, he suspected this strange young man had something to do with it, or perhaps, the power behind him. Either way, a man’s swordsmanship could reveal more than he knew.

Dong Xian lowered his head in thought. “I’m still in the Qi Refinement realm. I can’t nurture a true spirit sword the way proper swordsmen do, but I dream of striking with a blade so sharp that birds fall from the sky. Is there such a technique?“

It was a clumsy excuse, but he landed on sword techniques in the end.

Qi Yuan studied him with mild surprise. “You’ve got some spirit. There’s a bit of Xiao Yan in you after all [2]. Swordsmen are strong, yes, but their strength lies in their spirit swords. Unfortunately, for a Qi Refinement, that’s next to impossible."

A true spirit sword was far too precious, after all. At the Qi Refinement realm, cultivators didn’t have the spiritual sense to control one, and their swordsmanship wasn't much stronger than anyone else. Only at the Foundation Establishment realm did their true power begin to manifest.

Qi Yuan said, “Still, if you lack a spirit sword, you can always rely on a sword qi.”

Dong Xian blinked. “A sword qi?”

Qi Yuan spoke with the calm assurance of a man explaining the obvious. “Of course. Qi Refinement realm cultivators cultivate spiritual qi. Where there is qi, there’s a sword. If you unleash your sword qi, you can cut down foes before they even know it.”

Even Qing Pingzi’s sword path culminated in exactly that. He had no sword, for he himself was one. Qi itself became his edge. At higher realms, he himself became the sword.

Qi Yuan said, “Though, you should be careful. Shape your qi into a sword, yes, but never into a horse. That path leads nowhere good.”

Dong Xian had so many questions. His expression was blank. He understood each word on its own, but strung together, the meaning slipped through his grasp.

He said helplessly, “Senior Brother, what does making a sword qi at the Qi Refinement realm mean? Also, what’s wrong with making a horse out of it...?”

Dong Xian simply couldn’t comprehend it. Didn’t Qi Refinement realm cultivators convert spiritual energy into mana? Since when could it turn into a sword?

“This dull-witted junior begs for a clearer explanation.”

Qi Yuan smiled faintly. “Then, I’ll just have to show you. Watch and learn. It’s not that difficult to understand.“

After all, he had grasped Qing Pingzi’s sword path in just a single glance.

Dong Xian was now thoroughly dazed. Qi Yuan isn’t joking? He can really turn qi into a sword? Is this like those Core Formation realm cultivators who could seize weaker foes with a giant hand of raw spiritual qi?

However, at Qi Refinement realm, Qi Yuan shouldn’t have enough mana to do that. Even if he forced it, the power would be laughable at best.

Qi Yuan’s expression grew serious. “Junior Brother, watch carefully.”

He raised his hand, forming his fingers into a sword gesture. In the next instant, a strand of metallic light burst forth from his fingertips.

1. 葫芦娃 (Húluwá) is a famous Chinese animated series/character from the 1980s, also called Calabash Brothers in English. The story is about seven brothers born from magical gourds, each one of them has a unique superpower. Since one of the Calabash Brothers breathes fire, if his own qi manifested as fire, Qi Yuan is making a joke that he would look like that cartoon character. ☜

2. He is referring to Xiao Yan of Battle through the Heavens! ☜