LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 8:
Chapter 8:
Within the Reflection Cave, Xiao Yang was entirely focused on his cultivation.
Day by day, time slipped by.
No one came to see him.
Before he realized it, he had been in the Reflection Cave for a full month.
Jiang Ting, his junior sister, had always followed him closely as a child, seeking him out whenever something happened.
But ever since Qin Fei joined the Azure Sun Sword Sect ten years ago, everything had gradually changed.
Jiang Ting came to him less and less frequently, and in the past one or two years, she had not sought him out on her own even once.
Xiao Yang noticed that after his rebirth, he rarely thought about Jiang Ting anymore.
Through his Third Junior Brother Song Qiang, who brought him food, he learned about what Jiang Ting had been up to over the past month.
Jiang Ting had been taking care of Qin Fei.
Under her attentive care, not only had Qin Fei’s injuries healed, but his cultivation had also advanced significantly.
According to Song Qiang, Qin Fei was on the verge of breaking through to the Heavenly Martial Realm.
During this month, Xiao Yang’s parents had also visited their precious adopted son, Qin Fei, several times but completely ignored their biological son, who was reflecting in the back mountain.
Meanwhile, the Transmission Elder was busy planning the disciples’ upcoming training expedition down the mountain.
The Law Enforcement Elder had gone to the sect master again.
Aside from these significant events, there were trivial matters: someone advancing in cultivation, another killing a rare ferocious beast.
But Xiao Yang knew that something big was about to happen.
His cultivation of the Heaven-Suppressing Sword Technique had also reached a critical point.
He instructed Song Qiang to leave the food outside the cave entrance in the coming days without entering.
Song Qiang was both surprised and delighted. He immediately guessed that his Senior Brother’s cultivation was about to advance again.
Xiao Yang specifically told Song Qiang not to mention this to anyone, not even the master.
Song Qiang agreed emphatically.
Of all the disciples in the Azure Sun Sword Sect, only Song Qiang truly treated him well.
Song Qiang had always looked up to Xiao Yang as a role model and genuinely regarded him as an elder brother.
But in Xiao Yang’s previous life, during the training expedition following the Sixty-Year Grand Competition, Qin Fei had schemed to kill Song Qiang.
It was simply because Song Qiang had always stood by Xiao Yang’s side, firmly supporting him.
In this life, Xiao Yang was determined not to let Song Qiang die at Qin Fei’s hands.
After Song Qiang left with the food container, Xiao Yang returned to the cave and began cultivating again.
As he activated the Heaven-Suppressing Sword Technique, powerful sword energy surged from his body.
The sword orb in his dantian began to disintegrate, transforming into countless threads of sword energy that flowed through his meridians.
This energy began to converge at his brow, striking the Divine Aperture.
The Divine Aperture was the repository of spiritual intent. Spiritual intent could evolve into divine sense, and divine sense could further evolve into the soul, or primordial spirit.
Time passed.
Suddenly, Xiao Yang’s entire body trembled. He opened his eyes abruptly, and his brow seemed to form a bottomless black hole, endlessly swallowing sword energy.
“The Divine Aperture opens, spiritual intent is born, and sword intent takes form…”
“I… have succeeded!”
Xiao Yang was ecstatic. An invisible sword intent radiated from his body.
Looking inward, he saw a small golden sword shadow flickering within the Divine Aperture. Threads of chilling sword energy emanated from it.
At the same time, within the Azure Sun Sword Sect, countless disciples’ swords began trembling uncontrollably.
In the Azure Sun Secret Realm, the Azure Sun Sword embedded in the sword platform emitted a resonant hum.
The entire secret realm quaked.
“What’s going on?”
The old man guarding the sword was alarmed. He leaped onto the platform and placed his hand on the sword’s hilt, using all his strength to suppress the Azure Sun Sword, which seemed ready to fly away.
“Today, I enter the Heavenly Martial Realm…”
In another part of the sect, Qin Fei’s triumphant roar echoed from his cultivation area.
Powerful sword energy erupted, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged.
In the sky, nine radiant suns appeared, a rare and magnificent phenomenon that caused a sensation throughout the sect.
Everyone looked up in awe at the stunning sight.
“Junior Brother Qin has finally broken through to the Heavenly Martial Realm…”
Jiang Ting rushed out, her face glowing with excitement as she gazed at the heavenly phenomenon.
“Nine suns in the sky, ten thousand swords resonating—worthy of the Innate Dao Physique, the chosen one! To create such a phenomenon at the moment of breakthrough is extraordinary!”
Sect Master Jiang Qitian stepped out of the grand hall, his face full of admiration as he looked at the sky.
“Our sect has gained another extraordinary genius in the Heavenly Martial Realm. The sect will surely prosper. Heaven blesses our sect!” the Transmission Elder exclaimed, stroking his beard.
“This child’s talent is unparalleled. He will soar to great heights and lead our sect back to its former glory!” the Law Enforcement Elder said emotionally.
The entire Azure Sun Sword Sect was abuzz with excitement.
“Junior Brother Qin has only been in the sect for ten years, yet he’s already reached the Heavenly Martial Realm. His cultivation speed is terrifying!”
“The Holy Son cultivated for fifteen years before breaking through to the Heavenly Martial Realm. In time, Junior Brother Qin will undoubtedly surpass the Holy Son and become the strongest of the younger generation!”
“I remember when the Holy Son broke through, there was also a phenomenon: a single radiant sun. But compared to Junior Brother Qin’s nine suns, it’s no match at all.”
Qin Fei’s breakthrough and the nine suns phenomenon shook the sect, and the resonance of ten thousand swords continued for half a day.
No one paid attention to Xiao Yang.
No one cared about him.
But was Qin Fei truly the one who caused the resonance of the swords?
Many compared Qin Fei to Xiao Yang, concluding that Qin Fei was the more extraordinary of the two.
To them, Qin Fei was like a dragon in the heavens, while Xiao Yang was nothing more than an ant on the ground.
The entire sect placed their hopes on Qin Fei.
“Could it be that Qin Fei caused the Azure Sun Sword to react?”
In the Azure Sun Secret Realm, the old man guarding the sword was astonished.
The Azure Sun Sword was the sect’s ultimate treasure. Since the time of the founding ancestor, no one had been able to resonate with it—not even the sect master.
“The Innate Dao Physique is truly extraordinary…”
The old man finally suppressed the Azure Sun Sword, which then fell silent.
He assumed that the phenomenon was caused by Qin Fei’s breakthrough.
But in the Reflection Cave on the back mountain, Xiao Yang knew nothing of this.
He was still immersed in cultivation.
At this moment, his swordsmanship had advanced to the realm of controlling the sword with intent.
The Heaven-Suppressing Sword Technique followed five stages: Qi, Intent, Spirit, Soul, and Dao.
Controlling the sword with Qi was the foundation. Controlling it with Intent marked the true beginning.
Controlling the sword with Spirit united all swords; with Soul, it transcended life and death. Controlling the sword with Dao could sever the heavens and annihilate immortals, reigning supreme across worlds!
Xiao Yang flipped his right hand, and with a thought, a small golden sword shadow appeared in his palm.
With a casual wave, the sword shadow pierced through the massive rock before him, leaving a clean hole in its wake.
His cultivation had advanced from the mid-Heavenly Martial Realm to its peak.
“Sword intent… This technique created by an ancient emperor is truly extraordinary!”
Xiao Yang was thrilled. This realm of swordsmanship was something only those in the Divine Martial Realm could typically achieve.
But now, he had mastered it while still in the Heavenly Martial Realm.
In five months, at the Sixty-Year Grand Competition, he was confident he would take first place and leave the Azure Sun Sword Sect.
His confidence soared at the thought.
…
Meanwhile, the sect was bustling with celebration.
For three days, the Azure Sun Sword Sect rejoiced over Qin Fei’s breakthrough.
The Xiao family, upon hearing the news, personally ascended the mountain with Xiao Zhenshan, his wife Chen Ruolan, their daughter Xiao Yue, and other disciples, bringing lavish gifts to congratulate Qin Fei on his achievement.
Xiao Zhenshan was beaming with pride, thrilled with his adopted son’s success.
Even the meals Song Qiang brought Xiao Yang during these days included extra dishes, a rare occurrence.
Xiao Yang couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony. “Thanks to Qin Fei, I get to eat better.”
But the arrival of two unexpected visitors quickly extinguished the sect’s celebratory atmosphere.
“Li Daozhen of the Fuyao Sword Sect, accompanied by his disciple Li Xingyao, seeks to challenge the Azure Sun Sword Sect!”
The voice wasn’t loud, but it resonated across the entire mountain, reaching everyone’s ears.
The sect was shaken.
“Qin Fei, you’ve just broken through to the Heavenly Martial Realm, and now someone’s here to challenge you. Let’s see how you handle this,” Xiao Yang thought, a faint smile forming as he opened his eyes in the Reflection Cave.
Li Xingyao… She had been one of his greatest rivals in his past life.