NOVEL WEB Chapter 289
Li Shiyin went towards the Mountain and River Sword, she felt a force guiding her, she did not resist and got closer and closer to the Mountain and River Sword. Suddenly her vision blurred and she arrived at a place with picturesque mountains and clear waters.
In front of her was a big, clear river, behind her was a majestic, tall mountain. On the other side of the river was also a mountain range, one mountain connecting to another, extending endlessly into the distance.
She looked up at the sky, it was murky gray chaos.
It was evident that Lu Junxing's Sword Qi World was very incomplete. Although the river flowed, it had no beginning or end, unclear where it came from or where it went. The mountain had flowers, grass and trees, but they did not seem alive, appearing no different from the mud on the ground and rocks on the mountain.
This was a world without logic or life.
But...
This was still just the Sword Qi World of a Foundation Building cultivator!
This was undoubtedly a world, at least a space with substance.
Li Shiyin crouched down and reached out to touch the mud, closing her eyes to sense it carefully... Sword Qi!
Everything seen and felt in this world was Sword Qi.
"Li Shimei!" Li Shiyin heard someone calling her from behind, she turned around and it was Liu Baixuan.
At that time Liu Baixuan was at a slightly higher position on the mountain. Seeing Li Shiyin look over, he said, "The mountain and river are two different types of Sword Qi - the Great Mountain Sword Qi and the Great River Sword Qi. Walking up the mountain, every step increases understanding of Lu Junxing's Great Mountain Sword Qi; walking into the river, every foot deeper increases understanding of his Great River Sword Qi."
"Teacher Lu actually has two types of Sword Qi?!" Li Shiyin said in surprise. She had fought with Lu Junxing many times but did not discover this.
Liu Baixuan shook his head and said, "This should be a new variation he comprehended during this seclusion. His Sword Qi is just the Mountain and River Sword Qi, the Great Mountain and Great River are just variations of the Mountain and River Sword Qi."
"I see..." Li Shiyin nodded thoughtfully.
Based on this, wouldn't her Star Sword Qi also have variations... like Starlight Sword Qi and Night Sky Sword Qi?
"Does Martial Sister plan to climb the mountain or enter the river?" Liu Baixuan asked.
"Since Martial Brother is climbing the mountain, I will too! So we can support each other." Li Shiyin grinned.
"Martial Sister has a pure heart, no wonder you have progressed so quickly in the sword path." Liu Baixuan praised.
If he chose the mountain and Li Shiyin chose the river, it would be a competitive relationship. Similarly, if he chose the mountain then she said climbing to see who could climb higher, it would also be a subtle competition.
But Li Shiyin said to support each other.
Li Shiyin also walked up the mountain... In fact, she was very competitive, but also very kind and pure. This was due to her growth experience - first protected by her brother as a mortal, then by her teacher as a cultivator. So she always maintained a pure heart.
Compared to other sword cultivators, she was more of a pure swordswoman... especially contrasting with Tian Wenjin.
Li Shiyin walked up the mountain slowly. She remembered her teacher said the cultivation world was about who could go further, not who went faster.
So she carefully analyzed the Sword Qi underfoot, comprehending it clearly with every step. It was as if she walked the path Lu Junxing took to comprehend his Mountain and River Sword Qi.
The gap between Li Shiyin and Liu Baixuan grew bigger and bigger. Liu Baixuan was halfway up the mountain while she had just started at the foot.
Later, other disciples entered. They walked fast up Sword Mountain and soon overtook her.
Occasionally she heard words like "Huh... So this is the Dan Peak Female Sword Immortal? The top scorer? Her aptitude seems inferior to mine."
But not long after, she was still steadily ascending while Sword Qi had swept those people down.
So then she would hear words like "Humph! I already circled the mountain peak yet she's still there. Won't she still be there after I circle the river and come back?"
Of course she would still be there. When they were flushed out of Sword River and returned, Li Shiyin had only ascended a few more steps.
This Sword Mountain represented Lu Junxing's comprehension of the sword path. Simply put, Lu Junxing was considered extremely high among sword cultivators, so the mountain was equally high.
After some more time, Liu Baixuan was also swept down by Sword Qi. He still could not overcome the Heart Devil.
Only then was Li Shiyin halfway up the mountain. She still felt at ease and shouted loudly, "Liu Shixiong, have you reached the peak?"
Standing steadily on the ground, Liu Baixuan looked up at Sword Mountain. His eyes showed traces of fear as he shook his head, "Too high."
"What a pity!" Li Shiyin felt sorry for Liu Baixuan.
"Keep at it, martial sister!" Liu Baixuan cheered Li Shiyin on.
Liu Baixuan left Mountain and River Sword to recuperate. Li Shiyin kept climbing the mountain.
Gradually, there were fewer and fewer people in this Sword Qi World. Initially many sword cultivators came, curious and interested, but most could not climb the mountain so few people came.
As people came less and less, Li Shiyin kept ascending.
When Liu Baixuan finished recuperating and returned to Mountain and River Sword, he saw Li Shiyin had passed the place he climbed to previously. He could not help but admire her; but he did not dare climb Sword Mountain again, choosing to enter Sword River instead.
When Liu Baixuan emerged from Sword River, he discovered that Li Shiyin was nearing the peak.
He suddenly realized something then, stunned where he stood.
He thought, is there going to be another person above my head?
Just as he was thinking this, he saw Li Shiyin continue forward with only one step from the summit. But she suddenly stopped, not taking that last step, instead turning around and descending Sword Mountain.
"Why didn't you go up? You could have obtained Teacher Lu's complete Sword Qi comprehension!" Liu Baixuan asked, puzzled.
Li Shiyin looked at him, seeming she wanted to explain but ultimately did not. She just smiled and said, "I exhausted my strength."
Liu Baixuan did not believe her but tactfully refrained from questioning further.
Li Shiyin did not enter Sword River either. She turned and exited Mountain and River Sword. She had not seen her teacher for a very long time.
She entered Mountain and River Sword in late June. Now upon exiting, she saw a huge full moon in the sky.
Li Shiyin flew back eagerly to Dan Peak, only to discover the peak was very lively with banquets in front of the little wooden houses, no different due to her absence, causing her to feel somewhat sour.
But when she turned her head, she saw someone waiting under the chinese scholar tree, constantly looking towards her flying direction.
It was her teacher.
She sped towards him, directly landing in front of her teacher. Her teacher said to her, "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Teacher!" Disregarding everything, she pounced over and hung onto her teacher.
Her teacher hugged her.
Qin Ran brought Li Shiyin back to the little wooden houses. Li Shiyin saw many people there - Long Qiqi, Chasing the Wind, Tushan Youyou, Liu Xiaoji of course, and also Tian Wenjin, Lu Junxing, Dong Zhongyuan, and another man she did not recognize. It was indeed extremely lively.
"What a heart-to-heart connection between master and disciple!" Dong Zhongyuan ate mooncakes while teasing, "Before Little Martial Sister even arrived, Martial Uncle already said that my Shiyin is here, then went to wait there. Not long after, you arrived right on time."
"Hehe!" Li Shiyin giggled foolishly.
Lu Junxing walked over while drinking osmanthus wine, smiling as he asked Li Shiyin, "Why didn't you take that last step to the top?"
Li Shiyin hugged her teacher Qin Ran's arm with her little head leaning against his shoulder. She smiled at Lu Junxing, "That was your Sword Qi, not my Sword Qi."