Chapter 68: Dance of Blades
"Hah!"
Swish!
"Hah!"
Swish!
The crisp sound of breathing and steel slicing through air echoed steadily across Fei Wu Quarter—sharp and disciplined, like a whip cracking through morning stillness.
In a secluded courtyard tucked deep within the forgotten quarter, a young man moved alone—his sword cleaving through empty space with fluid precision.
Each slash was swift, clean, and deliberate. No wasted motion. No hesitation.
His upper body was bare, glistening with sweat under the climbing sun. Chiseled muscles rippled across his lean frame—defined chest, taut abs, shoulders shaped by tireless training. Around his neck hung a distinctive diamond-shaped pendant, catching the morning light with every movement—an odd yet striking contrast that completed the image of a warrior walking his path.
Su Tianhao.
'The Shadow-Splitting Flash follows the essence of the Draw Slash,' he thought inwardly, his movements not slowing for even a breath. His blade continued to slash outward with mechanical precision.
'To master the perfect Draw Slash, I must first master the first sword move—Slash itself!'
Determination flashed through his golden eyes like lightning across a summer sky.
"Slash is not just a horizontal cut involving the swing of the arm," Su Tianhao muttered aloud, voice steady despite his exertion. "It is a dance of the waist!"
The moment those words left his lips, he stepped forward—stance shifting.
His eyes closed, shutting off his senses entirely. When they snapped open again, they carried a trace of profundity and sharpness that hadn't been there before—as if all that existed in the world was the sword.
His movements became more pronounced. His sword danced like a willow branch in a spring breeze—graceful and deadly in equal measure.
"Nice swordsmanship!"
A voice suddenly rang out, accompanied by approaching footsteps.
Su Tianhao didn't bother turning to see who had arrived. His sword continued to slash out tirelessly in relentless succession. His mind reeled through countless visions of his mother performing the Slash from his inherited memories—absorbing that understanding while forging his own unique style.
Each strike was more precise, more fluid, and more deadly than the last.
In that moment it was as if Su Tianhao had been possessed by some ancient sword dao master—his focus unwavering and startling in its intensity.
"This—" The unannounced visitor halted his steps, eyes widening in shock and awe.
He was a handsome young man with distinctive silver hair that seemed to capture and reflect the morning light. He wore elegant robes matching his hair color, a white-sheathed sword hanging at his waist like a natural extension of his being.
Su Lei—Third Elder Su Minghe's disciple and Su Tianhao's old rival.
"Such refined swordsmanship... such incredible focus," Su Lei mumbled in disbelief and fascination, his eyes burning with unmistakable battle intent.
As time flowed onward, Su Tianhao's breathing became increasingly controlled, his movements growing more mechanical yet simultaneously more fluid—moving in the same rhythmic pattern, yet if one observed closely, every slash carried subtle improvements from the one before.
The wind stirred around him, carrying fallen leaves from the massive oak tree at the courtyard's center. They spiraled through the air like silent witnesses to his dedication.
Snap!
The band holding his hair suddenly broke, sending his long black hair fluttering wildly behind him like flowing silk. His aura sharpened with every movement—and in that moment he radiated the ethereal, unmatched presence of a peerless sword master.
Su Lei's eyes widened, his expression shifting into something like a daze—as if he'd fallen into profound hypnosis.
Shing!
His own sword flew from its sheath with a clear ring of steel.
But what followed wasn't the confrontation one might expect.
Instead, Su Lei embraced his blade like one would embrace a cherished companion. He crouched down quietly before settling into a cross-legged lotus position on the courtyard stones. His eyes lingered on Su Tianhao's form for several long minutes—absorbing every detail of movement and intent—before finally closing as he sank into his own world of comprehension.
Seconds became minutes. Minutes stretched into hours. Time swept by like a serene river flowing without destination.
---
Early morning gradually transitioned into late afternoon. The warm rays of the midday sun cast a golden glow over the courtyard, illuminating the scene with an almost sacred quality. The air carried a palpable sense of anticipation—as if the very atmosphere was holding its breath in reverence of Su Tianhao's evolving sword mastery.
The rhythmic sound of sword cutting through the air and the soft creaking of the ancient oak's branches were the only sounds breaking the profound silence.
Su Tianhao's sword continued to dance, its movements a blur of light and shadow. His aura had reached a state of perfect harmony—as if he had transcended the boundary between himself and the blade. The diamond-shaped pendant on his chest seemed to pulse with inner radiance, casting tiny rainbows across the worn stone tiles below.
Su Lei remained motionless in lotus position, eyes closed, his sword cradled in his arms. Yet his face wore an expression of profound understanding—as if secrets of the sword dao had been revealed to him in these silent hours.
The tranquility was almost sacred. Time itself seemed to have slowed, allowing two young warriors to savor this moment of cultivation.
As hours passed, the courtyard grew warmer. Light danced across the stone floor in intricate patterns, and fallen leaves from the oak continued to swirl around Su Tianhao like silent attendants.
Suddenly, Su Tianhao's movements slowed. He came to a complete stop—sword held high in a final posture—and stood there for a long moment, bathed in warm sunlight, before slowly lowering his blade.
As he did, Su Lei's eyes snapped open. He rose smoothly from his meditation, gaze fixed intently on Su Tianhao with newfound understanding burning behind his eyes.
"Your swordsmanship..." Su Lei said, his voice barely above a whisper, laden with genuine awe. "It's as if you've transcended the realm of mortal rank techniques entirely."
Su Tianhao's face broke into a smile, eyes lighting up as his gaze finally landed on Su Lei.
"Su Lei!" he exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
He personally held a good impression of the silver-haired young man before him. Su Lei was an orphan brought into the family by Third Elder Su Minghe at just age twelve—and even at that early age had shown remarkable dedication to the sword. The two had essentially grown up together.
During their childhood, although Su Tianhao would consistently defeat Su Lei in exchanges, he had never been truly confident in besting him in a pure sword match. Su Lei's dedication to the sword had always been absolute.
"It's been so long! How have you been?" Su Tianhao said warmly, not seeming to mind the sweat coating his torso.
"Hahaha! I've been great—though I spent most of my time in seclusion," Su Lei beamed with hearty laughter.
"But why did you come to find me after all this time?" Su Tianhao couldn't help but ask.
Su Lei frowned slightly. "Don't act like it's my fault. Every time I emerged from seclusion, I would ask Master about you. He'd say you were in solitary confinement and refused to be disturbed."
"Is that so?" Su Tianhao said, eyes narrowing with mild suspicion.
"Don't give me that look," Su Lei glared before continuing indifferently. "Anyway, I heard about your recent achievements. Not only do you possess a powerful heavenly constitution and have reached the Martial Disciple Realm—but you've also acknowledged a Martial Lord as your master."
He paused, his gaze sharpening as he studied Su Tianhao more closely.
"And from your performance just now... those rumors don't seem baseless at all."
Su Lei finished in one breath, tying Su Tianhao's impressive swordsmanship directly to the mysterious Martial Lord Realm master that didn't even exist.
"News really travels fast," Su Tianhao said softly, not bothering to correct the assumption.
"Of course," Su Lei beamed. "The discussions throughout the entire city are basically about you—and it'll probably remain that way for months."
"So what do you really want?" Su Tianhao asked, flexing muscles that had gone slightly numb from a full day of training.
Su Lei's expression shifted into natural seriousness—radiating the aura of a dedicated sword cultivator, a completely different person from moments before.
"I came to spar with you and test your strength for myself." His voice was precise and genuine, carrying unmistakable battle intent. "And this time, I'm going to defeat you."
Su Tianhao raised an eyebrow. 'Didn't this guy hear the news properly? Isn't he just asking for a beating?'
According to what he knew, Su Lei was only a five-star talent who had awakened just last year. No matter how dedicated he was to the sword, he shouldn't be stronger than Ye Wenjie... right?
Su Lei smiled knowingly, as if he could see straight through Su Tianhao's thoughts. "When I came to find you, I naturally researched your confrontation with Ye Wenjie. As far as I'm concerned, it was thanks to your Ancient Mortal rank technique that you defeated him so decisively."
He paused meaningfully. "So I was going to propose a spar where you couldn't use that particular technique."
"Why can't I use it? Isn't that a part of my strength?" Su Tianhao's brow twitched.
Su Lei smiled softly. "Well, my terms have changed anyway."
"Oh? What's changed?"
"I don't want to exchange blows with you anymore." Su Lei's eyes burned with fierce battle intent. "Let's have a spar with swords instead!"
His aura leaked out subconsciously—sharp and refined, carrying the distinctive edge of a dedicated sword cultivator.
"This—" Su Tianhao's eyes widened. "4th level Martial Disciple Realm! How did you progress so fast?!"
Su Tianhao was genuinely startled. According to normal logic, a five-star talent should advance more slowly than six-star geniuses—yet Su Lei had somehow kept pace with prodigies like Ye Wenjie and Su Jian.
Su Lei smiled proudly. "A sword cultivator's breakthrough isn't decided by ordinary cultivation talent, but by their comprehension of the sword dao itself. When a Martial Apprentice who's achieved Sword Apprentice status reaches the level of Sword Disciple, their cultivation naturally ascends to the Martial Disciple Realm. As a sword cultivator yourself, you should understand this principle."
Su Tianhao's brows furrowed slightly—but before he could voice his question, clarity flooded his mind directly from his inherited memories:
In this world, sword cultivators walk a unique cultivation path that differs from ordinary cultivators. Their breakthroughs are determined by comprehension of the sword dao, rather than mere cultivation talent alone.
When a Sword Apprentice reaches the level of Sword Disciple, their cultivation realm naturally ascends to the Martial Disciple level. Similarly, when a Sword Disciple achieves Sword Adept status, their cultivation rapidly increases to the Martial Adept Realm.
However, the Sword Dao is arduous and difficult to comprehend. Only the strong-willed and exceptionally talented dare pursue the Sword Path—or else risk becoming trapped at bottlenecks, unable to advance further.
'So Su Lei's rapid progress is due to his unwavering dedication to the sword dao and his achievement of Sword Disciple status,' Su Tianhao concluded inwardly.
"I must thank you, Su Tianhao," Su Lei suddenly said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
"Eh?"
Su Tianhao snapped back from his thoughts and turned with furrowed brows.
Su Lei quickly explained. "Just now, witnessing you train, I received enlightenment in my sword dao. Many things that felt shrouded in fog suddenly became clear. I feel like I'm close to achieving Sword Sense—when that happens, I'll naturally become a Sword Adept."
His voice carried sincere emotion. "For this, I am deeply grateful."
He cupped his fist and offered a slight bow.
Su Tianhao was taken aback by both the words and the sincerity behind them. 'Close to achieving Sword Sense just from witnessing my sword moves?!'
Oblivious to Su Tianhao's internal shock, Su Lei continued. "Just now while you were training, I discovered something important. Although your swordsmanship is truly impressive and your foundation is solid—it lacks real intent behind it."
"What do you mean?" Su Tianhao's ears perked up.
"You were slashing at empty air with no real target," Su Lei said casually, though his words carried weight. "Without an opponent or clear target, your attacks naturally lack genuine intent. Intent is born from purpose—from the need to strike, to defend, to kill or protect. You can't forge that by cutting air alone."
Although his tone was casual, the words struck Su Tianhao's heart like a hammer on an anvil.
'I see,' Su Tianhao mumbled inwardly, a profound gleam awakening in his eyes.
"How about I become your training partner?" Su Lei suggested with a slight smile. "What do you say?"
Clear anticipation colored his voice.
"That would be... convenient," Su Tianhao said softly, processing the implications.
"Hahahaha! That's great!" Su Lei laughed heartily, battle intent blazing openly in his eyes.
His gaze turned sharp as he pivoted abruptly to face Su Tianhao fully—his voice ringing out clear and provocative, carrying the unmistakable challenge of a warrior who had found his match.
"Draw your sword and let's fight—my rival!"