The Immortal Emperor Reborn: Accompanying My Child on the Extraordinary Journey

 Chapter 20: A Leap in Cultivation

Returning to his training grounds, Yun Che's figure, like a ghost, silently passed through the familiar bamboo forest path, finally stopping in front of the simple wooden house, yet still bearing the marks of time. He gently pushed open the half-closed door. The room was simply furnished: a cushion, a few books, and a long sword—his entire world. Yun Che took a deep breath, as if shutting out the outside world's noise and chaos, leaving only the endless desire and pursuit of the martial arts within his heart.

He slowly entered the room, sat cross-legged on a cushion, closed his eyes, and instantly entered a meditative state of oblivion. In his mind, the cultivation secrets he had learned from ancient books leaped into his mind like living creatures, each word and sentence resonating with his soul. During these days of secluded training, Yun Che's cultivation seemed to be propelled by an invisible force, constantly breaking through his previous shackles and ascending to higher realms.

As time passed, a warm current seemed to flow slowly through his body, evidence of the endless circulation of his internal energy. With every breath, he seemed to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into his own strength. Yun Che's heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment. He seemed to feel his connection with this world becoming ever closer. Every movement of the wind, every surge of the clouds, seemed to be within his perception.

However, improving his cultivation wasn't Yun Che's sole pursuit. He knew full well that this vast continent harbored countless secrets and dangers, and the art of sealing was one of them. Yun Che had once stumbled upon a description of seals in an ancient tome: a mysterious technique capable of sealing away anything, whether people, objects, or even powers. His primary concern was how to break these seals, for he believed that behind each one might lie an unknown history or a treasure capable of changing the world.

So, when he wasn't cultivating, Yun Che devoted himself to studying the art of sealing. He pored over every book on sealing he could find, attempting to understand and comprehend everything from the most basic techniques for drawing talismans to the profound principles of sealing. However, the art of sealing was profound and extensive, requiring far more than a single day or night to master. Yun Che remained calm, building upon his profound cultivation and incorporating his exceptional wisdom to forge ahead step by step.

One day, Yun Che was training and suddenly had an idea: why not combine swordsmanship with the art of sealing to create a completely new fighting style? Once this idea took root, it grew like wild weeds, unstoppable. He began experimenting with incorporating sealing elements into his sword moves. With each swing of his sword, he sought to gather a trace of sealing power on the blade, hoping to achieve the effect of both attacking and sealing.

The experiment wasn't smooth sailing. Yun Che failed countless times, even nearly injuring himself several times due to his inadequate control of the sealing power. But he never gave up. Each failure only made him more determined to succeed. He constantly adjusted his breathing, the flow of his internal energy, and the trajectory of his sword moves, trying to find that perfect balance.

Finally, on a stormy night, Yun Che once again stood in the open space in front of the wooden house, tightly gripping the longsword that had accompanied him for so many years. His eyes were firm and deep, as if they could penetrate the mist of the night and see straight into the deepest part of his heart. With a low chant, Yun Che suddenly drew his sword from its sheath. The sword light was like a dragon, piercing the night sky and heading straight for a huge rock in front of him.

The moment the sword tip touched the boulder, it didn't split it open as usual. Instead, a faint flash of light appeared, and a strange pattern suddenly appeared on the surface of the boulder. Then, it stood there quietly, as if frozen by some force. Yun Che sheathed his sword, a satisfied smile curling his lips. He knew that he had finally successfully taken the first step in combining swordsmanship with the art of sealing.

In the days that followed, Yun Che continued to refine this new fighting style. He began to seek out various targets in the mountains and forests to practice with, whether it was a galloping beast or a solid rock, all became his subjects for testing. Each battle deepened his understanding of the Sealed Sword and unknowingly elevated his strength to a new level.

One day, Yun Che stumbled upon a fellow swordsman in training while roaming the woods. His name was Feng Hen, a man of flowing attire and exceptional swordsmanship. After a brief exchange of blows, each impressed the other's unfathomable strength, and so they sat down together in the woods to exchange insights on their respective cultivation experiences.

"Brother Yun Che, your sword moves seem to contain some strange power, unlike ordinary swordsmanship." Feng Hen spoke first, with curiosity glittering in his eyes.

Yun Che smiled faintly and said, "Brother Feng Hen indeed has a unique vision. I've recently been trying to combine swordsmanship with sealing techniques, hoping to create a completely new way of fighting."

Feng Hen frowned upon hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Sealing technique? That is an extremely advanced and dangerous skill. Combining it with swordsmanship could backfire on one if he's not careful."

Yun Che nodded in agreement, "Indeed. However, I believe that only by constantly exploring the unknown can we break through ourselves and reach higher realms. Furthermore, I have always felt that there is some subtle connection between the art of sealing and swordsmanship, but we have not yet discovered it."

After hearing this, Feng Hen's eyes flashed with admiration: "Brother Yun Che's courage and determination are truly a role model for our generation. In that case, I am willing to explore this unknown path with you. Perhaps we can truly create an unprecedented sword technique."

From then on, Yun Che and Feng Hen became close friends with similar aspirations. They practiced together, learned from each other, and made progress together. With their efforts, the Sealed Sword gradually took shape, becoming a unique sword technique that not only possessed powerful offensive power but also could seal the enemy's strength and actions.

However, as his mastery of the Sealed Sword grew, Yun Che gradually realized that while this power was formidable, it was also fraught with danger. If left unchecked, it could potentially cause irreversible harm to the wielder. Consequently, he began to focus more on inner cultivation, striving to maintain a calm and resilient heart while simultaneously improving his swordsmanship.

In this training ground, Yun Che and Feng Hen's reputation gradually spread, attracting more and more warriors to observe and learn from them. They were not only captivated by their superb swordsmanship, but also moved by their endless pursuit and spirit of exploration in the martial arts. And in this process, Yun Che gradually became a legendary figure in the eyes of everyone.

But Yun Che knew the true challenges lay ahead. He understood that both the advancement of his cultivation and the perfection of his Sealed Sword were merely the beginning. On this vast continent, there were still more unknowns waiting for him to explore and conquer. And he would continue steadfastly on this path, writing his own legend with his sword.

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One day, Yun Che and Feng Hen were training in the woods when suddenly a violent tremor erupted from afar, accompanied by a deafening roar, as if some enormous creature were approaching. The two exchanged a glance, their hearts trembling, and then, in a flash, they sped towards the source of the tremor.

When they arrived at the scene, they were stunned by what they saw. A previously peaceful valley was now enveloped by a massive energy, tinging the sky with an ominous dark crimson. In the center of the valley lay a massive seal, emitting a dazzling light, as if something was attempting to break free and see the light of day.

"This is...an ancient seal!" Feng Hen exclaimed, a serious look flashing in his eyes.

Yun Che's brows knitted together as he sensed the immense power emanating from the sealing formation. It was a terrifying presence unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. He also realized that this was perhaps the greatest challenge, and also the greatest opportunity, he had faced since beginning his research into the art of sealing.

“We must stop it!” Yun Che said firmly. He knew very well that once this seal was broken, the consequences would be disastrous.

Feng Hen nodded, and the two of them flashed to the edge of the sealing formation. Yun Che took a deep breath, swung his sword, and a sword light imbued with sealing power shot toward the center of the sealing formation. However, the moment the sword light made contact with the sealing formation, it seemed to be blocked by an invisible force, unable to advance an inch.

“What a strong seal!” Yun Che was secretly shocked. He had not expected that this seal would be so strong.

Seeing this, Feng Hen unhesitatingly drew his sword and fought alongside Yun Che. Their swords intertwined, forming a dazzling web of swords that continuously attacked the seal formation. However, no matter how hard they tried, the seal formation seemed impenetrable, unmoved.

At this moment, Yun Che suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He remembered a conjecture he had come up with while studying the Sealing Technique. Perhaps, this seal couldn't be broken simply by relying on force, but rather required finding its inherent laws and utilizing the Sealing Technique itself to break it.

He quickly shared this idea with Feng Hen, and the two began trying to find a flaw in the seal formation. After careful observation and analysis, Yun Che finally discovered a subtle pattern: every time the seal formation's light flickered, there was a brief gap, and this gap might be the key to breaking the seal.

“Are you ready?” Yun Che looked at Feng Hen, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Feng Hen nodded, and the two of them gathered their strength once more. When the light of the seal array flickered once more, Yun Che and Feng Hen attacked simultaneously. Two sword beams imbued with the power of the seal struck precisely at the flaws in the seal array. With a single "crack," the light of the seal array suddenly dimmed, then completely dissipated into the air.

As the seal vanished, a massive figure slowly emerged before them. It was an ancient demonic beast, massive in size and emitting a terrifying aura. But at this moment, it seemed somewhat weakened, having expended considerable energy having just broken free from the seal.

Yun Che and Feng Hen exchanged a glance, both feeling relieved. They knew that although the crisis had been temporarily resolved, the real battle had only just begun.

The two of them flashed and attacked the ancient demon beast. Although the demon beast was powerful, it was defeated by the combined efforts of Yun Che and Feng Hen. Yun Che skillfully used the Sealing Sword to continuously leave seals on the demon beast's body, restricting its movement and power.

After a fierce battle, the ancient demon beast was finally completely defeated and fell to the ground. Yun Che and Feng Hen were also exhausted from the battle, but their hearts were filled with joy and satisfaction. For they knew that they had not only successfully prevented a disaster from happening, but also verified the power and potential of the Sealed Sword in actual combat.