Singing with a Sword

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! On the ground, Luo Rong and the others, fully prepared, entered the cave one by one, beginning a thorough search for Yi Ranxiao and Gui Buzhong. The underground caves were crisscrossed and interconnected, like scattered hair, each strand a hole. With so many holes, finding the two who were deliberately hiding was no easy task.

Seven days have passed, and there has been no news at all!

Seven days was long enough for Gui Buzhong to recover from his injuries and regain his former vigor. Seeing Yi Ranxiao meditating, he observed him for a while, only to discover that he was practicing the Earth Divine Fist instead of the sword technique he had taught him. He immediately exclaimed:

"Brother, brother, get up, get up! Luo Rong and the others are here!" As soon as Yi Ranxiao heard the name Luo Rong, he immediately woke up, grabbed Gui Buzhong, and tried to run away. Gui Buzhong grinned and said, "I was just kidding!"

"Big brother, why are you making such a joke?" Yi Ranxiao wasn't angry at all. This big brother was just an old man with a childlike heart.

Gui Buzhong said, "Brother, isn't the sword technique I taught you good? Why don't you practice it?" Yi Ranxiao replied, "Ah, no!" Gui Buzhong pouted and said unhappily, "You're still trying to deny it! You were clearly trying to understand the fist technique just now!"

"Oh, I was planning to practice the sword technique you taught me later."

"Fine! You actually put the techniques your elder brother taught you last!" Gui Buzhong pointed at Yi Ranxiao, "No, no, you have to practice my swordsmanship first!"

Yi Ranxiao smiled wryly, "Alright." But then she thought about it again. Cultivating the Earth God Fist was something she could only figure out on her own, while her elder brother could provide guidance from the side when she was practicing swordsmanship. So, practicing swordsmanship at this time would be beneficial and without any drawbacks.

Gui Buzhong's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he praised, "Good brother, good brother! Come, let me begin to instruct you in swordsmanship!" He was quite fond of playing the teacher, "Hehe, I'm not bragging, but the swordsmanship I'm passing on to you is countless times better than Luo Rong's Wind Control Swordsmanship! What? What's the name of my swordsmanship? Hmm—, it's called, it's called Gui Style Swordsmanship! Yes, Gui Style Swordsmanship!"

Yi Ranxiao looked at Gui Buzhong with suspicion; this swordsmanship was definitely not the "Gui-style swordsmanship." However, since Gui Buzhong was unwilling to reveal his real name, he didn't ask further and continued listening to his explanation:

"Luo Rong's Wind-Controlling Sword Technique emphasizes blending sword intent with the wind in nature; when the wind arrives, the sword intent follows! But our Returning Style Sword Technique is different! It pursues the state of harmony between man and nature! It is about becoming one with the entire natural world! It is not limited to a specific substance."

"Unity of man and nature?"

"That's right, it's the unity of heaven and man! When you reach this level, when you thrust your sword out, it's as if your sword has merged with the sky, the earth, and nature! Its power is boundless, and with Luo Rong's meager cultivation, he absolutely cannot withstand it!"

Yi Ranxiao's eyes lit up, "Is it really that amazing?"

"Haha, haha, little brother, would I lie to you? Once you've grasped the state of oneness with heaven and man, you'll know just how powerful my Returning Style Sword Technique is!"

Yi Ranxiao was intrigued by what he said and immediately began to carefully study it, following Gui Buzhong's advice.

The sword is the king of all weapons! Swordsmanship is the king of all techniques! "Returning Style Swordsmanship" emphasizes gentleness and agility, complementing nature and achieving harmony between man and nature.

Yi Ranxiao sat cross-legged in meditation. Although he held no sword, he silently recited the cultivation incantation of the Returning Style Sword Technique. Gradually, a sword intent arose spontaneously, becoming a part of his body! This feeling was akin to a newborn creature gradually growing limbs. However, for now, this sword intent existed only within Yi Ranxiao's body; it belonged solely to him, Yi Ranxiao! Yi Ranxiao attempted to merge his sword intent with nature, trying to integrate it with the primordial energy of heaven and earth…

The very name "Unity of Heaven and Man" tells you how difficult it is to reach this state. Seven whole days have passed, and Xiao still hasn't grasped the basics!

Gui Buzhong looked at Yi Ranxiao, who was sitting cross-legged but whose face was growing increasingly pale, and reminded him, "Brother, when you practice my 'Gui Style Sword Technique,' remember, never focus your attention solely on the sword intent! You must try to sense the primordial energy in nature, and try to make yourself acceptable to the primordial energy of nature! When the primordial energy of nature truly accepts you, then it will also accept your sword intent!"

Upon hearing this, Yiran Xiao's heart stirred, and he immediately listened intently to everything in nature. He was currently inside a cave, but fortunately, it was not a completely enclosed space. There were cracks in the cave, through which a sliver of dim but visible sunlight shone, accompanied by a gentle breeze!

The sound of flowing water could be faintly heard from the cave, which resembled a stone chamber, suggesting that an underground river passed nearby.

Yiran felt the sunlight, the gentle breeze, and listened to the murmuring of the flowing water. Suddenly, he entered a state of serene tranquility! He even felt that only he and the vital energy of nature remained in the world!

Seeing that he was getting into the swing of things, Gui Buzhong couldn't help but smile. He thought to himself, "I didn't expect my little brother's comprehension to be so good. He's much better than I was back then! And it seems he's had a series of fortuitous encounters: the Great Rejuvenation Pill, the miraculous footwork, and the immense Yuan Power within him! If he can fully refine it, not only Luo Rong, but even Luo Rong's ancestor wouldn't be able to defeat him!"

As for the immense Yuan energy within Yi Ranxiao's body, Gui Buzhong had already noticed it.

……

……

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed. Luo Rong and the others still haven't found Yi Ranxiao, not even the slightest trace of her!

"Damn it, Sect Leader Luo, did your formation malfunction and let those two escape?" A month had long since worn down Sha Wujing's patience.

Luo Rong glanced at him unhappily and said indifferently, "Impossible. My two junior brothers have been maintaining the formation the whole time. How could it have failed?"

Sha Wujing shouted, "Then why can't we find those two after searching for so many days? Hmph, in my opinion, it must be that your damn 'Earth-Locking Universe Formation' has malfunctioned! It must be!"

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Wang Zan quickly said, "Brother Sha, you're mistaken. If the formation had truly failed, how could Brother Luo, with his noble character, deny it? In my opinion, it's because the underground terrain is too complex, with too many caves, making the search too difficult, which is why we can't find those two. However, as long as Sect Leader Luo's formation remains intact, they have no chance of escaping!"

“That’s true, but—” Sha Wujing roared in fury, “But if those two keep hiding inside and don’t come out, are we just going to wait outside like this?”

Wang Zan's face also showed difficulty; to be honest, he hadn't thought of any other effective methods. But surprisingly, Luo Rong remained remarkably calm, a composed smile on his face.

"Sect Leader Luo, do you have a solution?" Sha Wujing immediately asked. Luo Rong smiled calmly and slowly said, "I do have a solution, but it's rather underhanded!"

……

……

Seven more days passed in the stone cave. Yi Ranxiao remained seated cross-legged, having been immersed in cultivation for a month and a half. However, unlike when he first entered meditation, a faint sword intent emanated from Yi Ranxiao's body! Furthermore, the primordial energy of heaven and earth was actively drawing closer to him.

Gui Buzhong looked at Yi Ranxiao, sensing the changes that had occurred in him, and said with satisfaction, "Indeed, my brother has quite the talent! It seems he has already reached the realm of 'harmony between man and nature'!"

Just then, Yi Ranxiao suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, clearly indicating that his cultivation had greatly improved!

"Haha, little brother, you're finally awake?" Gui Buzhong said with a hearty laugh. Yi Ranxiao added, "Big brother, can I borrow your Green Sword?"

Gui Buzhong flipped his right hand, and the cyan sword appeared out of thin air. He tossed it forward, and Yi Ranxiao caught it. Even the simple act of catching the sword was refreshing!

"I'm trying to use the Returning Style Sword Technique, please give me some pointers, elder brother!" Yi Ranxiao stood up, holding his sword in his right hand. The sword emitted a blue sword light that flickered and trembled, causing the surrounding air to tremble!

call out!

He still thrust out his sword with unstoppable force. This sword strike was imbued with the power of heaven and earth, seemingly fused with the primordial energy of nature, making it truly incomparably mighty!

Boom~

The sword energy struck the rock wall, causing a large hole to suddenly blast open in it!

"Excellent! Excellent!" Gui Buzhong clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brother, you have actually reached the state of oneness with heaven and man!"

Yi Ranxiao looked at the large hole in the rock wall and said with joy, "I didn't expect it to actually succeed!" In fact, he was filled with emotion. He had originally practiced the Earth God Fist first and then the Returning Style Sword Technique, but who knew that the Returning Style Sword Technique would reach the Great Perfection realm first.

"Brother, I didn't expect you to master my Returning Style Sword Technique so quickly! I'm truly impressed!"

"Not at all, it's all thanks to your excellent teaching, brother!" Yi Ranxiao said modestly, returning the green sword to Gui Buzhong. He then asked, "By the way, brother, as far as I know, in the cultivation world, the realm above the Qi Condensation Realm is called the Transcendent Realm. The advantage of the Transcendent Realm over the Qi Condensation Realm is that cultivators in the Transcendent Realm can directly control the Qi of the heavens to attack!"

Cultivators at the Qi Condensation Realm can only first condense their Yuan Qi into their dantian, and then release it from their dantian to attack. But my elder brother's Returning Style Sword Technique seems to directly utilize the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth? Could this sword technique be the sword technique of a Transcendent Realm cultivator?

After reaching the ninth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, a cultivator will break through to the Transcendent Realm.

Gui Buzhong smiled and said, "Brother, you're right. Cultivators at the Transcendent Realm can manipulate the energy of heaven and earth to attack. My Gui Style Sword Technique is indeed somewhat similar, but it's inferior. Or rather, our Gui Style Sword Technique is somewhere between the Qi Condensation Realm and the Transcendent Realm. The Gui Style Sword Technique only allows one to fuse one's sword intent with the energy of heaven and earth, but it cannot be used directly."

Yi Ranxiao nodded, but even so, this Returning Style Sword Technique was still very advanced, far superior to the sword techniques of a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator. If Luo Rong were to duel with him now, hmph, as long as he raised his Yuan Power to the sixth level, he could definitely defeat him!

Just then, the opening in the rock wall that Yiran Xiao had blasted open with his sword suddenly trembled, and rubble fell continuously. The opening became larger and deeper, and suddenly, a faint ray of light shone from inside the cave.