The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 505 Duan Yanqing, shall we try out your martial arts technique?
Duan Yanqing's ability to cultivate to his current level despite his disability is due to his strong willpower and his remarkable martial arts talent.

His martial arts skills are only a hair's breadth away from achieving the state of harmony between heaven and man.

However, this very sliver of distance has kept 99% of the world's martial arts practitioners from entering the Heavenly Realm.

The view from the pinnacle of martial arts is destined to be climbed and appreciated by only a very few.

Xu Xingchen taught Duan Yanqing different versions of "One Finger Divine Skill," which was like a ladder to heaven, allowing Duan Yanqing to find the direction to continue climbing upwards.

He continuously demonstrated two different versions of One Finger Zen.

Mushroom-shaped plumes of dust shot up from the bluestone floor of the room, creating numerous holes about the thickness of a finger.

Sitting on the bench, Duan Yanqing's eyes gleamed like flashes of lightning in the dark clouds, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, extremely sharp.

The body's energy flow is sometimes chaotic, sometimes regular, sometimes soaring high, and sometimes plummeting to the bottom.

The clothes fluttered loudly under the force of the energy.

Seeing Duan Yanqing's posture, Xu Xingchen was somewhat surprised: "Without practicing the Six Meridians Divine Sword, Duan Yanqing already shows signs of a breakthrough? It seems his martial arts realm is indeed just a tiny bit lacking."

To avoid disturbing Duan Yanqing's breakthrough, Xu Xingchen remained still, but the bench beneath his feet silently slid him to a corner at the back.

Duan Yanqing, who was completely absorbed in the new technique, was completely unaware of Xu Xingchen's movements.

Streams of finger energy shot out from the thin iron staff, carving deep, bottomless holes in the bluestone pavement.

Shooting and shooting
His aura grew stronger and stronger, but the thrusting motion of his thin iron staff became slower and slower.

Until a certain moment
A deafening roar erupted from his body, as if thunder were emanating from within.

His aura suddenly expanded, his clothes billowed like sails, and the few sparse strands of hair on his head danced wildly.

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, shooting out more than a foot away.

"A breakthrough is imminent."

Xu Xingchen, who had achieved a state of oneness with nature multiple times, sensed that Duan Yanqing's aura seemed to be interacting with some mysterious force in the world, their energy intertwined and interdependent.

This world is not a world of cultivation. Even when breaking through to the highest realm of martial arts, there are no earth-shattering events, purple clouds coming from the east, radiant light shining everywhere, thunderclaps, or other miraculous phenomena.

Only Duan Yanqing's aura surged like the tide, like ocean waves, like billowing waves; turbulent and crashing against the shore.

As the frequency of Qi changes increases, the surging momentum becomes stronger.

Until a certain peak is reached
All the vital energy suddenly reached its peak and then disappeared, abruptly contracting back into the body, becoming extremely calm.

The transition from intensity to oblivion is extremely abrupt, yet it carries a natural rhythm within that abruptness.

Xu Xingchen sensed that the primordial energy between heaven and earth was continuously flowing into Duan Yanqing's body, undergoing a final transformation and fusion with his internal energy.

Boom!

A muffled thunderous sound suddenly emanated from Duan Yanqing's body, causing his clothes and hair to billow outwards.

A sudden burst of energy shot out from his body, like a circular shockwave, propelling the table in front of him away and pushing the surrounding furniture against the wall, causing a series of loud crashes.

Boom!

A second booming sound followed immediately, and Duan Yanqing's clothes and hair billowed once more.

Another burst of energy burst forth from his body, rushing in all directions.

The entire room shook violently.

Seeing this, Xu Xingchen, who was sitting in the corner, thought to herself that things were not good. If this continued, the room might collapse due to Duan Yanqing's energy.

With a flick of his sleeve, the force that had rushed towards him vanished without a trace.

Immediately afterwards, a red ribbon several feet long emerged from the body, circling several times in the air like a dragon, clinging to the four walls and the roof, flying and swirling, forming a red dome that protected the entire room.

Boom!

A third booming sound emanated from outside the body.

As Duan Yanqing's clothes and hair billowed and swirled, an even more powerful circular energy surged forth.

The wooden tables, benches, and other furniture on all four sides suddenly exploded into countless flying wood chips and fragments, shooting out in all directions with a whooshing sound.

The fiery red dome, which clung tightly to the four walls and the roof, trembled slightly, and the countless wood chips that shot onto it immediately lost their impact force.

crackling
Wood chips and scraps were piled up on the floor under the four walls.

In the next few breaths, a continuous booming sound emanated from Duan Yanqing's body.

Wave after wave of circular shockwaves, each more astonishing and powerful than the last.

Even the bluestone floorboards on the ground cracked and splintered under the repeated impacts of the energy, forming a dense network that spread outwards.
Finally, under the impact of another burst of energy, all the bluestone floorboards instantly turned into dust, shooting into the sky, tumbling violently, surging wildly, and enveloping the entire room in a hazy, dusty atmosphere.

However, no matter how fierce the shockwave emanating from Ren Duan Yanqing's body was, it still could not break through the surrounding red cover.

Even the lanterns, sheltered behind the long red ribbon, remained unaffected, quietly emitting their light and illuminating the entire room in a reddish-white glow, creating a dazzling display of light.

After more than a dozen impacts of energy.

The commotion in Duan Yanqing's body finally subsided.

The smoke and dust that had been floating in the air slowly settled down and returned to the ground.

Two points of light, sparkling and dazzling, shone through the falling dust and were reflected in Xu Xingchen's eyes.

Each point of light, the size of a fingernail, flickered and shimmered around Duan Yanqing's body, like stars fallen from the sky to earth, exceptionally beautiful.

Xu Xingchen raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "Although I can't sense how powerful those two points of starlight are, I can say with certainty that their power is definitely not weak."

The lightning-like glint in Duan Yanqing's eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by a calm and profound stillness.

One of the two stars surrounding him suddenly shot out, as fast as lightning, and crashed hard into the red ribbon in front of him.

BOOM!

It was as if a huge stone had been thrown into a calm lake, creating powerful, surging waves that made a deep, thunderous sound.

Where the star struck, the red ribbon collapsed backward, creating a crater about ten feet in size, but ultimately failed to penetrate it.

call out!
Then came another soft whooshing sound.

The second star around Duan Yanqing shot towards the roof, creating a crater about ten feet in diameter on the red ribbon above his head, and at the same time bursting out a circle of surging energy.

call out!call out!call out!
Even without Duan Yanqing wielding his thin iron staff, the two stars surrounding him flashed like lightning in the void, shooting in all directions and continuously striking the surrounding fiery red shield.

The force of the blows roared like thunder, the red silk ribbon dented repeatedly, and a fierce wind raged and crashed against the ground, creating an extremely terrifying spectacle.

Xu Xingchen quietly manipulated the several-foot-long red ribbon, which flew and swirled close to the walls and roof, welcoming the violent impact of the two stars that shot like arrows.

He continued to ponder, "Duan Yanqing's One-Finger Divine Skill has condensed into these two stars, which can fly and shoot freely at his will. This saves him the trouble of controlling the thin iron staff, making it more convenient and unexpected than before, and its power is also much greater."

"Such an astonishing change, doesn't it mean that he has successfully advanced to become a top expert in the Heavenly Realm?"

The two stars collided and shot around for more than a dozen breaths. It was unclear whether Duan Yanqing had given up on continuing the contest with Xu Xingchen or had already comprehended the power after his advancement and calmed down.

Like birds returning to their nests, the two stars traced an arc as they landed on two acupoints on his shoulders and disappeared.

Duan Yanqing looked around at the wrecked furniture and floor, and watched the red dome that was slowly flying and swirling against the walls and ceiling.
He then withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Xu Xingchen, who was sitting unharmed on a bench in the corner, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

A hoarse ventriloquism echoed in the empty room: "Master Xu, I'm sorry for damaging this room like this."

Xu Xingchen waved his hand with a smile: "It's alright! It's alright! Being able to witness Mr. Duan's advancement to the Heavenly Realm is a joyous occasion!"

As he spoke, the several-foot-long red ribbon fluttered and danced like a dragon, swirling and circling before rushing into Xu Xingchen's body and disappearing.

Duan Yanqing said gratefully, "If it weren't for Master Xu's guidance, I wouldn't have been able to break through to the Heavenly Realm. I thank Master Xu here, and I will go through fire and water for you if you ever need my help."

Xu Xingchen nodded, his expression turning serious, and said, "I originally intended to pass on the Six Meridians Divine Sword of your Dali Duan Clan to you, but now that you have advanced to the Heavenly Realm, this matter will be put on hold for the time being."

A strange look flashed in Duan Yanqing's eyes. After pondering for a while, he seemed to realize something: "Master Xu said earlier that he wanted to discuss something with me. He must need to use my martial arts skills. He needs to concentrate all his energy and not be distracted by anything else. That's why he postponed teaching me the Six Meridians Divine Sword. I wonder if my guess is correct?"

Xu Xingchen clapped his hands and praised, "Mr. Duan is indeed thoughtful and wise; he guessed my thoughts in an instant."

Duan Yanqing said frankly, "Please give your instructions, Master Xu!"

Xu Xingchen jumped off the stool and said, "Although my matter is urgent, it's not something that can be rushed."

"Mr. Duan has just broken through to the highest realm of martial arts. The most important thing now is to get a good night's rest and then spend a few days familiarizing himself with his newfound power."

"As for my matter, I'll explain it later."

Having said that, he turned and took his leave.

Duan Yanqing watched Xu Xingchen's figure disappear outside the door, his eyes flickered a few times, and finally a hint of joy welled up in his eyes.

Xu Xingchen returned to her room, sat cross-legged on the bed, calmed her mind, and began her evening studies.

Silent all night.

The next morning, when Xu Xingchen was doing her morning exercise in the courtyard, she saw Duan Yanqing also flying out, leaning on a thin iron staff.

Yes, it can fly out!
In the past, Duan Yanqing used two thin iron canes to walk instead of his legs.

Today, although Duan Yanqing still uses a thin iron staff instead of his legs, every time he lightly taps the ground with the staff, his body will float forward a long distance.

During the drift, his body moved smoothly and steadily, as if gliding on the water.

Clearly, after Duan Yanqing cultivated to the Heavenly Realm, the first skill he mastered was not the One-Finger Divine Skill that transformed into two stars, but the Flying Technique that allowed him to control his qi and fly.

Duan Yanqing had been unable to walk for a long time due to his legs being unable to support him.

Being able to fly today must be one of his greatest wishes.

Xu Xingchen exchanged a few pleasantries with him, and then they parted ways to practice their respective martial arts.

Xu Xingchen's movements were gentle and graceful, sometimes effortless and sometimes seemingly effortless. Within a small space, she displayed a variety of wondrous changes, yet not a single sound was uttered.

Duan Yanqing was pondering the secrets of flying by controlling his qi. Each time he lightly touched the ground with his thin iron staff, his body would float forward, or go straight up, or hover and fly.

After finishing his morning exercise and having lunch, Xu Xingchen didn't disturb Duan Yanqing as he continued to ponder and practice his new power.

He went straight to Wu Yazi's room and told Wu Yazi and Wu Xingyun the "good news".

The two were delighted by Duan Yanqing's timely breakthrough, but also astonished by the incredible fact that Xu Xingchen could actually lend a helping hand.

Xu Xingchen humbly replied, "I just stumbled upon this by sheer luck; what I said just happened to be useful to him."

Afterwards, the three of them began to check and fill in any gaps in the perfected technique, trying their best to ensure that nothing was wrong.

On his way back that evening, he ran into Duan Yu.

Xu Xingchen told him the good news that Duan Yanqing had broken through to the Heavenly Realm.

Duan Yu's expression was extremely complicated, showing both a hint of joy and a touch of resentment as he looked at Xu Xingchen.

Xu Xingchen chuckled, pretending not to see it.

He wouldn't care how this "father and son" got along; the Duan family had complicated affairs, and even an upright official couldn't settle family disputes.
Forcibly intervening is a waste of effort and yields no benefit!

The next few days.

Xu Xingchen did not disturb Duan Yanqing's cultivation.

Half a month later, Duan Yanqing arrived, his figure ethereal and ghostly, searching for Xu Xingchen.

“Master Xu, I am now familiar with the newly added power. We can discuss that matter now.”

Hearing the other person's hoarse ventriloquism, Xu Xingchen nodded gently and said, "That's good!"

"I have been working with two masters from the Free and Unfettered Sect to develop new martial arts techniques these past few days. I'm sure Mr. Duan is aware of this."

Duan Yanqing nodded with a solemn expression.

These days, he has watched Xu Xingchen grow from a seven or eight-year-old child, a year older each day, into a young man in a miraculous process; therefore, he is very curious about the rejuvenation technique that the person in front of him and the two masters of the Xiaoyao Sect have been researching.

However, he was self-aware enough to know that such an incredible, almost divine, skill was something that an outsider like him could not possibly covet.

Even though he was the most evil person in the world, he still had no right or dared to make a move on Xu Xingchen.

The more time he spent with Xu Xingchen, the more he could sense the terrifying, unfathomable power emanating from this seemingly gentle and refined young man.

Hearing the young man before him bring up the matter of him and two masters from the Xiaoyao Sect creating the martial arts technique, Duan Yanqing praised in a hoarse voice, "Master Xu and the two masters from the Xiaoyao Sect possess unparalleled martial arts skills and extraordinary wisdom, far beyond the comprehension of a mere mortal like myself."

"Mr. Duan is too modest," Xu Xingchen said with a smile, then his expression turned serious as he said earnestly, "The two seniors and I have recently developed a healing manual and would like to find someone to help us test it out."

"I wonder if Mr. Duan would be willing to give it a try?"

(End of this chapter)