Daqin Zhentiansi

Zhang Yuan looked up, his fingers twitching slightly.

A dark, black iron token silently slid into his palm, bearing the ancient character "河" (river) and a sword mark resembling a surging wave.

"By order of my elders, I have come to become a disciple of Senior Li Mubai."

The certificate was given by Elder Li Mubai of the Great River Sword Sect.

The moment the token was revealed, the pupils of the two Great River Sword Sect disciples guarding the mountain gate suddenly contracted to pinpoints!

They stared at the token, their faces filled with disbelief and awe, their voices even trembling slightly: "This, this is Uncle Mu Bai's, disciple's token?!"

The two exchanged a glance and quickly bowed to make way.

"Your Excellency, please follow me!"

Passing through layers of halls shrouded in spiritual mist, Zhang Yuan was led to the core area of ​​the sect—the Wave-Treading Plain.

This is a platform paved with huge bluestones and surrounded by flowing water.

The ground is shrouded in mist, with a natural sword intent resembling flowing water ripples, making it the place where disciples practice martial arts and comprehend swordsmanship daily.

At this moment, dozens of disciples dressed in dark blue robes embroidered with wave patterns were gathered in twos and threes, some meditating on swordsmanship, others exchanging insights.

Zhang Yuan's appearance, especially the way the mountain-guarding disciples carefully led him, an "outsider," straight towards the Hall of Affairs, immediately drew everyone's attention.

A young man raised his hand and beckoned, and the disciples guarding the mountain quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words to him.

The young man's eyes gleamed as he looked at Zhang Yuan.

"Hmm? Breaking Illusion Realm? Becoming a disciple of Uncle-Master Mu Bai?"

"Tch," a disciple with an arrogant expression, carrying a spirit sword, let out a clear sneer, his eyes sweeping contemptuously over Zhang Yuan, "A mere newly-entered Grandmaster, could he be some gilded trash sent by some family, who just got lucky?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a young man in black robes who had been meditating with his eyes closed by a stone table next to him slowly opened his eyes.

This person carried a broad-bladed heavy sword and three long swords of different shapes, flowing like water waves. His aura was as deep and stagnant as a deep pool, indicating that he had already reached the peak of the third realm of the Grandmaster!

He is Ling Hao, one of the most outstanding young talents of the Great River Sword Sect.

Ling Hao's gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto the black iron token in Zhang Yuan's hand. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a glint of shrewdness and doubt flashed in his eyes.

He didn't speak, but his silent scrutiny was more piercing than any cold words.

A buzz of whispers began to rise from the crowd.

"Uncle Mu Bai has been traveling for many years, and he has actually taken on a disciple under a pseudonym?"

"Never heard of him before, his origins are unknown..."

"Hmph, judging from his unassuming demeanor, could he be a pawn planted by the Qin Dynasty?"

"That's right, in recent years, Yongtian Continent has been increasingly interfering in the affairs of us immortals."

These words were spoken very quickly and in a very low voice, yet they pierced Zhang Yuan's backside with the precision of a poisoned needle, carrying a strong sense of suspicion and rejection.

Zhang Yuan didn't care at all and followed the disciple who was leading the way to see Li Mubai.

Li Mubai was very polite to Zhang Yuan.

To be honest, when it comes to the pure realm and potential of sword intent, Li Mubai could feel how similar Zhang Yuan's hidden sharpness was to his own back then, and even surpassed it.

As for the ruthless demeanor and macro-level control honed on the battlefield, these are qualities he lacks.

It must be admitted that the soil of the Qin Dynasty could nurture such a genius.

"Qingyang, you come to my Great River Sword Sect with the foundation of the sword path, seeking 'integration' rather than 'abandonment'. In that case, you may take and read the inheritance within the Great River Sword Domain."

"The sword intent flows through the great river, and also through the sea. If one day you can transform the soul of your sword into the waves here, that will be the best gift to the Great River Sword Way."

The Marquis of Qingyang, who was in charge of military affairs in the Great Qin Dynasty, personally came to the Great River Sword Sect and even cultivated under Li Mubai's tutelage.

For a powerful figure like Li Mubai who pursues the ultimate swordsmanship, this is not only a matter of goodwill, but also an excellent opportunity to observe the convergence of different paths and to verify his own great river.

"As you have hoped, when the sword spirit enters the waves, there will be a response," Zhang Yuan said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Li Mubai nodded, watching Zhang Yuan walk out led by the disciple in charge.

Since Zhang Yuan stayed at the Great River Sword Sect, he naturally had to receive the disciple's robes and sword.

The Great River Sword Sect.

Deacon Hall.

Stepping into the ancient and solemn deacon's hall, a damp, woody scent wafts towards you.

The steward presiding over the hall was a middle-aged cultivator at the Cave Profound Realm. He glanced at Zhang Yuan, and when his gaze swept over the black iron token imprinted with waves, a trace of solemnity finally appeared on his usually calm face.

"Disciple's robe, identity token, and the basic precepts of the Great River Sword Sect."

The steward's voice was flat, and with a flick of his finger, a neatly folded black disciple's robe with silver wave patterns embroidered on the cuffs flew towards Zhang Yuan.

Then, he pointed to a weapon rack on the side of the hall, filled with all kinds of longswords, some light and agile, some heavy and heavy. “In the Great River, the sword is revered. New disciples may choose any suitable spirit sword from this rack, drip blood to brand it, and use it for self-defense and practice.”

The sharp and profound sword energy emanated from the sword rack, shimmering with light, clearly indicating that they were all low-grade and mid-grade spirit swords of considerable quality.

However, Zhang Yuan caught the disciple's robe, without even glancing at the rack full of gleaming swords, and calmly spoke, his voice not loud, but each word clear: "I do not use a sword."

The deacon's hall fell into a deathly silence!
Even the air seemed to freeze.

The deacon's finger, which was about to point at a longsword, froze in mid-air. For the first time, a crack appeared on his flat expression, which shifted from surprise to astonishment, and finally to incomprehensible stiffness.

The Great River Sword Sect refuses to use a sword?!
This is probably the first time in nearly a thousand years!
"What did you say?" The deacon almost thought he had misheard.

“I am skilled with a knife,” Zhang Yuan repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The deacon's lips twitched, and the solemnity in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a hint of displeasure and absurdity.

He took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing his anger, and finally flung his sleeve: "Hmph! Absurd! The Great River Sword Sect, how could there be a disciple refusing to wield a sword? It's unheard of!"

But because of the token, he couldn't just kick the person out.

His gaze swept around the hall with a somber expression, finally settling on a dusty stone stool in the corner.

There lay a huge, black, heavy, blunt weapon, almost integrated with the stone block, shaped like a door panel, with a broken end, seemingly part of some heavy weapon.

"This is 'Broken Waves'!" the steward said coldly, waving his hand to grab the weapon in mid-air and slamming it heavily onto the ground in front of Zhang Yuan with a dull thud.

"This object is of unknown origin, weighs over ten thousand jin, is dull and clumsy, neither sword nor knife, and has almost no spiritual power! It is an old item from the warehouse! Since you insist on not using a spirit sword, then use this as a substitute! Use it as a knife!"

The last three words carried a strong sense of sarcasm.

This "Broken Wave" was exceptionally heavy, difficult for anyone without divine power to wield, and it lacked any sword spirit. In the steward's view, giving it to Zhang Yuan was purely an insult and a perfunctory gesture.

Zhang Yuan's eyes were indifferent, and he did not care about the steward's attitude.

His gaze swept over the dark and heavy "broken wave," but instead of reaching out to catch it, he grabbed it from the air!
"Om-!"

An invisible, immense force suddenly appeared and firmly grasped the heavy weapon!
Under the steward's bewildered gaze, Zhang Yuan casually gripped the rough, broken handle with one hand, and seemingly casually flicked his wrist!
"BOOM—!!!"

A terrifying gale instantly exploded outwards from Zhang Yuan!
That wasn't a delicate sword wind, but a pure, domineering, and savage power storm!
The raging air currents, like a real tornado, crashed violently outwards with a muffled roar!
The incredibly hard bluestone ground of the Wave-Treading Platform cracked open with a "crack" under his feet, instantly spreading out a dense network of deep cracks!
The storm subsides.

Zhang Yuan lifted the door-like "Broken Wave" weapon with one hand as if it were a straw.

He briefly sensed the heavy, substantial feel of the weight in his hand, nodded slightly, and uttered two comments: "Not bad, quite heavy." The deacon's pupils dilated in shock, and he stood frozen in place.

Ling Hao, who had been closely watching from beside the stone table, suddenly changed his apprehension into seriousness, even revealing a hint of fear that he himself was unaware of.

The disciples who had previously mocked him were now involuntarily horrified and took several steps back, staring at the spiderweb-like cracks in the ground as if they had seen the footprints of some ferocious beast.

The room was deathly silent.

For the next three days, Zhang Yuan did not rush to show off his martial arts skills or chat with others, but instead went straight into the Canglang Pavilion, which had a profound heritage of the Great River Sword Sect.

The space, filled with a vast array of jade slips, yellowed ancient scrolls, and water-rippled stone carvings, is permeated with moisture.

When ordinary disciples enter this place, they often need to concentrate their minds and slowly and respectfully select the water's essence that resonates with their own understanding to comprehend.

Zhang Yuan, however, kept walking.

The figure moved swiftly among the rows of bookshelves filled with rich water elemental energy.

Fingertips brushed across the thousands of waves that recorded the essence of the Great River Swordsmanship, as if stirring up flowing water.

Finally, he stopped in front of a huge, dark blue rock wall.

Natural watermarks meander along the wall, creating a misty atmosphere that seems to echo with the sound of waves.

Its core pattern is one of the top secrets of the Great River Sword Sect, the true meaning of the stone carving of the "Endless Sword Manual of Canglang".

This manual emphasizes a long and endless artistic conception, with sword techniques as undulating as ocean waves. Its cultivation is profound, and only those who have achieved a state of harmony with nature can truly grasp its essence.

Zhang Yuan stood still, his gaze calmly sweeping over the seemingly inexhaustible, ever-flowing water patterns on the stone wall.

The jade slip in front of the wall details the key methods for drawing water and transforming sword intent, each sentence seemingly containing whirlpools and undercurrents.

However, he read it all in a very short time!

Deep within his eyes, the phantom of the Golden Wheel of the Bright King Suppressing the World flashed by extremely subtly, using the power of the Soul Devouring Wheel to control and analyze the soul and traces of the Great Dao.

The flowing artistic conception, the method of water element resonance, and the essence of wave-transformation sword in "The Endless Canglang Sword Manual" are like an invisible torrent washing away the fog, instantly imprinting themselves on the sea of ​​the heart.

It had long been integrated into the foundation of his martial arts landscape, as if it had found a new surging river, naturally incorporating this vast sword intent into its magnificent structure!

The dragon and elephant guard the prison, and also the mountains and rivers!
The wise king governs the world, and even more so, he governs heaven and earth!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Standing before the rocky cliff, Zhang Yuan slowly raised his right hand, his palm clenched as if holding something invisible.

He did not activate any true essence or sword intent.

The palm merely traced a seemingly simple yet unpredictable path in the air with a slow but actually rapid motion, like guiding a trickle to the sea, or like a great river just beginning to flow.

At the end of the trajectory, the Qi faintly pointed to the "Dingyuan Stone Drum," a ten-thousand-year-old stone drum deep within the Canglang Pavilion, used to test the intensity of disciples' resonance with the concept of water.

"Om-!"

A deep, resonant roar, like the undercurrents of the deep sea!
The ancient stone drum, which was about ten feet in diameter and had a smooth, mirror-like surface that was difficult to damage with ordinary sword energy, suddenly trembled, dozens of feet away!

In the center, a clear dent appeared silently, about an inch deep!
Its edges are not smooth as if cut, but rather have natural textures from the erosion of the tides, and a powerful "water" feeling, heavy as the bottom of an abyss and long as a rushing river, is gathered in it and never stops!
"this?!"

Deep within Canglang Pavilion, an old Taoist priest on duty, seemingly blending into the surrounding moisture, suddenly opened his slightly narrowed eyes!
A sharp light shone brightly in the depths of his murky eyes, like a lighthouse suddenly piercing through the fog, locking onto the dent in the stone drum and Zhang Yuan's hand, which was loosely clenched and slowly lowered.

His lips moved silently, utterly shocked: "Three days! It actually caused the 'Dingyuan Stone Drum' to resonate, revealing the endless expanse of the Canglang River! Is this child's comprehension in sync with the sword intent?"

Zhang Yuan's unusual behavior at Canglang Pavilion attracted the attention of the elite disciples.

An atmosphere of defiance, probing, and competition quietly began to stir.

……

On the fourth day after entering the sect, dusk began to fall.

As Zhang Yuan was leaving Canglang Pavilion, a figure carrying three different-shaped, shimmering blue longswords blocked his path.

It was Ling Hao, who had been looking serious on the Wave-Treading Platform earlier.

He forced a smile, cupped his hands, and said, "Junior Brother Zhang has been deeply immersed in his studies these past few days, which is truly admirable. I, your senior brother, have specially prepared a 'welcome banquet' today to welcome you. I hope you will do me the honor of attending!"

"Since several fellow disciples are here, it would be good to learn a thing or two from my junior brother."

His words seemed warm, but in reality, he used his status as a fellow disciple to put Zhang Yuan in a difficult position.

Zhang Yuan's gaze swept over Ling Hao and the several disciples with considerable auras who appeared behind him, his eyes remaining calm and unwavering: "Lead the way."

----------------

Inside a secluded retreat nestled beside a waterfall, lights reflect on the shimmering water.

On the jade table were fine wines from the spring and rare delicacies from the waters.

Seven or eight elite disciples dressed in dark blue robes with wave patterns had already taken their seats.

The atmosphere seemed lively, but the moment Zhang Yuan stepped in, the sounds of the toasts seemed to freeze for a moment.

All eyes were on him, filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

After two rounds of drinks...

A burly man who had made sarcastic remarks at the Wave-Treading Platform suddenly stood up, holding a glass of wine, and walked towards Zhang Yuan with a smile: "Junior Brother Zhang, your comprehension is truly amazing!"

"However, once you join my Great River Sword Sect, you will ultimately have to focus on the word 'sword'."

"Come on, spar with your senior brother and show everyone what exquisite water swordsmanship your disciple, favored by Uncle Mu Bai, possesses!"

"Exactly, Junior Brother Zhang, show us your skills!"

"That's enough for now, just to liven things up!"

A chorus of agreement arose, their eyes burning with enthusiasm.

Before he finished speaking, the burly man's smile suddenly turned cold, and a flash of ferocity appeared in his eyes!
The jade cup in his hand shattered with a "crack," and a sword aura, as gentle as an undercurrent beneath the water yet concealing a violent tearing force, suddenly erupted!

"Ugh——!"

A dark, silent, and eerie sword light, swirling like a vortex in water, suddenly shot towards Zhang Yuan's vital points in the chest and abdomen as he flipped his palm and pushed forward!
Wherever the sword light passed, the air seemed to be drawn into an invisible vortex, becoming viscous and stagnant. This was his trump card, the insidious killing move "Reverse Vortex Hand"!
Even a peak-level Dongxuan Realm cultivator would find it difficult to withstand this mysterious sword aura head-on, let alone an early-stage Grandmaster Realm cultivator!

Between lightning and flint!

Zhang Yuan didn't even stand up.

He simply rested his right hand on the rough, broken hilt of the dark, heavy "Broken Wave" greatsword beside him, and with a slight outward thrust of his wrist that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye!
The next moment!
That heavy, black object, as large as a door panel, seemed to have been imbued with the soul of a vast body of water, and suddenly awakened!
It boldly met the challenge with an awkward yet domineering and undeniable trajectory!

There was no skillful parry, no surge of sword energy.

Only absolute, profound, and unparalleled – “block”!
Like a lone cliff facing a giant wave, like a pillar standing firm in the middle of the stream!
The enormous ruler broke through the yin-yang vortex of sword energy, producing a dull impact sound like a heavy hammer hitting a deep pool!

"Boom——!!!"

A deafening roar, like a muffled thunderclap from underwater!
The fierce expression on the burly man's face instantly twisted into horror and disbelief!

He felt as if the yin-yang sword energy he had unleashed with all his might had crashed into a pool of stagnant water that had been frozen for ten thousand years!

No, it's an endless mountain range that's even more terrifying than stagnant water!

All the vortex power was like mud oxen entering the sea, and the unstoppable force rebounded back. The protective qi between the chest and abdomen shattered like bubbles, and the internal organs were violently stirred into a mess by the force!
Before he could even utter a sound, his burly body was blasted away like a tattered sack by an irresistible force! (End of Chapter)