Mortal: Fifteenth Realm Sword Cultivator

Chapter 243 How to Establish a Foundation?

Be careful.

Bai Haozhi held his sword with both hands and casually glanced at Lin Xuan beside him.

The implication is quite clear.

Of course, we should win.

However, one must consider the other party's feelings and act with propriety to avoid damaging the harmony between the two groups.

Lin Xuan is one of the newly recruited disciples of the Ancient Sword Sect, and he has already gained some understanding of the "Tai Bai Sword Manual".

Don't underestimate the meaning of these four words, "a glimpse into the basics".

The Taibai Sword Manual, one of the core cultivation techniques of the Ancient Sword Sect, is divided into twelve levels. Upon reaching perfection, one can attain the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Being able to glimpse the basics means that he has now entered the fifth level of cultivation.

When he breaks through the sixth barrier, it will be the time for him to complete his foundation building and attempt to condense his core.

Lu Jianghe remained silent throughout, only turning his gaze to Lü Luo beside him.

Regardless, Fire Dragon Child could make the suggestion, but as a disciple of the Falling Cloud Sect, whether he agreed or not ultimately depended on Lü Luo's approval.

It was just a friendly sparring match between disciples; it wasn't a big deal.

Lu Luo thought to himself, if he disagreed, wouldn't this lousy chess player accuse him of being stingy?

"Fine, let's give it a try."

He didn't actually have high hopes.

He knew the general level of the disciples of the Luoyun Sect all too well.

The sect's internal cultivation methods are mostly focused on nurturing spiritual energy and consolidating the foundation, emphasizing steady progress rather than being known for their ruthless and aggressive nature.

In addition, the sect has relatively lenient requirements for accepting disciples, and the disciples' cultivation techniques are complex, so he has a good idea of ​​their true combat strength.

Making it into the top ten from a single peak is certainly impressive, but when facing elite disciples from the Ancient Sword Sect, who specialize in swordsmanship and are selected from among hundreds, the outcome is almost self-evident.

Lu Luo shook his head inwardly, hoping that the scene wouldn't be too ugly.

Don't let him be just a show-off who's all show and no substance, all bravado in internal strife but crumbles instantly when faced with a strong opponent from another sect, making him nothing more than a laughingstock.

He would lose all face.

Subsequently, Lu Luo did not summon any magical artifacts; he simply raised his hand casually, his fingertips emitting no dazzling spiritual light, only a wisp of light...

The Taoist charm spread silently like wisps of smoke.

The surrounding spiritual energy seemed to be gently stirred by an invisible hand, flowing slowly and quietly around the ferry deck.

He loosely gathered his five fingers, seemingly picking them up but not quite; with just this simple clasp, the hand seal was formed.

The void trembled slightly.

The invisible spiritual energy arises and perishes on its own, crisscrossing in the air, spreading silently like faint blue mist, taking root wherever it lands.

Layers of latitude and longitude are laid out in an instant, making it easy to create a transparent, glass-like barrier on the ferry.

Thin as morning mist, clear and bright, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

The entire process was as smooth and effortless as flowing water, without the slightest trace of artifice.

It was merely something a Nascent Soul cultivator did casually.

Although the two figures had not yet stepped inside, the surrounding disciples of the Luoyun Sect were already murmuring amongst themselves.

"Do you think Senior Brother Lu can win this match?"

"In my opinion, it would be quite an achievement to last more than ten rounds."

"If Senior Brother Lu wins, I will go and confess my feelings to him."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm serious."

In most people's view, it would be best if the fight could drag on until both sides were exhausted and ended in a draw.

Or rather, subconsciously.

I don't expect to win at all, I just hope I won't lose too badly.

Song Yu stood still as a bamboo, not missing a single word of the whispers around him.

Her gaze remained fixed, but she glanced sideways at the group of female disciples from Baifeng Peak who were huddled together and whispering and laughing not far away.

"Should I personally act as matchmaker for you two?"

Upon hearing this, the female disciples of Baifeng Peak, who had been laughing and joking, immediately fell silent, bowing their heads respectfully to the side, not daring to utter another word.

The two stepped into the barrier together.

Lin Xuan of the Ancient Sword Sect simply assumed a starting stance, without even activating his protective aura, and quietly looked at his opponent, nodding slightly.

The meaning is quite obvious.

I'll let you make the first move.

Upon seeing this, Lu Jianghe chuckled softly.

In an instant, the figure moved.

The ordinary magical weapon longsword in his hand suddenly drew a clear, bright streak, and he immediately launched a straight thrust.

There was no deliberate holding back, nor was it an all-out effort; it was simply a natural flow, like a stream rushing into a ravine.

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed suddenly.

He was about to raise his sword to parry when the tip of the sword was already at his chest.

With a sudden burst of force, he flew backward uncontrollably, crashing hard into the barrier behind him, causing the transparent light screen to dent deeply inward.

Before he could catch his breath, the figure in green robes vanished like a ghost, then attacked again from the side in a sharp arc.

This time, Lin Xuan dared not be careless. He quickly formed a sword incantation with his left hand, and a protective aura instantly rose up. With a flick of his right hand, he conjured seven or eight sword shadows that were both real and illusory, which swept outwards.

However, when the sword struck the barrier, it only stirred up ripples, like pebbles falling into water, which subsided in an instant.

Lu Jianghe's sword, however, had already silently pierced through the gaps in the sword shadows, aiming for a spot three inches from his throat.

Lin Xuan, as expected of a disciple carefully cultivated by the Ancient Sword Sect, possesses ample experience in combat.

Seeing this, he rapidly rotated his five fingers on his left hand, releasing spiritual energy between them. The longsword in his right hand trembled accordingly, and the sword shadows transformed from one to two, two to four, four to eight—in the blink of an eye, eight sword shadows interlocked, forming a tightly sealed, perfectly round sword formation that protected his vital points.

At the same time, he urged his thoughts, and the sword shadows that had been previously deflected suddenly surged upwards, merging and condensing in mid-air to transform into a dazzling light sword several meters long. With a whooshing sound, it pierced through the air above Lu Jianghe's head.

Unexpectedly, Lu Jianghe neither dodged nor avoided, but simply handed over the ordinary longsword in his hand.

The sword tip seemed to casually touch a spot in the circular formation, but with a soft "hiss," the seemingly tight sword formation cracked like glass and then crumbled into pieces.

Amidst the flying sword energy and spiritual light, Lu Jianghe didn't even raise his eyes. He simply lifted his left hand upwards, his five fingers loosely clenching, and he caught the light sword that was slashing down at his head with his bare hands.

The powerful sword energy clashed fiercely with the spiritual power, causing ripples to spread through the air, yet it failed to make him sway in the slightest.

The next moment, Lu Jianghe flicked his right hand and swung his longsword. The blade trembled slightly like a dragon's roar, and a sword aura shot out.

Lin Xuan was greatly shocked.

The attacks of these Luoyun Sect disciples were surprisingly fierce, and they only attacked without defending, which was completely different from the rumored style of Luoyun Sect disciples!

Having exchanged only a few blows, he was already being restrained at every turn; if he were forced back by this sword strike—

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, wanting to use a talisman, but then he thought that this was ultimately a swordsmanship sparring match. If he used something else, wouldn't that be equivalent to admitting that his swordsmanship was inferior and that he was at a disadvantage?

Holding the sword with one arm, he withstood a powerful blow from a giant sword technique, yet still had the strength to launch an attack.

This scene left the disciples of the six peaks of the Luoyun Sect speechless and dumbfounded.

Especially the several acquaintances from Tianquan Peak, including Zhou Yan, all had their mouths agape and stood there dumbfounded for a long time.

Zhou Yan muttered, "Holy crap—it seems Junior Brother Lu didn't go all out during the small competition within the peak."

With this kind of foundation, you're telling me this is a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

No one would believe it; it looked like a fake Core Formation cultivator no matter how you looked at it.

After saying those words, Song Yu's gaze never left the barrier.

Her originally aloof expression seemed to soften slightly.

Lu Luo and the Fire Dragon Boy were also watching the battle from the side.

Fire Dragon Boy put the black chess piece he was playing with into his sleeve, and with a push of his feet, he stood directly on the chair.

He even tiptoed to peek into the barrier; such casual and even slightly "childish" behavior could probably only be done by him.

"You took my Ancient Sword Sect's Taibai Sword Technique bare-handed. Old Lü, your disciples have a very solid foundation."

A hint of surprise flashed across Lu Luo's eyes.

In the eyes of these Nascent Soul cultivators, when low-level cultivators engage in combat, a situation where brute force clashes with skill overpowering brute force usually only occurs when there is a clear difference in cultivation level.

Lu Jianghe's actions may seem reckless, but in reality, they demonstrate an exquisite understanding of the flow of spiritual energy, the timing of actions, and even the judgment of the opponent's sword techniques.

Otherwise, without protective aura or magical artifact to block, even the slightest deviation would result in being cleaved in two by the giant sword technique.

It should be noted that during the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, when various supernatural powers and techniques have not yet been developed, this "Greatsword Technique," which simplifies complexity, can be considered a common method for deciding the fate of the world with a single sword strike.

The fact that this disciple dared to receive the blow with one arm, even in a friendly sparring match where both sides were holding back, was enough to draw attention.

"Courage, temperament, and foundation are all top-notch qualities."

"I'll comment," Fire Dragon Boy remarked, then muttered something else.

"This approach just doesn't seem like something from your Falling Cloud Religion."

Lin Xuan let out a low shout, and his spiritual power surged wildly, forming three layers of fine, net-like sword light barriers in front of him.

Lu Jianghe's sword energy tore through the first layer of sword net as if it were hot oil, its speed almost unchanged, and it continued to penetrate the second and third layers.

Lin Xuan's expression finally changed, and he retreated rapidly. At the same time, his sword technique changed again. The scattered spiritual light had not completely dissipated. At this moment, guided by it, it re-condensed in mid-air into dozens of small flying swords about an inch long, which attacked Lu Jianghe from the side and rear like a swarm of bees.

Lu Jianghe drew a perfect arc with his right hand, wielding his longsword.

A dense gust of wind, like rain pattering on banana leaves, shattered dozens of illusory flying swords with a single strike, turning them into scattered spiritual light.

In that instant.

Lu Jianghe's left hand was still loosely supporting the blade of the huge lightsaber.

He originally intended to crush it directly, but then thought it would be too conspicuous, so he simply disassembled it instead.

Taking advantage of this gap, Lin Xuan quickly widened his distance.

Within this small, enclosed space, he felt increasingly frustrated as the fight progressed, finding his movements extremely restricted.

If the venue were open, allowing one to truly unleash spiritual power to transform into swords and launch wide-ranging attacks, one wouldn't be fighting so restrained.

Seeing him step back, Lu Jianghe did not continue to press him.

The entire exchange consisted of only a dozen or so moves, which was obvious to anyone with eyes to see.

Lin Xuan's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. After standing still, his mind raced. If he continued to argue, it would only make him look more humiliated, so he decided to speak directly.

"I lost."

Outside the barrier, there was a brief silence, followed by a suppressed murmur.

The disciples of Luoyun Sect looked at each other, most of them with expressions of disbelief.

Although they could see that Lin Xuan was being suppressed, they did not expect that this disciple of the Ancient Sword Sect would admit defeat so readily.

Zhou Yan swallowed hard.

The female disciples who had been discussing Bai Fengfeng earlier now had their eyes shining.

Lu Luo turned his head to look at the Fire Dragon Boy beside him. He had already sat back down in his chair, his eyes fixed on Lu Jianghe, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

"How is it, Brother Lan? Is it to your liking?"

Fire Dragon Boy clicked his tongue: "Tsk, the sword path seems random, but it is actually as graceful as a gazelle hanging its horns. It is all killing techniques honed in actual combat, and it is very simple."

The barrier was removed by Lu Luo's wave of his hand.

"As long as it's pleasing to the eye, that's fine."

Lin Xuan, with a complex expression, walked up to the Fire Dragon Child and bowed, saying, "Grandmaster, your disciple—"

Fire Dragon Boy waved his hand, interrupting his apology.

"You didn't lose unjustly. His swordsmanship is more experienced than yours, and his grasp of the situation is more precise. You lost because of a lack of experience and adaptability. Go back and repeatedly study the details of today's exchange; you will surely learn something."

"Yes."

Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully stepped aside.

Bai Haozhi maintained his aloof demeanor, showing no interest in commenting on the competition.

They didn't care about winning or losing.

After all, which sect doesn't have one or two outstanding disciples?

A temporary victory or defeat doesn't matter.

Fire Dragon Boy was clearly still not satisfied and turned to look at Bai Hao beside him.

Before he could even speak, Lü Luo quickly interrupted, waving his hand and saying, "Alright, alright, Brother Lan, that's about enough."

Fire Dragon Boy then abandoned his original idea, made a fist with one hand and rested it on his chin, muttering something under his breath.

"How long do I need to wait until the Foundation Establishment stage?"

His tone was regretful, as if he had seen a piece of exquisite but uncarved jade, but it was too small and did not meet the specifications of the "scabbard" in his mind.

Lu Luo understood the implication in his words perfectly. He shook his head and smiled, "Brother Lan, cultivation level is ultimately a matter of gradual progress and is related to talent. It can't be rushed. It's already quite remarkable that this child has been able to hone his swordsmanship to such a high level during the Foundation Establishment stage."

Fire Dragon Boy nodded upon hearing this, then asked, "Why didn't Old Cheng come with you?"

Lu Luo said, "Originally, we planned to come together, but these are turbulent times, and we need to leave one of us to oversee the sect, so I came alone this time."

Fire Dragon Boy said, "Besides me, Senior Brother Golden Martial has also come to this competition."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the Fire Dragon Child, not lingering any longer, led Bai Haozhi and Lin Xuan away, his figure transforming into a...

A streak of fiery red rainbow, like a shooting star trailing a long, fiery tail, vanished into the distance in an instant.

Just a moment.

A scorching heat spread out, causing the air on the ferry to distort slightly.

However, with a casual flick of his sleeve, a cool, refreshing sensation spread silently, dispelling the lingering heat.

He took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, and with a wave of his hand, it floated to Lu Jianghe's front.

"You did a good job this time, bringing honor to our Luoyun Sect. This bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills will be very beneficial for strengthening the foundation and increasing spiritual power. Please accept it."

Lu Jianghe didn't stand on ceremony, reached out to receive it, and bowed.

Lu Luo nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Lu Jianghe for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just waved his hand.

"Your foundation is solid. I hope you will continue to study diligently and without slackening. Now go down."