Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 385 - 345 Sword Intent Takes Shape, Mingyue on the Sea

Chapter 385: Chapter 345 Sword Intent Takes Shape, Mingyue on the Sea

Zhou Ping’an entered the Subduing Demon Order’s Trial Illusion Realm twice.

The first time, he acquired the usage of the Shield and Spear Technique as well as the Intricate Talent, which was a gift from He Sifang.

The Shield and Spear Secret Technique was nothing too remarkable, even if it were more refined, it couldn’t surpass the Wave Subduing Blade Technique or the Canghai Sword Codex. This remained true even though it incorporated a trace of the mysteries of the wind.

However, He Sifang’s experience and insights into the intricate control of the body and martial techniques were invaluable.

It was as if something came out of nothing, directly bestowed upon him, granting Zhou Ping’an this innate secret technique.

In comparison, "A Stone’s Throw, Worlds Away," the movement technique he picked up from Fang Sheng, a disciple of the Penglai Immortal Sect, was an unexpected delight.

The first trial’s gains were substantial.

But in essence, they all came from "companions."

They couldn’t be considered too profound.

The second trial’s rewards were even more tremendous.

He not only benefited from the illumination of the Heavenly Wisdom Divine Light, which further enhanced his Intricate Talent to a state of Heart-mind Clarity, significantly boosting his combat power,

but he also obtained the inheritance of an unknown rank Body Refinement Technique.

Zhou Ping’an had a feeling that if he could master this Starlight Body Refining Technique and transform all his bones into Starry Bone, it was very likely that at the Mortal Rank Nine Refinements level, he wouldn’t be able to find an opponent.

Magistrate Zhou once said that nowadays, as the Spiritual Mechanism is in recession, in the midst of a resurgence, it is still far from its heyday.

In other words, this meant that Spiritual Energy, a high-end energy, is actually very hard to come by.

No matter what martial arts secret textbooks are used for cultivation, it’s currently impossible to utilize and control Spiritual Energy and therefore, cannot reach the extremely formidable state of Ancient Times.

But in fact, she still overlooked something.

This world does not only have Spiritual Energy that can transcend the ordinary and enable one to break through Mortal Rank.

Zhou Ping’an suspected.

That the starlight above this sky might also belong to this type of energy.

The reason why no one has used it is not that people do not want to refine and utilize it, but rather, they have not found the method and knack for it.

Or perhaps, the strength of the body cannot support this Starlight Body Refinement.

This was where the real value of the Nine Sons Subdue Demon Order lay.

It not only held the most precious inheritance, but it also pointed out a practically feasible path.

As long as one is not a fool and possesses enough wisdom and ability, step by step through the trials, eventually, one would touch upon the core inheritance and reach a state of Divine Clarity.

’If I consider the Nine Sons Subdue Demon Order with the mindset of playing a game, this should be considered finding a hidden profession, as well as an extra boost to combat power.’

’Under such circumstances, even if Third Miss’s comprehension of martial techniques is strong, how could it possibly surpass my meticulous application of martial techniques.

It’s not on the same level, no wonder she’s disheartened.’

Just then, Little Jiu’er added fuel to the fire, exaggerating the story.

The little one clapped her hands and jumped up, her face flushed with excitement, "Brother Ping’an is the most amazing, he barely put in any effort and defeated Sister and Sister Qing, I want to learn the martial arts to defeat Sister too."

"Aren’t you learning? Your sister has already taught you; in fact, I’m using the exact same sword technique."

Zhou Ping’an was somewhat helpless; children are like that, always envying the bigger mountains and eager to learn something powerful and new.

But when it really comes to learning, she fears hardship and gets tired, her enthusiasm lasting but three minutes.

"The same? Then I’ll learn from you, Sister’s teaching isn’t working, I can’t beat you."

Children speak without a filter.

It’s especially heartbreaking...

With Little Jiu’er’s nonsense, Lin Huaiyu’s neck even turned slightly red, she had the urge to scold her little sister but was somewhat reluctant to do so.

What mattered most was she didn’t want Zhou Ping’an to think she was reacting out of embarrassment or couldn’t accept defeat gracefully.

You see, if she couldn’t even compete in strength, now she couldn’t even match his techniques; the gap was growing bigger and bigger. However, she had also progressed during this time.

It could be considered a way to salvage some image.

"Brother Zhou, I have a technique, never before revealed, and I would like you to assess it," she said.

Well, well...

Zhou Ping’an was most curious upon hearing this.

The Third Miss had been suppressing her frustration, secretly training with zealous dedication, to an extent he could never match.

Being thoroughly defeated in terms of techniques, she now had the confidence to ask him for an appraisal, which suggested that the technique she was hiding might be somewhat special.

"This technique I developed actually owes much to Brother Zhou’s guidance that day. Without the inspiration, I could never have grasped its essence. You deserve some credit for this..."

"When this technique took shape, it was while observing the reflection of the moon on the lake’s surface at night. Hence, I’ve named it ’Ocean Moonrise.’"

As she said this, all traces of despondency and frustration vanished from Lin Huaiyu’s face.

Her eyes shone brightly like the clear moon in the sky.

Amidst the sound of a sword’s chant.

The slashing rain and slanted wind around them all froze in place, and the scene before them seemed to come to a halt at the moment she brandished her sword.

It looked as though the sword didn’t move.

In reality, deep within Zhou Ping’an’s heart, he already sensed a sword like a crescent moon, slantingly cutting towards his shoulder.

It couldn’t even be called a cut.

And it emerged.

The bright moon was not only in the sky but also reflected in the water.

At this moment, the sword light from the Third Miss appeared as if no blade was drawn, but in reality, it had already silently struck her own body.

The crescent moon in front of her eyes was still lingering in her sight, yet the sword light, with hardly a trace of murderous intent, had already returned to its sheath.

"Brother Zhou, what do you think of this strike?"

Lin Huaiyu asked seriously, but she herself hadn’t noticed that her tender lips had unconsciously curved up slightly.

"Sword Intent, you’ve actually grasped Sword Intent ahead of time."

This time, Zhou Ping’an was truly startled.

Lin Huaiyu did not have the Nine Sons Subdue Demon Order or anything of the sort.

Her secluded cultivation of the Sword Technique was truly a matter of chopping, one strike after another.

From morning to night, from spring to fall.

It was an accumulation, bit by bit.

As for the power of this strike.

It was clear from the expressions of Qingyang and Little Jiu, who were quietly watching.

Little Jiu was just looking on for fun.

Upon seeing that crescent moon, spellbinding in its beauty, she was still staring absently.

And Qingyang, with her mouth slightly open, her eyes revealing a plethora of emotions.

There was loss, admiration, surprise, and acceptance.

The moment she saw that crescent moon appear, she even felt that before her mind could react, Lin Huaiyu had already drawn and sheathed her sword.

Projecting herself into the shoes of Lin Huaiyu’s enemy, she realized that if it was her facing that strike, she might not have had any chance to react before being captivated by the moonlight and struck without any knowledge of it.

’Originally, my cultivation and martial prowess were comparable to hers, but now, have I been left this far behind?’

If she could console herself that Zhou Ping’an, who had surged ahead, was a rare genius, a once-in-a-century freak of nature.

But Lin Huaiyu, a female companion younger than herself by a year or two, had also left her far behind in an extremely short period. That was somewhat hard to accept.

Practicing True Qi but not yet having completed the Grand Circulation, she had already grasped Martial Intent.

This was akin to breaking through the barrier from Mortal Rank Seventh Refinement to Ninth Refinement ahead of time. As long as she could accumulate True Qi quickly enough, she could soar to great heights in a single step.

And herself? Now she is stuck, unable to break through the last few acupoints, no matter what she did. Even with an ample supply of Yellow Sprout Pills, she still needed to spend a lot of time refining and clearing her meridians.

This gap really crushed one’s spirit.

Thinking this, Qingyang felt slightly downtrodden but showed none of it on her face. Instead, she sincerely praised, "Miss Huaiyu has an extraordinary understanding, having grasped Sword Intent so early. It’s truly a joyous occasion."

"It’s just luck. Without having cultivated Gang Qi, this Martial Intent is just for show and not very effective against Brother Zhou," Lin Huaiyu said modestly.

She was telling the truth, but it was precisely this truth that made others feel more defeated.

Even this showy technique, I cannot handle.

Could I really be that bad?

Qingyang forced a smile with difficulty, made some conversation, then excused herself and returned to Washing Flowers Pavilion.

She rarely came back here, but because Xiao Ju had suffered a great psychological trauma, and although her physical injuries had healed, she had not recovered psychologically. Qingyang thought of checking on her.

"Miss, Magistrate Zhou has already helped me regulate my condition. The injury has healed, you don’t need to worry. Oh, a message came from No. 7 Ding in Yunhu County, saying that the Saintess Yunling dispatched Ran Sifei with twenty thousand troops to raid the county town, breaching it overnight..."

"This is a message that has just been received."

Qingyang took the paper and carefully read it for a while, her brows furrowed tightly, "They’ve split their forces, splitting into three routes, one attacking Yunhu, another striking Qingyang in a sneak attack, while the Holy Maiden stays put in East Mountain, consolidating public sentiment and drilling troops. This doesn’t bode well."

She and Zhou Ping’an and the rest had previously analyzed the Red Lotus Army’s movements.

Several hypotheses had been made. If the East Mountain County could raise a large army and push toward Yunzhou with the momentum of sweeping along the civilians, then Qingyang City wouldn’t be in much danger.

Because that would mean the Red Lotus Army’s primary focus was on attacking cities and seizing land, looting as they went without pausing.

When faced with a tough nut to crack, they would likely bypass it, most probably preserving their own strength.

Having gone through the beheading operation led by Sub-rudder Master Fang Buping and the stealthy city-taking actions of Granny Yan and the Scattered Flower Celestial Maiden, Qingyang City had proven itself to be a big, tough nut to crack.

From a strategic perspective.

This type of tough nut, tasteless to eat but a pity to discard, is not worth the effort to attack forcefully.

But the current situation was different.

The Saintess Yunling did not marshal her forces northward to expand territory; instead, she sent only a minor detachment, while the main force remained behind, taking one place and cultivating it.

This was somewhat baffling.

"Has the Saintess Yunling changed her strategy, intending to start from winning the people’s hearts? Has she reacquired the transmission of divine skills within the sect?"

Qingyang knew that the Fiery Flame Messenger had previously brought the "Karma Fire Red Lotus" lineage from the main rudder, which then went missing.

She now roughly guessed whose hands the lost artefact ended up in.

Although she never asked about it, this matter was always hidden deep in her heart.

But some things can’t be kept from those close to you for long, some signs are just too obvious.