Chapter 592: Chapter 591: Wonderful Use of Controlling Sword with Qi Skill
"Indeed, he can run fast."
Observing the path Hall Master of Red Rock Altar took to escape, Shi Xiaole gently shook his head.
At the Lord Level, it’s challenging to defeat an opponent, let alone kill. In Xuanwu State, Shi Xiaole can kill his equals based on his sheer power. However, in Tian State, the difficulty somewhat escalated.
It wasn’t that his power had diminished, but his rivals had encountered more and had developed more tactics.
Take, for example, Hall Master of Red Rock Altar. The secret method he used to escape at the end was absolutely of top-tier standard. Otherwise, Shi Xiaole could have entirely worn him down using Undying Seven Illusions.
"Letting the enemy run isn’t wise. I have to plan a way to enhance my flying skill or lethal move. If a kill is due, then the kill must be made to avoid endless troubles," he thought.
Shi Xiaole succeeded in driving Hall Master of Red Rock Altar away today, but it was uncertain whether the latter would facilitate an even stronger individual against him. If every future enemy turns out to follow suit, Shi Xiaole might be worn down, or he might stumble unexpectedly.
"Having beaten the Hall Master of Red Rock Altar, who is this young man?"
"He looks quite unfamiliar, he must be an up-and-coming prodigy."
The travelers of the Martial World on the official road either yielded the way or discussed among themselves, gazing at the figure of Shi Xiaole fading into the distance. Apart from shock, they were also filled with gratitude. Had it not been for him, they would have all died there.
...
Tian State, Yundai Region.
Within some richly decorated grand hall, nine individuals sat upright.
The man at the head of the table donned a wolf-head mask, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table. The entire man seemed to hide in the fog, exuding a mystic aura.
The other eight people bowed their heads, among them being the Hall Master of Red Rock Altar who Shi Xiaole had chased away.
"Master, here is the portrait you requested."
Soon, a man in black walked in, holding a scroll in his hands.
"Hang it up."
The Wolf Head Man commanded.
The scroll was unfurled, and along with the other two portraits, was hung in the center of the hall. The man depicted in the drawing had perfect features and wore green clothing, looking strikingly similar to Shi Xiaole.
A keen observation revealed that the other two portraits depicted a man and a woman, both young. Despite being a drawing, each individual emitted a certain ineffable charm.
"Yundai area is indeed a breeding ground of talent. Besides Chu He and Bai Zhanmei, a new three-star prodigy has emerged," said the Wolf Head Man with a smile that wasn’t a smile. "Gentlemen, as you may have heard, the Northern Forest Division and Jin Lan Division have caught a three-star prodigy and have received commendation from the Hall Master. But our Yundai Division, over the recent years, hasn’t reaped any rewards."
He sounded cheerful, but the eight individuals remained tense.
Yundai’s Master was notoriously known as a smiling tiger, the more he smiles, the angrier he tends to be.
Unbeknownst to outsiders, the Three Talents Association had a unique system for evaluating talent.
Lord Limit Supremes in the Martial World are one in a million. But only those who become Supreme Lord Limit by the age of sixty qualify as a one-star talent.
If they achieve it within fifty years, they’re deemed two-star talent.
If they accomplish it within thirty-five years, they are considered three-star talent.
For instance, Yundai’s Twin Stars, Chu He and Bai Zhanmei, along with the recently emerged prodigy Shi Xiaole, are all three-star talents.
Four-star talents are even rarer compared to three-star talents. Many regions lack them entirely. Anyone who manages to catch one, regardless of their strength, can rise three ranks in the Three Talents Association and enjoy boundless glory.
Regarding five-star talents, the entire Flying Horse Dynasty only boasts four — the four dreadful prodigies that are said to draw ample attention from the upper echelons of the Association.
"Master, I believe we were impatient in the past. Our powers were too scattered. It might be better to adopt a divide and conquer approach. Concentrate our powers against one person, and after we capture him, we can shift our target," said one Hall Master, muster up the courage to speak up.
The others remained silent.
In fact, they had thought of this strategy long ago, but the problem was how to divide the credit after they joined forces?
Everyone wanted the lion’s share, so they individually waged their own battles, hoping to capture Chu He and the others by paying a small price. Little did they expect to end up suffering significant losses, resulting in heavy casualties.
They had been forced to admit that a prodigy was indeed a prodigy, one whose capabilities should not be measured through conventional wisdom.
Therefore, upon hearing this Hall Master’s words, several people, including the Hall Master of Red Rock Altar, voiced agreement voluntarily.
The Wolf Head Man smirked secretly.
In his view, whether one Hall Master caught a three-star prodigy or several Hall Masters worked together, the credit was the same. Therefore, these people’s suggestions were just what he wished for.
The truth was, the Wolf Head Man had planned for this long ago.
The problem was, he was also simply a Limit Supreme Lord. His strength may surpass the eight Hall Masters by a bit, but it wasn’t to the point of suppression. Commanding them forcefully earlier might have ended up being counterproductive. So, he had been waiting patiently.
These useless people only learn the hard way!
The Wolf Head Man sneered internally, but verbally said, "Since all the Hall Masters have decided to unite, I naturally approve wholeheartedly. Now, who do you believe we should target first?"
The Hall Master who initially suggested the plan pondered for a while before replying, "I believe among the three, Chu He is the most talented in martial arts and skilled at the Poisonous Skill. We should take him down first."
In a one-on-one situation, practitioners of the Poisonous Skill are undoubtedly more dangerous than other warriors.
Chu He is also acknowledged as the top talent in the Yundai Region. However, if several people team up, the potency of a Poisonous Skill practicer’s poison would get significantly diluted, resulting in the least threat.
Unlike Bai Zhenmei and Shi Xiaole, one was a blade-user and the other a swordsman, their battle would be hard to control once they got started.
No one else voiced objections. They had all suffered under Chu He’s hand and craved instant retaliation.
"Very well. Next, track Chu He’s movements in detail. The moment there’s any news, the eight of you depart at once. From his position, the Master wishes you success."
The Wolf Head Man laughed heartily.
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Master!"
The eight Hall Masters rose to their feet, their fists held together in salute.
...
Atop a remote mountain shrouded in mist, a figure was practicing his swordsmanship.
The sword’s aura moved from slow to fast. At one moment, with a swooshing sound, the figure and the sword suddenly flew into the mist, only to turn around and fly back, landing smoothly on the edge of a cliff.
The entire process took less than a blink of an eye. A hundred-meter long green sword mark hung in mid-air and persisted for a long time, as if it had penetrated the cloud layer.
"Still not fast enough."
Shi Xiaole furrowed his brows.
After leaving the Meditation Fast, he didn’t search for other medicinal herbs to improve his strength but chose a place for relentless training. After all, the stronger his capabilities, the safer he would be.
Besides, as his Heavenly Sword realm advanced to its later stages, his understanding of swordsmanship was increasing, making it the perfect time to create a new sword technique.
During this period, Shi Xiaole was integrating the Seven Style Wind Extreme Sword Technique, intending to create an absolute killing technique that combines both speed and strength. This would prevent his enemies of the same caliber from escaping again.
As for learning the Flying Skill, his current reward value was only 29,620 points, which was insufficient to purchase a set of top-tier Flying Skills, so he had no choice but to abandon the idea for now.
After a brief rest, Shi Xiaole continued his research.
Past insights and accumulated experiences flashed through his mind, transforming into an intangible source of inspiration. Every day, the clouds and the sun bore witness to Shi Xiaole’s lonely and devoted training.
After a month had passed in a blink of an eye.
That day.
The long sword in Shi Xiaole’s hand trembled inexplicably, as if it wanted to slip away. Like a blessing to his soul, instead of restraining it, he let it flow uncontrolled.
Boom!
The long sword thrust into the distance, piercing a hundred-meter-long passageway through the thick cloud layer. Like the dazzling light of a thunderbolt, it exhibited endless power.
With a wave of his hand, the long sword returned to his hand. Yet another thunderous roar echoed from behind, as the pierced passageway took a long time to slowly close, with Sword Qi rushing wildly inside, making a sharp and piercing noise.
Beneath the mountain, many woodcutters chopping wood together looked up in horror at the dazzling green light in the clouds, accompanied by the rumbling sound of thunder.
Strange, it was a clear day, so why was there thunder? Could it be a sign of divine punishment?
"I didn’t integrate the Wind Extreme Sword Technique, but unintentionally, I found a method to combine the Controlling Sword with Qi Skill and Wind True Intent."
Shi Xiaole looked incredulously at the sword in his hand.
Controlling Sword with Qi Skill, only a rare few swordsmen in the world could execute it. This technique has no method, one either knows it or doesn’t, it’s entirely a matter of chance.
Back in the Immortal Meeting of Xuanwu State’s Linjiang, Shi Xiaole had once revealed this skill, astonishing everyone.
However, to most people, Controlling Sword with Qi Skill was just a flashy show, and its actual killing power was not substantial. Although it was stunning, it couldn’t threaten a real expert.
But Shi Xiaole thought differently.
He had long realized that Controlling Sword with Qi Skill was like an unknown treasure chest, hiding many possibilities. Over the past few thousand years, the number of swordsmen who really grasped it could be counted on one hand. Thus, understanding its nature and power would naturally be extremely difficult.
Whether it was due to his strong mental power or innate affinity with sword arts, Shi Xiaole unexpectedly discovered a new use for Controlling Sword with Qi Skill in the midst of his strenuous training.
Combining it with True Intent and driving it with mental power.
Shi Xiaole closed his eyes and attempted it again.
Boom!
As thunders roared, the long sword had just been released and was already back in Shi Xiaole’s hand. Only a beam of green light, piercing heaven and earth and breaking through the rainbow, proved that it had flown out once.
"Impressive, even I am only half as confident in dodging this sword."
Shi Xiaole’s face was slightly pale, even he was shocked by its power.
He couldn’t claim to have superior reflexes compared to the Limit Supreme Lord, but he should be better than most people. If even he had only a fifty percent chance of avoiding it, one could imagine how it would be for others.
Recalling the speed of the Red Rock Altar Master when he utilized a secret technique to escape, and comparing it to the sword just now, Shi Xiaole concluded that this sword could kill the Red Rock Altar Master!
"Although it’s powerful, activating this sword seems to deplete my mental energy. Given my current level, I can only fire it in succession three times."
Controlling Sword with Qi Skill, in itself, consumes mental power. Overuse is harmful. However, on the bright side, as Shi Xiaole’s mental power increases, the power of this sword will definitely also grow, presenting limitless potential.
Apparently, Shi Xiaole intended to use this sword as a secret weapon, never to be revealed unless necessary.
"Since this sword is activated by my mind and its power resembles thunder, let’s name it Heart Thunder Sword."
After creating the Heart Thunder Sword, Shi Xiaole had the ability to instantaneously kill most Limit Supreme Lords. He originally intended to continue integrating the Wind Extreme Sword Technique, but an unexpected accident disrupted his plan.
