But during the battle, Ye Ling's understanding of Sword Blanketing a Thousand Mountains gradually deepened. The move became versatile, capable of both offense and defense, with the transition between the two occurring in an instant.
No matter the angle from which the water whips lunged or tried to bind her, they were precisely intercepted and instantly shattered by the sword qi Ye Ling had deployed in advance.
Green light filled the sky, blanketing the heavens; a single sword of a thousand mountains suppressed ten thousand waters.
One person and one fish locked in a fierce aerial battle for hundreds of rounds!
The battle was incredibly grand, causing the spiritual energy around the pool to fluctuate violently. The surrounding forest shook and bent under the sheer force of the shockwaves.
Yet throughout the fierce clash, the two shared a tacit understanding: they would not fight to the death.
Ye Ling had only this single self-created sword move, but through repeatedly breaking the giant fish's spells and defending against its attacks, she grasped the essence of this stance more and more thoroughly.
In her mind, she quietly deduced the embryonic forms of subsequent sword moves, laying the groundwork to complete the entire sword technique in the future.
Although Ye Ling's Sword Force was matchlessly overbearing, she always held back thirty percent of her strength.
The Qingyun Grand Tournament was just around the corner. She was training hard precisely to shine on that stage, so she absolutely could not afford to get injured beforehand.
As for the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish, it was gentle and good-natured by temperament. Though it fought with all its might, it also cherished her talent.
All of its lethal moves instinctively avoided Ye Ling's vital spots, such as her head, dantian, and heart.
Its onslaught was solely meant to push Ye Ling to her absolute limits and help her refine her weaknesses.
After witnessing this young girl's self-styled sword Dao with its own eyes, nothing but endless marvel remained in its heart.
After hundreds of rounds of intense combat, the giant fish was the first to retract its demonic energy. The water mist and ice filling the sky completely vanished.
Ye Ling followed suit, sheathing her sword and withdrawing her stance. Her vast, majestic Sword Force of a thousand mountains slowly retreated back into her body.
Standing high in the sky, her eyes were clear and bright.
Despite clashing head-on for hundreds of rounds with the Tongxuan Realm Lantern-Bone Giant Fish, Ye Ling was not only completely unharmed, but she had also polished her self-created stance, Sword Blanketing a Thousand Mountains, to a level of seamless perfection. Her control over her own Sword Force had reached absolute mastery.
Though she had only this single stance and it had yet to be completed, it was already her strongest trump card in the sword Dao.
Above the water's surface, the massive body of the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish floated quietly. Its giant lantern-like eyes stared intently at the young girl, its gaze filled with shock and disbelief, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
During the entire battle just now, it had seen everything with perfect clarity.
This sword stance lacked the orderly forms of the Qinglan Sword Sect's orthodox sword techniques, nor did it bear any traces of inherited martial arts.
The move was extremely overbearing, capable of suppressing mountains and overturning seas. It carried a slaughtering aura refined uniquely through life-and-death battles, making it completely distinct and one-of-a-kind.
After a moment of silence, the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish finally spoke in a deep voice, its tone filled with deep astonishment and solemnity.
“That Sword Blanketing a Thousand Mountains move just now—did you comprehend and create it yourself?”
Ye Ling nodded slightly, her expression calm.
“Yes.”
“This stance is a strike I personally comprehended after a previous life-and-death battle with another Tongxuan Realm demon beast, where I barely won. I went into secluded meditation and relied on the foundation of my Two and a Half Layers of Sword Force to grasp it.”
She did not hide anything, candidly explaining the reason.
The moment it received confirmation, the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish fell completely silent. Then, it let out a deep, long sigh of emotion, its voice filled with wistfulness and admiration.
“Incredible, truly incredible.”
“With a mere mid-stage Xiantian Realm cultivation, you not only broke through to Two and a Half Layers of Sword Force in just over a month, but you were even able to comprehend the Dao amidst life and death and create your own sword technique.”
“Ordinary cultivators are confined to their sect's inheritance for their entire lives, copying established formulas and never daring to take a single step out of bounds.”
“Only a true genius of the sword Dao can touch the origin of the sword path and forge their own sword with their own heart.”
It had lived in the Bailing Secret Realm for hundreds of years and had seen countless inner sect disciples, True Disciples, and even elders of the Qinglan Sword Sect.
Geniuses were everywhere, yet it had never seen anyone capable of creating a killer move while still in the Xiantian Realm.
Creating one's own moves was something that usually only geniuses of the Tongxuan Realm could hope to achieve after thoroughly mastering and integrating their own martial arts paths.
Yet, the human girl before it had actually shattered the common sense of cultivation.
“Your talent in the sword Dao has already transcended the shackles of the mundane world.”
“I believe that in time, as your cultivation rises and you complete this set of sword techniques, this single stance of Sword Blanketing a Thousand Mountains will surely become a supreme sword move that sweeps across the Eastern Territory.”
The Lantern-Bone Giant Fish expressed its heartfelt admiration, and the way it looked at Ye Ling completely changed.
It was no longer the attitude of a sparring partner training a junior, but genuine reverence and recognition.
In today's battle, it had trained and refined her, but it had also witnessed the quiet rise of a future giant of the sword Dao.
Ye Ling stood quietly to the side. Hearing this, her eyes remained clear and calm, without a hint of arrogance.
She cupped her hands slightly toward the giant fish on the water's surface and said, “Senior Giant Fish, you overpraise me. My road is still long.”
“However, I also firmly believe that with my unremitting efforts, I will definitely be able to complete this sword technique.”
Hearing this, the giant fish's estimation of Ye Ling rose to an even higher level.
Meanwhile, Ye Ling felt the urge to enter seclusion again. The full-strength sparring with the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish just now had given her a brand-new, deep comprehension of Sword Force, the mutual restraint of spells, and the path of blending water and sword.
“Senior Giant Fish, this sparring session has benefited me greatly. I have gained new insights and need to enter secluded meditation once more to consolidate them.”
“I shall take my leave first.”
The moment these words were spoken, the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish froze on the spot, its massive fish eyes filled with astonishment.
From its conversations with Ye Ling, it knew the reason she had come to the secret realm to train.
It had assumed that after fighting for hundreds of rounds, Ye Ling would have fully absorbed the gains of this battle, and that she should be wrapping things up to prepare to leave the secret realm and charge into the tournament.
It had even quietly let out a sigh of relief, thinking it could finally send this monster on her way and get some much-needed, long-overdue sleep.
But it had never expected that after finishing this sparring session, she had actually comprehended something again?!
This girl's talent was truly terrifying.
Ordinary people might not gain a single insight from ten battles, yet you manage to advance with every battle, progressing and comprehending with every single fight.
Just as the giant fish was filled with marvel, Ye Ling spoke again, and her words instantly caused its eyes to dim.
“Once I finish my seclusion and digest everything, I will come back to seek Senior for another sparring session.”
Lantern-Bone Giant Fish: “...”
Its newly raised hopes of sleeping were instantly and completely shattered.
It remained silent for a moment but did not refuse, its massive body gently bobbing on the water's surface.
Though it felt helpless about being unable to sleep peacefully, a trace of curiosity and anticipation also arose in its heart.
It really wanted to see with its own eyes where the limit of this human girl truly lay.
“Go on,” the giant fish responded softly. “I await your progress.”
Ye Ling said no more, turning and departing.
She found a secluded cliff cave outside the pool, sheltered by trees and filled with quiet spiritual energy. After setting up a simple isolating formation, she entered secluded meditation once again.
From then on, a terrifying cycle of refinement began in the upper reaches of Bailing Mountain's second region.
Ye Ling would enter seclusion for three days to consolidate her sword Dao, polish her Sword Force, and deduce her sword moves.
Upon emerging from seclusion, she would head straight for the pool to spar with all her might against the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish.
Once the sparring was over, Ye Ling would immediately return to her cave to enter seclusion, digesting the gains from the battle and mending her weaknesses.
The cycle repeated, day after day.
With each clash, Ye Ling's Sword Force became smoother, more overbearing, and more effortless.
With every battle, the Lantern-Bone Giant Fish could clearly feel that the young girl's strength had risen once again.
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