One Layer of Sword Force

Having devoted herself entirely to cultivating her sword techniques, Ye Ling's cultivation speed was astonishingly fast.

With a solid foundation in the sword path, a pure state of mind, and her half-step Sword Force as a baseline, her comprehension of the sword path far surpassed her peers.

She grasped the moves, concepts, and principles of every single sword technique instantly, mastering them the moment she practiced them.

Her progress advanced by leaps and bounds, like a hot knife through butter.

In less than a month, she had polished all ten Yellow-grade high-tier sword techniques to Great Perfection, without a single flaw.

The moment all ten sword techniques reached Great Perfection, Ye Ling clearly felt her sword path foundation skyrocket.

Countless fragments of sword path insights merged together, filling many gaps in her past cultivation.

This made her understanding of the sword path increasingly clear, and her half-step Sword Force grew more condensed and heavy, her foundation becoming as solid as a rock.

A bright gleam flashed in Ye Ling's eyes. This method was indeed viable.

Building a foundation with a vast number of high-tier sword techniques was indeed an excellent path to polish her sword path and push her Sword Force to perfection.

Without the slightest slacking, she headed to the Library once again and exchanged for twenty brand-new rubbings of Yellow-grade high-tier sword techniques in one go, continuing her closed-door arduous cultivation.

With the foundation laid by the first ten sword techniques, her horizon and comprehension of the sword path leaped once more, and her cultivation speed became even faster than before.

In less than two months, all twenty sword techniques reached Great Perfection once again.

As she mastered all thirty high-tier sword techniques, countless sword principles converged into one, and her layered sword path foundation underwent a complete qualitative change.

At this moment, Ye Ling had clearly touched the edge of a complete Sword Force.

Her half-step Sword Force was filled to the brim and condensed to the absolute limit, only a single thread of comprehension away from a complete Sword Force.

She was just one step away from pioneering a feat unprecedented throughout the history of the Qingyun Kingdom.

To thoroughly solidify her foundation and demolish the final shackle, Ye Ling entered the Library one last time.

She exchanged for fifty rubbings of high-tier sword techniques all at once, planning to use eighty perfected sword techniques as her cornerstone to completely break through the limits of the sword path.

Ye Ling's frequent visits to the Library and her bulk exchanges of sword techniques eventually spread quietly within the Qinglan Sword Sect.

Countless disciples discussed it in private.

“The Tenth True Disciple has been frequently visiting the Library lately, exchanging for dozens of high-tier sword techniques in total.”

“With her talent and True Disciple privileges, she could easily cultivate Yellow-grade peak-tier sword techniques directly. Why waste time polishing these high-tier sword techniques?”

“The peak-tier sword techniques in her hands have long been cultivated to Great Perfection. Logically, the best thing for her to do now is enter closed-door cultivation and strive for the Xiantian Realm.”

“Exactly. With her aptitude, she could easily break through by quietly cultivating in seclusion for a few months. Why take the long way around and bury her head in cultivating a bunch of high-tier sword techniques?”

The disciples were filled with confusion, completely unable to fathom this peerless True Disciple's train of thought regarding her cultivation.

These discussions eventually reached the ears of the Peak Masters and even Sect Master Leng Zhiwei.

Upon hearing this, the higher-ups understood her intentions perfectly. None of them were confused, let alone dismissive.

Having lived for hundreds of years, their horizons far exceeded those of ordinary disciples, and they instantly saw through Ye Ling's intention.

Everyone knew in their hearts that Ye Ling was not taking a conventional path at all.

She was building her foundation with ten thousand swords and merging ten thousand methods into her path, attempting to condense a complete Sword Force while still in the Houtian Realm.

This was something that no one in the entire history of the Qingyun Kingdom had ever achieved.

This matter relied entirely on individual sword path talent and mental comprehension; external forces could not interfere at all. The Peak Masters and Leng Zhiwei looked at each other in silence, their hearts filled only with admiration and expectation.

Deep within her bamboo courtyard, Ye Ling was completely oblivious to the discussions of the outside world.

Casting aside all external distractions and holding the brand-new rubbings of the sword techniques, she immersed her mind completely in the sword path, quietly waiting for the final moment to break through the barrier.

Time flew by, and another month passed in the blink of an eye.

Ye Ling immersed herself day and night in polishing her sword path.

As she thoroughly mastered and polished each sword technique, her understanding of the sword grew deeper by the day, and her half-step Sword Force became increasingly solid and heavy.

The moment she completely mastered the final move of the fiftieth sword technique, a silent roar seemed to explode from the depths of her soul.

Fifty completely different sword path pathways, along with thousands of sword moves and myriad sword principles, intertwined and merged within her body.

All her past accumulations of practicing the sword, the battles in the new disciple tournament, and the insights gathered from long-term arduous cultivation converged into a vast ocean of the sword path, washing against that shackle.

Sitting before her bamboo desk, Ye Ling's body stiffened, her eyes closed gently, and she plunged into an extremely clear state of sudden enlightenment.

In the past, she only possessed a half-step, incomplete Sword Force, and could only crudely borrow her own sword intent.

But now, with fifty perfected sword techniques as her foundation and ten thousand sword intents converging into one within her body, she truly understood what the sword was.

In her mind, the division of the levels of the sword path that Leng Zhiwei had explained emerged.

The first major barrier for a sword cultivator is Sword Force. Completing the half-step Sword Force yields One Layer of Sword Force.

Sword Force is divided into ten layers. Reaching perfection in all ten layers transforms it into sword intent, and above sword intent is the sword domain.

The half-step Sword Force retracted and sublimated frantically, its deficiencies completely mended, and the barrier that lay before Houtian martial artists—which no one in Qingyun had ever crossed—shattered with a bang.

An invisible sword path aura swept out. Above the entire bamboo forest, the wind and clouds stirred slightly. The grand momentum of heaven and earth carried by the mountain breeze, the flowing streams, the emerald bamboo, and the vegetation was entirely drawn in.

The emerald bamboos bowed in unison, the streams flowed backward, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from all directions surged frantically toward the bamboo house. The Dao charm of heaven and earth blended perfectly with her own Sword Force.

The “half-step” receded, and One Layer of Sword Force was officially formed.

She still remained at the Houtian Twelfth Layer, her cultivation having not yet broken through, yet she had achieved a feat that no one in the history of the Qingyun Kingdom had ever accomplished.

Cultivating One Layer of Sword Force in the Houtian Realm.

The abnormal movement of heaven and earth swept through the mountains, turning the wind and clouds upside down, completely impossible to conceal.

Leng Zhiwei and the Peak Masters of each peak had already quietly guarded the periphery of the bamboo forest when the anomaly first arose, unwilling to rashly disturb Ye Ling's sudden enlightenment.

It was only when her Sword Force completely stabilized that everyone stopped holding back.

Leng Zhiwei, with excitement that could not be concealed, let her voice resound through the bamboo garden.

“Excellent! Ye Ling, you have done exceptionally well!”

The Peak Master of the First Sword Peak, Liu Qinghan, dressed in a moon-white sword robe, stood with her hands behind her back amidst the clouds and said in a clear voice.

“The younger generation is truly to be feared. Condensing One Layer of Sword Force in the Houtian Realm makes you the undisputed number one throughout the ages in Qingyun!”

The Peak Master of the Third Sword Peak, Lu Chongshan, stroked his beard in agreement.

“Based on this level of sword path comprehension alone, your future prospects are truly immeasurable!”

The Peak Master of the Spirit Medicine Peak, Wen Ningshuang, had a gentle temperament and spoke in a light voice.

“This is truly worth celebrating!”

...

Ye Ling immediately stood up and bowed solemnly toward the high clouds and mist.

“Thank you, Sect Master and Peak Masters, for protecting me these past days.”

Leng Zhiwei said gently, “Now that you have cultivated One Layer of Sword Force, the next step is to charge into the Xiantian Realm.”

“Once you break through to the Xiantian Realm, you may freely access the top martial arts stored in each main peak.”

Wen Ningshuang added with a smile, “And the rare spiritual herbs of my Spirit Medicine Peak are all being saved for you.”

Several powerful auras within the clouds and mist slowly dissipated, and the bamboo forest returned to silence.

Ye Ling slowly raised her eyes, her gaze harboring a sword charm condensed to the absolute limit.

With a slight thought, a wisp of Sword Force floated at her fingertip, and the grand momentum of the surrounding mountains and forests instantly gathered.

Silent and formless, yet it contained a power that could crush a Xiantian cultivator's protective true qi.