Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Full Comprehension _1

”He seems to have comprehended the true meaning of the picture!” Seeing the changes unfolding on Ling Chen, Xiao Muyu’s eyes sparkled, her expression a mixture of surprise and joy.

”Humph, it’s too late. He only has half an hour left. What can he grasp in such a short time?” Yun Tianhe said in a deep voice.

”Indeed, the time is too short,” Xiahou Lin and Li Liuxing chimed in as they walked over.

”Elder Xie Chan, can’t we let Ling Chen cultivate here a little longer? For him, nothing is more important than time right now,” Xiao Muyu pleaded earnestly.

Hearing this, Elder Xie Chan’s gaze flickered for a moment, then she shook her head. ”No. The rules cannot be changed for one person, Ling Chen. If we make an exception this time, more and more people will use this as a precedent in the future.”

”Exactly! Who’s to blame but himself for wasting so much time? How can his own mistake be rectified by bending the rules?” Yun Tianhe sneered.

The Landscape True Meaning Picture Ling Chen was observing was clearly not simple. If Ling Chen managed to comprehend it, it would not bode well for Yun Tianhe. Naturally, he was pleased at the prospect of Ling Chen’s opportunity being cut short.

At this moment, Ling Chen was completely enveloped by a mysterious artistic conception. He was immersed in the world depicted by the Landscape True Meaning Picture, entirely detached from the outside world.

Amidst the mountains and rivers, a bamboo forest came into view. Strangely, this bamboo forest was filled with all sorts of swords thrust into the ground: long swords, short swords, soft swords, heavy swords, wooden swords, male-female paired swords... His entire vision was a dense thicket of blades.

RUSTLE! RUSTLE!

The instant Ling Chen steadied himself, a fierce gale swept through the entire bamboo forest, causing every sword to tremble.

Gazing at the blades that seemed ready to leap from the earth, Ling Chen’s pupils contracted. The pressure of this astonishing sword momentum involuntarily forced him back two steps.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As Ling Chen had anticipated, in the blink of an eye, all the swords soared into the sky, converging into a storm of blades in mid-air. The densely packed Treasure Swords all pointed towards Ling Chen alone.

”This is—”

Before he could react, all the swords shot towards him, thousands upon thousands, slashing down fiercely all at once.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

All the swords finally pierced viciously into Ling Chen’s body, riddling it with countless holes in an instant.

Back in reality, beads of sweat the size of soybeans trickled down Ling Chen’s forehead.

”Time is almost up.”

Elder Xie Chan squinted her eyes. She could only grant Ling Chen the time it takes to finish a cup of tea. If Ling Chen couldn’t conclude his session by then, she would be powerless to help and would have no choice but to interrupt him.

”Time should be up now, right? I’ll go wake this kid up,” Yun Tianhe said, about to step forward.

”Wait.” Xiao Muyu pressed her sword to Yun Tianhe’s neck. ”If you interrupt Ling Chen now, he might suffer cultivation deviation. Can you bear that responsibility? Besides, Elder Xie Chan hasn’t even spoken, so why are you in such a hurry?”

”She’s right.” Li Liuxing also spoke up, his gaze fixed on Ling Chen, his expression grave. ”Let’s wait and see a bit longer. Don’t you want to see what this fellow can actually comprehend?”

”Hmm, I’m quite interested myself. Why not give him a little more time?” Xiahou Lin voiced his opinion. Although he had lost to Ling Chen in the True Disciple selection tournament and thus the position of Huiyuan, he still held Ling Chen in high regard.

Seeing one after another speak up, Yun Tianhe could only suppress his own intentions. He hadn’t expected them all to side with Ling Chen to such an extent.

”There’s a reaction.”

Just then, Elder Xie Chan’s voice reached everyone’s ears.

They all quickly looked at Ling Chen, only to feel an extremely sharp aura emanating from him—an overwhelming, piercing aura. The Ling Chen of this moment was like a living sword, astounding everyone.

HUM! HUM! HUM!

At the same time, the Treasure Swords at the waists of Xiao Muyu, Li Liuxing, and Yun Tianhe began to tremble, as if drawn by some unseen force, resonating in unison.

”This is Sword Intent, isn’t it? The same thing happened during the last selection tournament.” Xiao Muyu placed her hand on her sword hilt but still couldn’t suppress the trembling of her Treasure Sword. This scene was nearly identical to when Ling Chen had dueled Li Liuxing on the martial arts platform.

CLANG!

Suddenly, the Long Sword at Li Liuxing’s waist was the first to unsheathe itself, flying out on its own. Immediately after, the Treasure Swords of Yun Tianhe and Xiao Muyu also flew out. The three Treasure Swords flew and embedded themselves in the ground beside Ling Chen, quivering incessantly.

SNAP!

The next moment, Ling Chen’s eyes abruptly shot open, his gaze as sharp as lightning, as if it could shoot sparks into the air before him. Almost at the same instant, the Landscape True Meaning Picture before him made a whooshing sound, disintegrated, and scattered like ash.

”The Martial Arts True Meaning Picture has dispersed!”

Everyone stared wide-eyed. There was only one explanation for the Martial Arts True Meaning Picture automatically disintegrating: Ling Chen had thoroughly comprehended all the Martial Arts True Meaning within it, leaving not a trace remaining.

Xiao Muyu, Li Liuxing, and Yun Tianhe walked to Ling Chen’s side, each drawing their own Treasure Sword.

Ling Chen also rose from the ground. The aura he exuded now was completely different from before, yet no one could articulate precisely how it had changed.

”Ling Chen, after comprehending the Sword Hider Elder’s Martial Arts True Meaning, your Mental Power must have broken through to Level 10, right?” Elder Xie Chan approached Ling Chen, her gaze fixed on him, sharp as a torch.

With her high Mental Power level, she could sense Ling Chen’s explosive increase in Mental Power.

”Mm, it should be about there.” Ling Chen didn’t hide it. In front of Elder Xie Chan, concealment was futile, so it was better to be forthright.

The Martial Arts True Meaning left by the Sword Hider Elder was indeed terrifying. Not only had Ling Chen’s Mental Power reached Level 10, but more importantly, his Sword Intent, initially still in its nascent stages, had reached the critical point of complete eruption. He was just one final step away from cultivating true Sword Intent.

Otherwise, the scene of the three individuals’ Treasure Swords flying out automatically would not have occurred.

”What? He comprehended all of it?” Yun Tianhe’s gaze was fixed on Ling Chen, his eyes burning with a jealousy so intense it seemed he wanted to kill Ling Chen with his gaze alone. He had only comprehended less than a third of the Blood Sword King’s True Meaning Picture, yet Ling Chen had comprehended it all in one go. Ling Chen’s gains were undoubtedly several times his own.

”My apologies, the Landscape True Meaning Picture has been expended,” Ling Chen said with a hint of apology on his face. The Landscape True Meaning Picture left by the Sword Hider Elder had utterly vanished.

”These Martial Arts True Meaning Pictures are meant to serve the Sect. You comprehended its true meaning; you didn’t destroy it. There’s no need to apologize,” Elder Xie Chan said, shaking her head.

”Alright, it’s about time. The Spirit Martial Hall is closing. Let’s go out together.” Elder Xie Chan waved her hand, leading the six of them out. She then re-locked the great doors of the Spirit Martial Hall.

When Ling Chen returned to the Wuchen Courtyard, just as he was preparing to consolidate his explosively increased Sword Intent, Xiao Muyu burst in.

She was extremely curious about Ling Chen’s comprehension of the Landscape True Meaning Picture.

With so many people around and prying ears earlier, she hadn’t felt it appropriate to ask too many questions. But things were different in the Wuchen Courtyard.

”Ling Chen, what exactly did you see in the Martial Arts True Meaning Picture?” Xiao Muyu asked seriously.

”Why don’t you tell me what you saw first?” Ling Chen asked with a smile, unhurried.

”A person—a swordsman, to be precise. He just brandished his sword at me once, and I fainted,” Xiao Muyu recounted honestly and directly.

Ling Chen, not wanting to be evasive, recounted his experiences in the bamboo forest in detail.

”Myriad Swords Pierce the Heart? Damn it! If only I could have withstood a few more of his sword strikes! You’re just too lucky,” Xiao Muyu exclaimed, both annoyed and regretful.

”Luck? My luck has always been terrible. Do you think geniuses rely on luck to grow? It’s all due to talent and strength,” Ling Chen mused for a moment before stating this with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Xiao Muyu was somewhat stunned. She had never encountered anyone so brazenly shameless; it completely refreshed her understanding of the term.

”Don’t get complacent. I see Yun Tianhe gritting his teeth in hatred for you. Who knows what schemes he might try next,” Xiao Muyu said, changing the subject.

”Yun Tianhe himself is no great concern, but his senior martial brothers and sisters are another matter. They are truly difficult to deal with. I fear they might be plotting something.” Ling Chen fell into thought. Xiao Muyu’s words had hit the mark. Although, after his defeat, Song Hailan hadn’t taken action for a long time, it didn’t mean their faction would give up on dealing with him.

”Yun Tianhe’s Second Senior Martial Sister, Yu Qingxuan, is ranked thirty-third on the Heavenly List. Yun Tianhe can’t handle you, and Song Hailan has already been defeated by you. I reckon the next one to act against you will be this woman,” Xiao Muyu analyzed for Ling Chen.

”I’ve heard this Yu Qingxuan has a decent reputation and isn’t like Song Hailan and Yun Tianhe. She shouldn’t target me without reason, should she?” Ling Chen had heard of this Yu Qingxuan; she had a good reputation among the Divine Intent Sect disciples and was thought to be an upright person.

Hearing his words, Xiao Muyu scoffed, looking at Ling Chen as if he were an idiot. ”Don’t be naive. Even if she’s an upright person, she is Ye Nantian’s disciple. Rest assured, I believe she won’t show you any mercy.”

”That’s true. I’ll be careful.”

Ever since he was almost successfully ambushed by Prince Tai, Ling Chen’s vigilance had increased significantly. The dangers aimed at him were ever-present. Who knew when a venomous snake might dart out from the undergrowth and deliver a vicious bite.

If Yu Qingxuan were to truly appear, he would be no match for her at all. Anyone capable of ranking on the Heavenly List was a monstrous talent of the younger generation. Even if she was only ranked thirty-third, dealing with him would be as easy as flipping her hand.

Geniuses are most vulnerable before they fully mature. A genius who perishes prematurely can no longer be called a genius.

Ling Chen was currently alone and unsupported. To protect himself, while leveraging external influence was important, the most fundamental solution was to rapidly enhance his own strength.