Like a celestial bridge spanning the sky: "Going a step further, the sword is 'intention'. If you have something to protect in your heart, the sword will have a shield; if you have something to be resolute in your heart, the sword will have a sharp edge."
"Just like when I fought the demons in the past, I used 'Returning to the Source of No Thought' to defend against them and 'Star River Magpie Bridge' to break through their formations. My sword moved with my heart, and my will became one with my sword."
"This is the 'spirit' of the sword, the resonance between you and the sword."
Chen Juan listened intently, his eyes filled with awe, and subconsciously asked, "Then... what about further up?"
Jiang Li gazed at the distant sky, her crimson sword intent abruptly receding, only to instantly merge with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The mountain breeze stopped flowing, the leaves hung suspended in mid-air, and even the sunlight seemed to freeze.
Only that sword intent subtly resonated with the rules of the entire Cangxuan Realm: "Above that, the sword is the 'Dao'."
"It is your understanding of heaven and earth, and your self-awareness. When the sword is in your hand, you are the sword; when the sword is in heaven and earth, heaven and earth are the sword."
"No need for deliberate slashing, no need for forced concentration; wherever the sword intent goes, that is the direction of your path."
"This is the 'realm' of the sword, and it is what I have sought all my life."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Li withdrew her sword intent. The suspended leaves slowly drifted down, and the mountain breeze began to flow again, as if the earth-shattering display of sword intent just now had been nothing more than an illusion.
But everyone present, especially the sword practitioners, had a look of enlightenment in their eyes.
Jiang Li didn't teach them specific sword moves, but she opened a door for them to a higher level of swordsmanship.
Chen Juan suddenly knelt down and kowtowed deeply to Jiang Li, his voice trembling: "Junior...Junior has learned a lot!"
The steel sword in his hand was now faintly glowing with a red light, and the youthful sword intent around him had become more refined and clear.
The surrounding cultivators also bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with awe and gratitude.
Even those who are not sword practitioners can understand the essence of cultivation from Jiang Li's interpretation of "sword": whether it is a spear, a technique, or talent, it is ultimately an extension of the "heart".
Jiang Li nodded slightly, said nothing more, and simply retreated to Xiao Chen's side, still with that aloof demeanor.
But in everyone's eyes, her figure became increasingly imposing, not only with the pressure of her strength, but also with the awe-inspiring power of her swordsmanship.
When Chenjuan got up from the ground, his aura was completely different from before.
The originally immature and loose pale blue sword intent has now solidified and become as if cast in a coffin, like polished steel.
It flowed slowly around him, and even the unsharpened steel sword in his hand faintly shimmered with a lustrous sheen.
His eyes were closed, his fingertips lightly tracing the blade of the sword, his brows furrowed with understanding, clearly under Jiang Li's guidance.
He broke through the shackles of swordsmanship and touched the threshold of "artistic conception" from the "weapon realm".
"Such rapid comprehension!" someone exclaimed from the crowd. "He broke through directly after only listening to a few words from Senior Jiang Li!"
"Is this the foundation of a prodigy? If it were me, I'd probably have to figure it out for three to five years!"
Chen Juan slowly opened his eyes, the confusion in them long gone, leaving only his unwavering commitment to the way of the sword.
He bowed to Jiang Li again, this time with even greater respect, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Thank you for your guidance, senior!"
"I was previously trapped by the obsession that 'the sword is a weapon of death,' but today I realize that the sword can be used for defense, protection, and even to connect heaven and earth. I will never forget this kindness!"
Jiang Li nodded slightly, signaling him to step back.
Chen Juan gripped his sword and retreated lightly back into the crowd. The sword intent around him was restrained but not dissipated, clearly still savoring the insights he had just gained.
Some familiar cultivators surrounded him, wanting to ask him for his insights, but he just smiled and shook his head: "Everyone's way of swordsmanship is different. Senior's guidance must be understood by oneself. It is useless for me to say more."
Before the murmurs among the crowd could subside, another person stepped forward.
He was a burly, muscular man, shirtless, his bronze skin covered with scars from physical training.
Holding a pair of black iron gauntlets, he was a disciple of the Vajra Sect, a body-refining sect in the Cangxuan Realm.
He bowed respectfully to the stone, his voice booming like a bell: "Senior Stone! This junior is Zhao Hu of the Vajra Sect. I have cultivated my body for many years, yet I have still been unable to break through the shackles of my physical form."
“Every time I withstand an attack head-on, it damages my internal organs. May I ask, senior, how can I cultivate my body to achieve a balance of strength and flexibility?”
Stone grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. Without saying a word, he simply raised his hand and waved at a boulder next to him.
The seemingly casual punch landed on the boulder without a deafening roar; there was only a "crack."
The boulder's surface showed no cracks, but its interior instantly turned to dust, which fell through the cracks.
"Back then, I was just like you, thinking that body training was all about 'toughing it out' and that you just needed to make your body harder than iron."
Shi Tou scratched his head, his tone straightforward yet revealing his true meaning, "Later, my master told me that 'strength' is the shell of the physical body, while 'gentleness' is the soul of the blood and qi."
"Look at my punch. It looks like I'm not using much force, but I'm actually channeling my energy and blood into my fist, following the grain of the stone."
“Physical training is not about confronting the heavens and earth head-on, but about ‘making friends’ with your own body, letting your qi and blood follow your body, rather than letting your body drag your qi and blood along.”
Zhao Hu's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously clenched his fist, trying to gather his qi and blood into it. However, instead of stubbornly resisting as before, he allowed his qi and blood to flow slowly along the meridians of his arm.
A moment later, he punched a small pebble next to him. The pebble wasn't broken; instead, the force of his punch gently pushed it away.
Although it was just a small change, it made him instantly understand: "I understand! Thank you for your guidance, senior!"
Immediately afterwards, another scholar dressed in a blue robe stepped forward, holding a folding fan, and bowed to Su She: "Senior Su She!"
"This junior is a disciple of the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Cangxuan Realm. I have cultivated the Righteous Qi for many years, but I always feel that although the Righteous Qi is strong, it is difficult to sustain. When I encounter places where evil spirits are abundant, I will be exhausted."
"May I ask, senior, how can we ensure that the spirit of righteousness is 'endless'?"
Su She unfolded the book, and golden talent flowed across the pages, transforming into the four characters "文以载道" (literature carries the Way): "A righteous spirit is not only 'strong,' but also 'upright.'"
"You feel that righteousness is hard to maintain because you regard 'righteousness' as a 'weapon,' and you lose a bit of it every time you use it."
"But in reality, righteousness originates from a righteous heart, from your understanding of the 'Tao'. If you have the well-being of all people in your heart, righteousness will have the well-being of all people as its foundation; if you have the world in your heart, righteousness will have the world as its source."
He raised his hand, and golden talent transformed into a gentle breeze that swept over the surrounding cultivators: "For example, if you see the weak being bullied and feel indignant, that is righteousness; if you see the injustice of heaven and earth and feel a desire to uphold justice, that is also righteousness."
"Righteousness is not something that can be 'used up'; it grows stronger with each use, because your 'way' becomes more steadfast through repeated practice."
The disciple suddenly realized his mistake and bowed deeply to Su She: "Senior is absolutely right! I previously only knew how to memorize the classics by rote, but forgot about the unity of knowledge and action. Thank you for reminding me!"
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