togophonebook Chapter 72 The Way of Performance
Chapter 72 The Way of Performance
Master Xianmi stroked his beard and carefully examined the respectfully bowing young man before him, his eyes filled with increasing admiration.
The mountain breeze ruffled his frosty white beard and hair, and the swirling clouds around him flowed with it, making him appear otherworldly and ethereal.
He thought to himself:
"This child is calm and composed, much better than that stubborn mule Youhuang. He also knows how to assess situations and listens to advice."
If he knew that Li Qingyi was currently plotting how to extract more secrets from him, he would probably be so angry that he would throw this seemingly docile boy off the mountain on the spot.
Who would have thought that this seemingly obedient sixteen-year-old boy was actually a hidden master of Taoist arts?
The three had different thoughts, and for a moment, only the soft sound of the mountain wind passing through the gaps and the clear cry of cranes in the distance could be heard on the platform.
The clouds and mist surged beneath our feet, lifting the vast white jade platform as if it were a fairyland.
Ling'er would steal glances at the young man in blue beside her from time to time, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes filled with curiosity.
She recalled her experience in Youhuang Tomb and longed to know what kind of inheritance Li Qingyi had received at the place where that senior had passed away, and what kind of conversation she had with that senior.
Li Qingyi felt her gaze, but deliberately turned her head away, pretending to be engrossed in gazing at the distant sea of clouds.
It wasn't that he didn't want to tell, but rather that he hadn't figured out how to fabricate a plausible story.
Can't possibly tell the truth?
So, should we argue or not?
Time slowly passed as we waited.
Li Qingyi keenly sensed that they had been inside the Dao Sect's mountain gate for nearly an hour, yet they still hadn't seen any other cultivators on the Tongtian Road below.
He remembered clearly that in the simulation two hours before last, he waited here for three hours before those struggling cultivators finally reached the top.
With two hours remaining, he didn't want to waste any precious time, so he turned his gaze back to Genmi.
This unfathomable senior's aura was in harmony with heaven and earth, clearly indicating that his cultivation had reached a state of perfection.
In the simulation two years ago, it was only after the other cultivators arrived that Xuanmi learned of his identity as an assassin from Tingyu Pavilion, and subsequently expelled him without any mercy.
That means I have two hours left.
Li Qingyi was calculating how to use this time alone to extract more useful information.
In this perilous world of cultivation, wasting time is tantamount to slow suicide.
Now we are surrounded by powerful enemies.
The enigmatic Zhao family and the scheming Master of Tingyu Pavilion—either one of them could bring him to his doom.
"Senior," Li Qingyi suddenly spoke, bowing respectfully.
"I have encountered some difficulties in my cultivation journey; may I ask for your guidance?"
"Please feel free to speak."
The more Genmi looked at the boy, the more pleasing he became, and he even began to consider whether to take him on as his personal disciple.
Such a gem would be a waste to entrust to ordinary elders in the sect for instruction.
Moreover, he and Youhuang were like brothers, and teaching the successor on behalf of his old friend could be considered a fulfillment of a predestined relationship.
Li Qingyi, of course, was unaware of what Xuanmi was thinking, and maintained her humble demeanor:
"I wonder if you have ever heard of the true explanation of swordsmanship, senior?"
Upon hearing this, Xuanmi frowned slightly.
'Why is this kid so interested in these strange and unorthodox martial arts techniques?'
Although this slight anomaly was fleeting, it did not escape Li Qingyi's keen observation.
"Could it be that you, senior, truly know the origin of the true essence of swordsmanship?"
Li Qingyi was secretly delighted.
He had only asked casually, just to see what would happen, and he never expected to actually get an answer.
Ling'er, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but prick up her ears.
She was intimately familiar with this sword technique, which was renowned throughout the Azure Spirit Realm—
She had secretly tried to cultivate back then, but it ended in failure.
She was born with a competitive spirit; the more she struggled to improve, the more determined she became.
In the end, she tormented herself until she was covered in wounds. When Master Minghao discovered this, he sternly reprimanded her and forbade her from touching this evil technique again, and only then did she give up.
Hearing Li Qingyi ask this question, she couldn't help but wonder how this Daoist elder would answer.
Genmi stroked his long beard, looking at the expectant eyes of the two young men, and deliberately kept them in suspense.
With a flick of his sleeve, the mist between the three of them condensed into a flowing sword-shaped vortex:
"Do you know why no one in the world has been able to master this technique?"
"Because they didn't try hard enough!"
Li Qingyi blurted it out.
The image of me practicing swordsmanship in a simulation until I died flashed through my mind.
Upon hearing this, Ling'er couldn't help but roll her eyes:
"That technique is not meant for humans to practice; no matter how hard you try, it's all in vain."
"Have you even tried? You're just making assumptions here," Li Qingyi couldn't help but complain.
Ling'er recalled those heart-wrenching cultivation experiences, and her pretty face immediately darkened as she gently bit her lower lip.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Xuanmi quickly said, "Alright, please hear me out."
Ling'er gave a soft snort and turned her head away.
Li Qingyi scratched her head, completely baffled as to what she had said wrong again.
A young girl's mind is truly more difficult to understand than the most profound Taoist arts.
Even though I'm telling the truth, how can I still make people angry?
"What you care about most is probably whether this sword technique was truly created by the Sword Dao True Monarch, right?" Xuanmi spoke slowly, his voice like the gentle chime of an ancient bell.
Ling'er nodded.
She remembered that her master, Master Minghao, had clearly told her that this sword technique was impossible to cultivate.
Li Qingyi didn't care about that—
After all, he had already mastered this sword technique in simulations.
He was more concerned about the origins of the creator, but he didn't want to spoil his senior's mood, so he could only nod in agreement.
"I can tell you that this technique was indeed created by the Sword Dao True Monarch."
"But Master said that this technique is impossible to cultivate." Ling'er looked surprised, her slender fingers twirling her sash.
Li Qingyi gasped at just the right moment, delivering a perfectly lifelike performance.
Although I had suspected it beforehand, I still felt a surge of relief after it was confirmed.
This proves that he has a pretty good eye.
Xuanmi smiled mysteriously: "Minghao is right, no one can actually practice this technique."
"Huh?" Ling'er was completely confused, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, making her look exceptionally naive.
This was the first time Li Qingyi had seen her with such an expression, and she found it quite amusing.
The girl was usually lively and playful, so it was rare to see her like this.
"Cultivating this technique places extremely strict demands on swordsmanship talent, temperament, patience, and comprehension; none of these can be lacking," Xuanmi explained.
"Such a genius is probably one in a million years."
"The talents of cultivators vary greatly, and the pursuit of the Dao by geniuses in the world is also different."
In the entire Cangling Domain, there are only about five True Monarchs of the Sword Dao, which shows how difficult the Sword Dao is. Moreover, this is the culmination of that True Monarch's life's work.
Finally, they got to the part that Li Qingyi was most interested in.
"Sword Dao True Monarchs are so rare, then the senior who saved us at Qingxin Peak must be among them."
However, he couldn't ask directly, so he changed his approach: "Is that senior who created the true essence of swordsmanship still alive?"
Genmi shook his head, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes:
"I once heard the Dao Ancestor mention the past of that Sword Dao True Lord, but unfortunately he has been gone for many years."
The title "Dao Ancestor" gave Li Qingyi a jolt.
Who would dare to call himself the "Ancestor of Taoism"? What kind of being is this Taoist patriarch?
He kept this question to himself, knowing what he should and shouldn't ask.
"Since that senior has long since perished, who was it that saved him at Qingxin Peak? Could it have been a fellow disciple who cultivated the true essence of swordsmanship with him?"
Li Qingyi was filled with doubts; he did not believe he could have a senior brother at the Golden Core stage.
Just then, Ling'er spoke first:
"What kind of person was that senior?"
Genmi gazed at the distant sea of clouds, his eyes filled with longing.
"The Dao Ancestor once said that he was an extraordinary person with exceptional talent, yet he was obsessed with the way of the sword."