Chapter 196 - 195: Light Splitting and Shadow Transformation

Chapter 196: Chapter 195: Light Splitting and Shadow Transformation

The secrets of the Sword Control Skill coursed through Xia Wuyang’s mind, deepening his understanding of the Top Level Spirit Technique.

Insights washed over him like a tide, one after another. His progress was unexpectedly rapid.

With over three hundred points of Spiritual Power—and the corresponding Comprehension, intellect, and other faculties—his rate of understanding far surpassed what an ordinary person could imagine.

Yun Liyue’s progress paled in comparison.

He focused most of his attention on deciphering the Sword Control Skill, sparing only a fraction for the beauties surrounding him.

Everyone else simply thought he was indulging in debauchery. If he occasionally seemed distracted, they merely chalked it up to his age and lack of stamina.

But they had no idea that he was mastering this Supreme Secret Technique, the Sword Control Skill coveted by countless people, at an astonishing speed.

"Your Highness, is this melody to your liking?" Su Ling’er asked in a sweet voice, offering him a peeled lychee.

Xia Wuyang opened his mouth, taking both the lychee and the tips of her slender fingers, which made Su Ling’er’s face flush crimson. Meanwhile, in his Sea of Consciousness, he had just grasped another difficult aspect of the Sword Control Skill. "Exquisite, simply exquisite!"

The praise was a double entendre; it was unclear whether he was complimenting the music or the prowess of the Sword Control Skill.

Seeing this, Hanik’s Heart also smiled and brought a wine cup to his lips. "Your Highness, have a taste of this."

"I was just getting thirsty." Xia Wuyang drank the fine wine from her hand, then smoothly pulled her into his embrace and began to indulge himself.

But in his Sea of Consciousness, unseen by anyone, strands of Sword Qi woven from Spiritual Power had already taken shape.

He had already grasped the basics of this Supreme Secret Technique, reaching the point where he could now use it.

Once he was escorted to the Practice Room, supposedly from the "exertion," all traces of Xia Wuyang’s fatigue and drunkenness vanished instantly.

Seated cross-legged in the Practice Room, Sword Qi materialized around him.

He formed a sword-finger and began to circulate his Qi Blood according to the Sword Control Skill’s Technique. He was clumsy at first, but in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a three-inch-long Qi Blood Sword appeared at his fingertips.

Normally, only an Extraordinary True Monarch could use True Qi to form a True Qi Sword. Yet, with the power of the Sword Control Skill, Xia Wuyang managed to form a Qi Blood Sword using his Qi and Blood Power instead.

While not as powerful as a True Qi Sword, it could still unleash astonishing destructive force when used appropriately.

The Qi Blood Sword was entirely transparent, save for a faint crimson glow along its edge.

"Go!"

The Qi Blood Sword shot out at his command, circling and dancing around the room. In its wake, candle flames flickered and curtains fluttered.

More miraculously, the Qi Blood Sword seemed to possess a Spirituality of its own, capable of changing forms and techniques according to his will.

In a few short hours, Xia Wuyang had already consolidated and adapted to the introductory level of the Sword Control Skill, achieving what had taken Yun Liyue several years of arduous practice.

Moreover, the Qi Blood Sword he wielded seemed to have its own Spirituality, changing techniques at his whim—a feat that even surpassed Yun Liyue’s Sword Control Skill, which was at the Great Success Realm.

Even Elder Qing Yin, who had cultivated the Sword Control Skill to the Realm of Perfection and commanded a Qi Blood Sword of astonishing power, could not match the Spirituality of Xia Wuyang’s blade.

The reason was simple: Xia Wuyang commanded his Qi Blood Sword with Extraordinary Spiritual Power, whereas Yun Liyue and Elder Qing Yin used only ordinary Spiritual Power.

In the days that followed, Xia Wuyang continued his "debauched" lifestyle. As long as his "body could handle it," he would carry Su Ling’er, Hanik’s Heart, Jin Xiuya, and others off to bed.

He would periodically request new Palace Maids from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to enjoy the "taste" of fresh companionship. If not for his body’s limits, it seemed he would want to spend all day and night in bed, savoring one flower-like beauty after another, unwilling to waste a single moment.

His insatiable behavior left the many spies and informants utterly convinced of his decadence.

Just like Liu Yiqing, they were more inclined to suspect Yun Liyue and the so-called "Elder Qing Yin" behind her than to ever suspect Xia Wuyang, the true mastermind.

The days passed without notice. With the dawn of a new day, his Spiritual Power increased by another point.

points!

Although awakening a new Companion Talent still seemed a distant prospect—with no signs of it yet—it was enough to trigger a new epiphany.

Insights rushed in, one after another, like a relentless tide.

The various secrets of the Sword Control Skill... the technique of Sword and Man Unity... the shifting between illusion and reality in Sword Intent Transformation...

His Sword Control Skill, which he had only just begun to learn, started improving at an astonishing rate. Every second of his progress was equivalent to months, or even a year, of an ordinary person’s cultivation.

In a matter of hours, his improvement had already surpassed what Yun Liyue had achieved through several years of arduous practice.

At a certain moment, the longsword before him rose silently into the air, tracing a graceful arc through the Practice Room.

More astonishingly, the sword split into three in mid-air, then the three split into nine, becoming nine streaks of sword light that darted about. In a blur of motion, it became impossible to tell how many swords there truly were.

Light Splitting and Shadow Transformation!

This was the mark of reaching Minor Achievement in the Sword Control Skill. In a single epiphany, he had advanced this Top Level Spirit Technique to the Minor Achievement Realm. Normally, even with his Comprehension and talent, it should have taken him several months of arduous practice.

This single epiphany was worth several months of hard practice.

For an ordinary Martial Artist, this would be the fruit of several, or even dozens of years of practice. Take Yun Liyue, for example—a prodigy whose Talent and Qualification was one in ten thousand. She had practiced the Sword Control Skill arduously for several years just to reach the Minor Achievement Realm, a testament to the difficulty of a Top Level Spirit Technique.

Xia Wuyang, in merely ten days, had matched Yun Liyue’s several years of arduous practice. The astonishing efficiency of his progress went without saying.

Forming a sword-finger, he sent an invisible Qi Blood Sword slicing through the air. It quickly split into nine streaks that circled and slashed downwards, its power now several times greater than before. An ordinary Upper Third Grade Martial Artist would be unable to withstand it.

Finally, the streaks converged, transforming into the shape of a sparrow that scattered specks of brilliant light. It was a peculiar sight, but it possessed considerable destructive force.

"Not bad, not bad at all. As expected of a Top Level Spirit Technique. Even when powered by just Qi and Blood Power, its might is this astonishing."

Xia Wuyang nodded repeatedly, quite pleased with the power of his Sword Control Skill at Minor Achievement. If he were to combine it with the Illusory Shadow Sword Technique, its power would be even more incredible.

He also had the Spiritual Snake Sword, a Middle Level Spiritual Artifact. If he controlled it with the Sword Control Skill in a surprise attack, he might even be able to kill a True Monarch in a single strike.

Unless his opponent raised their Protective True Qi, blocking a long-range sneak attack from the Spiritual Snake Sword would be nearly impossible.

As Xia Wuyang continued to consolidate and adapt to his Sword Control Skill at the Minor Achievement Realm, fireworks began to bloom outside Wenhua Hall. With the Peace Festival drawing near, impatient children inside and outside the Palace would occasionally set off fireworks and firecrackers, adding to the festive atmosphere.

But what no one knew was that deep within Wenhua Hall, inside the Practice Room, a transformation more brilliant than any firework was taking place.

And what no one could have possibly known was that the traitorous Thief Demon, who had robbed the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, had already reached the back mountains of Xuan Nu Palace.