The sword pavilion was bustling with activities. Cultivators under the Celestial sword sect were there with the aim of comprehending the spirit sword technique.
Shang Fa and Yao walked across the corridor while observing the potential cultivators.
"A thousand cultivators from the celestial sword sect and beyond come into the sword pavilion and yet, only a few are able to comprehend the technique."
Yao's expression remained unreadable but he keenly stared at the slightly suspended sword phantoms.
These swords were like stars that illuminated the starry sky. Yao said softly. "Let's go in."
They both entered the pavement, completely distancing themselves away from the boundary. Then finally— the reaction that Yao expected.
All gazes snapped towards him.
He immediately became the hot topic.
"He's the new guy."
"Have you heard that he was picked from the sky?"
"Yes, sect master brought him in. Now, he parades like the Ancestor Shang's grandson."
"Can he not be so shameless?"
"I think he wants to attempt comprehension."
"Did he really think that the spirit sword technique is so easy to comprehend? He'd definitely be disappointed."
"What a fool, he's in for a pleasant surprise."
A cold shiver ran down Yao's spine. These people even lack a sense of humor. How can they gossip so loudly?
Clearly, they wanted him to hear it so it should mean that this conversation had been started up on purpose.
Shang Fa pulled Yao and said. "Do not listen to them. Comprehending the spirit sword technique needs a maximum amount of concentration. That's exactly what they want, to get you distracted so that you don't comprehend the technique."
Yao's face squeezed.
"What?"
"Yes. In comprehending the spirit sword technique, three focuses are of great importance. Concentration, spirit energy and lastly, your heart."
Yao's frown deepened.
"My heart?"
"Yes, a deeper level of purity that you must possess by heart. It technically means that you will be tried and must be without fault."
"Is it possible that humans can be without fault?" Yao did not believe that.
Shang Fa laughed.
"Most powerhouses you've seen, like Ancestor Shang or Shang Yi, must have cheated their way through it, so it is obvious that you have to find your own cheat code."
"Cheat code?"
Many things were new and strange to Yao that they made no sense at all. However, he stopped asking questions and headed straight towards the center of the pavilion.
He saw his peers point at him through the corner of his eyes but he ign0red them. Finally reaching that area, he saw three cultivators struggling to comprehend and two more standing— probably waiting for their turn.
So Yao had to wait.
He looked around and noticed that the sword phantoms were swirling about endlessly, so he reached out to it. But the moment he touched a phantom, it dissipated into crystal particles only to reform back to shape in an instant.
'So they are actually just harmless phantoms.' His calm ancient eyes stared deeply at the rotating sword qi. And mysteriously, the third eye started to rotate as well.
The third eye is definitely a huge question mark in Yao's life, not because it gave him exceptional vision and foresight, rather it miraculously comes up with strange techniques. And now, it is helping Yao comprehend the spirit sword technique.
The thing is, to comprehend the spirit sword, one needed to sit down on the available three stone platforms and be surrounded by these sword phantoms. Yao did not know how the people surrounded by it felt, but he did know something and that is—he could comprehend the technique without going through those pathetic processes.
Yao scoffed.
"Concentration, spirit energy and my heart. A cheat code. My cheat code is the third eye. It makes my heart pure. My concentration is stalwart and palpable. My spirit energy is boundless."
Yao's third eye spun rapidly like a wheel.
But then—
"Bro…"
Yao turned towards the source of the voice. Did he forget that he had company?
Yao sighed, realizing that his third eye was starting to slow down in its rotation.
"Tell me."
"Are you willing to stand here for one month? That's probably when these cultivators would either pass or fail."
The other guy snickered.
"Shi Zhao, did you need to inform him? One month isn't very long."
Yao stared deeply at them.
"I don't need to be in there. I could comprehend the spirit sword technique from this point."
Lan Meng gasped.
Shi Zhao sneered. "You overestimate yourself. You're looking to be beaten."
Yao ignored them, focusing on his third eye which resumed its rotation pace.
Lan Meng stared at Yao and then back at Shi Zhao.
"He's actually serious?"
Shi Zhao sighed. "Just leave him alone. He'd realize it very soon! He's only a True Qi and those in this cultivation realm don't have enough core capacity to store up spirit energy, not to talk of comprehending it with only a single phantom of the spirit sword. He's not serio—"
Shi Zhao's eyes widened suddenly seeing Yao manifesting something that looked like the spirit sword, although not peculiar enough to the original.
Lan Meng was rendered speechless.
"He actually did—"
But then, they watched Yao destroy the spirit sword phantom he had manifested.
Yao's sense of self was already far away from his body as he was surrounded by millions of spirit sword intents. These ones weren't phantoms rather, Yao's intention so it didn't mimic the original which is why he had destroyed the first one immediately after he had manifested it.
"Originality, intents, phantoms."
"What fuses the three?"
"Spirit energy? My heart? My Will?"
Yao knew that he would create something entirely different from what he is attempting so he decided not to go overboard.
"Spirit energy and my pure heart."
Yao looked like he was questioning himself.
"But is my heart pure?"
"My desires, my longing and my intentions they all center on one important actualization— and that is to become stronger."
For now, Yao did not even need his cheat code because he was already pure at heart.
Shi Zhao and Lan Meng curiously watched Yao and in the next moment, three white golden circles materialized behind Yao and a lot of spirit sword intents appeared— this time, the real deal.
"He actually comprehended the spirit sword art."
Yào opened his eyes and stared deeply at the two. Finally he smiled. "I knew I could do it." And just like that, he walked out right after the sword intents dissolved back into his body.
Lan Meng turned towards Shi Zhao and said.
"I've seen someone I can follow. I'm sure he has ways to comprehend techniques and would teach it to me if I remain loyal."
Shi Zhao laughed. "Let me get this straight, so you want to follow a stage one True Qi expert despite being an Advanced True Qi expert. Dude, you've cleared 8 acupoints, making that 8 meridians. That kid only opened three."
Lan Meng seems to hesitate.
Shi Zhao laughed even more. "Be serious bro. Do not make that mistake!"
However, even Shi Zhao could not help but view Yao differently from other cultivators.
***
Yao returned back to Shang Fa.
"I'm done."
Shang Fa's eyes widened. "You have to comprehend the technique. Or you couldn't do it?"
Shang Fa seemed to be disappointed, however Yao said calmly. "I have."
And then, three white golden circles materialized behind him, accompanied by countless spirit sword intents.
At this moment, countless gazes shifted.