Chapter Fifty-Six: The Sword Aura of Form and Formlessness Birth

No amount of words, no matter how many, can compare to witnessing with one's own eyes and ears—the truth becomes all the more tangible.

Even if Master Su claimed the supremacy of the Sword Path with countless reasons, Shen Lian could not bring himself to believe it, nor could he do anything about it.

Master Su spoke not to alter Shen Lian’s beliefs, but merely to recount his lifelong stance toward the Sword Path: if you do not believe this road leads to the summit, why walk it at all?

Thousands of arts, myriad divine powers, all ultimately seek but one thing—attainment of the Way.

Moonlight gathered slowly in Master Su’s palm, like water pooling in silence.

But it was more than mere moonlight—there appeared a long sword in his hand, pale yellow throughout, resembling fine Hetian jade.

The sword was two feet and seven inches long, flawless from tip to hilt, as if born whole.

Even the guard and handle were exquisitely lifelike, indistinguishable from those forged in the world.

He thrust the sword forward, and the gesture defied description.

A strand of sword energy, fine as a silken thread, shimmered coldly in the void.

The sword's brilliance sped toward Shen Lian—swift, yet within the bounds of his reaction. He drew his sandalwood sword and, with perfect precision, aimed at the incoming ray.

From drawing to striking, the entire motion flowed as mountain streams—utterly natural.

But before the sword energy reached the tip of Shen Lian’s blade, it vanished abruptly, just as its power reached its limit, like an arrow spent that cannot pierce cloth.

Shen Lian found this exceedingly strange. Suddenly, he heard a sizzling sound. Turning, he saw a deep sword mark five feet behind him.

Clearly, this was the handiwork of the vanished sword energy.

“This is called the Sword Qi of Manifest and Unmanifest,” Master Su said lightly. “With your current cultivation, you can barely learn it. In an unexpected moment, it may well save your life one day.”

The sword energy that disappeared—if one were unprepared—would be nearly impossible to defend against.

******

In the martial world, those who could cultivate sword energy were already extraordinary; to master such vanishing sword qi was even harder.

Yet Shen Lian held to a simple truth: real knowledge comes from practice.

If a thousand attempts did not suffice, he would try ten thousand times, unless he discovered he was on the wrong path.

Master Su could summon the Sword Qi of Manifest and Unmanifest with a casual thrust.

Shen Lian, simply by savoring the rhythm of that effortless strike, knew he had hard work ahead.

All sword techniques, no matter how profound, ultimately boil down to: cleave, slash, intercept, lift, thrust, hook, stab, pierce, wipe, sweep, point, collapse, hang, and cloud.

These fourteen maneuvers are the foundation of all sword arts, no matter how varied.

Even if one could send a flying sword to claim a head from a thousand miles away, in battle, the technique would still rely on these fourteen transformations.

The embryonic form of the Sword Qi of Manifest and Unmanifest arises within the body's meridians.

Qi from the dantian travels through specific channels and, through the sword as a medium, finally takes shape.

Moving internal energy and condensing sword qi is the simplest step.

But the Sword Qi of Manifest and Unmanifest passes through no fewer than thirty-five acupoints before its form is complete.

The hardest part lies in the thrust—the decisive stroke, like the finishing touch on a dragon, supremely important.

Though the sword qi seems to vanish, its secret lies in the profound trajectory of the thrust.

Shen Lian, with his current insight, could not grasp the core principle of this trajectory, nor explain it.

He only knew that after mastering the essence of that thrust, the sword energy would enter another space midway and emerge elsewhere.

The mysteries of space are unfathomable; this sword qi already touches upon the secrets of space. For now, Shen Lian need only imitate to apply it.

If other practitioners learned of this, they would not marvel at the sword qi’s power, but would fear the unfathomable depths of the mysterious Master Su.

Just as the formula for nuclear fusion can be taught to middle schoolers, but only those who derive it are revered for their scholarly heights.

Shen Lian had not reached such heights, nor could he understand the true significance of the Sword Qi of Manifest and Unmanifest.

With each thrust, his sword style grew ever simpler.

He mimicked Master Su’s stance perfectly, yet at first, the difference between them was clear, though the angles and speed matched.

Shen Lian followed the trajectory, continuously channeling internal energy.

Again and again, he released sword qi, but could not find the rhythm that let it vanish after emerging.

He was patient; each thrust was not mere imitation. With acute perception, he deeply experienced the subtle differences and changes in the sword qi.

It was a tedious process, impossible to skip.

Just as the greatest scientific achievements require repeated calculations and countless experiments.

Completely immersed in his task, time slipped away.

Apart from eating and drinking, Shen Lian even spared himself sleep.

His spiritual strength was sufficient; he could go long without rest.

He no longer knew how many times he had swung his sandalwood sword, now pitted and worn, battered beyond recognition.

Disheveled and filthy, gone was his former grace; his eyes no longer shone with brilliance.

Yet, naturally and unawares, he thrust into the void. There was no sound of swords, no hint of energy.

Suddenly, Shen Lian felt the sword become a part of him, as if it had its own meridians and shared his flesh and blood.

The sensation was utterly unique.

Flesh nourishes spirit; spirit, in turn, strengthens flesh.

He and his sandalwood sword forged a connection beyond mere man and blade—not simply unity, but a mutual presence, each within the other.

This thrust could hardly be described with mere words; it flowed like clouds and water.

A threadlike sword qi emerged from the tip, appeared abruptly, then vanished. In the distance, dust rose from the yellow earth, revealing a distinct sword mark.

More importantly, all of Shen Lian’s eight extraordinary meridians now ran unobstructed; his internal energy circled swiftly, unimpeded.

He could hear his blood racing within him, like a mighty river, roaring with vigor.

Just as a long-blocked waterway, once cleared, gives rise to an inexpressible sense of delight.

Crisp applause reached Shen Lian’s ears.

“Not only did you master this sword qi in half a month, you also grasped the art of forging,” remarked Master Su, ever elusive.

Shen Lian’s unobstructed meridians and endless internal energy were nothing special in Master Su’s eyes; he had seen prodigies born with all their channels open.

Even mastering the Sword Qi of Manifest and Unmanifest was expected, since he had provided the method—so long as one was diligent, success was assured.

But Shen Lian’s accidental creation of a magical weapon truly surprised him.