Chapter 2: Spiritual Energy

"Xiaoxue." The old man gently called out to the somewhat dazed young girl. ... The earlier invisible sword energy, considering the body height of the bodyguard, struck at his chest, but from Xiaoxue's height, it was aimed at her throat

Ling Yun slightly furrowed his brows. He was a solitary cultivator who, by chance, obtained the swordsmanship technique of the Nine-Nine Supreme Sword Qi, which is practiced by sword immortals. Relying on his exceptional talent and dedicating himself to arduous training for twenty years, he achieved his current accomplishments

Crossing the universe? Ling Yun's eyes brightened, as if he had caught a glimpse of hope once again

Ling Yun's expression momentarily froze; the foremost expert in the cultivation world had already conceded before the competition had even begun. How could this be possible? He scrutinized the elder Dong Li before him, attempting to discern something from his eyes, wondering if there was some hidden reason for his unwillingness to engage in battle.

She wants to kill me

Ling Yun, he is different from us! As a pure sword cultivator, the sword path in his heart transcends everything. Power, wealth, and beauty? In his eyes, they are merely fleeting illusions. The pinnacle of the sword path is his lifelong pursuit. Beyond that, he looks down upon everything!

Ling Yun glanced at the girl being taken away by Sister Yun. Such a girl posed no threat to him at all. Since the old man was pleading for her, he decided not to hold a grudge against a little girl, and thus nodded.

The elder reflected on all the evaluations made by the martial artists who had been challenged by Lingyun.

Please

He nodded slightly, and Dong Li immediately let out a sigh of relief

Ling Yun, what you have learned at this moment has reached the pinnacle of martial arts. Even if I were willing to engage in a battle with you, it would not have much significance for your path in martial arts

Ling Yun frowned slightly, and his shoulders and arms trembled slightly. The old man, who had been observing his movements, suddenly changed his expression and hurriedly said: "Ling Yun, could you do me a favor and not hold a grudge against Xiao Xue today?" As he spoke, he quickly signaled to Sister Yun to pull Xiao Xue inside.

However, this point is clearly something Dong Li would not disclose to Ling Yun, who is wholeheartedly devoted to the study of swordsmanship. Otherwise, with a mindset of leaving no future troubles, whether Xiao Xue can survive to see the sun of tomorrow is undoubtedly uncertain. If Ling Yun wishes to kill someone, even if Dong Li provides comprehensive protection, it may not guarantee their safety.

Based on the strong individuals who have challenged their way through with Ling Yun and his performance in battles against others, the elder could not help but feel a sense of the latecomers pushing the frontiers, akin to the waves of the Yangtze River. Three days ago, upon hearing of Ling Yun's visit, his mind, which had been calm for several years, was suddenly thrown into chaos. He found himself unable to engage in battle at that moment and had to delay for several days, hoping that Ling Yun would vaguely understand his reluctance to fight and thus retreat. However, due to the arrival of Xiao Xue, a conflict arose with Ling Yun, escalating to the point of drawing weapons against each other. In order to ensure the safety of the daughter of the nation's leader, he had no choice but to step forward to intervene.

Records indicate that during the Third World War, under the relentless bombardment of nuclear weapons from various nations, the entire Earth was left in ruins, the atmosphere shattered, and spiritual energy dissipated. There was no longer any spiritual energy available between heaven and earth. Over time, cultivators gradually regressed in their cultivation, their lifespans exhausted, leading to the decline of their vitality. To this day, the innate Great Completion has become the highest level of cultivation attainable on Earth.

A powerful shout, resonating with full vigor, suddenly emanated from behind the courtyard of the Donghe Tushujia family, akin to the thunderous roar of a storm from the heavens above

Stop, stop!

The old man smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The sea accommodates all rivers, yet the paths diverge. Your current cultivation has reached a realm where you have integrated the strengths of countless schools, with each move and technique appearing as if it were born of nature, flawless and impeccable. In this state, there is no one in the world today who can surpass you. Although we of the Eastern Li are renowned as the foremost masters in the realm of cultivation, and have achieved considerable success, we find ourselves lacking when compared to your extraordinary ability to transform the mundane into the miraculous. Therefore..."

I shook my head not for this. The old man spoke with a hint of regret in his tone: "Our family, after all, is an ancient lineage that has been passed down for over a thousand years. We have gleaned a glimpse of the glory of our predecessors through the words and lines. The Sword Immortal did indeed exist over a thousand years ago, and even our family’s records contain references to it..."

The old man waved his hand, signaling that Yun Jie need not say more. He glanced at the bodyguard lying in a pool of blood, gasping for breath, and then at Ling Yun, who had drawn his sword and appeared calm. Finally, his gaze settled on the somewhat dazed Xiao Xue.

Although he had achieved remarkable success, being hailed as the best in the world, he was surprisingly ignorant of some fundamental knowledge in the cultivation realm. He had thought that by diligently practicing the cultivation method of the Nine-Nine Upper Profound Sword Qi, he would eventually reach the realm of Nine-Nine Returning to Truth, where a single sword could break through the void. Even though he had struggled for three years without a breakthrough, he assumed it was merely a natural bottleneck. However, upon hearing Dong Li's explanation today, he realized that it was actually due to the depletion of spiritual energy on Earth.

"Using Qi to control the sword, using intention to control the sword..." Dong Li pondered these eight characters for a moment, but ultimately shook his head

"You attempt to challenge the powerful figures in various realms and literature to break through your own limits; this method was only applicable in the past. In the current environment where spiritual energy is completely absent on Earth, this approach is utterly ineffective." At this point, the elder sighed helplessly: "Alas, if it were not for this, we old men would not have spent our entire lives in the innate great completion realm. To achieve a breakthrough, we must wait countless years until the development of technology capable of traversing the universe, allowing us to cultivate on those planets rich in spiritual energy..." The elder sighed helplessly again: "Alas, if it were not for this, we old men would not have spent our entire lives in the innate great completion realm. To achieve a breakthrough, we must wait countless years until the development of technology capable of traversing the universe, allowing us to cultivate on those planets rich in spiritual energy..."

"Not quite." Ling Yun shook his head, his expression flashing with a light that only those who are deeply passionate about martial arts could comprehend: "There are countless masters in the world. According to ancient texts I have obtained, over a thousand years ago, there were individuals who could control swords with their qi, wield swords with their intent, flying through the skies and traversing the earth, their power boundless. With a single sword strike, mountains would crumble and the earth would split, rivers would flow backward. Even more astonishing were those who made the sword their soul, their intent their spirit, merging soul and spirit to condense the sword's essence. As long as the sword exists, so does the person, achieving immortality. Ultimately, the sword would break through the void, ascending to achieve eternity! Compared to those ancient powerhouses, my meager skills are likely not worthy of their attention."

The threat of death is, in fact, so close.

Indeed, Xiaoxue cannot pose any threat to Lingyun, but let us not forget her identity—she is the daughter of the head of state. If such a woman truly intends to kill someone, the amount of energy she could mobilize would be immense

The name Lingyun had already spread among the older generation several years ago. Such an extraordinarily talented individual, possessing such mysterious and unfathomable abilities, could not be overlooked even if they tried to ignore it

Ling Yun remains silent.

I believe that Xiaoxue must have spoken in a moment of anger. You know, she is still young, and her tone inevitably comes off as somewhat impulsive. Moreover, with your skills, in this vast world, who could possibly hold you back

A killer, one who speaks and acts. It does not matter whether you are a beauty, the daughter of a head of state, or what terrifying background you may have.

At the moment when both sides fell into silence, the stunned Xiaoxue finally came to her senses and let out an extremely high-pitched scream, shouting frantically: "Ah! You dare to lay a hand on me, you dare to kill me, kill my bodyguard, you actually dare to kill my bodyguard and still want to kill me, I will kill you, I will kill you..."

The Earth is devoid of spiritual energy

Immediately thereafter, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful appearance gracefully emerged from the courtyard, his form seemingly unburdened by gravity as he floated through the air. With a few light steps beneath him, he had traversed nearly fifty meters and landed lightly before the crowd.

The Grand Elder is universally recognized as the foremost expert in the realm of cultivation, possessing skills that are truly earth-shattering, having integrated the teachings of various schools to become a master. If I could be fortunate enough to receive a few pointers from the Elder, it would surpass a decade of solitary effort in seclusion. I sincerely hope for your support.

Upon seeing the old man, Sister Yun immediately felt a sense of relief and let out a sigh, quickly stepping forward to say: "Great Elder..."

In this way, how can my insignificant tricks be worthy of the title 'Pinnacle' bestowed by the Grand Elder

The rumors from the outside world suggest that the tales of the Sword Immortal are merely the fantasies of mortals, could it be that the Grand Elder believes this as well

Thank you, Elder, for your teachings today. Lingyun takes his leave

The daughter of the head of state, if any misfortune were to befall their family, even though they are the foremost among the four ancient martial families, they would find it difficult to bear the blame that would come their way

Dong Li understood what he was thinking and said with a bitter smile: "Considering the current development trend of our Earth, it will take at least five to six hundred years to reach a cosmic civilization. In five to six hundred years, how could a mere innate great master possibly survive for such a long time?"

Indeed. Those who are inherently inclined towards the Great Vehicle seek to transcend this realm and transform their vital energy into spirit, must rely on spiritual essence as a guide. Only with a rich abundance of spiritual essence can one gather energy to transform into spirit, thereby condensing one's personal primordial spirit

The Nine-Nine Upper Mystical Sword Qi he cultivated, upon reaching the Qi Refinement stage, did not subsequently transform into spirit, but rather condensed into the essence of the sword. ... Within his body, he cultivated a sword soul capable of embodying everything ... ... Although the technique is unique, if.

The old man seemed to perceive his inner thoughts, gently sighing and shaking his head: "I am not unwell, nor am I under any threat. I have watched your matches against the elders of the Xuanyuan and Nan families. Although I, from Dongli, do not dare to claim to be well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, I can certainly be considered learned. The Nine-Nine Upper Xuan Sword Qi is undoubtedly invincible, capable of destroying anything, and is the pinnacle of sword techniques in this era. As long as you wield a sword, there will be no one in the world who can compete with you... I, from Dongli, do not dare to claim to be well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, yet I can certainly be considered learned. The Nine-Nine Upper Xuan Sword Qi is undoubtedly invincible, capable of destroying anything, and is the pinnacle of sword techniques in this era. As long as you wield a sword, there will be no one in the world who can compete with you..."

In today's era of advanced technology, it is truly astonishing that there are still young people so passionate about ancient martial arts...! Especially since this young person is a genius, an undeniable genius

Ling Yun slightly performed a standard martial arts salute to the elder and spoke: "I have long heard that the Grand Elder of the Dong family possesses astonishing cultivation, having reached the realm of innate great completion. Wherever Ling Yun has traveled, martial artists have held the Grand Elder in the highest esteem, truly deserving of the title of the greatest expert in the Central Plains. This evening, I am bold to request that you, esteemed elder, take action to impart your teachings, so that I may verify the inadequacies of my learning."