Chapter 13: Sect Master's Decree!
After Duanmu Qingshan passed down the Starshatter Sword Technique to Ling Feng, Ling Feng's daily life began to get busy.
Every morning, Ling Feng gathered morning dew for his master, prepared medicinal herbs, and proceeded to practice Starshatter Sword Technique and Cloud-Chasing Steps . As for the inferior technique Black Wind Claw , Ling Feng simply discarded it.
To facilitate Ling Feng's sword practice, Duanmu Qingshan specially gifted him a three-foot Qingfeng Sword. Although it was an ordinary sword not reaching the level of a high-grade weapon, its blade shimmered with a chilling radiance, and its sword qi resembled frost.
To the common observer, it was indeed a sword of exceptional rarity.
In the evening, Ling Feng skillfully utilized the brief period of thirty breaths to engage in cultivation and enhance his skills.
In just a blink of an eye, five days had passed, and it appeared that the individuals from Feixing Peak had developed a genuine fear of Duanmu Qingshan. Consequently, there were no further attempts to disturb Ling Feng.
"Master said mastering the Starshatter Sword Technique proficiently within a month would be considered exceptional insight!"
In the courtyard, Ling Feng stood still after stowing his sword, slowly releasing a breath.
By using the Heavenly Dao Eye's ability replicate martial techniques , Ling Feng had mastered the Starshatter Sword Technique completely by the third day. As of today, he had even progressed to the stage where he could release sword qi directly from the blade.
This marks the entry level stage as explained by Duanmu Qingshan.
If becoming proficient in a month is deemed a mark of genius, what then can be said of Ling Feng, who achieved mastery in just five days?
Furthermore, following these days of dedicated cultivation, Ling Feng's inner cultivation of true qi experienced yet another breakthrough, ascending to the level of the fourth stage of Qi Formation!
At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind.
Hearing the gulping sound of Duanmu Qingshan drinking, Ling Feng turned around and respectfully bowed to him, saying, "Master."
"Yes." Duanmu Qingshan nodded slightly, expressing his satisfaction with this disciple.
Extremely satisfied!
Without the need for reminders, Ling Feng diligently engages in daily martial arts practice, dedicating himself from dawn till dusk. Additionally, he initiatively prepares and brews his own medicine.
A disciple like this is absolutely rare to find, even if you search with a lantern[1]!
Duanmu Qingshan's eyelids twitched suddenly, a trace of astonishment flickering in his eyes. "You... have you achieved another breakthrough?"
Ling Feng lightly touched his nose bridge and remarked, "I got lucky."
"Lucky?" Duanmu Qingshan shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing.
If breaking through from Qi Formation first level to Qi Formation third level in the past few days was considered lucky, is it still a stroke of luck to achieve another breakthrough in just five days?
It's crucial to understand that after reaching the third level of Qi Formation, one enters the mid-stage, and breaking through is not as straightforward as it was in the early stages. Even disciples with above-average aptitude might require several months or even one to two years to achieve a breakthrough.
And Ling Feng, isn't his aptitude considered mediocre?
With this in mind, Duanmu Qingshan approached Ling Feng, placing his hand on Ling Feng's right wrist. A surge of true qi flowed into Ling Feng's body.
"Indeed, it's the fourth level of Qi Formation!" Duanmu Qingshan's eyes flashed with a hint of joy, but then widened in surprise.
"Your... " Duanmu Qingshan stared directly at Ling Feng. "Have you already mastered the Starshatter Sword Technique?"
"Luck, just luck." Ling Feng wiped off a bead of sweat from his forehead, realizing that mastering a martial technique was a simple feat with the ability of the Heavenly Dao Eye.
If only Duanmu Qingshan had showcased the entire sword technique in front of him that day, he could have grasped the basics right then and there!
"Prodigy!"
Duanmu Qingshan remained silent for a while before finally uttering those words.
Duanmu Qingshan, renowned as a prodigy in the realm of swordsmanship, dedicated twenty days to master the Starshatter Sword Technique during his initial training.
While Ling Feng achieved the same mastery in just five days!
"Let me see your Starshatter sword qi," Duanmu Qingshan said solemnly.
Ling Feng nodded subtly, drawing his sword and unsheathing it!
Clang!
The sword light shimmered, tracing a fleeting line of icy radiance.
Fast! Fierce! Precise!
With swift and precise movements, a moon-white sword qi cut through the air, leaving ten luminous trails, etching cracks on the ground to form an almost perfect "star" symbol!
"You've not only mastered the fundamentals but are close to achieving novice proficiency!"
Duanmu Qingshan took a deep breath; he knew that this time he had struck gold.
Yang Wei and Li Liang mistakenly believed that Ling Feng was a castoff, but not only was he far from being a waste, he was also a prodigious and exceptional talent!
"Hahaha!" Duanmu Qingshan laughed heartily. "Initially, I taught you swordsmanship partly in gratitude for healing me. However, now I believe you can become my successor, Ling Feng! Your future achievements may even surpass mine!"
Receiving such high praise from Duanmu Qingshan, Ling Feng couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Biting his lip, he humbly responded, "Master, your words are overly generous."
"Hmph! No need to be humble, you're my successor after all. Follow me!"
Duanmu Qingshan spoke as he patted Ling Feng's shoulder, then seized his wrist, guiding him towards the house.
In a short while, Duanmu Qingshan led Ling Feng to his dwelling. There, he began rummaging through chests and cabinets in search of something. After an extended search, he finally retrieved a dusty token from beneath the bed.
"As my disciple, you hold the same seniority as Sect Master Lin Canglang. Thus, within the inner sect, feel free to be audacious and assertive! With this token, you have unrestricted access to any forbidden areas or treasure vaults within the Wenxian Sect!"
Ling Feng took the token, and on it was inscribed the character Xian . The material was unknown, but as he held it in his hand, a slight chill emanated from it.
"What is this?"
"This is the Sect Leader's Token," Duanmu Qingshan remarked as he lightly shrugged his shoulders. "After I dealt with my Junior Brother, the previous sect leader, this ended up in my hands."
Ling Feng gulped. His master was undeniably truly formidable—fierce, to be exact!
"Unfortunately, despite eliminating the previous sect leader at that time, he, along with his disciples, including the current sect leader Lin Canglang, as well as Yang Wei and Li Liang, jointly deployed a powerful sealing array. It trapped me within Little Bamboo Peak, preventing me from taking a single step outside."
Ling Feng sniffed, realizing that his master had been confined to Little Bamboo Peak. This explained why Yang Wei and the others resorted to despicable means against Duanmu Qingshan's disciples, and he had endured it all along.
"Master, since the previous sect leader was your junior brother, why did you kill him?" Ling Feng hesitated for a moment before asking.
Is it possible that their rivalry for the sect leader position led to discord between them?
"Kill him? I even wanted to dig up the graves of his ancestors eighteen generations back!" Duanmu Qingshan's eyes flashed with intense hatred.
"That old scoundrel coveted the supreme sword technique on my wife, poisoned her, and left my only daughter critically injured, on the brink of death!"
With his eyes ablaze and fists tightly clenched, Duanmu Qingshan questioned, "Tell me, should creatures like them, worse than beasts, be allowed to live?"
"Despicable! They deserve to be torn into a thousand pieces!" Ling Feng nodded heavily, realizing the profound enmity his master harbored.
"Trapped in this location and harboring a hidden sword qi injury within, my strength has not only stagnated over the years but also shown signs of regression. I once thought that the remainder of my life would be spent aging and meeting my end here."
Duanmu Qingshan tightened his fist, then redirected the conversation, fixing his gaze on Ling Feng. In a profound tone, he said, "Your appearance, however, has given me hope!"
1. even if you put in a lot of effort in searching, it's impossible to find it ☜