The two reached the top of Heavenly Pillar Peak and found a sword fighting platform perfectly flat and squarely shaped.
Ning Lingshuang was dressed in white, her jade-like face as cold as frost, her expression solemn. She brandished the dignified Eight-Service Sword, which measured four feet and three inches long, with a Taiji fish pattern on the hilt and snow-white sword tassels.
She held the sword behind her with her right hand and pinched the formula with her left hand, pointing forward.
"Junior Tie, behold, Shangqing Demon Subduing Skill!"
"Hua!"
As soon as Ning Lingshuang finished speaking, her True Qi burst forth around her! The Divine Light behind her head shone brightly, causing her white clothes to flutter as if she were a celestial being!
Pure Dao Breath and a refined Qi Column surged skyward, swirling in the sky like a blooming white chrysanthemum before falling and transforming into layers of green and white Dao Breath curtains, gathering without dispersing, condensing without diffusing, as if light yet not light, shadow yet not shadow, firmly shielding Ning Lingshuang!
Tie Dan’s eyes immediately became sharp, realizing this move was not simple.
This technique, powering up from the Heavenly Pond Acupoint, gathering True Qi to protect the body, had been used by someone before, known as Yuqing Jade Wall Body Protection Divine Skill. Its defensive power was astounding, and Tie Dan’s sword energy couldn’t cut, pierce, or move through it. It seemed this Shangqing Demon Subduing Skill was similarly extraordinary!
Then Ning Lingshuang twirled her treasure sword into a Sword Flower.
"Hengshan Five Swords Sky Pillar Formation! Heavenly Pillar Star Radiant Sword Technique! Please teach me!"
With a pointed finger and a swing of her sword, Ning Lingshuang flew into the air, riding the wind with her Qi, spiraling around Tie Dan as her sword spun. The fierce sword energy and brilliant sword light scattered from all directions, slashing down swiftly!
This display was indeed beautiful, clearly a standard Mystic Sect Swordsmanship, distinct from the four-sword styles of the old farmer before.
This Heavenly Pillar Sword Technique, rather than a swordsmanship, was closer to a Qi Technique, not rushing close for melee combat but striking at mid-range with sword light and sword energy.
Unlike the Sword Sect, where speed and sharpness prevail, even before reaching the Golden Core Realm one could deal explosive damage; the Heavenly Pillar Sword Technique was a slow-blooming Cultivation Technique, where even sword light couldn’t be emitted before the Golden Core Realm, and output only grew significantly in the mid to late stages with personal cultivation.
As long as the realm kept rising and cultivation power was pure enough, reaching a high level of cultivation, using this Heavenly Pillar Sword attack along with the Shangqing Demon Subduing Skill for defense was unbeatable anywhere. No wonder Ning Lingshuang had no need for fancy escape skills; she had no need for tactics that required close-quarters stepping.
Additionally, with the Demon Subduing Skill protecting her, she was enveloped in a blue-white Qi Ball when flying, maneuvering faster than ordinary Qi Manipulation flight, extremely nimble and flexible. Clearly, Hengshan’s secretive Demon Suppressing Skill differed from the stationary Yuqing Body Protection Skill.
Tie Dan also gathered his energy and spirit, wielding his Mandarin Duck Dual Blades on Hengshan’s Heavenly Pillar Peak to counter the all-encompassing sword light of the Heavenly Pillar Style, experiencing firsthand just how extraordinary it was.
This Heavenly Pillar Peak and its swordsmanship were named after each other, likely serving as the cultivation site for this sword style. Tie Dan observed this isolated mountain amid the clouds and the extraordinary peak, gaining new insights.
The Heavenly Pillar Swordsmanship, appearing simple as if just circling and shooting, likely involved circling the pillar during cultivation, using sword light to practice targeting on the rock pillars. But it was far from simple, for the attacks were not aimless but had method.
Indeed, seeing the sword marks and notches densely covering the cliff of the Heavenly Pillar Peak confirmed it. Though some disciples might carve poorly due to shaky hands, generally, every move and stroke of the sword light’s landing spot had careful calculations, clearly planned precisely by the sect.
If Tie Dan guessed right, the true observation for Heavenly Pillar Swordsmanship was not this peak but the Star Map...
Yes, the celestial movements, the universe’s mysteries.
This set of swordsmanship imitated the celestial stars’ trajectories, transforming them into projected sword techniques, thrusting at star positions, slashing along star trajectories, with every move’s rhythm corresponding to celestial phenomena.
Why?
Though Hengshan merely mimicked the Star Map and couldn’t borrow star power like the Sword Sect, this approach, without sword power enhancement while dedicated to engraving the Star Map, was quite cumbersome and time-consuming, far less straightforward than random hacking and slashing.
Thus Tie Dan could only speculate, perhaps Hengshan had deeper secret techniques based on this sword path’s Star Map, powerful moves unrevealed before the Golden Core Realm.
Or perhaps they were essentially of no use, merely fundamental training.
Yes, it was preparation for a more challenging topic, integrating into daily swordsmanship as basic training.
Because celestial phenomena were a necessary study topic for the Mystic Sect, included in the nine great heavenly books, there was extensive knowledge of celestial alignments. Whether the Mystic Sect’s Five Arts or Qi Techniques and Sword Techniques, all contained studies based on related star maps.
Because the Xuan Nu of those years always observed the stars.
To speak plainly, the Xuan Nu attained the Dao by star observation.
In the starry sky exists the Great Dao...
"Cing!"
A sword thrust came, the mysterious frost spread across the sky, sword light scattered, interrupting Tie Dan’s wandering thoughts, making Ning Lingshuang unhappy,
"Junior, although my skills are insufficient, unable to obtain master’s true inheritance, I have displayed all the Hengshan Daoist Skill I learned right before you! Aren’t you going to show me the true skills of the Sword Sect! Don’t brush me off!"
It was no surprise that Ning Lingshuang was dissatisfied, as Tie Dan had been blocking the entire time, using dual blades to protect himself, deflecting sword energy and diverting sword light with precision counterattacks during the sword exchange intervals, yet failing to even ripple the Shangqing Qi Ball, appearing to dismiss her offhandedly.
Being dismissed by a woman was rather embarrassing. Yet Tie Dan felt helpless because, after exchanging a few moves, he realized he seemed to have been misled by Kun.
Indeed, Tie Dan found his power had significantly diminished.
This time, not only did he fail to expel the Earth Spring’s impurities from his body, but he absorbed even more.
Although after reshaping and tempering, his meridians were no longer blocked, and Daoist energy could flow freely, the truth was True Qi and Earth Spring coiled like a Taiji spiral. This equated to Tie Dan dedicating half his meridians to absorbing Earth Spring, thus theoretically halving his strength.
But in reality, the reduction exceeded losing half his power.
Because the Earth Spring was extremely ’heavy,’ it could only be manipulated and entwined using specific Sword Casting Skills and True Qi; otherwise, it was impossible to control, which required Tie Dan to split his focus during Qi consumption to ’manipulate both Qi and Spring,’ unlike before when he could employ sword energy with ease, a drastic difference.
To draw a comparison, it was akin to wielding a heavy sword single-handedly, struggling to even swing it, as speed decreased and openings became prevalent, making fights extremely challenging.
The final output of sword energy, Dao Power, and the connection between luck, Qi Circulation, pinching the formula, and executing moves: every single action was seriously affected. Sitting still couldn’t reveal this impact, but facing foundation-solid Mystic Sect disciples like Ning Lingshuang in a real setting could reveal the slow Qi Circulation and perpetual lag, making every move constrained, with every step under threat.
Competing now against Mystic Sect people felt dreadful and weak, potentially outmatched even by Demon Palace’s failures...
So this is how blocked meridians and unable to command Qi feels, so weak...
"Junior, with your present skills, you won’t be a match for Jian Jia, let alone step upon the Mountain Gate! How will you ascend the Cloud Platform Peak!"
Ning Lingshuang frowned as she looked at Tie Dan’s currently feeble sword energy that dissipated upon hitting the Qi Wall.
Tie Dan frowned, "Climb the Cloud Platform Peak?"
Who’d return to be anyone’s slave...
Ning Lingshuang,
"Don’t you know? Your Sword Sect’s entrance competition is imminent, and your Sect Leader ordered the Cloud Platform Sword Fighting to be held three years later.
Select True Inheritors among the External Golden Core Realm disciples for the Inner Sect disciples, Ninth Peak disciples.
Among the Internal Nascent Soul Realm disciples, fill vacant positions for the Eighteen Flying Stars.
All Nine Yin Mountain Honzan disciples who reached the realm may participate, but Outer Mountain disciples must first exterminate demons in Kan Country. Those who meet the Tribute standard may ascend the mountain to fight for Inner Sect disciple positions.
Only those who prevail in Cloud Platform Sword Fighting and stand atop the Ninth Peaks are true Sword Sect disciples."
Tie Dan was momentarily dazed, then spoke solemnly,
"If so, why doesn’t senior sister kill me to remove a rival for her?"
Ning Lingshuang laughed,
"Junior, don’t underestimate Jiajia. She is determined to use you as a cutting board to achieve her current swordsmanship.
Only by personally slaying you can she solidify her Daoist Heart. How can I let you die early and disrupt her path?
Fight until the end, then be defeated by her sword, helping her ascend atop the Cloud Platform itself!"
Tie Dan said coldly,
"What if she dies by my sword?"
Ning Lingshuang coldly laughed as well,
"Then I’ll kindly ask you, Fellow Daoist, to act decisively, to relieve her suffering, so when she experiences Soldier Disintegration and reincarnation, she can join Hengshan again under my personal guidance, taking no missteps!"
Ah, that’s the depth of camaraderie the Mystic Sect possesses, so profound...
Ning Lingshuang’s smile was like the ephemeral flash of a flower, vanishing in an instant, as she seriously continued,
"But if Junior only has this much skill, it won’t even count as an obstacle, let alone allow for climbing the Cloud Platform. If you don’t show some real skills, I’ll invite Jiajia here to pass through the tribulation now, so she can focus on preparing for the Cloud Platform Competition."
Tie Dan nodded,
"Since that’s the case, I’ll unleash a finishing move, senior sister, be cautious."
There was little left to say. Ning Lingshuang, with a deep foundation, immense skill, being a Golden Core peak Mystic Sect disciple, with the Shangqing Divine Skill for protection, her defense surely being Nascent Soul Level, made for an ideal target dummy.
Knowing sword energy alone couldn’t break her defenses, Tie Dan opened his mouth, releasing the newly forged sword embryo.

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