I Can Replicate Martial Arts

With a Sword Pointing gesture, he shot forward, closing in on a disciple as she withdrew her attack and unleashing a barrage of his own.

The disciples had already begun to retract their techniques, but when they saw Zhao Rui suddenly attack, they were forced to shift their positions and re-form the array to support their sister.

The situation instantly became Zhao Rui chasing down the entire formation by himself.

The middle-aged woman frowned slightly. She knew her junior sisters were beginners and couldn’t yet wield the formation with perfect ease.

’If this keeps up, they’re bound to show an opening.’

She immediately sprang into the air, sending a palm strike down toward Zhao Rui.

Before she even arrived, her Palm Force had already reached him.

A dense True Qi, like dark clouds gathering overhead, surged toward Zhao Rui.

Zhao Rui’s heart jumped. He hadn’t expected this middle-aged woman to be in the Grandmaster Realm.

And not just at the Initial Tier of the True Essence Realm, either.

He instantly shot backward, unleashing a continuous barrage of Piercing Palm Force. At the same time, he secretly channeled the Seven-Star Divine Palm, and just as she arrived, he struck out with a thunderous palm.

Their palms met, and a wave of Force radiated outward.

The surrounding Emei Disciples’ robes billowed violently, and their expressions changed dramatically.

"Seven-Star Palm Force?"

The middle-aged woman, Xuan Si, felt a tremendous force surge from her palm, one that actually neutralized her Buddha’s Light Illuminating Palm Power.

"Stop! I’ll take you to see the Master!"

Using the force of the impact, she flipped through the air and landed gracefully on the ground.

she said, her expression serious.

’I’ve seen right through these fake nuns,’ Zhao Rui thought. ’They really know how to put on airs.’

’Whatever. I should take care of my real business first.’

Unwilling to say more, he tacitly agreed to stop fighting.

Soon, the middle-aged woman took the lead, guiding Zhao Rui along the mountain path and into the Emei Sword Sect’s grounds.

This was Zhao Rui’s second visit to the Emei Sword Sect.

The first time, however, had been a bit less dignified—he’d been dragged in by the scruff of his neck.

After many twists and turns, the two finally arrived at a remote and tranquil spot. It was nestled by a mountain and near water, with a dense bamboo forest.

A mountain spring flowed down from the peak, winding through the bamboo forest before pooling into a clear pond.

Two interconnected thatched huts stood by the pond’s edge.

"Martial Aunt, I’ve brought him."

The middle-aged woman said respectfully, bowing toward the hut.

"Hmph. Come in."

A deep, rather stern female voice came from inside the hut.

Upon hearing the voice, the middle-aged woman led Zhao Rui inside.

The hut’s interior was virtually bare, its sparseness appalling.

In the center of the hut, a figure in a nun’s robes sat cross-legged with her back to the entrance.

’Judging by her figure and shaved head, who else could it be but Nun Lejing!’

"Why have you come to see me?"

The Master heard them enter and asked the question without waiting for Zhao Rui to offer a greeting.

"I’ve found someone who uses the same techniques as that person from the valley. He’s in Sichuan Province!"

Unwilling to linger, Zhao Rui got straight to the point.

"What did you say?"

Liao Jing’s eyes snapped open. She spun around and fixed her gaze on Zhao Rui.

Unafraid of her oppressive gaze, Zhao Rui calmly nodded.

He then briefly recounted what had happened and gave her the address.

After listening to Zhao Rui, Liao Jing’s slightly graying brows knitted together. She slowly raised her right hand and waved him away dismissively. "Fine. I understand."

The gesture was clearly one of dismissal.

Zhao Rui was stunned. ’That’s it?’

’I came all this way to deliver a message, and this is how you treat a guest?’

’Forget about sending a dozen female disciples to show me around the mountain and splash in the streams, shouldn’t you at least teach me some profound Martial Arts?’

’At the very least, you could reimburse my travel expenses, right?’

Zhao Rui wasn’t one to be shy. He immediately said, "Master, I came all this way to deliver this news. Isn’t there some token of appreciation?"

Hearing his words, a flash of displeasure crossed Nun Lejing’s eyes. "What kind of token are you looking for?" she asked coldly.

Seeing that she had taken the bait, Zhao Rui revealed a faint smile. "I’m just doing my part to uphold justice. It’s not my intention to ask for anything else."

"Speak!"

Liao Jing said impatiently.

"I would like to go and meditate before the plaque at the entrance to the Emei Sect."

"That’s not too much to ask, is it?"

Zhao Rui said.

After hearing his request, Nun Lejing was taken aback for a moment, then she sized him up.

As she looked, her brow furrowed.

"You’ve already reached the Grandmaster Realm?"

"Just a stroke of luck. It’s all thanks to my coach’s excellent teaching!"

Zhao Rui immediately gave all the credit to Wang Zhanshan.

Nun Lejing pondered for a moment before nodding. "Fine, you may go. Xuan Si, take him there. Once he is finished with his meditation, send him down the mountain."

"Yes, Martial Aunt!"

Xuan Si pressed her palms together in acknowledgment and led Zhao Rui away from the small hut.

Half an hour later, at the Emei Sect’s gate plaque on the summit of the main peak, a person sat cross-legged in meditation, positioned right up against the old, weathered sign.

His bright eyes were fixed on the calligraphy of the character for "sword" on the plaque, as if he wanted to devour it whole.

This person was, of course, Zhao Rui.

’What Martial Arts could be more worthwhile than coming here to comprehend Sword Intent?’

’For various reasons, I failed to copy it last time.’

’Now that I’ve reached the Grandmaster Realm, my perception of the residual Sword Intent is surely much sharper. On top of that, after learning both the Charm Immortal Technique and the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique, the boost to my Divine Soul is significant.’

So, Zhao Rui had decided to give it another try.

’The system is still saying the information is incomplete. Am I really going to waste this chance?’

He sat cross-legged, staring for what felt like half a day, but the system’s prompt remained unchanged: Copying failed.

Zhao Rui’s brow furrowed slightly.

’Am I really going to waste this golden opportunity?’

Just then, he remembered what he had done when he copied the Mirage Finger.

He immediately began to slowly channel the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique, directing it toward the Sword Intent radiating from the character for "sword."

In an instant, a sharp, war-like consciousness, like the clash of halberds, surged into his mind, threatening to split it apart.

Zhao Rui’s sea of consciousness wavered.

’What powerful Sword Intent!’

’I never thought the Sword Intent would react so strongly. It’s been here for hundreds of years, but it’s still so tough.’

So, Zhao Rui began to carefully manipulate his Illusory Sound True Qi, slowly stimulating the "sword" character on the plaque.

Not to be outdone, the character on the plaque suddenly responded.

[Detectable Martial Arts type found: Sword Intent. Copy?]

’Copy!’

Zhao Rui was overjoyed. ’I can’t believe that actually worked!’

He quickly endured the risk of his mind being overwhelmed by the Sword Intent and began copying it, bit by bit.

’Now that the copy has started, I can’t stop. Otherwise, who knows when an opportunity like this will come again?’

[Copying progress: 20%...]

[Copying progress: 30%...]

[Copying progress: 40%...]

While Zhao Rui was completely focused on copying the Sword Intent, the Guest Monk at the gate turned to Xuan Si of the Emei Sword Sect and spoke.

"This patron lacks talent. He hasn’t comprehended even a trace of the Sword Intent. I’m afraid his efforts are in vain."

"Senior Brother, it seems Martial Aunt dislikes him. After he leaves the mountain this time, do not allow him to return for this purpose," Xuan Si replied.

"Amitabha Buddha. I shall do as Junior Sister says."

The Monk placed his palms together, his words sounding merciful but holding no true intention of benevolence.

Time passed, the afterglow of sunset giving way to a sky full of stars.

Zhao Rui was still copying.

After all, the Sword Intent was ancient. Copying even a fraction of it was incredibly laborious, to say nothing of having to constantly and subtly stimulate it with the Heavenly Demon Technique.

[Copying progress: 80%!]

[Copying progress: 90%!]

[Copying progress: 99%!]

Zhao Rui took a deep breath, his heart pounding like a drum as he waited for the system’s notification.

[Copying progress: 100%. One Advancement Point gained!]

Finally, the system notification for a successful copy chimed in Zhao Rui’s mind.

Zhao Rui raised an eyebrow, an involuntary smile spreading across his face.

’Success!’

He eagerly began to process the new insights about Sword Intent that had appeared in his mind.

A moment later, an invisible Sword Intent surged forth from his body.

At first, the Sword Intent was faint, almost imperceptible, but it quickly solidified.

The so-called Sword Intent was the materialization of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, triggered when a Martial Artist’s spirit merged with their sword, reaching a state of ultimate purity.

Examples included Extreme Sword Intent, Heartless Sword Intent, Carefree Sword Intent, and Slaughter Sword Intent.

The attribute of the Sword Intent that Zhao Rui had just comprehended, however, was Nirvana Sword Intent.

As the name suggested, it embodied the concept of rebirth through Nirvana.

The greatest advantages of this Sword Intent were its ability to take a beating and its sheer shamelessness.

No matter how powerful the opposing Sword Intent or how great the suppression from a higher Realm, a single spark was all it needed to be reborn through Nirvana.

It was the very definition of a clingy, persistent attribute.