Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Time quietly passed.

In the blink of an eye, Ling Fei had already been in secluded cultivation for half a month.

His progress in the Sword Dao was already taking shape.

Furthermore, his cultivation was gradually growing stronger, showing signs that he was about to break through to the Ninth Layer Body Tempering Perfection Realm.

One day, a voice called out from outside the Cold Cave.

It seemed he had visitors.

Only then did Ling Fei emerge from his seclusion.

Outside, Shangguan Qingmu, Shangguan Yurou, and Huang Xiaoman had been waiting for a long time.

In addition to them, Shangguan Hong was also there.

"Ling Fei!"

"Young Master Ling." Seeing Ling Fei walk out of the Cold Cave, the group immediately sized him up with curiosity.

"Lord Shangguan!" Ling Fei greeted everyone in return.

Afterward, they all went to a nearby sitting room.

Once they had gathered, they inevitably began asking about Ling Fei's cultivation progress.

"I've now entered the Late Stage of Body Tempering Ninth Layer Realm," Ling Fei said with a smile.

"You've already reached the Late Stage of Body Tempering Ninth Layer? Not bad!" Shangguan Hong nodded slightly after hearing Ling Fei's words.

It had only been half a month, yet he had already reached the Late Stage of the Ninth Layer. Such a cultivation speed was nothing short of astonishing!

"That speed is indeed fast, but Young Master Ling, you can't afford to slack off. Liu Ming, Pang Fei, and the others are in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Innate Realm," Shangguan Yurou said, blinking her long eyelashes. Ever since Ling Fei's arrival, the competition in the Genius Class had clearly become more intense.

That was why even people like Pang Fei had begun to train frantically.

"Don't worry, Miss Yurou. I certainly won't fall behind," Ling Fei replied with a smile.

Now that he had the Cold Qi Primordial Vein, he was full of confidence in his Cultivation Dao.

"Have you made any progress in comprehending the Celestial River Sword Technique?" Shangguan Yurou asked, blinking her beautiful eyes.

"I've begun to comprehend it," Ling Fei said with a smile.

"Oh? Any success?" Shangguan Yurou's face was full of curiosity.

"I've had some minor insights!" Ling Fei smiled.

"How about we spar a little?" Shangguan Yurou suggested enthusiastically.

"Alright, I was just thinking the same thing!" Ling Fei mused for a moment, then stood up.

Having just begun his Sword Enlightenment, he was looking for someone to test his progress against. Having Shangguan Yurou as a sparring partner couldn't be better.

After all, Shangguan Yurou came from a Swordsmanship Family and had comprehended Sword Momentum herself.

Only someone like her could truly test what Ling Fei had learned.

With that, the two went to an open area.

Ling Fei drew his sword, as did Shangguan Yurou.

As they faced each other, a palpable Sword Momentum began to spread.

"Watch closely. This move is called Celestial Spirit Shocking Swan!" Shangguan Yurou's gaze sharpened as her jade-like hand thrust her sword fiercely toward Ling Fei.

SWISH!

The thrust was incredibly sharp, like a long rainbow or a Celestial Spirit Divine Sword, threatening to pierce through everything.

The sword moved with extreme speed, carrying a sharp Sword Momentum that swept toward Ling Fei.

The Sword Momentum was like a tidal wave crashing down, making it hard for him to breathe. It was also like a Gang Blade trying to invade his soul and shock his Heart Spirit.

'This Sword Momentum...' Ling Fei's heart stirred as he felt its power.

Then, with a flash in his eyes, he also made his move.

Cloud-Piercing Crane!

Ling Fei's sword struck from bottom to top, as if piercing through clouds to strike a crane in the sky.

CLANG!

His Long Sword struck Shangguan Yurou's blade.

A crisp sound rang out.

Even though her sword was hit, Shangguan Yurou's expression didn't change. It was as if she had intentionally let Ling Fei's sword strike hers.

With a flicker in her eyes, Shangguan Yurou's Sword Momentum condensed, pressing down like a mountain.

Instantly, Ling Fei felt his sword being crushed, completely unable to budge her Long Sword in the slightest.

His wrist trembled, and his sword was about to fall.

Originally, he could have circulated his Cold Qi to dissolve her Power.

However, Ling Fei did not do so.

'The Cold Qi is my trump card.'

Besides, this was a sword-fighting spar. If he used his Cold Qi, it would defeat the purpose of the exchange.

Only by sparring with the Sword Dao alone could he discover his own shortcomings.

After that one move, Shangguan Yurou withdrew her Sword Momentum.

Ling Fei regained his footing.

'Miss Yurou's control over Sword Momentum has long since reached a state of mastery,' Ling Fei thought, his eyes flashing. He looked at Shangguan Yurou with newfound respect.

The girl before him was far from being as delicate as her beautiful face suggested.

Her fourth-place ranking on the People's List was well-deserved!

"I'm attacking again," Shangguan Yurou said once Ling Fei had regulated his breathing, and she struck out with her sword once more.

This time, her Long Sword moved erratically, like a Spiritual Snake.

Ling Fei hurriedly parried.

...

In one exchange after another, Ling Fei was in a sorry state at first.

Later, by relying on his immense Power and that sharp edge, Ling Fei gradually stabilized his footing, and his use of the sword became more skillful.

An hour later, the spar came to an end.

Ling Fei was drenched in sweat.

"Not bad. You now have a preliminary understanding of Sword Momentum, but your application of it is still not skillful enough," Shangguan Yurou said with a smile as she sheathed her sword.

She had sparred with Ling Fei back in Longtan Town.

At that time, Ling Fei's Swordsmanship was mediocre, and he lacked that sharp momentum.

Because of that, Shangguan Yurou hadn't used her full strength back then.

Now, Ling Fei had clearly made immense progress in the Sword Dao.

"Miss Yurou's Swordsmanship is transcendent. It has truly been an eye-opening experience for me today," Ling Fei said.

Although he hadn't defeated Shangguan Yurou, Ling Fei didn't lose confidence.

This was because he had only just begun to cultivate the Sword Dao.

Shangguan Yurou, on the other hand, was from a Swordsmanship Family and had been cultivating it for who knew how many years.

Furthermore, Ling Fei hadn't used his Cold Chi True Qi.

If he had infused his Long Sword with True Qi, the spreading Cold Qi would have also given him an advantage.

"You're too kind," Shangguan Yurou said. "However, your comprehension is still lacking. Where the Sword Momentum reaches, your aura becomes the sword, your gaze becomes the sword, and *you* become the sword. Only then can you be considered to have truly understood the sword!"

She was offering him guidance, as their spar had already allowed her to gauge the depth of his understanding of the Sword Dao.

'Where the Sword Momentum reaches, your aura becomes the sword, your gaze becomes the sword, and you become the sword!' Shangguan Yurou's words, each one like a profound truth or a clap of thunder, roared in Ling Fei's mind. At that moment, he felt a sudden rush of enlightenment, as if the fog before his eyes had been cleared away.

At this moment, he felt that he might... might truly understand the sword now.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yurou nodded slightly. She said no more, simply letting Ling Fei stand to the side and absorb this new understanding.

Nearby, Shangguan Hong nodded repeatedly, his gaze toward Ling Fei flashing with approval. 'He's a true talent. He's only just begun learning the Sword Dao, yet he has already grasped the basics. Now, with a little guidance, he can achieve immediate enlightenment. He is sure to accomplish great things in the future.'

Talent like this was no less than Shangguan Yurou's!

'This kid... perhaps he'll really be able to fully comprehend Sword Momentum soon!' Shangguan Qingmu thought, his eyes flashing, a hint of bitterness at the corner of his mouth.

Even he had spent a considerable amount of time comprehending Sword Momentum!

A short while later, a light flashed in Ling Fei's eyes as he emerged from his state of comprehension.

He looked up at the elegant, refined, and charming Shangguan Yurou before him and said with heartfelt gratitude.

"Thank you for your guidance, Miss Yurou." Ling Fei was grateful from the bottom of his heart.

At this moment, he finally understood the meaning of the saying, "A single conversation with a wise person is better than ten years of study."

Shangguan Yurou's few short sentences had saved him countless hours of bitter cultivation.

"You're welcome," Shangguan Yurou said with a faint smile, now exuding the air of a Swordsmanship Master.

"However, Basic Martial Arts can be taught and demonstrated," she continued. "But to truly comprehend the True Meaning of the Sword, you must find enlightenment on your own. Everyone's understanding of Martial Arts is different, so their epiphanies will naturally differ as well. Therefore, the Dao can be discussed, but not blindly believed. If you have an insight, you must stick to it and then verify it after you have achieved something."

"If you listen to too many opinions, it will instead interfere with your own enlightenment."

Right now, she was like a Swordsmanship Master, guiding Ling Fei.

Ling Fei listened intently.

"Beginners, in particular, are the most likely to get lost and lose themselves. Therefore, a Cultivator must have self-confidence to persist on their own path."

Shangguan Yurou said.

"This is why many elders rarely interfere with a genius's later development."

Many of these words came from Shangguan Yurou's elders, while others were insights she had gained herself.

As a disciple from a great clan taught by her elders, what she understood was naturally beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"I will be sure to remember this!" Ling Fei committed her every word to memory.

...

After their conversation, Ling Fei proceeded to extract the Evil Qi for Shangguan Hong.

Now that his cultivation had reached the Late Stage of Body Tempering Ninth Layer, his ability to control the Evil Qi had also grown stronger.

'It seems his cultivation is truly getting stronger and stronger,' Shangguan Hong felt this deeply and was slightly astonished.

Just a single minor realm's advancement had brought such a noticeable increase in power.

It was hard to imagine just how terrifying his Cold Dao True Qi was.

'If he breaks through to the Innate Realm, I'm afraid the Evil Qi in my body could be easily removed,' Shangguan Hong thought, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Ling Fei himself was also looking forward to it.

"This is a Sodium Ring. Take it to store your things." Shangguan Hong then took out a silver ring and handed it to Ling Fei. "Just drip a drop of blood onto it, infuse the blood with your Essence Qi, and merge it with the Sodium Ring. After that, you'll be able to control this ring easily with your Essence Qi."

"A Sodium Ring!" At the sight of it, Ling Fei was slightly taken aback.

Such a treasure was a rare sight among Cultivators!

Similarly, because of its convenience, it was a treasure coveted by all.

"Take it," Shangguan Hong said with a smile. "There's no need for such formalities between us."

He was growing fonder and fonder of this young man.

This was also why he had specifically arranged for Shangguan Yurou and Ling Fei to interact more.

"In that case, I won't be polite." Hearing this, Ling Fei nodded slightly and accepted the Sodium Ring.

"With that, I won't disturb you any longer," Shangguan Hong said with a smile.

Immediately, Ling Fei saw his guests out.

Shangguan Qingmu, Shangguan Yurou, and the others bid Ling Fei farewell.

"This guy didn't even ask me to stay a little longer," Huang Xiaoman grumbled, looking displeased.

However, seeing how Ling Fei looked like he couldn't wait for them to leave so he could go back into seclusion, Huang Xiaoman didn't stay any longer.

"He's an absolute cultivation maniac!" Huang Xiaoman muttered before following the others away.

...

Shangguan Hong and his party departed on the River Turtle.

"Yurou, what do you think of Young Master Ling Fei's current strength?" Shangguan Hong asked, his gaze shifting to his daughter.

"His sword is just beginning to show its edge, but it still lacks a certain momentum. However, for a beginner, this is already a rare achievement. After all, he's only had the Celestial River Sword Technique for half a month, and during that time, he also advanced from the Mid Stage to the Late Stage of Body Tempering Ninth Layer. His current rate of improvement has exceeded my expectations," Shangguan Yurou said.

"He is indeed a malleable talent," Shangguan Hong said with a nod.

"Although his sword lacks Sword Momentum, his Power seems to have increased a great deal. Furthermore, he never used his Cold Dao True Qi while fighting me. If he had unleashed his Cold Qi, it could have weakened my Sword Momentum somewhat. Right now, he's like a dormant beast. When he steps into the Innate Realm, he will surely shock the world and display a thunderous might," Shangguan Yurou said, her eyes shining.

It seemed she was greatly looking forward to that day's arrival.

"Upon entering the Innate Realm, not only can one comprehend the Momentum of Heaven and Earth, but the True Qi within one's body also becomes incomparably vast. It can leave the body and transform into a Sword Rainbow. At that point, the power of his Cold Dao True Qi can truly begin to be unleashed. That will be the time when he shows his true combat strength," Shangguan Qingmu added with a nod.

In his view, the current Ling Fei had clearly not yet brought out his true advantages.

"To encounter such a talent is one of life's great pleasures," Shangguan Hong said with a smile.

...