Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Ling Fei was genuinely grateful for Lian Shuang's guidance.

After all, without this duel and Lian Shuang's pointers, it was impossible to say how long it would have taken him to advance his understanding of the Sword Dao Mystical.

Opportunities for such an epiphany were incredibly rare.

For some, even after reaching the Celestial Pill Realm, it could take half a year, or even a full year, to reach the Minor Success Realm.

Those with insufficient talent might never progress again.

Yet, Lian Shuang had allowed Ling Fei to break through in an instant. How could he ever forget such a kindness?

"If you truly wish to thank me, then just do your best in the upcoming exchange. If you can force me to fight with my full strength, you'll no longer owe me a thing," Lian Shuang said with a smile.

She ran a hand through her long hair, her expression serene. But the charm that flickered in her eyes gave one the impression that she and Ling Fei were a couple deeply in love.

"I will certainly do my best," Ling Fei said, cupping his hands.

However, as soon as he said this, someone in the crowd below the stage immediately cried out.

"What the hell? Aren't they supposed to be sparring? What's with all this 'thank you,' 'don't mention it,' 'I'll certainly do my best'... What is even going on?!"

"Agh! I can't take it anymore! Are they blatantly showing off their love for each other?"

Someone wailed, a look of utter devastation on his face.

"They're torturing us single people!" Many of the young men who admired Lian Shuang felt like they had taken ten thousand points of damage.

"Is there anything more painful in this world than watching the goddess you admire be all lovey-dovey with another man right in front of you? And to top it off, you don't even have what it takes to defeat your rival. It's tragic! Why does such an outstanding goddess even have someone worthy of her? Shouldn't a goddess stand alone at the pinnacle, for us to admire from afar?"

Numerous young prodigies looked utterly heartbroken.

"Do you need to rest for a moment and consolidate your gains before we continue?" Lian Shuang asked Ling Fei on the tournament stage.

Though she remained as aloof as ever, the consideration in her words made all the disciples below the stage thoroughly miserable.

"Is that still the same Junior Sister Lian Shuang?" Yuan Chong exclaimed.

"Does Junior Sister Lian Shuang have to be so thoughtful!" Huang Feng added, his face filled with envy.

"Hey! This is a spar, not a date!"

Many people shouted, feeling like they were under constant emotional assault.

"Thank you, Senior Sister. However, constant practice is the best way to consolidate my gains, so there's no need for a break. I only hope Senior Sister will continue to grace me with her instruction," Ling Fei said, cupping his hands.

"Very well. Feel free to attack," Lian Shuang replied.

Her words were simple, but her cooperative attitude felt so incredibly thoughtful.

Many sighed inwardly. So, the cold and unfeeling Junior Sister Lian Shuang could be like this, too.

'If only I were the one on that stage!' The prodigies' faces were full of envy, but they could only sigh in their hearts.

With complicated feelings, they fixed their attention on Ling Fei and Lian Shuang on the stage.

On the stage, Ling Fei took a deep breath. With a move of the Long Sword in his hand, his Heart Spirit immersed itself in his Sword Dao Mystical.

'My heart is within the Mystical of the Sword.' Ling Fei's gaze sharpened, and his entire aura transformed.

Celestial River Nine Swords!

He attacked again, unleashing the Nine Swords once more.

But this time, with each slash, the Sword Dao Mystical was more restrained, moving with his will and exhibiting greater variation.

SWISH! SWISH!

The Nine Swords flew forth, each one wild and tyrannical, like a great river surging forward. But as they neared Lian Shuang, they transformed, becoming like enraged, coiling dragons that suddenly erupted with astonishing Power.

This time, Ling Fei's attack flowed from his heart, granting it a new level of agility as he faced his opponent.

Across from him, Lian Shuang raised an eyebrow. She gave his Nine Swords a casual glance, then with a flick of her fair hand, her Long Sword thrust forward.

SWISH!

The blue Long Sword shot forward, the Sword Patterns on its blade condensing to form a Sword Lotus.

The Sword Lotus spun, carving a deep rift through Ling Fei's Sword River.

Lian Shuang's sword remained as powerful and unrivaled as ever.

The Sword Lotus pressed its advantage, its sharp Sword Aura dazzling. Ling Fei's brow furrowed slightly.

One Sword Seals the Heavens!

He unleashed his Long Sword. Its Sword Momentum seemed to seal the heavens, condensing into a wall of ice as sharp Sword Qi slashed toward the approaching Sword Lotus.

But the Sword Qi dissipated, and the wall of ice was torn asunder by the Sword Lotus.

BANG!

The ice wall shattered, and Ling Fei found himself in grave danger.

"Meteor Sword!" Ling Fei's gaze sharpened. His body became a meteor as he thrust his sword forward, clashing with the Sword Lotus.

The meteor streaked across the Void, its momentum overwhelming.

With this strike, Ling Fei's heart seemed to merge with the Mystical of Meteor, its power countless times greater than before.

BANG!

The two swords met with a deafening crash, erupting in a brilliant flash of light.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Sword Lotus shattered, dissolving into ripples of blue Sword Patterns.

However, Ling Fei's Sword Momentum faltered, and he was forced to retreat repeatedly. If he had been caught in the terrifying aftershock, he would have been at a severe disadvantage.

Just as Ling Fei retreated, preparing to gather his strength for another attack, his pupils suddenly constricted. He stared intently at the blue Sword Patterns before him.

He saw Lian Shuang's fair hand guide them. The scattered Sword Patterns, as if drawn by an unseen force, followed her sword's movement and re-condensed into a Sword Lotus.

WHOOSH!

With a flick of Lian Shuang's hand, the Sword Lotus in the Void flashed and shot toward Ling Fei.

"This..." Seeing this, Ling Fei was completely dumbfounded.

'The Sword Patterns had already scattered, yet they could re-form!'

'What kind of Realm is this?!'

WHOOSH!

Not only were the re-condensed Sword Patterns no weaker than before, they had actually grown stronger.

Within it, Ling Fei sensed a more complete Sword Dao aura. The Sword Qi released from the Sword Lotus seemed to possess its own Spirituality.

SWISH! SWISH!

The Sword Lotus shot forward, its momentum overwhelming.

Every wisp of Sword Qi bursting from the lotus petals made Ling Fei's scalp tingle.

This strike had clearly surpassed what Ling Fei's current Swordsmanship could handle.

Clearly, Lian Shuang had elevated the Mystical of her Swordsmanship, intending to use it to temper Ling Fei.

Only through this step-by-step tempering could Ling Fei clearly perceive the profundities within.

Otherwise, without reaching this threshold, trying to clearly perceive the various Mysticals would be nigh impossible.

If she didn't, the entire point of tempering him through this practice match would be lost.

"Not only is this Lian Shuang's Swordsmanship transcendent, but her control in tempering an opponent is also superb. If she were a master, she would undoubtedly produce many prodigies."

On the high platform, Grand Elder Fang stroked his beard and smiled.

"A rare prodigy indeed." Sect Leader Yuan was also extremely satisfied with Lian Shuang's performance.

Ling Fei, however, felt immense pressure.

Celestial River Sword!

Ling Fei attacked, his Long Sword slashing through the air like the Celestial River descending from the heavens, intending to submerge the Sword Lotus.

WHOOSH!

The Sword River fell, and it did indeed submerge the Sword Lotus.

But in a mere instant, a sharp light flared from the Sword Lotus, tearing the Sword River apart and pressing forward.

No matter how majestic the momentum of Ling Fei's Celestial River Sword was, it still couldn't overwhelm it.

One Sword Seals the Heavens!

Ling Fei attacked again, but was still unable to withstand the might of Lian Shuang's strike.

The enormous gap between them was immediately apparent.

BANG!

As the Sword Lotus tore through the ice wall, the blue sword light flashed, dissolved into countless Sword Patterns, and coiled back toward Lian Shuang.

Only then did the threat from Lian Shuang recede.

"So strong!" Ling Fei's eyes flashed. He looked up at the blue-haired girl before him, took a deep breath, and muttered, "My Realm is still too low."

Originally, Ling Fei had been quite satisfied with his progress, advancing from the Small Primordial Pill Realm to the Celestial Pill Realm in such a short time.

But after this clash with Lian Shuang, he realized his Realm was truly far too low.

'The path of Martial Arts is endless. I can never be arrogant or complacent, much less slack off,' Ling Fei thought.

At that moment, he was filled with a newfound reverence for Martial Arts.

WHOOSH!

After taking another deep breath, Ling Fei's gaze focused, his sight landing on Lian Shuang before him.

Lian Shuang stood gracefully, holding her blue Long Sword. Her pale blue hair fluttered in the wind, and her face showed little emotion.

Yet, at a glance, she seemed like the deep blue sea—unfathomable.

Even the Celestial Pill Realm experts in the audience looked on with reverence.

When Lian Shuang had fought He Tianming, her victory was too swift.

Furthermore, she hadn't attacked in such a progressive, layered manner back then, making it difficult for the average person to grasp her true strength.

But now, by attacking step by step and continuously increasing the depth of her Mystical, she was showing the many Cultivators who had just entered the Celestial Pill Realm just how formidable she was.

However, Ling Fei had not fully grasped the Mystical behind Lian Shuang's last strike. As he looked at her now, he didn't know what to ask.

"That strike was 'Heart stirs, sword moves.' It was also 'Heart stirs, Mystical activates.' This is true mastery over the Mystical of Martial Arts," Lian Shuang explained.

She seemed to know what was perplexing him.

"'Heart stirs, sword moves... Heart stirs, Mystical activates!'" Ling Fei's eyes flashed. 'So this is true mastery over the Mystical of Martial Arts?'

His heart was in turmoil.

He vaguely recalled Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun once saying that only when he reached the state of 'Heart stirs, Mystical activates' could he attempt to refine Second Grade Spirit Pills.

'So this is 'Heart stirs, Mystical activates'.' As his mind reeled, the scene of Lian Shuang's earlier attack replayed in his mind.

'The Sword Lotus had already scattered. It was only because Senior Sister Lian Shuang has mastered the Sword Dao Mystical to the point of 'Heart stirs, Mystical activates' that the Sword Patterns followed her will, re-condensed into a Sword Lotus, and attacked me. That second strike was even more powerful.' Ling Fei was finally beginning to understand.

However, understanding something was not the same as having achieved that Realm.

Truly reaching that stage was incredibly difficult.

"Now, use your most powerful attack. Let's see if you can defeat me!" At that moment, Lian Shuang's gaze sharpened, a fierce light within her eyes. Blue Sword Patterns pulsed on the blade in her hand as a piercing Sword Intent radiated outward, making the pensive Ling Fei raise an eyebrow.

Before Ling Fei could think further, Lian Shuang struck.

SWISH!

Her sword thrust out, but this time it was even more agile, almost ethereal.

As the sword came forth, Ling Fei's heart skipped a beat. He was locked in place by an invisible energy as the sharp Sword Intent pierced straight into his Heart Soul, making his very soul tremble.

'She wants me to use my full power?' Ling Fei's gaze sharpened. 'How should I counter this strike?' His mind raced, searching for a strategy.

He dared not be the slightest bit careless in the face of Lian Shuang's assault.

In terms of pure Swordsmanship, Ling Fei was clearly no match for Lian Shuang.

After all, Lian Shuang's Realm was unfathomably deep; she was at least at the Celestial Pill Great Success Realm.

Perhaps she had even reached the Perfection Realm and was on the verge of breaking through to the Half-step Nascent Soul Realm.

This wasn't to say Ling Fei was inferior to Lian Shuang; after all, he had been cultivating for a much shorter time.

Given enough time, he would not necessarily be any worse.

'I have many techniques,' Ling Fei's mind raced as he considered his options. 'For example, my soul is powerful. If I use the True Dragon Roar, it will be even stronger than before. However, that's a killing technique. Using it to force her back in a spar would defeat the purpose of testing my Martial Arts. That leaves... the True Dragon Power.'

The True Dragon Body was, without a doubt, Ling Fei's greatest trump card.