Chapter 36: Reappearance of the Moonlit Beauty
The eastern sky was beginning to turn pale, and the surroundings were gradually awakened by the gentle morning light, and the darkness quietly retreated. In the square, a few disciples could be seen passing by hurriedly.
Shangguan Jiannan did not dare to slack off at all. He started his work with swift and powerful movements.
"Look, that disciple, a new face!" In the distance, several disciples focused their eyes on Shangguan Jiannan and talked in low voices.
"How diligent! They started cleaning before daybreak," one person praised. "Diligent? I'm afraid it's just a gimmick for the elders. How long can it last?" Another person sneered, with a hint of disdain in his words.
Upon hearing this, the disciple next to him raised a playful smile and agreed, "That makes sense. The previous cleaning disciple has not been seen for several days." The two smiled at each other, glanced at Shangguan Jiannan, then turned and left, disappearing in the morning light.
The square was vast, with few miscellaneous items, except for the fallen leaves that needed to be carefully picked up. About half an hour later, Shangguan Jiannan had already arranged it in an orderly manner. At this time, the sun behind the clouds finally couldn't hold back and jumped out, sprinkling the earth with brilliant light, and the Tianjian Sect also woke up and became full of vitality.
As a newcomer to the Tianjian Sect, Shangguan Jiannan had a simple meal and then devoted himself to cultivation. At the edge of a dense forest in the sect, he stood upright with a sword. As an outer disciple, the sword became his most loyal companion.
The mountain breeze blew gently, and the forest rustled. Shangguan Jiannan looked solemn and focused. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and the moves of the Dark Night Sword slowly unfolded in his mind like a scroll.
Suddenly, he moved, and the iron sword was unsheathed with a crisp "clang" sound. He waved his right hand and took light steps. With every move, the air seemed to be cut, making slight bursting sounds.
The sword technique is smooth and the force is steady, which is completely different from the light-weight wooden sword, showing the unique weight and power of the iron sword.
As he danced, his movements became more and more fluid, and the sword pointed wherever he wanted. He lightly raised the tip of the sword, turned his body, and thrust the sword out again, then sheathed the sword, and paused suddenly, the sword body humming and trembling, as if whispering.
"Indeed, this iron sword is not as powerful as a wooden sword." Shangguan Jiannan was breathing heavily, with a little sweat on his forehead, but his face was filled with genuine joy. The Dark Night Heart Sword, with the power of the iron sword, has more than doubled its power by 40% compared to the wooden sword.
This discovery made him feel overwhelmed. However, in addition to the joy, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful: "Thinking of the swordsmanship of the fairy under the moon in front of the thatched cottage on the mountain that night, it must be the profound swordsmanship of the Tianjian Sect. The swordsmanship contains the thoughts of the Tianjian Sect. That mysterious woman must be the senior sister of the inner sect." In his mind, the swordsmanship of the mysterious woman that night was as graceful as a startled swan and as gentle as a swimming dragon. The high level of her realm was beyond his current reach. Shangguan Jiannan began to practice the swordsmanship of the mysterious woman that night.
He knew very well that what he had demonstrated was only the tip of the swordsmanship of the mysterious woman that night, the basics of the basics. "Only by unremitting efforts can one achieve something." Shangguan Jiannan vowed to himself, with a burning fighting spirit in his heart.
To avenge the Chamber of Commerce and rebuild Hanying Peak, all of these required a leap in his strength. He was not discouraged by the gap, but instead strengthened his determination to practice.
At this moment, he was already showing his prowess with just the power of swordsmanship, without any spiritual energy integrated into it. "If there is a technique to complement it, the power of the swordsmanship will surely be doubled." He secretly hoped in his heart. Just imagine, if spiritual energy can be integrated into the swordsmanship, its power will surely be even more amazing.
However, the skills and spiritual energy cannot be used because of the secret seal of the shadow spirit in the Netherworld Jade Pendant. There are nine layers of seals, and only one layer is unlocked every month. Only diligent practice can speed up the unlocking.
Because of this, everyone in the Tianjian Sect mistakenly believed that he was just a beginner disciple with no accomplishments at all.
Thinking of this, Shangguan Jiannan's eyes could not help but flash a gloomy light. The mysterious skills and techniques were exclusive to the inner disciples of the Tianjian Sect. Even for the outer disciples, only those who were among the top had a chance to obtain them.
How could he, a newcomer, easily obtain such cultivation resources? "Do I really have to start from scratch?" He smiled bitterly in his heart, "This shadow spirit is so cruel that it seals my spiritual energy and only releases one layer every month. I need to work harder to speed up the release." Faced with such a predicament, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious and helpless.
In the Tianjian Sect, one needs qualifications to obtain sword techniques and internal power techniques, and strength is the key to obtaining all of them.
"Forget it. Since I'm here, I'll just make the best of it." He thought to himself, "In the next few days, I have to practice harder so that I can gain a foothold in the Tianjian Sect, which is full of powerful people."
Therefore, he collected his thoughts and devoted himself to the practice of swordsmanship again, vowing to improve his strength in the shortest possible time. As his cultivation level improved, the level of skills he acquired became more and more advanced.
At present, I am just starting out on this journey. The road ahead is long and I still need time to hone my skills. In his mind, the swordsmanship of that mysterious woman emerged gracefully, leading the sword in Shangguan Jiannan's hand to leap again.
"Swish—" The sword flashed, cutting through the void, accompanied by a subtle crackling sound. His body then moved lightly, like a dragon playing in the water.
"Bang!" A subtle explosion sounded suddenly, and the long sword trembled slightly, and then returned to calm. Shangguan Jiannan was suspicious, and as time passed, he gradually noticed something strange, and his face was full of surprise.
"The swordsmanship displayed by the mysterious woman is not only magnificent, but also extremely sharp, which is breathtaking."
He paused to savor the subtle differences. "However, when I tried to imitate it, the swordplay lost its original charm and was not even one-tenth as good as my usual swordplay."
His brows were furrowed, and his heart was full of confusion. "Why on earth is this happening?" Shangguan Jiannan's thoughts kept going back to the moment when the mysterious woman danced with the sword. The gap between the two was like a chasm that was difficult to cross.
After countless attempts and failures, the feeling of loss became heavier. He finally sighed and said to himself, "Forget it. I need to think about this matter carefully in the future. Maybe I can understand it."
The Tianjian Sect has a vast territory, which contains many forbidden areas and secret realms that are not accessible to outer disciples.
Shangguan Jiannan had finished his daily chores early in the morning, and had the rest of the time to himself, so he strolled leisurely within the sect after practicing, but soon found it boring.
All the disciples in the sect were diligent, but he was the only one who seemed out of place.
Time flies, and it is already late at night the next day. Shangguan Jiannan is waiting in advance beside the simple hut where he met the woman in black that night, secretly hoping in his heart: "Will the mysterious woman in black appear again tonight?"
While he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard bursts of explosions in the distance. A hint of joy suddenly appeared on his face, and he thought to himself, "It's coming as expected."
The night was as dark as ink, and a black shadow quietly blended into it. Only the terrifying gust of wind that erupted when the sword in his hand was swung was particularly eye-catching in the night sky.
Every sword and every move is accompanied by a strong airflow, showing astonishing power.