Chapter 168 Sword Control

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

In the backyard of the Huashan Sect, a dark figure silently scaled the wall, passed through the pine forest, and arrived at a secluded mountain hollow. The figure looked around to make sure no one was following, then took out a bamboo whistle from its pocket and blew three short whistles and one long one.

Before long, a man in black emerged from the depths of the mountain valley. He was thin and had eyes that seemed to flash.

"Laudeno, what brings you here so urgently?" The man in black's voice was deep and impatient.

The dark figure was none other than Laudenuo. He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Uncle-Master Lu, something terrible has happened. Lin Pingzhi has come to Mount Hua."

The man in black's expression changed drastically: "Lin Pingzhi? What's he doing here?"

Laudenuo said, "He said he came to have a drink with Linghu Chong and do some sightseeing. But given Lin Pingzhi's personality, I'm afraid he heard something and came to support the Huashan Sect."

The man in black pondered for a moment, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Lin Pingzhi's martial arts are extremely high. If he gets involved, tomorrow's operation will probably be ruined."

Laudenuo said, "Exactly. Uncle Lu, what should we do then?"

The man in black said resentfully, "Lin Pingzhi loves to meddle in other people's business. He already ruined our plans once at Hengshan and seriously injured Junior Brother Fei and Junior Brother Yue. Senior Brother Ding's martial arts have not recovered to this day. I didn't expect him to come to Huashan again like a ghost. Is this guy deliberately trying to make trouble for my Songshan Sect?"

Laudenuo said, "Lin Pingzhi has actually come to Henan. Why don't we let the sect leader take action himself and capture Lin Pingzhi in one fell swoop? Not only can we restore Uncle Ding's power, but we can also wipe away the shame of Hengshan."

The man in black remained noncommittal, saying, "Go back and keep watch, but don't alert them. I'll return immediately to report to the sect leader and ask for his decision. At the very least, more experts should be sent. This is a good opportunity to settle the score for the humiliation of Hengshan!"

Laudenau nodded, and the two parted ways, disappearing into the night.

On the Cliff of Contemplation, inside the stone cave.

The man in blue stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Linghu Chong, and said indifferently, "You want to learn my swordsmanship?"

Linghu Chong said respectfully, "If you would be so kind as to offer guidance, I would be eternally grateful."

The man in blue said, "I have a few conditions. First, you cannot tell anyone that I taught you this sword technique. Not even Yue Buqun."

Linghu Chong was taken aback and looked at Yue Lingshan. Yue Lingshan frowned and said, "Why can't I even tell Father?"

The man in blue snorted coldly: "I don't want to see him. Is that reason enough?"

Before Yue Lingshan could say anything more, Linghu Chong pulled her back and whispered, "Junior Sister, Senior has been living in seclusion for many years; he must have his reasons. Let's agree."

Yue Lingshan pouted and nodded reluctantly.

The man in blue added, "Secondly, I will teach right here, so don't tell Yue Buqun the secrets of this cave for now. I don't want him to come here and disturb me."

Yue Lingshan couldn't help but say, "This is Huashan Sect territory. My father is the sect leader. Why can't I tell him?"

The man in blue said coldly, "If you're unwilling, I'll leave now."

Linghu Chong quickly said, "Senior, please calm down. Junior Sister didn't mean it that way. We agree."

He then said to Yue Lingshan, "We'll just not tell Master and Mistress for now. It's not too late to tell them after we've finished learning the sword technique. This cave isn't going anywhere."

Yue Lingshan then nodded in agreement.

The man in blue's expression softened slightly, and he said to Shi Potian and Qu Feiyan, "Since you two are not from the Huashan Sect, can you agree to my two conditions?"

Shi Potian said, "We agree, please rest assured, senior."

Qu Feiyan said unhappily, "Senior doesn't give me any benefits, yet you expect me to keep your secret."

Yue Lingshan also said, "Senior, Feifei isn't a Huashan disciple, so why won't you teach her? I am also a Huashan disciple, so why won't you teach me?"

The man in blue glanced at her, thinking that this girl had good aptitude, but her personality was too stubborn. He said, "If you want to learn, then come along. However, I will only teach you once, and these sword techniques are extremely difficult. It will take at least half a month to master them. If you don't go into seclusion on the Cliff of Contemplation, how will you learn?"

Yue Lingshan was overjoyed: "I'll come up the mountain to learn every day!"

The man in blue said, "Then you'd better come up with a good excuse so that Yue Buqun doesn't become suspicious."

Yue Lingshan nodded repeatedly, already planning how to tell her father.

The man in blue said again, "It's getting late today, you should go back first. Tomorrow morning, bring plenty of wine and food, I'll come over during the day to teach you. Learning swordsmanship without drinking is no fun."

Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan were overjoyed and said in unison, "Thank you, Senior!"

The man in blue waved his hand, his figure flickered, and he disappeared into the shadows again, leaving the cave.

As soon as the man in blue left, Yue Lingshan couldn't wait to ask, "Senior Brother, you've been on the Cliff of Contemplation for so long, do you know who that person was? When has our Huashan Sect ever had a senior with such powerful martial arts?"

Linghu Chong shook his head and said, "This is the first time I've met this senior here." As he said this, Linghu Chong's heart stirred. He remembered the three characters "Feng Qingyang" carved on the stone wall next to the big rock at the cave entrance. He thought, "Feng Qingyang's name has the character 'Qing' in it. He is a generation higher than my master's generation with the character 'Bu'. Could this person be Senior Feng Qingyang?"

"Junior sister, come on, let's go out of the cave and I'll show you something."

It was already dark, and the three of them needed to go down the mountain, so they didn't delay any longer. Linghu Chong took Qu Feiyan's torch and led the way, and they all left the cave together.

Once outside the cave, Linghu Chong held up his torch and shone it on the stone wall next to the large rock at the cave entrance, saying, "Junior Sister, look what's written on it."

Yue Lingshan stepped closer and saw three large characters, "Feng Qingyang," carved on the left side of the stone wall. The characters were carved with a sharp tool, the strokes vigorous and deep, about half an inch in depth. She asked in confusion, "Feng Qingyang?"

"Yes, Junior Sister, think about it. What generation is our ancestor? This Senior Feng might be my great-uncle or great-great-uncle, who was once punished to stand facing the wall in contemplation. These three characters are carved with such extraordinary strength, his martial arts must also be very impressive. Could he be that old man from earlier?" Linghu Chong said excitedly.

Yue Lingshan's eyes lit up, and she said, "That's very likely. I'll ask him in person tomorrow. But why have my parents never mentioned it?"

Linghu Chong couldn't understand this either.

Qu Feiyan said, "I have heard of Feng Qingyang. He is said to be the number one sword master in the past. During the sword qi competition of Huashan Sect, all the senior masters perished. Only Feng Qingyang was not on the mountain at that time and escaped the calamity. It turns out he is still alive. The person just now spoke so confidently. There could only be Feng Qingyang, the one with the highest swordsmanship in Huashan Sect."

Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan were even more surprised, not expecting this little girl to know so much.

Shi Potian laughed and said, "Feifei, you are the youngest, but you know the most. Even Brother Linghu is not as good as you. You are really amazing."

Qu Feiyan chuckled to herself, thinking to herself that the Sun Moon Sect and the Five Mountains Sword Sect were sworn enemies, so of course she had to know all the experts in the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

It was already dark, and the descent was difficult. Yue Lingshan dared not delay any longer and led Shi Potian and the other person down the mountain.

Yue Lingshan carried the torch for a while and came to a steep slope. The torch could not illuminate very far, so it was not a good idea to jump down. Yue Lingshan stopped and looked a little embarrassed.

Shi Potian said, "Lingshan, Feifei, let me take you down the mountain."

Qu Feiyan knew Shi Potian's abilities and couldn't be happier. She hugged Shi Potian's arm and said, "Okay, okay."

While Yue Lingshan was still hesitating, Shi Potian grabbed her arm and leaped down.

For Shi Potian's Tai Xuan Scripture, the night is no problem. The latest chapter is full of exciting plot twists! Come on! Carrying Qu Feiyan and Yue Lingshan, he still leaps and bounds as if flying, traversing the perilous Huashan Mountain as if it were flat ground.

This was the first time Yue Lingshan had been held so tightly by Shi Potian's arm, almost pressed against his chest. She was in a daze the whole way, her heart pounding, her face flushed red, completely disoriented. She couldn't even hold onto her torch, not even knowing where it had fallen. Fortunately, Shi Potian didn't need the torch and they quickly made their way down the mountain safely.

Yue Lingshan returned to her room, too excited to sleep a wink that night. Before dawn the next day, she got up, went to the kitchen to prepare fine wine and food, and then went to knock on Shi Potian's door.

"Brother Lin, wake up! Let's go find our senior brother to play!" Yue Lingshan's voice was clear and melodious, full of joy.

Shi Potian opened the door, saw Yue Lingshan, and smiled, "Miss Lingshan, you're here so early?"

Yue Lingshan said, "Go early, don't keep the senior waiting for me. Where's Feifei? Wake her up."

Qu Feiyan yawned as she came out of the next room, her eyes still sleepy. "Miss Yue, you're up so early. Didn't you sleep all night? Is it because of your sword practice or something else on your mind?"

Yue Lingshan avoided eye contact, her face flushing as she said, "No way. Hurry up and finish washing up and eating breakfast so we can leave!"

Qu Feiyan said, "You want to go up the mountain to learn swordsmanship, but we don't need to. I'll stay up with you and sleep a little longer."

"Feifei, you're not a child anymore. You can't just say things like that. What do you mean by 'sleep with your little brother for a while'?"

"Brother Lin, please help me. Come up the mountain with me and tell them I'll take you sightseeing on Mount Hua and deliver food to our senior brother. That way, our parents won't suspect anything," Yue Lingshan pleaded.

The Songshan Sect hadn't arrived yet, and Shi Potian had nothing else to do. With the scenery to enjoy, he nodded in agreement.

Qu Feiyan naturally had to follow along.

After the three of them quickly washed up, they went to the kitchen for breakfast. Yue Lingshan then set off up the mountain with a large food box filled with wine and dishes.

When they arrived at the Cliff of Contemplation, Linghu Chong was already waiting at the cave entrance. Seeing them arrive, he smiled and said, "Junior Sister, you've arrived so early?"

Yue Lingshan said, "The early bird catches the worm. Has Senior arrived yet?"

Linghu Chong pointed into the cave. The three of them went in and saw an old man with a white beard and a green robe, looking depressed and with a face as pale as gold paper, sitting cross-legged on a large rock, closing his eyes to rest.

This time, he wasn't wearing a mask.

Hearing footsteps, the old man opened his eyes and said, "You've arrived? Did you bring the wine and food?"

Yue Lingshan hurriedly opened the food box and laid out the wine and dishes. The man in blue picked up the wine pot, took a sip, and praised, "Good wine. Yue Buqun may not have many other skills, but his winemaking skills are quite good."

Linghu Chong didn't dare to answer, but Yue Lingshan said, "This is the wine that our senior brother drank. My father doesn't like to drink."

The man in blue put down the wine pot and said, "I knew Yue Buqun wouldn't know how to brew wine. Alright, Linghu Chong, let's eat together, and start eating right away."

Shi Potian and Qu Feiyan don't need to learn swordsmanship; staying at the Cliff of Contemplation would be suspicious.

Qu Feiyan really wanted to find out if the old man was Feng Qingyang, even though she was already 80-90% sure in her heart.

But I think it's better to ask Linghu Chong later.

With nothing to do, Qu Feiyan pulled Shi Potian away from Siguo Cliff and went to tour Mount Hua.

Qu Feiyan clung tightly to Shi Potian's waist, both frightened and excited, her screams echoing through the valley.

"Hey buddy, slow down! I'm going to fall!"

Shi Potian laughed and said, "No, I'm holding you."

The two eventually reached the summit of Mount Hua, which was many times higher than the Jade Maiden Peak. The summit was windy, shrouded in mist, with a sheer drop below and a range of mountains stretching into the distance.

At this moment, the sun rises in the east, and the sky is filled with rosy clouds. The two let out a long roar, feeling quite pleased with themselves.

Qu Feiyan stopped, looked around, and sighed, "This must be the summit of Mount Hua. It seems very few people come up here."

Qu Feiyan walked around the summit and found it to be deserted and desolate.

Shi Potian suddenly said, "Feifei, look, there's a stone tablet here."

Qu Feiyan went over to take a look and saw that the stone tablet was half buried in the soil.

She crouched down, brushed away the dust, and pushed aside the weeds. She saw several lines of text engraved on the monument and read them aloud:

"The stove is a place of near pleasure, while the pot is a world apart."

"To know what lies within dreams, the greatest mystery of humankind."

The signature reads "Fuyaozi".

Shi Potian was staring intently at the stone tablet when he suddenly heard Qu Feiyan recite these words. His heart trembled, and dozens of acupoints on his body throbbed violently at the same time—exactly the same as when he looked at the plaque that read "Controlling the Sword with Qi"!

Seeing that he looked strange, Qu Feiyan asked, "Little brother, what's wrong?"

Shi Potian did not answer. His gaze was fixed on the poem, and he felt that every word was like a sword, and every stroke contained exquisite sword intent. His inner energy surged like boiling water, as if it was about to burst forth from his hands.

"Feifei, may I borrow your short sword?"

Qu Feiyan didn't know what was going on, but she still took it off and gave it to him.

Once he obtained the Stone-Breaking Heaven Sword, he said to Qu Feiyan:

"I need to practice my skills, Feifei, stay away from me."

Shi Potian was recalling the old story of how the two island lords of Xia Ke Island, Long Mu and Shi Potian, died from exhaustion.

Qu Feiyan readily accepted good advice and kept her distance.

Shi Potian relaxed and, facing the rising sun in the east, began to breathe deeply. The acupoints throbbed more intensely, and his true energy surged through his meridians, from his dantian to his limbs, and from his limbs to his fingertips, as if trying to break free from the constraints of his body.

Suddenly, the sword in his hand seemed to emit a long cry, and it flew out of his hand, drawing an arc in the air, about to fall down the mountain.

Qu Feiyan almost cried out in alarm: "My sword!" This sword was her most treasured possession; she would be devastated if it fell.

To everyone's surprise, when Shi Potian reached out, the sword seemed to come alive. As he moved his fingers, it flew back and began to perform various sword techniques.

Chop, thrust, flick, sweep, point, strike, hang, slash... each move is executed with effortless grace, as if a hand in the air is holding a sword.

Qu Feiyan stared in disbelief, muttering, "This...this is swordsmanship performed by a human?"

Shi Potian didn't know either.

He felt as if he had become one with the sword, the sword was him, and he was the sword, as if his own hand had extended outwards.

The short sword moved swiftly through the air, its sword energy weaving into a vast net that sliced the morning glow into countless fragments. Suddenly, Shi Potian roared, his finger snapping, and the short sword snapped, hurtling towards a giant rock on the mountaintop.

With a "whoosh," the short sword plunged straight into the hilt.

Shi Potian let out a long breath, and the acupoints finally stopped throbbing, and his complexion returned to normal.

Qu Feiyan ran over to look at the boulder, pulled out her short sword. The short sword was undamaged, but there was a fist-sized hole in the boulder with smooth, mirror-like edges, as if it had been pierced by a red-hot iron rod.

Qu Feiyan swallowed hard, stammering, "Little brother, you...you've...become an immortal? Is this sword control technique?"

Shi Potian lowered his head and stared at the stone tablet. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't know what happened either. I was just looking at this stone tablet, and suddenly it turned out like this."

He walked to the stone tablet, reached out and touched the words on it, and murmured, "Fuyaozi...who is he? He is the one who truly controls the sword with qi."

Shi Potian possessed unparalleled lightness skills, climbing cliffs as if walking on flat ground, and flying freely between peaks with Qu Feiyan in his arms.