Translator: celefoata_ Editor: RegiusProfessor
The match had yet to begin, but the platform was already surrounded until not even water could trickle through.
On the platform, Tian Yu was meditating on the ground, a longsword placed horizontally across his crossed legs.
“Tsk tsk, this is the first time I’m seeing Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu taking a match so seriously. He actually arrived on scene an hour early!”
“It’s nothing to wonder. Ye Yuan’s sword intent is extremely powerful. I reckon that it can completely restraint Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu. Such a match is too stifling. There’s no way even if Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu doesn’t want to take it seriously!”
“Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu’s sword intent has already surpassed our imaginations. I’ve always chased after him as my goal. I didn’t think that a Ye Yuan would jump out this time! After seeing his sword intent, I feel that there’s no more hope in this lifetime,”
“. . . That’s really true! The might of Ye Yuan’s sword intent can really make people despair!”
“I truly don’t know how Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu plans on dealing with Ye Yuan’s sword intent. Actually, I still hope that Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu can win. After all, he’s the leader of us core disciples!”
Tian Yu’s mind did not wander. He sat for an hour on the platform.
Not that Tian Yu was deliberately mystifying things, but because he really took this match very seriously!
Originally, it was just having a junior with tremendous power, but he did not think that in a blink of an eye, he became a powerful foe!
Especially Ye Yuan’s words before moved Tian Yu’s heart to a large extent.
Every martial artist knew the importance of walking their own path. But this was an extremely bumpy and arduous road! Not many dare to walk it!
From birth, people started with copying. Talking and walking were merely so.
The martial path was the same. From mimicking other people’s path to trudging out one’s own path.
But what was different about the martial path was that trudging out one’s own path was too difficult. A single misstep and time would waste away, delaying cultivation time.
This way, the loss outweighed the gains!
Except, one’s potential would be used up very quickly if they did not walk their own path. Then their cultivation realm in this lifetime would also halt there.
This was an optional question, but not every martial artist dared to make this decision.
If Tian Yu chose to walk his own path, once there was no progress within a few years, then all of the advantages he possessed now would fade into nothing!
Of course, if he carved out his own road, then he would walk much further in the future than he had walked now!
Tian Yu wanted to make a choice through this match!
Although he had watched a few of Ye Yuan’s matches, to truly experience Ye Yuan’s strength, it was naturally not as realistic as fighting him personally.
He wanted to see just which step had Ye Yuan reached!
“Ye Yuan arrived!” someone suddenly shouted from the crowd.
The crowd automatically opened up a path to let Ye Yuan through.
Looking at the Tian Yu who was currently meditation on the stage, Ye Yuan was also stunned.
Tian Yu also opened his eyes at this time and looked at Ye Yuan as he said calmly, “I know that you cleared the Nine Heavens Road at the Essence Qi Realm, and I thought that you would be a powerful foe of mine sooner or later. It’s just that I didn’t think this day would arrive so quickly!”
But Ye Yuan did not reply directly. Instead, he asked, “Did Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu reach long ago?”
Tian Yu nodded and said, “For an hour already. This battle is of utmost importance to me! I want to find my own Dao!”
Ye Yuan said, “Dao lies in the heart! With Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu’s talent, I believe that finding your own path won’t be hard.”
Tian Yu shook his head and said, “Those who know won’t find it hard, those who find it hard don’t know. It might perhaps be very easy to you, but not everybody has the courage to take this step!”
Ye Yuan had already reincarnated for some time and had more or less adjusted to life in the Lower Realms. But that sort of worldview he had that exceeded this plane was still frequently out of tune with the people and matters around him.
To people in the Divine Realm, grasping true intent was a very universal thing. But to people of the Lower Realms, true intent was far, far away.
Ye Yuan’s words sounded like someone who did not try to see things from other people’s perspective.
Tian Yu’s talent was absolutely second to none in the entire Tranquil Cloud Sect, but when placed in the entire Southern Domain, it was not considered much. And the Southern Domain’s geniuses were nothing much when placed in the entire Endless World.
In the entire Endless World, just how many people could grasp true intent?
Even if Tian Yu’s talent was heaven-defying, grasping true intent was still something that was far from reach.
However, Ye Yuan had another way of looking at things. He smiled and said, “That’s not right, Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu! I feel that for Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu, the saying that those who find it difficult don’t know, doesn’t exist. You should say that you’re playing the game! As the saying went, the spectators see the game better than the players. How can Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu know that you can’t if you don’t jump outside of the chessboard?”
Tian Yu’s expression changed when he heard that!
After chatting with Ye Yuan the previous time, Tian Yu had been reflecting on himself these two whole days. But Ye Yuan’s words earlier struck the core of his heart!
Ye Yuan continued, “Cultivation is originally going against the heaven! Without a great dauntless heart, it’s impossible to walk far! If you don’t even have the courage to jump out of the chessboard, then your accomplishments in this lifetime would be limited to this!”
Tian Yu’s body trembled when he heard this. The mental state that he adjusted for an hour was immediately shattered by Ye Yuan’s words.
He knew that Ye Yuan’s words were right. But wanting to take this step really required enormous courage!
Why could Long Tang comprehend the elementary form of true intent? It was because he sensed that fearless courage from Ye Yuan and cast away everything before finding his own path!
Otherwise, Long Tang would only be a bird inside the cage, forever unaware of what the skies outside looked like!
After keeping silent for a long time, Tian Yu held his sword and got up, saying, “Since that’s the case, let me see your Dao!”
Ye Yuan said smilingly, “Please advise!”
Tian Yu did not attack right away, but opened his mouth again to say, “I’ll only unleash one sword strike! Ye Yuan, let me see just how powerful your Sword Dao is!”
When he finished, Tian Yu’s aura changed abruptly, as if his entire being became a sharp sword!
Tian Yu wielded his sword in front of his chest and drew a full moon. Then, he put away his sword momentum. The full moon peeled away, becoming four streaks of azure-colored sword qi, hurtling towards Ye Yuan!
“Luminous Moon High Above!” It’s actually Luminous Moon High Above! Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu’s improvement in this half a year is truly so swift that it makes my blood run cold!”
“Hiss . . . Luminous Moon High Above is an extremely powerful martial technique from the third layer of the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art. Even Crystal Formation Realm disciples might not be able to comprehend this move! Senior Apprentice Brother Tian Yu is only half-step Crystal Formation Realm, but he actually comprehended this move already!”
“Truly terrifying talent! If Ye Yuan did not appear, he would absolutely become a formidable foe for Senior Apprentice Brother Ti Wujiu! It’s just that . . . is this move effective against Ye Yuan?”
Releasing the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art with four beams of sword qi, Tian Yu’s comprehension towards sword intent had already reached a very high level.
Luminous Moon High Above, this move was exceedingly difficult to comprehend. Even among the sword cultivating elite disciples, only an extremely small number could comprehend it!
For Tian Yu to be able to comprehend this move at half-step Crystal Formation Realm, his talent was clear at a glance!
It was just that this move was still too weak towards Ye Yuan!
The Ye Yuan who had grasped the Azure Dipper Purple Yang True Intent was virtually immune to such moves.
Only to see him do a casual slash, four beams of sword qi similarly shot out, and actually reached first despite being released later, extinguishing Tian Yu’s four streaks of sword qi.
Tian Yu gave a long sigh upon seeing the situation and directly discarded the sword in his hand!