Clear Sky Peak was quiet.
A pale mist rolled along the cliff edges, brushing against the ancient pines that clung to the jagged stone. Sword-shaped leaves rustled softly overhead, and spiritual birds nested in silence within crags and hanging gardens. Everything about this place—its shape, sound, and spirit—seemed to echo with a quiet sword intent.
Li Qingyun stood on the stone steps leading into the inner courtyard, jade token in hand. A long corridor stretched ahead, carved into the side of the mountain, with quiet residences spaced at precise intervals.
There were only two.
He glanced at the second courtyard across from his. Xia Shuying had already entered hers without a word.
The two of them had said little since arriving, but that suited Li Qingyun just fine. He preferred peace.
His own courtyard was simple but spacious—wooden floors polished to a faint sheen, a raised meditation platform by the window, and a crystal-clear spring feeding a small pond at the rear.
Sitting down cross-legged on the stone platform, he took out the jade slip Elder Fang had handed them before leaving.
It contained information about the peak.
Clear Sky Peak - Orientation Slip
Residence Count: 2
Resource Hall: One visit per month
Sword Stone Valley: Open at all times
Duels: Allowed within designated formation circles
Cultivation Manuals: One provided of any type, replacements available on request
Li Qingyun skimmed the brief contents and then paused at the next line:
"Sword Stone Valley contains echoes of sword intent from ancient predecessors. Do not overestimate yourself. Enter at your own risk."
He set the slip aside and stood.
---
The path to Sword Stone Valley was narrow and quiet, winding around a sheer cliff face. Several aged sword trees lined the descent, their twisted trunks and silvery bark glinting faintly in the mist. The further he went, the denser the air became—not in pressure, but clarity.
When he reached the valley floor, Li Qingyun stopped.
Before him stood rows of stone monoliths—tall, ancient, and evenly spaced like soldiers awaiting battle. Each one was shaped like the blade of a sword, its surface etched with unfamiliar marks, its edges dulled by time. Yet even in their silence, they emitted a faint aura that tugged at his thoughts.
It wasn't killing intent. It was something deeper.
Discipline. Conviction.
There were more than a dozen sword stones, each separated by a small barrier of sword qi. As Li Qingyun stepped toward the first, a faint resistance pressed against his skin—not enough to harm, but enough to demand effort.
He stood before it.
A breath.
Two.
Then, he reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed the stone, an invisible line of sword intent surged into his sea of consciousness—like a drawn blade passing just behind his thoughts. For a lesser cultivator, it might have caused dizziness or mental backlash.
Li Qingyun simply closed his eyes.
The sword intent was flawed—strong, yes, but impure. It belonged to someone from centuries ago, left behind as a shadow of their pursuit. He studied it for a few minutes, parsing the method used to form the intent, then stepped back.
He moved to the second stone.
This one was different—colder, more precise. It reminded him of a raindrop falling into a still pond, silent and inevitable. Again, he allowed the intent to brush against him, neither resisting nor submitting.
By the third stone, the air had become sharper.
Here, the sword intent was deeper. It wasn't just a technique—it was a state of being. It pressed against him like a weight, challenging his footing. He stayed still, breathing calmly.
Then something unexpected happened.
The faint traces of his own sword intent—cultivated unconsciously during his practice of [Voidcleave Sword Manual]—reacted.
It was not a clash, nor a resonance, but a subtle extension.
Like water quietly filling a cup.
The sword stone glowed faintly.
Li Qingyun opened his eyes. He exhaled softly.
"…This place is useful."
He didn't press further. There were still many stones ahead, but no need to rush. He had the time now—the peace to focus, to grow without distraction.
Turning around, he made his way back to the courtyard, the mountain wind carrying a faint whisper of sword qi behind him.
---
Back at the peak, Xia Shuying stood beneath a plum tree near her courtyard, eyes half-lidded in thought.
When she sensed Li Qingyun return, she glanced at him once.
"You went to the valley already?"
He nodded. "It's worth visiting."
"…I'll go tomorrow."
She turned back to the tree, brushing a stray blossom from her sleeve. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Li Qingyun didn't respond. He returned to his room, sat down on the meditation platform, and let his breathing slow.
______
Night fell over Clear Sky Peak like a velvet shroud, the stars above gleaming like ancient sword tips glittering across the heavens.
Inside his courtyard, Li Qingyun sat cross-legged on the jade meditation platform. The spiritual qi here was unlike anything he had felt in the outside world—thicker, more refined, almost alive. With a steady breath, he closed his eyes and called upon the system.
A transparent interface unfurled silently before his inner sight.
---
[System Interface]
[Host:] Li Qingyun
[Realm:] Foundation Establishment Realm — 1st Stage
[Physique:] Primal Chaos Vessel Physique
[Slots:]
Slot 1: Voidcleave Sword Manual — Perfect (Transcendent locked — requires 300 points)
Slot 2: Ninefold Essence Sutra — Perfect (Transcendent locked — requires 500 points)
Slot 3: Cloudveil Sword Control Method — Proficient
Slot 4: Unoccupied.
[Techniques:]
Jade Body Tempering Scripture — Transcendent (Unshakable Core)
Ninefold Essence Sutra — Perfect
Voidcleave Sword Manual — Perfect (Sword Intent: True Edge)
Phantom Step Art — Perfect
Cloudveil Sword Control Method — Proficient
↳ Cloudveil Flight Method — Major Completion
[Bound Weapon:] Shadowfang — Spirit Grade
[Weapon Traits:] Adaptive resonance, enhances Sword Intent, evolves with usage
[Energy:] 523 points
---
Li Qingyun's gaze rested on the first slot.
He had charged many spiritual objects during his travels and had finally gathered enough energy. Without hesitation, he issued the command in his heart.
'Use 300 points to break the limit of Voidcleave Sword Manual.'
The interface flickered—then pulsed.
[Ding... ]
[Consumed 300 energy points]
[Upgrade Confirmed]
[Voidcleave Sword Manual advanced to: Transcendent stage]
[New Effect Unlocked: Sword Domain]
The moment the upgrade completed, an invisible wave of pressure rippled outward from his body. Wind circled around him in unnatural stillness. The qi inside his body surged, then condensed.
He inhaled deeply. Everything became clearer—not just the technique itself, but the nature of the sword.
The Voidcleave Sword Manual no longer simply guided sword intent.
It had become it.
[Sword Domain: When activated, creates an inner field within which all sword qi bends to the user's will. Within this space, the user's sword techniques become faster, more refined, and capable of slicing through qi-based defenses or spiritual interference.
The domain grows with strength of intent. If a cultivator who had no domain falls in its range his strength instantly becomes half depending on the strength of cultivator and user.]
Li Qingyun slowly opened his eyes. He was surprised by the last mentioned detail, as it was simply overpowered.
His surroundings had changed.
The faint aura around his body had sharpened, turning razor-fine. Even the gentle wind in the courtyard was now severed by invisible lines—split apart like silk before a blade.
He raised his hand, and the air responded.
Not by moving… but by parting.
"…So this is the Transcendent stage," he murmured, voice low and calm.
He stood, moved a step forward, and with a thought, drew Shadowfang from his spatial ring.
The black blade gleamed faintly beneath the moonlight. Yet it, too, seemed to hum in resonance with his new power.
One step.
He unsheathed and slashed in the same motion.
A single invisible arc of sword qi tore through the air, completely silent. It struck the plum tree on the far end of the courtyard—but instead of cutting through it, the tree remained standing. Only a moment later did the topmost blossom drift down… sliced in half so cleanly not even the petals realized it.
Li Qingyun sheathed the blade.
There was no need to test more. He knew it instinctively.
From this moment forward, his sword had stepped into a domain of its own.
The night deepened.
And on Clear Sky Peak, a faint breeze moved through the darkness—split quietly by an edge too subtle to see.