It is often said that practitioners of the Evil Path act according to their own whims, without adhering to any common logic, and Feng Yun Wuyi finally experienced this firsthand. Logically, Yōu Wúxié had no reason to take him as a disciple, even if he didn't kill him. Yet, that was exactly what happened. Whether Feng Yun Wuyi agreed or not, within the next short period, there was no way he could step outside the bounds of this place. Around him, hidden among the peaks, were many others of the Evil Path, each one scanning his area with their spiritual senses, full of malice.
"This scroll contains the Ice Fire Finger Technique I've mastered. Take it and study it. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me," Yōu Wúxié said, tossing a booklet toward him. He then turned indifferently and sat down at the entrance of a cold cave, absorbing the thick innate cold energy that surrounded the area.
Feng Yun Wuyi was uninterested. What he lacked right now was not a technique, but more spiritual power. As for the techniques, his own Mind Sword Body and Nine-turns of Life and Death Mystical Art were more than sufficient. Therefore, he didn't bother carrying it with him. From the top of the mountain, with nothing else to do, the only thing that caught his eye were the towering ice-covered peaks, resembling massive ice spikes stretching up from the ground—a stunning, surreal sight.
The Nine-turns of Life and Death Mystical Art was indeed a supreme and profound technique. Each turn increased the power by a factor of ten, and by the time one reached the ninth turn, their strength would be enough to rival the gods and demons. However, the highest level of this art known so far had only reached the sixth turn. Even with only the sixth turn, its power had allowed the practitioner who mastered it to move freely through the Ancient World. It was said that only a handful of supreme beings could defeat him.
Feng Yun Wuyi sat quietly at the peak, his long hair draping over his shoulders, his eyes half-closed. He silently circulated the second turn of the Nine-turns of Life and Death Mystical Art, feeling the flow of energy. Though he hadn't yet broken through to the second turn, Feng Yun Wuyi felt a sense that the breakthrough was near. It only lacked a certain kind of opportunity, one that even he couldn't fully understand.
He meditated on the peak for an unknown amount of time. When Feng Yun Wuyi opened his eyes again, he could feel his internal energy had increased significantly. The abundant innate cold energy within the area helped boost cold-based techniques, but it wasn't bad for other types of cultivation either.
Looking up, he saw that Yōu Wúxié was still seated, his hands forming seals as he meditated, his brow furrowed as though frozen in place. The ice beneath him had merged with the ice in his body, making him appear like a living ice sculpture.
Judging from Yōu Wúxié's stillness, he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Between his knees was a secret tome encased in ice, the words "Xuanming Art" clearly visible on its cover.
"If I were to take that Xuanming Tome now, I bet Zhao Wuyi would find it very useful," Feng Yun Wuyi thought to himself, but he ultimately decided against it. The area around Dark Peak was filled with unknown practitioners of the Evil Path. Whether he could even leave this region was still uncertain. Even if he did manage to escape, it would likely be a long time from now. Therefore, the Xuanming Tome wasn't something he needed to rush for.
With no further breakthroughs possible in the Nine-turns of Life and Death Mystical Art, Feng Yun Wuyi decided to shift his focus to the Mind Sword Body technique. Technically, the Mind Sword Body wasn't an internal cultivation method but rather a unique martial technique involving the cultivation of one's mental energy.
The first level of the Mind Sword Body consisted of three stages: the Broken Sword Technique, the Sword Control Technique, and the Sword Mastery Technique. Feng Yun Wuyi, relying on his deep cultivation base before ascension, managed to breakthrough all three. However, the Nine-turns of Life and Death Mystical Art was so unique that the first level of the Mind Sword Body required him to scatter his power, meaning all the energy he had accumulated over the years before his ascension was reduced to nothing. He was left with only the meager power of three years of cultivation.
It was widely known that any technique required a substantial amount of power to support it, and for Feng Yun Wuyi to control a flying sword with only three years of cultivation was nothing short of a miracle.
The second level of the Mind Sword Body had three stages: the Earth Demon Sword, the Heaven Demon Sword, and the Daoist Sword. At first glance, Feng Yun Wuyi couldn't discern the unique characteristics of each stage. The Mind Sword Body was very peculiar in that whenever one broke through a stage, the next level's mental techniques would automatically manifest in their mind.
As he meditated, ancient characters appeared in his mind. Even with Feng Yun Wuyi's exceptional comprehension, grasping the meaning of these characters was still challenging. He pondered over the text for an indeterminate amount of time. Gradually, he began to gain insight. The second level of the Mind Sword Body was a unique sword style that surpassed traditional sword techniques.
When he began to execute the opening move of the Earth Demon Sword, Feng Yun Wuyi felt a powerful energy coursing through him. Beneath his feet, a colossal sword slowly emerged from the earth, seemingly under his command. It was an experience unlike any other power he had ever felt.
Crack! The thick ice beneath him shattered with a sharp noise, cracks spreading outwards from him like a spider's web. As the cracks grew, they spawned even finer fractures, intertwining with one another. From these fractures, countless ice shards exploded outward.
Under an invisible force, the ice shards rose into the air, swirling around Feng Yun Wuyi. They gradually formed into a swirling vortex, spinning faster and faster.
After several dozen spins, the vortex collapsed with a burst of energy, scattering ice shards across a wide area. But then something strange happened—the ice shards gradually formed into a massive, ethereal sword, the blade visible, while the hilt and handle were hidden beneath the ground.
The powerful sword qi that erupted from the mountaintop created a fierce wind, startling Yōu Wúxié from his meditation.
"What a dense sword qi!" Yōu Wúxié exclaimed, unable to suppress his shock. As he looked up and saw the situation on the peak, his expression shifted rapidly. His eyes flickered with a hint of murderous intent, but soon, hesitation took over.
In that brief moment of meditation, this newly ascended practitioner had made a breakthrough that could not be underestimated. With his sharp senses, Yōu Wúxié could tell that the power of the ethereal sword was immense, yet he could also feel that the sword's true potential had not been fully unleashed.
As Yōu Wúxié hesitated, he suddenly heard a grunt. Looking up, he saw Feng Yun Wuyi's face pale as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He had failed to control the sword intent properly, and it had backfired on him.
Yōu Wúxié immediately flashed forward, landing in front of Feng Yun Wuyi. With a single palm strike, he sent a torrent of cold energy into Feng Yun Wuyi's body, helping him withstand the backlash of the sword energy.
"Ah!" Feng Yun Wuyi's eyes flashed brightly as he formed a virtual grip with both hands. With a powerful slash, a massive sword of ice emerged from the ground, striking directly at Yōu Wúxié, who was standing before him.
"Little beast, you dare!" Yōu Wúxié roared, slapping out toward Feng Yun Wuyi. But the immense sword energy had already reached him first, slamming into his chest.
With a painful cry, Yōu Wúxié was sent flying, crashing into a towering ice peak behind him, his body embedded deeply within the mountain.
"Earth Demon Sword!" Feng Yun Wuyi murmured softly, as if acknowledging his own achievement.