After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 3 Sword Training Cliff

The Sword Practice Cliff is located at the top of Cuiyun Mountain. It is a rare cliff. Because it is close to the residence of the outer disciples and has a beautiful view, many outer disciples like to come here to practice their swordsmanship. Over time, it became known as the Sword Practice Cliff.

There are two paths to climb Cuiyun Mountain, one gentle and the other steep. Most people who go to the Sword Practice Cliff take the gentle path, since if they expend a lot of energy on the way up the mountain, what will they use to practice their swordsmanship?

At this moment, Shen Xu was struggling along the treacherous mountain path, his footsteps weaving through the cracks in the rocks, the scabbard of his sword striking the stones with a crisp sound. Sweat streamed down his face, but his eyes remained resolute, and his breathing was even and powerful.

As the path up the mountain became increasingly difficult, the vital energy within his body began to circulate more rapidly, even experiencing a slight sense of stagnation.

This feeling filled him with joy. He knew it was a sign of an impending breakthrough. He had been at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation for some time and had long since met the conditions for a breakthrough; he was simply lacking a suitable opportunity.

So this time he resolutely chose this extremely treacherous path, and he had a feeling that when he reached the top of the mountain, that would be the moment of his breakthrough.

The trees on the mountains belonging to the Green Bamboo Sword Sect are very lush, and the same is true for Green Cloud Mountain. Since few people travel this path, the dense trees on both sides have gradually encroached on this already hidden path, making it even more difficult for Shen Xu to walk.

He had heard that before the Green Bamboo Sword Sect established its sect here, most of the mountains in this area were barren and uninhabited. It was the Green Bamboo Sword Sect's founder, the Green Bamboo True Man, who used a magical artifact that could alter the distribution of the primordial energy between heaven and earth to draw a portion of the primordial energy from a radius of a thousand miles and gather it here, thus creating this vibrant and blessed land.

On the True Origin Continent, there are eight realms of cultivation: Nourishing Qi, Condensing Qi, Qi Sea, Yuan Dan, Rebirth, Creation, Questioning the Void, and Reaching Heaven. Only when one's cultivation reaches the Questioning the Void realm can one be revered as a "Half-Saint." Legend has it that True Man Qingzhu was such a powerful Half-Saint with unparalleled cultivation. In his previous life, he was merely a minor cultivator at the Qi Sea realm; the Half-Saint realm was a level he could never even glimpse in his past life.

With this in mind, Shen Xu looked firmly at the peak not far above, where there must be a magnificent view waiting for him to reach.

After some time, Shen Xu, panting heavily, climbed over a large rock and finally reached the cliff at the top of the mountain. Even his well-trained body couldn't withstand such intense activity, and he collapsed from exhaustion.

The cliff face is like a sword, pointing straight to the sky; on the precipice, the wind swirls up the clouds.

Sunlight filters through gaps in the clouds, casting dappled shadows that illuminate the rugged stone walls, giving them a golden cloak.

Looking at the azure sky in the distance and the magnificent sea of ​​clouds below, Shen Xu's vital energy surged up as if it were about to overflow from his pores. He quickly sat down to meditate and began to refine this surging vital energy.

He swallowed one Qi-Nourishing Pill after another, constantly replenishing the vital energy he consumed. Then, he refined it into purer vital energy and condensed it in his dantian. As his breathing became steady, the vital energy surrounding him gradually returned to his body.

Shen Xu took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, clenched his fists and felt the newly surging power within his body, but felt no joy in his heart, only a sense of urgency.

He still remembered that during the outer sect competition, Shen Guangjian broke through to the eighth level of Qi Nourishing. Unfortunately, he was too weak at the time and could not force out Shen Guangjian's other methods. In order to ensure that everything went smoothly during the competition, he had to make full preparations.

His cultivation level was unlikely to improve significantly in the short term, but he did not intend to compete with Shen Guangjian in terms of cultivation. What he truly relied on was the combat experience he had honed in life and death over the past ten years, and those powerful sword techniques that were deadly in every move.

He drew the longsword left to him by his parents from his waist. The blade gleamed coldly like water, shimmering with golden light under the sunlight. He sensed an incomparably sharp and resilient aura emanating from the sword; it was a mid-grade magic weapon.

He was somewhat curious about how Shen Guangjian had discovered the extraordinary nature of his sword, because he also knew the sword's value and therefore rarely drew it in front of outsiders.

"I wonder why they left me such a precious sword? I can ask Uncle Wang when I get back."

Thinking of this, Shen Xu suddenly froze, as if something was blocking his heart. In his previous life, after he was kidnapped by the Blood Killing Tower, the Green Bamboo Sword Sect informed the Shen family of his death, and Uncle Wang, unable to accept the news, soon passed away.

Sitting quietly before the sea of ​​clouds, with the howling mountain wind blowing, Shen Xu stroked the smooth blade of the sword again and again, while his seemingly calm eyes were reflected on the blade.

After a while, he slowly stood up, faced the sea of ​​clouds in front of him, and slowly closed his eyes.

Shen Xu stood quietly atop the cliff, like a proud and solitary pine tree.

His robes fluttered in the wind, like the branches of a pine tree twisted by the wind, yet still resilient and unyielding. Sunlight danced on his head, casting dappled patterns, like the marks that time had etched upon him.

The Pine Tree Sword Technique belongs to the mortal-level sword techniques. Although it only has two moves, it is one of Shen Xu's favorite sword techniques. He likes the elegant and resilient spirit conveyed in the sword technique.

With his long sword piercing the sea of ​​clouds, the core of the first move of the Pine Tree Sword Technique, "Pine Breeze Through the Forest," lies in the word "through," just as a gentle breeze passes through the pine forest, creating ripples one after another.

The breeze is invisible, but it takes shape as it passes through the pine forest. This move is just a simple thrust, but it is varied and requires great attention to the timing and angle of the strike. At the critical moment, it strikes the enemy's weak point like the wind passing through the pine forest, containing killing intent within its tranquility.

But he was still far from that goal. With flashes of sword light, he thrust out several more times, but he still couldn't achieve the effect he wanted. When he struck, his body clearly couldn't keep up with his mind. He couldn't help but look at his palm. "Is my control over the sword not good enough?"

Shen Xu twirled his sword, and the sword light traced lines around his body in the air. This was another move of the Cangsong Sword Technique, "Cangsong Proud Wind".

"Pine Tree Stands Proudly Against the Wind" is a defensive sword technique that emphasizes the body being like pine roots and the sword like pine branches, firmly rooted to the green mountain, defying the raging wind.

But the sword light suddenly trembled as it flew, and countless blades of energy burst forth, their sharp sounds fading into the surroundings. Fortunately, he was the only one who had come from that path; otherwise, a conflict would have been inevitable.

Shen Xu understood that this was a sign that he had failed to defend against the fierce winds in the mountains, which made him fall into deep thought.

After a moment, he came to a conclusion: although he had the experience of his previous life in his mind, his body had not yet undergone the same training as in his previous life, so he could not produce the same effect as in his previous life.

The only option now is to practice more; there are no shortcuts to mastering sword techniques. Once, twice… ten times, a hundred times—practice after practice allowed Shen Xu to gradually regain some of the feeling he had in his previous life.

Finally, just as the sun was about to set, he thrust out a sword with fluid, effortless grace, leaving no trace whatsoever. It was an unpredictable strike, like a gazelle hanging its horns, leaving no mark whatsoever.

He drew his sword again, but he could no longer recapture the feeling of the previous strike.

But he also knew the principle of moderation, so he decisively sheathed his sword, stood on the edge of the cliff, watched the magnificent sunset and clouds for a while, and then slowly walked down the mountain.