Chapter 67: The Way of the Wind

  First update! Three updates today, seeking red tickets and collection.

  A month later.

  Embracing the moon at the mountain peak.

  Under Ji Yu's gaze, Chen Tai held the Gengjin Sword Bamboo, took a deep breath, and with a flick of his wrist, a swift and fierce slash burst out.

  Hehehe...

  Innumerable sharp sword marks were like surging waves, rolling and pouring down, the sound of wind and thunder was buzzing, and the sky seemed to be filled with cold, bright, and swift flowing light.

  Splash!

  A flash of sword light, and the atmosphere suddenly changed.

  The sword shadow was dense and lingering, swirling in the void to create ripples that seemed soft and dense, but in an instant, it shattered all the clouds within a radius of ten feet into powder, dispersing them completely.

  This move is precisely the second move of the Great Evolution Wind and Cloud Sword - Gentle Breeze and Slanting Rain!

  "This kid is alright, he's got the subtlety of a gentle breeze and a drizzle, but inside, he's hiding a killer move. He's clearly grasped the essence."

  By his side, Ji Yu nodded almost imperceptibly.

  The third move, Fierce Wind Like a Storm - the sword shadow advances and retreats in a whirlwind, rapidly flying and furiously roaring. For a moment, the sword shadows are like clouds, covering the sky and sun, and wherever the sword shadows sweep, they are filled with fierce and violent sword energy.

  The fourth move: Fierce Wind Like a Tide - Sword wind howls, like angry waves rolling in, sword momentum is majestic and unrestrained, moving horizontally and vertically, wildly fierce and violent, as if countless giant waves overlap and intersect, surging through the heavens and earth, resembling a blue sea stirring up a tide.

  Wow!

  After executing the four moves of swordsmanship, Chen Xiao sheathed his sword and let out a mouthful of turbid air, calm and composed.

  "Not bad, the first four moves have all been mastered."

  "However, the realm of unity between heaven and man is not limited to techniques. Once you understand it thoroughly, a single sword strike can evoke the power of heaven and earth, only then can it be considered true unity between heaven and man."

  Chen Xiao nodded in agreement.

  Next, Ji Yu began to evaluate Chen Yao's cultivation of the "Divine Wind Feather Escape Technique".

  Two people came to a dense bamboo forest behind Bao Yue Mountain.

  "There is a sea of bamboo about 100 miles away from here, what you need to do is to shuttle through it, and you cannot touch the stem, branches and leaves along the way, nor can your toes touch the ground."

  "Within ten breaths, it must be done."

  It's challenging!

  Looking at this dense and lush bamboo sea, Chen Tang couldn't help but frown.

  He had only started practicing the "Divine Wind Feather Escape Technique" half a month ago, but he had always been practicing on the peak of Bao Yue Mountain, where it was exceptionally spacious and the mountain wind howled, allowing him to freely fly and dodge in mid-air, which was extremely exhilarating.

  However, at this moment facing this sea of bamboo, wanting to pass through the entire bamboo forest without touching any branches or leaves within ten breaths is extremely difficult.

  "Worried that you can't do it?" Ji Yu shook his head and chuckled, "This test is still the most basic, the battle between cultivators is all about flying and escaping, using every trick in the book. It's not like you imagine, where one person throws a punch and the other swings a sword. Instead, they use every means possible to change positions and exchange blows, like ghosts and demons. If your movement skills are poor, forget about fighting, you might not even be able to dodge the opponent's attack."

  Chen Xuan's hesitation was thoroughly dispelled by Ji Yu's words, and a surge of discontent arose in his heart. He tapped the tip of his foot on the ground, and his body instantly transformed into a rainbow light, disappearing into the dense bamboo forest in the blink of an eye.

  Splash!

  A biting wind swept past his body from both sides, Chen Tai maintained a diving posture, his expression focused on the distance, without blinking.

  He couldn't get close to the bamboo leaves and poles, so he changed direction, avoiding those densely packed bamboos. However, changing direction wasted time, even if only for an instant, but for Chen Tai, who had to pass through the dense bamboo forest in ten breaths, it was undoubtedly a huge waste.

  A moment later, Chen Xiao escaped from the Bamboo Sea.

  "Twenty-six breaths, no good." Ji Yu shook his head repeatedly.

  Chen Yu's face was expressionless as he flew back in once again.

  "Eighteen breaths, no good."

  "Twelve breaths, three bamboo leaves stuck on, no good."

  "It's no use."

  At noon, Chen Xiao's ears were filled with the words "not possible", the voice was calm and peaceful, but it made him feel ashamed and thoroughly ignited his stubbornness and arrogance. After Ji Yu left, he wandered alone in the bamboo forest, without any slack.

  Every time I'm exhausted and can't hold on, the words "it's not going to work" seem to echo in my ears, spoken softly by Ji Yu, and then I grit my teeth, get up again, and charge back into the sea of bamboo...

  Bang!

  Sweat dripped down, heavy gasps echoed in the night, Chen Tai could no longer get up, lying on the ground with his limbs splayed out, his true yuan was drained dry, not even willing to move a finger.

  He lay there, staring blankly at the starry sky above, letting the sweat flow down his face like a stream.

  "Ten breaths, and just one more step..."

  Chen Xiao's throat was unusually hoarse, his eyes filled with regret and discontent, completely unaware that Ji Yu stood in the distance, silently watching him, a rare hint of admiration flickering in those weathered eyes.

  Ten days later.

  In front of Bamboo Sea, a loud noise was heard, and Chen Xuan disappeared on the spot.

  Hehe~

  Because of the excessive speed, the warm breeze that Chen Tai passed through also became sharp as a knife. The void was torn apart by him, leaving behind a trail of residual phantoms. After one breath, these phantoms disappeared like bubbles, and Chen Tai had already traversed more than ten miles away.

  Looking from mid-air, in that dense sea of bamboo, Chen Xiao is like a black lightning bolt, flashing through the thick bamboo leaves and speeding past the sturdy bamboo poles. The speed is so fast that ordinary people's vision can't keep up!

  A moment later, Chen Xiao suddenly swept out of the bamboo sea.

  "Eight breaths, not bad, more than I expected." Ji Yu nodded in approval.

  When Ji Yu finally stopped saying those two words "not possible", Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment, as if he had transcended the world. There was no excitement, only calmness, as if all the hardships and sweat from these past few days had been transformed into stillness, like a lake without ripples.

  "Now your swordsmanship and physical movement have reached a state of perfect harmony between heaven and man, if you want to make further progress, you must go and comprehend."

  "Foundation, knowing the subtleties, and unity of heaven and man can all be achieved through diligent practice," Ji Yu said thoughtfully. "However, this fourth level of sword intent requires one to comprehend the Way of Heaven. Only by grasping a thread of the Way's intent can one form sword intent and body intent."

  Perceiving the Way of Heaven...

  Chen Xiao's head buzzed suddenly, as if he had been enlightened.

  Before, he had always heard people mention that the most important thing for a cultivator was to comprehend the grand righteousness of Heaven, and only then could one reach the pinnacle of the Dao. However, at that time, his cultivation was shallow, and he was confused about it, feeling that it was too distant, so he didn't pay attention to it.

  Now that he has advanced to the Purple Mansion realm, laying the foundation for the Great Dao, and after many days of cultivation, he unconsciously had a vague understanding of the Heavenly Dao. Now that Ji Yu's words have revealed it, the feeling is like opening a new window in front of him, seeing a bright and beautiful new world!

  The way of justice!

  No wonder it's only when one advances to the Purple Mansion Realm that they're considered to have truly embarked on the path of immortality, as it turns out that only at the Purple Mansion Realm will one gain a completely new understanding of the world around them.

  At this moment, Chen's heart was surging with emotions.

  But how can we comprehend the profound meaning of the mysterious and unfathomable Tao?

  After a long time, Chen Xiao's mood finally recovered, and he thought of a problem that must be solved at present - how to enlighten the way?

  "Diligent practice and contemplation will eventually lead to one's own opportunity." Ji Yu's response was extremely concise, yet also extremely vague.

  It's also worth thinking about, if there is a way to understand the Tao, then probably everyone in the world would have already embarked on the great path.

  Opportunity?

  Chen Xiao furrowed his brow in deep thought, and after a long while, he still shook his head. This kind of thing that can be encountered but not sought after cannot be approached with a must-get attitude.

  Ji Yu saw this and couldn't help but remind him, "Stupid, I'll ask you, what's the connection between 'Da Yan Feng Xing Jian' and 'Shen Feng Hua Yu Dun Fa'?"

  What's the commonality between sword techniques and body techniques? It seems like they're both related to 'wind'...... Ah, wind?

  Chen Xiao's eyes lit up, and he had already made up his mind.

  Ji Yu smiled and said, "The way of the wind is changeable and unpredictable, violent, gentle, sharp, lingering... it's the most free and unbridled. If you want to grasp the essence of 'Da Yan Feng Xing Jian' and 'Shen Feng Hua Yu Dun Fa', first you must understand what 'wind' really is."

  ——

  Wind!

  Chen Yu sat cross-legged on the edge of Bao Yue Mountain, surrounded by a sea of clouds, feeling the mountain wind whizzing past him.

  The mountain wind was elusive and hard to find, but Chen Tai's body method and swordsmanship had long reached the level of unity with heaven and man, and soon his mind and spirit merged with the wind between heaven and earth.

  When the wind sweeps over the rolling cloud sea, brushing against his cheek, he can clearly feel... its speed, trajectory, power, until every subtle change is vividly presented in his mind.

  "This mountain wind is as sharp as a knife and swift as lightning."

  Three days later, Chen Yao opened his eyes, as if he had gained some insight. He got up, and without hesitation, Chen Yao flew into the air, like a large golden-winged Peng bird, in an instant, he had already traversed over ten miles, compared to before, his movements were more mysterious and subtle, with an inexplicable aura that was even faster.

  A moment later, in front of a lake in Baoyue Mountain.

  Chen Xiao didn't hesitate at all and sat down on the vast lake surface.

  Whoosh...

  The wind stirs the lake's surface, creating ripples that gently caress the lotus flowers as they glide across the water, like a lover tenderly stroking her beloved's cheek.

  "The lake breeze is soft and dense, stretching out like a rain..."

  Seven days later, Chen Tang opened his eyes again, the contemplative color in his eyes grew thicker, got up and flew away to disappear by the lake.

  Day by day, Chen's footprints spread across mountain peaks, lakes, rock piles, torrential rains, and scorching sun... His understanding of the wind also deepened.

  "Wind, with its countless changes and variations, has different styles, whether it's a strong wind, gentle breeze, mountain wind, lake wind, or even the wind after rain. Its speed, strength, and trajectory are all unique, exhausting all possibilities of change. But what is the root source of this change?"

  Another month has passed.

  Chen Xiao sat alone in the cave, pondering every kind of wind he had come to realize over the past few days.

  Change?

  Why change?

  "Freedom! No freedom, no style!"

  Chen Zhuang's whole body trembled, and good fortune arrived in his heart. It was as if a sheet of paper had been pierced through, and suddenly everything became clear!