Chapter 2: The Path of Cultivation

The dawn of Qingyun Sect always arrived on time, with mist swirling around the mountains, creating a fairyland-like scene. Every morning, Lin Xuan would sit cross-legged on the cultivation stone in the back mountains of the sect. For outer disciples, this cultivation stone wasn't a rare treasure, just a spot near the back mountain stream where spiritual energy was slightly more abundant. Lin Xuan chose this place because it was quiet, far from the mocking and contempt from the other disciples in the sect.

Lin Xuan hung the Zixiao Sword by his side. Since his fateful encounter and the acquisition of the ancient sword, his understanding of swordsmanship had undergone a profound change. He often felt the sword intent appearing in his mind. Although he had not yet reached a deep level of mastery in the sword path, his sword skills had progressed rapidly, and his demeanor had become much more serious and profound.

"Hu..."

Lin Xuan exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes slowly opening, feeling the steady flow of spiritual energy within his body. His cultivation had reached the middle stage of Qi Refining, but in the Qingyun Sect, disciples like him with average talent still showed very ordinary progress.

"There is still a long way to go before I can truly become a sword master..." Lin Xuan silently lamented in his heart. His gaze unconsciously fell on the Zixiao Sword next to him. The sword's origins were mysterious. Since he had formed a bond with it, the Zixiao Sword would occasionally resonate faintly, as if guiding him. Unfortunately, his cultivation was still too shallow, and he couldn't fully comprehend the sword's profound mysteries.

"Continue practicing the sword." Lin Xuan stood up, grasped the Zixiao Sword, and swung it. The movement was simple but powerful, and every strike seemed to carry a restrained sharpness. He had mastered every stance of the sect's basic swordsmanship, but this was not his goal. The Zixiao Sword flowed in his hands, its light as gentle and agile as flowing water.

"Shu, shu, shu!"

The sword light cut through the air, creating a sound of wind cutting through space. Lin Xuan's swordplay was steady and precise. Although outwardly it did not show overwhelming power, every strike seemed to carry an internal force, as though it was brewing a sharp intent ready to explode.

Just as Lin Xuan was focused on his cultivation, footsteps approached from not far away. He stopped his sword and turned to look, only to see his fellow disciple, Zhang Yang.

"It's you again, Lin Xuan." Zhang Yang crossed his arms, a disdainful smile on his face. "Practicing the sword so hard, but your talent... Tsk, tsk, it's just as expected."

Lin Xuan didn't respond, his expression calm. He was already accustomed to Zhang Yang's provocation, but this time, Zhang Yang didn't leave immediately. Instead, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, shook it slightly, and smiled. "By the way, the sect just released the latest ranking of the disciples, and I checked—your name is still not on it."

Lin Xuan frowned slightly and sighed inwardly. The ranking list was published every year in the sect, based on the disciples' strength. To enter the list, outer disciples had to pass the evaluation of the sect's elders. The list represented not only personal strength and status but also a chance to gain rich cultivation resources. Therefore, every disciple competed fiercely for a spot.

However, Lin Xuan knew his cultivation was nothing special, and his talent was mediocre. He had never had a chance to enter the ranking list. But he did not feel discouraged by this. On the contrary, he thought his cultivation path was still long, and the current ranking was only a temporary state.

"Lin Xuan, have you really never considered giving up on sword cultivation? Your talent is simply not enough. You can't make up for your innate deficiencies with effort." Zhang Yang continued to mock him, his tone filled with disdain.

Lin Xuan raised his head, his eyes calm as water. He replied flatly, "My path doesn't need your guidance. Talent is important, but more important is persistence and belief."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang laughed heartily and shook his head. "Persistence? Belief? Those are just excuses for failures. Cultivation is about power and resources. Without those, you're just wasting time."

Lin Xuan didn't respond. He put away the Zixiao Sword and turned to continue his meditation on the cultivation stone. He knew he couldn't let such meaningless words disturb him. He had his own goals and his own sword path.

Zhang Yang, seeing that Lin Xuan wouldn't engage, turned and left.

A few days later, the annual outer disciple competition of Qingyun Sect was held as scheduled. For the disciples, it was one of the most important opportunities of the year. Through the competition, outer disciples could display their strength, have a chance to enter the inner sect, or even gain the favor of the sect elders.

Lin Xuan also signed up, although he knew his cultivation was not the top among the outer disciples, but he wanted to use this opportunity to test the results of his practice.

On the day of the competition, the Qingyun Sect's martial arts arena was filled with voices, and outer disciples gathered here. Several sword platforms were set up in the center, where disciples would fight one-on-one.

Lin Xuan stood among the crowd, observing his fellow disciples. Most of the outer disciples were nervous yet excited, eager to stand out in the competition. Especially those with higher talents, they were full of confidence, seeing this competition as their opportunity to shine.

"Lin Xuan, you're here too." A voice came from beside him. It was his friend, Li Hao. Li Hao, like Lin Xuan, came from a poor background and had mediocre spiritual roots. The two of them encouraged each other because of their similar circumstances, and they had become good friends.

"Yeah, I'm here to test my strength," Lin Xuan nodded, his face showing little emotional fluctuation.

Li Hao smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't push yourself too hard. The competition is just a formality, there's no need to fight for the top."

Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "I know my limits, but I still want to see where I stand compared to others."

The competition soon began, and disciples climbed the sword platforms one by one to engage in intense battles. Lin Xuan quietly stood to the side, silently observing each match. He noticed a few disciples with outstanding talent, and their swordsmanship was excellent, especially Zhang Yang. His swordplay was fierce and rapid, almost winning every match with overwhelming advantage.

Lin Xuan didn't feel anxious about this. On the contrary, he focused more on analyzing the details of each battle and absorbing experience from them.

Finally, it was Lin Xuan's turn to compete. His opponent was a well-built disciple named Gao Hu, who was incredibly strong and skilled with a heavy sword. The crowd murmured when they saw Lin Xuan stepping onto the platform.

"Isn't this the Lin Xuan who's always been inconspicuous? What is he doing in the competition?"

"I heard his talent is average. He'll be lucky if he can last a few moves."

Lin Xuan ignored the whispers. His focus was on his sword. Standing on the platform, he calmly watched Gao Hu, gripping the Zixiao Sword tightly.

"Lin Xuan, right? I hope you can take my sword!" Gao Hu laughed loudly, raising his heavy sword and swinging it fiercely toward Lin Xuan. The heavy sword was accompanied by a sharp wind, resembling a small mountain crashing down.

Lin Xuan didn't meet the attack head-on. Instead, he pivoted lightly on his feet and swiftly avoided the strike. His movements were as smooth as flowing clouds and water, dodging Gao Hu's powerful blow. At the same time, he quickly drew his sword, sending a streak of sword light like lightning toward Gao Hu's side.

Gao Hu clearly didn't expect Lin Xuan's speed to be so fast. In his haste, he could only dodge sideways, but his movements were a bit too slow. The sword light scraped against his armor with a crisp sound.

The crowd below erupted in surprise. They hadn't expected the seemingly unremarkable Lin Xuan to gain the upper hand right at the start.