Chapter Twelve: First Level of the Sword Body

“Aren’t you thinking of eating that thing?” Niu Shisan turned his head and fixed his gaze on Lin Cheng.

“Wild boar meat is truly delicious. With such a huge boar, that should be enough to feed us for several days…” Lin Cheng replied as he drew his Heavenward Sword, silently murmuring in his heart, “Brother, forgive me, but I’ll have to use you for the first time to slaughter a pig.”

The Heavenward Sword remained silent.

As Lin Cheng slowly approached the wild boar, he realized this creature looked none too harmless. Before he began cultivating, he wouldn’t have dared provoke it.

After estimating the optimal distance for attack, Lin Cheng sprang forward, both hands gripping his sword as he leapt into the air and drove it downwards.

The bristled wild boar seemed to sense something amiss, but by the time it realized, it was already too late. Lin Cheng’s great sword had plunged deep into its skull, pinning it firmly to the ground. The beast trembled for a moment, then fell silent.

“It’s done.”

When he pulled out the sword, Lin Cheng noticed to his surprise that not a drop of blood stained the blade. He quietly praised what a fine weapon it was.

“That… That was brutal…” Niu Shisan exclaimed in shock, leaping out from behind a tree when he saw Lin Cheng dispatch the massive wild boar in the blink of an eye.

The two of them dragged the boar all the way back toward Sword-Hidden Peak. Along the way, disciples of the Azure Sun Sect stared dumbfounded at their actions.

But when they saw that one of them wore purple robes, and the other was clad in black—a disciple’s attire they’d rarely glimpsed—their expressions became grave. Each one clasped their fists with utmost respect.

“Greetings, senior brothers…”

Black robes were a rare sight in the Azure Sun Sect, reserved for the most elite disciples. Even the purple-robed inner disciples were not to be slighted.

Seeing all these disciples, who had entered the sect before them, now bowing so respectfully, Lin Cheng and Niu Shisan could not conceal their pride.

Heh, looks like joining Sword-Hidden Peak was the right move after all.

With such thoughts, the two returned to Sword-Hidden Peak.

With practiced hands, they quickly cleaned the boar, hacked off a foreleg, and set it over the fire to roast.

Before long, as the succulent aroma wafted up and the wild boar leg turned a golden brown, both of them couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.

“Wow, that smells amazing…”

A flash of rainbow light, and Han Meng appeared before them, her eyes glued to the roasting boar leg, looking every bit the gourmand.

She stole a quick swallow and beamed at them. “Oh, right, little brothers, I almost forgot to tell you—no one cooks on Sword-Hidden Peak, so…”

“We know,” they replied in unison.

Han Meng was momentarily speechless.

Her gaze was still fixed on the golden, juicy wild boar meat, her meaning all too clear.

Noting that the meat was nearly done, Lin Cheng fetched some spices he always carried with him and skillfully seasoned it.

Niu Shisan, unable to resist the tantalizing aroma—especially with his stomach rumbling—hastily drew a small dagger, cut off a hefty chunk, and devoured it greedily.

Watching Niu Shisan wolf down the meat, Lin Cheng shrugged, then took his own dagger, sliced off a large piece of lean meat, and offered it to Han Meng.

Smiling, he said, “Senior sister Han Meng, I suppose you haven’t had dinner yet either?”

She grabbed the meat from Lin Cheng’s hand without a care for appearances and began eating ravenously.

Between mouthfuls, she muttered her praise, “Honestly, I haven’t eaten all day, and I can’t remember the last time I had such delicious roast meat. Little brother, I’m starting to like you more and more…”

Lin Cheng was momentarily stunned.

Realizing her slip, Han Meng hurried to explain, “Not that kind of like…”

“What kind, then?” Niu Shisan, having just finished a chunk of meat, teased with a grin.

Han Meng feigned to hit him.

The three of them devoured the entire boar leg, patting their bellies with lingering satisfaction.

Night had fallen, and under a sky of stars, the three had grown quite familiar with one another.

Lin Cheng asked, “Senior sister, what realm have you reached now?”

Han Meng replied, “I’m currently at the Spirit Realm.”

Niu Shisan inquired, “Senior sister Han Meng, how long will Senior Brother and Second Brother be in seclusion? They must be really powerful, right?”

Han Meng pursed her lips, “Compared to you, they are truly extraordinary…”

Niu Shisan fell silent.

Before leaving, Han Meng gave each of them a storage pouch containing daily necessities and some spirit stones and pills, explaining that their master had instructed her to deliver these before going into seclusion.

Back in his cave dwelling, late at night, Lin Cheng sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, thinking back on the past few days, which seemed as if he had been living in a dream.

After collecting his thoughts, he resumed his cultivation.

Within the Azure Sun Sect, the ambient spiritual energy was already far richer than outside, and this place was even better: Sword-Hidden Peak’s cultivation grounds, enhanced by a spirit-gathering array. Here, one’s progress was dozens of times faster than elsewhere.

As he circulated the Five Elements Sword Technique, visible spiritual energy surged toward Lin Cheng, forming a vortex of spiritual power. At its center, he absorbed this torrent with astonishing speed. To the casual observer, he merely had an ordinary dantian, but in truth, it was a vast golden sea.

No matter how much spiritual energy he absorbed, it was but a drop in the ocean for his immense golden dantian.

“Condense.”

A quiet command echoed in Lin Cheng’s heart.

The spiritual energy flowing into his dantian was transformed, drop by drop, into golden sword essence. Using the Five Elements Sword Technique’s tempering method, each drop of sword essence merged into his limbs and bones.

He spent the entire night in cultivation; though the pain of tempering his body with sword essence was almost unbearable at times, he persevered.

With a long breath, Lin Cheng finally opened his tightly shut eyes.

He rose, stretched out his arms, relaxed his stiff body, and his bones cracked audibly.

“First stage of the Five Elements Sword Body, and my cultivation has broken through to the fourth level of the True Qi Realm,” he murmured with delight, tilting his neck.

He truly was elated. According to the white-robed sword cultivator’s descriptions, after breaking through the first stage of the Five Elements Sword Body, he would be immune to all swords within the True Qi Realm.

In other words, at this moment, no sword within the True Qi Realm could harm him, and his comprehension of sword techniques would be tripled.

Furthermore, once he reached the higher levels of the True Qi Realm, he could begin training in the first form of the Heavenly Peak Five Clouds Sword that the white-robed sword cultivator had taught him.

At the thought, Lin Cheng suddenly felt a thirst for challenge.

Indeed, he was feeling a bit overconfident.

Exiting his cave, he spotted a small stream cascading down from the mountain peak nearby. The sound of water in the morning was wonderfully refreshing.

He splashed some cool water on his face and took a sweet sip, feeling invigorated.

Today was the day when an elder of the Azure Sun Sect would lecture, and Lin Cheng decided to attend.

By the time he arrived at the sect’s stone square, many disciples had already gathered beneath the lecture platform, seated cross-legged, quietly awaiting the elder’s appearance.

“You fat oaf, do you really think you deserve this spot?”

A red-haired youth in blue robes barked at a plump boy in green, who stood nearby.

Behind the red-haired youth stood several others in blue robes, with Zhang Bao prominent among them.

The plump boy was none other than Lin the Fatty. He glanced at Zhang Bao, then at the red-haired youth before him, and retorted angrily:

“Who says I can’t stand here?”