Volume Two: Snow Over the Qin River Chapter Seven: The Sword Debate at the Peaks (Part I)

As Mei Qinghan noted, only four immortal-grade flying swords have ever emerged from the Sword-Sinking Pool. Two of them are not even in the Snow Cloud Sect. While his knowledge as a third-generation disciple might not be exhaustive, it serves to highlight the extreme rarity of such treasures.

Even to the Snow Cloud Sect, the term "immortal-grade" remains the pinnacle of attainment; otherwise, why would the masters of the other three peaks be equipped with only heaven-grade swords?

That is why Xue Qianzhang was stunned when he heard the news.

When was the last time an immortal-grade sword appeared?

Ah, right. That fellow Yan Bei was visiting with the Old Emperor when, on a whim, he entered the Sword Pool. The pool resonated in unison, and *Changtian* voluntarily followed him.

That was a thousand years ago.

After such a long time, he never expected that someone surnamed Feng would walk away with another immortal-grade flying sword. He was at a loss for words.

Xue Wuji, sensing Xue Qianzhang’s inner conflict, said, "Do not take it to heart. The fact that we could not successfully inherit an immortal-grade sword does not necessarily mean our talent is lacking."

He paused, unsure how to continue.

Xue Qianzhang gave a wry laugh. "The character for 'sword' implies uprightness. It is precisely because you are so hesitant and full of misgivings that you have yet to achieve the Dao."

Xue Wuji was rendered speechless.

Xue Qianzhang sighed and added, "Though, it is true—inheriting a sword is ultimately a matter of destiny. Feng Qi was born of royalty and blessed by the heavens; it is only logical that he would be favored by an immortal-grade blade." He paused before saying, "Return now. As for the mess Feng Qi has caused, you must resolve it yourself."

"How?" asked Xue Wuji.

"You are my Snow Cloud Law-Sword, and you have to ask me that?" Xue Qianzhang shot him a look. "The harsher, the better."

Feng Qi was grounded.

After returning from Treading Snow Peak, Xue Wuji’s expression had returned to normal, but he gave Feng Qi no opportunity to explain, locking him directly into his cave dwelling. Aside from a young sword-acolyte responsible for his food and water, no one was permitted to visit him.

Even so, many disciples still lingered around his dwelling daily, mostly those from the Hunyuan Realm who had yet to inherit their swords. Feng Qi understood their motives; they simply wanted to ask about his inheritance. It was not exactly a secret, but Feng Qi could not be bothered to explain.

He looked at the sky outside his window. Though it appeared empty, Feng Qi knew that an extremely powerful formation had been laid there. If he dared to step out, the consequences would be dire. He sighed in his cave, eventually accepting his fate with resignation.

Days passed, and soon the day of the Inter-Peak Sword Discussion arrived.

The light at the entrance flickered, and the air seemed to tear open. Mu Linhan poked his head in. "Little Junior Brother, let’s go!"

Feng Qi’s eyes brightened; he could finally leave.

The Sword Discussion was held at Sword-Washing Creek, whose waters flowed from the Sword-Sinking Pool. On the way, Mu Linhan conveyed Xue Qianzhang’s decree: the use of *Qingshuang* was forbidden during the trials.

Although he had lost his greatest advantage, he only had four matches that day. Aside from facing a senior sister from Chasing Moon Peak who was at the peak of the Hunyuan Realm, the other three were only in the upper Hunyuan stage and posed no threat. He didn't pay them much mind.

He won his first three matches with a single strike each. Under his "Trace-less Sword Intent," the techniques of Wind-Thunder Peak and Treading Snow Peak were no different, and because his opponents lacked a deep understanding of swordsmanship, he found their flaws easily.

The senior sister was more troublesome. The Chasing Moon sword style was agile, and she was well-versed in it, forcing him to use two strikes.

Seeing her eyes turn red with frustration, Feng Qi felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. "Shall we try again? Should I let you win?"

His words left the entire arena in silence, followed by an uproar. The senior sister he had faced was reduced to tears by his remark.

Sheng Yun, the Sword-Child of Treading Snow Peak, lay back in his recliner and squinted. He thought the new junior brother was quite arrogant, but it was a pity he had already reached the peak of the Heart-Understanding stage; otherwise, he would have stepped down to teach him a lesson.

Zhang Chen, the Sword-Child of Wind-Thunder Peak, was a scholarly young man. He looked at Feng Qi and asked his companion, "Is this the Sword-Child of Trace-less Peak you spoke of?"

"Yes," Mei Hanqing replied respectfully.

Zhang Chen was silent for a moment. "Any disciple of Wind-Thunder Peak at the peak of the Hunyuan Realm who loses to him will be confined in the Wind-Thunder Pavilion for a year until the next Sword Discussion."

Mei Hanqing wiped his sweat. "Is... is that not a bit too harsh?"

"Wind-Thunder Peak is responsible for the laws of Snow Cloud," Zhang Chen said. "If the enforcers are incompetent, it is a desecration of the law... If Feng Qi commits a crime in the future, should I have to personally invite him to answer for it?"

Zhou Zihan looked at Feng Qi, thinking that this guy's mouth was still as annoying as ever.

Qiu Yue, the Sword-Child of Chasing Moon Peak, stood beside her with arms folded and clicked her tongue. "This guy is too easy to hate. Junior Sister Zihan, you must avenge Junior Sister Linfei!"

Zhou Zihan thought to herself: *Linfei is from Chasing Moon Peak; shouldn't that be your job as the Sword-Child?*

But she changed her words. "If I meet him in the finals... I will do my best."

***

Feng Qi had no real rivals in the Hunyuan Realm. He swept through the competition, and over the three-day schedule, no one could force him to use more than three strikes. This record left the other peaks' Sword-Children in silence.

Fortunately, he was not the only one shining. On the fourth day, as he stood on the arena, he saw Zhou Zihan on the other side. He raised an eyebrow, thinking today's match would not be so dull.

After the sword salute, both sides retreated to the edges of the platform. Feng Qi wiped the smile from his face and drew his longsword from his storage bag. He had been able to store his flying sword in his Origin Palace before because it lacked a soul-bound blade. Now that he had established his bond, he could not allow other sword intents to occupy the nest.

Zhou Zihan frowned. "Are you sure you want to fight me with that scrap of iron?"

Feng Qi shrugged helplessly. *If Master hadn't forbidden me from using the Qingshuang sword, would I have spent three days holding this piece of junk?*

Seeing he didn't reply, the chill on Zhou Zihan’s face deepened. A sword hum emanated from within her. Feng Qi felt a sharp, piercing sword intent—though it was not directed at him.

*Clang.*

The sword in his hand snapped in two.

Sheng Yun watched this scene and yawned, slowly closing his eyes.

"He doesn't even try to close the distance when fighting an Innate Sword Body... he is doomed to lose!" Zhang Chen said coldly.

Mei Hanqing nodded. "If his strength is limited to what he has shown in the past few days, he will surely lose."

Zhang Chen glanced behind him at his disciples. "Watch closely. That is what you call a sword!"

The disciples who had lost to Feng Qi kept their heads down, thinking, *We aren't Innate Sword Bodies, nor have we reached the Heart-Understanding stage; how could we control sword intent to fight outside our bodies?*

On the other side, Qiu Yue patted Linfei’s shoulder. "Don't worry, I've already spoken to Junior Sister Zihan. She will definitely avenge you!"

***

Feng Qi did not change his sword, choosing instead to dodge that sword intent as much as possible, only parrying when he could not evade. He didn't block head-on, but struck at the sides to deflect the trajectory, managing to hold his own for a short time.

Zhou Zihan raised an eyebrow. *In that case... what about this?*

Another strand of sword intent appeared in the air. Feng Qi paused, glancing at Xue Wuji. Xue Wuji shook his head imperceptibly. Feng Qi sighed and continued to circle.

The disciples below grew more suspicious. The sword in Feng Qi's hand clearly wasn't from the Sword Pool, or it wouldn't have broken at the slightest touch. Why wasn't he using his own? Could it be... he hadn't successfully inherited a sword at all?

"It makes sense. Inheritance relies on one's own intent resonating with the pool to choose a compatible sword. His reckless method of jumping into the pool would never gain the approval of a sword! Think about it—not a single sword hummed when he entered!"

This theory gained traction, and even high-ranking disciples like Mei Qinghan and Wan Jiang began to frown and consider its possibility.

Sheng Yun opened his eyes a crack and looked at the person who had spoken, thinking, *What an idiot.* He then looked at the disciples agreeing with him and shook his head, thinking, *A whole bunch of idiots.*

The second-in-command of Treading Snow Peak asked, "Senior Brother, is something wrong?"

Sheng Yun was silent for a moment. "See if any of those agreeing disciples are from Treading Snow Peak. If so, tell them to face the cliff in the back mountain as soon as they return. It’s too embarrassing."

The second-in-command was stunned. Sheng Yun sighed again, looking dejected. "Truly, it's mortifying."

***

Half a quarter of an hour later, only the hilt remained in Feng Qi's hand. Zhou Zihan spread her arms, and a third strand of sword intent surged from behind her.

With the three strands circling her, she asked again, "Still not using your sword?"

Feng Qi was silent for a moment. Another sword hum. Four strands of sword intent!

Feng Qi thought that even someone in the middle Heart-Understanding stage might not be able to control so many strands of intent simultaneously. As expected of an Innate Formless Sword Body—truly blessed by the heavens.

He tossed the hilt to the ground, preparing to concede. The face of his Senior Brother flashed through his mind. *If I concede, Senior Brother will surely be sad...*

Feng Qi took a deep breath, shook his head, and picked up the broken blade.

A roar went through the crowd. No one expected him to do this. He had clearly looked ready to concede—why choose to fight? Was conceding not better? Zhou Zihan was a Sword-Child of Qianren Peak, and he was the Sword-Child of Trace-less Peak; losing was not unacceptable.

Swords have no eyes, which is why a hilt is necessary. Without one, no matter how sharp the blade or how good the technique, it would be a pyrrhic victory. To do this for a simple Sword Discussion... it wasn't worth it!

Feng Qi’s sword robes suddenly burst outward as his Qi wrapped around him as if ignited. A desperate final stand!

At the highest point of the spectator stand, the master of Chasing Moon Peak raised an eyebrow. The master of Qianren Peak stood up abruptly, shocked. "How is this possible?"

Xue Wuji glanced at him sideways, thinking, *There is much you don't know.*

Xue Qianzhang looked at him and said calmly, "Sit down."

The deacon in charge of the trial flew over on his sword and asked, "Sect Master, should we rule Feng Qi out in this situation?"

Xue Qianzhang raised an eyebrow. "Why rule him out?"

"The desperate final stand... isn't that the final move of the Overlord Spear?" the deacon asked.

Xue Qianzhang shook his head. "It is indeed the Overlord Spear, but who decreed that the Overlord Spear can only be performed with a spear? That Feng Qi can turn spear techniques into sword techniques is his own ability. You may go down. Ensure those two children do not get hurt."

The deacon nodded and hurriedly returned to his post.

A whistling sound echoed as Feng Qi threw the broken blade at Zhou Zihan; a faint dragon shadow emerged upon it. Zhou Zihan waved her hand, and the four strands of sword intent met the broken blade, producing a harsh metallic screech. The blade hung in mid-air, unable to advance or retreat. The sword intent was the same.

Zhou Zihan looked at Feng Qi. "One last time. Are you still not going to use your sword?"

"My Master won't let me," Feng Qi said.

Zhou Zihan nodded thoughtfully. "Then, if I go all out, will you go all out?"

Feng Qi thought for a moment. "Probably."

"Then it's a promise," Zhou Zihan said. As she spoke, two more strands of sword intent shot from her body. "Humans have many bones. Beyond my limbs, I have cultivated two more bones, each inscribed with a strand of sword intent. Please, enlighten me!"