Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 148 - 144: Concerns

Chapter 148: Chapter 144: Concerns

At Bai Lu Academy, Li Fan focused intently on his cultivation.

At the moment, he was seated cross-legged beneath the plum blossom tree in the courtyard, eyes tightly shut, Sword Intent swirling around him as he cycled through the Nine Heavens Mysterious Sword Scripture.

In the boundless starry sky, the Sword of the Great Tao seemed eternally present, suspended high above in the heavens.

Li Fan’s Primordial Spirit sat before the Sword of the Great Tao, sensing its immense vigor. Starlight illuminated his Primordial Spirit, making it remarkably radiant, as though birthed from condensed Sword Intent.

On the Sword of the Great Tao, countless runes began to light up. Their brilliance fell upon Li Fan’s Primordial Spirit, which gradually turned transparent—transforming, astonishingly, into the shape of a sword.

A sword hung amidst the cosmos above, with starry radiance continuously cascading onto it. Encased within the blade were various elemental powers, shifting endlessly.

Beyond the Soul Emergence Realm lies the Foundation Establishment Realm.

To build the foundation of the Great Dao—if he were to establish his cultivation base, what kind of sword should he create as its cornerstone?

On the sword, at times, Wind and Thunder Intent danced around it; at other times, it transformed into a dazzling golden blade; occasionally, fierce flames veiled the edge; and sometimes, it embodied the steadfastness of solid rock.

*A sword is lifeless; a person has emotions.*

What kind of sword should he forge? Whatever he decided, that sword would embody his essence.

*Li Fan asked himself inwardly, "What kind of sword do I want to create?"*

Images of various figures swirled within his mind.

Senior Brother Mo Yang’s sword was the Sun God Sword, blazing like the scorching sun, illuminating the world and sealing the heavens.

Junior Brother’s sword was the Sword of Slaughter, its murderous aura reaching the skies.

There were also the swords of Senior Brother Ji Hua, the Grand Elder, and the legendary Jian Yi’s Sword of Resentment.

Every Great Sword Cultivator had their own unique Sword Dao.

*So then, what would his sword become?*

Li Fan had once answered Jian Yi’s question about his purpose in wielding the sword.

Now, he needed to determine what kind of sword he wanted to forge.

"To slay what I resent, to protect what I love." Li Fan mused inwardly. The sword light of the Great Dao cascaded down incessantly, countless runes falling upon the Primordial Spirit Sword.

Suddenly, Li Fan’s Primordial Spirit Sword became increasingly weighty, as though manifesting into a tangible sword.

This sword carried both the sharp edge of slaughter and the unwavering stability of a stone.

Li Fan cultivated for a long while.

In the courtyard, beneath the plum blossom tree, Li Fan opened his eyes. His pitch-black pupils seemed to shimmer with swirling sword light.

Though he was preparing for Foundation Establishment, having not long ago broken into the late Soul Emergence stage, reaching Foundation Establishment was far from an overnight endeavor. He would require more time.

During this period, he needed to continually refine his sword—to pave the path toward Foundation Establishment.

After a night of cultivation, the faint light of dawn had already begun to appear. Standing up, he willed his Sword Aura to coalesce and transform into a sword.

This sword was distinct from the other three swords in his possession. The newly condensed sword from Sword Aura carried an unusual weight—it was a heavy sword imbued with Earth Attribute power.

The forces of the five elements—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—each had unique traits: gold and fire were fierce, wood and water were gentle, while the Earth Attribute was steady.

The Wind and Thunder Attributes, on the other hand, were sharp forces.

Li Fan contemplated the Wind and Thunder Sword. It had astounding offensive capabilities; merging with Sword Intent to form Wind and Thunder Sword Intent could enhance attack power significantly. The sword carried immense tearing strength, capable of shattering formidable defenses.

With Wind and Thunder Sword Intent combined with techniques such as One-Line Slash and the Li Hen Sword, its power was unparalleled.

Still, Li Fan didn’t wish to limit himself to understanding just one elemental Sword Intent. His natural talent granted him multi-attribute capabilities, unlocking endless possibilities.

Water could evolve into the Ice Attribute, while Lu Yuan’s Dharma Form—the Bright Moon—was of the Taiyin Attribute, which shared the same lineage.

Fire could embody the Sun.

Earth could transform into Earth and Star Attributes, akin to water’s connection to Taiyin, and fire’s association with the Sun. Earth’s corresponding evolved attribute could be the Stars.

Just like the Sword of the Great Tao, hanging high above the sky—it resembled the Sword of the Stars.

For a sword meant for protection, the Star Attribute seemed most fitting.

Gripping the heavy sword, Li Fan swung it repeatedly, each motion carried a sense of weighted precision. In the air, a whistling sound echoed as plum blossoms were startled from the tree, drifting to the ground.

Li Fan swung his sword again and again, cycling through the movements, entirely losing track of time.

When the sky was fully illuminated, Lu Yuan stepped out from her chamber and saw Li Fan practicing his sword. Without interrupting, she quietly stood to the side to observe.

*While possessing extraordinary talent, he remained diligent and tireless in his training.*

*As the ancient saying goes, "Diligence can make up for lack of skill." But if one already has exceptional talent and also works tirelessly, what heights could they achieve?*

After standing there for a long time, Li Fan finally ceased his practice. Seeing Lu Yuan nearby, he smiled and greeted her, "Morning."

"Did you cultivate all night?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Mm, cultivation is also a form of rest—and it enhances our abilities, so why not?" Li Fan replied.

"The sword you were practicing earlier seems different from those before. Its movements appear slower but much more stable. Are you exploring another Sword Intent?" Lu Yuan asked again.

"You noticed? I excel at wielding different elemental powers and am trying to integrate them with Sword Dao to strengthen my sword. Besides, with Foundation Establishment ahead, preparing thoroughly is essential for any cultivator." Li Fan explained, then added, "Of course, don’t follow my example. Your exceptional innate Dharma Form grants you an extraordinary path to Foundation Establishment."

"You secretly work hard on cultivation and then tell me not to learn from you?" Lu Yuan glared at Li Fan. "Also, you’re saying I’m extraordinary with an Innate Dharma Form? Yang Qingshan, I suspect you’re just being sarcastic."

"That’s the truth; how’s that sarcasm?" Li Fan grumbled. Women truly were difficult to deal with.

Lu Yuan’s Bright Moon Dharma Form should rival Senior Brother Mo Yang’s solar-based Dharma Form—one yin, one yang—both wielding exceptional talents, destined to excel in the Great Dao.

Additionally, Lu Yuan’s talent in Sword Dao was remarkable, potentially enabling her to eventually match Senior Brother Mo Yang and ascend to the ranks of the elite Great Sword Cultivators.

"You know exactly what I mean." Lu Yuan retorted. He himself possessed astonishing talent, yet deliberately made observations like these—how unreasonable.

"Early in the morning, the two of you are already teasing each other—is no one allowed to rest around here?" Liu Ji stepped outside, yawning while giving them an amused glance with her alluring eyes.

Though Lu Yuan couldn’t compare to Ye Qinghuang’s breathtaking beauty, she was still undeniably lovely. If Ye Qinghuang resembled a celestial maiden, Lu Yuan was a worldly beauty—especially since she was similar in age to Li Fan, making them appear well-matched standing together.

"You demoness—where’s the modesty you were supposed to learn here?" Li Fan addressed Liu Ji, his tone casual, showing no sign of taking her teasing words seriously.

Lu Yuan responded similarly, appearing unbothered and unfazed.

Liu Ji’s smile deepened as she glanced between Li Fan and Lu Yuan.

Despite being a Snake Demon, Liu Ji—as a female—often seemed better attuned to understanding women’s feelings.

While her remark was half-joking, Lu Yuan didn’t refute her, suggesting that, while not necessarily feeling anything for Li Fan, she at least wasn’t opposed to the idea; otherwise, she wouldn’t exhibit such calm indifference.

"It’s precisely because I’ve learned that I understand even more," Liu Ji replied cheerfully, but Li Fan ignored her.

"Practice swords?" he asked Lu Yuan.

"Sure." Lu Yuan naturally didn’t refuse, and the two continued practicing.

"Hmph..." Liu Ji glanced at the pair and chuckled.

Other students of Bai Lu Academy began to awaken gradually, and Ji Xue approached this area.

Every time she came over, she would catch sight of Li Fan and Lu Yuan practicing their swords, a faint envy flickering in her beautiful eyes.

She longed to practice the sword too but didn’t know how to bring it up.

Moreover, her skill level was nowhere near theirs.

By noon, Qu Qingfeng approached Li Fan.

"There’s some news I need to share with you," Qu Qingfeng said.

"Please go ahead, sir," Li Fan replied.

"Bai Lu Academy’s investigation into the leak regarding your identity has found that those responsible were all the riffraff and lowlifes of Yun Meng City, making it difficult to trace the original source. Evidently, the perpetrator worked with foresight, avoiding direct involvement. However, the message was disseminated simultaneously, suggesting that the instigator wields significant influence in Yun Meng City—enough to spread information rapidly and widely."

Qu Qingfeng continued addressing Li Fan.

Li Fan’s expression turned contemplative as he said, "So, there’s a higher likelihood that it’s the Imperial Extreme Sect."

"It’s only a possibility—there’s no concrete evidence," Qu Qingfeng responded. Suspicion wasn’t sufficient grounds for accusation.

"One question remains: how did the Imperial Extreme Sect find out?" Li Fan asked.

"People have already been sent to investigate the movement of the Imperial Extreme Sect during those days—to determine whom they interacted with. It shouldn’t take long to uncover the truth," Qu Qingfeng explained.

Li Fan nodded. While it was apparent that the informants were individuals tied to Yang Qingshan, they likely weren’t many in number and were unlikely to come from Yun Meng City.

Those who might deduce his identity were likely within Bai Lu Academy itself.

After all, prior to this, he had openly displayed his sword technique at Bai Lu Academy.

Because of that, the elder had warned Bai Lu Academy students not to discuss or speculate about the matter.

If indeed the Imperial Extreme Sect leaked the information, they likely had had contact with someone from Bai Lu Academy.

Walking along a path within Bai Lu Academy, Xiao Qiang looked troubled.

She had no opportunity whatsoever to connect with Li Fan. Despite lowering her pride to approach him proactively, he had remained utterly unmoved, even showing clear signs of guardedness.

Thus, acquiring any useful information seemed incredibly challenging.

Not far ahead of her, another figure walked through the academy, this individual also appeared preoccupied. It was Yun Zhiqiu.

He had received word that Bai Lu Academy was investigating who leaked Yang Qingshan’s identity.

The elder’s stern warning still echoed in his memory. If the investigation continued, there was a real chance of leading back to the Imperial Extreme Sect—and through them, possibly back to him.

In such an event, would he be expelled from Bai Lu Academy?

*Yun Zhiqiu felt uncertain.*

*He found himself regretting his earlier decision to let the Imperial Extreme Sect manipulate him—having learned that once they obtained the information, they immediately turned around and sold him out.*

At this moment, Yun Zhiqiu spotted Xiao Qiang ahead, and his eyes filled with a trace of cold disdain as he gazed at her.

Xiao Qiang noticed him too. However, instead of acknowledging his presence, she continued striding forward with her head held high—eyes straight ahead, entirely dismissing his existence.

Yun Zhiqiu clenched his fists tightly, a flash of anger sparking in his gaze.

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