Chapter 1371 The Road to Fusion

Luo Lishang and Zhou Yiqiao walked into the thatched hut, only to see a set of exquisite tea sets placed in front of the middle-aged man. The air was filled with the aroma of tea, which was obviously freshly brewed tea.

The middle-aged man raised his head and looked at the two men calmly, as if he had already anticipated their visit.

"Senior Wang."

Luo Lishang bowed slightly, and Zhou Yiqiao followed suit to show his respect.

"No need to be polite, just sit down."

The middle-aged man smiled and motioned for the two to sit down, then he personally poured tea for them.

After Luo Lishang and Zhou Yiqiao sat down, Senior Wang spoke slowly.

"I know the purpose of your trip is to merge the sword intent."

The two were shocked. They didn't expect that the middle-aged man could point out their purpose so directly.

"Senior's wise eyes."

Zhou Yiqiao said respectfully.

"We have indeed encountered difficulties in the fusion of sword intent, so we came here to ask for advice from you, Senior."

The middle-aged man nodded, gently put down the jade beads in his hand, and looked at the two of them with deep eyes.

"The fusion of sword intent is not achieved overnight. The fact that you two have comprehended it to this extent has exceeded my expectations."

Luo Lishang and Zhou Yiqiao looked at each other, obviously understanding the profound meaning of the middle-aged man's words.

This senior not only knew the purpose of the two people's visit, but also directly stated the solution.

But since the two of them were able to research the secrets of integrating sword intent on their own, they naturally would not be the kind of people who would back down easily.

"Senior, you are thinking about the two of us. Shang'er and Mr. Zhou are naturally grateful."

"But we are both extremely passionate about the way of the sword. When we see the dawn of the fusion of sword and spirit, we are like thirsty horses rushing to the spring, unable to restrain ourselves. If we cannot achieve this goal in one go, I am afraid that our future practice will be affected."

Luo Lishang organized his words and was the first to respond.

The middle-aged man heard this without showing much expression on his face. He just nodded and then turned his gaze to Zhou Yiqiao.

"You think so too?"

Zhou Yiqiao didn't expect that even though he was so low-key, he was still named by his senior. He was slightly stunned, and then pushed Luo Lishang to a higher position.

"Your Highness's meaning is what the juniors mean."

The middle-aged man smiled gently, as if Zhou Yiqiao's answer was both expected and a little amusing.

"I certainly understand the determination and enthusiasm of you young people."

"The path of swordsmanship is full of thorns and challenges. Without this kind of persistence and perseverance, how can one climb to the top?"

He gently stroked the tea set on the tea table, and the aroma of the tea became stronger.

"But the fusion of sword and will is not just a fusion of skills, but also a harmony of mind and will."

"Although you two have gained some insight, you have not yet reached the core."

Having said that, the middle-aged man stood up, walked slowly to the window, looked at the bamboo forest outside the window that was shining brightly in the sunlight, and continued.

"Sword intent is the embodiment of the sword cultivator's heart. Every sword intent contains the sword cultivator's will and soul."

"It seems that the Hundred Changes Sword Intent and the Flowing Light Sword Intent have been merged by the two of you, but in the eyes of a sword cultivator who has achieved success in the way of the sword, it is just piling the two sword intents together to ensure that they do not conflict."

Zhou Yiqiao seemed to be lost in thought, while a glimmer of enlightenment flashed across Luo Lishang's eyes.

"Senior, what you mean is that only by achieving resonance on the spiritual level can we truly integrate the sword intent?"

The middle-aged man smiled slightly.

"exactly."

"What you need is not only technical integration, but also spiritual harmony."

"Only when your mind and sword become one can the sword's will truly merge."

The two were silent for a while, both of them seemed to be thinking about what Senior Wang said.

"Then how can we achieve the unity of mind and sword?"

Zhou Yiqiao asked.

The middle-aged man turned around, his eyes sharp as torches, as if he could see through the confusion deep in the two people's hearts.

But he did not give an answer, just spoke ambiguously.

“You need to explore this on your own.”

"Everyone's swordsmanship is unique, and the path to the unity of mind and sword is naturally different for everyone."

He walked slowly back to the table, picked up the teapot and refilled the tea for them. The tea was clear and transparent, but there was a tiny vortex in the center, just like Zhou Yiqiao and Luo Lishang's state of mind at the moment, clear yet full of confusion.

"The only thing I can tell you is to put aside your ego, feel the other person's sword intent, and understand the other person's sword heart."

"this......"

This seemingly ambiguous answer made both of them a little confused, but they knew that it was their predecessor who was guiding them to experience and explore on their own.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior."

Luo Lishang stood up and saluted again, and Zhou Yiqiao also stood up to express his gratitude.

The middle-aged man waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be polite, and then said with a smile.

"The purple bamboo I planted has just grown up. Why don't you come with me to take a look before you leave?"

Following the middle-aged man's invitation, Luo Lishang and Zhou Yiqiao stood up together, followed him out of the thatched hut, and came to the top of the mountain behind the hut.

On the top of the mountain, a purple bamboo forest sways in the wind, the bamboo leaves rustle, exuding a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere.

The middle-aged man led the two of them for a stroll in the purple bamboo forest, talking as they walked.

"Although purple bamboo is not a rare species, it has its own unique temperament."

"It is not as tall and straight as other bamboos, but it is more gentle and tough."

"The same is true for the way of the sword. Not only must one have the momentum to soar into the sky, but one must also have the resilience to bend and stretch."

Luo Lishang and Zhou Yiqiao listened to the words of their predecessors and seemed to understand something in their hearts.

Their eyes wandered in the purple bamboo forest, as if looking for some kind of revelation.

“Look at these purple bamboos. Each one has its own unique growth path, but together they form this bamboo forest, interdependent and influencing each other.

The middle-aged man continued.

Zhou Yiqiao stared at Zizhu and suddenly spoke.

"I understand now. The fusion of sword intent is not just a simple superposition of the two. It should be like these purple bamboos, maintaining their own characteristics while coexisting harmoniously to form a brand new whole."

Luo Lishang's eyes also lit up.

"Yes, perhaps we should pay more attention to the communication and coordination between the sword intentions, rather than blindly relying on our own will to force them to merge."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man nodded approvingly, with a gratified smile on his face.

"Ruzi can be taught."

"The integration of sword spirits is like the symbiosis of this purple bamboo forest. It requires both independent tenacity and mutual tolerance and understanding."

"It's rare that you can realize this so quickly."

He stopped, turned around, and looked at Zhou Yiqiao and Luo Lishang with a look of relief.

Those eyes seemed to hold endless expectations for the two younger kendo masters.

“The road to swordsmanship is long and arduous, but every step of understanding is a transcendence of oneself.”

"If you can gain something here today, within ten thousand years, you will be able to forge your own path in the way of the sword."

As he spoke, he waved his sleeves lightly, and a gentle sword intent rose with the wind, brushing across the purple bamboo forest, bringing with it bursts of tiny sounds.

Guided by the sword intent, all the bamboo leaves fluttered and danced, falling into the sky, turning into tiny stars and dispersing into the void.

This scene is so beautiful, as if it has some kind of wonderful magic.

But in the eyes of Luo Liyan and Yang Qingying, they only felt their scalps tingling and cold sweat rising on their backs.

The two could clearly feel that the breeze brought about by the sword intent, within a few breaths, merged with dozens of different sword intents!

This was a realm they had never imagined. Each sword intent was like an independent life, yet they coexisted harmoniously in the breeze, intertwining with each other without conflict, but instead complementing each other.

Luo Lishang and Zhou Yiqiao looked at each other and saw shock and yearning in each other's eyes.

They knew that this was the highest realm of sword and intent fusion that they were pursuing.

"Senior, this is..."

There was a slight tremor in Luo Lishang's voice, and he couldn't help but ask.

The smile on the middle-aged man's face remained unchanged. He looked deeply at the bamboo leaves and stars floating in the sky and spoke slowly.

"I also went through the same stage as you are now."

"The integration of sword intent is an important milestone in the practice of swordsmanship, but it is also a long and complicated process."

"I hope that you will be able to wield swords that are more brilliant than mine in the future, and illuminate your own path to the sword."

After he finished speaking, bamboo leaves fluttered down to the ground, the middle-aged man's figure slowly disappeared, and the slightly dilapidated door of Jianxin Pavilion also quietly closed.

The middle-aged man's voice came from the thatched hut.

"Go, children. Although the road of swordsmanship is long, you must not stop."

"You have already embarked on the right path. As long as you take each of the next steps with all your heart, you will eventually reap rewards."

Zhou Yiqiao and Luo Lishang looked at each other, then bent down together, bowed respectfully towards the thatched cottage, and then left the bamboo forest together.

In the thatched hut, the middle-aged man felt the breath of the two people leaving, slowly opened his eyes, and looked towards the direction of the main peak of Lingyun Peak.

His vision was very cloudy, as if he could see through the many obstacles in front of him and only saw Li Mubai who was currently practicing in seclusion on the main peak of Lingyun Peak.

"Mu Bai, Mu Bai, I never expected that these two young men who were not from the Tijian Sect would have sword talents that surpassed many of their fellow disciples and could be on par with you."

"If you can't make a breakthrough during this retreat, I'm afraid they will catch up with you soon."

There was a hint of emotion and expectation in the middle-aged man's words.

"I would like to know which one of you three, or the young sword cultivator who is hiding outside the Tijian Sect, can take over my authority first and lead the sword cultivators of the Tianchen Realm to go further on the path of swordsmanship in the future."

After saying this, the middle-aged man closed his eyes again, and the aura around him gradually dissipated. In just three breaths, the whole person merged with the world and completely disappeared from everyone's perception...