Chapter 299 Lingyun Sword Force!

The Lingyun Sword King's eyes narrowed slightly as she said lightly, "In this level, I won't engage with you. If you can withstand the pressure of my Lingyun Sword Force, then you'll pass."

This test, seemingly simple, was in fact, daunting. In the face of a king-tier expert, those at the Pulse Formation Realm would be overwhelmed. This was even more true if they were to face someone like Lingyun Sword King, whose primary focus was on the cultivation of sword force.

Under her sword force, even peak king-tier experts would find their spirits shattered. If one's will wasn't strong enough, they would likely kneel and surrender on the spot.

"Very well, please teach me."

Ling Feng clenched his fists. He then held his sword diagonally towards the ground, standing with one hand behind his back.

Instantly, a soaring aura surged like a divine bird ascending to the sky, heading straight for the Lingyun Sword King.

Ling Feng hadn't mastered sword force, but at least in terms of aura, he was no less imposing than Du Shaoling.

Moreover, his sword will was the Slaughterous Sword Will.

The Slaughterous Sword Will was the most ruthless and domineering among the countless sword wills. Ling Feng exuded a terrifying killing intent. When the Slaughterous Sword Will emerged, it felt as if one had fallen into hell.

How well would it do against the Lingyun Sword King's sword force?

A cold smile crept onto the Lingyun Sword King's lips.

An aura of this level is barely worth mentioning.

"Lingyun Sword Pressure!"

The Lingyun Sword King exclaimed, activating thirty percent of her sword force and enveloped it in a three-meter radius around Ling Feng.

In an instant, Ling Feng felt as if he had descended into the depths of hell. The pressure seemed to magnify a million times, as if even the space around him was about to collapse. Ling Feng was truly witnessing the might of sword force.

On the Xuanling Continent, martial artists pursued one of three paths: the cultivation of elemental force for its profoundness, the enhancement of their physical bodies for invincibility, or the refinement of their spiritual consciousness. These three paths constituted the Great Dao.

The practice of extreme swordsmanship, like that of the Wuji Sword King who specialized in sword techniques, or the Lingyun Sword King who focused solely on unmatched sword force, had gradually become obsolete.

It was not that those methods of cultivation were weak; on the contrary, the practice of extreme swordsmanship was by no means inferior to mainstream elemental force cultivation. It was just that the requirements for this kind of cultivation was exceedingly high.

Out of a hundred ordinary people, only one was suitable for martial cultivation.

Considering that, among a hundred martial artists, it was not guaranteed that even one would be suitable for sword dao cultivation.

After all, one must comprehend sword will to even begin sword dao.

Even in places like the Tianwei Academy, where geniuses gathered, how many could truly comprehend sword will?

"The Eight Desolations Body Refinement Art—Mountain Shock Transformation!"

Ling Feng, pressed by the Lingyun Sword King's overwhelming sword force, felt as if he were about to cough up blood. The oppressive force of the sword force penetrated everywhere. Even though Ling Feng employed the Eight Desolations Body Refinement Art to strengthen his body, he was utterly powerless against the razor-sharp sword force. He was no match at all.

The Mountain Shock Transformation was the first of the Four Transformations of Eight Desolations recorded in Volume 1 of the Eight Desolations Body Refinement Art.

The Four Transformations of Eight Desolations were divided into the Mountain Shaking Transformation, Earth Splitting Transformation, Mountain Destroying Transformation, and Sky Breaking Transformation. As the names suggested, they signified reaching certain levels of the Body Refinement Realm, possessing the power to shake mountains, split the earth, destroy mountains, and break the sky.

In the Tianwei Mountains, Ling Feng, with the essence of the Sky-Swallowing Dragon Python, was finally able to train to the first stage of the Eight Desolations Body Refinement Art, the Mountain Shaking Transformation!

Ling Feng had no choice but to unleash his trump card, the Mountain Shaking Transformation; otherwise, his bones would likely have been completely crushed.

Immediately, Ling Feng's body erupted with immense force once again. The pressure of thirty percent of Lingyun Sword Force was no longer a problem for Ling Feng's beast-like physique.

"Thirty percent isn't enough? Then, how about sixty?"

The Lingyun Sword King snorted coldly, and her sword force surged once again.

Going from thirty percent to sixty percent wasn't simply doubling the strength; it was the difference between intermediate and advanced sword force!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Indeed, under the Lingyun Sword King's advanced sword force, the Mountain Shaking Transformation was insufficient. Ling Feng was pressed down so hard that he could hardly stand straight. Blood oozed from his swollen muscles, and soon, blood flowed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

This terrifying pressure almost crushed Ling Feng into pieces.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Ling Feng could even hear the sound of his bones reaching their limits, inching closer to the breaking point.

"Sword force is intangible and invisible, so why does it wield such immense power?"

Struggling desperately, Ling Feng pondered continuously on how to counteract it.

"What is 'force'?

"What distinguishes aura[1] from sword force?"

Under the Lingyun Sword King's sword force, Ling Feng's body began to crumble. His muscles were torn apart, his blood was gushing out, but with a stubborn will, Ling Feng somehow managed to remain standing.

Yet, he had become a bloody figure standing there.

"Sword force! Sword force! Sword force!"

Gradually, a glimmer of insight arose in Ling Feng's mind, but he couldn't quite break through that last veil of mystery, and was unable to grasp its true essence.

"You're quite resilient!" The Lingyun Sword King observed Ling Feng, now a bloodied figure under her sword force, and felt a hint of pity. Yet, in her dictionary, there was no such thing as going easy.

Either you surrender, or you continue facing the trial.

"Kid, if you surrender now, you can still keep your pathetic life," The Lingyun Sword King shouted at Ling Feng.

But Ling Feng seemed to have entered a subtle state where he couldn't feel his own physical body anymore.

"How does force harm?

"How does it grow?

"How does it perceive?"

In an instant, countless questions flashed through Ling Feng's mind, until only one remained: the perception of the Lingyun Sword King's sword force.

What exactly is it that can penetrate all illusions? What is sword force?

The Lingyun Sword King watched Ling Feng seeming to enter a state of enlightenment, becoming slightly surprised. "Could this kid be comprehending sword force? Impossible. The essence of sword force is the power of the spirit. He hasn't reached the Spiritual Element Realm and hasn't touched upon the path of refining the spirit. And his sword will, although it's the rare Slaughterous Sword Will, is just in its beginning stage.

"Only when sword will reaches great perfection can one comprehend sword force. This is common knowledge among all swordsmen!

Hmph,

no matter what, he definitely won't be able to comprehend sword force."

The Lingyun Sword King shook her head and smiled, but she couldn't help but feel that if Ling Feng continued to meditate, something incredible might happen.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

At this critical moment, the Lingyun Sword King felt a pang of admiration for Ling Feng's talent and even considered helping him out.

Suddenly, her sword force transformed from its sharpest edge to the softest feather. She transmitted her understanding of sword force through her own sword force into Ling Feng's mind.

Ling Feng pondered desperately in his spiritual world, but that final veil seemed insurmountable.

However, at that moment, a pure essence of sword force suddenly entered his mind, followed by a flood of information. Ling Feng's doubts were gradually answered as he read through this information.

It turns out that the essence of sword force is none other than the power of spiritual consciousness!

1. In Chinese writing, aura is written literally as 'qi force' ☜