Chapter 104.2: The Waterfall Plunges Down Three Thousand Chi (II)

For the Heavenly Maiden Sect, having such a powerful Dao Guardian was even more important than producing a Heavenly Maiden.

Time passed quietly just like that. Three days went by, yet Lu Changsheng remained completely motionless beneath the waterfall.

At first, many disciples of the Heavenly Maiden Sect found the sight novel and came to observe Dao Shi'er. After all, he was the one who had defeated Lu Jianming of Xuanjian Manor.

As the days dragged on with no visible change, their interest gradually faded. In the end, aside from a few disciples who stayed behind to monitor Dao Shi'er's condition, no other disciples came to observe anymore.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

The newly-appointed Heavenly Maiden, Yun Haitang, let out a long cheer as she emerged from seclusion. A sharp light flashed through her eyes, and a smile crept unconsciously to the corners of her lips.

Divine Strength Realm!

In just a few short days, Yun Haitang had advanced to the Divine Strength Realm with the aid of the Heavenly Maiden's resources. Of course, she did not just advance with resources alone; it was also because she had a solid personal foundation. Without a solid foundation, it would have been nearly impossible.

This was precisely why Heavenly Maiden candidates were required to reach at least the Organ Refinement stage. Once that threshold was crossed, the chances of breaking through to the Divine Strength Realm rose dramatically, especially with sufficient support from the sect.

Throughout the history of the Heavenly Maiden Sect, no Heavenly Maiden had ever failed at this step. All of them had advanced successfully.

Upon emerging from seclusion, Yun Haitang immediately asked about Dao Shi'er's whereabouts.

"How is Brother Dao?" Yun Haitang asked one of the disciples.

A Heavenly Maiden Sect disciple replied, "Mr. Dao went beneath the waterfall to cultivate. It has been five days, and he hasn't moved at all."

"He hasn't moved in five days?"

Yun Haitang immediately headed toward the waterfall. From a distance, she saw Lu Changsheng sitting upright beneath the cascading torrent, allowing the water to crash on him while he remained completely motionless, seemingly asleep.

Yun Haitang's eyes narrowed. With her cultivation now at the Divine Strength Realm, she could roughly discern what was happening. Dao Shi'er had likely entered a state of epiphany and was comprehending Intent.

I should not disturb him.

With that, Yun Haitang left. From then on, she'd come by only once each day to check on Lu Changsheng's condition. The rest of her time was spent handling the affairs of the Heavenly Maiden Sect.

For a full five days, Lu Changsheng remained in a peculiar state. He was still aware of what was happening in the outside world, and he even knew that Yun Haitang had come to check on him.

However, he did not want to leave this peculiar state. In this state, he felt as though he was no longer sensing the Intent of a real waterfall. Instead, a waterfall existed in his mind—a waterfall from the poem with torrents that plunged down three thousand feet.

He felt as if he were standing within the vast emptiness of the starry sky, with a three-thousand-foot waterfall pouring down on him from the heavens. The Intent contained within it was vast and majestic beyond measure.

Compared to Wave Intent, it felt even more imposing, but that was exactly the reason why it was far more difficult to grasp.

When Lu Changsheng first comprehended Wave Intent, he did it by only learning from nature, and it took him less than a day to succeed. This time, it was different. He was no longer learning from nature in the conventional sense.

After all, a real waterfall in the natural world could not possibly match a torrent that plunged three thousand feet from the heavens

Hence, he stayed patient, knowing that an Intent born from imagination was unstable, filled with flaws, and extremely difficult to comprehend.

On the ninth day, Lu Changsheng trembled, as if echoing the concept of the Ninth Heaven mentioned in the poem. It was as though the final barrier in his mind had shattered. A flash of insight erupted immediately afterward.

Whoosh!

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. At that moment, he felt as though a three-thousand-chi waterfall had descended from the starry sky above his head. Of course, this scene existed only within his imagination. This was an Illusory Intent, something that could only be sensed, not manifested.

It worked!

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Lu Changsheng's mouth. Then, he summoned his Status Panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 1090 (Praised by All)

[Skills]

Blood Qi Sword Crafting Secret Technique: Sword crafting, 10 months and 6 days.

Starry Sky Waterfall Intent: Progress 1%

Wave Intent: Progress 20%

Celestial Treasure-Refinement Secret Technique: Second Layer

Ninefold Carp-Dragon Ascension: Fourth Stage

As expected, a new Intent had appeared—Starry Sky Waterfall Intent.

A waterfall within the starry sky... But do the skies really have waterfalls?

Lu Changsheng thought for a bit and quickly brushed it off. Whether such a thing truly existed was not the point.

He had gained a deeper understanding of Intent. To a certain extent, comprehending Intent did not strictly require learning from nature. It could also arise from inspiration or epiphany, followed by layers of profound contemplation prior to actual comprehension.

Even so, he couldn't say that he had successfully comprehended his Starry Sky Waterfall Intent. An Intent born purely from imagination or epiphany only required inspiration to form, but progressing even further in it was an entirely different matter.

For now, Lu Changsheng had no idea how to get it from one percent to one hundred percent, but he was fine with that. Being able to comprehend it at all was already a significant achievement. Improvement could wait.

By comparison, Intents like Wave Intent, which could be comprehended by learning from nature, were far more reliable.

In terms of sheer presence and potential power, however, Starry Sky Waterfall Intent was clearly far more terrifying.

Schwing!

Lu Changsheng unsheathed his saber and swung it toward the waterfall. A flash of saber light appeared and vanished in an instant. The next moment, the massive waterfall shattered like fragile glass, breaking apart.

This was utterly different from when he had used Wave Intent to sever the flow of water. That strike had merely blocked the torrent, but this one destroyed it outright. It was as if a three-thousand-chi waterfall was unleashed; its power and impact were far beyond imagination.

Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up.

As expected. Comprehending multiple Intents is the right path. With just one additional Intent, my power has risen sharply. And this is only the beginning. If I were to master three, four, or even five Intents, then within the Divine Strength Realm, even cultivators at the Thousand Cauldrons Stage would stand no chance against me.

He was satisfied that his analysis and choices were correct. With Perception as extraordinary as his, there was no reason to pursue wholehearted devotion to the sword. Strengthening himself through multiple Intents was clearly the optimal path forward.

Having comprehended Starry Sky Waterfall Intent, he no longer had any need to remain beneath the waterfall. He rose to his feet and stepped out from under the cascading torrent.

From a hundred

zhang

away, the Heavenly Maiden Sect disciples keeping watch immediately noticed his movement, and shock flashed across their faces as they exclaimed.

"Mr. Dao is awake!"

"Hurry and inform the Heavenly Maiden!"

With that, the disciples hurried off to inform Yun Haitang.