Chapter 74: Dual-Polarity Sword Intent

On the mountain, Wang Sheng and Zhou Yinglong meditated into the night.

Seeing that their condition had stabilized, Yuan Pu Zhenren nodded in satisfaction and instructed Chi Wen, "Do not let anyone disturb them."

"Yes, sir," Chi Wen quickly replied.

Watching the old immortal who had nagged for most of the day finally leave, she couldn't help but yawn. She was exhausted.

Not long after Yuan Pu Zhenren had departed, the graceful Mu Wanxuan slipped into the courtyard. She had been waiting for their visitors to leave.

If Wang Sheng were to learn that Mu Wanxuan deliberately avoided such a fateful opportunity, he wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.

They had no choice, though. Yuan Pu Zhenren simply said that he would bestow them with sword intent. Before they could prepare, he had already put them into a dreamlike state. Since Mu Wanxuan wasn't particularly fond of using swords, it wasn't much of a loss for her.

Seeing the weariness on Chi Wen's face, Mu Wanxuan sent her inside to sleep. She then carried Wang Sheng's meditation cushion to the entrance and quietly meditated on it.

Around eight in the evening, Zhou Yinglong slowly woke up. With his primal qi slightly in chaos, he remained seated and unmoving for a bit longer. Fortunately, it quickly calmed down.

He took out his phone and, checking the time, estimated that he had been meditating for three to four hours. Afterward, he reflected on what he had gained, recalling the phantasms of swordplay that he had witnessed.

A deep sense of fulfillment arose within him.

Having glimpsed this Dao, my heart has no regrets.

Just as he was about to speak, Mu Wanxuan appeared before him. She signaled for silence and pointed behind him—where Wang Sheng was lying on the ground, his breath faint and barely perceptible.

Holding his breath, Zhou Yinglong carefully stood up. He tiptoed toward the courtyard gate as silently as possible in fear of disturbing Wang Sheng.

Before he could say anything, Mu Wanxuan was already standing behind the gate, waving him off with a smile. Zhou Yinglong initially planned to wait for Wang Sheng to wake and exchange insights. Now, he could only smile sheepishly, cup his hands in farewell, and leave feeling as if he was being chased away.

To his surprise, when he returned the next morning, Wang Sheng was still asleep in the courtyard. Last night, Mu Wanxuan had carefully princess-carried him to a reclining chair and draped a thin blanket over him, a precious scene that Chi Wen had cleverly captured.

Zhou Yinglong couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated.

Junior Brother Wang still isn't awake?

He wondered if his junior brother had simply gone back to sleep, but Mu Wanxuan, who had been keeping watch, told him that Wang Sheng hadn't woken up at all yet. Moreover, since the latter half of last night, traces of different Dao rhythms had been appearing around him.

Sometimes, tiny stars surrounded him. Other times, two auras coiled around him. Mu Wanxuan was all too familiar with them: Yin-Yang Qi.

Though astonished, Mu Wanxuan wasn't sure what to do.

Zhou Yinglong could only smile bitterly. As he left again, he repeatedly muttered, "Junior Brother Wang is nuts."

Wang Sheng remained asleep for one day and two nights.

On the morning of the third day, as the sun rose in the east and the world's primal qi emitted a faint trace of warmth, Wang Sheng slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze remained empty for half an hour. Afterward, brilliance gradually enveloped his pupils.

Resonating swords then rang from within him. It was as if his very being was a scabbard, and two sharp swords were about to burst forth from his eyes.

Immediately after, two strands of sword intent rippled out from inside him—one vast and clear, the other relentless and unending.

Frowning slightly in thought, Wang Sheng subconsciously extended his left hand forward. A wisp of true essence emerged from his palm and took the shape of a longsword phantasm, its blade imbued with the reflection of the seven great stars.

He extended his right hand as well, conjuring another sword phantasm from his palm. Within its blade, a small Tai Chi symbol slowly rotated.

Dismissing the sword intent in his left hand, Wang Sheng focused on the sword phantasm in his right. Feeling a sudden urge to wield a sword and perform a routine, he summoned Abyss Listener.

The moment the sword reached his hand, he instinctively began the opening move of the Seven-Star Sword Formation. However, as soon as he set his stance, he stopped in place.

He stood still for a full quarter of an hour, seemingly hit by a movement-restricting talisman.

At the courtyard gate, Mu Wanxuan furrowed her brow as she watched Wang Sheng. Right now, she truly feared that the white-bearded old man had led her junior brother astray.

His swordsmanship had been progressing so smoothly, yet now he was stuck like this!

Chi Wen, who had been reading an ancient text, curiously peeked out from the window. She couldn't understand why her senior brother was just standing still, striking a pose. Well, at least it looked cool.

Finally, Wang Sheng thrust his sword forward, but he appeared unusually slow. His limbs and Abyss Listener seemed slightly uncoordinated, too, reminiscent of the clumsiness of a novice swordsman.

It seemed very sloppy.

With his eyes closed, Wang Sheng immersed in his own comprehension. His sword techniques seemed to be created on the spot, each movement growing slower yet carrying an unbroken, continuous rhythm.

After ten moves, the feeling of incoordination vanished.

After twenty moves, his movements became fluid and natural, neither rushed nor sluggish.

Wang Sheng suddenly recalled the moment Gao Shixing drew a perfect circle with his sword during his last spar with him.

Following the same moves, Wang Sheng traced a circle in the air with his longsword, and within it, a faint Tai Chi symbol emerged.

At the courtyard gate, Mu Wanxuan blinked repeatedly.

Once again, Wang Sheng stopped. He held his sword still and silently contemplated.

The grandmaster had casually mentioned gifting Wang Sheng a strand of sword intent. Who could have expected him to impart the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent?

The meaning of Dual Polarity was vast, yet at its core, all interpretations converged on the Daoist principles of nature, balance, opposition, and transformation.

Rigid and flexible, dark and bright, yin and yang, heaven and earth, spring and autumn, permanence and change—these were all embodiments of Dual Polarity.

The Dual-Polarity Sword Intent epitomized the principles of yin and yang, as well as rigidity and flexibility.

Yuan Pu Zhenren only taught him sword intent, not sword techniques, because Wang Sheng had already condensed his own Seven-Star Sword Intent, which was equivalent to stepping beyond the Realm of Formless Sword.

Chi Wen failed to grasp even the basics. After all, her shallow understanding of the Dao limited her comprehension.

Zhou Yinglong and Wang Sheng's comprehensions also had a vast gap since Zhou Yinglong's cultivation realm restricted him.. Up until now, he had only vaguely sensed his own sword intent and was far from condensing his first strand of sword intent.

However, the seed of the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent had already been planted in Zhou Yinglong. Once his cultivation in the Dao of the Sword reached Wang Sheng's current level, he too would have a moment of sudden enlightenment.

After comprehending the sword in his dreams for one day and two nights, Wang Sheng practiced silently in the courtyard for another two days. Only when his energy was completely drained did he finally exhale slowly.

The fortune he had gotten was too great.

However, obtaining the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent, which was likely a deeply guarded inheritance of Wudang's Daoist lineage, practically made him half a disciple of Wudang. If Wudang ever faced a calamity, no matter where he was, he would have to return immediately to help.

When he snapped out of his sword-practicing state, his junior and senior sisters were no longer in the courtyard. He had no idea where they had gone.

Wang Sheng leaped onto the courtyard wall and stood where his master had often stood, gazing into the distance. Between two mountain peaks, he caught sight of a faraway stretch of sky.

White clouds drifted in the vast expanse, bringing with them a unique sense of tranquility.

No wonder his master liked to stand here and stare at the horizon. The scenery was beautiful.

He sighed in comfort, not regret.

"

Haaaa...

"

In just twenty days, his Dao of the Sword had taken a significant leap forward. Moreover, he had gained the profound and mysterious Dual-Polarity Sword Intent, which he could spend a lifetime studying. He also found clarity on the Dao of the Sword that he would take in the future.

To top it all off, he had the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra to guide him in breaking through his cultivation and advancing through the realms of the Dao.

From now on, the sword would serve as his weapon, his means of protecting the Dao, and his foundation to stand on between heaven and earth.

Abyss Listener hummed softly in his hand.

Standing alone atop the courtyard wall, Wang Sheng watched the distant clouds shift and swirl as he waited for the beautiful figure returning along the mountain path, arms full of packages.

The mountains were tranquil, the streams were quiet, and in the distance, temple eaves were peaking gracefully amid the peaks. The scene was serene, elegant, and beautiful—reminiscent of an idyllic mountain life painting.

Soon, Wang Sheng remembered that he had not checked his phone in the past few days. Every two hours, he would receive a new text message. Aside from the first one, which Mu Wanxuan had replied to, the rest remained unopened.

Worried that he would be disturbed, his senior sister seemed to have put his phone on silent.

Mou Yue, who had practically become Wang Sheng's personal liaison, had been flooding him since. Every message was composed of six simple words.

Mou Yue: Daoist Master Wang, are you there?

He's not,

his senior sister had replied honestly.

***

In the Special Investigation Unit's temporary office in the city of Chi Wen's university, several core members—the same ones who had previously defended Chi Wen and rebuked Old Zheng—deliberated for days. Finally, they decided to approach their captain about the situation.

"Captain, just waiting here isn't a solution. We don't have any new cases to work on for now, but the Supernatural Revelation Club elders we've already apprehended should be enough to report back."

After a few moments of silence, the captain countered, "Are you saying we should let the three key criminals of the Supernatural Revelation Club escape justice?"

She then quietly watched them.

A middle-aged man hesitated but still answered, "It's not about letting them go free. We can leave a team behind to continue investigating discreetly and expanding the search area, but the primary investigation should be handed over to the police."

"That's right, Captain. Although we are the Special Investigation Unit, the leadership mentioned in the last meeting that our main responsibility is overseeing the cultivation world and maintaining stability among the Daoist sects."

"The Supernatural Revelation Club is essentially a fraudulent organization—a glorified pyramid scheme. Things only got complicated because cultivators got involved. Frankly, we've been overthinking it. The results we've achieved are already more than enough."

The captain looked at the three with a trace of disappointment in her eyes. However, she did not lash out.

After all, she understood that the Special Investigation Unit was not a monolith; it was not ruled solely by her authority either. She had to listen to the opinions of these deputy leaders, who had been brought in from various departments.

Moreover, she could understand their worries. They were afraid of their solid achievements being dragged down into mediocrity.

With a little embellishment and a shift in focus in the report, the capture of more than twenty unaffiliated practitioners from the Supernatural Revelation Club would already be enough for them to be highly commended.

If these sentiments had come from the younger members of the team, the captain would have torn into them without hesitation. However, since it came from their core members, she found it entirely predictable. This was simply their way of operating, and there was little true passion left in their blood.

"This matter—"

An urgent knock on the door interrupted them. Before the captain could respond, the door was pushed open, and Mou Yue rushed in with another young woman, both looking flustered.

"Captain! Come quickly! Something happened!"