Chapter 66 – Essence of sword intent

Inside the Trial Tower, Su Xin stood alongside Dao Master Jiuchen.

"Your talent in swordsmanship is exceptionally high, yet you haven't received any guidance before, not even understanding the essence of sword intent. So, the first thing you need to do is go to the Treasure Pavilion and exchange for 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence.' Of course, just getting the first volume is enough for now. As for the middle and lower volumes, you can exchange for them once you have enough fire points," Dao Master Jiuchen advised.

"'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence'?" Su Xin silently memorized it.

"Once you understand the essence of sword intent and know how to comprehend it, I suggest you spend five thousand fire points to visit the Star Hall," Dao Master Jiuchen continued.

"Star Hall?" Su Xin's heart stirred.

"The Star Hall will greatly aid your comprehension of sword intent, especially the first time you enter. Generally, disciples of Heavenflame Palace experience a significant increase in their intent comprehension after their first visit. Given your high talent, your improvement will surely be even greater."

"However, the method of comprehension within the Star Hall is very unique. While it offers great help, you must not become overly reliant on it. Excessive dependence might accelerate your progress in the short term, but it will become an obstacle in the future."

"So, I suggest that even if you have enough fire points, you should wait at least three months before entering again."

Su Xin listened attentively.

He would certainly remember Dao Master Jiuchen's warning about not becoming overly reliant on the Star Hall.

"After you've comprehended in the Star Hall once, you can come to this Trial Tower," Dao Master Jiuchen said.

"Dao Master, what exactly is the purpose of this Trial Tower for us?" Su Xin asked.

"The purpose is significant," Dao Master Jiuchen smiled. "Once you pay the fire points and enter the Trial Tower, you can control an independent trial space within it. In this trial space, you can set the opponents you want to encounter according to your requirements."

"Set them myself?" Su Xin was taken aback.

"Yes, for instance, if your sword intent comprehension has just reached the first level and you're practicing the Northern Azure Sword Art, you can set an opponent in the trial space who matches your cultivation, intent comprehension, and even swordsmanship, or is slightly stronger, to spar with you for practice."

"If you feel one opponent is not enough, you can set several," Dao Master Jiuchen explained.

Su Xin was inwardly shocked by what he heard.

Setting your own opponents according to your requirements?

This was simply unbelievable!

A warrior needs to constantly battle various strong opponents to improve their skills, but where can you find such strong opponents?

Like this hunt, many geniuses from various states and counties, who are already at the top of their level in their respective regions, find it extremely difficult to find an evenly matched opponent. They only encountered many during this hunt.

But in this Trial Tower... you can set your own opponents and continuously battle them. You can even decide which aspect your opponent excels in, whether it's one or two opponents.

"This Trial Tower is incredible," Su Xin's eyes were filled with excitement.

"Incredible? It's actually not that bad," Dao Master Jiuchen smiled faintly at Su Xin. "The Trial Tower in Heavenflame Palace is the most basic type. Not only in the Heavenflame Dynasty, but most dynasties in the Eastern Wasteland, including many sects, have this level of Trial Tower."

"This basic Trial Tower is not comprehensive. For example, the opponents you can set can only reach the second level of intent comprehension at most, and their skills are limited to some common martial arts. Moreover, the opponents you set have no thoughts of their own; they're essentially puppets."

"But with an advanced Trial Tower, you can set opponents of any level, and any martial arts or secret techniques available in the Eastern Wasteland can be used. The opponents can even have their own thoughts, fighting you like a real person. That's truly comprehensive."

After a pause, Dao Master Jiuchen continued, "Of course, with your current strength, this level of Trial Tower is already sufficient."

"The Trial Tower costs only twenty fire points per day. You can pay for a month or two in advance, allowing you to stay in the Trial Tower for an extended period, even living there if you wish."

Su Xin nodded heavily.

Twenty fire points a day, only six hundred points a month; Su Xin could definitely stay in the Trial Tower for a long time.

"Besides what I've just mentioned, I also suggest you go to the Treasure Pavilion and choose another sword art," Dao Master Jiuchen suddenly said.

"Choose a sword art?" Su Xin was surprised.

"I saw you using the Northern Azure Sword Art earlier. As the most recognized sword art in the Heavenflame Dynasty, it's very strong and comprehensive. Whether it's offensive, defensive, or relying on speed for lethal moves, it's remarkable. However, this sword art improves as your comprehension of sword intent increases."

"In other words, it's a sword art with great potential that can continuously improve and grow, but it's not the sword art that can perfectly maximize your current strength!"

"You can choose another sword art to practice, making your swordsmanship more comprehensive and allowing you to unleash stronger combat power at your current stage."

Su Xin nodded silently.

Indeed, his Northern Azure Sword Art has the Thunderfire Volume for offense, the Mountain-Sea Volume for defense, and the Phantom Volume for lethal moves, making it very comprehensive.

But these three volumes require a high level of sword intent comprehension. The ultimate moves and killing techniques contained within, like the third secret technique of the Thunderfire Volume and the fourth to fifth forms of the Phantom Volume, Su Xin couldn't perform them yet.

Against ordinary opponents, it might be fine, but against someone like Dao Master Jiuchen, whose intent comprehension far exceeds his, the sword art seems lacking.

"In the Treasure Pavilion's sword art manuals, there's a sword art called 'Flying Blood' that you can check out," Dao Master Jiuchen suggested with a smile.

"'Flying Blood' sword art?" Su Xin nodded slightly.

"Alright, these are all the suggestions I have for you for now. Continue your training, attend more lectures when you have time, and feel free to ask me if you have any questions," Dao Master Jiuchen said.

"Thank you, Dao Master," Su Xin quickly expressed his gratitude, feeling immensely thankful.

Dao Master Jiuchen waved it off nonchalantly.

The reason he called Su Xin here to give him some advice and guidance was undoubtedly because of his friend Gaimon, but more so because Su Xin was indeed a rare talent in swordsmanship.

Dao Master Jiuchen soon left.

Su Xin immediately headed to the Treasure Pavilion, following Dao Master Jiuchen's advice, and found the 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence' and the 'Flying Blood' sword art.

The first volume of 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence' was priced at one thousand fire points.

"Exactly one thousand?" Su Xin raised an eyebrow.

The geniuses like Duan Yunfeng, who ranked sixth to tenth in the hunt, initially received only one thousand fire points as starting resources. They would also need to exchange for similar intent essence explanations, probably just enough for the exchange.

The 'Flying Blood' sword art required two thousand four hundred fire points to exchange.

Among the thousands of sword art manuals in the Treasure Pavilion, the exchange price for the 'Flying Blood' sword art was relatively high.

Without hesitation, Su Xin exchanged for both the first volume of 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence' and the 'Flying Blood' sword art.

...

An hour later, at Su Xin's residence.

Su Xin looked at the thick stack of books in front of him, somewhat bewildered.

The 'Flying Blood' sword art was fine, contained within a token. Su Xin only needed to activate it with his mind to receive the complete information of the sword art, including the demonstration of the sword techniques.

But the 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence' was an in-depth analysis of the essence of swordsmanship, with too much information to store in a token, so it had to be recorded in books.

Su Xin began flipping through the introduction of the 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence,' quickly gaining a certain understanding of sword intent essence.

Sword intent has a total of three hundred and eighty-one essences. Understanding just one essence means reaching the first level of sword intent comprehension.

The second level requires understanding nine essences of sword intent.

The third level requires understanding sixty-four essences of sword intent.

If all three hundred and eighty-one essences of sword intent are comprehended, it reaches the pinnacle of the third level, known as the perfection of sword intent.

The first volume of 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence' that Su Xin exchanged covers the analysis of the essences from the first to the second level.

...

The analysis of the nine essences of sword intent was recorded in nine thick thread-bound books. It took Su Xin most of the day to finish reading all nine books.

"This is so detailed."

"It's like teaching us step by step from the most basic stage on how to comprehend the essence of sword intent and how to use it to unleash stronger sword techniques..."

"When I previously comprehended sword intent, I simply chose a direction and kept exploring. I did manage to understand one essence of sword intent, but I hadn't delved much into the others. Without this 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence,' if I continued to blindly explore on my own, who knows how long it would take to comprehend nine essences and reach the second level of sword intent."

Su Xin's eyes were filled with excitement.

This 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence' was incredibly useful to him.

It completely laid out the path for his future comprehension of sword intent, and in the most detailed and comprehensive way.

Only one thousand fire points, and it was totally worth it.

Of course, this first volume only covers the initial nine essences of sword intent, allowing him to reach the second level at most.

For further comprehension of more essences, he would need to exchange for the middle and lower volumes of 'Detailed Explanation of Sword Intent Essence.'

Su Xin had noticed the prices earlier: the middle volume required ten thousand fire points, and the lower volume required a whopping one hundred thousand fire points.

This price was too high for him at the moment, so he would have to find a way to exchange for them later.

...

With a certain understanding of sword intent essence and knowing the comprehension path for the first nine essences, Su Xin followed Dao Master Jiuchen's advice and went to the Star Hall.

The Star Hall was guarded by strong individuals.

To enter the Star Hall, Su Xin needed to pay five thousand fire points each time.

"So expensive," Su Xin sighed.

Winning first place in the hunt only earned him ten thousand fire points, enough for just two entries.

The second place, Xia Mang, could only enter once, and as for Duan Yunfeng and the others who only received one thousand fire points, they couldn't even consider it.

"Dao Master Jiuchen said the comprehension method in the Star Hall is very unique. My sword intent comprehension will greatly improve the first time I enter. I wonder what exactly is inside the Star Hall?"

With a mix of anticipation and curiosity, Su Xin stepped into the Star Hall.