Chapter 450: Chapter 5: Sand Bandits and Dongque City
“Was the young master already this powerful upon his initial entry into the Nascent Soul Stage?” murmured Qin Yitian, still immersed in Lu Qingshan’s recent display of the Tide-Breaking force, full of astonishment and doubt.
It must be known that Qianliu was not some weak Ordinary Nascent Soul, but a cultivator from a top tier sect, with a superior inheritance, ranked on the Yellow List at the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul Stage.
Such a person could definitely not be considered weak, yet, against the young master’s Three Swords, he couldn’t even defend…
“The gap between him and me is not as big as you think,” Lu Qingshan said calmly, offering an explanation. “In that predicament, where retreat was not an option, he had no choice but to stand and face me head-on to uphold the reputation of the Sword Cleansing Pool.”
“If it hadn’t been for that, and had it been a life-and-death battle, even if I were able to defeat him, it definitely wouldn’t have been so effortless.”
The Heaven Suppressing Secret Sword was his most explosive Sword Technique.
And Qianliu had mastered the Sword Intent of water to a high degree—his renowned techniques were famous for their persistent and relentless nature.
The Jade Wave Sword excelled in prolonged engagements.
The longer the battle dragged on, the higher his chances of victory.
But Lu Qingshan decided to shorten the battle to within the span of Three Swords.
This was essentially exploiting his own strengths to target the other’s weaknesses.
Thus, it came as no surprise when the Jade Wave Sword was overwhelmed in a single strike.
On top of that, even after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, the immense burden of wielding the Heaven Suppressing Sword Technique was huge, and the consumption of Spiritual Power for those three strikes was extremely significant.
Therefore, he wasn’t as leisurely and composed as he appeared.
But isn’t magical combat between cultivators all about leveraging one’s strengths against an opponent’s weaknesses?
Being able to use the situation to deploy the most effective combat strategy to swiftly defeat the enemy was indeed a testament to his capabilities.
“Lu Qingshan, where are we headed?” Gu Yiyi’s muffled voice came through.
She had suddenly realized that since leaving Fengling River, the surroundings had gradually become more desolate.
Now, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a vast expanse of yellow sand, stretching to the horizon.
Sand piled up into numerous brown mounds of varying heights, scattered unevenly across the landscape.
This was a boundless desert, yet it possessed its unique Charm.
Unfortunately, Gu Yiyi could not appreciate such Charm.
Accustomed to the company of the mighty Oblivion River, her preference was for the endless ocean, and she instinctively rejected such a barren scene of yellow earth.
“To lay low for a while and also to seek out opportunities,” Lu Qingshan replied, “opportunities to enhance my Primordial Intent.”
The Cultivation World was never a peaceful place.
Strife, had always been the main theme for cultivators.
In such a climate, as the second seat among the Sword Sects, Sword Cleansing Pool’s friction with the main Sword Sect was inevitable.
Openly, they wouldn’t target Lu Qingshan, just as he wouldn’t have cause to hurt Qianliu publicly without reason.
But having humiliated the Sword Cleansing Pool in front of so many and currently being in their territory, it was not certain whether they would lay traps for him in the dark.
Hence, it was prudent to lie low and avoid the limelight for some time.
As for enhancing Primordial Intent…
Because only when the strength of one’s Intent reaches Perfection can a cultivator consolidate a Dao Seed and thus advance to the Void Refining Stage.
So, from the moment one enters the Nascent Soul Stage, anyone aspiring to the Void Refining Stage would start using all kinds of methods to enhance their Intent.
And the principle was simple, much like preparing for a college entrance exam, one couldn’t possibly start cramming only in the last month before the exam, right?
For Lu Qingshan, who possessed the Primordial Intent of ‘Immortal,’ this need for enhancement was even more urgent and necessary.
The strength of Primordial Intent was beyond doubt, with its ability to drastically boost a cultivator’s Combat Power being quite exaggerated.
But the Heavenly Dao is ultimately fair.
To comprehend and enhance such a heaven-defying Primordial Intent, the difficulty was unimaginable.
He first managed a basic understanding through the Immortal True Intent bestowed by the Longevity Whale and guidance from the Qingqiu Mountain Master.
Only after he had some insight from the Path-opening Aura bestowed by the Netherworld Prison Master did he finally step into the Immortal Realm.
This was the challenge in comprehension.
The talented Ji Chuan struggled to advance to the Void Refining Stage, as he could not perfect his cycle of Primordial Intent.
This was the difficulty in enhancement.
Being prepared ahead of time was thus quite crucial for Lu Qingshan.
And unlike the practice of Cultivation Techniques, enhancing one’s Intent was different.
It relied not on diligent cultivation, but on moments of serendipitous enlightenment gained from extensive travel, the influence of Heaven and Earth’s unique treasures, and precious opportunities such as the Path-opening Aura or comprehending from the Source Realm.
That is why, after arriving in the Western Domain, Lu Qingshan was in no hurry to return to the Eastern Domain.
In his memory, near the Mo Gao Desert of the Bai Region in the Western Domain, there was a great opportunity still in its infancy, unnoticed by others.
And this opportunity could aid in enhancing his own Primordial Intent.
Hearing Lu Qingshan’s words, Gu Yiyi puckered her lips, had nothing to say, and huffed before falling silent.
She decided to slumber for a while.
Upon waking, Lu Qingshan should have left this place, right?
Sleeping, that was something she was good at.
Gu Yiyi nodded satisfactorily to herself in her heart.
Running away might be shameful, but it’s effective!
In the Eastern Domain’s picturesque water towns, the scenic beauty nurtured the most romantic Sword Sect.
The Northern Domain’s high-altitude plains were frigid, and the ceaseless howling winds of the snowfields cultivated the most tenacious will among the Human Race. Hence, the region was known for the Taoist Sect’s Armor Pavilion, which was famous for its unwavering dedication to the study of various Cultivation Arts.