The training courtyard was bright with morning sun, the air crisp with the scent of dew. Xiao Tian stood in front of three figures—Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—each holding a wooden practice sword he had crafted. He raised another wooden blade in his own hand, his expression solemn and voice sonorous.
"The sword-controlling technique is to command the blade with the mind, to move it with qi. Watch carefully!"
He shook the wooden sword lightly. To the astonishment of the three girls, the sword seemed to hum faintly, trembling on its own as if imbued with life.
"The heart is the master of the sword," Xiao Tian intoned calmly. "Abandon distractions. Focus only on the blade. Breathe into silence. Feel the sword's aura—and let your spirit connect with it."
The three listened carefully. Closing their eyes, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong tried to calm their racing thoughts, while Zhu Zhuqing held herself rigid, her cold brows knotted in determination.
"Look."
With a flick of the wrist, Xiao Tian released the wooden practice blade. It floated upward, light as a feather, and then began to dip and weave through the air like a living bird. Clean arcs shimmered with the blade's movement.
"Purify your energy, channel it into the sword. Inject your soul force as if it were your very breath, making the blade an extension of yourself."
His motions remained effortless yet precise, leaving Xiao Wu and the others gaping wide-eyed.
Zhu Zhuqing whispered at last, "Xiao Tian… when you say 'qi,' you mean soul power, don't you? But if we pour soul power directly into wood—it might break. Soul power is too violent."
She wasn't wrong.
But Xiao Tian shook his head gently. "Not just soul power. Qi, at its truest, is mental strength. The mind leads. The body only follows. Ideally, one controls swords with spirit alone. But your spiritual strength is too low right now. You'll need to start instead with careful release of soul power. Control it finely, precisely. That is the foundation."
The three frowned, thoughts stumbling. Mental power? It was an alien concept to them.
Xiao Tian sighed inwardly. The timeline was still too early. Soul Masters who cultivated spiritual-type martial spirits were few and rare, and most knowledge on the subject was locked away in Spirit Hall. These young women had never been exposed to the breadth of it.
Even Ning Rongrong, daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, whose clan studied auxiliaries and sophisticated support methods, knew little of actual mental cultivation.
As for Grandpa Jian… Xiao Tian thought quietly. He can reclaim peerless intent himself, but teaching? If he had mastered the methods, his sect disciples would already ride blades like him. He knows only what to practice, not how to explain it.
Raising his voice, he clarified: "Generally, your spiritual strength doesn't outpace your soul power. Do you know why even strong soul masters are discouraged from absorbing ten-thousand-year rings too early?"
His gaze flicked meaningfully toward Xiao Wu.
She hesitated a moment, then answered softly, "…Because after a ten-thousand-year beast dies, its soul ring carries residual resentment. Without sufficient mental power, the spirit of a Soul Master collapses beneath that pressure. Only those above level fifty can resist properly."
Her eyes lit up as understanding dawned.
"Exactly!" Xiao Tian nodded. "Therefore, what you must master first is precision of soul power. Even if you fail to control a sword now, this refinement will aid your cultivation for life."
He pointed at the handwritten booklet he'd distributed to them earlier. "In those notes is a soul power guidance method—my own creation—which will strengthen control over soul power. Practice diligently."
The three girls nodded solemnly.
…
By the time the sun reached its height, the ground was scattered with broken wood. Xiao Tian's lips twitched half helplessly at the sight.
"Ahem. I don't have spare wooden swords prepared… make do with these fragments. Sword‑controlling mastery isn't achieved in days or weeks. You'll need to practice long term. Don't rush."
His voice softened. "Later, I'll see if I can refine this method further—for now, these exercises will suffice."
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing showed no disappointment. Instead, their eyes were alight—because despite destruction, they had advanced. Their grasp over their own soul power had sharpened palpably.
For the first time, they could nuance how much energy to channel into their abilities. They grasped the principle: that refined control equals exponential strength. When two Soul Masters use the same skill, the stronger is often the one who gauges how much power to invest.
Even the constant drain from attempting control left them thrilled—it doubled as training, pushing growth faster.
…
During their rest, Chen Xin finally walked closer, his Seven Killing Sword in hand. He sat beside Xiao Tian, eyes thoughtful.
"Tell me honestly… do you think they can truly learn?"
Xiao Tian lifted his eyes, then shook his head gently. "Hard to say. For me—whose martial spirit is a sword—channeling soul power into it is natural. But to manipulate external swords as they do? That relies on both mental strength and quality of the blade. If their will falters, results decrease. If their swords are weak, results splinter."
Chen Xin frowned. "So unless they cultivate spiritual power directly…"
"Exactly," Xiao Tian replied. "Without strong mental reserves, only sword-spirit masters like us can thrive. For others… a spiritual skull soul bone might solve it. But Skull Bones are rarer than gold. Even your Seven Treasures Glazed Sect can hardly spare ten-thousand-year skull bones, right?"
Chen Xin chuckled bitterly, shoulders drooping. Indeed. If we had such treasures lying about, Gu Rong, Feng Zhi, and I would've absorbed long ago.
Yet even as he sighed, his eyes gleamed with a strange fervor. Perhaps one day, this boy will succeed where generations could not, teaching the art of sword-control beyond martial lineage. If so—I will witness history itself rewritten…
…
Three days later, another matter stirred.
Tang San had been working tirelessly, his every spare hour spent forging and assembling minute metal pieces. At last, he presented his creation to Chen Xin with solemn pride.
"Senior Sword Douluo," he said, voice steady, chest puffed, "this—this is my Zhuge Divine Crossbow. A hidden weapon capable of gravely injuring even Soul Sects. Stronger than anything you have seen before. I present it to you!"
Chen Xin raised one brow, unimpressed but willing to humor. "Oh? Then demonstrate. Shoot me. Let me judge if this toy truly deserves its boasting."
The Seven Killing Sword hummed as he raised it in one hand, full aura restrained but edges sharp as space itself.
Tang San inhaled, nodding hard. He grasped his crossbow—a compact, multi-bolt weapon wrought of cold metal—and triggered its release.
Whoosh!
Dozens of bolts screeched through the air in a deadly volley.
Gasps rose in the surrounding courtyard. The speed of the projectiles looked almost impossible for the eye to follow.
But Chen Xin's eyes narrowed coldly. The Seven Killing Sword flashed once—clang! clang! clang!—and every arrow spiraled off course, clattering to the earth.
In that instant, Chen Xin frowned faintly, admitting in his heart: This thing has bite. That barrage could kill Soul Sects careless enough, even fell stronger if caught unprepared.
He exhaled slowly, lowering his blade. His voice remained faint. "Not bad. Yes, it indeed has the power to harry Soul Sects."
Tang San's eyes shone with hope.
Then Chen Xin asked lightly, with a smile that carried weight.
"…Tell me then, boy. How much do you intend to sell this Zhuge Divine Crossbow for?"
The courtyard stilled, everyone leaning in.
The hidden weapons had finally debuted. What price would Tang San dare assign before the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?
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