Chapter 118: The Sword Intent of the Four Seasons

The Divine Will Body Refining Technique harnesses the power of the spirit to guide the body's primordial blood energy, causing it to surge throughout the entire body. Through a unique rhythm of breathing and movement, it strengthens the physique, enhancing the body in all aspects. This is the most orthodox training method promoted by the Empire, and it carries no side effects. As long as the spirit is strong and the blood energy is vigorous, progress is inevitable.

However, therein lies the flaw. Whether the blood energy is abundant or not can be compensated for with pills by the wealthy, but the primary difficulty is that one must have a strong spirit. For someone like Xiao Nan, whose spirit has reached the state of oblivion and whose body is at the peak limit of an ordinary person—a "minor expert"—practicing the Divine Will Body Refining Technique means only enduring for just a few hours. He could barely complete the eighty-one forms twice over.

It’s easy to imagine that those with weaker spirits cannot fully master this body technique. No matter how much they practice, it would be futile. However, using the Four Seasons Sword Technique to attract wandering energy to temper the body is different. This method can be practiced anytime, anywhere, as long as the body can bear it and the mind is not fatigued. One can train for as long as desired.

Although the effect is not as strong as the Divine Will Body Refining Technique, Xiao Nan regarded it as a very good supplementary training method. One method nurtures and purifies the blood and energy from within the body; the other infuses external energy to refine it. Attacking from both inside and outside, complementing each other, gradually and swiftly strengthening his skin, muscles, and membranes.

"Perhaps, if this continues, I might not necessarily need medicinal aid to reach the point of overflowing energy and directly break through to the first rank..." The feeling of progress every day was truly delightful. In his previous life, after reaching this level, he was stuck for ten years without any movement.

Xiao Nan sensed the firmness of his skin and muscles for a while and felt quite satisfied. Sheathing his sword, he wiped the sweat from his brow. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled light upon his face. The gleam in his eyes gradually faded, returning to that harmless, benign expression.

The roar of an engine reached his ears as a vehicle stopped nearby.

“Let’s wait here. Don’t disturb him while he’s practicing swordsmanship,” a somewhat familiar female voice said.

Xiao Nan stepped out from the low woods and saw a silver-white compact car parked by the roadside. A tall woman dressed in a white blazer stood beside the car, hands clasped behind her back, gazing at the scenery along the road. Next to her stood an elderly man with white hair, his expression tinged with anxiety.

“Jiang Yu and Elder Wu,” Xiao Nan thought with a pleased heart, realizing that this time things would likely be settled.

His Spring Chapter of the Sword Technique needed little practice now; after mastering the true essence, it had grown increasingly refined and polished, no longer capable of rapid progress. To break through further in swordsmanship, he needed the subsequent sword techniques.

Summer, Autumn, and Winter—honestly, how could he not want to learn them?

He wanted to learn, yet he couldn’t actively seek it out. Although the Four Seasons Sword Pavilion’s teaching was relaxed, it wasn’t much different from the Bloodshed Sword Pavilion or the Morning Sun Spear Pavilion. The Spring Three Swords and Bloodshed Ten Swords were treated as basic fare to attract ordinary members. To advance further, one must join the sect.

Or if the pavilion’s upper echelons recognized your potential or took a liking to you, they might teach you some of the later techniques, but this was entirely unpredictable. Like Xiong Bing and the others, after learning the Bloodshed Ten Swords, they found it nearly impossible to learn the Breaking Army or Seven Kill techniques. Did they think those secret arts were simply free cabbages?

Fortunately, Jiang Yu, head of the Yuanjiang Four Seasons Sword Pavilion, was ambitious enough to try recruiting him. It wasn’t wrong to want that.

But Xiao Nan, confident in his bright future, knew he could never join a sect to be ordered around. Those who seek help become bound by it; this truth was well known. If he sought out the subsequent sword techniques himself, and they insisted he must join the sect first, there’d be nothing he could do. Better to wait until they came to him.

The initiative was his.

“To be honest, Headmaster Jiang, if you insist on inviting me to join the Four Seasons Sword, there’s no need to say more,” Xiao Nan said with an expression of indifference.

“I don’t know what would be required after joining, but just looking at the current state of the Yuanjiang Four Seasons Sword Pavilion, I can guess it won’t be easy. You might even offend many people, right?” His meaning was clear without elaboration.

Having excelled through the Blood Energy Test, his future was bright—why would he risk life and limb for the Four Seasons Sword?

Jiang Yu’s face turned awkward. Many things were impossible to hide. Not long ago, the Lijiang Four Seasons branch had sent people to challenge the Yuanjiang branch and had utterly defeated their disciples. The news was widespread.

“Why not hear me out on the conditions first? You don’t need to join. Just represent the Yuanjiang Sword Pavilion in a duel,” Jiang Yu offered.

“A duel? I’m not even a martial artist. Who would I duel? I might get injured, or worse...” Xiao Nan hesitated but inwardly felt a surge of excitement. As long as he wasn’t bound by them, he didn’t mind taking on missions.

“After practicing the Spring Three Swords of the Four Seasons Sword, you probably feel unsatisfied, right? It’s frustrating, isn’t it? I can teach you the Summer, Autumn, and Winter sword techniques, all in detail, until you master them.” Jiang Yu grew anxious, urging him on.

Elder Wu hesitated, sighed quietly, but said nothing.

“Sword techniques can be learned at the Martial Way University. There, all sects and schools have their secret techniques. I hear you just need contribution points to exchange for them. There’s no need to fight to the death over this,” Xiao Nan said sincerely, with a hint of apology. It was clear he wasn’t particularly interested in the Four Seasons Sword.

In truth, he was almost ready to agree, just wanting to hear their conditions first.

Jiang Yu bit her lip, her expression darkening slightly.

Compared to the Martial Way University’s resources and heritage, their own pavilion truly had no strong cards to play. She felt a twinge of resentment—had the once-mighty Four Seasons Sword really sunk to being so looked down upon?

It seemed there was no other way.

Drawing a silver short sword she always carried, her face turned solemn as she commanded, “Watch closely.”

Jiang Yu’s aura surged fiercely. A blood-red halo flashed across her face, her ponytail fluttered as if stirred by wind, and her white blazer strained as if about to burst. Xiao Nan felt a sharp, needle-like pain on exposed skin; his spiritual power stiffened and slowed.

The surrounding breeze ceased. A few colorful butterflies halted mid-flight, falling straight to the ground.

The sword’s light was like a flowing ribbon; a streak of light shimmered from the silver blade like a phantom, slicing through the air three meters away.

“Shh…”

With a rustling sound, a camphor tree about the thickness of a bowl fell to one side. The cut was smooth and polished, not slashed but seemingly finely ground and polished.

Xiao Nan’s brow twitched slightly. At that moment, he felt an overwhelming threat.

“If that sword had been aimed at me…”

No, better not think further.

His spirit and body were enveloped in a strange power, as if locked in from all directions—no matter where he moved, he could not avoid a strike.

Strangely, Jiang Yu’s sword was unlike the “Wave Moon Slash” style of Tang Zhixuan. It did not rely on forceful blood energy to stir the air and create a vacuum wave.

From the moment the sword was drawn to its return, the air remained undisturbed, as if wielding an invisible sword.

“So, Xiao Nan, do you think this sword is worth learning?” Jiang Yu proudly asked after a pause.

Xiao Nan keenly noticed her face had paled considerably, her aura unstable. Though well concealed, it was clear this strike had cost her dearly—both spirit and blood energy likely spent.

Yet even so, his heart pounded wildly. At the third-rank Bone Refining level, she had unleashed a technique of the fourth-rank Organ Refining level, and perhaps even surpassed it slightly.

This sword was extraordinary.

“Is this a spiritual attack?”

“It is sword intent,” Jiang Yu said proudly. “Our father left each of us siblings a legacy of Four Seasons Sword intent... You may not understand its value, but simply knowing it is a divine, master-level transmission of will from the unity of man and heaven reveals its preciousness.”

Mentioning her father, Jiang Yu’s face grew somber. From her collar, she took out a jade pendant and said reluctantly, “If you accept this matter, I can lend you this sword intent legacy to study for three days—no, ten days.”