Chapter 77: Enlightenment (Second Update)

  Time flows like water, years pass like a white horse crossing the ridge, in a flash of two months, Ye Chen's peaceful and lonely cultivation life flashed by in an unknown mountain valley.

  The bare tree trunks were unknowingly covered with white frost, which immediately turned into water droplets and fell slowly. The brief winter in the desolate land was fleeting, like a passing glance of a wild goose, and before long, several months had passed. Now that the weather is gradually warming up, it seems to have already entered early spring, and a vitality is spreading throughout the valley.

  Sparse snowflakes fell to the ground with the howling cold wind, Ye Chen wore a black robe that fluttered in the wind, holding a sword in one hand and standing on the precipice of the mountain valley, his eyes gazing indifferently at the snowflakes filling the sky. A few months ago, that battle had made the originally enraged Blood Sword even more frenzied, crazily pursuing Ye Chen to kill him. Therefore, a few months ago, Ye Chen had parted ways with Mu Chen and others. Ye Chen had spent several days searching for their tracks, but unfortunately still couldn't find them.

  A month ago, Ye Chen had retreated into this valley and began a few months of arduous cultivation.

  Her eyes slightly raised, Ye Chen's figure suddenly and violently leaped into the air, and in the dark shadow of the sky, a faint cyan light suddenly flashed on her body.

  However, this flash of light was fleeting, and it seemed to be drawn to something, instantly condensing onto the sword held in the figure's right hand.

  Immediately, the sword in his right hand slashed out a fierce and piercing sound, striking a huge boulder not far below with a loud crash!

  "Boom!"

  A pale blue sword energy burst out in an instant, and then hit the giant stone at Suo's feet with extremely fast speed.

  All that could be heard was a loud explosion, and the giant boulder, which was over two men high, was instantly blasted open by the shallow blue sword light!

  With a loud rumbling sound, it turned into countless broken stones and flew all over the sky!

  If someone looked closely, they would be shocked to discover that the scattered stones flying everywhere were actually covered with a thin layer of pale blue. The gentle breeze drifted between the stones and suddenly the stones were crushed by the wind, turning into dust and falling all over the ground, forming a striking contrast with the snowflakes covering the ground.

  Months of frenzied slaughter had added a hint of ferocity to Ye Chen's swordsmanship, each sword strike as fierce as a raging storm, appearing exceptionally terrifying.

  Jian Qi Zhan is no longer the Jian Qi Zhan of today, that seemingly ordinary sword move has gradually merged with Ye Chen's killing intent, its power even more formidable than before.

  Gently tapping the sword body, his gaze slowly glanced at the Qilin ring on his right hand, and Ye Chen's mouth involuntarily curled up in a bitter smile. For months, the Fire Qilin had yet to awaken. Within those months, Ye Chen constantly fought against those pursuers and demonic beasts, so the originally dim Qilin ring gradually emitted a white glow around it.

  Helplessly rubbing his forehead, Ye Chen let out a quiet sigh, his figure lightly floating down onto the broken rocks.

  He bent down, took off the two heavy bags tied to his legs, and felt a sudden relaxation throughout his body. He took a deep breath, jumped up, and disappeared from the spot, his figure flickering in and out of sight like a ghostly apparition in the mountain valley. As his cultivation grew stronger, Ye Chen's speed became increasingly faster, making it impossible for ordinary people to catch his shadow. His long hair fluttered, and with a wave of his hand, numerous sword energies burst forth, explosive sounds echoing everywhere!

  "Why does it always feel like something is missing!"

  Ye Chen's figure suddenly stopped, lightly floating down onto a piece of Qinggang rock, furrowing his brow as he concentrated on thinking.

  The Wind Shadow Body Technique seemed to have reached a high level of proficiency, but it still hadn't reached the point where his mind and body were completely in sync. The key to this lay in a subtle nuance that Ye Chen vaguely sensed, yet couldn't quite grasp. The highest realm of the Wind Shadow Body Technique was one where he became one with the wind, and the wind became one with him, but Ye Chen was unable to attain that level.

  "Boom!..."

  A burst of thunder, suddenly exploding in the sky, startled Ye Chen from his deep contemplation.

  Ye Chen raised his head, just in time to see the blue lightning flashing continuously on the horizon, with thunderous roars raging wildly at the edge of the sky.

  It's early spring now, and the thunder is frequent, but it's just an empty thunder, not raining, but fluttering thin snowflakes. The snowflakes are freely drifting with the wind, as if they would melt into rainwater at any time. The cold wind blows the black robe, wildly howling, a black robe rustling.

  Her eyebrows were tightly locked, Ye Chen sat in a curved shape, like an ancient pine on a steep cliff, letting the wind blow and the rain hit, without moving at all.

  Suddenly, Ye Chen's face stiffened, and he stretched out his hand. A drop of cool rainwater fell onto his palm. His expression changed slightly as he looked up at the sky...

  The snowflakes in the air finally couldn't withstand the temperature's attack, turning into spring rain and falling to the ground. The cold winter quietly slipped away in this sudden spring rain, silently and soundlessly!

  A thread of fine rain floated down from the sky.

  Ye Chen was slightly stunned, but in an instant, the fine rain turned into a torrential downpour, with rapid and intense rain sounds, echoing throughout the sky.

  Ye Chen didn't deliberately go to avoid the rain, like a distant ancient mountain, foolishly sitting in place!

  His eyes slowly closed, and those bloody battle scenes came flooding back to Ye Chen like a tidal wave. The cold rain pounded against his pale face, and for the first time in months, Ye Chen relived those hundreds of battles he had fought. This time, however, he experienced them from a third person's perspective...

  Her eyes slightly lifted, gazing at the sky, but suddenly her whole body shook violently, and she froze in place. Ye Chen's empty gaze followed the rainwater to the ground...

  On the stone slab, raindrops fell heavily, then burst open, and then fell again, bursting open once more.

  And next to the stone, a small green sprout quietly emerged from the ground, tender and green. The plump little leaves looked like a group of chubby babies who had just woken up from sleep.

  Slowly getting up, Ye Chen looked around at the surrounding mountain walls. Unintentionally, the trees on the mountain walls were also quietly sprouting new branches and growing new buds like small grass. The willow tree's branches hung down, just like a string of lines hanging from the tree. Those tender yellow leaves were like flower petals tied to the line.

  A breath of life is constantly spreading in this small valley, the rain, the mountain, the wind, and the trees are constantly emitting a breath of life at all times.

  "Life, vitality!"

  A flash of unusual color flickered in his eyes, Ye Chen's hands clenched tightly, the long sword slipped to the ground, his chest heaved constantly, and the excitement in his heart slowly subsided!

  The purpose of performing a move is to achieve a certain goal, and each move has its own purpose. Regardless of the consequences that this goal may bring, the hope for what consequences will occur, or what purpose will be achieved, mainly lies in the intention of the person performing the move.

  But it's not the intention of the move that plays the main role, but rather the human intention that takes effect, and the move is just a necessary means.

  However, Ye Chen found that although his body technique had gained speed, it lacked a bit of spirituality and had an extra bit of stiffness, unable to move freely with his heart, unable to be so natural.

  That natural figure, like soft and flexible emerald grass, sways in the wind, like floating clouds drifting away with the breeze, and like a gentle breeze caressing the face, the wind lingers.

  At this moment, Ye Chen couldn't help but think of the Taiji of his past life, and that one sentence: "The way is natural."

  Slowly getting up, Ye Chen leaped into the air and landed on the empty cliff, his figure slowly dancing.

  One step, two steps, within the torrential rain, Ye Chen's figure gradually became blurry, and the rising fog changed with Ye Chen's movement.

  That fluttering figure lost the swiftness of just now, but gained a hint of agility. With every movement, it was as if a spring breeze brushed against one's face, and the breath of life seemed to be infused into the dance along with the vibrant colors of spring. Gradually, that figure became like a gentle clear wind sweeping across the land, sometimes like a stormy rainstorm stirring up puddles of water everywhere.

  At this moment, Ye Chen's emotions had become extremely calm, and his gaze was serene with a hint of profundity.

  The dark night covered the earth, torrential rain poured down all night, and Ye Chen's dancing figure also didn't stop all night.

  Now, the dancing figure gives people a feeling of ethereal emptiness. Raindrops fall to the ground, and the figure disappears like a ghost. It appears in a ghostly manner, with the heart following the will, and the body appearing as desired!

  A gentle breeze swept across the land, Ye Chen's dancing figure suddenly vanished, only to reappear slowly at the top of the mountain valley. The rising sun broke through the dark clouds, casting a warm glow over the ground, followed by tiny raindrops.

  Ye Chen raised his head to gaze at the overcast sky, letting the raindrops pelt his slender body. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth as he quietly immersed himself in the fine rain, listening to the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground and the sound of the raindrops pounding against the rocks. He left behind a whisper: "Wind Shadow Technique, at this moment, perhaps it's no longer Wind Shadow. This is my own Ye Chen's technique!"

  The residual sound remained, Ye Chen's right hand swung out, the long sword entered his hand, his left hand was behind his back, and his right foot stepped forward, in the rain and fog, his figure was a blur...