Although she already had the answer in her heart, truly hearing Xiao Qingxuan say it personally still pained Ye Luqing’s heart.
Even though Xiao Qingxuan didn’t state it explicitly, she understood. She herself was the so-called “any cost.”
However, she could also understand Xiao Qingxuan. After all, that original host had spent six years with her. She herself had only been with her for two days. The difference in significance was naturally clear.
At the same time, she also felt a sense of relief.
“Since that’s how you feel, don’t blame me for provoking your Blackening…” she thought to herself. The last faint strand of extravagant hope vanished completely.
Just as Xiao Qingxuan wanted the original host to return, what she wanted was to go home.
She would be a good substitute for Xiao Qingxuan and satisfy this Destined Female Lead, while also using Xiao Qingxuan to complete her tasks and get home.
“Mm, I understand.” Ye Luqing smiled sweetly.
“A-Qing, I…”
Xiao Qingxuan wanted to say something more, but a finger was pressed against her lips.
“It’s okay, I fully understand.”
It was as if she tasted the sweetness of Ye Luqing’s fingertip, but Xiao Qingxuan couldn’t feel happy.
She truly couldn’t guarantee what would happen to the Ye Luqing after amnesia. Although their time together had only been two short days, she was also deeply fond of the current Ye Luqing with her changed personality.
As if sensing Xiao Qingxuan’s guilt, Ye Luqing came up with another plan, deciding to make good use of it.
“Senior Sister Xiao, could you teach me some sword arts?”
She had just roughly skimmed the Technique Chain Diagram and looked at the currently mastered techniques and Formation Spells.
Besides the newly learned Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Art, she currently had almost no offensive means.
Even if she fully comprehended the Two-Person Formation: Yin-Yang Meridian Array, the combination of her and Ying Qianqian still lacked offensive power.
Xiao Qingxuan was slightly stunned, then lowered her head and stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Since A-Qing asked, she would definitely help.
But the problem was, when it came to the Way of the Sword, A-Qing could be said to have, not just zero talent, but absolutely no talent at all.
A few years ago, she had tried teaching Ye Luqing sword techniques. But aside from adding a few new wounds to her body—looking pitifully tough despite the obvious pain, which invoked her pity—she hadn’t learned anything useful for killing enemies.
“Given A-Qing’s talent, ordinary sword moves definitely won’t work. I need to leverage her strengths,” she thought to herself.
“Controlling Qi with spirit, innate Sword Intent, no need for sword talent… this will do.”
Xiao Qingxuan took out a Spirit Sword and handed it to Ye Luqing.
“A-Qing, what I’m going to teach you next is the secret technique of our Heavenly Sword Peak: the One Qi Sword Art.”
She was now at the Half-Step Spirit Transformation Stage, practically a half-Elder of Heavenly Sword Peak, the kind who could take Direct Disciples. Teaching the secret art of Heavenly Sword Peak to just Ye Luqing was no problem.
“This sword art doesn’t require possessing a Sword Heart or having great sword talent.”
“The only thing needed is Sword Qi. That point can be solved through spell arrays.”
Ye Luqing had specifically learned a spell array to restore Sword Qi for her. Every time they went out on missions, she never had to worry about her Sword Qi consumption.
Xiao Qingxuan summoned her Lifebound Spirit Sword from her Heart Aperture, closed her eyes to focus her spirit, and used her Primordial Spirit to control the Emotionless Sword Qi.
In the next instant, a sharp Sword Intent shot into the sky. Xiao Qingxuan flicked her wrist, and Sword Qi and Sword Intent fused on the edge of her Lifebound Spirit Sword into streaks of razor-sharp white brilliance.
Just by looking directly at the white light on the blade’s edge, the nearby Ye Luqing felt a stabbing pain in her eyes.
“This is the condensed Sword Energy.”
“Sword Energy contains your Sword Intent. As long as you move in the way most comfortable for you, you can unleash the power of this sword art.”
“Everyone’s understanding and view of the sword are different, so their Sword Intent will also differ. Therefore, how much power you can bring out of this One Qi Sword Art depends on your own comprehension.”
Hearing this, Ye Luqing’s heart stirred. According to Xiao Qingxuan, executing this One Qi Sword Art required no sword talent at all, but placed more emphasis on Sword Intent.
As someone who had transmigrated from Earth and had long admired sword cultivators in fantasy novels but never actually used a sword, she was somewhat curious. What would her “Sword Intent” be?
“This sword art is of Profound-Tier Superior rank. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”
“But for the first time, let me guide your meridian flow.”
Xiao Qingxuan placed her hand on Ye Luqing’s back and gently channeled her Sword Qi into her meridians, guiding the flow of her True Qi.
Ye Luqing’s meridians weren’t adapted to Sword Qi. Even though Xiao Qingxuan was extremely careful, Ye Luqing felt sore and itchy all over, with stinging pains in various places.
Looking at the sweat-drenched Ye Luqing, Xiao Qingxuan softly comforted her:
“A-Qing, don’t rush. Take your time.”
“It might hurt a little the first time, but it gets familiar later.”
Ye Luqing smiled bitterly. The gap in talent was indeed vast. She could understand Profound-Tier Superior spell arrays and Formation Spells at a glance, but a sword art of the same grade, guided by Xiao Qingxuan at the Half-Step Spirit Transformation Stage, was still extremely difficult to learn.
Losing the system’s support and the “Magnetic Charm” buff, she now understood how difficult cultivating techniques truly was.
Half an hour later, she finally successfully completed one full circulation of the One Qi Sword Art’s pathway.
“Phew…” she let out a long breath.
At this point, she could barely consider herself introduced to the One Qi Sword Art.
“A-Qing, try executing it,” Xiao Qingxuan said.
“Just use my Sword Qi directly. What you need to do is resonate your spirit with the Spirit Sword in your hand and arouse your own Sword Intent.”
The One Qi Sword Art required the fusion of Sword Qi and Sword Intent. The “Sword Energy” generated by each person was different.
What she was worried about now was whether Ye Luqing’s Sword Intent could support this sword art.
Before losing her memory, Ye Luqing’s personality leaned towards patient endurance. The Sword Intent she could produce would likely be somewhat lower-mid tier, unable to condense powerful Sword Energy.
An originally Profound-Tier Superior sword art might only exhibit the power of Mysterious Rank Low or even Yellow-grade upon execution, doing nothing to cultivators at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages.
“Sword Intent…”
Ye Luqing felt the Sword Qi Xiao Qingxuan had left within her body and somewhat awkwardly circulated the One Qi Sword Art.
As the True Qi rotated and the sword art activated, a sword diagram slowly rose within her mind.
The sword diagram was engraved onto a high platform. On the platform, a small white figure about seventy to eighty percent similar to her was rigidly performing some kind of sword move.
It was strange. Ye Luqing had clearly never practiced any sword moves, yet she felt familiar with the sword technique the small figure was using.
Even stranger, besides the seventy to eighty percent resemblance to her, the remaining twenty to thirty percent actually resembled Xiao Qingxuan.
As she watched, a gradual realization dawned in her mind.
This small white figure similar to her was actually her Sword Energy. And the rigid sword move the Sword Energy was performing was her Sword Intent.
As for why there was also a slight resemblance to Xiao Qingxuan, Ye Luqing guessed it might be related to the other party teaching her the sword art, or perhaps due to the influence of the original host.
Watching this slow-moving small white figure with stiff sword moves, Ye Luqing felt somewhat embarrassed.
After all, she wasn’t a native of this world and had never used a sword growing up. At most, she’d swung branches around wildly as a sword when she was little. Naturally, she couldn’t condense any decent-looking Sword Intent.
However, although she had no real experience using a sword…
Would “false” experiences work?
