More than ten breaths had passed since Li Dixian left the arena.
The cheers from the audience seats only then erupted like a thunderous roar.
Xue Qinghe's lips curved slightly, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.
She cast her gaze towards Li Dixian's former seat, only to see the warm wine on the table still emitting wisps of steam...
In a serene courtyard.
Li Dixian leaned against a stone table.
The wine pot was tilted, but the exquisite wine remained untasted.
He let the gentle breeze stir a few loose strands of hair by his temples.
He closed his eyes, his mind immersed in the trajectory of the wind.
The wind.
Colorless and formless.
Elusive and hard to find.
Truly difficult to comprehend.
From sitting idly at noon until dusk settled.
That glimmer of inspiration in his mind gradually faded.
A sense of irritation, like a creeping vine, quietly climbed into Li Dixian's heart.
Whoosh—
Just then, the wind suddenly intensified.
The Four Seasons Plum in the courtyard tilted with it, and a few scattered red petals fluttered down.
One petal clung to his lapel, one fell into his wine, and surprisingly, another, perfectly centered, hovered on the Azure Lotus Sword resting across his lap.
The plum petal trembled slightly, like a butterfly's wings gently quivering.
Li Dixian suddenly opened his eyes.
He flicked the sword lightly with two fingers.
Clang—
The plum petal split into two halves with the sound, yet the sword's edge remained perfectly still.
He murmured softly:
"The lower sword, when striking people, should be like the wind sweeping plum blossoms."
"Not constrained by form, not bound by power, borrowing a wisp of the world's energy..."
The night wind grew fiercer.
It swept up the fallen plum blossoms across the ground, like a hazy, blood-red mist.
A plum petal brushed past his face, bringing a fresh, subtle fragrance, and a cool touch, like an unfulfilled debt of love, a poem left unfinished, or half a life wasted...
Li Dixian suddenly raised his Azure Lotus Sword.
The sword light, swift as lightning, swept back, cutting off a wisp of dark hair from his temple.
The Azure Lotus Sword emitted a faint hum, as if whispering an apology to Li Dixian.
Li Dixian lowered his eyelids, watching the severed hair and plum petal fall together, silently disappearing into the dust.
"The middle sword, when striking oneself, is to cut away the entanglements of the heart."
"Like the wind urging down plum blossoms, only then can new buds be anticipated."
"The wind felling withered plum blossoms is the law of nature; the sword severing stubborn delusion is the will of man."
As night deepened and the wind subsided, all the withered plum blossoms had fallen.
Only gnarled, bare branches remained, stubbornly reaching towards the night sky, like swords pointing at the heavens.
Li Dixian, with a sword in one hand and a wine pot in the other, walked under the plum tree.
He slammed his palm against the trunk, and the plum tree shook violently, causing the last three withered red petals to drift down gently.
Li Dixian soared with his sword.
The first sword provoked the wind, and the plum petals swirled nine feet against the current.
The second sword stirred the wind, and cold stars suddenly appeared in the gaps between the clouds.
By the third sword... Li Dixian and his sword seemed to merge into the wind, only a long cry echoing:
"Open!"
The pitch-black sky was actually eroded by this biting plum fragrance, creating a rift.
A line of blood-red dawn light spilled down, staining the fallen red petals still clinging to the sword tip.
Li Dixian tilted his head back and took a deep drink.
"The upper sword, when striking the night, does not strike the long night, but strikes the gloom in one's heart!"
"Plum blossoms die but their fragrance endures; the sword may age but its intent remains evergreen!"
...From first glimpsing a hint of wind intent.
To being trapped by the formlessness of the wind.
Finally, from the sight of the wind felling plum blossoms, he glimpsed the outline of the wind.
Li Dixian finally captured that elusive wisp of sword intent.
By the time he looked up again, it was already the next morning.
A blood-red sun was slowly rising on the horizon.
The wind had long since ceased.
The Four Seasons Plum in the courtyard, stripped of its withered red blossoms, had bare branches, adding a touch of desolation.
"This time, to comprehend a wisp of Wind Sword Intent, I owe it to you."
Li Dixian used the tip of his sword to pick up some wine and splashed it onto the bare branches.
The wine diffused into a colorful mist.
As the thin mist gradually dispersed, three new plum blossoms miraculously bloomed on the bare branches, radiant and exceptionally charming.
Li Dixian nodded repeatedly.
"Wonderful!"
"Only when plum blossoms wither does their integrity show; only when the sword ages is its true nature revealed!"
"What a pity..."
He sighed regretfully again, picked up the clear spring wine pot, and turned to walk into the house.
This wisp of sword intent derived from the wind was not yet enough to conceive a new sword move.
Li Dixian returned to his room, wanting to sleep for a while.
In his mind.
A group of green-robed swordsmen with black silk wrapped around their eyes suddenly appeared.
"Ye Lingling once said..."
"Feng Bailong, the Sect Master of Wind Sword Sect, wraps black silk around his eyes to listen to the sword's hum."
"Elder Chen Xin also advised me to travel among the Lower Four Sects and Upper Three Sects."
"Perhaps..."
"The key to completing the third form of my Green Lotus Sword Song..."
"Lies with the Wind Sword Sect."
...This sleep.
Lasted until the sun began to set in the west.
Thump thump thump—
Li Dixian was awakened by the persistent knocking at the courtyard gate.
He stretched, shuffled into his shoes, and slowly ambled to the courtyard to open the door.
The door swung open.
The figures bustling outside the door made his vision blur for a moment.
Li Dixian even wondered if he was still asleep.
Outside the courtyard gate.
In addition to the seven members of the Royal Fight Team.
The Elephant Armor, Blazing Fire, and Divine Wind teams were also gathered there.
Nearly thirty people, a dense crowd, blocked the entrance to the small courtyard completely.
"So many people?"
"Come in..."
A hint of surprise appeared in Li Dixian's eyes, then he quickly regained his composure, turned, and led everyone into the courtyard.
In just one day.
The petals of the Four Seasons Plum once again adorned its branches.
Li Dixian sank lazily into the sandalwood chair, his eyelids slightly raised, sweeping over the people filing in, his voice hoarse from just waking up:
"What do you seek me for?"
"Let's get this straight, I'm very tired today, and not in the mood to fight."
Everyone's gaze, filled with complex emotions, fell upon the young man in the chair.
He indeed looked like he had just woken up.
His hair was slightly disheveled, casually spread over his shoulders, and his white silk sleep shirt was half-open at the chest, exuding a natural, uninhibited air.
This casualness.
Yet, it seemed exceptionally harmonious and fitting on him.
Pleasing to the eye.
At this moment.
Yu Feng darted to Li Dixian's side in one swift motion, pointing at the people from the three teams, indignantly complaining:
"Idol!"
"They've been pestering me relentlessly, insisting I come find you!"
"When I refused, they even threatened to hit me!"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling exchanged glances, a helpless expression appearing on their pretty faces.
They too had been worn down by these people's stubbornness.
But judging by their appearance.
They didn't seem to be here to cause trouble.
The most crucial thing was... even if they were here to cause trouble, they couldn't beat Li Dixian anyway.
So they had brought them along.
Feng Xiaotian leaned forward, his hands resting on the sandalwood wine table, his sunny and handsome face filled with seriousness, looking directly at Li Dixian:
"Jian Jiu..."
"We can't beat you in a fight."
"But we heard you're addicted to wine, so today our three teams will join forces and definitely get you drunk!"
Clap—
Clap—
Clap—
Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Hu Yanli simultaneously leaned forward, resting their hands on the table, their gazes, like torches, all fixed on Li Dixian.
"Do you dare to accept the challenge?!"
"Today, we're definitely getting you drunk!"
Li Dixian smiled.
The pinnacle of the sword dao, he might still need time to climb.
But when it came to the contents of a cup... Li Dixian had never conceded to anyone!
"Let's go, let's go!"
"To Shanxiang Workshop!"
"Today, if I, Li Dixian, don't get you all drunk and laid out flat!"
"Consider your trip to Heaven Dou City a waste!"
After a quick wash and change of clothes.
Li Dixian led nearly thirty people.
Arm in arm, they headed to Shanxiang Workshop.
The waiter led everyone to a private room, and Li Dixian pulled Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, asking:
"Where's Xue Qinghe?"
"Didn't she come with you?"
Dugu Yan folded her arms, giving Li Dixian a sidelong glance.
"Thinking of your good brother again?"
"Xue Qinghe is the Crown Prince; she's not as idle as us."
"She probably won't be coming today."
Li Dixian nodded regretfully.
"Alright then."
💎 Power Stone Bonus: Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
🌟 5-Star Review Bonus: Every 5 (5-Star) Reviews = +2 Extra Chapters
💬 Comment Speed-Up: If any chapter reaches +10 Comments = The Next Chapter Will Be Released Faster!
🔥 Want to Read Ahead? If you want to read advanced chapters, check out my buymeacoffee(.)com/Oyunbozan