Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 55: The Imperial Twin Swords

Clothes make the man, a saddle makes the horse; dishes depend on their appearance, wine on its price. A widow’s doorstep is never short of gentlemen, and in the depths of clouds, there is mortal life.

What does cultivation depend on?

A mountain of swords.

Now, Yun Que longed to possess such a mountain—eating atop it, dwelling atop it, secluding himself there for a hundred years.

But alas, there was no such thing in the Sword Palace.

If there were, Yun Que would gladly demonstrate for his fellow disciples what it means for the world to change beyond recognition.

Of course, he might then earn another nickname: the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains.

"If the Sword Palace has no mountain of swords, I’ll build one myself."

Bathed in morning light, Yun Que made this grand vow, like a farmer facing a vast and barren desert, crying out for meals of rice every day.

Ideals are beautiful; reality is harsh.

But it mattered little—what Yun Que possessed most was patience and perseverance.

He was confident he would, sooner or later, create a true mountain of swords!

And then, he would lounge atop it and chew away...

"Bah! Too much sword energy clouds my appetite. What’s so tasty about swords, anyway?"

Yun Que shook off his wandering thoughts.

Men, after all, are brimming with vitality in the morning and prone to wild imaginings.

He channeled his spiritual energy, sending his flying sword whirling around the room.

Yun Que intended to test his third-layer Qi Refinement power, and by the way, see if he could store his flying sword in his pouch.

But the test yielded an unexpected result.

With only half the effort he’d previously needed, he could now fully control the flying sword, moving it as if it were an extension of himself.

Yun Que was astonished.

Did this mean he could now simultaneously control two flying swords in the air?

To wield two swords at once typically required at least mid-stage Qi Refinement—no less than the fourth layer, and more often the fifth or sixth.

Yet he was only at the third layer!

Previously, he could only face an enemy with two swords by relying on the auxiliary power of the Overflowing Spirit Ring, with one sword emitting sword energy but unable to fly.

There was no record in the Sword Palace of a disciple at the early stage of Qi Refinement being able to control two swords in flight.

He had to try!

Excited, Yun Que produced a second flying sword and activated his energy.

Sure enough, both swords rose into the air together!

At first, his control was clumsy, but soon the swords darted about as deftly as swimming fish.

Dual sword control!

Yun Que was utterly amazed.

He had achieved, in the early stage of Qi Refinement, what others could only do at the fourth layer or beyond.

"If I can control two swords at the third layer, what about the middle or late stages? Will I be able to control even more?"

Yun Que now looked forward eagerly to his next breakthrough.

Even at the tenth layer, the peak of Qi Refinement, most could only manage four swords at once.

By his current pace, who could say how many swords he could command at that stage?

Within his tier, his combat power would be unmatched!

At the third layer, others could only wield a single sword, while Yun Que controlled two—it wasn’t even a contest, it was akin to bullying.

It was as if the opponent swung a sword at him, but Yun Que not only parried with his own sword, he held a great shield in his other hand.

This was outright cheating.

Yet Yun Que did not let the advantages of his breakthrough cloud his judgment. After a brief moment of joy, he calmed himself and began to analyze his situation.

After advancing, the increase in his spiritual power was comparable to any other third-layer cultivator.

This was the norm.

Human beings are much alike; at the same stage, spiritual power is about equal, with little variation unless one possesses a rare, ancient bloodline.

Besides the boost in energy from advancing, Yun Que noticed another change—his ever-increasing mastery of the sword.

"As my swordsmanship improves, the energy required to control my sword diminishes. Meanwhile, my advancing cultivation brings more spiritual power. The balance between these factors is what allows me to control two swords at the third layer."

The insight dawned on him.

His ability to achieve dual sword control so early was a testament to his innate talent.

"I truly am a sword genius."

Yun Que was not boasting but stating a fact. Even without a sword-root, his accomplishments in the sword arts far surpassed the ordinary.

Feeling the surge of spiritual power within, Yun Que’s heart burned with excitement.

At last, he had enough energy to practice sword flight!

Sword flight was a technique that consumed vast amounts of spiritual energy, typically requiring at least the middle stage of Qi Refinement, and even then, only for short distances.

But even short flights were a thrill for Yun Que.

He had been carried through the air by Mu Qingyao twice, but it was nothing compared to the joy of flying on his own.

Like horseback riding—only the rider controls the speed and direction, while the passenger simply goes along for the ride.

Hardly satisfying.

Time to try!

Sword flight was not a rare technique; in the Sword Palace, it could be freely learned. Yun Que had long since memorized it, lacking only the necessary energy.

Silently recalling the incantation, Yun Que formed the proper hand seals, and a sword floated beneath his feet.

He rode the sword in circles about the room.

At first, he wobbled, but within a quarter of an hour, he was standing as steady as a rock atop the flying sword.

"Success!"

Yun Que leapt off, elated.

By his estimate, his energy was enough to sustain flight for a full mile.

"No more relying on women to ferry me about. But how will I explain my cultivation level?"

Yun Que frowned.

His status was that of a sword servant; ordinarily, he should have no spiritual power, let alone the ability to fly on a sword.

"The best story is that I consumed a spiritual fruit or had a fortuitous encounter, which awakened my spiritual root..."

Whether fruit or encounter, there needed to be a place.

And that place must be mysterious and intimidating, enough to make anyone wary and believe whatever oddities might occur there.

"Not easy to find... Wait, I’ve got it!"

Yun Que’s eyes lit up as he muttered to himself:

"The Tower of Ten Thousand Fathoms!"

The Tower of Ten Thousand Fathoms was the Sword Palace’s most mysterious location, the traditional site for the Sword Heir competitions. Rumor had it the tower contained worlds within, infinite and perilous, filled with dangers and opportunities.

Claiming the tower as the source of his spiritual root would be ideal—even if anyone doubted, it would be nearly impossible to verify.

There was still more than a month until the Sword Heir competition. To reveal his cultivation, he would need to be patient.

Putting away his flying sword, Yun Que set out for breakfast.

No sooner had he stepped outside than Wu Dachuan approached, wielding an oversized net of unknown material.

"Morning, Brother Yun! Today’s our turn in the North Courtyard to catch fish."

Wu Dachuan brandished his net, beaming with anticipation.

After breakfast, Yun Que learned what the fishing was all about.

It was quite literal.

But the quarry was no ordinary fish, but a large species known as the Silver Pomfret.

The bones of the Silver Pomfret were prized as materials for forging magical artifacts, making them quite valuable.

Silver Pomfret originated in the Cold Water River, one branch of which ran conveniently close to the imperial capital, where the fish were often found.

Thus, the Sword Palace assigned the task of catching them to its disciples, rotating the duty among the four courtyards every half-month.

Thirty miles outside the imperial city, a small river wound through the mountains.

Ten yards wide, its waters rushed swiftly, the riverbed clear and visible.

At a broad, level stretch, a dozen small wooden boats were linked by iron chains across the river, forming a makeshift bridge.

This was where the Sword Palace disciples caught the fish.

The North Courtyard sent over thirty people this time, mostly newcomers, led personally by Senior Sister Xue Ziyi.

Upon arrival, they split into groups of three and boarded the boats in turn.

Yun Que was paired with Wu Dachuan and Luo Xiaoyu; their boat was last and closest to the shore.

"Catching fish may seem simple, but it hones focus and reflexes—it’s both a task and a lesson."

Xue Ziyi stood on the bank, her clear voice carrying across the river.

"Be quick and alert! Treat every Silver Pomfret as a blade aimed at you. Whoever hauls in the most will be the strongest in the martial path!"

"And don’t tell me those without spiritual roots aren’t cultivators. I see only disciples of the North Courtyard—no distinction between sword apprentice and sword servant! With skill and the aid of the Overflowing Spirit Ring, even a servant can defeat an apprentice!"

With hands clasped behind her back, head held high, she cut a dashing figure in the morning sun.

Her words sent a surge of emotion through the hearts of many sword servants; the disappointment of learning they lacked spiritual roots upon entering the Sword Palace was greatly eased.

"Be careful—these fish are powerful. A direct hit and you’ll be laid up for three days," Xue Ziyi called out. "And if you see a Golden Pomfret, flee at once. That’s a tier-one demon beast—don’t try to catch it, just get out of the way."