“Using water with the sword, this is the ‘Dispersion’ of the sword heart skill."

Lin Mu Yu’s breath had quickened, faster than usual, because of his true energy flowing at a rapid pace through his bloodstream. “Xiao Xi, what do you think of that? Beautiful enough?”

Tang Xiao Xi was nearly a statue. She took a moment, before blinking her eyes. “Wow… that’s… that’s amazing.”

This caused Lin Mu Yu’s head to swell, as if about to explode with pride. “Of course! What name would be good for this one?”

Tang Xiao Xi considered it. “I’ve seen the experts use the Ten Thousand Sword Art, it’s quite similar to this. However, yours involves the whole water cycle... how about Ten Thousand Frozen Sword?”

“Good name!”

“Anything else?” Tang Xiao Xi asked weakly.

“One more. And this is the strongest.”

“Okay, let me see!”

“Okay!”

……

Lin Mu Yu made a low noise. The Prairie Fire Sword flew up with a brus.h.i.+ng sound, standing in front of him. He opened his arms, a column of true dragonfire burst forth, creating a fiery chasm between his palm and the sword blade. When the helix force started to gain momentum, the sword slowly began revolving on its axis. Lin Mu Yu’s fingers were extended by what looked to be dragonfire, the helix surrounding and embodying the surroundings of the sword blade, emitting a few dragon howls. Lin Mu Yu gave a low shout: “Go!”

Sou!

The sword whizzed through the air, bringing the magnanimous force of the helix with it. With a heated energy, it sprung straight for the black rock that was at least five meters in thickness.

Peng!

In the midst of cras.h.i.+ng sounds as the rock crumbled into ash, Lin Mu Yu opened a hand, releasing gourd wall to protect Tang Xiao Xi and him. A wave of stormy offense washed over the entire courtyard, ravaging the ground until the bodyguards outside felt compelled to knock on the door. “Princess, there is a lot of commotion from within. Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine, don’t come in!” Tang Xiao Xi said.

“Yes, Princess.”

……

“Using fire to wield the sword,” Lin Mu Yu said, striving to calm himself down. “The fire is an energy source. In addition to the piercing ability of helix force, one attack has the power to pa.s.s through anything with the force that is far beyond what I have shown you so far. The weakness is just like Destroying Gale, the time to ama.s.s energy for it takes too long. They say that the transformative power of battle energy is much faster . Maybe when I reach Heaven Realm and understand how to harness battle energy I will be able to improve it. Xiao Xi, what do you think of this move? What should I name it?”

Tang Xiao Xi looked at him uneasily, her face a shade of red from being so close to raging fire. “I thought I heard the howling of a dragon a while ago. Mu Mu, how can your technique have dragonforce? Is this… the skill you refined from the true dragonbone I gave you last time?”

“Yes, Xiao Xi! How’d you guess, you’re so smart!”

“I see. Then call it Destructive Dragonfire Helix. This move is really beautiful to watch!”

“Yeah.”

Lin Mu Yu stood with a straight proud back in the middle of the courtyard. The Sword Master had, after all, pa.s.sed onto him the knowledge of the sword heart and swordsmans.h.i.+p. While hea had learned from the master’s instructions, the student’s own revelations shown by these four sword techniques were far beyond the master’s capabilities, or to put it in another way, he already had the makings of a great master.

In one corner, Tang Xiao Xi sat with a dejected expression on her face.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

Tang Xiao Xi  raised her head staring at him with the sparkling eyes. “Back in Silverfir City,  you were so weak and you needed my protection, but now that we're in Lanyan City, Mu Mu has far surpa.s.sed me. My abilities suck compared to yours.”

“No worries, now I can protect you.” Lin Mu Yu flashed her a winning smile.

Tang Xiao Xi’s heart fluttered,   nodding her head joyfully.  but then she remembered to restrain her expressions and pouted. “Mu Mu, are you about to reach Heave Realm?”

“As of now I'm a level 59 Battle Saint, it's close but not quite. I was never able to break through” He shook his head. “I probably need another opportunity I was looking forward to a day to go to the driving force to train a bit and if I'm lucky enough to meet a suitable beast spirit then maybe it can help me break into Heaven Realm.”

“Oh, oh!  I want to go with you! Also don't forget our arrangement: the upper Sunset Festival 3 days later,  this is an invitation--you have to come!”

“Okay!”

After seeing Tang Xiao Xi to the door, Lin Mu Yu let out a silent breath of relief. Tang Xiao Xi  was friendly and easy to get along with extremely smart and cute. She was obviously a good girl, but their positions in life were too far apart. Most importantly, he was a wanted man. He had a deep feeling of inadequacy as if he were the toad trying to get a  bite of swan. He didn't want to be known as someone who leeched off someone. Whatever position he had in this world he wanted it to be created by himself.”

(TL: toad trying to eat swan meat is a chinese proverb meaning aiming at the impossible without taking your own position into consideration)

He pushed these thoughts away from his head and went to refine new swords in accordance with his promise to the swordmaster.

After all the Sword Master was a businessman first swordsman second, he would never take a loss like that.

……

In the middle of the night, with the stars s.h.i.+ning brightly.

The lamps by the military camp were burning tirelessly. Generals flew past, ten or so of them headed off to different directions to patrol their respective areas.

In the center of the camp, Feng Ji Xing held the oil lamp in one hand,  end of bamboo scroll in the other. At the bottom of the page written in bold strokes with four characters: “Seven Scrolls of Victor”. This was from Da Qin Empire’s outstanding founding minister 開國功臣, with the legendary t.i.tle of Military G.o.d bestowed upon him. Every military man worth his salt would study the Seven Scrolls of Victory but few actually truly learned the secrets beneath the words.

Sha, sha...

The tent flap opened,  and someone came in cupping his fist to his hand. “Honored Commander,  the people from the military police are here.”

“Military police?” Feng Ji Xing glanced up. The light of the flickering flame danced around, showing his handsome face in the glow of attractive light. “Why would the military police people come here? Who brought them?”

“It's the military police Commander, Xiang Yu.”

“Xiang Yu?”

Feng Ji Xing knit his eyebrows together. He stood up and straightened his armor. “Come, let us go to receive him.”

“Yes sir!”

From outside, Xiang Yu, followed by ten or more soldiers walked towards him. He cupped a fist even from afar. “Elder Brother Feng, long time no see! You are still as devastatingly handsome as ever.”

Feng Ji Xing smiled, cupping his fist in return. “Feng Ji Xing welcomes Honored Xiang Yu!”

Xiang Yu laughed. “We are both in service as commanders in the Empire, no need for such niceties!”

Even so, Feng Ji Xing bowed a military bow. Albeit only having 2000 men under his command, the man was still the most powerful among the military in the Empire. Someone with even thirty thousand imperial men under his command had to show respect to Xiang Yu!

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Feng Ji Xing asked.

Xiang Yu gave a dismissive laugh. “Nothing much. Let’s go inside first.”

“Yes, sir.”

Inside the tent, Xiang Yu nonchalantly sat his a.s.s on the seat of the Commander. Several higher-ranked Imperial guards instinctively shot him looks of fury. Luo Lie already had his hand on his sword hilt. Feng Ji Xing shot them a restricting look. Xiang Yu was arrogant, but he had the power to be so.

Xiang Yu pressed down on the table, looking at the Seven Scrolls of Victory by the oil lamp, and burst out laughing. “Commander Feng is currently studying my ancestor’s military strategies?”

“Indeed,” Feng Ji Xing said. “However, I can only understand one or two of them. I don’t have the adequate intelligence to fully understand the essentials of the Military G.o.d.”

“Commander Feng is too humble.”

Xiang Yu smirked before getting to the reason of his visit. “Cathaya City’s City Guard Hua Tian being killed… I’m sure Commander Feng has heard of this news?”

“Yes.”

“It seems that the culprit Lin Mu Yu has been able to infiltrate Lan Yan City.”

“Oh? What does Your Honor intend to do?”

Xiang Yu waved his hand. “We at the military police camp do not have adequate people. There is no way we can blanket search the entire city, so I’ve come specially to request Commander Feng’s help with this matter. With an impressive thirty thousand guards, it’ll be enough to flip over the entire Empire to search for Lin Mu Yu.”

Feng Ji Xing’s heart skipped a beat. He cupped his fist. “Your Honor, please forgive me, but I do not have this ability.”

“Why so?”

“Lan Yan is the Empire, the city of the true dragon. To search the entire city for Lin Mu Yu would require the express permission of the Emperor, otherwise, I am truly sorry to report that this would be against the law. The duty of the Imperial guards is to protect the safety of the Emperor’s city, not to catch criminals.”

Feng Ji Xing’s words were rational and firm, without a trace or indication of letting Xiang Yu have his way.

Xiang Yu slowly stood up, shooting daggers at him. “Lead Commander Feng reminded me. I have to go to Ze Tian Palace to see His Highness first before I can search for vile criminals.”

Feng Ji Xing gave a polite smile. “Yes, Your Honor. I’m sorry to say your visit has been for naught.”

Xiang Yu’s expression was extremely sour. He walked down from the commander platform, stepped across the light blue carpet of the tent. He fixed an icy gaze on Feng Ji Xing. “How has my visit been for naught? I’ve heard that the Commander Feng has been studying the legendary Wind Sword from my ancestor Xiang Wen Tian for many years. You can even be rightfully called the Empire’s strongest wielder of the Wind Sword technique. I’m free today, as luck would have it. Perhaps you could show me?”

Feng Ji Xing looked uneasy. “I dare not get violent with Your Honor.”

“No matter, this is just swapping pointers!”

Xiang Yu raised an arm. Keng- he unsheathed a long battle sword from the waist of his subordinate. “I am not familiar with swords, I shall use my subordinate’s. Hopefully, the Commander has no problems with this?”

Feng Ji Xing gave an internal sigh laced with anxiety. He received a battle sword from his subordinate, cupping his fist. “Your Honor, let us not overdo this.”

“All right.”

……

Battle energy slowly warmed, Xiang Yu’s battle robe flew out from behind him. His sword was glowing brightly. He was in the second level of the Heaven Realm. Naturally, he was much stronger than this Feng Ji Xing, who was only on the first level. The sword began to tremble and already initiated a strong offensive power, freezing the air around it before breaking the molecules in the atmosphere. He brought down his sword five times in quick succession, his entire body wrapped in flames that were burning brightly. The first-rank martial spirit fire tiger had been released. This was the Military G.o.d Xiang Wen Tian’s legendary martial spirit, the battle energy was vast and mighty!

Dang, dang, dang!

Feng Ji Xing continued blocking for several motions. Then he swung his foot from below as a counterattack.

Xiang Yu twisted his body to avoid the attack, his body in mid-air, his fighting spirit, the fire tiger, had its claws entwined with the battle sword as one, a large forceful motion brought the blade close to Feng Ji Xing’s neck.

Feng Ji Xing’s close-combat skills were outstanding. His sword handle grazed the ground as he used the momentum to slide smoothly for half a meter. His boots radiated with battle energy as it rocketed to the air.

Peng!

With a loud clang, Xiang Yu’s fist landed on Feng Ji Xing’s boot. Battle energy flared up creating a shockwave that caused the surrounding soldiers to draw back a few steps.

Feng Ji Xing looked up towards the sky, his entire body glowing with a purple battle energy. His second-rank fighting spirit, the purple electric flame wolf had already been released, his eyes glintend with the hard determination of someone unwilling to give up.

“Again!”

Xiang Yu was suspended in the air for a few moments, once more raising the sword in an attempt to strike him down. This was the same technique of Wind Sword.

Dang, dang, dang!

It was yet again another series of clashes. Feng Ji Xing seemed to be forced to take steps back continually. Suddenly, an ice cold presence appeared by his neck, and behind him was a large pillar. There was no way out.

Xiang Yu’s sword was within millimeters of Feng Ji xing’s neck, his face gleaming with proud arrogance. “Looks like Commander Feng’s Wind Sword technique hasn’t reached its peak yet!”

Saying so, he retrieved his sword. “Since the Imperial guards are unwilling to mobilize in search of Lin Mu Yu, we, the military police, will have to take care of it.”

……

Watching Xiang Yu’s figure retreating into the distance, Feng Ji Xing breathed out the long and relieved sigh he had been holding in for quite a while.

On one side, Luo Lie said, “Lead Commander, with your sword skills, it seems impossible that clumsy shot by Xiang Yu could win over you!”

Feng Ji Xing’s expression was conflicted. He slowly shook his head. “A loss is a loss… there is no need for more words. Xiang Yu… he is someone we cannot afford to offend. Now that Xiang Yu has begun partic.i.p.ating in this matter, Ah Yu is in more and more danger. Quickly now, send a feather letter to Cathaya City, have the officials work faster, else there will be no way to return innocence to Ah Yu’s name.”

“Yes, sir!”