novelraw Chapter 17 : Innate Sword Bones（1 / 2）
Chapter 17 : Innate Sword Bones（1 / 2）
Chapter 17: Innate Sword Bones
“Bang bang bang…”
As the sky darkened, countless fireworks and firecrackers sounded throughout Qingzhou City.
Blossoms of flame exploded in the air.
Specks of firelight, like dancing stars, formed various shapes of flowers, turning the entire sky into a dazzling, enchanting display.
“Reunion Festival!”
Li Yunqing stood atop the pavilion, gazing at the riot of colors in the night sky, remaining silent for a long time.
After a while, she returned to the small courtyard, took out the pills given by her father and elder brother, and swallowed one of each.
The Water Condensation Pill nourished the body and subtly improved one’s constitution.
The Blood Condensation Pill allowed faster condensation of blood qi, enhancing physical strength.
Both were exactly what she needed.
Clearly, her father and elder brother had put thought into this.
She recalled how her elder brother would bring her favorite Horseshoe Cake and various snacks every time he returned from going out.
She also thought of how, having never met her mother, it had always been her father who accompanied and cared for her, granting her every request.
To be born into such a family was truly a great fortune.
To contribute something for this family—how could she possibly feel resentment?
“An outing to the mountains after the festival?”
“I haven’t gone out much. It might be worth taking a look—and I can return the money for the Blood Qi Pills as well.”
The contents of the invitation flashed through her mind, only to be cast aside as she began practicing the Mingyu Fist.
The Thirty-Six Forms of the Mingyu Fist had grown increasingly proficient. Every movement flowed naturally, yet retained its strength.
Only when the moon was bright and the stars sparse did Li Yunqing finally stop.
“Mingyu Fist experience +10”
“These past three days, I’ve been focused on medical and poison alchemy—the Mingyu Fist has fallen a bit behind.”
“But with these pills, I should be able to reach mastery quickly.”
Feeling a newly formed mass of blood qi in her body, like a flame, Li Yunqing willed it to move. The blood qi suddenly split into four streams, rapidly merging into her limbs.
In that instant, she felt her entire body filled with strength.
With a light tap of her toes, her body leapt upward, her clothes fluttering loudly as she rose more than two meters high.
Her right hand clenched into a fist and struck fiercely, producing a whistling sound in the air.
Though she had never formally tested her strength, the power in her body was already considerable.
If she faced her former self, she could likely pin her down with one hand, leaving no room for resistance.
“This punch should be around two hundred kilograms of force, right?” Li Yunqing murmured.
Though women were naturally weaker, combined with her 360-degree, blind-spot-free spiritual perception granting her reactions—
purely relying on martial strength, she might not fear anyone below a ranked martial artist.
Unfortunately, the range of her spiritual control over the Ghost Gate Needles was too small—only within a radius of about one zhang.
Otherwise, relying on the Ghost Gate Needles, she wouldn’t fear even ranked martial artists or those at peak Initial Realm.
“Once the fist art reaches Major Mastery, I can begin tempering my skin and flesh. At that point, I’ll be a Lower Tier of the Initial Realm martial artist.”
“By that calculation, there’s still a lot of room for improvement in strength.”
“At most ten days—it should be enough.”
After practicing the Mingyu Fist a few more times, gaining 20 experience and exhausting the medicinal power within her body, Li Yunqing finally returned indoors to bathe and freshen up.
Night enveloped the land.
Within Ziyun Pavilion, however, faint sounds of air being cut echoed.
It was the sound produced by extreme speed slicing through the air.
“Frost Sword Art experience +20.”
A line of text flashed before Li Yunqing’s eyes. She did not stop, forming hand seals once more.
The next moment, the faint sound of cutting air rang out again.
The brush, controlled by her spiritual force, was like a sharp blade, darting rapidly within a radius of one zhang around her.
Like a streak of black lightning, it left behind trails of afterimages.
Only after a full quarter of an hour did the brush fall to the ground.
“Frost Sword Art experience +20.”
“The stronger the spirit, the more experience gained.”
Her powerful spirit allowed longer control, enabling her to perform various sword techniques with agility and speed. The longer the practice, the more experience she gained.
“It seems that tonight, the sword art can indeed reach the level of mastery.”
Li Yunqing did not pause for even a moment. As she practiced the sword art, her spirit grew stronger, more resilient, more flexible—like steel tempered a hundred times.
As dawn approached, another line of text appeared before her.
“Frost Sword Art experience +33.”
“Frost Sword Art (Mastery 0 / 3000)”
“Frost Sword Art has reached Mastery. Trait derived: Innate Sword Bones.”
“Trait!”
Li Yunqing’s face lit up with joy.
But the next moment, she felt a chilling, iron-like yet razor-sharp aura pour down from the top of her head.
It flowed rapidly through every bone in her body.
“Hiss…”
Li Yunqing gasped sharply, her hands clenching tightly. Her entire body trembled slightly, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
It hurt too much.
It felt like thorn-covered vines violently lashing inside her bones.
This sensation lasted for the time it took to drink a cup of tea before the sharp aura gradually merged into all her bones.
What followed was an itch—an itch that penetrated deep into her marrow.
It was an itch she could not reach, creating an urge to tear apart her flesh and shatter her bones.
At this moment, even Li Yunqing could not endure it. She rolled on the couch, her entire body writhing.
Her hands tore at her clothes and scratched her skin.
In just a short time, faint red marks appeared all over her body.
Another tea’s time passed before the itching receded like a tide.
Li Yunqing breathed heavily, her entire body weak as she collapsed onto the couch.
But at this moment, she faintly felt that from within her bones, there seemed to be the sound of a sword’s hum.
As if her entire body had become a sharp sword.
“What a strange feeling!”
Li Yunqing silently sensed it, lowering her head to glance at her disheveled clothes and messy bed.
“If someone saw this without knowing, they’d probably think something had happened…”
She quickly got up, tidied the bed, and straightened her clothes.
Looking at the red marks on her skin, she silently mobilized the newly formed blood qi in her body to nourish herself.
When she began practicing the Frost Sword Art again, she found it far easier than before, as if it had been tailor-made for her.
Some sword moves were understood the moment she performed them.
Even the speed at which she controlled the brush as a sword increased further.
“Frost Sword Art experience +30.”
“Frost Sword Art (Mastery 30 / 3000)”
“So this is Innate Sword Bones?”
Feeling the speed of her cultivation, Li Yunqing was slightly shocked.
At this rate, it might only take a few nights for the Frost Sword Art to reach Major Mastery.
“And sword intent!”
With a thought, strands of cold brilliance flowed out from her bones, quickly gathering at her fingertip into a sharp edge.
Like frost and snow, it carried intense cold, less than an inch long.
It was as if a small sword made of ice had formed at her fingertip.
Thoughtfully, she pressed her fingertip against the couch beneath her.
“Chi…”
The moment the faint sound rang out, a hole was directly pierced through the redwood of the couch.
Around the hole, it was extremely cold, with faint white traces like frost.
“If this finger struck someone’s head, wouldn’t it pierce the skull?”
“Unfortunately, it’s less than an inch long—most likely not enough to kill.”
Shaking her head, she dispersed the sword intent and slowly closed her eyes.
The next moment, a phantom figure rose from the top of her head, passed through the roof, and entered the night sky.
“There’s still some time.”
Sensing the approaching danger from the eastern sky, her Yin Spirit swiftly moved away.
Only after traveling more than five hundred meters did her connection to her physical body become faint, on the verge of breaking.
“The Yin Spirit can only leave the body for about five hundred meters—slightly better than last night.”
“If the Yin Spirit could roam freely across Qingzhou City, wouldn’t the entire city hold no secrets from me?”
“And even… I could use the Yin Spirit to wield a sword.”