Bu Xuan was taking a break from his meditation that night to get some sleep.
Meditation often replaced sleeping for cultivators, but those in lower realms often slept as a form of comfort.
But his peaceful sleeping didn't last long.
"Open it! Quick!" A whisper outside his window appeared.
"'I'm trying! Oh I got it!" Another person whispered back and then two people hopped into the window.
Two pairs of eyes met with Bu Xuan who was sleeping. In fact, they were also standing on his bed as it was right by the window.
They almost stepped directly on him when they entered!
"Alright let's do this." One of them said to the other and was met with a nod.
As Bu Xuan was snoring, a cloth was soon stuffed into his mouth and he abruptly opened his eyes to two masked individuals wearing all black.
Instantly he attempted to get up and scream for help, but they were keeping him pressed against his bed.
While one of the figures kept the cloth in his mouth, the other began to punch wildly at Bu Xuan's chest and face!
"AHHHHHGGG"! Bu Xuan's muffled screams did not escape far.
His body was riddled in bruises and his ribs began to Crack.
His face was purple, he soon had two black eyes and bumps all around!
As they continued, Bu Xuan erupted with Qi and the cloth was forced out.
"AGHHH SOMEBODY HELP!" He screamed.
"Shoot! Run!" One of the masked individuals said and the two quickly escaped through the window and ran off.
Tears streamed down Bu Xuan's face, he truly was a being of Misfortune.
Lu Changsheng quickly slammed open the door to his room and discovered the injuries.
Lu Changsheng quickly grabbed Bu Xuan's arm and tossed it over his shoulder.
"We've got to get you to the healing pavilion!" He shouted and quickly made his way there.
Upon entry he was placed onto a bed and an alchemist entered the room.
"What exactly happened?" The alchemist asked as he saw the numerous injuries on his body.
He could tell that Bu Xuan did not have an identity plaque, as such he was not a formal disciple yet and should not have met danger so soon.
"I'm not sure, he screamed and I entered his room and he was already like this." Lu Changsheng answered without withholding any details.
"I see. I'd offer him a great healing pill but the budget for it was already used and even wasted by another recruit already! So it's likely he will have to stay in recovery for a few days." The alchemist explained as he reminisced on the scene of Wujin Ji spitting out the pill he had given him.
"Great. He's going to miss out on these precious days of training!" Lu Changsheng shouted and looked at Bu Xuan's battered face with pity.
"A-am I gonna be okay?" Bu Xuan managed to mutter.
"Yes you'll be fine, just heal up and we will continue training after!" Lu Changsheng said and swore that he would find whoever did this.
Then, the morning assembly arrived.
Wujin Ji had already been informed of the events that happened and went down the line, sensing the changes in everyone's dantian.
"Remarkable progress everyone!" He praised.
Su Yan was close to having 70 wisps, Chen Long was at 40, Liuyan Xue had two condensed strands already!
It was worth mentioning that it seemed her limit in condensation was much lower than Wujin Ji's and she could only condense 50 wisps.
As for Lu Changsheng, he was in the peak of Qi Refining and could not breakthrough without an inner sect manual!
"Is Bu Xuan alright?" Liyuan Xue asked with worry.
"Who cares if that fool is okay! He got ambushed that easily? He deserves it!" Chen Long said and rolled his eyes.
"Don't be like that Chen Long! Bu Xuan is important for our team!" Su Yan countered, not caring about Bu Xuan as an individual but the contributions he could make.
"Yes he will be fine. From what Lu Changsheng told me, he will just be in recovery for a few days!" Wujin Ji said and Lu Changsheng nodded with affirmation.
"I plan to visit Bu Xuan. He may be injured and cannot cultivate, but he can still train the foundation of the mind!" Wujin Ji stated, but instead of encouraging the others, this felt odd to them.
You're really focused on foundation to the extent of forcing a recovering person to practice it?
"Now today I will be continuing where we left off in training with intent. This is not to be confused with learning sword intent! But we are focusing on figuring out what our opponent is thinking in combat!" Wujin Ji announced.
"Yeah yeah, we heard this slop yesterday. Let's just get started." Chen Long said and he went and grabbed the training swords.
The disciples all continued where they picked up from yesterday and Wujin Ji made his way down to the Healing Pavilion.
Thankfully he had been here once and already knew the location.
Not long after, he entered Bu Xuan's room.
"Wow. You're more messed up than I thought!" Wujin Ji said as he gazed at the numerous injuries littering Bu Xuan's face and body.
"Yeah. But at least it wasn't anyone important, I'm glad to have been the one who was targeted.." Bu Xuan said, feeling insecure over his constant misfortune.
Wujin Ji frowned.
"Bu Xuan. You are important." Wujin Ji said and Bu Xuan immediately looked at Wujin Ji with surprise.
"..." He didn't say anything but those words echoed in his head. It's all he had to hear.
"Now I don't expect you to cultivate in this state. But you remember how we practiced intent yesterday? I want you to remember the battle yesterday and try to gain something from it." Wujin Ji said, instructing Bu Xuan.
"Okay. I will try." Bu Xuan said and smiled.
Wujin Ji then turned around "Get better soon, we need you!"
Bu Xuan gazed at Wujin Ji's leaving back and then began to ponder over his battle yesterday.
"Left strike. Right feint. Upper slash. Retreat." He muttered, but his focus was not on the sword movements in his head but the intent of it.
Not the intent of the person using the sword, but the actions of the sword.
Where was it going, what movement caused what action, why did it move in the way it did?
He continued to think and replay every movement in his head.
He then remembered the other battles that the other disciples had.
Or at least, he thinks he had. Unknowingly by analyzing the battle had began to simulate them in his head!
Wujin Ji returned to the courtyard and they were all still undergoing duels.
Su Yan was battling Chen Long and was doing so with ease.
Liuyan Xue and Li Chengshang were sparring but neither could get the upper hand.
If Li Chengshang had wanted to help could tap into his realms power and easily overpower her but chose not to, he wanted to polish up his skill.
Wujin Ji nodded at this development.
"It's a bit of a pity we don't have anybody to match Su Yan equally, and Chen Long's skill is surprisingly low.." Wujin Ji thought and then decided he would do what Li Chengshang initially intended.
"Alright everyone, charge at me!" Wujin Ji's voice rang through the courtyard. He swung his training sword in a wide arc, the movement casual yet deliberate, as if daring the disciples to make a mistake.
Without hesitation, Su Yan leapt forward, her sword slicing through the air with precision. Chen Long followed with a clumsy but forceful thrust, while Liuyan Xue moved with cautious, careful strikes. Even Lu Changsheng, usually reserved, advanced with controlled, rhythmic motions.
From the Healing Pavilion, Bu Xuan's eyes traced every movement in his mind. He replayed each duel he had witnessed and mentally aligned them with the strikes coming from the disciples.
Left strike… right feint… upper slash… retreat…
He noticed the patterns. Su Yan's attacks were always aimed to probe an opening first, Chen Long's forceful swings betrayed impatience, and Liuyan Xue's motions hesitated slightly at each guard. Even Lu Changsheng's measured pace hinted at anticipation, not reaction.
"Focus on the intent, not the sword," Bu Xuan whispered to himself. The sword is only a messenger; the mind behind it dictates the path.
Back in the courtyard, Wujin Ji darted and pivoted, his movements flowing like water yet punctuated by sudden, sharp strikes. He attacked Su Yan, parried Chen Long, and sidestepped Liuyan Xue's swings simultaneously. Every parry and thrust seemed random, but Bu Xuan's mind picked up on subtle clues: weight shifts, the flex of a wrist, the angle of a foot.
It's all connected… the sword's path reflects the mind's expectation, the tension in their muscles… the hesitation in their eyes.
Chen Long lunged, aiming directly at Wujin Ji's midsection. The master side-stepped and lightly tapped Chen Long's shoulder with the flat of his sword. Chen Long stumbled, angry but unhurt. Su Yan tried to strike the same moment, but Wujin Ji shifted, forcing her to readjust mid-air.
Bu Xuan felt his heart race—not from fear, but anticipation. Every dodge, thrust, and feint in the courtyard synced with a memory in his head. He mentally traced the arc of each strike, imagining himself moving as if he were holding a sword.
Wait… they're not just moving individually… their attacks form a pattern. It's like… like a conversation. Each swing, each step, is responding to the last, predicting the next…
Suddenly, Wujin Ji leapt backward, landing in the center of the courtyard and spinning his sword around to block simultaneous attacks from Su Yan and Liuyan Xue. Chen Long hesitated mid-lunge. Every disciple froze for a split second, as if sensing the climax of the skirmish.
Bu Xuan's mind raced. He saw it now—the interplay. The strikes weren't isolated; they weren't chaotic. They were reactions, counter-reactions, anticipations, and feints all woven into a single, living rhythm.
So that's it… combat is not just action, it's dialogue. Intent flows between them, connecting every movement. If I can read the conversation, maybe I can predict the next line…
He leaned back slightly on the bed, gripping the edge as if holding a sword himself. A surge of clarity hit him—not full mastery, not sword intent—but something deeper: an understanding that battle was more than physical motion. It was reading, responding, and anticipating—the mind and spirit dancing with each strike.
In the courtyard, Wujin Ji landed a final parry and twirled away, a wide grin on his face. "Excellent! Each of you is improving, but you are still too obvious in thought. Remember, the mind guides the sword, not the other way around!"
The disciples panted, wiped sweat from their brows, and exchanged glances. Chen Long's frustration simmered, Su Yan's eyes glimmered with satisfaction, and Liuyan Xue looked thoughtful, as if she had glimpsed a hidden layer to combat.
And from the pavilion, Bu Xuan sat quietly, his bruised body still, yet his mind alight with a new perspective.
Wujin Ji ended the training shortly after.
But instead of meditating once he got into his room, he collapsed, exhausted.
"I only managed to keep up by pushing my body to the limit!" He gasped for breath and soon fell unconscious.
Surprisingly Wujin Ji seemed to be a prodigy of the sword. It was as if he could understand what others couldn't.