Chapter 780: Meeting an Acquaintance Again
"Sacred Mark!"
Murmuring softly, Lin Feng's eyes were as sharp as swords. The patterns carved could communicate with the power of heaven and earth, borrowing the essence of the sun and moon. This kind of power was too formidable. If he could master the power of these Sacred Marks, he believed he could even kill Heavenly Martial Realm experts.
Heavenly Martial Realm experts, relying on their own realm and their transformed willpower, possessed incredibly powerful attacks. However, in the face of these Sacred Marks, they seemed insignificant. Simply covering the Sacred Mark with true essence could trigger terrifying attacks, let alone fully mastering the method of carving Sacred Marks.
"Can those with truly powerful divine abilities carve Sacred Marks in an instant, condensing terrifying attack power or other means?" Lin Feng seemed to think of something and murmured to himself.
"It must be so. Those great cultivators, after fully mastering and comprehending the Sacred Marks, can carve them instantly, using them like martial skills to unleash terrifying attacks."
The others agreed with Lin Feng's words. If Sacred Marks couldn't be carved instantly, what use would they be?
"I want to stay here." Lin Feng looked at the three of them, his expression serious. "I don't know what lies ahead, but these eighty-one patterns all contain powerful Sword Dao Essence, eventually evolving into Sacred Marks. If I can comprehend even a fraction of them, my attack power will be greatly enhanced. Since I found this place first, it's fate. You can continue forward and search for other treasures."
These patterns were carved on the stone wall and couldn't be moved. If they were tampered with, they would probably lose this sword rhythm. Several times in the past, powerful cultivators had reached this place but hadn't destroyed the stone wall. Many couldn't bear to, preferring to fight and leave behind piles of bones instead.
The three of them exchanged glances, then Jun Moxi nodded: "A powerful cultivator who could carve Sacred Marks was slapped to death here. This shows how terrifying the person who killed him was. In this secret realm, there should be many such places. Lin Feng cultivates the sword and has found what suits him. We'll continue on."
"Alright. But Lin Feng, this secret realm is vast and mysterious. Perhaps this is just a drop in the ocean. Don't be too greedy. When it's time to leave, decisively go." Yun Feiyang advised Lin Feng. With Lin Feng's powerful combat strength, he had few rivals below the Heavenly Martial Realm. If he only indulged here, Yun Feiyang felt it would be a waste.
"I understand." Lin Feng nodded. He knew that continuing forward might yield other treasures, but this stone wall was right in front of him, a tangible thing that suited him perfectly. Of course, he had to comprehend it. Weighing gains and losses, having died once, he knew what to do.
"Others will arrive soon. I'll protect you." Tang Youyou didn't plan to leave. She was worried that if Lin Feng entered cultivation and became completely immersed, unable to extricate himself, he might be ambushed by malicious people.
"No need, Youyou. You should understand that at our level, unless we enter a special state, any wind or grass movement can be easily detected." Lin Feng shook his head.
"What if you enter a peculiar state and can't extricate yourself?" Tang Youyou asked, leaving Lin Feng momentarily stunned. The probability was small, but he had to admit it might happen.
"The patterns carved on this stone wall contain willpower and even essence power. Although I'm not a sword cultivator, I can still gain something from them while protecting you. That's not bad." Tang Youyou continued.
"Youyou is right. If you're interrupted at a critical moment, it would be bad for your cultivation." Jun Moxi nodded slightly at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng smiled wryly: "Alright then, Youyou, you stay. Moxi, Feiyang, go quickly. Others will probably catch up soon."
"Mm, be careful." Jun Moxi and Yun Feiyang instructed, then stepped forward and left together. Tang Youyou stayed behind.
"Youyou, cultivate with me. Entering a peculiar state isn't that easy." Lin Feng smiled, then looked at the stone wall. Starting from the first pattern carved on it, his eyes stared intently at the pattern, focusing his mind.
The first pattern was just a single stroke, a stroke from top to bottom, like a sharp sword, as if about to pierce through the clouds. When Lin Feng immersed himself in it, the single stroke seemed to move. Lin Feng could feel every point of light on the pattern moving, as if they were all swords, combining into a heaven-piercing sword. The sharp sword power stung his consciousness.
Only by looking with the heart could one feel the terrifying artistic conception of this pattern. Eighty-one patterns in total, and just the first one immersed Lin Feng so deeply he couldn't extricate himself.
"Sword, composed of countless changes. Each change is like a sharp sword, extremely powerful, combining into the final stroke, a single sword. A pure sword, a simple sword, but a sword of annihilation with terrifying power. Isn't this exactly the first form of the Return to One Sword Art, Ten Thousand Swords Return to One?"
Lin Feng's heart trembled. The Dao contained in this first pattern seemed to be the Sword Dao Will of the first form of the Heaven-grade mid-rank martial skill, Ten Thousand Swords Return to One. Countless swords as the axis, ultimately fusing into one sword, a simple sword that annihilates everything, with unparalleled power.
"This is just the first sword." Lin Feng's heart was shocked. His mind was completely immersed, visualizing and comprehending the patterns one by one. The first sword contained the Dao of Ten Thousand Swords Return to One, the fusion of ten thousand swords into one. The subsequent nine patterns used this as the axis but evolved other complex changes. For example, by the ninth pattern, countless sword elements converged, as if returning to one to form a single sword, yet also able to transform into two swords, three swords, or even countless swords, moving with the heart and will, terrifyingly powerful.
A day passed. Tang Youyou sat outside. Occasionally, people passed by in the distant void. Many were already heading this way. Clearly, the crowd was gradually discovering where the central area was.
Although this palace was powerful, with sword qi seeming to pierce the clouds, those who didn't cultivate the sword weren't very interested. They preferred to continue forward to find treasures, so they didn't stop here.
Until two figures carrying ancient swords passed overhead and their gazes froze. As if sensing the powerful sword intent below, their bodies instantly descended, landing outside the palace.
"It's you." One of them froze upon seeing Tang Youyou. This person carried a long sword, exuding sword qi, with an impressive appearance. However, his flaw was his arm—one was broken. A one-armed sword cultivator.
"Ling Xiao." Tang Youyou's eyes paused. This person was none other than the sword cultivator Ling Xiao, whose arm had been severed by Lin Feng's powerful Sword Dao Will on the stage of the Snow Domain Grand Competition. Later, Ling Xiao chose to join the Nine Heavens Sword Sect.
In the past, Ling Xiao was full of sword qi, arrogant and proud. On the stage of the Snow Domain Grand Competition, he wanted to defeat others with shocking means to demonstrate his strength and excellence, confessing to his junior sister Yu Xiaoxiao. The first person he chose to establish his authority was Tang Youyou, injuring her.
Lin Feng, enraged, stood up for Tang Youyou and severed Ling Xiao's arm. So now, seeing Ling Xiao again, although he still exuded sword qi, he no longer had that arrogant, world-disdaining pride. He seemed ordinary, just a common sword cultivator. Having suffered setbacks, he knew there was always a sky beyond the sky. After joining the Nine Heavens Sword Sect, he went into seclusion and trained desperately, even fighting Heavenly Martial Realm experts, all to become stronger, endlessly stronger. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have the courage to marry his junior sister.
Ling Xiao's madness paid off. Immersed single-mindedly in Sword Dao Will, he was undistracted and had obtained a Heaven-grade technique. His progress in Sword Dao Will shocked even the Nine Heavens Sword Sect, reaching the fifth level of willpower.
"Junior brother, do you know her?" The person beside Ling Xiao asked curiously.
"Of course I do. This broken arm of mine was also thanks to her." Ling Xiao said coldly, causing the other person's eyes to freeze. Could this beautiful woman be so powerful that she could even sever Ling Xiao's arm?
"If you don't want to lose your other arm, I suggest you get lost." Tang Youyou said coldly, making Ling Xiao's eyes freeze, a cold gleam flashing. "Ridiculous. In the past, you weren't my match. If it weren't for Lin Feng standing up for you, how could my arm have been severed? Since Lin Feng isn't here, I'll test my sword on you first."
As he spoke, a terrifying Sword Dao Will surged toward Tang Youyou, making her expression freeze. Sword Dao Will, fifth level. This Ling Xiao had improved so fast. She was no match.
However, Tang Youyou's expression instantly returned to normal. She sneered, "Compared to the past, you have indeed improved. But you've experienced Lin Feng's strength before. Now that you've improved, do you think he has stagnated? Even if he hasn't improved, he can still sever your other arm."
Tang Youyou sneered, then stepped aside, pointing behind her and said, "Look who's there."