Chapter 1533: Cultivating Sword Eight
"Rule Emperor Artifact, leave the body."
From Zhang Ruochen's brow, the Time-Space Divine Martial Mark emerged, forming strange patterns and radiating a dazzling light. A mass of cyan Purifying Divine Flame flew out from between his brows.
At the center of the flame, a golden palace hovered, surrounded by thirty-six pillars. The palace's structure was exquisitely crafted, imbued with Dao resonance, and exuded an extremely terrifying Great Saint aura.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen had already refined the Rule Emperor Artifact with Purifying Divine Flame, so the Great Saint aura was somewhat softened and did not deliberately target him. Otherwise, if that aura were allowed to run rampant, Zhang Ruochen certainly would not have been able to handle it as easily as he did now.
"So this is a Rule Emperor Artifact, something that even Great Saint-level beings would covet, formed by the condensation of hundreds of millions of Sacred Dao Rules."
Zhang Ruochen's mind was slightly stirred. He cupped his hands in the air, holding the golden palace, and released his spiritual power to examine it closely.
The next moment, a smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Old Ancestor Wujin indeed dabbled in the Sword Dao, but his mastery doesn't seem particularly profound. Among the rules in this Rule Emperor Artifact, there are only a total of one hundred and twenty thousand Sword Dao Rules."
Even a Great Saint-level being, merely dabbling in a single Sacred Dao, would reach a height far beyond what a Supreme Saint could compare to.
Zhang Ruochen's body contained only one Sword Dao Rule, while Old Ancestor Wujin's Rule Emperor Artifact held one hundred and twenty thousand Sword Dao Rules.
Such was the gap between a Supreme Saint and a Great Saint.
Old Ancestor Wujin's primary cultivation was the Blazing Flame Dao, with over ten billion rules, forming the main Sacred Dao Rules that constituted the golden palace.
"My current Sacred Dao cultivation, compared to a Great Saint, is like the difference between a firefly and the blazing sun." Zhang Ruochen let out a soft sigh.
When he returned to the Yuanxu Peak Holy Land, he had received invitations from Great Saints like Nine Spirits Great Saint and Annihilation Emperor. In truth, Zhang Ruochen had felt a certain pride deep inside, having become a guest of honor among Great Saints.
But after carefully examining Old Ancestor Wujin's Rule Emperor Artifact, Zhang Ruochen gained a deeper understanding of Great Saints. A sense of awe arose in his heart, and he clearly recognized his own insignificance.
"The reason those Great Saints invited me to their banquets was mainly because I helped the Guanghan Realm win the Sacred Merit Battle, preventing the Guanghan Realm from falling into war. Perhaps there was also some recognition of my talent and potential."
"But what they recognized was definitely not my strength."
"Purely in terms of power, I am far from being on equal footing with a Great Saint. I must continue to cultivate diligently."
Zhang Ruochen re-evaluated himself, calming his heart completely. Then, he released his spiritual power and began to comprehend the first Sword Dao Rule on the Rule Emperor Artifact.
Even with a Rule Emperor Artifact, one must first comprehend the Sacred Dao Rules within it.
Only by fully understanding the Sacred Dao Rules could they be transformed into one's own Sacred Dao Rules.
To give an example:
Imagine the Sword Dao Rules in the Rule Emperor Artifact as one hundred and twenty thousand characters arranged into a calligraphy copybook. Zhang Ruochen must first select one character, comprehend and learn it, until he can write it using his own method and explain its meaning. Only then does that character belong to Zhang Ruochen.
One Sword Dao Rule is one character.
"By thoroughly studying just three Sword Dao Rules and converting them into the Heavenly River, increasing the Sword Dao Rules in my body to four, I will have reached the Half-Saint King realm."
It sounds simple, but it is actually difficult.
For the next period, Zhang Ruochen completely entered a state of cultivation.
Besides using the Rule Emperor Artifact to comprehend the Sword Dao, he also took out three scrolls to study Sword Eight.
The covers of the three scrolls read:
*Xuanji Sword Saint's Notes on Sword Eight*
*Blood Dust Sword Emperor's Notes on Sword Eight*
*Empress Chi Yao's Notes on Sword Eight*
These represented the understandings of Sword Eight by Xuanji Sword Saint, Sword Emperor Xue Hongchen, and Chi Yao, recording their cultivation insights. Zhang Ruochen had copied these three scrolls from the Sword Pavilion when he was at the Liangyi Sect.
He studied Xuanji Sword Saint because Zhang Ruochen was his disciple, and in the early stages of Sword Dao cultivation, Xuanji Sword Saint had the greatest influence on him.
He studied Xue Hongchen because he was the most talented prodigy in the Sword Dao of the Kunlun Realm after the Middle Ages, reaching the highest level of Sword Dao mastery.
Apart from him, no other sword cultivator had ever been titled "Sword Emperor."
He studied Chi Yao because Zhang Ruochen wanted to defeat her.
Sword Eight represented the eighth realm of the *Wordless Sword Manual*. Different people had different understandings, leading to vastly different paths in the Sword Dao.
Xuanji Sword Saint was heavily influenced by Daoism, believing that Sword Eight represented the eight trigram positions: Qian, Kun, Xun, Zhen, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui, as well as the eight directions of heaven and earth. By using sword techniques to derive the eight trigrams and then using the eight trigrams to condense sword intent, one could ultimately mobilize the power of heaven and earth to form Sword Dao Mysterious Gang. A single sword strike could cleave through a thousand miles of land.
Xue Hongchen, on the other hand, decomposed Sword Eight into eight techniques: Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightning, Star, Moon, Rosy Cloud, and Light, incorporating them into the *Flying Immortal Sword Art*.
He used sword intent to interpret techniques and then used techniques to reverse-engineer sword intent.
Chi Yao's understanding of Sword Eight was based on the six directions: East, South, West, North, Up, and Down, plus the self and the sword in hand, forming the Eight Extremes. When a sword strike was launched, it was like an entire heaven and earth pressing down. The opponent had no way to dodge and could only block head-on; if they couldn't block, they died.
Their Sword Dao was all comprehended from the *Wordless Sword Manual* and the insights left by predecessors, then integrated with their own understanding, eventually becoming their own Sword Eight.
Now, Zhang Ruochen was studying the insights of these three, preparing to comprehend his own Sword Eight.
"Although their understandings of Sword Eight differ, they all divide Sword Eight into six levels. Only by cultivating to the Great Perfection of the sixth level can one condense Sword Dao Mysterious Gang."
Zhang Ruochen had once seen Nine Nether Sword Saint unleash Sword Dao Mysterious Gang. That power was utterly unstoppable, indestructible, and invincible. He had been envious of it ever since.
Even though Zhang Ruochen had defeated Nine Nether Sword Saint, when faced with his Sword Dao Mysterious Gang, he could only evade; he couldn't block it at all.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes, mobilized his Saint Qi, and condensed a human figure in his Qi Sea, beginning to perform sword techniques.
This time, Zhang Ruochen planned to start with the notes of Sword Emperor Xue Hongchen, using the practice of sword techniques to reverse-engineer the sword intent contained in Sword Eight.
...
...
Time flew by. Zhang Ruochen cultivated for another two months in the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal.
"Success! Haha!"
Zhang Ruochen held the Rule Emperor Artifact in both hands, letting out a loud laugh, his mood extremely joyful.
It had taken a full two months, but finally, the Sword Dao Rules in his Qi Sea had increased from one to two.
This step seemed simple, but it was the most difficult. Once crossed, the rest would be much easier.
As long as the number of Sword Dao Rules reached four, the rule seed would have grown roots, taking hold in Zhang Ruochen's Qi Sea. That realm was the Half-Saint King realm.
Zhang Ruochen was clearly not far from the Half-Saint King realm.
"My comprehension of Sword Eight also seems to have made some breakthroughs. If I practice the sword techniques once, there might be new progress."
Zhang Ruochen walked out of the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal, grabbed the Abyssal Ancient Sword, and turned into a streak of light, rushing out of his cave dwelling and flying down to the bottom of a cliff.
By the sacred spring below the cliff grew a patch of colorful exotic flowers and herbs, their fragrance rich. The sacred light radiating from the petals made this area seem somewhat dreamlike.
"Whoosh—"
Zhang Ruochen's toes touched a blade of grass. As he raised his sword, a strong wind force naturally gathered, producing a low humming sound.
"Wind."
According to Sword Emperor Xue Hongchen's understanding, the first technique of Sword Eight was "Wind."
Wind from all directions, using the wind to drive the sword.
Zhang Ruochen lightly shifted his step, and the sword in his hand swung out naturally.
Without activating the inscriptions on the sword body, a sword light flew out from the blade, tracing a long arc, pausing in the air for a breath's time before slowly fading.
"Rain."
The sword technique changed. The entire space became somewhat oppressive. Water vapor directly condensed into countless raindrops, hovering in midair, emitting a crystalline luster.
As the sword technique shifted, those raindrops danced along with it.
"Thunder."
...
Zhang Ruochen fully practiced the eight techniques of "Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightning, Star, Moon, Rosy Cloud, and Light."
The eight techniques he had comprehended naturally differed somewhat from Sword Emperor Xue Hongchen's eight techniques; they were not exactly the same.
After finishing the set of sword techniques, Zhang Ruochen landed on the ground and stamped his feet.
"Whoosh—"
Brilliantly colored petals rose from the flower bushes, forming an eight-trigram seal that surrounded Zhang Ruochen on all sides. After a long while, they slowly drifted back down.
Zhang Ruochen sheathed his long sword and smiled slightly: "Now, I can officially say I've entered the threshold of Sword Eight. This should be the first level."
In just two short months, reaching the first level of Sword Eight was an astonishing speed.
To put it in perspective, Nine Nether Sword Saint had spent over two hundred years to reach the Great Perfection of Sword Eight.
At some point, Xiao Hei's figure appeared behind Zhang Ruochen. His two massive wings wrapped around his body, leaving only a round cat head exposed. He spoke in an old-fashioned tone: "Not bad, your cultivation seems to have improved quite a bit."
"Fight me. I want to test how much my strength has increased." Zhang Ruochen said.
"No rush. This Emperor came to tell you that the Moon God has sent those Half-Saints of the Sacred Bright Central Empire over." Xiao Hei said.
Zhang Ruochen replied: "I still need to continue in seclusion to break through to the Half-Saint King realm. You handle their arrangements. I'll give you a batch of cultivation resources later; make sure to train them in the best way possible."
Zhang Ruochen had cultivated for four months in the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal, which corresponded to one month in the outside world.
"Aren't you going to see them in person? Don't you want to know who led them to the Yuanxu Peak Holy Land?" Xiao Hei blinked his eyes and smiled, deliberately hinting at Zhang Ruochen.
A soft light flickered in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He brushed off the petals from his shoulders and head and said, "Let's go. Take me to see them."