Chapter 684: Ten Layers of Great Perfection
If Zhang Ruochen had heard the middle-aged Daoist's address to the burly man, he would have been quite shocked.
Tianjiao?
Could it be... that this burly, tiger-backed, bear-waisted man before him was the foremost of the Four Beauties of the Liangyi Sect, Gai Tianjiao?
Where could one see that she was a beauty?
No.
One simply couldn't tell that she was a woman at all.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen's spirit was completely immersed in his sword technique, entering a state of self-forgetfulness where he and the world were one. Thus, he was completely unaware of the middle-aged Daoist's arrival.
Gai Tianjiao clasped her hands and bowed to the middle-aged Daoist. Then, her gaze once again fixed on Zhang Ruochen, who was practicing his swordplay.
A look of appreciation appeared in her eyes. "Senior Brother Zhou, this person is named Lin Yue, a disciple of the Longevity Institute. His comprehension and perseverance are the finest I have seen in my life."
"On the eve of the Sword Discussion Assembly, for the sect to produce such an outstanding sword prodigy is truly a great fortune."
The middle-aged Daoist was named Zhou Ping, the seventh disciple of one of the three Sword Saints of the Eastern Domain, the "Burial Moon Sword Saint." Naturally, he was also Gai Tianjiao's senior brother, as Gai Tianjiao was the ninth direct disciple of the Burial Moon Sword Saint.
Zhou Ping carefully observed the sword technique Zhang Ruochen was executing. His deep eyes revealed an unusual brilliance. "He is indeed a very promising sword cultivator seedling. He should have already reached the high-level realm of Sword Heart Illumination. If only he had appeared three years earlier..."
"His appearance is indeed a bit late. With less than half a year until the Sword Discussion Assembly, even if we exhaust all efforts to train him, we can probably only help him reach the Ten Layers of Great Perfection of Sword One. Compared to the sword masters meticulously cultivated by the Taiji Dao Main Altar, the Four Symbols Sect, and the Eight Trigrams Sect, there is still a considerable gap."
A trace of worry appeared in Gai Tianjiao's eyes.
Zhou Ping let out a soft sigh, tapping his purple clay teapot with his fingers. A sharp light flickered in his eyes. "Do our best, that's all. If we can keep the Sword Pavilion, that would be best. If we cannot, we will take it back in a hundred years."
Although Zhou Ping spoke very calmly, Gai Tianjiao could hear the deep reluctance in his voice.
It wasn't just Zhou Ping; all the sword cultivators of the Liangyi Sect would probably be unwilling to accept it.
The Sword Pavilion was originally located at the main altar of the Taiji Dao. Five hundred years ago, the outstanding figures of the Liangyi Sect's previous generation had gone all out in the Sword Discussion Assembly, overpowering the main altar, the Four Symbols Sect, and the Eight Trigrams Sect to win the ownership of the Sword Pavilion.
If the Sword Pavilion were lost in their generation, how could they face the generations of heroes from the sect's history?
Suddenly, a soft exclamation of surprise escaped Zhou Ping's lips. His gaze towards Zhang Ruochen became much more intense. "This kid's sword intent is growing stronger and stronger! Even with the assistance of the Sacred Spring, sword intent shouldn't be able to increase this quickly."
Gai Tianjiao also sensed it, and a bold guess formed in her mind. "It is said that during the coronation ceremony for the Saint-Transmitted Disciple, he received three Ancestral Sword Intents."
"Could it be that he is using the Ancestral Sword Intents and the power of the Sacred Spring to break through to the Ten Layers of Great Perfection of Sword One?"
"If that's really the case, then..."
Zhou Ping and Gai Tianjiao exchanged a glance, and ecstatic joy appeared on both their faces.
If Lin Yue could cultivate Sword One to the Great Perfection realm right now, it would indeed be a glimmer of hope for the Liangyi Sect.
Zhang Ruochen had already consumed eight gourds of Sacred Spring. The sword intent within him was growing rapidly, at a speed several times faster than normal. Every moment felt like an explosion of sword intent within his body.
Zhang Ruochen consumed the ninth gourd of Sacred Spring. Immediately, his body was completely enveloped in a seven-colored light.
Conversely, the speed at which he executed his sword technique became even slower.
Looking closely, one would notice a strange phenomenon.
Everyone could clearly see each of his sword moves, yet they could never fathom how his next move would change.
In the span of a single breath, Zhang Ruochen only swung his sword once, incredibly slow, making one wonder if such a sword technique could even be considered offensive.
Sometimes, he would stop and stand for a long time, as if in a daze, yet also appearing somewhat lost.
A full day and night passed. Zhang Ruochen's sword technique became even slower, to the point where it took ten breaths to complete a single move.
Zhou Ping's expression was solemn. He stroked his beard with his fingers. "He is on the verge of a breakthrough, stuck right below the bottleneck, unable to get through. Tianjiao, go and stimulate him a bit. It might be of considerable help."
"Very well."
Gai Tianjiao extended her left hand, and a circle of flames immediately appeared in her palm.
At the center of the circle, a crimson-gold Sacred Sword slowly materialized.
The Crimson-Gold Sacred Sword was forged from Golden Crow Mysterious Iron and was completely fused with Gai Tianjiao's left arm, making her arm harder than a Sacred Artifact.
The form of the Crimson-Gold Sacred Sword was like a whip, but it had a sharp sword tip and a bamboo shoot-shaped blade.
"Whoosh!"
The moment the Crimson-Gold Sacred Sword was exposed to the air, it emitted a scorching power, raising the temperature in the surroundings several times and causing a slight distortion.
Gai Tianjiao's speed was astonishing. She charged forward, thrusting her sword swiftly towards Zhang Ruochen's abdomen.
The speed of the sword far surpassed the speed of sound, producing a deafening sonic boom.
Moreover, Gai Tianjiao held nothing back, as if she truly intended to impale Zhang Ruochen with a single strike.
Zhang Ruochen naturally sensed the immense danger. Every hair on his body stood on end in an instant. The speed of the true qi circulation within his body increased tenfold.
The sword intent that had been lingering below the bottleneck, stimulated by the threat of death, surged upward, piercing through the final barrier and reaching the Ten Layers of Great Perfection of Sword One.
Sword One, Great Perfection.
Zhang Ruochen's entire body trembled, and his aura changed completely.
"Boom!"
Without opening his eyes, Zhang Ruochen relied purely on instinct, gripping the sword hilt tightly. His body and the sword became one. With an unstoppable momentum, he transformed into a beam of sword light and charged straight at Gai Tianjiao.
"As expected, stimulation was needed."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen break through the realm, a satisfied smile appeared on Gai Tianjiao's face. She immediately dispersed her power and retracted the Crimson-Gold Sacred Sword into her left arm.
Other cultivators would certainly find it difficult to be as controlled as she was. Even if they tried to withdraw their sword immediately, they would inevitably suffer backlash from the power. Even Zhang Ruochen, at his current level, was far inferior to Gai Tianjiao in controlling his power.
Seeing Gai Tianjiao retract her sword, Zhang Ruochen found it difficult to withdraw his own power.
The tip of the Gushui Sword struck Gai Tianjiao's chest.
"Bang!"
The Gushui Sword, a Twelfth-Grade True Martial Treasure, did not pierce Gai Tianjiao's body as one might have imagined. Instead, when the sword tip collided with her body, a metallic clang rang out, and a large shower of sparks flew.
A surge of powerful, masculine energy, hotter than flames, erupted from within Gai Tianjiao's body, blasting Zhang Ruochen away.
With a crack, the Gushui Sword snapped in two.
Zhang Ruochen's right arm was drenched in blood, its bones broken into three sections, completely unable to lift it.
In contrast, Gai Tianjiao remained standing in place, motionless, appearing calm and composed. A faint smile played on her lips as she looked at him. "The Sword One you executed was quite good. It actually managed to pierce my protective Saint Qi."
What use was piercing the protective Saint Qi?
It hadn't harmed her in the slightest.
Enduring the pain, Zhang Ruochen looked at his right arm, then at the broken sword on the ground. Recalling the immense power from before, he was quite shocked. "Are you really not a Half-Saint?"
One must know that Zhang Ruochen had already cultivated Sword One to Great Perfection. When executed with full force, even a Fish-Dragon Ninth Change Saint Body would be quite wary.
Such a powerful strike, hitting that burly man's body, had failed to injure him at all.
Instead, Zhang Ruochen had suffered a considerable injury, with the bones in his right arm broken, unable to lift it.
Gai Tianjiao chuckled. "There's no need to be so shocked. My physique is quite special. Over the past ten years, I have refined seven Sacred Artifacts into my body, fusing them with my blood and bones."
"Although your attack was very strong, when it struck me, the power of the Sacred Artifacts rebounded it back."
"I see." Zhang Ruochen breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Apart from a Half-Saint, Zhang Ruochen simply couldn't believe that anyone could break his Sword One with just their physical body alone.
Zhang Ruochen asked no further questions. He sat cross-legged beside the Sacred Spring, took a healing pill, and began to regulate his injuries.
After spending an hour, Zhang Ruochen's arm was mostly fine.
The surface injuries had completely healed.
When he stood up again, he saw that the burly man was still standing there, but the middle-aged Daoist from before had already left.
"Where did that senior go?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Although Zhang Ruochen had only glanced at the middle-aged Daoist earlier, he could tell that the other party had cultivated a Saint Soul and exuded an astonishing aura, indicating he should be a Half-Saint Ancestral Master.
Gai Tianjiao pointed a finger towards the distant white stone sacred cliff. "That senior is one of the Sword Guardians of the Sword Pavilion. He went back while you were healing. What, do you want to go and see the Sword Pavilion?"
The summit of the Third Heavy Mountain was extremely vast. In the distance stood a three-hundred-zhang-tall white stone sacred cliff, polished to an incredibly smooth, crystalline luster, radiating a gentle sacred light.
Standing by the Sacred Spring, one could feel a powerful wave of energy emanating from the white stone sacred cliff, inspiring a sense of awe.
At the top of the white stone sacred cliff stood a towering ancient pagoda.
Clouds and mist swirled around the ancient pagoda. Tens of thousands of swords could be seen, like specks of light, flying around the pagoda.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell upon the ancient pagoda at the top of the sacred cliff, a look of longing in his eyes. "Is that the legendary foremost sacred ground for sword cultivation—the Sword Pavilion?"
Gai Tianjiao nodded, a look of reverence also in her eyes. "That's right."
For any cultivator who used a sword, who wouldn't want to see the Sword Pavilion?
Even if they couldn't enter the Sword Pavilion to cultivate, just standing outside and paying homage was an immensely satisfying thing.