Chapter 774: Merging the Three Ancestral Sword Intents
This guardian of the Sword Pavilion possessed unfathomable cultivation, putting immense pressure on Zhang Ruochen. Beads of sweat continuously seeped from his pores, soaking his back.
If his identity were exposed, with his current cultivation, he would have no chance of escaping the Sword Pavilion alive.
Who could have guessed that such a terrifying existence resided within the Sword Pavilion?
The red-robed old woman stared at Zhang Ruochen, nodded, and said meaningfully, "This disciple of the Liangyi Sect carries quite a few secrets."
Zangyue Sword Saint assumed the red-robed old woman was referring to Qiangu Nüdi's inheritance, so she didn't think much of it. She said, "Lin Yue is considered the greatest sword prodigy of the Liangyi Sect since the Middle Ages. His personal fortune is extraordinary, and he has encountered some opportunities."
"Very well. Since the Liangyi Sect has made this decision, let him try. After all, from ancient times to the present, no one has ever been able to see the words on the Wordless Sword Manual at the Fish-Dragon Realm."
The red-robed old woman turned and walked into the distance.
Her steps appeared slow, yet after just four or five paces, she had completely vanished from Zhang Ruochen's sight.
Zangyue Sword Saint bowed toward the direction the red-robed old woman had departed, then said to Zhang Ruochen, "Lin Yue, Haitang Pópo is the guardian of the Sword Pavilion. Her mastery of the Sword Dao far surpasses this Saint's. It was her guidance that allowed this Saint to successfully cultivate Sword Seven and be crowned a Sword Saint. In the future, if you encounter her, you must treat her with respect."
"Thank you for the reminder, Sword Saint," Zhang Ruochen said.
The seventh floor of the Sword Pavilion was a vast, flat expanse. Even the hills were merely low mounds. However, at the center of the seventh floor stood a reddish-brown stone mountain.
The mountain was extremely steep, with sheer cliffs on all sides, rising over twenty thousand meters into the clouds. It resembled a giant stone sword standing at the center of heaven and earth.
Standing at the base of the stone mountain, Zangyue Sword Saint looked up, his expression solemn and filled with reverence. "This is the Wordless Sword Manual, also known as the 'Wordless Sword Mountain.' Those with insufficient cultivation can only sense the immense sword intent emanating from the mountain but cannot see any words or patterns."
Zhang Ruochen had already sensed the overwhelming aura of the Sword Dao. Looking up, he could even see streams of sword qi converging into rivers, circling the Wordless Sword Mountain with a "whooshing" sound.
He had never imagined that the legendary Wordless Sword Manual was not a book but a stone mountain.
Zangyue Sword Saint said, "The flow of time on the seventh floor of the Sword Pavilion differs from the outside world. For every eight days you cultivate here, only one day passes outside. From now on, you must rely on your own comprehension. In half a year, this Saint will return to fetch you."
In the Sword Pavilion, each floor had a different time flow. The higher the floor, the greater the time ratio.
Because the time flow on the seventh floor was so fast, Zangyue Sword Saint dared not stay here except for seclusion. Staying here was no different from suicide, as every moment consumed his lifespan.
After Zangyue Sword Saint left, Zhang Ruochen walked toward the Wordless Sword Mountain. He reached out a hand and cautiously touched the hard stone wall at its base.
Then, he released his immense spiritual power, which transformed into specks of light emanating from his palm, attempting to probe the Wordless Sword Mountain.
"Whoosh!"
The moment his spiritual power touched the Wordless Sword Mountain, it was shattered by a powerful sword force, dissipating into nothingness.
Zhang Ruochen let out a muffled groan, immediately withdrew his hand, and retreated more than ten steps.
"Such a formidable Wordless Sword Mountain. My forty-fifth-level spiritual power is like an ant before it."
Zhang Ruochen felt a newfound reverence for the Wordless Sword Mountain.
He knew that all sword techniques and sword arts in the Kunlun Realm ultimately traced back to the Wordless Sword Mountain.
It was truly unfathomable—how could such a mountain, containing infinite Sword Dao, have appeared in the Kunlun Realm for no reason?
Who had created it?
"It is said that only those who have reached the Saint realm can see the words and patterns on the Wordless Sword Mountain. Is that really true?"
Zhang Ruochen refused to believe it. He sat cross-legged at the base of the Wordless Sword Mountain, calmed his mind, activated his Sword Heart Illumination, and began to observe and comprehend with full concentration.
A cultivator's ability to understand the Sword Dao ultimately depended on their level of Sword Dao attainment.
Although Zhang Ruochen was only at the Fish-Dragon Realm, his Sword Dao had already reached the advanced stage of Sword Heart Illumination, surpassing even some Saints.
Moreover, his spiritual power had reached the forty-fifth level, stronger than many Saints.
Thus, despite his low cultivation realm, he might still have a chance to see the words on the Wordless Sword Mountain.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, a month had passed.
In that entire month, Zhang Ruochen changed his position seven times, yet he still found nothing.
Before his eyes, there was only the stone mountain, the stone walls, and some strange patterns. He could not see any sword techniques or words.
"Could it really be that my cultivation is too low?"
Zhang Ruochen was deeply unwilling to accept this. He suppressed his inner restlessness, stopped thinking about the Sword Discussion Conference or the need to master Sword Two to perfection.
He even closed his eyes, no longer deliberately staring at the Wordless Sword Mountain.
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen's mind became purer. He cleared out all distractions, leaving only his pursuit of the Sword Dao.
This state persisted for three months.
When Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes again, he found that the entire world had turned pitch black. The surroundings were vast and empty, as if he were in an endless universe.
"Where... is this?"
He looked into the distance and saw a colorful nebula before him, shaped like a sword, extraordinarily magnificent.
That nebula was formed by billions of stars gathered together.
Zhang Ruochen activated his movement technique and rushed toward the horizon. However, the distance between him and the nebula was too vast. No matter how fast he flew, it felt like he was standing still.
Just then, three massive rivers flew out from Zhang Ruochen's brow. They intertwined and spiraled, shooting forward rapidly, soon connecting with the sword-shaped nebula.
Meanwhile, on the seventh floor of the Sword Pavilion, Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged at the base of the Wordless Sword Mountain. The three ancestral sword intents flew out from his brow, transforming into three rivers of sword intent that completely enveloped the Wordless Sword Mountain.
"Whoosh!"
The Wordless Sword Mountain underwent a transformation. Golden characters appeared on its surface, wrapping around the mountain and emitting a dazzling radiance.
Each character transformed into a palm-sized golden figure holding a sword, swiftly performing sword techniques.
After completing a sword move, the golden figure turned into a golden speck of light, following the three rivers of sword intent into Zhang Ruochen's brow.
Each speck of light represented a profound sword technique.
Countless specks of light, like stars in the universe, streamed continuously into Zhang Ruochen's body.
The red-robed old woman naturally sensed the massive change in the Wordless Sword Mountain. With a flicker of her form, she appeared not far from Zhang Ruochen.
Her aged eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen as she murmured to herself, "So it is the sword intents left by those three. They have converged in a single person—how interesting."
In an instant, the three ancestral sword intents withdrew from the Wordless Sword Mountain, circling Zhang Ruochen's body before surging back into him, forming a massive vortex.
When the vortex completely disappeared, Zhang Ruochen slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
He looked around, feeling as though everything before him was unfamiliar. It took him a full quarter of an hour to realize that he had been on the seventh floor of the Sword Pavilion all along.
"How is it that I remember having cultivated in the starry sky for twenty years, learning three thousand sword techniques?"
No wonder Zhang Ruochen was slow to react. Influenced by the three ancestral sword intents and the Wordless Sword Mountain, his consciousness had been immersed in the starry sky, practicing sword techniques for twenty years.
Moreover, he had mastered all three thousand sword techniques, including Human-level, Spirit-level, and even the profound Ghost-level sword techniques.
If a person practiced swordsmanship without rest for twenty years, they would naturally need a long time to readjust to the world.
"Oh?"
Zhang Ruochen was astonished to find that the three ancestral sword intents in his Qi Sea had completely disappeared.
Not only that, but his Sword Heart Illumination had also vanished.
"How can this be?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Footsteps sounded.
The red-robed old woman shuffled over from a distance, her voice hoarse. "Young man, don't be so alarmed. Your Sword Dao has reached the 'Human-Sword Unity' realm. The Sword Heart Illumination hasn't disappeared; it has fully merged with your body, spiritual power, and Martial Soul."
"Human-Sword Unity? The legendary realm that only Sword Saints can achieve."
Zhang Ruochen clearly remembered that he had only reached the advanced stage of Sword Heart Illumination, not its peak. How could he have suddenly leaped to Human-Sword Unity?
Even with Zhang Ruochen's composure, he could not remain calm.
How could a Fish-Dragon Realm cultivator reach a height that only Sword Saints could attain? Had he really been cultivating in the Sword Pavilion for twenty years?
Zhang Ruochen quickly stood up and bowed to the red-robed old woman. "Haitang Pópo, may I ask how long this disciple has been cultivating in the Sword Pavilion?"
"Are you feeling lost?" the red-robed old woman asked.
"Indeed, this disciple is quite confused," Zhang Ruochen admitted honestly.
The red-robed old woman said, "As an Heir of Time and Space, if you cannot clearly understand time, you will never be able to control it, and you will eventually lose yourself."
"So... Pópo has long seen through this disciple's identity." Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, feeling less tense and pressured.
The red-robed old woman remained calm. "Your identity matters little to me. However, since you have obtained the sword intents of the three Liangyi Sect ancestors, you share some connection with me. I can help you a bit."
"First, the time you have spent in the Sword Pavilion is indeed less than half a year. The illusion of having cultivated for decades arose because, when you merged the three ancestral sword intents, you were influenced by the Wordless Sword Mountain. Sit down, and let's talk slowly."
The red-robed old woman coughed twice and sat down first. (To be continued.)