Chapter 512 -511: Sword Opens Heaven’s Gate and Human-Sword Unity_1

As a talent who practices both swordsmanship and magic skills, there is no doubt about Lu Yang’s innate abilities.

In terms of magical talent, he is on par with Yun Zhi.

As for his talent in swordsmanship, it faintly has the potential to surpass Daoist Buyu.

“I originally intended to teach you how to correctly execute basic sword moves, but it seems that there’s no need now.”

Basic sword moves are the foundation of swordsmanship, and even a slight deviation in angle can lead to a noticeable change in power.

“The sword techniques that I’ve mastered require a high cultivation level, and I can’t teach you yet. The technique ‘One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand’ requires a colossal reserve of spiritual essence. Your spiritual essence reserve is exceptional even during the Golden Core Stage, and there are only a few in the Nascent Soul Stage who can match your level. However, you are still some way off from being able to use ‘One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand.'”

“Once you reach the Nascent Soul Stage, I will be able to pass on ‘One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand’ to you.”

‘One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand’ is a move that can be executed at the Divinity Transformation Stage. With one swing of the sword, myriad ethereal blades follow, like an army that eclipses the sky, a move every swordsman yearns to master.

Considering Lu Yang’s talent in swordsmanship and his immense spiritual essence reserve, he should be able to execute it at the Nascent Soul Stage.

“You don’t need me to teach you how to wield a sword while flying.”

“It’s too early for you to learn ‘Victory without a Sword’; it’s easy to go astray. And besides, you have the Green Peak Sword, so how can having no sword be better than having one?”

“The initial requirement for ‘All Swords Return to the Source’ is the Divinity Transformation Stage, which you’re far from reaching.”

“As for my signature move ‘Sword Opens Heaven’s Gate,’ it’s even more difficult. Don’t even think about executing it without reaching the Unification Stage.”

Daoist Buyu listed various sword moves, none of which were very suitable for Lu Yang to learn.

“Sword Opens Heaven’s Gate? Did you come up with that move yourself, Master?” Lu Yang asked, as he had never heard of it before.

Daoist Buyu shook his head and sighed, “I was forced into it, it’s not something I desired.”

This was his admission.

Lu Yang looked at Daoist Buyu with envy. In fact, there aren’t many sword moves for a swordsman. Moves like unifying the sword and self, ‘One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand’ etc. have been passed down from ancient times. Swordsmen stick to the rules and learn these sword moves.

The same sword move, based on different understandings and enlightenment of swordsmanship, can have disparate power when executed.

Those like Daoist Buyu who have created their own sword moves are rare.

The other cultivator who created his own sword move that Lu Yang knows of is the Supreme of the Sword Tower.

In the cultivation world, there are quite a lot of swordsmanship styles, such as Falling Rain Swordsmanship, Hundred Flower Swordsmanship, Poxiao Swordsmanship, Untroubled Swordsmanship etc. Some swordsmen aren’t very creative with names, so there are quite a few with the same names. Lu Yang knows of at least four versions of the Untroubled Swordsmanship.

“Forced by circumstances?”

When you created this move, Master, you should have been a cultivator at the Unification Stage. There should have been few opponents in the cultivation world.

Could it be that Master had too many enemies, who attacked him unawares while he was unprepared? Surrounded by dozens of peers, even Master would have difficulty escaping. With injuries all over his body from the relentless attacks, hanging by a thread, Master had a flash of revelation at the brink of life and death, and understood the move that discerns life and death—the Sword Opens Heaven’s Gate.

When this sword move was used, even the sky seemed broken!

Daoist Buyu stroked his white beard, saying, “That was more than a thousand years ago. I got into some trouble then, and your Grandmaster locked me on Sky Gate Mountain for ten years without leaving. You know me, being a worldly cultivator, how could I not go out?”

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

“But there was nothing I could do. Your Grandmaster’s cultivation level was higher than mine, and he was good at seal techniques. He sealed off the whole mountain.”

“I thought this wouldn’t do. If this were to continue, wouldn’t I be truly staying there for ten years?”

“At that moment, I reached the state of enlightenment, meditated on the spot, transformed my body into a furnace where all my lifetime understanding and insights of swordsmanship were refined, transformed, tempered, and polished. Finally, with a stroke of my sword, I broke the seal of the Sky Gate Mountain!”

“I named this move ‘Sword Opens Heaven’s Gate.'”

Lu Yang: “…”

Master, your process of understanding sword moves doesn’t quite match my imagination?

“Speaking of swordsmen, before I became an immortal, I did meet one. He was truly formidable, the most invincible cultivator at his stage, a formidable adversary,” recalled The Fairy Eternity, who was reminded of a past event when she saw Daoist Buyu mastering the sword moves.

“Fairy, please tell us more.” Upon hearing that it was about one of his own kind, Lu Yang became very interested.

It’s rare to hear about ancient swordsmen.

“That swordsman was called Liu Ningxuan. He was also an exceptional player of the zither, hence hailed as the Zither and Sword Venerable. You know the move ‘Unifying the Sword and the Self,’ don’t you? It was created by him,”

Lu Yang’s eyes widened a bit. ‘Unifying the Sword and the Self’ is a famous sword move that can dramatically increase one’s combat power in the shortest time. Everyone says that this move has been passed down from ancient times, but no one knows who created it or where it comes from. Unexpectedly, he got the answer from the Fairy.

“Liu Ningxuan was quite a fighter. Like all swordsmen, he believed in the sword in his hand. Holding the sword, his entire aura was so different that it was rather intimidating. With the long sword in his hand, piercing space, shattering the void, and slicing time were not beyond him,” Fairy Eternity added.

Lu Yang gasped. Piercing space, shattering the void, and slicing time all sound so powerful, much beyond his current abilities.

Presumably, this senior Liu Ningxuan was also an outstanding figure among the ancient swordsmen, perhaps even the highest-ranking one.

“Even when confronted with his sword, Fairy Eternity must retreat three times. One would not want to face it head-on.”

“However, he too, was ultimately not a match for me, and was defeated by me.”

“Fairy, you’re amazing. How did this Zither and Sword Venerable lose?”

“That fight was truly dangerous. At that time, our battle was so intense that it shattered heaven and earth, and the constellations were in chaos. Perhaps he felt the threat of life and death from me and was under great pressure, which gave him a deeper understanding of swordsmanship in the dark.”

“He also realized that he couldn’t win with the original moves alone. He had to be innovative. He then pushed the move ‘Unifying the Sword and the Self’ to a whole new level, based on the understanding of swordsmanship that he quickly gained during the battle, a level that nobody has ever reached.”

“After he unified the sword and himself, he turned into an Immortal Sword, his power skyrocketed, as if he were capable of creating a world.”

Lu Yang listened with sparkling eyes, immersed in the cosmic-level battle, and eagerly asked, “And then what happened?”

Fairy Eternity scratched her head somewhat troubled, “Then? There’s no ‘then.’ After he turned into a sword, he found that the integration with the sword was too close and he couldn’t change back.”

Lu Yang: “…”

Fairy, did you ever encounter a normal opponent when you became immortal?

At this time, Daoist Buyu slapped his forehead as if he had suddenly remembered something, interrupting Lu Yang, who was listening attentively to the fairy’s past glories.

“I remember now, there’s a move I can teach you.”

“Which one?”

“Unifying the Sword and the Self. This move has been passed down from ancient times and is a signature move for swordsmen. It can instantly unleash incredible power. It’s ideal for overcoming the odds and making a comeback when you’re cornered…”

“Thanks, but no need.”

Lu Yang decisively refused.

Daoist Buyu was puzzled. He couldn’t understand why his disciple rejected it so quickly and decisively.

Since he wouldn’t learn ‘Unifying the Sword and the Self,’ Lu Yang seemed to be unable to learn other sword moves at his current level.

“Well then, I will teach you how to comprehend the way of the sword.”