After announcing the start of the second stage, the Tower Master of the Sword Tower continued, "Sword Cultivators are not just Cultivators who use swords as weapons. If that were the case, then who in the world wouldn’t be a Sword Cultivator?"

Lu Yang silently nodded in agreement. What the Tower Master of the Sword Tower said was correct. Every Cultivator dreamed of becoming a Sword Immortal. It was just that after they tried using swords as their weapon, they realized it wasn’t suitable for them and gave up.

"So does being a Sword Cultivator refer to someone with a talent for swordsmanship?" Not entirely, either."

"A true Sword Cultivator not only possesses swordmanship talent unreachable by ordinary people, but also nurtures a Sword Heart, which is your attitude towards your sword!"

"There’s also something called a Sword Heart?" Lu Yang wondered, having never heard his master or Eldest Senior Sister mention it.

Lu Yang felt he really needed to attend more Sword Cultivator gatherings. It was rare to see his master even once a year, and after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, Eldest Senior Sister had not taught him any more sword techniques either. As for Fairy Eternity, there was no use even mentioning her, as she knew nothing about swordsmanship.

"Inquiry of the Sword is divided into two parts, Inquiry of the Sword in Heart and Inquiry of the Sword in Intent."

"This Inquiry of the Sword in Heart tests the Sword Heart."

After hearing the words of the Tower Master of the Sword Tower, Lu Yang felt somewhat uneasy. If it were a competition of Sword Intent, he wouldn’t fear anyone, but he had just learned of this Sword Heart—what should he do?

An Array Method appeared beneath the feet of all the Sword Cultivators, shooting a beam of light upward that enveloped them.

"This is the Heart-Questioning Formation. Within this Array Method, all lies regarding the ’sword’ are inadmissible."

It was one of the fundamental techniques of the Sword Tower, an Array Method unconsciously comprehended by the Sword Tower Supreme while meditating on swordsmanship, highly beneficial for understanding the Sword Heart.

Lu Yang felt that this Array Method had some similarities with his "Mind Seeing Method" in certain aspects, though this Method was even more profound.

The Heart-Questioning Formation could discern truth from falsehood but could not ask questions proactively. The Sword Tower had a total of twelve Elders and one Tower Master, who personally went into the field to test the Sword Cultivators of the world.

Among them, the most watched was the Tower Master of the Sword Tower, for his selection of Sword Cultivators, to some extent, represented his high regard for these individuals.

The Tower Master of the Sword Tower first approached Duan Changqing of the Green Bamboo Sect, "Duan Changqing, do you practice Emotional Swordsmanship or Ruthless Swordsmanship?"

"Ruthless Swordsmanship."

"Would you be sad if your sword broke?"

Duan Changqing said indifferently, "If the sword breaks, I’ll just refine a new one. Why should I be sad?"

"Then do you love swordsmanship?"

"Of course, I do."

Red light, piercing to the eye, emerged from the Array Method beneath Duan Changqing’s feet, signifying that he was lying.

The Tower Master of the Sword Tower spoke sternly, his eyes sharp as a sword as if trying to see through Duan Changqing, "You must tell the truth."

Unable to withstand the pressure from the Tower Master of the Sword Tower, Duan Changqing could only speak honestly, "I became a Sword Cultivator simply because Sword Cultivators wield great offensive power."

The Tower Master of the Sword Tower sighed. "Your sword is refined from a part of your own body, which certainly helps you wield it naturally. However, you have no emotional connection to swordsmanship, which will block your path ahead."

Then the Tower Master approached Yue Chuan, a disciple from the Guan Left Gate. Yue Chuan drew the Lanyan Sword, with its Sword Spirit, Ah Lan, nestled in his arms.

Yue Chuan understood without needing to ask whether he followed Emotional Swordsmanship or Ruthless Swordsmanship.

"Yue Chuan, can you achieve life and death unity with your sword?"

Looking at Ah Lan in his arms, Yue Chuan confidently said, "Yes!"

"Then what is the relationship between you and your sword?"

Without hesitation, Yue Chuan answered, "I will marry Ah Lan!"

The Tower Master held his forehead, asking Yue Chuan was merely a formality. How could he not know what his own top disciple was like?

Had it not been for the laws of Great Xia not recognizing Sword Spirits as marriageable entities, the two would have married long ago.

"Mingtai, are you able to achieve life and death unity with your sword?" The Tower Master spoke with a pleasant countenance; in terms of seniority, unless the Sword Tower Supreme were to come back to life, even digging up past Tower Masters, none could compare with Mingtai’s rank.

"Yes!"

Mingtai held the Containing Light Sword, the personal sword of the Sword Tower Supreme and also his own true form. If anything happened to the Containing Light Sword, he wouldn’t survive either.

"And what is your relationship with your sword?"

"We are one."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a stir in the crowd. With no response from the great Formation, it meant Mingtai was telling the truth. Countless Sword Cultivators heard Mingtai’s reply and felt inferior.

While their love for their swords was sincere, it fell short compared to Mingtai’s.

"I’ve seen the Manager of the Tower," Lu Yang said as he quickly paid his respects upon seeing the Tower Master approaching.

The Tower Master of the Sword Tower was named Guan Yi.

"Are you Lu Yang? This is our first meeting," said the Tower Master of the Sword Tower with a smile upon seeing Lu Yang.

Despite his conflict with Daoist Buyu, that was a matter between their elders and had nothing to do with the younger generation.

As the Tower Master of the Sword Tower, his favorite sight was the growth of talented young sword cultivators.

As the renowned Lu Yang, the mention of his name by the Tower Master instantly attracted everyone’s attention, "He indeed is Lu Yang."

"I wonder what Lu Yang’s Sword Heart is like."

"With Mingtai ahead, no matter how excellent his Sword Heart is, it can’t be better than Mingtai’s, right?"

Manager of the Tower asked, "Your master practices the heartless Swordsmanship, what about you, Lu Yang? Do you practice the emotional Swordsmanship or the heartless Swordsmanship?"

Lu Yang hesitated for a moment, this was the first time he heard that Swordsmanship was divided into emotional and heartless.

"May I ask what emotional Swordsmanship and heartless Swordsmanship mean?"

"Your master didn’t even tell you this?" The Manager of the Tower showed slight dissatisfaction toward Daoist Buyu, thinking him irresponsible.

"Sword Cultivators surely love their swords; it’s just that there are different kinds of love."

"The so-called emotional Swordsmanship refers to treating a sword as a person, loving the sword as one loves a person. Everyone in our Sword Tower practices emotional Swordsmanship. Heartless Swordsmanship, on the other hand, means treating the sword as an object, simply loving the sword. The most famous representative is your master," explained the Tower Master.

After giving it some thought, even though the Green Peak Sword was a gift from the Eldest Senior Sister and he liked it very much, he ultimately treated the Green Peak Sword as an object and didn’t have any special feelings for it.

"Then, what I practice should be heartless Swordsmanship," he concluded.

Upon hearing this, the Manager of the Tower was slightly displeased, thinking it was just as he expected, a talented young cultivator like Lu Yang was still taught to practice the heartless Swordsmanship by Old Buyu.

But then, a red light emerged from the Array Method under Lu Yang’s feet.

"Hmm? Did you just lie?" The Manager of the Tower’s face lit up with joy. Didn’t this mean that Lu Yang was actually practicing the emotional Swordsmanship?

"I lied?" Lu Yang was also surprised. According to the definition given by the Manager of the Tower, he indeed practiced heartless Swordsmanship.

The Manager of the Tower gently and persuasively asked, "Do you like your sword?"

Lu Yang nodded; he indeed liked the Green Peak Sword.

"Do you treat your sword as a person?"

Lu Yang was about to shake his head when he suddenly realized where the misunderstanding lay—the Green Peak Sword did have a person inside it!

Lu Yang could only continue nodding.

The Manager of the Tower clapped his hands, drawing a conclusion for Lu Yang, "There you have it, you like your sword and treat it as a person. This is indeed emotional Swordsmanship!"

"Suppose, if your sword breaks or disappears, wouldn’t you be sad, heartbroken, and cry your eyes out?"

Thinking about the scenario described by the Manager of the Tower, if Fairy Eternity disappeared, he seemed like he would indeed be very sad, probably cry too, so he could only nod again.

"See, you are not only practicing emotional Swordsmanship, but you have also reached the profound realm of imbuing your emotions into the sword!"

Fairy Eternity giggled inside the Green Peak Sword, not understanding why, but she just felt very happy with Little Yang’s responses.

"Would you be willing to live and die with your sword?"

Within emotional Swordsmanship, a handful of Sword Cultivators with extreme feelings toward their swords held the belief that if the sword exists, the person exists; if the sword perishes, the person perishes. Cultivators like Yue Chuan and Mingtai from before had always revered this kind of extreme sentiment.

Upon hearing this question, Lu Yang looked puzzled and didn’t know how to respond, "It’s not about living and dying together; it’s that even if I die, my sword won’t."

Given the miraculous extent of the Eternity Dao Fruit, even if Fairy Eternity wanted to die, it would be difficult.

The Manager of the Tower greatly admired Lu Yang’s answer, "Excellent, to protect your sword with your life, preferring to perish yourself rather than allowing any harm to come to your sword!"

The onlookers regarded Lu Yang with respect, for only Sword Cultivators could understand what his answer implied. This sentiment went even beyond the sword exists, the person exists; if the sword perishes, the person perishes.

"Deserving of being Lu Yang, just with this sentiment, which Sword Cultivator of today could compare?"

"I had thought he was just talented in Swordsmanship and felt nothing for his sword, but I was wrong!"

"No wonder he can perform One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand at the Nascent Soul Stage, one person becomes ten thousand. It’s not only Swordsmanship talent; surely this profound sentiment for his sword plays a crucial role too!"

The Manager of the Tower asked the final question, "What’s the relationship between you and your sword?"

Lu Yang felt it was a bit embarrassing to tell the truth, yet if he lied, the Array Method would detect it, so he had to answer truthfully, "The sword is my lord, and I am its servant."

The crowd was agog once again, the volume of their voices even louder than during Mingtai’s moment, looking at Lu Yang with disbelief.

"To regard the sword as one’s lord is to reach the legendary realm of Unity of Man and Sword, where the body follows the sword’s movement!"

"Has anyone in history ever reached this step?"

Sword Cultivators are proud beings; however much they love their swords, they only ever place the sword on an equal footing with themselves, never above them.

To humbly submit to one’s sword for the sake of Swordsmanship, what a Sword Heart that is!

The more the Manager of the Tower looked at Lu Yang, the more pleasing he found the young man. The sword as the master, the cultivator as the aide—this was a depth of emotional Swordsmanship not even the previous Sword Tower Supreme had achieved!