Chapter 124: The Grand Formation Has a Spirit!

Sixth floor, fifty-third stage.

I follow the sword with the ease of flowing water. Let your flames rage; I shall slice through them like a fierce wind!

Wang Sheng now stood as steady as a mountain in the center of the grand hall. He drew circle after circle of varying sizes with his longsword, each one seamlessly connected to the next. He continuously blocked the sword phantasms attacking from all directions.

Moving as fast as lightning, a phantasm dashed around him like flowing light, a blade of condensed frostlight in hand. Its sword momentum fell on him like rain, striking his circles one after another in a relentless assault.

The Dual-Polarity Sword Intent excelled at defense; it could not be broken easily by force. However, Wang Sheng's defense was not flawless. His Daoist robe had already been torn in several places. Fortunately, the sword technique that the phantasm used focused on speed and swiftness rather than brute force, preventing it from causing severe damage.

The sword techniques carved into the stone walls of the sixth floor were worthy of being called profound. If any of them were to be spread outside, sects would collect them and classify them as part of the inner core of their cultivation techniques. The sword sect truly lived up to its name—its foundation was undeniably deep.

Fortunately, most of the sword techniques were already preserved within the sect, eliminating the need for Wang Sheng to copy them down. He simply had to locate the Sword-Controlling Art to fulfill the sect's request.

During the fierce battle at the fifty-third stage, the phantasm's assault nearly made Wang Sheng lose control of his Dual-Polarity sword momentum. Still, he didn't resort to his Seven-Star Sword Intent. Instead, he defended steadily, patiently searching for an opportunity to counterattack.

His Dual-Polarity Sword Intent wasn't initially linked to any formal techniques. However, as he continued to wield it in combat, he gradually explored a few fixed sword moves capable of releasing formidable power.

This couldn't be considered the creation of a new sword technique. It was more about familiarity breeding skill.

Finally, a slight flaw appeared in the phantasm's assault. As it rushed toward him at great speed, Wang Sheng met it head-on with a strike, and his Dual-Polarity Sword Intent managed to lock the frostlight blade in place.

After more than half an hour of intense combat, the phantasm finally showed its only opening.

Now!

A Tai Chi symbol formed under his feet, with the two koi intertwining in harmony.

Wang Sheng spun the hilt of his sword half a circle in his palm, reversing his grip. He then stepped forward and swung fiercely.

The frostlight blade in the phantasm's hand slashed down diagonally toward Wang Sheng's left shoulder, but it missed him by mere millimeters. Any closer and it would have injured him.

The two soon passed each other. Wang Sheng remained standing tall with his sword in hand, while the phantasm looked down at its own severed body. With a crisp crack, it exploded into sparks of green light and returned to the stone door.

Wang Sheng remained where he was, pondering for a moment. He repeated several sword moves, reviewing the flaws and shortcomings that had emerged while deploying his Dual-Polarity Sword Intent during the previous fight.

A short while later, he chuckled softly. "Brilliant."

Wang Sheng glanced down at himself and found his Daoist robe in tatters; there were too many tears to count. Once he got out, he would definitely have to ask the Shu Sword Sect to compensate him with a few sets.

He had also suffered a few external injuries, but none were deep enough to affect his condition. They just hurt a little and made him look quite bedraggled.

Wang Sheng sighed softly. "Forget it. Better to be cautious. Since they entrusted this task to me, I might as well see it through properly."

His Dual-Polarity Sword Intent had improved significantly, but from this point on, it would likely be difficult to fend off the phantasms that would emerge from the stone doors.

He was about to go into the fifty-fourth stage. Once he had defeated the phantasm there, he would be able to push open the door to the seventh level, where the Sword-Controlling Art was located.

After a moment of silent reflection, Wang Sheng opened his eyes, a faint glimmer of starlight shining within them. This time, he did not intend to continue comprehending the sword techniques on the stone walls. After all, to the Shu Sword Sect, they were treasured legacies and weren't meant to be passed outside.

Now, he would just focus on going all out.

Wang Sheng stood up and checked the condition of the two longswords on his back, then took out two alchemy pills that restored true essence from the Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch. He held them in his mouth without dissolving them using his true essence.

The taste was unbearably sour and bitter. In exchange, though, if he encountered a fierce battle ahead, he could crush the pills at any moment and absorb their medicinal power to restore some true essence.

Step by step, he approached the stone door. Just as he was about to reach out and touch it, Wang Sheng suddenly tensed and quickly stepped back.

The stone door glowed with a green light, and a phantasm appeared upon its surface. However, instead of immediately charging out, it stood within the stone door, sword in hand.

Wang Sheng felt a pair of sharp eyes lock onto him, causing his two sword intents to stir within. The swords on his back and the treasured sword in his hand trembled uncontrollably, emitting continuous sword cries.

"

Is there no one left in the Shu Mountains who can clear this trial?

"

What is this?

Wang Sheng stared wide-eyed at the phantasm, the ancient and unfamiliar words echoing in his ears.

From the first trial to now, every phantasm he encountered had the same appearance. They must have been remnants left by the Shu Sword Sect's founding forefather, who had created this sacred ground.

Wang Sheng had always assumed they were simply the effect of the formation. Hence, he never expected a phantasm to actually speak.

On the other hand, right next door was the Ziyan Temple's Devil-Sealing Well and the ancient devil within it. Moreover, the Shu Mountains had thrived for over a thousand years. It was hardly unreasonable to think that the grand formation within the sacred ground had developed a formation spirit.

Wang Sheng quickly gathered and calmed himself. Enunciating each word, he declared, "I am Wang Sheng, sword cultivator of the Wudang Mountains. The seniors of the Shu Mountains have invited me to search for the Sword-Controlling Art on behalf of the Shu Sword Sect.

"Though the thousand-year flow of primal qi has been severed, the Shu Sword Sect has stood firm through countless generations. Even though none of the grandmasters have been able to cultivate, they still passed this inheritance on to the present day. However, the Sword-Controlling Art was unfortunately lost in the chaos of war.

"The seniors of the Shu Mountains have already permitted me to cultivate the Sword-Controlling Art. I have only come to offer my aid. I ask for your understanding, Senior."

The phantasm within the stone door stood in complete silence. Instead of speaking again, it directly transmitted its spiritual consciousness into Wang Sheng's mind.

The phantasm seemed to have realized that the language of the era was already quite different from what it once knew, including the tone and pronunciation. Spiritual communication was clearly more efficient.

A weary sigh echoed within Wang Sheng's heart.

"Is what you say really true?"

"I would not dare deceive you in the slightest," Wang Sheng replied respectfully. "A few young sword cultivators have previously been invited to challenge the trial. If you still possess any spirit, surely you would have sensed it."

In an ancient tone, the phantasm replied, "This sacred ground is accessible to external parties, but they are only permitted to reach this point. Beyond here lie secrets that cannot be shared with those not part of the Shu Mountains. Turn back."

Wang Sheng frowned. The Sword-Controlling Art was within reach. How could he possibly give up now?

"Senior! The sword sect is in urgent need of the Sword-Controlling Art..."

"If they truly need it, then let them enter the cave themselves. The Sword-Controlling Art is the very foundation of the Shu Mountains, yet my disgraceful descendants have managed to lose it!"

"At present, the Shu Mountains have no sword cultivator under the age of twenty-five capable of reaching this point. With primal qi severed for a thousand years, preserving the inheritance at all has been an immense struggle."

The phantasm once again fell into silence. Wang Sheng had clearly moved it.

After a while, it asked, "You speak of the severance of primal qi for a thousand years. What proof do you have?"

Wang Sheng thought for a moment, then pulled a flashlight from inside his robes and shone it forward. "This did not exist a thousand years ago."

The phantasm snorted. "That is merely a trivial spell."

"Then take a look at this," Wang Sheng said as he activated the glove on his left hand and injected true essence into it. A shield of primal qi swiftly manifested.

"That, too, is just a technique based on primal qi, only far simpler than before."

Well...

If only he had brought the sword case with him. Its high-tech sword case even had a fingerprint lock, which would've been far more convincing...

Wang Sheng's mind spun quickly as he tried to figure out his next move. The phantasm waited silently for further proof. Evidently, while still skeptical, it hadn't completely dismissed Wang Sheng's claims.

It also helped that Wang Sheng had only focused on comprehending the sword techniques carved into the stone walls earlier, never once attempting to steal a move. Otherwise, the phantasm might not have spoken with him at all; it would have ejected him before he ever reached the fifty-fourth stage.

After some thought, Wang Sheng asked, "Senior, in your opinion, what would be sufficient proof that the world's primal qi was severed for a thousand years?"

"When I fell into slumber, the primal qi of heaven and earth was indeed growing thinner..." The phantasm sighed softly. "You seem to be someone educated. Give me a summary of what happened over the past thousand years."

Alright! I thank the gods for nine years of compulsory education.

He sat cross-legged, placed his longsword in front of him, cleared his throat, and asked, "Senior, who was the last secular emperor you recall?"

"The last sect member to enter the formation mentioned someone from the Qiande Era, I believe."

Wang Sheng paused, unsure of when exactly that was. His high school history certainly hadn't covered such obscure dynasties.

"In that case, I'll start from the Tang Dynasty. If you believe me partway through, just speak and interrupt me."

Wang Sheng briefly explained the history of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. He only mentioned the rise and fall of empires, major turning points, and what little else he could remember. While summarizing past events, he couldn't help but envy the historians in online novels who traveled back to ancient times and could recall every detail of history so clearly.

The green glow around the phantasm grew increasingly intense, yet it didn't interrupt Wang Sheng.

Roughly seven or eight minutes later, Wang Sheng paused and looked at the phantasm within the stone door. "Senior, do you believe me now?"

"Show me the cultivation technique you practice."

"Very well." Wang Sheng pushed his palms forward, unleashing a pure stream of true essence from his hands toward the stone door.

The green glow of the door flickered, and the phantasm muttered, "You're a disciple of Lu Dongbin?"

Wang Sheng immediately shut his mouth, daring not to speak further. Just who was this phantasm? No, who exactly was the ancestor of the Shu Mountains who had left it behind? From the sound of it, it seemed... rather familiar with the forefather of Wang Sheng's sect.

"Then why do you cultivate the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art rather than Lu Dongbin's Pure Yang Sword Song Art?" the phantasm questioned.

Heavenly Ziwei Sword? Pure Yang Sword Song?

Wang Sheng silently memorized the two names and then sighed deeply. "These past thousand years have not been kind to any Daoist lineage. Most people simply practice whatever they can find now. The Daoist heritage of the Shu Mountains is already considered relatively intact. In my sect, there are only three people left: me, my master, and my senior sister."

The phantasm once again fell silent. Just as Wang Sheng was about to speak again to try and persuade it, it finally relented.

"If that's the case, proceed with the trial. I will not hold back. If your Dao is damaged in the process, do not blame the members of the Shu Sword Sect."

Wang Sheng immediately leaped to his feet, his eyes gleaming with determination. His treasured sword hummed.

"Many thanks, Senior!" he exclaimed as his Seven-Star Sword Intent erupted in full force.