Chapter 126: A Step Away

On the sixth floor of the Seventy-Two Swords, before the stone door that led to the most crucial location.

Wang Sheng stood in a bow stance. His right hand gripped his sword at the hilt, and his index finger pressed along the spine of the sword. He had aligned his longsword in a straight line with his arm.

A green glow enveloped his blade, but it gradually faded into specks of light that slowly drifted back into the stone door. They were reminiscent of fireflies on a summer night.

Two streams of tears slid from the corners of Wang Sheng's eyes as he slowly sheathed his sword and stood motionless for a long time. He did not know why he cried, but he couldn't stop it. It was likely the influence of Autumn Departure.

Having now tasted the bitterness of sorrow, one could say that the coolness of autumn was quite nice. Thankfully, Wang Sheng's thoughts were clear and his heart free of burdens. Otherwise, he might have broken down into sobs then and there.

Using sword intent to affect an opponent's emotions was a common application of the Realm of Sword Momentum, the Dao of the Sword's third realm.

Strictly speaking, the formation spirit was only supposed to contest Wang Sheng using sword intent and sword techniques. Resorting to sword momentum to exert pressure through a superior cultivation level was already crossing a line. Even if the spirit had won, it would have been a hollow victory. Worse still, he still lost despite unleashing such power.

The stone door glowed green once more, and the old man reappeared within the light. This time, his true form was revealed.

The thin-faced elder had sharp, piercing eyes; long eyebrows; a straight nose; and no beard. There was not a single wrinkle on his face. If his eyebrows and white hair were dyed black, he could even be considered strikingly handsome.

Wang Sheng wiped his tears, cleared his throat, and gradually broke free of the melancholy aura that Autumn Departure had left behind.

"Senior, would you count this as my victory?"

The formation spirit remained silent for a long time. The stone door then cracked open slightly.

Wang Sheng cupped his hands in thanks. He was just about to take a step forward when the formation spirit suddenly said, "Due to the limitations on the difficulty of each trial set by the great formation of the Seventy-Two Swords, I can no longer stop you until you obtain the Sword-Controlling Art.

"You are a rare talent in the Dao of the Sword. I have guarded this place for thousands of years, yet I have only met a handful like you. They all made a name for themselves in the outside world. If you are willing to join the Shu Sword Sect, I can help you take the next step forward. You will surely be reborn and transformed."

Wang Sheng was taken aback. The formation spirit... was trying to recruit him into the Shu Mountains? He thought about it for a moment, then sat down cross-legged in front of the stone door and looked at the formation spirit.

"Senior, may I chat with you for a bit? I'm very curious about the cultivation world from a thousand years ago. Allow me to say this first, though: my sect has shown me deep kindness. I will never betray my master and join another sect."

The formation spirit's voice softened. "Oh? And what would you like to talk about? I shall simply listen. Since the Shu Mountains are in decline now, I only wish to help in what little way I can."

Wang Sheng asked, "Senior, are you one of the forefathers of the Shu Sword Sect?"

The formation spirit laughed lightly. "I was originally just an ordinary sword. I followed Qing Feng Zhenren, a forefather of the Shu Sword Sect, as he cultivated in the world for a hundred years, eventually giving rise to a sword spirit.

"After Qing Feng Zhenren founded the Shu Sword Sect and transcended to the Immortal Realm, he placed me at the core of this formation to oversee the blessed land of the Seventy-Two Swords. Strictly speaking, I was merely the dull blade once wielded by Qing Feng Zhenren. I dare not claim the title of forefather."

Qing Feng Zhenren...

Wang Sheng recalled the ancient painting that he had seen in the great palace of the Shu Sword Sect. It depicted only the back of Qing Feng Zhenren standing atop the Shu Mountains, gazing over a sea of clouds.

Wang Sheng praised, "He must have been like an immortal."

"Qing Feng Zhenren was indeed an immortal. 'Qing Feng' was but an alias," the formation spirit said with a smile. "He once wielded me in a spar with your forefather, Lu Dongbin. That was a truly breathtaking duel between sword immortals."

A duel between sword immortals?

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up with eagerness. Smiling, he asked, "What did Lu Dongbin look like?"

The formation spirit seemed intrigued as well. "Watch closely."

The green light shimmered, and the formation spirit gradually shifted. He transformed into a handsome young man in loose Daoist robes with a gentle gaze. His lips were curled into a faint smile, and he exuded an air of carefree charm.

So that's Lu Dongbin the Progenitor?

Wang Sheng instinctively reached for his phone to take a photo, but the formation spirit had already transformed back into Qing Feng Zhenren. Looking down at his phone, Wang Sheng's mouth twitched.

Just earlier, the formation spirit had asked him to prove that a thousand years had passed. Wouldn't taking some photos have been the best evidence? Unfortunately, at the time, the spirit's sudden appearance had startled him enough to forget all about it.

"What a pity." The formation spirit sighed. "Your sect's Pure-Yang Sword Song Art has already been lost. It was one of the finest sword art in the world. However, since you are cultivating using the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, you need not dwell on that loss."

Wang Sheng quickly asked, "Does the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art have any background? Today's Daoist heritages have many gaps, and so much has been lost."

The formation spirit sighed faintly and sat down cross-legged within the stone door, facing Wang Sheng.

"Well, there's no harm in telling you. My knowledge is limited, but I once heard Qing Feng Zhenren explain to his disciples the Three Great Daos of the Sword: Heaven, Earth, and Human.

"The Three Great Daos of the Sword are not ranked by superiority. Practiced to the extreme, any of them can allow one to transcend the mundane and reach the pinnacle of the Sword Dao. From the perspective of mortals, however, the Heavenly Dao of the Sword is undoubtedly the most powerful among them. Your cultivation is still shallow, so I will only share a rough overview."

Wang Sheng held his breath and focused and listened as intently as he could.

The voice of the formation spirit echoed in his mind.

"The Human Dao of the Sword is the path of opening one's own Daoist Canon through the cultivation of the Dao body, pursuing the unity of man and sword, reaching the realm where man becomes the sword, and forging a complete Dao of the sword through one's own being.

"The Earth Dao of the Sword draws upon the momentum of heaven and earth to make up for one's deficiencies. It seeks the realm of harmony with nature and forges one's Dao of the Sword through the power of the world itself. The sword technique most favored by Qing Feng Zhenren, the supreme sword technique, Qing Feng Sun-Moon Transformation, can be regarded as the pinnacle of the Earth Dao of the Sword.

"The Heavenly Dao of the Sword is a path born directly from the powers of heaven and earth, rarely found in the mortal world. The Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art that you are practicing is one of the few known forms of the Heavenly Dao of the sword within the human realm, and it is based on the power of the stars.

"Right now, you've barely achieved a minor culmination. You are far from being able to draw out its true power."

Wang Sheng furrowed his brow and thought deeply.

Heaven, Earth, and Human... three Great Daos of the Sword? So what Yuan Pu Zhenren had once explained to me about the realms of the Dao of the Sword was actually only the Human Dao of the Sword?

For a moment, Wang Sheng felt that all he knew and had learned was far too shallow. Just within the Dao of the Sword alone, boundless realms were waiting for him to explore.

Countless emotions stirred in his heart. He knew better than to be arrogant or complacent. After all, the Dao of the Sword had no end. In this life, there could be no satisfaction.

"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance."

"It's nothing." The formation spirit sighed. "I have been in solitude for who knows how long. Fortunately, I slept through these thousand years. Otherwise, I truly wouldn't know how I could have endured a millennium without a single challenger."

Wang Sheng nodded a few times in response. Seemingly remembering something, he asked, "Senior, what is the ancient devil sealed beneath the Ziyan Temple? Even though the primal qi of heaven and earth only started recovering three years ago, the ancient devil seems to have somehow survived through its absence. I've already sensed devilish qi starting to leak out."

"It seems to be a young fox devil. I've only heard disciples mention it in passing while challenging the trials. I don't know the specifics." The formation spirit chuckled awkwardly. "Only disciples under the age of twenty-five are allowed into this place. Naturally, no one has come to speak to me directly about such matters."

A... young fox devil?

Wang Sheng sighed in relief, shook the tattered hem of his Daoist robe, and slowly stood up.

"Do you wish to continue with the trials?" The formation spirit asked.

Wang Sheng nodded. "Yes. Since I've agreed to retrieve the Sword-Controlling Art on behalf of the Shu Mountains, I naturally must follow through. Thank you again for your guidance today, Senior—"

"No need to rush your farewell. Just continue onward. I will wait for you on the next floor."

The green light surrounding the formation spirit turned into a flash, and he vanished completely.

Wang Sheng scratched his head, pushed open the slightly ajar stone door before him, and walked up the stairs with his sword. As soon as he charged to the seventh floor, he staggered and almost dropped to his knees before Qing Feng Zhenren.

The layout within was entirely different from the six previous levels!

It was still a stone hall thirty meters in diameter, but the walls bore no carvings. In their place floated nine small bronze cauldrons suspended in mid-air, beneath each of which hovered a treasured sword. They all emanated a strand of sword intent as they locked onto Wang Sheng.

"Though I knew I wouldn't be able to stop you in the end," the formation spirit said from the sealed stone door, then once again took on the form of Qing Feng Zhenren. He casually summoned the first treasured sword and smiled at Wang Sheng. "But if you wish to retrieve the Sword-Controlling Art, you'll have to put in some effort.

"The Sword-Controlling Art is split across the sixty-first, sixty-second, and sixty-third stages. It consists of three volumes: the Sword-Nurturing Techniques, the Sword-Controlling Method, and the Sword-Controlling Techniques.

"Since the Shu Sword Sect's current members have granted you free permission to cultivate here, why not stay a while longer with me? Master the Sword-Controlling Art first, then attempt the final nine stages. That will surely benefit you greatly."

Wang Sheng pursed his lips. Just as he was about to speak, he felt the formation spirit unleash his full force once again.

A new sword intent emerged, and alongside it, the corresponding sword momentum spread outward. The temperature in the surroundings seemed to slowly rise.

After all that chatting, he's still not going to go easy on me?

"I'd love to patiently learn the Sword-Controlling Art, Senior!" Wang Sheng exclaimed. "However, Qing Feng Zhenren's descendants are anxiously waiting to use it to revitalize the sword sect!"

"No matter. It's their own fault for being so useless."

The formation spirit twirled the sword in his hand, his gaze once again glowing with divine brilliance.

"Fourteenth Shu Sword Technique: Flaming Heart Sword."

Wang Sheng had no choice but to focus completely. Another fierce battle was upon him.