Chapter 271: Third Sword Intent

This must be what a wealthy family in the Immortal Dao looks like.

The immortal dresses came in all kinds of styles, and every single one was an immortal treasure. However, none of them were meant for combat, which was a little frustrating. They merely had visual and special effects added to improve their appearance and comfort.

A princess of the Heavenly Court was certainly not to be underestimated.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands of immortal dresses, with matching accessories arranged alongside them. Wang Sheng's spiritual consciousness moved slowly through the first level of the Qiankun Ring, carefully examining each item.

In the left corner, immortal light enveloped several large cabinets full of jewelry. On the right side were shelves that resembled those in a massive library. They were full of even more precious accessories, embroidered shoes, and immortal robes.

Wang Sheng felt a mix of emotions.

By the infinite gods above! With Lu the Progenitor as my witness, I vow to work hard enough to become a wealthy immortal and buy my senior sister an entire palace full of luxurious accessories! I will never be able to match the wealth of the Heavenly Court's princess, though.

Next, I have to find a nice skirt to... wear... Eh?

Only then did Wang Sheng realize the predicament he was in. Had he been an ancient man, he likely would not have cared about putting on a precious immortal dress. At most, it would have been considered improper.

However, he was a modern cultivator from an age of advanced information networks. Hence, the norms he was accustomed to were a bit more complicated. Casually putting on some flowery immortal dress would destroy his lifelong reputation. Even his Dao Heart would suffer serious damage, and his cultivation path would be forever overshadowed.

He would rather die than wear a dress. This was a matter of principle.

His spiritual consciousness circled multiple times until a clothing item finally caught his attention. After a moment of hesitation, he decisively pulled out a pair of sky-blue pants.

Meant to be worn underneath, the pants resembled modern training trousers. The style was unisex, loose-fitting, and extremely simple. There were no distinguishing masculine or feminine features, no embedded treasures or restrictive enchantments. They were purely the garments of an immortal.

As he slipped them on, the pants automatically adjusted their thickness, width, and length to Wang Sheng's proportions—his legs in this case[1]. Once it fit snugly, it felt as cool and light as a swan's feather. A subtle fragrance also wafted from the fabric.

He placed the Qiankun Ring beside the hilt of Spiritless. Having just successfully informed the people outside of his situation, Wang Sheng was in such a good mood that he couldn't help but smile. "Can you even go through all the clothes you've collected, Fairy Yaoyun?"

Yaoyun replied calmly, "

I'm not that interested in clothes. Every time there was an immortal gathering at the Jade Pool or any formal occasion, people brought my mother many gifts. She always gave some to us. When the Heavenly Court war broke out, I didn't have time to pack my chambers before rushing to battle. Those are just the things I usually carry with me.

"

Wang Sheng felt a little speechless.

Noticing that the fairy seemed to be in a good mood, he took the opportunity to ask how to slowly unlock the Earth Qi Seal. Yaoyun explained the seals she had placed, but the Dao of Formations was incredibly vast and profound. Wang Sheng had little experience with it. Since even his one-man sword formation was still part of the Dao of the Sword, he soon became a little dizzy listening to her.

After listening for a while and understanding that Yaoyun was completely confident in her method, Wang Sheng stopped worrying. He returned to the corner, lightly patted the celestial crystals before him, and closed his eyes to calm his mind.

I might as well cultivate.

Though he was missing his senior sister, he still had no way to leave. Reducing two thousand years to just twenty was already incredible.

He had survived and now bathed in the Earth Qi Immortal Spring. After a divine soul had possessed him, his Golden Core, spiritual platform, and even his soul all improved significantly. Now, he even had the guidance of the Heavenly Court's princess, who was undeniably powerful.

Speaking of, she said she would guide me in cultivation, but she never mentioned it again.

Wang Sheng opened his eyes. He had never been shy when it came to asking for guidance.

"

Um...

are you still there, Fairy Yaoyun?"

"

I'm here. Just speak.

" Flowing light gathered, and Yaoyun reappeared on the hilt of the sword.

Wang Sheng cleared his throat. "Can my cultivation method right now still be improved?"

"

Emperor Gouchen praised Lu Dongbin's cultivation technique, the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra. It should be considered a high-grade immortal art that does not require any changes,

" Yaoyun gently answered telepathically.

She sounded quite light-hearted yet serious. It seemed she didn't think of guiding him as a mere casual matter.

"

You favor the sword, and your path also lies in the Dao of the Sword. I once listened to Emperor Ziwei's teachings, followed him in cultivation, and fought alongside him for thousands of years. Why don't you show me your mastery of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art so I can determine the level of comprehension you've reached?

"

"Alright!"

Wang Sheng eagerly stood up and used his enchanted power to condense a qi sword in his hand. Though it didn't contain much power, he only had to show her his progress in the Dao of the Sword and his understanding of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art.

Now that he had pants on, he felt much more at ease. He smoothly and unimpededly leaped and moved about within the multicolored clouds and lights. His sword techniques were intricate and refined, with sword principles embedded in every move.

After performing the Seven-Star Sword Formation, Wang Sheng immediately performed the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation. These two formations together formed the complete Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art.

When he unleashed the Ziwei Sword, the final strike, insight flooded his mind. He stopped to absorb the new realizations. Finally, after a brief pause, he opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. The qi sword in his hand slowly dissipated.

Yaoyun gave him simple guidance.

"

Your understanding of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art already far exceeds your Daoist realm. You don't have to push too hard. Some of your sword moves still lack fluidity, though. Do them again, but slowly this time. I'll point out your flaws in detail.

"

Wang Sheng beamed. "Thank you so much, Fairy."

"

No need for such formality. The stronger your Sword Dao becomes, the easier things will be for me.

"

Wang Sheng quickly understood what she meant. Even though she had reforged and inhabited Spiritless, it still belonged to him. He did not feel particularly emotional about it, though. No matter how powerful Spiritless was, it was still just a sword.

His Dao of the Sword primarily followed the Heavenly Dao of the Sword, though Yuan Pu Zhenren's Human Dao of the Sword had also influenced him. He did train in the Sword-Controlling Art as well, but it was not part of the Shu Mountains' Earth Dao of the Sword.

Wang Sheng understood that he was not merely a sword controller. He was a sword wielder. Pursuing the power of a treasured sword alone was the inferior path.

With Yaoyun's guidance, he refined several of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art's techniques. New insights began to stir within him again. Though it did not immediately raise his realm, it did strengthen his Sword Dao.

Having already sent out a signal to the outside world, Wang Sheng decided to cultivate in seclusion within the Earth Qi Seal. As long as his senior sister knew he was alive, she would certainly inform their master, who would then let his parents know. Others who cared about him would receive notice from the Special Investigation Unit.

His master and senior sister's realms likely wouldn't change too drastically in twenty years. He'd be missing the promised trip to Sakura Island, though. Moreover, his parents would surely have aged a lot by then. Once he escaped from this place, he ought to find a chance to repay their kindness and fulfill his filial duty at their side.

Wang Xiaomiao would have likely grown into a graceful young woman by then. Missing her childhood saddened Wang Sheng a little, but as long as she grew up healthy and happy, that was enough.

By the time he could leave, universal cultivation techniques would have likely already been promoted, and the lifespan of the entire Hua Republic's population had been extended.

As his mind wandered, Wang Sheng stared at the celestial crystals before him. He pressed his palm on them briefly, then pulled back and turned to condense another qi sword.

The tiny fairy sitting on the hilt wanted to speak up but held back. Instead, she quietly watched Wang Sheng continue his sword practice.

This time, Wang Sheng used the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent, the Seven-Star Sword Art, and the Taiyi Golden Immortal Sword Art.

When he finally stopped, he sat in meditation to reflect on his insights. Yaoyun also returned to the hilt to begin the second stage of her cultivation.

Yaoyun had already told Wang Sheng that gradually lifting the Earth Qi Seal would benefit the entire cultivation world. It would reunite the martial siblings sooner and eliminate future dangers from the seal.

However, she had not told him that it came at a cost. As the seal was slowly undone, Yaoyun's spiritual entity would gradually merge with the reforged Spiritless, which now served as the core of the great formation. In the future, it would become exponentially harder for her to separate from the sword.

Unless she could find someone as strong as Emperor Ziwei, she would remain bound as the sword's spirit forever. For someone who had already attained the Dao—a noble whom all immortals once revered—this was difficult to accept.

Yaoyun could have faded into the wind, perished from her injuries, or reincarnated and started anew. She could have done what she was doing now—gathering her divine soul into a spiritual entity and cultivating all over again. Even though the path of spiritual cultivation was fraught with difficulty, she believed she could still return to her peak.

But now, she had become the spirit of a sword. And she could end up staying that way forever.

As a sword spirit, Yaoyun would inevitably serve a swordmaster. She wouldn't know how to face the other immortals in the future, even if Wang Sheng was...

"

Haaaa.

"

Yaoyun sighed softly. Pushing aside her thoughts, she began her long journey of cultivation as a sword spirit. However, just as she had started forming her spiritual entity, an unusual fluctuation appeared outside the blade.

"

You really don't know how to stay still, do you?

"

She spread her senses outward, assuming that Wang Sheng had broken through to the late stage of the Golden Core Realm. However, the sight before her proved even more dumbfounding.

Wang Sheng was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, seemingly sensing something. In his left hand, which he had raised in the air, a longsword took shape. Its blade was made entirely of lightning, and its hilt a cluster of cyan clouds.

It was clearly related to the theory that Wang Sheng had developed—the forbidden concept of simulating heavenly tribulation through enchanted power. Yet now, the aura of the heavenly tribulation was clearly different. It seemed to fuse countless principles and truths into a single force.

It had become the Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent!

1. Intentional innuendo joke. ☜