Chapter 463: The Subtle Wonders of Sword Intent

The more they learned about the Heavenly Court, the more Earth's cultivators felt insignificant.

How many Golden Core Realm cultivators did Earth's cultivation world even have? Among them, how many could form a Nascent Soul and survive the heavenly tribulation? How many would reach their limits before they even ascended?

In contrast, even the Heavenly Court's cannon fodder were immortals. The thought alone was enough to shake the Dao Heart of any cultivator.

Grand palaces were all over the Small Immortal Realm. It also had gleaming jade platforms and golden steps as far as the eye could see. Considering this was just the Heavenly Court's temporary camp, the Daoist masters and elders inevitably felt a pang of emotion.

The Celestial Master sighed. "Reviving the Heavenly Court is a difficult task."

Huai Jing smiled. "

Amithaba.

I agree. The path of cultivation is long and burdensome. Looking back, our forefathers never claimed to be immortals of the Heavenly Court. They merely left behind their Daoist heritage in this realm."

In a solemn tone, Yuan Pu Zhenren remarked, "Even so, we cannot deny that our lineage still traces back to the Heavenly Court. We may very well fly beyond this realm in the future. Matters like this have to be handled with care."

Walking at the front, Wang Sheng thought for a while. Instead of mentioning the Realm of Exiled Immortals, he turned and said, "There's one thing you should all keep in mind."

Qing Long chuckled. "That disciples should avoid talking about the Heavenly Court, which you've mentioned earlier?"

Wang Sheng nodded. "

Mm

. And not just that. As it stands now, the cultivation world's safest course of action is to erase all traces of the Heavenly Court's existence. Unaffiliated practitioners aside, the Daoist sects have tens of thousands of cultivators. Our numbers alone make it inevitable for rumors to spread.

"If even one disciple, for whatever reason, lets slip something about the Heavenly Court one day, I'm eighty to ninety percent certain that a Grand Dao Golden Immortal would descend and wipe us out, perhaps even destroy this entire realm."

The Daoist masters all fell silent as they flew behind Wang Sheng through the Small Immortal Realm's upper layers. Though he sounded relaxed, he made perfect sense.

Large groups were difficult to lead. When people gathered, interests clashed. All it would take was one or two Earth cultivators with insufficient comprehension for their entire cultivation world to face unimaginable consequences.

Fortunately, the sect masters and elders traveling with him were among the most respected and influential people in their cultivation world. On their way to the Platform of Immortal Dreams, they quickly proposed several countermeasures.

They considered carefully selecting who would be allowed to venture out, altering cultivators' perceptions, and concealing the fact that their forefathers had once been Heavenly Court immortals. Their ideas soon formed the basis for several provisional decrees.

However, enforcing them was an entirely different matter. After all, the human mind was hard to read. One could know a person's face, but not their heart.

***

Half a day later.

Standing quietly beside the Platform of Immortal Dreams, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan watched four Daoist masters walk up the steps of the platform and pass its three trials. On top of it, four candles flared to life, a sign that the four had entered their respective Dream Realms. No one knew how long it would take before they reemerged.

. Under Yaoyun's control, Spiritless rose slowly into the air. She was tasked with monitoring the cultivators' movements within the Small Immortal Realm.

Most of the Daoist elders had taken a wooden boat and paddled into the Pool of Immortal Arts, searching for an immortal art that resonated with their own path. This not only enriched their cultivation techniques but also offered a chance to expand the Daoist canon of their respective heritages.

Meanwhile, Xi Lian, who was half a Buddhist cultivator, and Huai Jing, a pure monk, were in a secluded corner of the upper realm, where a great palace radiated Buddhist light. Intrigued, they searched for a way in.

Jingyun had gone to a celestial palace specifically meant for secluded cultivation. With its aid, she began her attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

To make the Moon Palace expedition more fruitful for the Daoist masters, Wang Sheng had even used several top-grade Spirit Stones to create a few areas where primal qi was exceptionally dense. He also instructed Yaoyun to remind the Daoist masters to enter the Platform of Immortal Dreams at the right times. After all, at their cultivation stage, it would provide them the most benefit.

They would stay in the Small Immortal Realm for no more than three years.

After making sure everyone had settled down, Wang Sheng accompanied his senior sister to the Pool of Transcendence.

"Tribulation," Mu Wanxuan softly said before stepping into the pool, expressing her determination to break through the entire Rebirth Realm before emerging.

Concerned, Wang Sheng countered, "Cultivation should not be forced."

His senior sister nodded gently, but within her soft gaze was a clear, unwavering resolve. She had already decided to surpass her junior brother here.

Wang Sheng could only sigh. He watched as she stepped gracefully into the misty pool, her light feather robe drifting like clouds. Afterward, he used a few celestial crystals to create a small spirit-gathering array, sat within it, and examined himself.

His path revolved around his Primordial Spirit. Although his Dao Body had become quite powerful, the true foundation of his cultivation still lay in the Primordial Spirit.

Although he had told Yaoyun earlier that he intended to pass through his heavenly tribulation steadily, her single question had pierced his heart.

"Are you willing to settle for less?"

Of course not.

This was his chance to strengthen his foundation and better prepare for the immortal path ahead. If he could maximize this opportunity, he could reach the absolute limit of the Tribulation and Ascension Realms.

Wang Sheng couldn't help but think back to what he had just told his senior sister.

"Cultivation should not be forced."

Chuckling softly, he cleared away the stray thoughts clouding his mind. He then closed his eyes to cultivate.

His Nascent Soul was now half-transparent. Around it circled several tiny swords, each showing subtle signs of transformation.

The Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent seemed to have been forged from the purest crystal. Stars shimmered and shifted within it, corresponding to the constellations above. One of them symbolized the ruler of all stars—the emperor of the heavens. Its Great Dao had infinite potential, yet Wang Sheng, trapped within the Realm of Exiled Immortals, could not yet truly grasp the power of the stars.

Among Wang Sheng's four great sword intents, the Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent was now the second most important. It was the bane of mid-stage Tribulation Realm cultivators, the very foundation of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning Flash, and the key to tempering his Dao Body.

The path of divine punishment it offered was no weaker than the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent. However, the overwhelming heavenly might had daunted Wang Sheng enough to stop him from pursuing it deeply. He had long planned to lower his standard, transform the Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent into a Lightning Tribulation Sword Intent, and focus instead on lightning techniques.

Meanwhile, he had made little progress in his Dual-Polarity Sword Intent, and he had yet to finish forming his Pure Yang Sword Intent.

Wang Sheng's next focus was to comprehend the Pure Yang Sword Intent. Even if he did not use the Pure Yang Sword Song in battle, it would still greatly enhance his mastery of the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra.

The Pure Yang Sword Intent and the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra complemented, reflected, and reinforced each other. Mastering both allowed Wang Sheng's cultivation in the Dao of the Sword and the Dao of Pure Yang to progress twice as fast with half the effort. More importantly, breakthroughs in one catalyzed breakthroughs in the other, giving him another way to get past future bottlenecks.

Taking those factors into consideration, he couldn't help but find the Pure Yang Sword Intent extraordinary. Seeking to break through as fast as he could, he began to meditate on it.

***

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Wang Sheng's aura had begun to fluctuate uncontrollably. When he opened his right hand, enchanted power surged like a spring, and on his palm formed a longsword of milky white light, its warmth spreading softly in all directions.

He had grasped the Pure Yang Sword Intent—its initial form, at least.

Rising to his feet, Wang Sheng walked a short distance away, took out Flying Haze, and infused it with Pure Yang Sword Intent. As he unleashed the complete Pure Yang Sword Song, new layers of comprehension surfaced within his heart.

The forefathers of the Daoist heritages were peerless even among the immortals of the Heavenly Court, and Chun Yangzi stood out as the most exceptional of them all. His Pure Yang Immortal Mantra and Pure Yang Sword Song were nearly perfect.

While advancing along the path that his predecessors had paved, Wang Sheng also persisted in forging his own way, seeking what set him apart from the forefathers. Those differences were the key to his future cultivation.

After practicing sword techniques for three days and three nights, Wang Sheng spent half a day in quiet reflection. He then drifted and took a look at the Platform of Immortal Dreams, finding the lit candles had gone up to eight. Spiritless flew to his side, and Yaoyun reported who had entered the platform.

A few days earlier, two Daoist masters had emerged from the Platform of Immortal Dreams. They had gained a lot from it, though not as much as Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan.

Huai Jing and Xi Lian had also entered the Platform of Immortal Dreams half a month ago. Beforehand, they had somehow gotten permission from a palace spirit to enter the palace that they had been scouting. Inside, they obtained Buddhist arts and a few Buddhist artifacts. Xi Lian, who had long lacked a suitable treasured artifact, got two immortal treasures for combat, sharply increasing her combat power.

Having confirmed that everything was proceeding smoothly, Wang Sheng returned to the Pool of Transcendence and continued his previous rhythm of cultivation. Day after day, he repeatedly alternated between comprehending the Dao and practicing the sword.

In cultivation, there was no room for idle thought. Gaining even just one insight could take a hundred years of effort.

Mu Wanxuan steadily advanced within the Pool of Transcendence, yet her desire to overtake her junior brother was likely in vain. Disregarding their relative realms, Wang Sheng seemed to be progressing slightly faster than his senior sister, even though she was in the Pool of Transcendence.

***

In the rear courtyard of the Pure Yang Sword Faction, three young disciples gathered in the pavilion under the moonlight. One held a fruit tray and munched on grapes. Another massaged the shoulders and legs of Qing Yanzi, who sat on a rocking chair.

"Master, why is Second Martial Brother's Dao of the Sword so powerful?" Li Jing'an asked.

Qing Yanzi smiled as he fanned himself lightly. "That's because he trained diligently and had a mind for contemplation. Back in his early cultivation days, he always showed a hint of madness and obsession. He trained through the scorching summer and the bitter winter, never allowing himself even a day of rest. That's how he built the foundation that allowed him to surpass everyone and eventually soar to the heavens."

Li Jing'an's eyes immediately blazed with determination.

Zhou Liuji muttered, "I doubt that's all there is to it, Master. Second Martial Brother is insanely talented. It's pure talent."

"When Fei Yu first approached me, he was actually inferior to you three in terms of talent and aptitude." Qing Yanzi gazed at the full moon. "He was also seventeen already when he started cultivating. You three started much earlier.

"Your first martial sister far surpasses him in aptitude, too. After all, she's quite simple, and her nature is aligned with the Dao. She's also the reincarnation of an immortal. Even so, Fei Yu already showed signs of surpassing her even before he was trapped in the Earth Qi Seal."

Wei Lin asked softly, "Master, why is that?"

"Mindset, or rather, perspective." Qing Yanzi sighed. "Your second martial brother is full of wild ideas. From the Seven-Star Sword Formation, he derived the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation, and he even used enchanted power to simulate heavenly tribulation."

He cleared his throat.

"I do not recommend imitating him, though. Just cultivate properly. Now, go practice the sword techniques you learned today. Anyone who fails to master them doesn't sleep tonight."

"Yes, Master!"

Full of spirit, Li Jing'an jumped up, while Zhou Liuji groaned deeply at the sky. Wei Lin pouted as she followed her two junior martial siblings out of the pavilion, her wooden sword in hand.

Once they had all assumed a stance, Li Jing'an led the way in practicing the sword techniques that they had learned that day. Through it all, the two beside him kept sneaking glances at each other.