Chapter 196: Triple Sword Intent, Tomb of Heaven and Man

Chapter 196: Triple Sword Intent, Tomb of Heaven and Man

Li Xuan observed the changes in Xu Yan with a nod of satisfaction. His disciple was indeed a prodigious talent.

Xu Yan had not yet fully comprehended the Divine Will Realm's techniques, but he had gained new insights, further enhancing his strength.

His sword intent had reached new heights.

The Mountain and River Sword Intent, once a mere illusion of mountains and rivers, with peaks, flowing waters, and even ethereal human figures and a coiling golden dragon, now took on a more tangible form.

However, it still lacked a sense of realism.

But now, as Xu Yan muttered, "My will is the will of Heaven, and my form is the form of Heaven," referring to the enigmatic Divine Will Realm technique, he suddenly achieved enlightenment.

The Mountain and River Sword Intent began to transform. While the landscape remained somewhat illusory, the scenery had changed.

At a glance, one no longer saw vague outlines of mountains and rivers but—the Canglan Island!

Xu Yan's sword intent, at first glance, resembled a miniaturized version of the entire Canglan Island!

"A Mountain and River Sword Intent that mimics its surroundings!"

Li Xuan was stunned by this revelation, realizing that Xu Yan had deduced this from the concept of "my form is the form of Heaven."

One could imagine that whenever Xu Yan faced an opponent, his sword intent would adapt to the environment, trapping his enemies within without them even realizing it.

What a formidable and terrifying ability!

"Your disciple, Xu Yan, has comprehended the third level of Mountain and River Sword Intent. You have perfected the third level of Mountain and River Sword Intent."

A golden light appeared, signaling feedback from the Golden Finger.

Third level of Sword Intent!

The mountains and rivers merge with the heavens and the earth. Wherever I stand becomes the mountains and rivers, and thus, my sword intent!

Li Xuan's heart thrilled with excitement as he once again experienced the joy of witnessing his strength soar.

Xu Yan continued to immerse himself in his insights, and Li Xuan, not wanting to disturb him, turned and departed with a graceful flourish.

He had already imparted the Divine Will Realm technique to Xu Yan, and it was now up to Xu Yan to decipher it in his own time. Given Xu Yan's exceptional talent, Li Xuan estimated that he would likely comprehend it by the time he perfected the Transcendent Realm.

"My will is the will of Heaven, and within the coverage of my divine will, none can defy. However, it is up to Xu Yan to refine his martial arts divine will and condense the will of the heavens and the earth into his own."

"Unless something unexpected happens, once he opens the Niwan Palace, constructs the spiritual platform, and forms his divine will, he should be able to see the true nature of the Golden Finger."

Li Xuan sat in his chair, his heart racing with anticipation.

Focusing his consciousness, he could perceive the faint golden light—the manifestation of the Golden Finger. If his speculations were correct, once he broke through the Divine Will Realm, he should be able to fully grasp the true nature of the Golden Finger.

Perhaps he might even be able to utilize its power.

He wondered eagerly about the true nature of his Golden Finger.

"The number of Great Wilderness warriors is increasing."

Li Xuan glanced at his Hundred Martial God Shadows, which were approaching two hundred in number.

Xu Yan continued to cultivate and gain insights, and Li Xuan could gauge his progress through his own strength. He could tell that Xu Yan's power was growing stronger with each passing moment.

It seemed that Xu Yan had gained numerous insights and was now in a phase of rapid improvement.

"I wonder what's so special about the place Meng Chong went to. Based on the time, he should be close to breaking through the Transcendent Realm as well."

Li Xuan pondered silently.

On Canglan Island, the red cat lay curled up in the Spirit Fruit Forest, taking a nap. When it woke up, it would swim in the Cang River and then go to Su Lingxiu to beg for treats. After eating the pills she gave, it would go back to sleep.

"This big cat is going to become a powerful beast. I wonder how its insights are coming along and how strong it will be after its transformation. I'm curious to see what kind of feedback it can provide me."

Li Xuan looked forward to the cat's development.

Peace reigned on Canglan Island, and no more powerful enemies attacked.

Xie Lingfeng had completely switched to cultivating the Great Wilderness martial arts, and the solidification of the Heavenly Bridge had significantly increased his speed of absorbing the world's spiritual energy.

His strength was growing, and he was steadily accumulating power.

Hu Shan and several Martial Arts Bachelors had also successfully switched to the Great Wilderness path and become Innate Realm warriors, even if they weren't orthodox practitioners.

Zhou Ying had broken through to the Innate Realm.

With Zhou Ying's breakthrough, Shi Er felt the pressure and became determined not to lag behind.

Su Lingxiu had reached the pinnacle of the Innate Realm and was preparing to break through the Transcendent Realm. However, as she was a spiritual body, her breakthrough would not involve a sublimation and transformation.

Nevertheless, she continued to deepen her foundation and tirelessly researched pills, summarizing the Martial Apothecary Canon.

Martial apothecary warriors were inherently weaker in combat, so Su Lingxiu, aware of the many enemies she faced, did her best to enhance her fighting capabilities.

Whenever she had free time, she sought out her senior brother to continue her insights into the Eight Trigrams, determined to develop her own unique combat style.

She had long replaced her shovel.

Using top-grade treasure artifact materials, she had forged a new shovel, her weapon of choice, capable of burying her opponents!

With Su Lingxiu's advancement to the pinnacle of the Innate Realm, Li Xuan's Martial Apothecary Dao also stepped into the Transcendent Realm.

Xu Junhe was preparing to break through to the Innate Realm.

With Xu Junhe's breakthrough, Shi Er felt even more dejected, finding himself falling behind once again.

Kou Ruozhi was also making preparations to reach the Innate Realm, spurring Shi Er to intensify his cultivation. He pushed himself day and night, determined not to let Kou Ruozhi surpass him.

Finally, three days later, Shi Er began his breakthrough to the Innate Realm.

Li Xuan was thrilled to see the appearance of an Innate Realm shadow among his Hundred Martial God Shadows, knowing that as the strength of the Great Wilderness warriors grew, the realm of the shadows would also advance.

If the entire inner domain were to embrace the Great Wilderness, as Kou Ruozhi and Xu Junhe envisioned, his foundation of shadows would become unimaginably powerful.

After Shi Er's breakthrough, he was given the serrated knife that Meng Chong had brought back, and his excitement knew no bounds. He sparred with Zhou Ying every day, relishing the constant improvement in his skills despite rarely winning.

...

The Seven Stars Academy had already introduced Great Wilderness martial arts classes, and many warriors were cultivating this path, influenced by Xu Yan's formidable display of power.

In a small courtyard somewhere...

Du Yuying's aura fluctuated, her face alternating between flushed and pale, with beads of sweat occasionally forming on her forehead.

After a long while, she opened her eyes, revealing a weary expression.

Although she had broken through to the Grandmaster Realm, the issues with her body remained unresolved, occasionally manifesting in unexpected ways.

"Cough, cough..."

Du Yuying gently coughed a few times, her mind drifting to the image of a handsome and graceful figure. Whenever she thought of him, her heart softened.

"My body has some defects, brought about by my bloodline. To completely resolve this issue, I must find that place."

Du Yuying's thoughts turned inward.

Her mother's sudden death was related to this, and if she couldn't fix this defect, she would one day meet the same fate.

She refused to accept that destiny!

That place was a secret location passed down through her mother's family for generations. Finding it would allow her to address her physical flaws and possibly gain access to some inherited knowledge.

Her marriage into the Du Hou royal family had been partly motivated by her desire to use their resources to locate that place, but she had made no progress so far.

When her mother passed away, she entrusted the task of finding that place to Du Yuying.

"Really?" Du Yuying asked, her face lighting up with excitement. She got up and started to walk out, saying, "Cui'er, prepare a generous gift. I'm going to pay a visit to Master Xu."

"Yes, Miss," Cui'er nodded excitedly.

In the front hall, a man dressed in gray bowed and said, "Miss, we've located the place approximately. It's within this area, but it's difficult to access and there are some dangers."

Du Yuying took the map and examined it carefully before replying, "Thank you for your hard work."

That very day, Du Yuying left the Seven Stars Academy and set off for Canglan Island. On this trip, she did not bring Cui'er or any guardians with her. The importance of this place meant that bringing Cui'er along would only hold her back.

Cui'er understood and could only blame herself for her lack of strength. She resolved to work hard and improve her cultivation.

An unexpected visitor arrived on Canglan Island.

They were there to see Xu Yan.

"Miss Du, what brings you here? And why are you looking for me?" Xu Yan asked, puzzled.

Since their first meeting, Du Yuying's strength had increased significantly, and she had now entered the initial stages of the Grandmaster Realm. However, she seemed more delicate and fragile than before.

Gone was the initial valiant and spirited aura, replaced by a hint of weakness that seemed related to her physical condition, like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.

"Master Xu, it's been a while," Du Yuying said, a hint of shyness in her smile.

Li Xuan, watching from a distance, wore a strange expression on his face. Was she Xu Yan's female puppy dog?

He fell into deep thought. His disciple had a female puppy dog, but he, as a master, didn't even have a maid. Was he a failure in some way?

"It hasn't been that long, has it?" Xu Yan thought for a moment. It didn't feel like a long time had passed since their last meeting.

Du Yuying maintained her smile as she said, "Perhaps not for you, Master Xu, but for me, it has felt like an eternity. I have come here today..." She paused, her face turning red as she started coughing.

"Miss Du, is there something wrong with your body? Should I ask my junior sister to take a look?" Xu Yan asked with concern.

During the escort mission, he had noticed her physical issues and assumed that she would have recovered by now. He hadn't expected her condition to persist even after reaching the Grandmaster Realm.

"No need," Du Yuying shook her head. "It's something I was born with."

"Master Xu, I have come here with a request. I would like to ask you to escort me to a certain place," Du Yuying said, taking out a bag.

She noticed the small bag hanging at Xu Yan's waist, resembling a toad. Her heart sank as she realized she had been too late to buy him a storage bag as a gift.

However, for this trip, she had prepared one million spirit crystals.

Xu Yan scratched his head apologetically and said, "Miss Du, your family has many powerful cultivators who can escort you. I'm afraid I can't leave right now.

"I don't lack spirit crystals either, so..."

Du Yuying's hand froze, and she fell silent for a moment before suddenly bursting into a fit of coughing, her face turning bright red.

"Miss Du..." Xu Yan's heart skipped a beat as he saw how fragile Du Yuying's body seemed.

"I'm fine!" Du Yuying took a few breaths to calm herself. She then pushed the bag into Xu Yan's hand and said, "Master Xu, I know you're in a difficult position, but I really can't think of anyone else to ask.

"I don't fully trust the strong cultivators in my family, and this place is of utmost importance as it holds the key to resolving my physical defects.

"Aside from you, Master Xu, I don't know who else to turn to."

Xu Yan was put in a difficult spot. If it had been before, he would have readily agreed the moment he saw the one million spirit crystals. But now, he didn't need the crystals anymore, and he no longer had to worry about obtaining spirit crystals or spirit herbs.

However, Du Yuying was a friend. The first money he had earned after entering the Inner Domain was from escorting her, and he had even killed several Grandmasters. He had also acquired spirit herbs one after another.

"Master Xu, the place is... the Tomb of Heaven and Man!" Du Yuying said in a low voice.

Xu Yan was taken aback. The Tomb of Heaven and Man?

Such a secret and valuable place, and Du Yuying was directly telling him about it? This showed a great deal of trust.

"I, Xu Yan, am known for my integrity," he thought to himself before saying, "Alright, I'll escort you there."

He finally understood why Du Yuying hadn't asked the powerful cultivators from the royal family. The Tomb of Heaven and Man was so alluring that it could make those Grandmasters betray their families.

They would even forsake their own kin for it.

But since he cultivated the martial arts of the Outer Domain, the allure of the tomb wasn't as strong for him. He was merely curious.

"Thank you so much, Master Xu!" Du Yuying exclaimed happily.

Li Xuan, eavesdropping on their conversation, couldn't help but feel intrigued. "The Tomb of Heaven and Man? This is interesting. This girl has a physical defect, similar to Su Lingxiu's initial condition."

With his current insight, Li Xuan could tell that Du Yuying possessed a unique body or bloodline but that her environment had limited her, leading to these defects.

It was similar to Su Lingxiu's situation, but Su Lingxiu's mother had taken spirit herbs from the moment she became pregnant, ensuring that although Su Lingxiu's constitution was imperfect and lacking, it didn't result in any physical ailments.

Du Yuying's mother, on the other hand, likely hadn't received such treatment, and she may have had defects herself, which explained Du Yuying's condition.

"The Tomb of Heaven and Man... This Inner Domain is quite intriguing, hiding some unknown secrets," Li Xuan mused to himself.

It would be good for Xu Yan to visit the tomb. Perhaps he would gain some insights or even enlighten himself about the Divine Will Realm technique.

"Master, I want to escort Miss Du to a place," Xu Yan said respectfully to Li Xuan.

"Go ahead," Li Xuan nodded.

"Master, that place is the Tomb of Heaven and Man. Is there anything special I should know about it?" Xu Yan asked thoughtfully.

Li Xuan pondered for a moment and recalled Wu, his predecessor, whose body had been taken over. The greatest danger in the Tomb of Heaven and Man was the possibility of encountering the lingering souls of Heavenly Man cultivators who hadn't completely perished. These souls could attempt to take over the bodies of intruders.

However, Xu Yan's Wind Sword Intent could both defend and attack, and for the lingering souls to attempt a takeover would be akin to seeking death. Even if they were in perfect condition, it would still be suicidal.

So, Xu Yan didn't have much to worry about, but Du Yuying might be a target for soul takeover.

"When entering the Tomb of Heaven and Man, just be cautious of lingering souls trying to take over your body," Li Xuan advised.

Xu Yan nodded thoughtfully, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Thank you for the reminder, Master. I will keep that in mind."

"Hmm," Li Xuan acknowledged.

Xu Yan went to bid farewell to his parents and junior sister, while Du Yuying respectfully greeted Xu Junhe and his wife, her respectful demeanor delighting Xu's mother.

That very day, Xu Yan and Du Yuying left Canglan Island and embarked on their journey to the Tomb of Heaven and Man.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end