Chapter 959: Sword Spirit
Chapter 959: Sword Spirit
He followed the same routine and stayed at the bottom of Heartsword Lake for a long time, eventually capturing seven Shadow Stone Sprites.
"Any deeper, and we'll be at the heart of Heartsword Lake."
As he ventured further, the number of Shadow Stones he could sense decreased, so Lu Xuan gave up and saved himself some time and energy by heading straight for the heart of the lake.
"It is said that many Core Formation Sword Cultivators of the Cave Mystical Sword Sect are buried here."
"Their physical bodies, divine souls, and sword intents have transformed into various Sword Dao treasures, making this their final contribution to the sect."
Lu Xuan's heart filled with respect for those Ancestor Masters whom he had never heard of before.
If he were nearing the end of his lifespan, he might not have had such a selfless spirit.
"However, admiration aside, I must still search for the treasures."
He slowly ventured into the central area of the Heartsword Lake.
The Sword Dao treasures here were even more precious than those in the outer regions. If he was lucky enough to obtain one, it would be a ticket to instant success and a rapid rise in cultivation.
However, the difficulty of acquiring them had also increased exponentially.
Whether it was the Sword Bones formed from the essence of the cultivators' physical bodies or the Sword Spirits born from their soul's spirituality, they all belonged to the Core Formation Sword Cultivators.
Even if he happened to come across one, he would have to exert a great deal of effort to subdue it.
There were two main methods of subduing them: one was to rely on one's own Sword Dao cultivation, using it to overpower and subjugate the Sword Bone or Sword Spirit. The other method required an unparalleled talent in Sword Dao, attracting the Sword Bone or Sword Spirit to submit voluntarily.
Unfortunately, neither of these methods suited Lu Xuan.
While he had cultivated a large number of Sword Grasses and absorbed a significant amount of Sword Intent from experience packets, his Sword Dao cultivation was only average within the Cave Mystical Sword Sect, a sect renowned as one of the best in the Multiverse for Sword Dao. Sword art geniuses were as common as carp crossing the river, and compared to them, Lu Xuan was not among the most outstanding.
As for Sword Dao talent, it was even less impressive. Even with the refinement of treasures like the Clear-Hearted Sword and the Thunderclap Sword Heart, and consuming countless True Sword Essences, his talent in the Sword Dao could only be considered above average within the sect.
"Regardless, it won't hurt to give it a try. Who knows, maybe there's a Sword Bone or Sword Spirit out there with bad taste who'll take a liking to me!"
Lu Xuan thought optimistically.
As he entered the central area, a dense sword energy assaulted his senses, permeating the entire world.
Lu Xuan extended his spiritual sense and cautiously made his way through the myriad of sword energies.
Within this area were numerous graveyards, some simple with just a lone standing stele, while others were grand and resembled vast courtyards, spanning a large area.
Between each graveyard were powerful restrictions, as if creating small worlds separated from each other.
Lu Xuan entered one of them and bowed slightly towards a stele in front of him.
"Sword Sect disciple Lu Xuan greets the predecessor. Please forgive me for disturbing your peace."
His words echoed, but the stele remained silent.
Lu Xuan's expression was calm as he placed several Spirit Fruits before the stele and poured out a cup of Hundred-Fruit Spirit Juice.
Then, he turned and left.
As he entered another graveyard, Lu Xuan's steps suddenly stopped.
On the stele at the center of the graveyard, there was a human figure sitting atop it, seemingly fused with the stone.
The figure had no physical form, and it remained quiet and still, even as Lu Xuan approached.
"This is a Sword Spirit," Lu Xuan thought, filled with emotion.
The Sword Spirit bore some resemblance to the Wrath Sword Master, but the latter was formed from the residual malicious thoughts of a Core Formation True Lord, giving it a strong propensity for aggressive behavior. In contrast, the Sword Spirit before him was a pure spiritual entity.
However, despite the Sword Spirit's seemingly harmless appearance, it would not be an easy task to take it away from its graveyard.
Lu Xuan approached the Sword Spirit and respectfully bowed to it.
"Junior disciple Lu Chen pays his respects to Senior."
The Sword Spirit remained motionless, its gaze fixed ahead.
Lu Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully. He wanted to take this Sword Spirit with him, but he wasn't entirely confident in his ability to do so.
"When in doubt, offer it something to eat."
With that thought, he took out a bottle of True Sword Essence and approached the stele.
The Sword Spirit showed no reaction to his presence, but Lu Chen knew that if he attempted to capture it, he would be met with a tempest of furious attacks.
The True Sword Essence flowed out of the bottle, forming a silvery-gray stream that slowly seeped into the stele.
The Sword Spirit sitting atop the stele finally stirred, its vague features turning towards Lu Chen, its expression unreadable.
Lu Chen slowly focused his spiritual sense on the Sword Spirit.
In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into a chaotic space, and when he awoke, he found himself in the body of a young man wearing the standard robe of the Cave Mystical Sword Sect.
The young man was ordinary in appearance, but he had displayed extraordinary talent in Sword Dao from a young age. He could learn any sword technique in the shortest time possible.
Eventually, his talent caught the attention of the Cave Mystical Sword Sect, and they invited him to join their ranks.
On the day he departed for the sect, the young man was filled with ambition. He boarded the flying boat of the Cave Mystical Sword Sect amidst the envy of his friends and family, embarking on a journey to the world of his dreams.
After joining the sect, the young man became an outer disciple and gained access to top-notch cultivation techniques and supreme sword techniques. His cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.
Before long, he grew from a young man to a middle-aged one and became an inner disciple, his cultivation base continuing to advance at an astonishing pace until he reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
When it was time to advance to the Golden Core stage, he encountered some problems. His first attempt at forming a Golden Core failed, causing him to fall into a state of despair and lose his motivation for cultivation.
The elders and fellow disciples of the Cave Mystical Sword Sect came to his aid, offering him precious Golden Core spirit plants or helping him repair his damaged foundation.
With their support, the young man regained his confidence and successfully advanced to the Golden Core stage on his second attempt.
After becoming a Golden Core cultivator, the sect valued him even more, and he had easy access to all sorts of treasures and cultivation techniques. This fostered an unparalleled sense of belonging to the sect.
At the same time, confident in his strength, he began to travel the world, witnessing the wonders of the multiverse and encountering cultivators of all kinds. On several occasions, he found himself in perilous situations, either resolving them with his own means or calling upon his sect for assistance.
Through countless trials, his resolve to pursue the Dao strengthened, and his cultivation level soared.
When he reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, his Nascent Soul stage master even gifted him an extremely rare seventh-grade spirit plant, which slightly increased his chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.
He was filled with endless gratitude.
After cultivating in seclusion for several decades and with the aid of the sect's grand formation and the protection of several Nascent Soul True Lords, he successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul stage.
At that moment, the heavens and earth displayed wondrous phenomena, and he felt like the path to immortality was within reach.
However, after attaining the Nascent Soul stage, his cultivation journey became increasingly difficult. As his lifespan neared its end, he was still stuck at the early Nascent Soul stage.
He finally grew anxious and desperately sought ways to extend his lifespan, even risking his life by venturing into lands infested with demons and monsters.
But his efforts were in vain, and he could only watch as his life force gradually slipped away, eventually accepting his imminent demise.
On the verge of death, his mind was filled with scenes from over a millennium of memories in the Cave Mystical Sword Sect.
From the day he joined the sect, learned their techniques, and made fellow disciples, to the times he explored secret realms and received aid from the sect during perilous and difficult times—all these memories turned into a deep sense of attachment. Over the years, this attachment evolved into a steadfast conviction.
"Glory to the Cave Mystical Sword Sect!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
