You Already Stand Above Heaven Rank

Half an hour ago.

The Sword Fence Layer remained shrouded in darkness, enveloped by sharp Sword Intent and surging Netherworld beings from all sides.

Xiao Ran bit into the Magma Swallowing Beast Pill, and the gushing spirit essence poured into his throat, soaking his Dantian and merging into his Qi Sea.

After consuming the last drop of resources he had plundered, he gritted his teeth and endured the oppressive darkness of the soul, the relentless torment of sword Sword Intent, and the surging attacks of the underworld souls.

Without using his Master's Bone of the Blood Moon, his Senior Uncle's Blood Burst Pill, or the Resonance Power, relying solely on the massive resources he had plundered, the Pill Wall reinforced by the Flood Dragon Pill, and the Resonance Power, he actually managed to break through the clouds with his Qi Refining Cultivation Level cultivation and finally see the broad road leading to the top of the Sword Tomb.

Heaven Tier!

He gazed into the distance, as if he could see the magnificent, holy light of the Immortal Realm...

Just as he was about to take a step, he suddenly frowned, glanced to the east, and then to the west.

As if drawn by something, it stood there motionless for a long time.

Blood mist shrouded the sky, and the Netherworld Body roamed back and forth, its Sword Intent surging endlessly, but it no longer attacked him, instead clearing a broad road for him.

His eyes were calm and unwavering; he stood there for a quarter of an hour, as if in Enter Samadhi.

Suddenly, the swift Sword Intent swirled, gathered, and condensed into a white-clad figure that appeared before him.

The figure in white was not very tall, and its appearance and figure were very blurry, barely maintaining an image and temperament.

However, it possesses the soul pressure of the Great Ascension Realm!

It gives you a sense of grandeur overlooking all living beings, the vastness of the universe, the vicissitudes of countless years, and the sorrow of enduring suffering and experiencing hell.

Little Mist?

It doesn't seem like it.

Xiao Ran should have been shocked, but his attention was drawn to something else, and he remained calm.

After staring at Xiao Ran for a moment, what surprised them more was the sudden appearance of the faceless figure in white.

The man in white stood with his hands behind his back, his voice ethereal and unrestrained, and slowly asked:

"If you can move forward, why stop?"

Xiao Ran then realized that this was just a remnant soul.

The pressure of the Great Ascension Realm is limited to soul power; its Spiritual Pressure fluctuations are not as robust as those of a Qi Refining cultivator. It can be said that it is merely a facade.

Xiao Ran's physique, Balanced Five-Elements Endowment, and his Heaven Tier Art of Resonance make him least afraid of soul attacks.

Perhaps this is the reason why he can be so calm.

If you encounter a suspicious stranger, never answer their questions casually; ask your own questions first.

"Who are you?"

The figure in white stood tall with its head held high, its feet planted in the weeds, like a ghost suspended in mid-air.

"Don't the current Sword Succession Bearers even recognize the Sect Leader?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran realized that the voice was extremely similar in tone to the aged voice that had been heard at the Elder Council.

The difference is that one is the vigorous spirit of a middle-aged person, while the other is the faint sound of a dying candle.

It is indeed the remnant soul of the sect leader!

Moreover, judging from the degree of decline in the soul power of this remnant soul, it has a history of at least five thousand years.

The sect leader is clearly not dead yet; he's still dozing in his underground cave on the Main Peak. What's he doing here with a remnant soul left here five thousand years ago? Xiao Ran didn't immediately treat him with respect, but simply replied.

"This disciple has only been a disciple for half a month and does not recognize the remnant soul of the sect leader."

The figure in white sighed deeply.

"You dare to Sword Succession after only half a month of training? Is your talent too high, or has Zongzhi Mountain fallen so low?"

Xiao Ran said calmly, "Both are available."

The man in white chuckled calmly.

"The Pill Wall was reinforced with the powder of the Flood Dragon Pill's core, and its brow was fused with the blood of a Spirit Severing expert. It has already replenished its Spiritual Power dozens of times by the time it got here... If such talent can be considered high, then not only will Zongzhi Mountain decline, but the entire Cultivation World will be doomed."

Xiao Ran's eye twitched slightly. Was the sect leader really this sharp-tongued when he was young? He wasn't intimidated; in fact, to conceal his true intentions, he countered with a question:

"Then why did you show up?"

The man in white calmly said, "Because you are the only person in eight thousand years who could have reached a higher level of the Sword Tomb, but chose not to take a single step."

Xiao Ran pursed his lips.

"Maybe I'm being psychologically attacked?"

The man in white shook his head.

"The only thing you can't be affected by is soul magic attacks. The fact that you can see me and talk to me calmly means that there are no more than three people in this world who can cause you soul magic damage..."

As he said this, he suddenly sighed and said, "I never imagined that the Myriad Resonance's mental technique, which was the most difficult to learn even in the Golden Age, could still be mastered by people in the Dharma Ending Era."

At this point, Xiao Ran was 100% certain that the person in white was not a suspect.

He couldn't possibly be Little Mist, or any other member of the Black Ring Group.

But Xiao Ran wouldn't let his guard down because of this; Little Mist might very well be observing from nearby.

"I was so saddened by the passing that I forgot to move. Alas, failure is the mother of success. Sword Succession again next time."

He feigned regret.

But he couldn't fool the man in white.

"Alas, after all, this is the Dharma Ending Era. It is only natural that you are so cautious. If it were the time when I lived, you would have been considered a madman of your generation."

Is a fanatic about filial piety really considered fanatic? Xiao Ran didn't say anything.

The figure in white turned around, faceless and expressionless.

"With your level of cultivation, there's no need for you to be on guard against me. I'm just a remnant soul, unable to harm you in the slightest. The reason I've stayed here for so long is to pay tribute to an old friend."

Xiao Ran has confirmed that this wisp of remnant soul is a one-time high-level soul technique restriction.

Its Spiritual Power is weak, and its purpose may only be to guide the Sword Succession to choose a sword, and it cannot connect with the sect leader's true self.

Xiao Ran stayed here for a reason.

Little Mist's true form might be nearby, and he wanted to hide as much as possible, not wanting to be too conspicuous.

I'm not familiar with your friend, you should leave.

Xiao Ran showed no interest whatsoever.

"This has nothing to do with the younger generation."

The figure in white paused slightly.

He thought to himself that this junior was being overly cautious; with his strength, he shouldn't have been able to detect anything strange about the surroundings.

"My old friend's Broken Sword fell into the Sword Thorns Forest. I stayed here because I wanted to find him a successor. It's fate that you noticed it. Now I ask you—are you willing to inherit his Broken Sword?"

You're crazy! Who would inherit the Broken Sword? You can't mention the word "broken" in front of men.

"I don't want to."

Xiao Ran resolutely refused.

The figure in white said again:

"Do you... have something you're wary of nearby?"

No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!

"No."

The man in white smiled and said:

"Don't worry, this Sword Thorns Forest is currently under the coverage of my soul technique domain. Even other Mahayana cultivators of the same level cannot see what is happening here."

Xiao Ran remained silent for a long time.

He could sense the remnant soul's earnest desire to mourn its old friend and search for a successor.

This determination to complete the task even surpassed their concern for the original Qian Junzi.

The man in white was not lying.

Even Mahayana cultivator, with such weak Spiritual Power, would lie to him in front of his second-tier Art of Resonance with only a pure soul body...

Impossible.

Xiao Ran looked up and around. The information he saw basically matched what the man in white had said.

It seems that this place is indeed safe.

If you don't take action yourself, this one-time soul-residual restriction will soon disappear with the wind, leaving you with unfulfilled desires in death.

For the sake of the Sect Leader True Person... he charged forward.

Xiao Ran looked up and stared directly at the white robes that seemed to float in mid-air.

"If they are two Broken Swords from the same blade... perhaps I could Sword Succession."

The woman in white smiled calmly.

"I can't misjudge people."

Damn, once they find a successor, they immediately abandon him after using him, no longer even bothering to refer to themselves as "I".

Xiao Ran spread his arms slightly and said calmly, "Sword, come—"

A cold wind swept by.

Damn it, no response!

That's so embarrassing.

Xiao Ran's Spiritual Power was depleted, and the sword was stuck too deep, so his technique of controlling the sword from a distance was unable to pull out the Broken Sword.

It seems that he was too Little Mist before, and after suddenly letting his guard down, he became complacent...

Too young!

If the mountain won't come to me, I can only come to the mountain.

Xiao Ran awkwardly took a step forward, went to the east side of the weeds, pulled out Broken Sword with a hilt stuck deep inside, and then ran to the west side to pull out a broken Broken Sword with only the tip sticking out.

He returned to the center, gripped both swords in his hands, and stared at them for a long time.

The two Broken Swords were covered with different kinds of mud and weeds.

However, the core material is exactly the same, both being ordinary Black Mysterious Iron.

The broken edge was covered by soil. When one probed with divine sense, it was clear that the broken edge was perfectly symmetrical and came from the same sword.

In fact.

Xiao Ran had never been able to determine the grade of this sword.

He was so deeply drawn by a silent, indomitable will that he withstood wave after wave of attacks, and just as he was about to step into the Holy Light leading to the Heaven Tier Sword Tomb—

But he unexpectedly discovered that there was an indomitable Sword Intent was connected to his own and wanted to merge into one, standing in front of him.

Like the delicate threads of a lotus root, so fine that even he, possessing the Resonance Power, could only vaguely see them.

Looking left and right, he discovered that the two ends of the thin strands of Sword Intent were actually two Broken Swords from the same blade.

This is no simple feat! Even after dying while fighting against the Wraith, the Broken Sword remains intact and secretly connected, waiting for a discerning individual to recognize its true nature.

In battles fought by Wraith, it is common for people to die and for their swords to be broken.

Legend has it that this is a method used by the Wraith Poison to destroy the will of cultivators...

After the death of their Sword-Wielder, the two Broken Sword not only remain intact but also secretly reconnect, awaiting a new Sword-Wielder.

This is both incredibly powerful and incredibly discreet! Even all the elders of Zongzhi Mountain throughout history hadn't noticed it, otherwise they wouldn't have left it behind in the Sword Fence Layer ...

An extremely tough material that will break even if broken!

The Great Dao, integrated with heaven and earth, is hidden within! Isn't this the sword most suitable for the Resonance Sword Art? Xiao Ran stopped in his tracks, so engrossed in watching that he forgot to take a step.

He couldn't be 100% sure if the sword was of the Heaven Tier, but its quality inexplicably attracted him.

It wasn't until the white-robed remnant soul appeared that he realized he might have stumbled upon a treasure.

Xiao Ran held two Broken Sword covered in mud and weeds in his hands, his heart filled with joy.

The day the Broken Sword is reforged will be the day the sword god returns.

He seemed to see this scene before his eyes.

Whether it's a Heaven Tier or not doesn't matter, as long as it's easy to use.

The white-clad remnant soul could see the joy in his heart. He looked up and sighed, his eyes filled with reminiscence and relief, which ultimately turned into astonishment.

He stared at Xiao Ran for a long time before asking, "What's your name?"

Xiao Ran looked up, holding the Broken Sword, and bowed deeply.

"Disciple Xiao Ran greets Sect Leader True Person."

Before you took up the sword, you wouldn't even call me Sect Leader True Person! But he wasn't Sect Leader True Person.

It was just a remnant soul left behind by the sect leader, Qian Junzi, in memory of an old friend; he never expected the sword to find a successor.

Because it was an unexpected surprise, he had been hiding and suppressing his shock and excitement until Xiao Ran Sword Succession.

Having settled his friend's funeral arrangements, he had no further reason to exist. Before vanishing, he slowly spoke:

"Is Qian Junzi still alive?"

Xiao Ran nodded.

"Our Senior Uncle leader will undergo tribulation in three years."

The man in white sighed, "Even he was injured... Life and death are predestined, and the future of this world is ultimately in the hands of the young."

Xiao Ran asked, puzzled, " In this Dharma Ending Era declining Spiritual Energy, shouldn't young people be getting weaker and weaker?"

The man in white shook his head.

"That is certainly true for the mediocre, but troubled times produce heroes. For the truly strong, the more they are tempered, the more they shine. The Dharma Ending Era will only stimulate their hidden potential... The truly interesting era is about to arrive. I never thought that I would be able to see one of them before I die."

Well...

Xiao Ran felt like a newbie joining a group, surrounded by a bunch of real veterans, shouting:

[The big shot has arrived, group status drops by 1!]

"Don't heal me, I'm only at the Qi Refining."

Xiao Ran hurriedly explained.

Unexpectedly, the figure in white laughed, and his body vanished like dust into the vast blood mist.

Only a lingering echo remained, stirring up a mist of blood, a deafening sound—

"You have already stood on the Heaven Tier."