As Mu Bai stepped into the cave, the fluorite deep within the rock cavern emitted a soft glow, illuminating the surrounding stone walls down to the finest detail.
As he went deeper, sword marks gradually appeared on the stone walls of the cave from time to time.
Holding his long sword, Mu Bai walked forward vigilantly, taking every step with utmost caution as the rough ground emitted a faint crunch beneath his feet.
A faint scent of soil permeated the air; clearly, this was already a relatively deep area of White Deer Mountain.
The further in he went, the clearer the sword marks on the rock walls became. Those sword marks varied in depth; some were vigorous and fierce, the rocks at the edges of the cuts presenting neat, flat surfaces as if they had been severed in an instant.
Others were ethereal and agile, the sword marks winding and twisting like swimming dragons gliding across the stone wall.
Mu Bai paused to look closely, discovering that these sword marks actually seemed to form a set of sword techniques, with every single mark containing a unique sword intent.
He reached out to gently stroke the sword marks, the sensation transmitted through his fingertips causing his heart to shudder as if he could feel the imposing momentum of the swordsman who had swung the blade back then.
Could this be... Mu Bai's heart stirred, his pupils contracting slightly as he quickened his pace.
Rounding a bend, the view suddenly opened up before him.
A huge stone chamber appeared in sight, its ceiling dome-shaped with beams of light filtering down through crevices in the vault, intertwining with the glow of the fluorite.
In the center of the stone chamber lay a skeleton still clad in tattered sword robes; gold threads embroidered cloud patterns and sword shapes onto the robes which, though faded and damaged, still revealed their former luxury.
The skeleton tightly gripped an antique long sword in its hand. The hilt was wrapped in blackened silk tassels, and the characters "Qinglin" were engraved on the blade. Despite weathering the erosion of time, it still emitted a faint chill that seemed to possess a life of its own, flickering slightly as Mu Bai drew closer.
The walls of the stone chamber were densely engraved with characters, the strokes vigorous and forceful, biting three inches into the stone.
Stepping closer to look, Mu Bai realized it was actually the life story of this Innate expert.
"My surname is Zhao. I was originally a rustic villager, infatuated with martial arts since childhood..."
The sword-wielding swordsman whose surname was Zhao was named Zhao Gang. He was born in an ordinary mountain village where a stream gurgled by the village edge and rolling green mountains stood in the distance.
He showed astonishing martial arts talent from a young age; while other children were still playing in the mud, he had already begun imitating the movements of the martial masters in the village.
He started practicing martial arts at the age of eight, getting up every day before dawn to bitterly practice basic skills in the open space by the stream, completely unaware of sweat soaking through his clothes.
By twelve, he had practiced all the martial arts of the village martial arts hall from top to bottom, and could even point out flaws in the martial master's moves.
At the age of twenty, he reached the Houtian realm, becoming a renowned expert nearby. An endless stream of people came drawn by his reputation to challenge him, yet all were defeated under his sword.
"Yet my ambitions did not lie here, and so I embarked upon the path of seeking the Dao..."
After leaving his hometown, Zhao Gang carried a wooden sword on his back and embarked on a journey of traveling far and wide.
He slept in the open and ate in the wind, crossing deserts and scaling snow-capped mountains. By a stroke of chance, he arrived at an ancient ruin.
The ruins were filled with mechanisms and traps, but relying on his own luck, he broke through one difficult barrier after another, ultimately obtaining a long-lost martial arts manual and a sword—this very Qinglin Sword.
The techniques in this manual were completely different from the ordinary ones he had previously studied, brimming with profound mysteries.
Treating it like a rare treasure, he found a secluded cave and cultivated with utmost concentration. Relying on this manual, in his thirties he actually reached the Great Perfection of Houtian, becoming a Grandmaster of Martial Arts of a generation.
When news spread, the entire Great Yan was shaken.
"I know that the Houtian realm ultimately has an end; only by breaking through to the Xiantian realm can one contend for the pinnacle of martial arts..."
After becoming a Grandmaster, Zhao Gang was not satisfied. He knew very well that he was still a long way from the pinnacle of martial arts.
Like Mu Bai, he began searching everywhere for methods to break through to Xiantian, paying respects to various accomplished figures and exploring ancient legends.
After enduring countless failures and setbacks, his hair gradually turned white and his face became lined with the vicissitudes of time, yet his gaze grew ever more resolute.
Finally, during a ruin exploration, he obtained an Innate Pill inside a palace!
That medicinal pill was stored inside a jade bottle. Just slightly opening the bottle stopper caused it to emit multicolored light and a rich medicinal fragrance, as if it contained the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.
The Innate Pill was precisely the divine medicine he had heard legends of that could allow one to step into the Xiantian realm!
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Gang swallowed the pill and underwent several days of closed-door cultivation.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Gang truly succeeded in breaking through to the Xiantian realm, becoming an expert standing at the pinnacle of martial arts.
"After reaching Xiantian, I finally came to know the vastness of heaven and earth and the profundity of martial arts..."
After breaking through to Xiantian, Zhao Gang's lifespan was greatly extended and his strength grew increasingly formidable.
He continued to explore the path of martial arts, traveling through all the surrounding states and even doing battle with other Innate experts in order to refine his sword techniques.
He had once used a single sword strike to slay dozens of people, and had also taken enemy generals' heads from amidst ten thousand soldiers as easily as reaching into a pocket.
Over a hundred and eighty years of time passed in a flash. Having experienced countless storms and seen the rise and fall of the mortal world, he finally reached the end of his life.
"All that I sought in my lifetime was merely the ultimate peak of martial arts. Now about to transform in sitting-oblivion, I leave behind the Qinglin Sword and the Eight Swords of Lightness, hoping my descendants will obtain them and continue my martial arts..."
After reading the writing on the wall, a myriad of emotions stirred in Mu Bai's heart.
How glorious, yet how lonely the life of this Innate expert had been.
He seemed to see Zhao Gang's figure swinging his sword amidst wind and rain, to see his appearance of arduous exploration within the ruins, and to see his joy upon breaking through to Xiantian.
Standing before the skeleton, he bowed respectfully three times.
"Senior Zhao Gang, although this junior is not your descendant, I will likewise carry on your martial arts. In the future, I shall certainly pass your martial arts down to the descendants of the Zhao Family, fulfilling your unfulfilled wish."
After finishing the bow, Mu Bai finally reached out to take up the Qinglin Sword. The moment the sword was in his hand, a chilling aura flowed along his arm and spread through his entire body, and within that aura was mixed a trace of ethereal sword intent.
Although this sword looked plain and unadorned, it seemed to contain formidable power. He waved it gently, the blade slicing through the air and emitting a crisp ring as the stone walls of the chamber were carved with gullies by Sword Qi.
Following that, he began studying the Eight Swords of Lightness engraved upon the wall. Every single stance and form of the sword technique was detailed on the wall, from the first sword "Gentle Breeze Arrives" to the eighth sword "Thunderous Might", each sword faster than the last and growing ever more terrifying in might.
Especially starting from the fifth sword "Tornado Rain Strike", every strike contained Xiantian-level sword intent, and its power was all the more terrifying.
Observing the sword moves on the wall repeatedly, he continuously deduced them in his mind while occasionally practicing with the Qinglin Sword in his hand. Sword images fluttered and Sword Qi crisscrossed as sword marks gradually appeared across the ground.
Finally, having memorized the basic sword moves of the Eight Swords of Lightness, Mu Bai sat down within the stone chamber and began wholeheartedly cultivating the Eight Swords of Lightness.
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