Grand Sage Sword Dao

Within the ancient tomb underground palace of Mount Ba Ling, Yan Kuan floated naked in midair, his hands forming a cultivation seal, his expression as calm and detached as an old monk in deep meditation.

His skin was crystalline and fiery red, relying on the Purple Zhi Fire Spirit Balm applied to his body. Visible strands of flame energy continuously converged around him, pouring in without end. At the top of the ancient tomb, it seemed as if a massive fireball had formed, ceaselessly drawing in light and heat.

This tranquil atmosphere persisted for an unknown length of time, until abruptly, a very faint yet heavy sound, like a drumbeat pounding directly beside one's ear, rang out. Listening closely, it originated from Yan Kuan himself.

Not long after this strange, muffled sound appeared, Yan Kuan's body, which had been as still as dead wood, suddenly trembled violently. An unusual flush surged across his face.

This change came from within; the external phenomena were merely the aftermath of the internal transformation. The most obvious sign was that his absorption rate of flame energy had increased by a large margin once again.

Under a terrifyingly powerful suction force, a small portion of the Solar Trueflame power from the Immortal Flame Burial Ground was drawn out. The flame energy that had been circling him, originally entering his body in an orderly fashion, now surged wildly like a runaway horse, rushing into his body all at once.

Yan Kuan's body instantly turned a brilliant red, like a piece of red-hot iron radiating a blazing firelight. The roaring flames surged in endlessly, forming a fiery tornado.

Yan Kuan's body seemed to become a bottomless pit, absorbing all the energy that came his way, no matter how vast.

This astonishing phenomenon lasted for a long time, until, accompanied by a series of crisp bone cracks, Yan Kuan slowly opened his eyes.

His tightly shut eyes opened gradually, golden flames rising eerily, swirling in his pitch-black pupils and dye them a brilliant gold. After a long moment, he let out a long breath, and the flame light gradually faded.

As the flames receded, Yan Kuan's pitch-black eyes appeared even deeper than before. His figure moved, landing softly, and a black robe draped over his body, covering his form. "Peak Great Battle Master, only one step away from Dou Ling, with a cultivation equivalent to the third heaven of the Dao Palace Realm.

"Right now, I might look like just an ordinary Wheel Sea Realm cultivator, but if anyone with ill intentions comes knocking, they'll get a very big surprise. Moreover, with my dedicated training in the Wheel Sea Secret Realm, my Sea of Bitterness phenomenon is about to awaken."

Yan Kuan was very satisfied with his current situation. The progress of these few short months was far faster than the combined progress of several years before.

Yet this rapid advancement did not affect his foundation. The alchemy system of the Battle Qi Continent was extremely well-developed; using a variety of different pills in combination could maximize the effects of medicinal ingredients without harming the foundation.

Of course, the cost of this process was also enormous. The resources Yan Kuan had obtained from several trades and from plundering the Jiujiang Dragon-Bird's treasury were essentially used up within these few months. If he wanted to increase his strength this quickly again, he would need even more resources.

"The Nine-Dragon Coffin won't arrive for nearly twenty more years. What a headache!"

Yan Kuan increasingly felt the barrenness of the current cultivation environment on the Ancestral Star, with all kinds of resources in short supply. He was focusing on a single Secret Realm in conjunction with the Doupo system, so the cultivation resources he needed at the moment weren't too precious—he didn't need things like Lesser Medicine Kings yet—but the quantity required was large.

These cultivation resources, useful for the Wheel Sea and Dao Palace Realms, were actually easy to trade for on ancient stars like Big Dipper or Ziwei. Yan Kuan could easily exchange his alchemy skills for the resources he needed, as long as he was careful during transactions to avoid being targeted.

But here on the Ancestral Star, even if he could refine pills, he couldn't trade for many resources. The various factions in the cultivation world were also basically resource-starved, and any large-scale transaction would easily draw unwanted attention.

"The boat will straighten itself out when it reaches the bridge. I'll find another way to deal with the resource problem. For now, I need to master more combat techniques and take on the karmic burden of this ancient tomb."

Having made up his mind, Yan Kuan walked out along the lonely, cold white jade steps. On the way, he encountered a few bat beasts that came to deliver themselves as prey. He naturally accepted them without courtesy, storing them as materials and contributing to the population control of the bats.

"Clang, clang..."

The sound of swords rang out from ahead. Yan Kuan slowed his pace slightly and arrived before the Sword Sharpening Stone, which contained a supreme Sword Intent.

The first time he had come to this ancient tomb underground palace, Yan Kuan had only just opened his Sea of Bitterness. He had to be cautious of everything inside the tomb. A single glance at this Sword Sharpening Stone had inflicted considerable damage on him, and he had only managed to reach the depths of the tomb with the protection of the Trigram Treasure Box.

Now, having cultivated solely in the Wheel Sea Secret Realm to a level comparable to a mid-stage Dao Palace Realm cultivator, he could even stand before the Sword Sharpening Stone and touch it without fear of injury.

"The sword inheritance of Great Sage Chisongzi... I'm really looking forward to it."

Yan Kuan walked step by step toward the Sword Sharpening Stone. The clanging of swords grew sharper, as if countless demonic sounds were drilling into his brain. Strands of Sword Qi struck his body, causing him immense pain.

But these difficulties could not stop Yan Kuan's advance. He stood firmly before the Sword Sharpening Stone. A faint imprint appeared within the flame pattern on his forehead, a spiritual imprint of Grand Sage Red Pine that he had obtained from that set of Chime Bells earlier.

Yan Kuan raised his right hand and pressed it firmly onto the Sword Sharpening Stone. The dazzling Empyrean Flame surged forth, spreading across the entire stone, while the Grand Sage's spiritual imprint on his forehead blazed with incomparably brilliant light.

Countless images instantly flooded Yan Kuan's mind. A towering peak that pierced the clouds came into view, so steep that even birds could not perch on it. It rose and fell vertically, like a heavenly sword thrust into the earth.

A fierce killing intent swept out, cutting at one's mind, making one's flesh feel like it would split and bones snap. The sword energy here was extremely intense, clanging and ringing, as if thousands of heavenly swords were singing in unison, resounding through heaven and earth.

Yan Kuan's consciousness drew near. The clanging of swords rang out, as if thousands of heavenly swords were singing in unison, resounding through heaven and earth. His consciousness rushed straight into the depths of the mountain, because something there was attracting him.

Ten thousand heavenly swords sang in unison, their Sword Qi cutting through the clouds, their sword light blotting out the sun and moon, spanning past and present, across the void. At the mountain's peak, there was a sword lake, clear and bright, emitting countless strands of sword light, as if a peerless immortal sword was buried within.

This was the Immortal Sword Sky Pool, the place where Great Sage Chisongzi washed his sword. The figure he sought sat beside the sword pool, holding an ordinary-looking bronze sword, carefully sharpening it on the Sword Sharpening Stone, occasionally dipping the blade into the pool to wash it.

As Yan Kuan's consciousness drew near, this ancient Great Sage turned around as if by coincidence. The two seemed to lock eyes across time and space. Chisongzi opened his mouth slightly and uttered a single word, "Sword!"

At that moment, a beam of Eternal Light burst forth, dazzling and brilliant. In that instant, nothing else existed—only this sword light. The sun, moon, and stars in the sky seemed insignificant, dim and lusterless. Yan Kuan's consciousness, at this moment, once again fell into chaos.