Sword Dao, Eleventh Dan: Drawing a Sword Against the Blue Heaven

In the Void, Yue Xi, dressed in a magnificent, gilded gown that complemented her extraordinary height, appeared like a celestial being Descent to earth from mythology.

Her expression was serene, her eyes tranquil. Since arriving in Sword Abyss, she had diligently cultivated, never finding Easy Duty in the courtyard.

In just one year, she has made tremendous progress and improvement.

At this moment, Wei Hongye was by her side.

Upon learning that her junior Junior Sister Seclusion and was about to challenge the Emperor Sword Cliff again, Wei Hongye specially came to accompany her.

Yue Xi glanced at the Void opposite Emperor Sword Cliff, where countless Sword Abyss were densely packed. Although Sword Abyss did not have as many disciples as Spear Abyss, there were still tens of thousands of them.

However, upon glancing around, she did not see the figure she was looking for.

Yue Xi frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure. If this was the kind of temperament the other party had, even with the Nine-Ring Dao Heart, she would eventually surpass him, and might even have already surpassed him now.

She calmed herself down, stopped thinking about it, and went to the Emperor Sword Cliff.

On the opposite bank, many disciples of the Heaven Yard were also watching and discussing Li Tiemu's newly accepted disciple.

"I heard that Elder Li brought back two disciples a year ago. I inquired and found out that they were both recruited from Heart Questioning Floating Pagoda City. One has an eight-ringed Dao Heart, and the other has a nine-ringed Eternal Dao Heart. This Yue Xi has an eight-ringed Dao Heart, while the one with a nine-ringed Dao Heart is very reclusive and I don't seem to have seen him much."

"Nine-Ring Dao Heart? Has the other party already become Immortal Lord?"

"Are you stupid? Immortal Lord can't be a disciple anymore; he's already a steward, and might even be nominated as an elder."

"True Immortal Realm, with Dao Heart capable of nine resounding strikes? What kind of State of Mind is that? Does he even know what it means to Qi Deviation?"

Many disciples of the Heaven Yard spoke in hushed tones, their expressions growing serious.

At this moment, Yue Xi had arrived directly in front of Emperor Sword Cliff. She heard Wei Hongye's encouraging voice transmission in her ear, took a deep breath, and then raised her hand to draw her sword.

With a resounding thud, the longsword flew out and landed in his hand.

She gazed at the towering, flattened Emperor Sword Cliff, seeing the densely packed names on it—all the Heavenly Prodigy of Sword Abyss.

Her name was listed last.

A sudden burst of silver light flashed in her eyes, followed by a dazzling golden light emanating from her long, gilded dress, and a fierce and vast Sword Intent instantly emanated from her body.

From a distance, her figure seemed to be shrouded in a phantom of Sword Intent, standing tall and straight towards the sky.

As a member of the Disaster Clan, she possesses exceptional Sword Dao talent and Innate Sword Embryo.

"True Immortal Realm Third Layer!"

"Such intense Sword Intent! The sword in my hand is trembling!"

"Is this the disciple of the Heaven Yard? She has such power at the True Immortal Realm Third Layer. I feel that even at the True Immortal Realm Fifth Layer, I am no match for her."

"You're overthinking it. Even if you're at the True Immortal Realm Sixth Layer, you might not be able to beat her."

In the distance, many disciples from the Earth Yard and the Profound Yard were Whispers in shock.

The disciples of the Heaven Yard also looked solemn, feeling pressure from the woman.

At this moment, Yue Xi, holding a long sword, flew towards the Emperor Sword Cliff.

As she approached the bottom of the abyss, she felt an imposing and majestic aura, like an emperor sitting upright against a mountain, his gaze piercing and his power Heaven and Earth.

She moved like an ant, inching forward right under the other's nose, her inner Sword Intent and Sword Dao reflected in a mirror.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of superiority.

She gritted her teeth slightly, a stubborn look in her eyes, and with a fierce and ruthless force in her chest, she unleashed all her Extreme Realm Power above her original name, rushing towards it with a whoosh.

Behind her, a hazy Heaven and Earth Dharma Form, like Silver Threads coalescing, emerged, resembling God Daughter from beyond the heavens, accompanying her sword-wielding figure as she flew forward.

The Emperor Sword Cliff exuded boundless power. In Yue Xi's eyes, it was no longer a cliff, but a sword. That sword stood between Heaven and Earth, making everything else in the world pale in comparison.

She had never seen such a sword before, nor had she ever felt such terrifying Sword Qi. But this close encounter brought about a radical change in her understanding and perception of swords. However, this change also brought a sense of despair: was such Sword Dao something she could ever reach?

She felt that she might never be able to master such exquisite Sword Dao in her entire life.

This dazed state affected her Sword Heart, causing her Movement Method to slow down uncontrollably. When she realized it, she found herself already in front of the Emperor Sword Cliff.

Gift!

The Sword Light flashed out swiftly, etching her name.

This time, her name was three feet higher than before.

It was only three feet long, yet it leaped over hundreds of names and crossed many Heavenly Prodigy.

As her name was engraved, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. Her body flew backward, unable to withstand the majesty any longer, and she retreated to the outside of Emperor Sword Cliff, her face pale.

Her chest rose and fell slightly, her breathing became a little heavy, and her hand holding the sword trembled, but behind her, a series of shocked gazes were watching her.

In just one year, he left his name on Emperor Sword Cliff and even leaped three feet – that's amazing!

"True Immortal Realm Third Layer. If her realm were any higher, she might reach even greater heights."

"Such Sword Intent is enough to make up for a tenfold difference in Immortal Power; even True Immortal Realm Third Layer could challenge Sixth Layer."

In the distance, the crowd came to their senses and began to whisper among themselves.

The True Immortal Realm Tenth Layer of Perfection; with each level advancement, one's Immortal Power doubles.

The second level of the True Immortal Realm is twice the amount, the third level is four times the amount, and the Fourth Layer is eight times the amount!

When one reaches the True Immortal Realm Tenth Layer Perfection, their Immortal Power is 512 times that of the True Immortal Realm First Layer!

With hundreds of times the Immortal Power, most Extreme Realm Power are unable to make up for it. For example, even if Divine Strength Realm increases physical strength tenfold, it is almost insignificant in the face of more than five hundred times the Immortal Power!

The same applies to the Heaven and Earth Dharma Form. Although it can greatly enhance combat power, most cultivators who reach the True Immortal Realm Tenth Layer possess the Dharma Heaven and Earth Dharma Form!

These Tenth Layer realms are like Tenth Layer heavens, difficult to cross easily. Those who can challenge them are all top-tier Prodigy, like Yue Xi before us.

"Excellent, you've made great progress."

Wei Hongye flew to Yue Xi's side and said softly.

Dressed in pure white, she appeared dignified and elegant, more like a fairy detached from the world than Yue Xi, who was more regal.

Hearing her praise, Yue Xi looked up at Emperor Sword Cliff, her eyes scanning a long distance above her own name before finally seeing the name Wei Hongye.

She pursed her lips slightly, steadied her trembling hands, and said to Wei Hongye, "Thank you for accompanying me Senior Sister."

"You have great Heavenly Talent, go back and keep up the good work."

Wei Hongye smiled.

Yue Xi nodded, glanced again at the crowd on the other side of Emperor Sword Cliff, but didn't see that figure. A hint of regret flashed in her eyes, but she didn't think much of it and turned to return with Wei Hongye.

Upon returning to her courtyard, Yue Xi summoned her Steward and delivered the message to that courtyard.

A moment later, her Steward returned, his expression somewhat strange, and respectfully said:

"My Fairy, the Steward of the Idlers Yard said that Young Master Hao went down the mountain a few days ago."

"Go down the mountain?"

Yue Xi, who was stroking the blade of her sword in the pavilion by the lake in the courtyard, narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "Where did you go?"

"That wasn't mentioned. After all, Young Master Hao is a disciple of the Heaven Yard, and it's inconvenient to reveal his whereabouts."

Yue Xi's eyes flickered, but she didn't say anything more, simply closing them.

Seeing her expression, the Steward knew it was time for him to leave, and quietly withdrew.

Heart Questioning Floating Pagoda City.

The vast Square seemed much emptier than it had been a year ago.

The ancient city has long since declined, and there are not many travelers passing through, far less bustling than when many powerful forces came here to recruit disciples.

Today, the majestic Heart Questioning Pagoda stands in the Square, and occasionally a figure passes through it to test their Dao Heart.

At the edge of the Square, there is a small earthen mound.

Two figures sat leaning against the back of a tree on the hilltop. Before them lay an Abyss cliff, shrouded in Cloudmist, with even more smoke drifting into Cloudmist.

Smoke curled from the chimney as Li Hao grilled meat.

Nearby, an old man with a tumor-like leg was smoking Long Pipe.

The two appeared to be idle, but there was Shadow Threads moving through the Cloudmist ahead.

Soon, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Li Hao handed a piece of cooked Dragon Liver to the old man and said, "Old Han, still no movement?"

For the past six months, Li Hao has been coming here in his spare time to compete with his opponent in Angling.

It's rare to meet a fellow angler with better fishing skills than himself, and considering the Dragon Sparrow the other person mentioned, Li Hao hadn't caught any yet. He couldn't just go home empty-handed and never come back, or he'd lose sleep over it.

After six months of getting to know each other, Li Hao found that although the old man was difficult to get along with and didn't talk much, he managed to get the old man to talk a little more while Li Hao was grilling and Cooking in his spare time. He learned that the old man's surname was Han, but he didn't know his full name.

"Hmph, aren't you the same?"

Old Han gave a light snort, took the Dragon Liver, and began to enjoy it without any hesitation.

He flicked open his wine gourd, enjoying the roasted meat with the wine, the more he ate, the more he loved it.

"How delightful!"

After eating half a Dragon Liver, paired with his own brewed wine, he already narrowed his eyes and a hint of pleasure appeared on his face.

Li Hao started eating as well. This Dragon Demon was True Immortal Realm, hunted in the wasteland outside Floating Slaughter City, and tasted quite good.

"Have a drink."

Li Hao said casually.

Old Han was already used to it and didn't mind, casually handing the wine gourd to Li Hao.

He ate Li Hao's Roast Meat, and Li Hao drank his wine; they were kind of exchanging favors.

Li Hao wiped the bottle mouthpiece, then tilted his head back and fell into the air, his mouth filled with a fragrant aroma.

Old Han became alert, gave a light snort, took the Wine Gourd, and drank it straight from his mouth.

"Your fishing skills are too rudimentary; you're only at the Entering the Dao stage and haven't truly grasped the essence of Angling yet."

Old Han said calmly.

"Oh?"

Li Hao asked with great interest, "Then what is the true essence of Angling?"

"All Things can Angling, from Immortal Deity to Demon and all races—including time and the Years!"

Old Han squinted.

Li Hao had asked casually, but upon hearing the other party's words, he felt as if a resounding bell had struck his mind, and his whole body experienced a tremor of Sudden Enlightenment.

Including time and Years?

Li Hao kept replaying the Years time in his mind—how should Angling time?

What can stop time?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but finally, he suddenly seemed to realize that perhaps only his own fishing hook...

It can hold back time.

This time encompasses the time of Heaven and Earth, and also the time of all living beings.

All Things are like fish, flowing in their own River of Time. When one takes the bait, it is pulled out of its River of Time, onto another path, or to its Termination.

The Dragon Meat in Li Hao's mouth seemed to have lost its flavor. His mind was completely immersed in the collision of countless thoughts, and his eyes closed unconsciously.

Let those thoughts wander and echo in my mind.

The Primal Chaos Divine Fire burning in the campfire in front of him flickered and dissipated, leaving only the aroma of Roast Meat in the air.

The Shadow Threads that Li Hao had previously concealed in the Cloudmist and mist had also vanished completely.

The Cloudmist drifted silently, and a gentle breeze blew, brushing against the boy's temples beneath the tree shadows.

Beside him, Old Han, who was drinking to help him swallow, suddenly turned one eye to Li Hao and Pause drinking.

He slowly put down the wine gourd, a faint glint of light appearing in his usually calm eyes.

At this moment, the Cloudmist were still dissipating, and the sea of clouds remained tranquil.

Li Hao's body was even more serene, as if he had merged with heaven and Heaven and Earth. This was not the merging of the Ultimate Transformation to Immortality, but a fusion of another State of Mind.

All Things can Angling, and every object can be used as fishing line...

Suddenly, the Cloudmist surged, and then, it seemed as if a giant object was shaking and churning within them!

Suddenly, the Cloudmist and mist dispersed, and then the thing that had been shaking leaped out, but it was neither Dragon Sparrow nor any other Demon, but a towering giant tower.

The tower rose from the Cloudmist as if it had been dragged out by something.

If anyone else were here, they would be shocked to discover that this tower is exactly the same as the Heart Questioning Pagoda that stands in the Square!

However, the tower is intact, and its top is as sharp as a sword!

Suddenly, the tower shook violently, as if it had been destroyed by something, and Divine Radiance scattered everywhere like flowing colors and sparks of iron.

The Emperor's Might atop the tower also dimmed as it swayed.

Beside them, Old Han was smoking Long Pipe, watched the scene intently.

His eyes reflected the dazzling tower, as if countless rays of light were flowing within them—the light of bygone times.

He never imagined that the wisp of time that Li Hao Angling out from the Cloudmist before him would be that Years.

At this moment, Li Hao also opened his eyes, looking at the tower whose Divine Radiance had shattered and dimmed, seeing it go from real to hazy, until it dissipated like smoke and dust. He was somewhat dazed.

The tower is not real; it is Time Projection that he fished out.

But he recognized the tower; it was the Heart Questioning Pagoda.

He fished out the time when the Destruction of the Heart Questioning Pagoda.

At that moment, a notification from the Panel appeared in his mind.

[You have grasped the Fishing Origin Mental State.]

[Angling upgraded to Eleventh Dan]

[You have gained 38282 Fishing Experience points.]

Despite the series of notifications, Li Hao was still savoring his recent insights.

He actually felt the passage of time and the Years.

Of the Nine Orders, time is the most difficult to grasp. The Ying Xiaoxiao that Old Wang went to find is very likely the reincarnation of the Shi Miao Celestial Maiden, and she was born with a grasp of the Time Origin Great Dao.

Now, he has actually had the privilege of touching it.

"Angling actually allowed me to perceive the Time Great Dao ---"

Li Hao was deeply shocked, and felt more and more that the Art Skill he had mastered seemed to have some kind of profound meaning.

At this moment, a flood of information entered his mind, including Angling and the Great Dao of Origin of Time.

Li Hao was slowly experiencing, digesting, and absorbing the information.

Old Han sensed the change in Li Hao's physical demeanor. He sat upright to the side, silently smoking his Long Pipe. The smoke obscured his face, making his expression unreadable.

For a long, long time.

After absorbing all the information, Li Hao opened his eyes wearily and looked at Old Han beside him.

Seeing that the other person seemed lost in thought, he slowly stood up, bowed deeply, and paid his respects.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

Li Hao vaguely sensed that his understanding seemed to be related to the Old Han in front of him, and was definitely not as simple as just a word of advice.

When Old Han came to his senses and saw Li Hao's solemn expression, a rare hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes. In the past six months, Li Hao had only occasionally shown this expression when handing him Roast Meat.

"You are very intelligent. I only gave you a little guidance, and you were able to understand it. That's quite remarkable."

Old Han rarely praised people.

Upon hearing this, Li Hao realized he hadn't made a mistake in his worship. He sat down and asked:

"Old Han, you must be a really skilled expert, right?"

Old Han remained noncommittal, saying calmly, "He's not that powerful, otherwise he wouldn't be holed up here, not even daring to seek revenge."

As he said this, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

Li Hao naturally didn't believe this. Even if what the other party said was true, the feeling he got from Old Han was no less than that of Old Wang.

Do you have enemies?

Who can live without enemies?

Old Han found Li Hao's words adorably naive, and couldn't help but chuckle slightly. He then reverted to his usual cold demeanor, though a hint of world-weariness flickered in his eyes as he gazed at the sea of clouds and said:

How do you feel when you see what you just Angling?

"Are you talking about the Heart Questioning Pagoda?"

Thinking of the Time Projection he had just Angling, and then of the giant hand that had descended from the sky at the Heart Questioning Pagoda, Li Hao sighed, "The being capable of destroying that Heart Questioning Pagoda must be at the Immortal Emperor level, right?"

1

Old Han did not deny it, and slowly said, "The Floating Slaughter City has been guarding the Abyssal Sea for many years. Long, long ago, the Heart Questioning Pagoda was already Emperor Artifact, but during the cataclysm Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Catastrophe, it was at the forefront and was suppressed. The Emperor Artifact dimmed, and so did the Emperor Soul..."

He chuckled softly, as if talking to himself, and said, "Question my heart, Heart Questioning Pagoda has questioned all the True Heart in the world, yet I have lost my own Emperor Heart, leaving only half of it—"

Li Hao had heard Old Wang say that Emperor Artifact has Emperor Soul, Emperor Soul has Emperor Heart. If the Emperor Heart is destroyed or damaged, one's cultivation level will also drop or be damaged.

"If there's still half a piece left, there's still hope for the future."

Li Hao said.

Old Han looked at Li Hao: "Hope?"

Even if the Emperor Heart is shattered, it can be reassembled, perhaps even surpassing its former glory. Destruction is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is Eternity Undying Realm a good thing; permanence also implies stagnation.

Li Hao said with a smile.

Old Han's eyes seemed to narrow slightly as he muttered to himself, "Re-condense... surpass the past..."

After a moment, he suddenly chuckled softly, then burst into laughter.

"Wonderful, wonderful! What a wonderful understanding that Eternity is not necessarily a good thing. To be able to comprehend this State of Mind, no wonder your Dao Heart has reached the Eternal Ultimate."

Old Han looked at Li Hao. Only he knew that the young man before him did not possess the Nine-Ring Dao Heart, but the Ten Rings Dao Heart!

He knew perfectly well what kind of attention a True Immortal Realm with Ten Rings Eternal Ultimate Dao Heart would receive, and what kind of threats they would face.

Because that already means that the other party has the qualifications to step into the Quasi-Emperor Realm.

Take one more step forward, and you'll reach the Heavenly Dao Emperor Heart!

"This barbecue was so delicious!"

Old Han chuckled, then took out another Wine Gourd from his Heaven and Earth Space and tossed it to Li Hao, "Not enough to drink? This is for you."

Li Hao took it, his eyes widening. "Didn't you say this wine is difficult to brew, and you only have one jar?"

"It's true that it's difficult to brew, and it takes a very long time—" Old Han chuckled, a hint of wistfulness in his voice, but no longer with regret, "but the one thing I have in abundance is time—"

We've waited a hundred thousand years, what's a little more time?

He laughed heartily, and his gaze towards Li Hao softened.

He thought it was just a lucky kid, but it turned out he underestimated him.

"Goodness."

Hearing this, Li Hao was speechless. This old man really knew how to hide things. He ate so much of his Roast Meat, yet he was so stingy and unkind!

After finishing the remaining Roast Meat, Li Hao stood up, patted the dry grass off his backside, and said, "It's about time; we should head back to the Sect."

"Go ahead, go ahead. Oh, by the way, take this."

Old Han waved his hand, but then, as if remembering something, he pulled out a Black Little Tower and handed it to Li Hao.

It's called Little Tower, but it's really only the size of a thumb, with a rough outline, like it was sculpted from black mud.

Li Hao took it, wore it like a cap on his thumb, and asked, "What is this, Immortal Weapon?"

"Immortal Weapon?"

Old Han chuckled and said, "Just consider it as such. Keep it safe and don't lose it; it might save your life in a pinch."

It turned out to be a life-saving item— Li Hao, seeing this, didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Then I'll accept it. I'll return it to you when my cultivation level is higher."

Hopefully, that day will come.

Old Han smiled.

Li Hao waved goodbye to him, promising to come fishing together again next time.

He got up and returned to the Teleportation Array near the gate of the Floating Slaughter City, setting off back to the Great Dream Nine Abyss.

On his way back, Li Hao brought up the Panel and looked at the Fishing Origin Mental State he had just obtained.

Now, both his Path of the Physical Body and his Imperial Dao have reached the Eleventh Dan.

Now I can improve my Sword Dao.

Li Hao didn't think much of it. Apart from the Path of the Physical Body and the Imperial Dao, the Sword Dao gave him the greatest boost in strength, especially in terms of attack.

As points were added, countless messages quickly flooded into his mind.

[Sword Dao improved to Eleventh Dan.]

Numerous Sword Dao Heart Entry.

At the same time, the many Swordsmanship that Li Hao had previously comprehended underwent tremendous changes and were further understood as he digested these insights.

With the Immortal Guides the Way, Li Hao had already touched upon its Origin level.

Previously, the Immortal Draws Sword had only barely reached the beginner level, but now it had been elevated to the peak level!

This also shows that the Immortal Draws Sword is still Swordsmanship at the True Immortal Realm level, but it belongs to one of the top Swordsmanship.

The Azure Sky Sword Technique, one of the Ten Supreme Immortal Arts he inherited at the Heavenly Calamity Imperial Palace, was also at the entry level.

But at this point, Perfection has been achieved!

To advance to Perfection, one needs to Sword Dao Origin Third Layer.

Li Hao is now at the Eleventh Dan of Sword Dao, and his Sword Dao Origin has reached the third level.

With the improvement of these two Swordsmanship, Li Hao's temperament also changed, becoming more otherworldly and sharp, but as he digested them, he restrained them all.

Now, even without the aid of the Ji Immortal Weapon, Li Hao felt that his own destructive power would reach an extremely astonishing level.

The combined power of just the two Swordsmanship, Draw Sword and Blue Heaven Sky, is unimaginable.

By the time they returned to Sword Abyss, Li Hao had already absorbed everything.

He flew to the Mountain Summit, passing over the steep and straight Emperor Sword Cliff, and glanced at it.