Sword Intent Valley

"So this is the Blood Spirit Sect's Karma Thread?"

He narrowed his eyes, recalling the relevant records he had read within the sect.

As a sect that had passed down its legacy for thousands of years in Azure State, the Blood Spirit Sect's core technique, the Blood Spirit Scripture, was extremely sinister. After a cultivator died, they would use their essence blood as a guide to leave behind a Karma Thread that would entangle the killer.

This thread could not be dispelled by ordinary Spiritual Energy; it would only brand itself onto the target like a brand. As long as the person stepped within the perception range of a Blood Spirit Sect cultivator, they would be detected!

In other words, once entangled by this Karma Thread, one became an irreconcilable mortal enemy of the Blood Spirit Sect!

The Blood Spirit Sect's vindictiveness, paired with this troublesome Karma Thread, made Blood Spirit Sect cultivators beings that no one dared to provoke lightly.

"Quite domineering." Bai Ye let out a light scoff, attempting to circulate his Spiritual Energy to strike the Karma Thread, only to find it embedded in his flesh like a root, unmoving.

It seemed that thoroughly removing it would still be somewhat troublesome.

But... he looked down at his palm, a flicker of coldness flashing in his eyes.

Even if there was a Karma Thread, so what?

When soldiers come, block them with generals; when water comes, stem it with earth.

If the Blood Spirit Sect truly dared to come looking for trouble, he wouldn't mind killing a few more.

He no longer paid any heed to that Karma Thread, turned around, walked to the stone wall, and reached out to uproot the Golden Spirit Grass.

The roots of the Golden Spirit Grass were still damp with moist soil, and Spiritual Energy flowed through the roots, looking vibrant and alive.

After confirming there was no damage, he directly sat cross-legged and placed a stalk of Golden Spirit Grass into his mouth.

The moment it entered, the Golden Spirit Grass transformed into a warm, gentle current, sliding down his throat into his abdomen.

As soon as the warm current reached his Dantian, it violently exploded, turning into countless tiny golden specks that surged toward his limbs and bones!

Every speck that flowed past felt like countless gentle hands massaging his sinews and bones. His already tough enough meridians were widened a bit further under this force!

Beneath his skin, muscle fibers emitted faint "crackling" sounds, becoming denser and firmer. Even his bones seemed to be coated with a faint layer of golden light, faintly showing signs of jade-like transformation!

Bai Ye could clearly feel his physique strengthening at a visible rate!

He instinctively clenched his fist, and his knuckles let out crisp "cracking" sounds. A surging sense of power filled his entire body!

Looking down, a layer of flowing golden light had surfaced on his skin!

Within the golden light, faint runes flickered, radiating a tenacious aura comparable to a Profound-grade spiritual artifact. Even the Spiritual Energy ripples that struck this golden light were deflected away!

After a long moment, the golden light gradually faded into his skin, and the external phenomenon disappeared, but the surging sense of power did not diminish in the slightest.

"Truly worthy of its reputation."

Bai Ye stood up and stretched his limbs.

Feeling the surging power within his body, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.

Before this, although he had the enhancement of Ten Thousand Times Comprehension and had reached Peak Mastery in techniques and Martial Skills, his physique had ultimately been a shortcoming.

If he had faced a siege by Peak Primordial Core cultivators, it might have been somewhat dangerous.

But now, with the tempering from the Golden Spirit Grass, he was fully confident that even if he took on multiple Peak Primordial Core cultivators at once, he could handle it with ease!

"Time to head to Sword Intent Valley..."

Next, after familiarizing himself with his strengthened physique, Bai Ye turned and continued dashing toward Sword Intent Valley.

Half an incense stick later, Bai Ye arrived at Sword Intent Valley.

Looking from afar.

Sword Intent Valley looked like a fissure split open by a giant axe from the middle.

On both sides were steep black cliffs, covered with sword scars of varying depths.

All the sword scars had been worn down by time, yet they remained sharp, as if freshly carved, faintly emitting a sharp aura.

The valley mouth was shrouded in a thin layer of white mist.

Within the mist, countless tiny specks of light swirled. Upon closer inspection, they looked like miniature flying swords circling, carrying a bone-chilling coldness!

The air itself was thick with an ancient, killing intent!

Even standing outside the valley, one could feel their mind locked onto by that intangible sword intent, as if the next moment they would be pierced through by ten thousand swords!

This was Sword Intent Valley, one of the greatest opportunities within the Azure Spirit Secret Realm!

Legend had it that in ancient times, a great sword cultivator passed away here. Before dying, he infused the sword intent he had comprehended throughout his life into the valley, forming this unique secret realm.

Later cultivators who could comprehend the sword intent within the valley could not only greatly elevate their cultivation but also had the chance to obtain the sword legacy left behind by that great cultivator!

However, this legacy had always been hard to come by.

The Azure Spirit Secret Realm had been opened dozens of times, and the total number of cultivators who had successfully comprehended the sword intent and obtained the legacy did not exceed a thousand!

When Bai Ye arrived, the area outside the valley was already packed with people.

Nearly a thousand cultivators were scattered across the open ground at the mouth of the valley, sitting cross-legged in small clusters, brows furrowed and expressions grim.

Some held their hands in the air as if simulating the motion of swinging a sword, but frequently stopped, their minds unsettled.

Others simply closed their eyes, cold sweat beading on their foreheads, clearly having been rebounded by the sword intent within the valley and sustaining minor injuries.

"So many people..." Bai Ye was slightly surprised.

He had thought he arrived early, yet nearly a thousand cultivators were already gathered here. It seemed the Sword Intent Valley's reputation was well-deserved.

He found a relatively secluded corner, away from the crowd, sat down cross-legged, and prepared to attempt comprehending this ancient sword intent.

With his Ten Thousand Times Comprehension, he had full confidence in himself.

But just as he was about to sink his mind into focus—

Hum—!

A sword hum that seemed to come from ancient times suddenly rang out, shaking the entire valley with a resonant drone!

Immediately after, a dazzling golden Sword Light shot up from the depths of the Sword Intent Valley!

The Sword Light, like a meteor tearing across the sky, carried an overwhelming, sharp momentum, circled once in the air, and then, as if guided, whooshed straight toward a cultivator on the left side of the valley entrance!

That cultivator, clad in a snow-white robe, was none other than the Ninth Prince of the Skywind Dynasty, whom Bai Ye had seen at the entrance to the Secret Realm!

The moment the Sword Light entered his body, the Ninth Prince's eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing within them. Faint pale-green Wind Blades began to swirl around him, interweaving with the golden Sword Light in a dazzling display!

"A Sword Light! Someone has succeeded in comprehending it!"

"It's the Ninth Prince of the Skywind Dynasty! How long has it been? He's already grasped the sword intent?"

"As expected of a genius with a Wind Spirit Physique—even ancient sword intent can be comprehended so quickly. Impressive!"

The crowd instantly erupted, exclamations of awe and envy rising and falling in waves.

Bai Ye looked up, watching the golden light flowing around the Ninth Prince, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Though this Sword Light was sharp, it lacked a certain depth—clearly, it was only the most superficial layer of sword intent.

But before the crowd's astonishment could subside—

Hum! Hum!

Two more golden Sword Lights shot up from the valley!

These two Sword Lights were denser and more brilliant than the Ninth Prince's, weaving together in the air into a golden net of light, carrying a majestic and imposing aura, and landed directly on a girl in purple robes on the right side of the valley entrance!

The girl's purple robes cascaded like a waterfall, her skin whiter than snow, and a vermilion dot marked her brow. She was Liu Muwan, the Saintess of the Misty Snow Palace, one of the ten major powers of Azure State!

As the two Sword Lights entered her body, a faint layer of icy mist instantly enveloped her. Within the mist, countless tiny ice crystals took the form of swords, radiating an aura both bitingly cold and sacred.

"Another success! It's Liu Muwan of the Misty Snow Palace!"

"Two Sword Lights! My god, two of them!"

"Is there a difference between these Sword Lights?"

A cultivator who didn't understand asked curiously.

"You don't even know that?" An old cultivator with white hair and a beard stroked his whiskers and explained, "The inheritance of this Sword Intent Valley is divided into three tiers. One Sword Light means you obtain a Mystic Grade Sword Inheritance; two means an Earth Grade Inheritance!"

"If you can draw three... that's the legendary Heaven Tier Inheritance!"

"Heaven Tier Inheritance?!"

Someone gasped sharply.

"Exactly!" The old cultivator nodded, reverence in his eyes. "According to the sect's ancient records, in the history of Azure State, only nine people have ever obtained an Earth Grade Inheritance. As for the Heaven Tier Inheritance... in the past thousand years, no one has achieved it!"

"Then Liu Muwan's comprehension is even greater than the Ninth Prince's?"

"Of course! An Earth Grade Inheritance is far more precious than a Mystic Grade one!"

The crowd was shaken once more, their gazes toward Liu Muwan filled with awe and envy.

Bai Ye watched the two Sword Lights swirling around Liu Muwan, and a deep anticipation welled up in his eyes.

One was Mystic Grade, two was Earth Grade...

And three...

He took a deep breath, calming the ripples in his heart.

Slowly closing his eyes, he sank his entire mind into the perception of the sword intent within the valley.

His Ten Thousand Times Comprehension operated at full power.

His sea of consciousness seemed to transform into a boundless starry sky. Every wisp of sword intent permeating the valley, every true meaning contained in the sword scars, appeared vividly before his eyes!