A Master Opens the Door; Cultivation Depends on the Individual

With a single sword strike, ten thousand Daos collapsed.

The Sword Qi Wushuang had unleashed did not even manage to contend with that strand of Sword Qi for an instant before it was obliterated.

"Boom!"

As that strand of Sword Qi was cut down, an explosion rang out across heaven and earth billions of miles away, sending dust soaring ten thousand zhang into the air.

In that stretch of heaven and earth, the ground split apart, revealing a vast abyss.

Within the abyss, sword marks raged wildly, and an incomparably terrifying sword intent lingered there, still impossible to erase!

On the Dao Discussion Platform.

Wushuang was completely unscathed. He had merely fallen to his knees, his expression filled with utter horror!

A closer look would reveal that his powerful aura was rapidly declining. At this moment, his sword heart had shattered!

Gu Changqing's strike had not injured him, but as the one who had felt it most directly, he had been so intimidated by the invincible sword intent contained within that Sword Qi that his Dao heart had crumbled, forcing him into submission.

At this moment, the entire venue fell silent.

At this moment, the Old Sword Saint abruptly rose to his feet. His eyes were fixed on Gu Changqing, brimming with boundless shock.

Not only the Old Sword Saint—even those watching from beyond the mirror wore stunned expressions.

The overbearing force contained within that strike made even their hearts tremble. At that instant, their Dao hearts had quivered in terror.

One had to know that they were all the foremost existences in this world!

And what was even more inconceivable—

Gu Changqing had only entered the path of the sword a year ago!

How could he unleash such will? How could he, through sword intent alone, terrify an existence capable of suppressing a Saint King with one hand until his Dao heart shattered and he submitted?

Inconceivable!

"A monster, a monster!"

After the brief silence, the cultivators beyond the mirror erupted completely.

Countless people cried out, beginning to doubt their own lives.

Although Gu Changqing had displayed extraordinary talent in the sword path in his youth, this rate of cultivation was simply too bizarre.

The Young Heavenly Emperor's strike had nearly reached the Saint King level.

One year, Saint King?

Was he even fucking human?!

Everyone had thought that when Gu Changqing possessed the Supreme Bone, cultivating for one year and slaying a Saint King was already inconceivable.

Yet they had never expected that his cultivation speed in the path of the sword would still be so utterly unreasonable.

One year, Saint King!!

A realm lofty beyond reach in ordinary people's eyes—why did it look like the Qi Refining Realm to him?

"Thank goodness the Heavenly Emperor lost his Supreme Bone. Thank goodness his sword heart later shattered."

Countless cultivators felt a surge of relief.

The implication was obvious. If the Heavenly Emperor's Supreme Bone had remained and his sword heart had not shattered, then in this world, who could possibly compare to him?

Against such a monster, who could defeat him?

The entire Sword Sect Holy Land remained deathly silent. Every gaze was fixed upon that young man.

From beginning to end, Gu Changqing maintained the same indifferent expression.

He flew over to the Sword Saint's side and cupped his hands in salute. "Master, if there is nothing else, I shall return to the pavilion."

The Old Sword Saint stared blankly and nodded woodenly.

Only after Gu Changqing's figure had completely vanished from the Old Sword Saint's sight did the old man, who dared call himself the Sword Saint, suck in a sharp breath and murmur with trembling lips, "What kind of monster have I... taken as my disciple?!"

"Whoosh!"

On the plaza paved with white jade, the gathered cultivators burst into an uproar.

"Senior Brother Gu is actually this terrifying!"

"No wonder Teacher accepted him as a personal disciple. No wonder, no wonder!"

After the Sword Sect's Dao discussion, Gu Changqing returned to the pavilion.

There, he resumed cultivating day and night without rest.

During that time, the Old Sword Saint came once to ask Gu Changqing about his path of the sword.

When Gu Changqing recounted the true meaning of his sword heart to the Old Sword Saint, the Old Sword Saint was both shocked and gratified—and beneath that incomparably complicated expression lurked the faintest trace of embarrassment.

What shocked him was the bearing of the Invincible Sword Heart.

What gratified him was that this freak was his own disciple.

As for the awkwardness, it was because the Old Sword Saint realized that, as a master, he was actually incapable of guiding Gu Changqing in his cultivation of the sword.

The sword path his disciple walked was harsher than his own—and purer!

"A master can lead one through the gate; cultivation depends on the individual."

That time, the Old Sword Saint had said only those words.

The meaning was obvious: he truly had only led Gu Changqing through the gates of the Sword Sect. As for cultivation, it seemed it could only depend on Gu Changqing himself.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

Gu Changqing remained in the pavilion, ignored by all.

At first, no one had paid him any heed because the Old Sword Saint shielded him, and no one dared disturb him. Later, no one paid him any heed because they still did not dare—but this time, it was because of Gu Changqing himself.

Yet over these three years, not even the Old Sword Saint had returned to the pavilion. After that time, Gu Changqing vaguely felt that his master seemed to have been dealt some sort of blow.

According to the boy who brought him meals, the Old Sword Saint had been in secluded, bitter cultivation day and night these past years.

It was also from that boy that he learned his reputation in the outside world was growing ever greater.

That sword strike had even alarmed the upper ranks of the Heavenly Secrets Sect. These days, high-ranking elders had frequently been visiting the Sword Sect.

Other than the meal-delivery boy, no one else spoke to Gu Changqing.

It was as though he had been cast into a land of death.

But with cultivation at his side, Gu Changqing was not lonely.

He cultivated day and night. The only awkward thing was that he did not know what realm he was in.

Sword cultivation differed from ordinary systems.

It cultivated an Invincible Sword Heart, with no concrete realms.

He only knew that the sword strike from three years ago had reached the Saint King level.

Gu Changqing had thought this life would continue for quite some time.

But he had not expected—

After Mei Gongzi neutralized Cao Yuwei's attack this time, she did not rush to counterattack. She merely stood where she was without moving.

Cao Yuwei's brows furrowed slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so keen? After he had forged flame into armor, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed forward with an attack, he was confident he could use that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi had not advanced, forcing the ability he had poised to unleash to be interrupted.

The battle blade slashed out once more, its powerful blade intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with his blade, man and blade becoming one as he charged straight toward Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle once more, and with an instantaneous shift, she switched positions. While neutralizing her opponent's attack, she also dissolved his lock-on. The next instant, she was already on the other side. A golden-red gleam flashed across Cao Yuwei's body and vanished. Had she not evaded so swiftly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed determined to wear Cao Yuwei down.

Yet no one doubted the origin of this ability. After all, the Peacock Demon Race's greatest innate gift was Stellar Transposition. Her technique shared the same wondrous essence as Stellar Transposition.

After Mei Gongzi neutralized Cao Yuwei's attack this time, she did not rush to counterattack. She merely stood where she was without moving.

Cao Yuwei's brows furrowed slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so keen? After he had forged flame into armor, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed forward with an attack, he was confident he could use that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi had not advanced, forcing the ability he had poised to unleash to be interrupted.

The battle blade slashed out once more, its powerful blade intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with his blade, man and blade becoming one as he charged straight toward Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle once more, and with an instantaneous shift, she switched positions. While neutralizing her opponent's attack, she also dissolved his lock-on. The next instant, she was already on the other side. A golden-red gleam flashed across Cao Yuwei's body and vanished. Had she not evaded so swiftly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed determined to wear Cao Yuwei down.