As Ren Xiaoyao left the ruins of Shuofang City amidst the morning dew, the Ice Lotus Imprint on his palm suddenly shimmered with Glazed Ice- like halo. The halo, like frost flowing under the moon, meandered along the veins of his palm, condensing into Ice Crystals -like Dao Patterns on the surface of his skin.
Wisps of cold air traveled along his meridians, weaving fine frost flowers on the surface of the sword sheath—each frost flower was six-petaled and butterfly-shaped, with the tips of the petals reflecting the smiling faces of the Shuofang City Residents: the dimples of a flower-selling girl, the wrinkles of Old Blacksmith, and the temples of a weaving woman. They trembled slightly with his steps, like thousands of souls dancing in the frost.
The Lingchen Sword trembled like a dragon's roar from its sheath. The blue light emanating from the Southern Pole Profound Ice Iron Sand at the hilt echoed the palm print, and each resonance etched a dark blue rune into the void. These runes connected end to end, transforming into a guiding star pointing to the far east. Wherever the starlight reached, the void fluttered like a cicada's wing.
Deep within the Primordial Chaos rift at the edge of the Tianyan Continent, the pure Lotus Fragrance intertwines with the Savage Wilderness aura of High Antiquity restrictions, forming a vortex: the sweet and pungent scent of Brahma Sound is wrapped with the lingering echoes of Buddhist chants, as if Buddha is reciting the Sutra of Rebirth on a lotus platform, while an ancient Flood Dragon roars in the deep sea. The collision of these two auras creates a buzzing sound that shatters time and space, telling of the endless tribulations that Secret Realm three thousand years.
He leaped onto the mountain ridge with a light touch of his toes, the Gale Wind whipping his blue robes like an eagle spreading its wings, Thirteen Golden Lights dormant within his dantian burst forth. The light streams circled the sword hilt, forming Star Map, each point of light pulsating with the obsession of the wronged souls of Shuofang City —a child's unfinished letter home, a soldier's unsharpened sword, an old woman's unfinished winter clothes. The thirteen points of light reflected each other, condensing at the sword hilt into the ancient seal script " Tianyan ).
The moment the Star Map took shape, the Lingchen Sword unleashed ten thousand icy blue Sword Aura, cleaving through the ten-mile-long thick fog like an inverted Milky Way. Where the fog surged, countless specks of light fell: in the soaring radiance of a cultivator's passing, one could see the unfinished sword scroll of his life; in the woodcutter's joy upon finding the jade slip, lay the mortal's bewildered yearning for the Great Dao; in the child's eyes as he wielded a sword and danced with it, the initial image of all seekers of the Dao on the entire Tianyan Continent was reflected.
Bronze Giant Gate, suspended in the sea of clouds of the Nine Heavens, slowly appeared. The four characters " Creation Space " on the lintel were reduced to mere remnants, yet countless strands of Spiritual Qi swirled like a spiderweb. The moment Ren Xiaoyao's fingertips brushed across the strands of Spiritual Qi, his sea of consciousness trembled violently—within a grain of rice-sized Light Orb, the plowshare of an old farmer turned over every grain of dust, transforming it into Dao Patterns. The beads of sweat that fell from the plow condensed into pills in mid-air, and when the sweat beads shattered, they reflected the myriad evolutions of the four characters " Dao Emulates Own Inherent Spontaneity."
Thousands of Light Orb simultaneously unfold, converging into a river of light beneath the lintel: when scholars wield their brushes, ink drops transform into swords; when knights wield their swords, sword Sword Qi becomes lotuses; when merchants use abacus beads, the River Diagram and Luo Script are hidden; when actors' flowing sleeves are adorned with the Star Trails, the Dao Path of a hundred different lives flow in the river of light, reflecting Golden Patterns onto Ren Xiaoyao's clothes.
The giant gate roared with thunder the moment the Sword Aura touched it. As it opened, the turbid air that surged out was mixed with dragon's saliva and Lotus Fragrance. Interspersed among it were the faint Sword Hum and wails, which were actually the wailing of the remnant souls of cultivators who had failed in their quest for the Dao throughout the ages. He took advantage of the momentum and leaped in. The place where he landed was Profound Ice Lotus Pool floating on the dark water. In the pool, a thousand petals of Ice Lotus held half a jade slip.
The runes on the surface of the jade slip moved like living things: when the golden light gathered, the two characters " fortuitous opportunity " exploded into thousands of sword technique phantoms, with the sharpness of the < Great Void Sword Scripture > and the elegance of the < Flowing Cloud Sword Technique >; when the black energy surged, the two characters "calamity" transformed into the claws of evil spirits, with the heart's blood of cultivators dripping from their fingertips and Dao Foundation Fragments sandwiched between their claws.
At the bottom of the pool, the Creation Giant Flood Dragon breathed out Black and White Qi. The Essence Blood seeping from the gaps in its scales dyed the pool water purplish-black. On the broken sword blades floating in the blood, the Daoist titles such as " Lingchen Slashes the Moon " had been gnawed away by blood rust. At the tip of the blade, the remnant soul of the one-armed cultivator was still caressing the engraving "Dao Da Bu Cheng" (Unfinished Great Dao). Where his fingertips brushed, dark red blood beads seeped from the rust, which was the primordial essence he coughed up when he broke through to the Golden Core.
"This dragon has guarded the Lotus Heart for three thousand years..." An aged voice drifted from the lotus mist, its tone imbued with a thousand years of solitude, each word as weathered as the cracks in an ancient stele. Ren Xiaoyao spun and swung his sword, the icy blue blade shattering the mist, revealing countless fragmented human faces: half a cheekbone still bore the ecstasy of sudden enlightenment, the remaining jaw still held the shape of chanting scriptures, the ghostly fire in the eye sockets of these remnant souls glowing like phosphorescence, all pointing towards the Creation Snow Lotus in the heart of the pond.
The snow lotus floats in Tai Chi Vortex of Black and White Qi, each petal reflecting the light and shadow of the sun, moon, and stars. The dewdrop at the heart of the flower is perfectly Yin-Yang Fish, its surface reflecting the illusions of birth and death in All Heavens and Myriad Worlds: when the Buddha entered Nirvana, the golden lotus bloomed in the thirty-three heavens; when the Demon Head fell into hell, blood waves overturned the Eighteen Levels of Hell. The mystery of the Cosmic Life and Death is contained in the changing light and shadow of this dewdrop.
The giant dragon's bronze eyes suddenly snapped open, its pupils reflecting the despair of countless seekers of the Dao—the fear of cultivators having their Dao Foundation devoured, the resentment of remnant souls trapped in the Secret Realm for millennia. The surging waves it raised were not water droplets, but thousands of Rusted Sword swords. The characters "Seeking the Dao" on the hilts were stained dark red with blood rust, the blades entangled with unfinished sword manuals, and the pages still held the crystallized Essence Crystallization of cultivators.
"The Great Way is difficult, more difficult than ascending to the heavens..." The Rusted Sword's trembling lament assaulted Ren Xiaoyao's mind. Before his eyes flashed the bloody scene of Shuofang City's fall—the same despair in the eyes of the people who fell under the Demonic Baleful Energy's claws, their dying desires unfulfilled. He plunged the Lingchen Sword into the ice, and the Ice-Fire True Qi surged forth from his dantian. The Lotus Pond Mysterious Ice erupted with spiderweb-like cracks, and the seeping cold air collided with the fireball spat out by the giant dragon, condensing into twelve rotating Sword Wheel in the air.
With each rotation of the Sword Wheel, golden light shot out from the Star Map, precisely severing the giant dragon's claws. The "greed, Greed, Anger, Ignorance, and ignorance" Demonic Runes on the claw scales shattered inch by inch, and vengeful spirits gushed from the wounds, dressed in Daoist robes from various generations, holding blood-stained Dao Foundation Fragments —the very essence they coughed up when breaking through to the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul, now becoming food for the giant dragon to nourish its Demonic Runes. The vengeful spirits' pained faces twisted in the blood, uttering silent accusations.
"This dragon feeds on Dao Foundation. Is that the Lingchen Sword that slays demons?" The voices of the remnant souls trembled between the Sword Wheel, carrying the hope of surviving a calamity. Ren Xiaoyao was then shocked to realize that the dragon's scales were actually pieced together from thousands of Dao Foundation Fragments: some fragments were engraved with the vow to "slay all evil in the world," with the sword intent still lingering between the strokes; some were inlaid with half of Dao Comprehension Stone, still retaining the warmth of the cultivator's fingertips; some contained the Divine Sense Divine Sense of the cultivator before his death, reflecting the spring scenery of the Peach Blossom Forest in his hometown, with petals still slowly falling.
He bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the sword. The blood seeped into the Profound Ice Iron Sand on the blade, and the Lingchen Sword erupted with a deafening dragon roar. The icy blue Sword Aura and the blood-red sword patterns intertwined into chains, like a giant python shredding the Black and White Qi that the giant dragon was entwined with. Under the impact of the energy waves, countless ancient seal characters floated on the surface of the lotus pond—the Daoist inscriptions of the devoured cultivators. Each character sank and floated in the water, telling the story of the long-buried injustice.
As if sensing something, the Creation Snow Lotus burst open, its dewdrops transforming into countless Light Butterflies, their wings swirling with the Creation Laws. The moment the Light Butterflies touched the scales, the fragments inscribed with Demonic Runes crumbled away, revealing the shimmering Dao Foundation: some transformed into jade slips that flew back into the remnant soul's hand, their cracks automatically healing to reveal the complete < Great Void Sword Formula >; others condensed into swords of Light Sword that hovered in the air, the "Great Dao Unity " inscription on their blades regaining its brilliance, and the tassel wrapped around the hilt was actually Safety Knot embroidered with the hair of the cultivator's beloved daughter.
Ren Xiaoyao took the opportunity to pinch out the nine stacks of sword seals, triggering the phantom of the Nine Heavens Sword Tomb. Thousands of ancient swords fell into the lotus pond like a Milky Way waterfall, forming a huge "hua" character on the water. As the runes flowed, the giant dragon screamed, and after the black and white energy dispersed, a white jade lotus platform was revealed under the dragon's tail. The edges of the lotus platform were engraved with the Daoist slogans of the sword guardians of the past generations, among which the three characters "Ren Xiaoyao" were glowing with golden light as his heartbeat, like the imprint of fate.
As he ascended on his sword, he discovered that the snow lotus's roots were connected to the giant dragon's heart like blood vessels, and the veins of each petal corresponded to the Demonic Runes on the dragon's body; the two were actually one. The moment he gritted his teeth and plunged the Lingchen Sword into the Lotus Heart's heart, the blood-red lotus seed in his dantian throbbed violently—it was the remnant soul of the Blood Shadow Old Monster! Blood mist slithered into the snow lotus like a living snake, instantly turning the crystalline petals dark red, and the old monster's resentful face appeared on the dewdrop in the flower's heart, merging with the demonic shadow in the giant dragon's pupils.
The giant dragon whipped its tail, stirring up the lotus pond. The purplish-black water condensed in mid-air into four large Demonic Runes characters. "Blood Debt, Blood Pays Off." Each stroke was wrapped with the remnant soul of a cultivator, silently screaming in the firelight. Ren Xiaoyao felt as if his meridians were being boiled in oil. The old monster's remnant soul, using the power of the snow lotus, was eroding his True Qi. The ice Ice Lotus Imprint his dantian began to crack. The black energy seeping from the cracks neutralized the frost on the sword sheath, emitting a "sizzling" corrosive sound.
In the critical moment, he remembered the golden light that had merged into the brow of the Shuofang City Residents — the Kindness Fire Seed condensed from the last vestiges of three thousand wronged souls. He formed a hand seal, drawing the light into the Lingchen Sword like a shooting star. The sword emitted a clear and melodious Sword Hum, and the newly formed " Evil-Suppressing " runes burst forth with Myriad Golden Lights. Each ray of golden light transformed into a miniature Soul Suppressing Bell, its clapper formed from the hair of a newborn infant. The sound of the bells resonated with the Sword Hum, forming Righteous Qi that burned away the blood mist inch by inch.
The infant's cries emanating from the blood mist gradually transformed into the < Sutra of Rebirth >, its voice clear as a spring, washing away resentment and malice. "With my benevolent thoughts, I will transform your evil spirits!" he roared, plunging his sword into the lotus platform. Ice-Fire True Qi formed Tai Chi Vortex on the blade, and at the center of the vortex appeared the phantom image of ten thousand swords from the High Antiquity Sword Mound. Each ancient sword was engraved with the words " Demon-Sweeping." As the sword shadows spun, they shredded all the Demonic Runes on the snow lotus and the giant dragon.
As the last wisp of blood mist dissipated, the Creation Snow Lotus regained its crystalline luster, and a Jade Lotus Seed emerged from its heart. The two characters "Creation" on its surface resonated with the mark on his palm, reflecting Yin-Yang Fish pattern on the back of his hand. With each rotation of the pattern, his meridians were cleansed, and the Demonic Fiend Qi deep within his dantian transformed into pure internal energy. In the soft light emanating from the Jade Lotus Seed, the mysteries of creation were slowly flowing.
The giant dragon's body transformed into countless points of light amidst the golden light, and the Dao Foundation Fragments flew back into the remnant soul's hands. The shattered human face gradually became whole, transforming into thirteen ancient-robed Cultivator Phantoms. They came from the Thirteen Dynasties of Tianyan, and at this moment, their eyes were free of obsession, only filled with the clarity of enlightenment. After bowing three times to Ren Xiaoyao, they transformed into a rain of light and merged into the lotus pond. Thirteen Golden Lotuses grew in the pond, and on each lotus sat a phantom reciting scriptures. The chanting gathered into the < Great Dao Requiem >, rippling through the Secret Realm.
The Creation Space began to collapse, the patterns on the Bronze Giant Gate shattered inch by inch, and in the overflowing Chaos Current, one could see the auspicious clouds under the feet of cultivators who had comprehended the Flight Technique here, and the blood splattered when Demon Head had their foundations Slaying Dao here. The moment Ren Xiaoyao rushed out on his sword, he looked back at the lotus pond where thirteen light towers rose up. The Ice Lotus at the top of the towers was the transformation of the light seed brought by the white crane back then. Ancient seal script such as " Souls Return to Dao " slowly emerged on the towers, and each tower corresponded to a Great Dao Laws.
In the direction of the Far North Ice Plains, the eyes of the old monster's remnant soul in the Profound Ice Mirror suddenly burst open, and an unwilling roar came from the blood mist. The last trace of Demonic Thought parasitizing the blood-red lotus seed was completely purified, and as it dissipated, it turned into fluorescent light and drifted towards the ruins of Shuofang City. On the ruins, it condensed into the light pattern of the two characters "Peace and Tranquility". The light pattern reflected the phantom of a mother holding her baby and smiling. That smile was as warm as the early spring sun and dispelled the gloom of a thousand years.
The morning light of the Tianyan Continent shone on Ren Xiaoyao's shoulder, and the Jade Lotus Seed in his palm split open, a cyan light merging into the sword sheath. From then on, Lingchen Sword Blade had a flowing dragon scale pattern. When he circulated his True Qi, the sword's sound was mixed with the roar of a dragon and the Lotus Fragrance. Where the Sword Hum Sword Aura passed, Golden Lotus Phantom was created, and the withered petals fell on the wound, which could be healed instantly.
The icy lotus Ice Lotus Imprint in the dantian and the dragon pattern in the sword complement each other, forming a unique " Creation Sword Realm ": when used, Tai Chi Yin-Yang Diagram appears around the sword, with thousands of light points representing the Heaven and Earth Opportunities. These points can be transformed into sword Sword Aura to slay evil spirits or into a protective shield to Protecting All Living Beings. As the sword realm flows, one can see the Cosmic Life and Death and the Great Dao Reincarnation, as if held within a single sword.
A clear children's song drifted from a distant mountain valley. Following the sound, Thirteen Bodhi Trees sprouted from the ruins, their leaves shimmering with light—the transformed spirits of vengeful souls purified. The illusory shadows formed by the light danced among the leaves, playing the melody of " Young Crops Green." As the final syllable of "Peace and tranquility for every family" faded, dewdrops seeped from each leaf, reflecting the scene of spring plowing in Shuofang City Residents —farmers guiding plows, children chasing butterflies, and wisps of smoke rising gently in the morning mist.
Ren Xiaoyao stroked the newly appeared dragon patterns on the sword, feeling the Power of Creation flowing within it. He knew that countless calamities still lay hidden within the Secret Realm of the Tianyan Continent, but he could now face them with equanimity. The Lingchen Sword in his hand combined the fierceness of ice and fire, the mystery of creation, and the compassion of soul-suppressing power. It could not only vanquish demons and evil spirits but also guide the Souls Return Home, becoming his strongest reliance in Protecting All Living Beings.
Looking towards the far eastern horizon, clouds gathered to form the phantom of Sword Mound, where thousands of ancient swords resonated, their sounds sweeping across the continent. At the center of the Sword Mound, an ancient sword identical in design to the Lingchen Sword floated, the two characters " Tianyan " gleaming brightly on its blade. The Soul Suppressing Bell its hilt vibrated with his heartbeat, emitting a clear and melodious resonance. Ren Xiaoyao knew that a storm, stirred by this divine sword imbued with the Power of Creation, had begun at the edge of the Tianyan Continent, and the Lingchen Sword in his hand would be the sharpest edge in this storm, leading him towards the unknown future, to explore the continent's mysteries, and to protect the peace and tranquility of the world.
Ren Xiaoyao held the Lingchen Sword horizontally in front of him. The newly formed dragon scale patterns on the blade shimmered with a faint blue light in the morning light, and each scale pattern flowed with the light of Tai Chi Yin and Yang. He looked back at the place where the Creation Space had collapsed. The last light tower was turning into fireflies and merging into the clouds. Those fireflies were actually weaving the prototype of Star Map in the sky. Meanwhile, the Ice Lotus Imprint in his dantian resonated more and more strongly with the patterns in the sword. Each tremor was accompanied by the echo of dragon roars and Lotus Fragrance, causing ripples to spread in the surrounding air. In the ripples, the outlines of thirteen illusory figures chanting scriptures in the lotus pond were vaguely reflected.
"This sword can now actually influence the creation of heaven and earth..." He murmured, flicking the Lingchen Sword's Sword Spine with his finger. Suddenly, the Lingchen Sword was drawn three inches from its sheath, its azure light piercing the morning mist. Wherever the sword's Sword Aura touched, the stubborn rocks at his feet cracked and sprouted, instantly growing into lotus plants bearing Ice Crystals seeds. The dewdrops on the lotus leaves reflected the smiles of the Shuofang City Residents, and the surface of the lotus seeds naturally formed the characters "Peace and Tranquility"—this strange phenomenon reminded him of the thirteen phantom figures chanting scriptures in the lotus pond. The light rain that flowed into the lotus pond when they parted was now transforming into thousands of points of light in the sword realm, gathering and dispersing like living things with the sword intent, sometimes condensing into sword tassels, sometimes transforming into lotus platforms.
The illusory image of the Sword Mound on the far eastern horizon grew clearer, and the sound waves of thousands of ancient swords resounding in unison swept in like a tsunami. Faintly, a familiar Sword Chant could be heard within the sound waves, much like the " Lingchen Sword Song " recorded in the fragments of the Shuofang City ruins. He had once read the annotation on the title page of the fragments, " The Tianyan Sword Tomb contains the souls of ten thousand swords, and the ancient sword ' Tianyan ' hangs at the center of the Sword Mound. Only those whose destiny resonates with 'Lingchen' can activate the sword intent within the tomb and unravel the mystery of the Tianyan Calamity." Now it seemed that this divine sword, which had fused with the Power of Creation, with the Profound Ice Iron Sand at its hilt flickering with the Sword Hum, had become the key to unlocking the secrets of the Sword Mound.
"Brother Xiaoyao!" The nursery rhyme from the distant mountain valley suddenly changed tone, and the leaves of Thirteen Bodhi Trees trembled violently at the same time, with light spots darting between the leaves like Jinghong. He looked up and saw that the phantom formed by the light spots was pointing north—above the ruins of Shuofang City. The light pattern that had just formed the word "Peace" suddenly twisted, and the resentment of the Blood Shadow Old Monster Monster's lingering soul dripped into clear water like ink, flowing backward along the light pattern, weaving spiderweb-like Demonic Runes among the ruins. Wherever the Demonic Runes passed, the air was filled with a sweet and pungent smell of rust.
"So that old monster's Demonic Thought were hidden within the light patterns!" Ren Xiaoyao leaped into the air with a light touch of his toes, his robes billowing like sails. He wielded the Lingchen Sword, creating nine Sword Flower Sword Flower. With each explosion, Ice Crystals lotus petals swirled forth. Wherever the Sword Aura passed, the dewdrops on the Bodhi Tree burst open, transforming into phantom images of Soul Suppressing Bell that flew towards Shuofang City. The bell's clashing tongues emitted fragments of the < Sutra of Rebirth >. He recalled the Jade Lotus Seed that emerged from the heart of the snow lotus, now suspended in his dantian. With each rotation of the Yin-Yang Fish light patterns on its surface, a beam of golden light shot into the sword blade, purifying the invading Demonic Baleful Energy.
When he arrived at the ruins, the "Peace" light pattern had been stained dark red by the blood mist. Demonic Runes, like living snakes, climbed along the broken walls and rubble, instantly withering any vegetation they touched. Lingchen Sword suddenly trembled violently, and the dragon scale patterns on its blade began to emanate golden light, merging with the Ice Lotus Imprint on his palm to form a flowing Tai Chi Symbol on the back of his hand—a warning sign of the Creation Sword Realm. He swung his sword fiercely at the blood mist, only to see the remnant soul of the Blood Shadow Old Monster emerge from the light pattern with sharp claws, dripping Black Blood from its fingertips, aiming straight for the Jade Lotus Seed in his dantian!
"Don't even think about it!" Ren Xiaoyao spun around and changed his move. Ice-Fire True Qi formed Tai Chi Vortex on the blade. At the center of the vortex, the phantom of the White Jade Lotus Platform in the lotus pond appeared. Each petal of the lotus platform was engraved with the ancient seal script " Evil-Suppressing ". When the Sword Aura collided with the blood mist, Thirteen Golden Lights suddenly shot up from under the ruins - they were the Remnant Spirit of Light Tower transformed from the purified vengeful spirits. At this moment, they transformed into sword tassels and wrapped around the sword. Each Light Pearl on the tassel reflected the light of enlightenment when the cultivator was comprehending the Dao. They actually crushed the blood mist inch by inch. The shrieks coming from the blood mist were mixed with the lingering sound of the < Great Dao Requiem >.
The remnant soul of the Blood Shadow Old Monster let out a final shriek, transforming into thousands of Blood Butterfly that scattered in all directions. Each Blood Butterfly's wings were engraved with the Demonic Runes of "blood debt must be repaid in blood." Ren Xiaoyao was about to give chase when he saw a beam of azure light fly down from the phantom of the Sword Mound, piercing Lingchen Sword with the precision of a serpent. He was astonished to find that the Profound Ice Iron Sand on the hilt of the sword had rearranged, forming a fragmented Sword Talisman —the edges of the rune were gear-shaped, exactly like the pattern on the hilt of the " Tianyan " ancient sword floating in the center of the Sword Mound. The gap in the rune was still absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, emitting a "clicking" sound of gears turning.
"This is... the summons of the Sword Mound?" He stroked the Sword Talisman, when suddenly he heard thirteen voices echoing in his mind, their voices overlapping like the resonance of an ancient bell. They were the remnant souls of the thirteen ancient cultivators in the lotus pond. "Go to the Sword Mound immediately, for there lies the key to breaking the Tianyan Calamity... The Blood Shadow Old Monster is merely the prologue to the calamity; the true Demonic Source lies deep within the Sword Mound..." Before the words were finished, the clouds in the far east suddenly parted, and a torrent of thousands of ancient swords roared in. The sharp clash of the blades reverberated through the mountains, condensing into a Light Bridge beneath his feet. Each Light Brick on the bridge was a phantom of an ancient sword.
Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge of light. With each step the Light Bridge extended, the Lingchen Sword emitted a clear and melodious Sword Hum, absorbing the sword intent of an ancient sword. The dragon scale patterns on the blade were gradually covered by golden sword patterns, and the new sword patterns actually formed the outline of a map of the Tianyan Continent. Sword Mound tomb phantoms were marked all over the continent—it turned out that beneath every mountain peak and every river of the Tianyan Continent, the remnants of Ancient Sword Cultivators ' swords lay dormant. He looked back at Shuofang City and saw that the Thirteen Bodhi Trees had grown into towering giants, and the light spots on their leaves gathered into the Star River. At the end of the Star River was the Sword Mound Light Bridge —the obsession of three thousand wronged souls, now transformed into flowing Star Orbit, guiding his way.
The illusory image of the Sword Mound drew ever closer, and the ancient sword " Tianyan " at its center suddenly erupted with countless rays of light. Within the light, countless Phantoms of Sword Cultivators appeared, some sitting in meditation atop mountains, others fallen in battle, their broken swords all pointing towards the ancient sword. Ren Xiaoyao raised the Lingchen Sword, and the instant the two swords resonated, all the Sword Hum in the world fell silent, leaving only the resonant hum of the two swords echoing throughout the universe. He saw that what was engraved on the ancient sword was not only the two characters " Tianyan," but also a complete Star Map —the thirteen main stars in the map corresponded to the Thirteen Golden Lights within his dantian, each main star connected to a band of light, and the blank space in the center of the Star Map was none other than the shape of the Lingchen Sword at this moment, with a piece missing from the hilt, perfectly matching the incomplete Sword Talisman on the hilt.
"So that's how it is..." he murmured to himself, finally understanding why the Creation Snow Lotus resonated with the Sword Mound —the Snow Lotus purified not only the Demonic Baleful Energy, but also the key to activating the Sword Mound Star Chart. The moment Lingchen Sword embedded itself into the blank space of the Star Map, ten thousand swords from the Sword Mound Tomb resonated, transforming into streams of light that merged into his sword realm. From then on, his " Creation Sword Realm " not only contained the flowing Yin-Yang Fish, but also the floating phantoms of thousands of ancient swords, each corresponding to a forgotten Sword Dao Inheritance the Tianyan Continent: some swords were engraved with the Ploughshare Pattern of agricultural civilization, some were wrapped with the abacus Abacus Bead Chain of merchants' abacuses, and some blades condensed the Flowing Colors of a courtesan's sleeves—it turns out that of the three thousand Great Daos, all can be made into swords.
When Ren Xiaoyao left the Sword Mound, his green robe was stained silver-white by the sword intent, and the cloud patterns embroidered on the hem had transformed into sword tassels. He looked down and saw that the Ice Lotus Imprint on his palm had merged with the " Tianyan " rune in the sword, forming flowing Sword Network under his skin. At the intersection of the Sword Network, thirteen Light Pearl condensed, corresponding to the Thirteen Golden Lights in his dantian. The children's song from the distant mountain valley rang out again, this time with the rhythm of Sword Hum, singing "Ling Chen emerges, ten thousand swords follow, Tianyan Tribulation, Lotus Heart breaks," as if chanting a new legend. Wherever the song reached, the grass and trees sprouted sword-shaped buds.
The turmoil on the Tianyan Continent has arrived. A dark shadow on the western horizon is spreading along the Demonic Runes. The edges of the shadow glow with the red light of the remnant soul of the Blood Shadow Old Monster, yet it is more solid than blood mist. Countless twisted faces can be vaguely seen wailing within the shadow. There are thirteen unlit stars in the Sword Mound Star Chart, each corresponding to a blurry figure—foreshadowing that thirteen destined people will meet him. They may be an old farmer tilling the fields, a monk chanting scriptures, or a young swordsman, but each holds the key to unraveling the calamity.
"Next stop, the Southern Sea." Ren Xiaoyao sheathed his sword, the Sword Hum startling a flock of white cranes, which flew south in a sword-like formation. He knew that this calamity, caused by the Creation Snow Lotus, had only just begun. And the new golden sword pattern on Lingchen Sword Blade, flashing with his heartbeat, was a harbinger of the next adventure—the shape of that sword pattern was exactly the same as the legendary " Return Ruins " of the Southern Sea, where the traces of seawater erosion concealed the remains of a monument from a great Sword Cultivator war ten thousand years ago.