[At sixteen, aboard True Monarch Mingyang's Flying Boat, you discussed the Tianjian Sect's basic circumstances with your teacher, Ancient Yuan Dan Venerable.] [He told you some old news about the Tianjian Sect from several thousand years ago.] [But what he did not know was that you understood the Tianjian Sect far better than he did.] [Several hours later, you successfully arrived at the Tianjian Sect and chose to join Sun Sword Peak.] [Three days later, at the initiation ceremony, Venerable Blazing Sun appeared and wished to take you as his disciple.] [You asked Ancient Yuan Dan Venerable for his opinion.] [He nodded in great satisfaction and told you to agree.] [At the same time, he told you that when he had still been active in the Seven Islands Alliance more than two thousand years ago.] [Venerable Blazing Sun had already been the Tianjian Sect's foremost Spirit Transformation cultivator.] [His current strength was surely even greater.] [With him as your master, you would have another powerful pillar of support.] [You agreed to Venerable Blazing Sun's request to take you as his disciple, serving tea and kowtowing.] [Venerable Blazing Sun revealed a trace of delight. After giving you a few pointers, he handed you over to Gu Changfeng.] [You verified what you had learned with Gu Changfeng.] [A day later, you went to the Sword Tomb to choose a treasure.] [With Ancient Yuan Dan Venerable's keen and vicious eye, you obtained a fifth-rank supreme spirit treasure flying sword, the Heaven and Earth Profound Origin Sword.] [This sword had several top-tier divine abilities and one Great Divine Ability, 'Heaven Circle Earth Square,' refined into it. By relying on itself alone, it could withstand ordinary mid-stage Spirit Transformation Venerables. After activating its Great Divine Ability, it could even briefly trap high-stage Spirit Transformation Venerables.] [When you brought the Heaven and Earth Profound Origin Sword out of the Sword Tomb, most of the Tianjian Sect's upper echelons were shaken. Several Spirit Transformation Venerables even appeared.] [None of them had expected this divine sword, which could be counted among the Tianjian Sect's top five, to be obtained by a mere Foundation Establishment Sword Child like you.] [Several Spirit Transformation Venerables looked at you with complicated expressions.] [Your master, Venerable Blazing Sun, also patted your shoulder and told you to treat this sword well.] [You nodded and said that you would.] [Venerable Blazing Sun taught you a secret art, Chaos Hole True Power.] [This art could unify spiritual power of different attributes within the body, transforming it into corresponding true power whose quality surpassed ordinary spiritual power by several times.] [The yang and fire attributes within your body were nearly balanced. Once cultivated successfully, it should be called Yang Fire True Power.] [You were overjoyed and chose to cultivate it.] [Under Ancient Yuan Dan Venerable's uninterrupted guidance, you progressed at an astonishing speed.] [Several months later, you cultivated it successfully.] [The quality of your spiritual power increased greatly.] [You decided to test your own strength.] [You challenged the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Sword Path.]
"The Heavenly Sword Path... I wonder what it looks like."
Outside the simulation, Su Yang became interested.
In the previous two simulations, Su Yang's main goals had been cultivation and avoiding the great calamity. Moreover, his combat strength had not been particularly outstanding among those of the same realm.
Thus, he had never attempted the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Sword Path.
He opened the scene of Simulated Su Yang challenging the Heavenly Sword Path.
Within an incomparably vast grand formation.
It had been divided into countless smaller paths.
Each path was a different Heavenly Sword Path.
At intervals along every Heavenly Sword Path stood different gatekeepers.
Simulated Su Yang casually chose a Foundation Establishment Heavenly Sword Path and stepped onto it.
The moment he entered, he encountered a first-layer Foundation Establishment gatekeeper. It was a cultivator in black robes carrying a sword, though its figure was somewhat illusory.
Clearly, it was not a living being.
Upon seeing Simulated Su Yang appear, it immediately said, "Path challenger, kill me, and you may proceed!"
With that, it immediately charged forward with its sword, using only a second-rank beginner Sword Technique.
Simulated Su Yang pointed with a sword finger and killed it in a single strike.
Afterward, Simulated Su Yang advanced roughly a thousand meters.
Another black-robed sword-bearing figure of the same appearance emerged ahead. Its realm had now reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, and the Sword Technique it used had reached second-rank minor accomplishment.
However, it was still no match for Simulated Su Yang and was slapped to death with a single palm.
"So they are all formation-born beings like this. As the path challenger advances, their cultivation realm and technique mastery will both increase."
"Then there is no need to waste time watching. I can just read the text simulation."
Su Yang closed the simulation display and switched to the simulation text.
[You arrived at the third stage of the Heavenly Sword Path. The gatekeeper was a formation-born being at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, using a second-rank Great Accomplishment Sword Technique.] [You killed it with a single sword strike.] [You arrived at the fourth stage of the Heavenly Sword Path. The gatekeeper possessed Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivation and a second-rank Perfection Sword Technique.] [You killed it easily.] [You arrived at the fifth stage of the Heavenly Sword Path. The gatekeeper possessed false core cultivation and a Limit-Breaking Sword Technique.] [You exerted a little effort before killing it.] [You arrived at the sixth stage. The gatekeeper possessed first-layer Golden Core cultivation and a third-rank Perfection Sword Technique.] [After a fierce battle, you emerged victorious.] [You arrived at the seventh stage. The gatekeeper possessed fourth-layer Golden Core cultivation and a Third-Rank Limit-Breaking Sword Technique.] [You were defeated and failed.]
"Damn, the final stage of the Heavenly Sword Path has this cultivation and this Sword Technique? Its strength would be considered outstanding even among Golden Core cultivators, yet Foundation Establishment disciples are expected to clear it."
Even Su Yang found it absurd.
For an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if both cultivation and techniques were raised to their limits, they would still be far from meeting the standard needed to pass.
"No wonder that as long as one succeeds and one's cultivation speed is not unbearably poor, one can immediately become a Tianjian Sect Sword Child."
Su Yang understood.
There were two requirements for Sword Children. One demanded absurdly fast cultivation speed, so that they would have more time in the future to charge toward Spirit Transformation and attain Spirit Transformation cultivation.
The other required combat strength far beyond others of the same realm.
As for where such combat strength came from?
Either one possessed some powerful combat talent or physique.
Or one could comprehend artistic conception ahead of time and cultivate a simplified divine ability.
Most people normally fell into the latter category.
This showed that by following the Tianjian Sect's normal cultivation path, there was a great chance of cultivating a top-tier divine ability at the Nascent Soul stage. That was genuine Spirit Transformation-level combat strength.
"So the essential requirement for a Sword Child is a high likelihood of possessing Spirit Transformation-level strength in the future."
Su Yang reached his conclusion.
He then continued watching the simulation.
[After failing the Heavenly Sword Path challenge, you suffered a severe blow and decided to cultivate even more diligently.] [However, you also did not forget to improve your alchemy.] [At seventeen, under Ancient Yuan Dan Venerable's guidance, you learned how to refine two new kinds of pills.] [At nineteen, you broke through to the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.]
"My cultivation speed is indeed much faster than in the simulation before last, but it still cannot compare to the previous simulation."
"There are gains and losses."
"Since the Simulation Points are being obtained for lifespan, slower is slower."
Su Yang could accept it as well.
[At twenty-two, you broke through to the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.] [At twenty-four, you learned how to refine five new kinds of pills.] [At twenty-five, you broke through to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment.] [At twenty-six, your second-rank attribute spells all entered perfection.]
"With the Sorcery Prodigy talent this time, my attribute spells will finally no longer hold me back."
Su Yang was deeply moved.
In his previous simulations, his Sword Techniques had surged ahead like a triumphant song, while his attribute spells could only inch forward with difficulty.
It had been far too difficult.
Now, this situation finally had hope of changing.
He could also forge the most perfect Foundation Establishment foundation.
Before you continue