No matter how intense the pain, time and familiarity would dull it.
No matter how strong the enemy, a sword could cut him down.
Jiang Ding cradled the Supreme Clarity Flying Sword amid boundless light. His knitted brows began to ease, and as he gradually adapted, his expression grew calm and peaceful.
The fierce tempering brought by the Sun Sword Sacrifice Method gradually faded into something subtle and imperceptible. His sword cultivator's soul and flying sword had taken their first step toward a foundation for the realm beyond Dao Integration.
"If the Sun Sword Heir and Taiyin Sword Heir cultivated together, it seems they could achieve a similar effect. Their path would be smooth all the way. That much is certain..."
Jiang Ding's sword soul had largely recovered its full strength, and he began to ponder.
"But what would the Sun Sword Heir and Taiyin Sword Heir lose?"
"They would lose an enemy, an opportunity on their Dao Path. Their sword souls would lose a chance to overcome themselves and transform."
"That's what makes the sword cultivator's path different. We must grow through battle. We can't advance as steadily as spell cultivators."
"One missed opportunity means little."
"But missed opportunities pile up, again and again. The gap they create is the gap between the Sun-Moon Sword Pavilion and the Great Sun Sword Pavilion. History proved it long ago."
The thin, dark-gold film on the Supreme Clarity Flying Sword was gradually absorbed in full, revealing its blue-gold blade once more. It glowed with a gentle light.
The first round of sword refinement with the Sun Sword Sacrifice Method was halfway complete.
The remaining half would unfold over nearly a hundred years, tempering and changing the sword bit by bit. It would be somewhat gentler, without the danger of the beginning.
This