Across the cosmic sea of stars, the radiance of Guangming, the treasure of rules born in the Age of Dharma's End, gradually receded. Every strange phenomenon vanished, revealing a nine-colored sword. Its azure light shone brightly; the other eight colors were dim and lifeless.
The flying sword flashed and appeared before the azure-robed youth without disturbing space or its rules.
It was something that transcended rules and space.
"What a shame."
"It's still flawed..."
Jiang Ding sighed softly.
The Nine Heavens Ascendant Sword-Forging Art, created by the current Great Sun Sword Lord upon the explorations of his predecessors, required him to slay nine Daoist heirs of upper-realm Immortal Orders or beings akin to immortal-clan saint sons to complete one round of transformation. So far, he had completed only one ninth.
Nine nines returned to one.
Each set of nine formed one round of transformation.
As he envisioned it, once he slew nine Daoist heirs, the Supreme Clarity Flying Sword would transform, driving his own foundation and reserves higher until they truly matched the Great Sun Immortal-Mortal Sword Soul.
Otherwise, he could only spend a hundred thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand years slowly refining his dharma body, using his sword soul to drive its advancement until the result came as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
This possibility had emerged only after the new fourth-step scripture, the Law-Annihilating Sun Scripture, appeared. Without it, the process would take even longer, and he might never refine a dharma body suited to the fourth-step limit.
At that point, the Great Sun Sword Lord would reach his current limit.
If he cultivated step by step, he would grow stronger and, as he envisioned it, eventually possess the power to unify a Great Thousand World. But exceeding his current limit and breaking through