Sword Intent in an Illusory Realm

Runic patterns were engraved upon these stone steles, though the markings had grown exceedingly faint. Without looking closely, one would never notice them.

"What are these..." Lin Xuan examined them carefully, only to find that he did not recognize these runes at all.

"These should be ancient characters. They probably aren't commonly seen anymore," Wine Lord suddenly said.

"Uncle Drunkard, you can even read ancient characters?" Lin Xuan asked in surprise. "Don't tell me you're someone from ancient times?"

Wine Lord did not answer Lin Xuan's question. Instead, he said gravely, "Words are merely a means. The true essence lies in the spiritual intent within them. Sense it carefully."

Hearing Wine Lord's words, Lin Xuan put away his smile and seriously began to perceive the information left upon the stone stele.

Suddenly, a chilling aura seeped out from the stone stele and spread throughout the world.

Lin Xuan felt his soul tremble, as though he were a frail ant about to kneel before a supreme king. In the next moment, the scenery around him changed drastically—an endless sea of blood and mountains of corpses, dragon bones stretching thousands of zhang, human skeletons towering hundreds of zhang high, giants howling at the heavens...

It was as though he had arrived in ancient times.

Whoosh!

Lin Xuan's body shuddered, and he staggered back with a pale face.

"An illusion—it must have been an illusion!" Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

"What did you see?" Wine Lord asked.

"An endless sea of blood, and boundless white bones." Lin Xuan was still shaken.

"Alas, no matter how many divine abilities one possesses, in the end, one is nothing more than a pile of bones." Wine Lord sounded somewhat sorrowful.

"Those should all have been supreme beings. Why did they all die?" Lin Xuan could not understand.

Inside the Mysterious Little Sword, Wine Lord lounged beneath a withered tree, a crimson wine gourd in his hand. His black hair fluttered in the wind, making him seem like an immortal, yet his eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of time.

"Who in this world can live forever? It is nothing but deceiving oneself." Wine Lord's voice was somewhat desolate.

Lin Xuan moved to another stone stele and placed his hand upon it again.

This time, there was no illusion whatsoever. Unwilling to give up, he touched one stone stele after another. Finally, at the seventh one, he once more sensed an ancient, weathered aura.

A towering figure, as lofty as gods and devils, stood there, his face indistinct. He was battling a swarm of demons with wings on their backs and single horns growing from their heads. These demons wielded blood-red spears, stirring the winds and clouds as they surged toward the god-and-devil-like man like a tide blotting out the sky.

The man merely swung his sword once. The entire void seemed to be sliced apart, shattering into countless fragments. Every demon was cleaved in two by that single strike.

Whoosh!

Lin Xuan withdrew from the illusory realm and fell silent. The sword strike he had just witnessed was too shocking. He felt that was the true way of the sword.

He sensed that there was something special within that strike, but he did not know what it was.

"This sword intent..." Inside the Mysterious Little Sword, Wine Lord revealed a surprised expression. "Brat Xuan, trigger that stone stele again. Remember, relax your mind and do not resist!"

Lin Xuan followed his instructions. In the next moment, his head boomed, and the world around him changed drastically.

Across the weathered earth, countless terrifying cracks crisscrossed the land. The sky was like shattered glass, torn open by black gashes, behind which lay endless darkness.

Tens of millions of demons had been severed at the waist. Four mysterious figures clad in black armor appeared in the four directions of heaven and earth, slowly walking toward the tall man at the center.

These four were terrifying beyond measure. With every step they took, a black hole was left behind in the void. In the end, the entire sky collapsed. Yet the tall man still stood proudly, light flickering over his body like an invincible Immortal King.

Yes, invincible. The tall man still only swung his sword once, not even bothering to regard the four terrifying mysterious figures. As his sword swept out, everything between heaven and earth became blurred.

Lin Xuan retreated again and again, seemingly unable to withstand that sword intent. Inside the Mysterious Little Sword, Wine Lord wore a solemn expression. Stars appeared and vanished in his eyes as he continuously recreated that sword strike.

After a long while, everything returned to calm.

Lin Xuan regained his clarity. Though he had not broken through, he felt that his strength had improved considerably. The feeling was profoundly mysterious, difficult to describe with words.

"This... is sword intent?" Lin Xuan could not think of any other way to describe it.

"That's right, it is sword intent." Wine Lord returned to his usual manner. "Brat Xuan, your luck is not bad. To encounter such sword intent—comprehend it well, and do not waste such a providential opportunity."

Excitement flashed through Lin Xuan's eyes. It really was sword intent. This was far more profound than Jiang Yulong's sword momentum. If he could comprehend sword intent, his future achievements would surely be limitless.

Since Lin Xuan could not leave anyway, he drew his refined steel sword and began practicing the second level of Thunder Movement Swordsmanship. Every level of Thunder Movement Swordsmanship contained a sword skill. For instance, the first level had Unity Sword, while the second level also had a move called Thunder God's Wrath.

In truth, the first level of Thunder Movement Swordsmanship was the most difficult, because it required one to control that power. Once a martial artist grasped it, the later levels became much easier instead.

Lin Xuan danced his longsword, his momentum like racing thunder. Perhaps influenced by what he had just seen, he felt that his sword movements were much smoother than before. Moreover, whenever he tried to imitate that god-and-devil-like man, the power of the longsword in his hand increased by another measure.

This change delighted him immensely, and he decided to experience it once more. Yet when he placed his hand upon the stone stele, nothing happened.

"Do not waste your time. This sword intent is incomplete, and it has already been imprinted in your mind," Wine Lord explained.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and recalled it. Sure enough, he could clearly see the image of the tall man drawing his sword again. He recalled it over and over, until at last, every sword move vanished, leaving only the tall man behind.

And at that moment, Lin Xuan felt only one thing: invincibility!

"An invincible conviction..." Lin Xuan murmured. "With a sword in hand, I alone am invincible. Without a sword, I am still invincible!"

"I never expected you to comprehend this much." Wine Lord smiled approvingly. "Sword techniques and moves are secondary. What matters most is possessing an invincible heart."

"An invincible heart." Light gradually bloomed in Lin Xuan's eyes. He did not yet know how greatly today's encounter would affect his future destiny.

Such things as artistic conception were profound and mysterious. Some could attain enlightenment in an instant, while others might never understand it in their entire lives. Lin Xuan had gained something, yet could not fully comprehend it. However, as he grew, this seed of invincibility would one day sprout in the depths of his heart.

As naturally as water flowing into a channel, he mastered the second level of Thunder Movement Swordsmanship. Everything seemed so natural. Lin Xuan's cultivation was still at the Fourth Level of Meridian Condensation, yet his strength had nearly doubled.

"It is time to break through." Lin Xuan sheathed his longsword. After the recent succession of fierce battles, the fifth spiritual meridian within his body had long since loosened. He could break through at any time.

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