The lingering might of the flood dragon's departure had yet to dissipate, and the pale red miasma outside the volcanic cavern still trembled faintly. Steward Wang braced himself against an ancient tree beside him, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared at the six-colored radiance that had not yet fully withdrawn around Ling Yun. The astonishment in his eyes deepened. "Awakening dual-attribute Sword Intent at the early Great Swordsman Realm and even taming flood dragon energy—such talent may surpass even the founder of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect in his day."
The other two core disciples had long since put away their earlier contempt. Their gazes toward Ling Yun were filled with reverence—just now, a single sweep of the flood dragon's tail had teleported one of their fellow disciples away, yet Ling Yun had broken through its defenses head-on and even used the Dragon Pill to advance. Such strength had already far surpassed others of the same realm.
"The aura deeper in the secret realm... is growing stronger and stronger." Murong Shuang's grip on the Green Peak Sword tightened slightly. Her Wind Spirit Physique made her exceptionally sensitive to energy fluctuations. "Within that Ancient Sword Intent, there is a faint trace of savage malice. It does not seem to belong to an orthodox sword cultivator."
"Let's go take a look." Ling Yun put away the Sky-Rending Sword. Within his dantian, the six-colored Sword Intent pearl slowly revolved, crimson Fire Attribute light intertwining with wind, gold, earth, and other colors to form a stable cycle. "Sword Elder said it may hold something more important than the Dragon Origin Fruit. Besides, the secret realm's rule is 'teleportation upon severe injury.' Even if we encounter danger, we have a way out."
Steward Wang pondered for a moment before finally nodding. "Very well. But we must advance in formation. I will use Wood Element Sword Intent to sense our surroundings. Murong Shuang, control the wind to scout. Ling Yun, guard the rear. The moment anything feels wrong, retreat immediately."
The group immediately formed a triangular formation. At the front, Steward Wang released pale-green Wood Spirit Sensing, clearing a passage through the miasma within thirty zhang. Murong Shuang condensed wind blades and fired them into the ground every few zhang, using the rebound force to judge the terrain. Ling Yun walked at the rear, his Chaos Sword Body silently circulating. The faint glow around him not only defended against the lingering fire poison but also drew trace amounts of Fire Attribute energy drifting through the air into his body, nourishing his newly awakened Fire-Attribute Sword Intent.
After traveling only five li, the volcanic rocks on the ground grew increasingly dense, and scorching currents of air occasionally surged from the cracks. Suddenly, when Murong Shuang's wind blade shot into the miasma on the right, it was blocked and sent flying back by an invisible force. The wind blade struck the volcanic rock and scattered sparks—and in that instant, three crimson figures darted out from the crevices. They were three Molten Fire Lizards, each over a zhang long. Their scales were dark red like molten lava, their mouths spewed foot-long tongues of flame, and their claws left shallow scorch marks wherever they scraped across the ground.
"Molten Fire Lizards—Fire Attribute demon beasts. Their scales can withstand mid-grade sword techniques!" Steward Wang immediately activated his Wood Element Sword Intent, and two vines burst from the ground, lashing toward the foremost lizard. "Their weakness is their eyes. They are fast, so beware of sneak attacks!"
Before his words had faded, the Molten Fire Lizard on the left abruptly accelerated, blasting its fiery tongue straight at a core disciple's face. The disciple hastily raised his sword to block. When the blade collided with the flames, smoke actually rose from its surface, and his arm went numb from the heat. Just as the lizard's claw was about to strike his chest, a crimson Sword Qi tore through the air and pierced precisely toward its left eye—it was Ling Yun's Fire-Attribute Sword Intent.
"Pfft!" Fire Sword Qi stabbed into the lizard's eye, and the demon beast let out a pained hiss as its body twisted violently. Ling Yun flashed forward, and the Sky-Rending Sword simultaneously gathered Gold and Fire Sword Intent. Gold and crimson light intertwined along its blade as the Gold-Fire Armor-Piercing Slash cleaved down. Golden Sword Qi cut open the lizard's hard scales, while crimson Sword Qi surged through the wound into its body, instantly detonating the Fire Attribute energy within it.
"Boom!" Amid the explosion, the Molten Fire Lizard's corpse turned into a wisp of crimson flame and melted into the miasma. On the other side, Murong Shuang had also found an opening. Her Wind Element Sword Intent condensed into hair-thin wind threads, slipping around the flames and wrapping around the lizard's eyes. Once its vision was obstructed, the Green Peak Sword thrust straight through its throat, cleanly ending the second one. Seeing its companions die horribly, the final lizard turned to flee, only for Steward Wang's vines to bind its limbs. Ling Yun added a burst of Earth Element Sword Intent to stun it, then pierced its skull with a single stroke.
"This Fire-Attribute Sword Intent does restrain this kind of demon beast." Murong Shuang looked at the crimson flecks of light lingering on Ling Yun's blade, her tone carrying a little more acknowledgment. "When you fought the flood dragon before, you still could not fully control it. Now you can actually merge it with Gold Element Sword Intent. Your progress is quite fast."
Ling Yun nodded slightly but said nothing. His rapid mastery of Fire-Attribute Sword Intent was not only due to the compatibility of the Chaos Sword Body, but also because Sword Elder had secretly guided him, combining the Fire-Attribute Sword Intent with the foundational sword techniques in the Qiankun Sword Canon to create the Gold-Fire Armor-Piercing Slash.
After advancing another ten li or so, the miasma ahead suddenly thinned. An ancient stone gate roughly ten zhang tall appeared before them. It was forged from an unknown dark-black stone, its surface covered in twisted sword patterns. A faint silver glow shimmered within the patterns, as though they contained some hidden rhythm. On either side of the gate stood a damaged sword cultivator statue. The longswords in their hands had long rusted away, yet they still exuded a sharp Sword Intent that made people afraid to look directly at them.
"Is this the entrance to the Ancient Sword Cultivator Ruins?" One core disciple could not resist stepping forward. The moment his finger touched the sword patterns on the gate, an invisible force flung him away. Fine bloody marks instantly covered his wrist. "What powerful Sword Intent! These sword patterns... they seem alive!"
Steward Wang hurriedly pulled him back, his expression grave. "Do not touch them! These sword patterns are ancient restrictions. Once triggered, they may attract something even more dangerous. Ling Yun, your Chaos Sword Body can sense Sword Intent fluctuations. Can you try?"
Ling Yun stepped forward and extended his palm toward the stone gate. The instant the Chaos Sword Body began circulating, the sword patterns on the gate suddenly lit up, and silver radiance flowed through his palm into his body. Sword Elder suddenly cried out from within his dantian, "They are Primordial Sword Patterns! These are restrictions from the lineage of the Ancient Sword God! Ling Yun, inject your Fire-Attribute Sword Intent. The patterns require energy of a corresponding attribute to activate, and the Dragon Pill energy you just absorbed happens to share the same origin as these patterns!"
Ling Yun immediately did as he was told, sending crimson Fire-Attribute Sword Intent into the stone gate through his palm. The silver radiance within the sword patterns met the crimson Sword Intent and instantly erupted with dazzling light. The twisted patterns began to flow slowly, as if reorganizing into some design. Moments later, the patterns on the gate formed the image of a longsword wreathed in flames. A crack opened at the center of the image, followed by a thunderous rumble as the stone gate slowly opened to both sides.
Beyond the gate was not the passage they had imagined, but a spacious stone chamber. The floor was paved with azure slabs engraved with the trajectories of sword techniques, while murals covered the surrounding walls. In the murals, a white-robed sword cultivator wielded a longsword against countless monsters wrapped in demonic qi. In the end, the sword cultivator split the sky with one strike, but his strength was exhausted and he died. Before his death, he hid a sword-shaped jade pendant beneath the earth.
A broken stele stood at the center of the chamber, carved with blurred writing. When Ling Yun approached, the Chaos Sword Body sensed energy fluctuations once more, and the words on the stele gradually became clear: "In the first year of Primordial Beginning, evil demons descended upon the world. I proved my Dao with the sword and guarded this secret realm. Yet demonic qi corroded my heart, and fearing I would fall into the demonic path, I sealed my remnant soul within this stele, awaiting one fated to inherit my Sword Intent and slaughter demons to defend the righteous path..."
"It is the remnant soul of an ancient sword cultivator!" Sword Elder's voice was filled with excitement. "Ling Yun, this stele contains his remnant soul and inheritance of Sword Intent! Absorb it with your Chaos Sword Body. Not only will it stabilize your Fire-Attribute Sword Intent, but you will also learn ancient sword techniques!"
Just as Ling Yun was about to reach out and touch the stele, the stone chamber suddenly shook violently. Cracks split open along the walls on both sides, and countless black-glowing Demon Shadow Swords flew from them, stabbing toward the group. Steward Wang's expression changed drastically as he immediately activated his Wood Element Sword Intent to form a barrier. "It is a restriction! This stele is bait—triggering it will summon Demon Shadow Swords!"
The Demon Shadow Swords were incredibly fast and could pierce ordinary Sword Intent barriers. Murong Shuang's Wind Element Sword Intent had only just blocked three when two more bypassed the barrier and shot toward the injured core disciple. Ling Yun reacted swiftly, sweeping the Sky-Rending Sword to release six-colored Sword Qi that shattered the Demon Shadow Swords. At the same time, he shouted, "Retreat to the stone gate! These Demon Shadow Swords are controlled by the stele. Once we leave the chamber, the restriction will fail!"
Everyone hurriedly retreated, but the Demon Shadow Swords poured forth like a rising tide, growing stronger and stronger. Ling Yun remained at the rear. The instant Clear Sword Heart activated, he saw through the Demon Shadow Swords' trajectories—all of them originated from a black sword pattern on the stele. As long as that pattern was destroyed, the restriction would stop.
"Murong Shuang, help me hold them back!" Ling Yun shouted. The six-colored Sword Intent around him surged, while Gold and Earth Sword Intent condensed into a barrier that blocked the incoming Demon Shadow Swords. Murong Shuang understood immediately, gathering her Wind Element Sword Intent into a Wind Domain that drew most of the Demon Shadow Swords to one side. Seizing the chance, Ling Yun leaped into the air. The Sky-Rending Sword gathered Fire and Wind Sword Intent as the Wind-Fire Meteor Sword shot forth. Crimson flames and azure wind blades intertwined into a meteor, piercing precisely toward the black sword pattern on the stele.
"Crack!" The black sword pattern shattered, and the Demon Shadow Swords instantly lost their energy, turning into black smoke and dispersing. The chamber stopped shaking. The writing on the stele blurred once again, but a pale white point of light flew out from it and merged into Ling Yun's brow.
"This is... the remnant soul imprint of that ancient sword cultivator!" Sword Elder's voice was brimming with delight. "It contains his famed sword technique, the Primordial Slash, as well as clues concerning the Myriad Sword Cave in the Spirit Realm! Ling Yun, you have truly stumbled upon a treasure this time!"
Ling Yun felt the imprint between his brows. The Fire-Attribute Sword Intent in his dantian became increasingly stable, and the six-colored Sword Intent pearl revolved more smoothly as well. He raised his head and looked deeper into the chamber. There was another concealed door in the wall there, faint golden light leaking from it. Clearly, deeper secrets still lay within.
"Are we... still going on?" The core disciple was still shaken. Those Demon Shadow Swords had nearly severely injured him just now. Steward Wang looked at Ling Yun, an unspoken question in his eyes.
Ling Yun tightened his grip on the Sky-Rending Sword. Fire patterns and silver patterns intertwined along its blade, radiating a sharp aura. "There is no savage malice in the golden light beyond that hidden door. Instead, there are pure Sword Intent fluctuations. Since we are already here, we should take a look."
Murong Shuang nodded in agreement. "The secret realm will not close for another two days. Returning now would only be a waste. With Ling Yun here, even if we encounter danger, we can handle it."
Steward Wang no longer hesitated and walked toward the hidden door first. Ling Yun and Murong Shuang followed close behind, while the two core disciples exchanged a glance before gritting their teeth and following as well. The hidden door slowly opened. Inside was not the treasure they had expected, but a small sword tomb. At its center stood an ancient sword glowing with silver light, its blade engraved with two archaic characters—"Primordial."
The moment Ling Yun's gaze fell upon the ancient sword, the Sky-Rending Sword in his dantian suddenly trembled. The ancient patterns on its blade resonated with those of the ancient sword, and a pale golden beam flew from the ancient sword and merged into the Sky-Rending Sword...
Before you continue