A sword cultivator's legacy amid despair

[In the six hundred and thirty-fifth year, you suddenly gained an insight and entered a state akin to enlightenment.

Without your noticing, your sword intent slowly seeped out of your body and faintly resonated with the Immortal Sword below.

The next instant, sword light flashed, and the flying sword at the bottom of the pit landed in your hand.

Wild joy surged through your heart.

But immediately afterward, you discovered to your horror that the thunderclouds overhead had already locked onto you.

Alarm filled your heart, and you tried to throw away the Immortal Sword in your hand. Before you could act, however, a bolt of heavenly thunder descended from the sky.

You gathered all your sword intent to resist it, yet beneath the heavenly thunder, you seemed so insignificant.

You thought certain death awaited you this time, but the divine sword in your hand unleashed sword light beyond your imagination, cleaving a bolt of heavenly thunder apart.

Having found life at death's door, you were ecstatic.

But before that joy could blossom, you discovered to your horror that the thunderclouds overhead had instantly grown several times denser and locked firmly onto you.

Being shrouded in despair once more instead ignited your fighting spirit.

The Greenwood Sword you carried also sensed your resolve and gave a soft ring.

You wielded both flying swords at once, slashing upward against the thunderclouds.

Though your sword intent blazed like a rainbow, your strength fell far short of Li Changge's.

After just three bolts of heavenly thunder, your lamp had run dry, its oil utterly spent.

"**Heaven is unjust!**

**If there is another life, I will cleave the heavens themselves!**"

With a mighty shout, you made your body a sword and slashed toward the thunderclouds overhead.

When you reached midair, your nascent soul, whose oil had already run dry, suddenly burst with seven-colored light.

Despite being utterly spent, you actually forced your way into the spirit transformation realm.

But your arrogance also enraged the thunderclouds in the sky.

In an instant, hundreds of thunderclouds descended, engulfing you completely.

When the heavenly thunder dispersed, not even your bones remained.]

[You died!]

As Xu Changxing read those final words, the corner of his mouth twitched.

That was truly a tragic yet heroic way to die.

Compared with his other simulations, however, this should count as quite a good ending.

Although he had not lived to the natural end of his lifespan, he had at least survived for over six hundred years and founded a sect with a nascent soul cultivator.

In fact, this ending had already surpassed all his previous simulations.

Just as he was reflecting on this simulation, the system's voice rang out again.

[Simulation ended]

[Evaluation: You seemed to have chosen the right path, but you still failed to reach the heights you desired.

That final flash of lightning may well have been your best destination.]

[Based on the simulation results, you may choose one of the following rewards]

[1. Experience the simulated life from a first-person perspective]

[2. Core formation late stage cultivation.]

[3. A sword cultivator's legacy amid despair.]

Looking at these options, Xu Changxing unsurprisingly found himself torn.

From the very beginning, he had been hesitating over whether to choose cultivation.

This evaluation was much higher than he had expected. It could actually raise his cultivation directly to the core formation late stage.

Yet that utterly ordinary first-grade golden core gave him pause.

Judging by his subsequent cultivation speed, his progress did not seem particularly fast. Even his breakthrough to spirit transformation had only happened amid utter despair.

This path could hardly be called dazzling, and it could not compare with Li Changge's at all.

After wrestling with the decision for a moment, Xu Changxing turned his gaze to the third option.

As before, this option offered no explanation whatsoever, as though the system were extremely reluctant to provide this reward.

What is this legacy amid despair?

Wasn't I struck dead outright in the simulation? How could there still be a legacy left behind?

Xu Changxing stared at it in bewilderment.

After a brief hesitation, however, he still chose the sword cultivator's legacy.

He could choose cultivation at any time, but a legacy rarely appeared.

Even if the legacy did not suit him, he would only lose four thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Now that Xu Changxing's pockets were deep, he did not care about such a small loss at all.

The moment Xu Changxing finished speaking, the scene before his eyes abruptly changed.

Boundless thunderclouds suddenly appeared all around him.

The dense aura of heavenly thunder nearly suffocated him.

Just as the pressure of the thunderclouds left him struggling to breathe, a flash of sword light swept past, cleaving through the clouds that filled the sky.

Immediately afterward, a somewhat aged yet familiar voice rang out nearby:

"I never expected someone to arrive so soon!

"I thought no one would be able to unlock the legacy I left behind. To think... huh? Why is it you?"

Xu Changxing looked toward the voice.

When he saw the speaker's face clearly, his mouth fell open. "Eldest Senior Brother!"

Li Changge's temples were streaked with white, and several wrinkles like knife carvings had appeared on his face. He looked much older than Xu Changxing remembered.

Not only that, but Li Changge's figure was somewhat insubstantial, as though he were merely a remnant soul.

Xu Changxing had never expected this legacy to have been left by Li Changge, and he froze.

At that moment, Li Changge was no less stunned than Xu Changxing.

Li Changge looked Xu Changxing up and down several times before saying in disbelief:

"Didn't you already perish in the lightning tribulation? How are you alive again?

"No, why is your cultivation so weak?

"Who are you, really?!"

Xu Changxing was taken aback again.

He had not expected this Li Changge, who was clearly nothing more than a remnant soul, to still possess a complete consciousness.

Even more startling was that this Li Changge seemed to be the very one who had slashed against the heavens in his latest simulation.

What exactly is going on with this legacy?!

Xu Changxing opened his mouth, unsure how to explain.

Before he could come up with an explanation, Li Changge waved a hand and said:

"Forget it. Whoever you are, it no longer matters. I have already perished in the heavenly tribulation.

"Since you have come here, you are my successor.

"Are you willing to accept my legacy?"

Xu Changxing hurriedly nodded. "I am!"

At his answer, the corners of Li Changge's mouth unconsciously lifted slightly as he said:

"To think my legacy would actually fall to you.

"But perhaps this is for the best..."

As he spoke, he pointed toward Xu Changxing, and the endless thunderclouds around them swept toward him.

Xu Changxing was greatly alarmed.

Just as he was about to get up and flee, Li Changge's voice rang out in his mind again.

"Use the sword in your hand to cleave through these thunderclouds, and you will be able to leave.

"Otherwise, you can only remain here and keep me company."

What sword in my hand...?

Xu Changxing had barely begun his inward complaint when he suddenly discovered that a flying sword had appeared in his hand at some unknown moment.

Before he could work out where the flying sword had come from, the surrounding thunderclouds were already roaring as they bore down on him.

He hurriedly steadied his mind and slashed with the sword in his hand.

The flying sword's power far exceeded Xu Changxing's expectations. It actually cleaved a gap through the thunderclouds.

But before he could rejoice for long, the thunderclouds began closing rapidly.

Slightly alarmed, Xu Changxing hurriedly roused his sword intent and slashed again.

Sword light flashed once more, cleaving another gap through the thunderclouds.

Yet this time, too, only a moment passed before the thunderclouds began closing again.

Xu Changxing could only continue wielding the flying sword, carving out a path ahead one slash at a time.