After leaving the [ Cloud-Slaying Hall ]
Chen Shuangbai looked at Nangu Yaohua walking ahead and asked with a smile, "The last time I saw Fellow Daoist Nan Gu was more than forty years ago."
"Fellow Daoist, your charm remains undiminished!"
Upon hearing this, Nangu Yaohua chuckled softly and said, "The Sword Immortal is truly joking..."
Liu Qinghe followed.
He was clearly acquainted with Nangu Yaohua, and with a slight tilt of his head, he called out, "Senior Sister Nan Gu!"
The three of them leaped into the air one after another, transforming into three sword rainbows of different colors, and followed Nangu Yaohua, who was leading the way.
Ten Thousand Ren Mountain stands at the border between the Li Kingdom and the Ancient Kingdom. This place was later established by the Sword Alliance to suppress the Blood Sea Dao and Lifeless City of the Ancient Kingdom, and naturally it is not the core area of the three major sword sects.
"The [ Sword Stele ] was erected by our ancestors, located atop Lone Wild Goose Peak, Li Kingdom."
Nangu Yaohua explained to Chen Shuangbai.
"This [ Sword Stele ] has two great uses."
"Firstly, it is the Sword Alliance's most prized treasure; secondly, it can inspire the Sword Alliance disciples stationed here to never forget to hone their swordsmanship."
She paused, then added, "Many of the sages who left their marks on the monument had fought against the Nascent Soul of Blood Sea Dao and Lifeless City, so the Sword Intent they left behind was extremely murderous."
"Fellow Daoist, please be a little careful when you pay your respects."
Several days later.
The three sword rainbows gradually slowed down and stood in the clouds.
Nangu Yaohua pointed to the precipitous and uniquely shaped peak ahead, resembling a lone goose about to take flight, and said with a smile, "We're here. That's Lone Wild Goose Peak."
Before long, the three of them landed on the summit.
As soon as they landed, dozens of sword lights flew from the clouds and mountains, their energy intertwined, revealing figures— the Sword Alliance disciples guarding this place.
Nangu Yaohua revealed her form and produced a small token with four characters engraved on it: "Li Heng Qingyun ".
Upon seeing the small token, the Sword Alliance disciples who had gathered around all lowered their guard, bowed respectfully, and dispersed.
Holding the small token, the three of them passed through layers of formations and landed on the mountaintop.
At the summit, like the head of a lone goose, stands a flat stone platform.
On the stone platform, a towering, dark gray stone tablet, hundreds of feet tall, stands majestically, broad and imposing, like a giant sword standing there.
"Fellow Daoist, please proceed."
When they were about three zhang away from the stone tablet, Nangu Yaohua and Liu Qinghe stopped and just looked at it from afar.
The former even made a gesture of invitation.
Chen Shuangbai nodded slightly, then walked up to the dark gray stone tablet.
He looked up and stood beneath the stone tablet, a sense of insignificance welling up within him.
My gaze then moved downwards, landing on the surface of the monument.
Under the sunlight, the slightly rough surface of the monument was covered with a dozen or so sword marks of varying sizes.
The varying depths and lines... reminded Chen Shuangbai of the [ Sword Stele of Returning to Truth ] he had visited before.
There are also three sword marks on it, which are three sword marks left by that Sword Immortal Huanzhen at different stages, containing his Sword Intent.
That Sword Intent later played a significant role in helping Chen Shuangbai comprehend his own Sword Intent.
As if sensing something, a thin sword mark on the Sword Stele slowly emitted a golden light.
"This is... the Sword Intent left behind by the Sword Immortal Huanzhen?"
Chen Shuangbai pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his right hand, his palm opening to reveal a golden-white radiance that swirled and danced like a bird or a tassel, full of life and agility.
It was his Sword Intent— [ Zhengguang Jielin Jade Pool Flying Immortal Sword ]!
It seemed to be triggered by Chen Shuangbai's Sword Intent.
Sensing the Sword Intent released by Chen Shuangbai, the slender sword mark shone even brighter with its platinum-gold light, and slowly detached itself from the surface of the monument, transforming into a blurry humanoid figure.
The humanoid figure landed on the ground, tall and slender, dressed in a blue robe, with an indistinct face, except for a beam of platinum-gold light floating on his chest.
"Hey!"
Chen Shuangbai seemed to hear a soft laugh, and then the human-shaped light and shadow in front of her slowly dissipated, and the entire dark gray stone tablet gradually took on a mystical quality.
The dozen or so sword marks left on the monument were mostly glowing with different colors, and some even seemed to be giving off a divine aura, casting their gaze toward Chen Shuangbai's Sword Intent.
However, some colors were dim, and it's unclear what this meant.
The various colored lights intertwined, illuminating the entire Sword Stele with a dazzling light, like a stream of light shooting straight into the sky.
In the mountains and among the clouds, the Sword Alliance disciples on duty revealed themselves, their eyes filled with reverence and longing as they gazed at the colorful lights.
Chen Shuangbai stood before the soaring stream of light.
His Sword Intent swirled around him, seemingly drawn by the dozen or so Sword Intent, giving him a sense of wanting to break free and leave.
"Go."
With a slight leap, the golden-white light soared into the sky amidst the soaring, colorful light.
Standing before the monument, Chen Shuangbai sensed the different nuances contained within the Sword Intent, and an indescribable sense of awe welled up within him.
The owners of these sword marks were all renowned figures in the history of swordsmanship. They left their Sword Intent on this monument not only to demonstrate their achievements but also to mentor future generations.
It can be said that with this Sword Stele in place, it is indeed much easier for disciples of the Sword Alliance to comprehend Sword Intent than for others.
Even so...
In the entire Sword Alliance, there is only one person who has comprehended the Sword Intent.
That is Sword Immortal Zhu Ling of Ten Thousand Rains Sword School.
Following him, the next likely candidates are Sword Lord Yuan Jun and Lu Qingchuan of the Liheng Sword Liheng Sword Sect Azure Rainbow Sword Master.
But this is only a possibility.
Sword Intent is something mysterious and profound.
If Chen Shuangbai were to experience it again, he wouldn't be entirely confident that he could comprehend the Sword Intent.
Dispelling this thought, Chen Shuangbai's Divine Sense followed his Sword Intent and merged into the stream of light.
One Sword Intent after another, one life after another, flashed through Chen Shuangbai's sea of consciousness.
It felt like a moment, yet also like decades.
The lives of more than a dozen kendo masters, their different kendo philosophies and life insights, are all available for Chen Shuangbai to immerse himself in and comprehend their essence.
This kind of experience is a rare and precious fortuitous opportunity for any sword cultivator.
I don't know how much time passed.
The soaring colorful light gradually subsided, and the sword marks gradually faded into silence.
Chen Shuangbai's Sword Intent also broke free from the colorful light, but it did not return to Chen Shuangbai's hand. Instead, it gently circled the dark gray Sword Stele once and then gently attached itself to it.
With a ripping sound!
Stone chips fell with a clatter.
A slender, deep, brand-new sword mark appeared on the Sword Stele.
The edges of the sword mark were as smooth as a mirror, with a faint white luster flowing around it, and a faint fragrance of osmanthus wafting from it, like moonlight falling on the water, creating shimmering ripples.