Chapter 253 - No Disturbances!
"Why the heck did it ring 100,000 times!?" Yun Xiao had been baffled for three whole days. He knew his talent in the Sword Dao was top-notch. He'd improved the 10-Step Scale to 20 steps, derived the complete version of Sun Moon Divine Light from an incomplete manual, and instantly mastered several hundred daoist spells! But to make the Eternal Sword hum 100,000 times? That seemed a tad overkill!
Yun Xiao had been expecting, maybe, a modest dozen or so resonances at most...
"Creator, that little sword slave there only got nine resonances because nine was his limit, But you know... you only got 100,000 hums because that's all the Eternal Sword could handle. If it were up to the task, you could've kept going until the end of time!" Blue Star explained with an eye roll, nestled in his embrace.
"No way. You're kidding, right?" Yun Xiao asked. It took three days for the Eternal Sword to hum 100,000 times. What would “until the end of time be”? We'd be talking quintillion upon quintillions of times, and even then that wouldn't be enough!
"Nonsense! Look here, dummy. The math is simple. 100,000 is more than 10,000 times greater than nine. In your past life, you were way more than 10,000 times stronger than that little sword slave at his peak!" Blue Star chuckled.
"He was that weak in his past life?" Yun Xiao asked, eyes wide. He couldn't help but wonder if his benchmark was just too low?
"Pathetically weak. He was only about a hundred times stronger than that Cosmic Sword Immortal you saw last time. Nothing to write home about." Blue Star scoffed.
"..." Yun Xiao was speechless. This was a being who'd slain Ye Xingchen's parents with a single stroke of the sword! And Ling Chen's past life was a hundred times stronger than that! Yet, that was supposedly nothing to write home about?
"Look at this world, the heavens, the myriad of things, the laws, the universe... Everything exists because of you. Without you, this place would be nothing but a barren, primordial void! Everything in this universe stems from you, including those lofty Immortals.
"All these emperors, ancestors, Immortals, reincarnated to cultivate again, were once mere specks of dust on your body. So, do you now understand what a Creator Immortal really is?" Blue Star said profoundly.
"I'm just a mortal, what do I know?" Yun Xiao responded, dumbfounded.
"Mortal? Right, you're just a shell, and quite an empty one at that! It was only when the Eternal Sword touched your Creator Immoral root that such a commotion occurred... And remember, those 100,000 resonances only represent your talent for understanding. It doesn't mean all your talents are necessarily that terrifying. The fact that you're able to hold onto your mortal heart amidst all this is commendable in itself," Blue Star said, sounding ancient and wise.
"Is that so?" Yun Xiao felt all of this was too nebulous, like a fleeting dream of life. He couldn't feel the grandeur of the Creator Immortal, a god of creation. At his core, in this body, was a mortal heart, a vast, heaven-devouring breath!
This marked the difference between Yun Xiao and the reincarnation of the Divine Sky Sword Emperor. Ling Chen embodied the body of a mortal with the heart of a diety, the very opposite of Yun Xiao.
"Take it slow. The Nine Hells have over a million Seeds of Creation, of all types! Your Nine Dragons Dantian and Nine Heavens Star Meridians are bursting at the seams, unable to withstand the advance of the Primordial Void Technique into the Second Dao Tribulation. You need to stock up," Blue Star advised.
The Dao Tribulation was the heavenly path of Immortal cultivation, a ladder of ascension.
The First Dao Tribulation encompassed the Eight Mortal Realms, while the Second Dao Tribulation started with the Dao Heart Realm, with the Dao Heart and Sword Intent at its core.
"Today, by absorbing a million Sword Intents with your Heaven Burial Sword Soul, you basically got a huge head start on your Second Dao Tribulation. When you gather your own Sword Intent, the Sword Intent left behind by that Sword Immortal from the Supreme Azure Star Emperor Immortal Court, along with these million Sword Intents, should come in handy," Blue Star said, expectantly.
"So, what you're saying is, it's of no use to me now?"
"You're still in the Saint Realm, how could you use it? It's like giving a three-year-old a hundred beauties; what's he gonna do?" Blue Star scoffed. A fitting analogy, indeed.
"Give me those beauties, I'll find a use for them!" Red Moon's eyes sparkled at the mention.
"In the Sword Ruins, there are beauties aplenty," Blue Star said with a mischievous grin.
"Great! I'll pick a woman cow then," Red Moon exclaimed, excitedly.
The Sword Baptism Ceremony was ending, and it was almost time to enter the Sword Ruins.
"Sword Intent!" Yun Xiao watched as a million vibrant Sword Intents were devoured by the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, finally converging on the blue lotus core. It was still in bud form, a mere embryo.
A million Sword Intents, swirling like a floral garland, gradually merged into the blue lotus. Like a greedy infant, it absorbed the nourishment, showing signs of growth as its petals shimmered in a multicolored brilliance.
"Beautiful!" This indicated that Yun Xiao's future Sword Intent would likely be related to this blue lotus, hatched from the Primordial Coffin within the Heaven Burial Source. It held the secret core of all things!
The Primordial Coffin and the Dao Source, mysteries even the Creator Immortal couldn't fathom! So, for Yun Xiao, the Demon Continent was more important than he had imagined.
"100,000 resonances...." Yun Xiao muttered. Having silently devoured the Eternal Sword, Yun Xiao knew the next steps were crucial. What would the Sword Cultivators of the Eternal Sword Prison make of this event? It had completely shattered their imaginations!
"One shock beyond the norm, and folks can still handle it... But a hundred thousand times over? That's a whole different kettle of fish." Yun Xiao mused. The only saving grace was that they probably didn't know that the Eternal Sword hadn't just returned to its ancestral silence. It had been devoured by Yun Xiao!
With a hum, as the radiance of the Eternal Sword fully dissipated, the sky turned utterly dark. On that black altar, there stood a white-robed young man, calm as a summer breeze.
He turned around to look. Every notable figure was there—the Sword Warden of the Eternal Sword Prison, Withered Bone Keeper, Ling Chen, Supreme Adjudicators, Peak Masters, and various other elders... all present.
Millions of Sword Cultivators who had rushed from all corners of the Eternal Sword Prison stood dumbfounded, their gazes fixed on Yun Xiao. Who exactly was this young man?
Bai Qingxue had already informed the higher-ups of the Sword Ruins about his identity. The leadership decided not to mention the Heavenly Land, only revealing to the outside world that the young man was named Yun Xiao, nothing more.
Countless people exchanged looks, wordlessly. The entire Sword Ruins seemed to have sunk into an absurd sea, everyone's senses blocked as if by seawater. Finally, the Sword Warden of the Eternal Sword Prison arrived with his entourage at the black altar.
"Wait quietly for the conclusion, no disturbances!" the Sword Warden declared.
Immediately, a formation rose around the altar, enveloping Yun Xiao and the high echelons of the Sword Ruins, sealing them completely. Even the Supreme Adjudicators had no right to enter the altar, indicating the extreme importance of this secret meeting.
As the formation rose, the millions outside dared not make a noise, but they still whispered among themselves.
"What do you think Sword Ruins will make of him?"
"I don't know. Seven or eight resonances, maybe, but 100,000? The only possibility is that there was something wrong with the Eternal Sword."
"Indeed! But I feel this guy's talent must also be extraordinary, to have caused such a reaction from the Eternal Sword. Too bad he was the last one; even if they wanted to retest, it wouldn't be until next year."
"So, the crux of the matter lies in how the powerhouses of the Sword Ruins will ultimately judge his talent..."
"Will he be categorized as a regular disciple, or as a True Disciple or a Supreme Disciple? If he's declared a Star Emperor Child, a Heavenly Sun Child, or even an Exiled Sword Immortal, will others accept it?"
The issue was that these titles weren't just about status. They also came with perks and resources for cultivation, especially training in the Ancestral Sword Tomb. This would impact the fairness within the Sword Ruins.
Yun Xiao needed to prove himself worthy.
"Previously, Ling Chen's clear and decisive nine resonances were quite convincing..."
With these thoughts, people stared intently at the altar formation, their hearts pounding in anticipation of an answer.
"Judging his talent is actually simple. Both he and Ling Chen, the Exiled Sword Immortal, are in the Saint Realm. Ling Chen has already announced he'll compete in the Immortal Sword Rankings. If Yun Xiao also participates, their performances will speak volumes."
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Inside the altar formation, Yun Xiao was faced with the top figures of the Eternal Sword Prison! That included the Sword Warden, the Withered Bone Keeper, and a dozen or so Overseers. Of course, Ling Chen was there too.
Ling Chen stood a bit to the back, his face calm and smiling faintly at Yun Xiao, thoughts unknown.
"Who has suggestions? Speak freely." The Sword Warden, bathed in golden light, fixed his piercing gaze on Yun Xiao.
"The Eternal Sword malfunctioned, no doubt about that, right?" Overseer Sikong stepped forward, his voice deep. No one nodded, but no one shook their heads either.
"The facts prove the Eternal Sword indeed had a glitch," said a slender, aloof ancestor in a green robe, known as Feng Buhui. He stood tall and gaunt beside the Withered Bone Keeper, gently supporting him.
"So?" The Sword Warden raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I suggest we let Yun Xiao start as an ordinary disciple, observe for a year, and retest next year," Overseer Sikong proposed softly.
Yun Xiao just laughed at this. A year? They were clearly short-selling him!
"An ordinary disciple? That's not appropriate." Feng Buhui gazed at Yun Xiao, "His fame precedes him; he's already a special case. I propose making him a Supreme Disciple, with specialized training."
Beside the Withered Bone Keeper stood another ancestor in a blue robe, named Yun Xinghe, also supporting the old man. He regarded Yun Xiao seriously, proposing, "Let's start him as a Supreme Disciple and observe for a year. If his performance matches up, he could even be considered for the title of Exiled Sword Immortal."
"So, we're all in agreement in making him a Supreme Disciple? If we give him a higher position and he doesn't live up to expectations, it won't just pressure him but also tarnish the reputation of our Sword Ruins," a middle-aged woman in a white dress said. She was elegant yet her gaze was as cold as a frosty pond, known as Shuang Jiang, one of the powerhouses of the Sword Ruins with unfathomable cultivation.
The Sword Warden, after listening to their words, turned unexpectedly towards the Withered Bone Keeper and asked with a smile and politeness, "Master, what do you think?"
After a moment of silence, the Withered Bone Keeper spoke, his voice like the creaking of dry wood, "You could take him as a direct disciple of the Sword Warden, bestow upon him the title of Star Emperor Child. That wouldn't be preposterous."
"I think Star Emperor Child is suitable! After all, the commotion he caused was massive. To not give him a special title would make our Sword Ruins look petty," a young woman standing beside the Sword Warden suggested.
She seemed the youngest of the group, her golden gown hugging her tall, graceful figure like a golden mermaid. She appeared to be in her forties but looked a decade younger, emanating a regal and warm presence. After speaking, she turned to Yun Xiao with a slight smile, "Are you afraid of the pressure this title might bring?"
She was the first to engage Yun Xiao in conversation since the formation opened. Before this, they had been discussing Yun Xiao's fate as if he were merely an object, planning his life without involving him.
"It's fine. I'll leave it to the seniors to decide," Yun Xiao responded politely, not keen on saying much. His calm demeanor made the 'golden mermaid' look at him with newfound respect.
It was clear to any discerning eye that Yun Xiao was no ordinary individual. However, defining his talent involved internal conflicts of interest within the Sword Ruins.
Yun Xiao saw through it immediately. Feng Buhui, Yun Xinghe, Shuang Jiang, and Overseer Sikong seemed to be allied with the Withered Bone Keeper, while the golden mermaid appeared to be in a different camp, likely aligned with the Sword Warden.
Interestingly, the Sword Warden referred to the Withered Bone Keeper as his master. And another detail was Ling Chen's appearance alongside the old man. Every detail was crystal clear. Now, all eyes turned to the Sword Warden. How would he respond?
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel