Chapter 269 - Worldview Collapsing!
VROOM! Two Sword Souls, each enveloped in 10,000 layers of Sword Aura, raced through the skies, whistling between the clouds.
Yun Xiao, with his Heaven Burial Sword Soul, stirred up a storm of sword energy, creating a sea of azure in the heavens. He seemed to walk upon the clouds themselves, leaving a tempest in his wake.
The Sword Warden, on the other hand, trod upon the void itself, invisible Sword Soul leading the way, commanding the winds as he went!
At this moment, Yun Xiao, having just forged a 10,000 layer Sword Aura, was in a rather good mood. If it were the old him, he would have devoured all the Azure Phoenixes in the Azure Phoenix Tower. But today, he had refrained. There was only one reason. Back in the Sea of Swords, he was surrounded by enemies. There was pretty much no one he could trust. But here in the Sword Ruins, the Sword Warden’s family had treated him well. He naturally wanted to show some grace and maintain a bit of human decency by not being overly greedy.
However, little did Yun Xiao know that rumors were already spreading through the Sword Ruins that he was a greedy, destructive demon spawn… Had he heard these whispers earlier, he might have swallowed the Azure Phoenix Tower whole!
Yun Xiao's current destination with the Sword Warden was a place called the Blood Crystal Pool. Given its name, it surely had something to do with the Blood Crystal Sword Rings!
“The Sword Ruins have a clear rule: the older generation are not to leave behind a Sword Heart. So, these things are quite rare. I’ll need to ask someone to look for some,” the Sword Warden said to Yun Xiao as they journeyed on the wind.
“Not leave behind a Sword Heart? Why?” Yun Xiao asked, surprised. In the Heavenly Realm, almost every Sword Cultivator left behind their Sword Heart! And yet, in the Sword Ruins, this sacred land of swordsmanship, such an important relic was not kept?
“The Sword Heart is too much of a hassle! It's better not to bother with it. Let the old pass away in peace… Life is for living freely, not for leaving debts to your descendants, right? If one person leaves a Sword Heart, others will fear for their descendants being harmed by it, and they’ll all start leaving them. If that happens, everyone ends up worse off. Why bother? So, from ancient times, the Sword Ruins have forbidden leaving behind Sword Hearts, giving the old a peaceful rest,” the Sword Warden explained earnestly.
This reasoning actually convinced Yun Xiao. But he knew the real reason. It all came down to the fact that the Eternal Sword Prison was powerful!
The Sword Cultivators in the Heavenly Realm had been on the very brink of extinction. With their survival at stake, who wouldn't want to leave some protection for their descendants? There was no luxury to think of a peaceful rest.
With that, Yun Xiao decided to set aside the matter of the Sword Hearts.
“Got the Sword Aura. Now, just gotta pair it with some Sword Rings, and I’ll be all set,” Yun Xiao muttered.
Sure enough, his journey to the Blood Crystal Pool was to upgrade his Sword Rings!
"By the way, Exile Yun Xiao, how many Sword Rings can your Sword Soul accommodate?" the Sword Warden asked.
"Is that important?" Yun Xiao asked.
"It's related to the grade of the Sword Soul, so yes, it's important," the Sword Warden replied with a smile.
"How many Sword Rings can you accommodate?" Yun Xiao answered with another question.
"Six!" the Sword Warden declared.
"So, is your Sword Soul at the eleventh or twelfth grade?" Yun Xiao asked, curious.
"Obviously, the eleventh. A Sword Soul at the twelfth grade hasn't been seen in the Nine Hells for at least three thousand years," the Sword Warden said, a hint of longing in his voice.
Yun Xiao nodded in understanding, then asked, "The highest grade for Sword Cultivators in the Divine Continent is Galaxy grade. Could you enlighten me on how to distinguish the grades, pills, magic treasures, sword techniques, and daoist spells starting from the eighth grade?"
"Oh?" The Sword Warden found that Yun Xiao was truly a mortal through and through.
It appeared the rumors of him being a fake reincarnated Immortal were not too far off from the truth. Ling Chen would have never asked such questions. But Yun Xiao had shown off his heaven-defying talent twice in a row. So, the Sword Warden didn't mind explaining.
"Your Divine Continent's grading system is called the Lower Seven Grades, also known as the Seven Celestial Bodies. Above that in a fully formed world like the Nine Hells are the Upper Seven Grades.
"Upper Seven Grades?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly. So, the Sword Warden's Sword Soul was in the eleventh grade. And in the hierarchy of Sword Souls, the upper limit was fourteen?
"Correct, the Upper Seven Grades, known as the Yin Yang Five Elements. From lowest to highest, they are Aqua, Terra, Silva, Ignis, Aurum, Yin, and Yang!"
"Tell me more."
"On the journey of cultivation, the first step beyond the Eight Mortal Realms is the Dao Heart Realm. Likewise, above the Seven Celestial Bodies of the Lower Seven Grades are the Ying Yang Five Elements of the Upper Seven Grades.
"As for the differences… let's see. Well, compared to the owner of a Galaxy grade Sword Soul, a Sword Cultivator with an Aqua grade Sword Soul will have an even easier time entering the Dao Heart Realm!
"And one notch above that is the Terra grade. A Terra grade Sword Soul can handle up to five Sword Rings! You can typically see this grade of Sword Soul in Peak Masters and Supreme Adjudicators," the Sword Warden elaborated.
Yun Xiao got the rough idea, but there was one thing bugging him. Eight Mortal Realms and Seven Celestial Bodies, the two didn't match up. As a consequence, the Saint Realm and Awakened Emperor Realm were both limited to Galaxy grade.
Gu Baiyi also had five Sword Rings, an indication that he was a talented individual among the Sword Judges.
"So what grade would the Taiji Sword Art and Wuji Dao Art of the two Gongshu ancestors be?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Upper Silva grade! These two self-created techniques rank among the pinnacle of ability in the Nine Hells." The Sword Warden signed in admiration. "Though I've mastered stronger sword techniques, I doubt I could create my own even at the Lower Silva grade!"
In summary, the eighth grade, Aqua, allowed for four Sword Rings just like the Galaxy grade. The ninth and tenth grades, Terra and Silva, allowed for five Sword Rings. And the Sword Warden's Sword Soul, with six Sword Rings, belonged in the eleventh grade—Ignis!
"And beyond that are the Ignis, Aurum, Yin, and Yang grades. Anything broaching these four grades is exceptionally rare. Especially the last three! Be it Sword Souls, Life Symbols, pills, magic treasures, daoist spells, or sword techniques… an item at that level exists only in legends in the Nine Hells!" the Sword Warden said, deeply moved.
"I see." Yun Xiao nodded, satisfied.
"So, back to the earlier question, Exile Yun. How many Sword Rings can your Sword Soul accommodate?" the Sword Warden asked curiously.
Yun Xiao stopped and transformed his Sovereign Sword to a Palm Sword. His five Sword Rings and 10,001 layers of Sword Aura became more visible!
Of course, the Sword Warden didn't believe for a second that five Sword Rings was Yun Xiao's limit.
"Just hand me a few Sword Rings, I'll give it a try," Yun Xiao suggested.
"A few?" The Sword Warden had an uneasy feeling, pulling out several Demon Heart Sword Rings from his Bag of Holding. For a test, there was no need for anything too fancy.
"Add one and see," the Sword Warden suggested.
For Sword Cultivators, being able to add just one more Sword Ring meant a monumental change, signifying a leap across two grades! It was the difference between a Peak Master and a Sword Warden!
"Sure." Without a word, Yun Xiao added a sixth Blood Crystal Sword Ring.
"Whoa?" the Sword Warden murmured, trying to maintain his calm. He'd expected this, but he was still inwardly shaken seeing Yun Xiao's number of Sword Rings equal his own.
"Time for another." Yun Xiao effortlessly added the seventh Sword Ring.
"Whoa..." The Sword Warden gasped, his facade quickly crumbling. Even for him, the sight of those seven gleaming Sword Rings left him awestruck.
"Yin or Yang grade, the stuff of legends, the kind that ensures ascension to true immortality..." the Sword Warden said, a complicated look on his face. He was doubtful about Yun Xiao being a true Immortal in a past life. However, he was certain that Yun Xiao was destined to become one in this life!
Before the Sword Warden had even recovered from the shock—
"How about we go for another?" Yun Xiao said. With a snap, he casually slipped on the eighth Sword Ring. Like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each glowed with their unique demon magic.
"Holy mother of…" The Sword Warden was dumbstruck, his mouth agape.
"Eight already, might as well make it a nine stars formation." Yun Xiao remarked before adding another. Nine Sword Rings, shining brightly, seemed to connect into a dazzling array.
".." The Sword Warden stood frozen in the sky, unmoving, steam practically rising from his head.
"Let's round it up!" Yun Xiao said. With another clear snap, he fitted the tenth Sword Ring.
"UGHH…!" The Warden's eyes rolled back, struggling to catch his breath.
"Let's try adding another..."
Just as Yun Xiao reached for another Sword Ring, the Sword Warden quickly grabbed his hand, pleading, "Stop! Exile Yun, please, no more!"
"Why?" Yun Xiao asked.
"My worldview can't handle your extravagance! My head's about to burst. If you add another, my dao heart might collapse," the Sword Warden said, on the verge of a mental breakdown.
"..." Yun Xiao stared at him, speechless, before finally shrugging his shoulders. Fine, I'll spare you.
"Who the hell told me the Yang grade was the limit of talent? The end of the Immortal path? Fuck, we're reaching the supposedly non-existent twentieth grade!" the Sword Warden muttered, staring at Yun Xiao like he was a freak of nature. He even began to wonder if the 100,000 resonances of the Eternal Sword were actually real.
"What are you looking at?" Yun Xiao noticed his strange gaze and asked.
"I'm wondering if killing you right here and now will bring divine retribution upon the Nine Hells, blasting it to smithereens," the Sword Warden said with a mix of laughter and tears.
"You can't kill me," Yun Xiao said, his scrutinizing gaze sending a shiver down the Sword Warden's spine.
The Sword Warden finally grasped the true terror of Yun Xiao. The youth's talent was boundless, and in theory, the only way to counter him would be to kill him early. But that was the problem—he couldn't be killed! He was unkillable! And those who crossed him would inevitably meet their doom. He was like an unsolvable riddle, a freak of cosmic nature!
"Exile Yun, please don't misunderstand, I was only joking," the Sword Warden said, hastily bowing, his body trembling. To be honest, he was scared. Since becoming the Sword Warden, nothing in this world frightened him anymore. But at this moment, he felt a primal terror.
"I know," Yun Xiao said, pursing his lips. "Senior Mu, don't be nervous. You're smarter than others, and that will lead to good outcomes."
"Haha… Thank you for your grace." The Sword Warden laughed awkwardly, letting out a sigh of relief. Inwardly, his heart was still shaking. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Exile Yun, I've seen and heard of many things in my life. I've even read tales about all sorts of crazy, heaven-defying Immortals in my youth. But never in my life have I come across an existence like you, one that shakes me to my very core. You must be the reincarnation of all creation in the myriad cosmos! Please accept a bow from this mere mortal!"
"Erhm… You're welcome, I guess?" Yun Xiao said, a little taken aback. Surprisingly, the Sword Warden had hit the nail on the head! Well, sort of at least!
"But the irony is, I'm just a mortal soul who accidentally seized the body of the Creator Immortal..." He pondered internally, though these thoughts couldn't be voiced.
The Sword Warden finally managed to calm himself and said earnestly, "The Blood Crystal Pool has seven Hell Demon Sword Rings. I'll tell Zhang Mu to give them all to you!"
Just up ahead, the Blood Crystal Pool was in sight!
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