Chapter 287: Worldly Dao Heart!
"Dao Heart?"
As the cultivators of the Nine Hells were mesmerized by the stunning visual feast of the azure-coloured celestial lotus, Yun Xiao plunged into his sea of consciousness, entering a state of trance.
Right there, in his heart, his Dao Heart was taking shape!
Prior to this, Yun Xiao had experienced the formation of a Demon Heart and a Devil Heart, but the birth of the Dao Heart within his true self was a wholly different sensation.
The Demon Heart symbolized the Divine Desolation Demon God, while the Devil Heart embodied the Mortal Dust Devil. These hearts were undoubtedly linked to the cultivation techniques that Moon Fairy and the War Princess practiced.
"So, how is it? Is your Dao Heart dominated by the deathly thoughts of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, or the primordial true intent of the Primordial Immortal Ancestor?" Blue Star couldn't help but ask.
With the Creator Immortal born anew, it was uncertain what path Yun Xiao would choose. And hints of that path would start showing at the birth of his Dao Heart.
"Hmm. It's neither purely Heaven Burial, nor solely the Primordial; it encompasses both," Yun Xiao murmured, his eyes closed, as he deeply felt the marvel of this newly formed Dao Heart.
It was a mark, white and circular, resting upon his heart, radiating a sense of pure, unblemished perfection.
The Dao unified all, immovable as a mountain, seamless and impenetrable.
Yet, within this pure and complete Dao Heart, Yun Xiao saw faces, mortal experiences, stories of living beings In this Dao Heart, he was like a passerby crossing a tribulation; every figure he saw was a trial.
The Cloud Nation, Azure Spirit, the Sea of Swords, the Heavenly Realm, the Sword Ruins... He remembered everything with crystal clarity.
In the bustling streets, the peddlers and errand runners, a mayfly skimming over the waters of the Azure Spirit, a single flower from the Heavenly Realm... all were etched in his heart.
The Primordial brought life; Heaven Burial heralded death!
Life and death formed the scaffold of his Dao Heart, with the world and all its beingshumans, beasts, all living things and their wrath, greed, and foolishness, along with profound love and affectionwoven within.
"What exactly is it? It's not some trash Dao Heart, is it? This thing's crucial, it's your ticket to climb the ladder to immortality. Without it, you can't step onto the path of an Immortal," Blue Star fretted, his voice tinged with urgency.
"I don't know what it is," Yun Xiao admitted. He could feel the Dao Heart's role; it was a bridge connecting cultivators with the Dao Heart Realm, the core of will, the essence of understanding.
He tried to connect with the universe through this heart, and for a moment, all things and eternal time were within his grasp. In this world, beyond power and laws, there was so much more.
"Perhaps, the Creator Immortal crafted the Dao Heart Realm and all beings, but never truly understood his own creations, hence his confusion?" Yun Xiao muttered, as his heart raced. Through the Dao Heart, he felt something special. "This Dao Heart, it's like an eye, a notebook, recording everything on this journey..."
Would he use this notebook as his pass, to forge himself anew? He wasn't sure. His heart was riddled with puzzles. The only clear thing was that he wasn't remotely divine in thought; he was more like a pure mortal bestowed with the greatest gift. Not a rebirth like Ling Chen, with goals and hatred!
"Then, let's name it Worldly Dao Heart!" Yun Xiao remarked, his eyes lighting up with clarity. Although he was still confused about many things, his heart soon lit the path forward.
"The end of the story holds the answer. Pointless fussing and predicting can never replace the journey itself. Observing, listening to everything around us with this Worldly Dao Heart, I'll continue to grow, experiencing joys and tribulations, and ascend the Heavenly Dao. In this way, it will be a life well lived.
"To live again is already a fortunate thing. What more could I ask for?
"In life, one first seeks clarity, then tranquility, and the Dao Heart will naturally follow.
"And so, I will become a carefree wanderer above the clouds!"
At the moment his Dao Heart was born, a smile crept across Yun Xiao's face. The breath of indignation that set him on this journey still lingered in his chest, but the Dao Heart was like the vast ocean behind him, providing a solid backing.
"With the Dao Heart formed, the Sword Intent arises!" Yun Xiao exclaimed. It was only then that he turned his attention to the celestial lotus above his head, especially the strand of black Sword Intent at its heart.
The Sword Intent of a million ancestors swirled into a dazzling vortex, encircling the black Sword Intent, depicting the cycle of life and death.
HUM! Without a second thought, clad in billowing white robes, Yun Xiao soared into the sky. His dashing figure momentarily drew thunderous cheers from the millions of Sword Cultivators in the Sword Ruins.
Those admiring and fervent gazes were etched into his Worldly Dao Heart, his notebook.
The wavering and shifting hearts of millions were the nourishment for the Worldly Dao Heart.
The mockery, adoration, speculation, envy... Each face, each subtle difference in their eyes, was a lesson in life for Yun Xiao.
"Born selfish, each harbors their own thoughts. Fools speak rashly, the wise waver; all stem from the heart. The end of countless Dao Hearts is the mortal world... Perhaps, this is the part the Creator Immortal missed?" Yun Xiao muttered. His white figure ascended, floating above the clouds, and merged into the heart of the celestial lotus.
Below, waves of awe-struck noise rose. Those fervent faces proved that Yun Xiao had eclipsed Ling Chen, becoming once again the faith of the Sword Ruins!
Yun Xiao was a recorder of events, but he wasn't overly concerned with them. His focus was solely on the melting strand of black Sword Intent and the lotus formed by the convergence of a million Sword Intents. The play of light and shadow across the Nine Hells was merely a resonance between the forces of nature and his Dao Heart.
"This powerful Sword Intent from the Supreme Azure Star Emperor Immortal Court is a brutal, ferocious will of a fiendish nature," Blue Star whispered.
"Is that so? I hadn't noticed before," Yun Xiao replied. After speaking, he extended his azure Heaven Burial Sword Soul, its tip touching the black Sword Intent.
In that instant, Yun Xiao saw an infinitely vast starry universe. It was a black sea of stars, 99,999 in total, arrayed like a sword, chaotic and vicious, stained with the blood of endless stars.
"My sword, a fiend within, to be used in times of dire need, leaving no regrets in life." The majestic voice echoed in Yun Xiao's ears amidst the endless stars.
BUZZ! The black Sword Intent transformed into a wisp of black liquid, merging into the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, eventually pooling on the azure lotus and forming a black deathly skull on the petals.
Following this, the Heaven Burial Sword Soul exuded waves of thick black smoke.
Yun Xiao's eyes seemed to swirl with black mist too.
"Sword Fiend?" He could feel the brutality and ferocity of this Sword Intent. Holding the dark azure Heaven Burial Sword Soul, his eyes shrouded in swirling mist, he looked down to see an invisible black fog drifting above the heads of countless Sword Cultivators, drawn towards his sword.
"Is this the malevolent thoughts of all beings? This Sword Fiend, does it allow me to enter a berserk state, indifferent to kin, drawing on the malevolent thoughts of all beings for battle?" Yun Xiao didn't need to experiment to understand these effects; a mere feeling was enough for him to grasp them thoroughly.
He took a slight breath, reining in the malevolent thoughts of the Sword Fiend. The black skull on the Heaven Burial Sword Soul's lotus gradually dimmed, almost vanishing. Yet, he knew it was still there, never truly gone. It would become a part of his Sword Intent.
Another part, of course, originated from the Worldly Dao Heart...
BUZZ! In the next instant, the celestial lotus that shrouded the Nine Hells, like a splendid storm, surged into Yun Xiao's sword!
The Sword Intent of a million ancestors, like a torrent, truly merged into the azure lotus. Under the transformation of the Dao Heart, the lotus seemed to come alive, beginning to truly take root and sprout.
"A million ancestors, each with their own worldly hearts through trials... Their Sword Intent forms the foundation of my Worldly Sword Intent, as well as the basis of the Primordial life force."
The strand of black malevolent Sword Intent, inherent with deathly and brutal obsession, lurked deep within this Sword Intent.
When the celestial lotus dissipated, Yun Xiao's Worldly Sword Intent finally took shape! The azure lotus from the Primordial Coffin transformed, now exhibiting colorful petals, dazzling like a dream.
The simple Heaven Burial Sword Soul finally gained a hint of embellishment, its surging layers of Sword Aura now shimmering with light, colorful brilliance.
"Sword Intent is not just power, but a will of the Sword Dao, enabling me to harness the forces of heaven and earth..."
Yun Xiao's sword didn't show the nine-colored chessboard transformation like Ling Chen's. However, any sane cultivator would know that the depth of his Sword Intent far surpassed that of Ling Chen.
Dao Heart, Sword Intent! These were the most fundamental elements on a Sword Cultivator's path to the heavens!
The nurturing of the Dao Heart allowed one's cultivation to grow, and the tempering of Sword Intent sharpened the Sword.
Now, at least, Yun Xiao achieved both a Dao Heart and Sword Intent.
The power of the Dao Heart Realm surged through Yun Xiao, his sacred power swirling around him. In terms of sheer strength, he didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful, but his extraordinary thoughts and demeanor surpassed many of the Sword Cultivators present by leagues.
With this, Yun Xiao's transformation was complete! Next, naturally, was the beginning of the ultimate battle.
He didn't keep the crowd waiting. Right at the appointed hour, he descended onto the central battle stage, grasping his azure sword, pointing it at his sole opponentLing Chen!
The long-silent Sword Ruins finally erupted into life.
"Exile Yun!" The deafening roar shook the mountains and rivers of the Eternal Sword Prison. Demon Spawn, Fiendsh Sword Soul where were all the malicious rumors about him now?
In the eyes of the Sword Cultivators of the Sword Ruins, there was only one phrase leftTrue Immortal!
"I was foolish to have underestimated Exile Yun for Exile Ling."
"We were blind indeed!"
Even these words were freely spoken, a testament to the awe-inspiring effect of the celestial lotus that eclipsed the sky.
"Exile Yun has regressed. He made the Eternal Sword hum over 10,000 times more than Exile Ling. Yet now, his Dao Heart Phenomenon was only a few thousand times bigger than that of Exile Ling."
"Ha ha!"
These bright, laughing faces vividly illustrated to Yun Xiao the fickleness of human hearts.
He glanced around with the corner of his eye.
The Sword Warden, Mu Dalong, and others had eyes full of relaxed smiles and deep respect.
The Withered Bone Keeper, Ku Xuan, Qingzan, and their camp had somewhat dazed looks.
Especially noteworthy was the Withered Bone Keeper, who had always maintained his composure. But at this moment, his steadfast heart visibly quivered.
Unexpectedly, one individual caught Yun Xiao's attentionZhang Mu. He stepped back, his eyes harboring deep gloom.
"He harbors a guilty conscience," Yun Xiao thought upon seeing the seven Hell Demon Sword Rings on Ling Chen's sword. A traitor was despised even more.
"Don't be reckless!" Ku Xuan coldly turned to Feng Buhui, Yun Xinghe, and Shuang Jiang. "The Dao Heart Phenomenon means little; true strength is everything. Death renders even a billion hums of the Eternal Sword useless."
"Indeed..." The three Overseers nodded deeply. They dared not contradict, realizing that even kneeling to Yun Xiao now wouldn't spare them a grim fate. Better to stick to the original plan, gambling for the glory and riches of their descendants.
"Kill him, and it's all settled!" Ku Xuan's eyes were fierce, fists clenched under his sleeves.
"Trust in Exile Ling! He's been overshadowed repeatedly; his heart must be brimming with a towering desire for vengeance!"
At that moment, all factions aligned with the Withered Bone Keeper looked towards Ling Chen with burning eyes.
"Up until now, they haven't really fought. Pay no heed to these illusions! The true worth of a cultivator is always proven on the battlefield."
"Don't rush... the one who laughs last laughs best."
"Right, dad? My dear daughter?" Ku Xuan spoke rapidly, then turned to the Withered Bone Keeper and Qingzan.
"Better if they all die," Qingzan's eyes were filled with dread and malice. "If only one must die first, let it be Yun Xiao."
Ku Xuan fell silent at these words.
Just then, Zhang Mu announced with fervor.
"The final battle begins!"
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