Chapter 1245: Chapter 1243: Huge Gain
The Supreme Great Path is divided into the Supreme Sword Way, Supreme Blade Way, Supreme Martial Way, and so on. Among these, the use of swords has been extremely common since ancient times, which has led to a high proportion of followers on the Supreme Sword Way.
Knowing full well that Shi Xiaole was a swordsman, the spirit of the Array System took charge, unlocking the seal and directly bestowing the Supreme Sword Way of East Victory Region upon Shi Xiaole.
As for how much he could comprehend, that would depend on Shi Xiaole himself.
However, the spirit of the Array System wasn’t optimistic. Without reaching the status of a Sky Origin Realm Supreme Lord and before using soul power, no matter how talented a person is, they cannot easily grasp the Supreme Great Path.
As for why he could only comprehend it for seven days, it was because after seven days, the surplus Supreme Sword Way would once again disperse and return to the heavens and earth.
"This is my chance!"
Shi Xiaole’s eyelashes quivered a few times.
People were waiting for Shi Xiaole to make another sudden leap in progress and create another miracle, but Xiaole knew very well that he was only human, not a deity.
Right now, whether it was the power of the Heart Sword, the power of martial arts, or his realm in the Sword Way, all had reached a bottleneck that was extremely difficult to break through. As for martial arts techniques, he was not far from making a breakthrough, but given his level, the improvement after the breakthrough would not be significant.
This meant that for a considerable length of time, Shi Xiaole would remain at a status just below the top leaders but stronger than the Heaven King. This was already enough to be proud of, but Shi Xiaole still found it insufficient.
The time left for him was too short, especially after learning about the grandeur of East Victory sixteen hundred thousand years ago, it made him even more anxious.
Nearly a hundred Sky Origin Realm masters—that was a truly glorious age of martial arts. Yet they still nearly fell to invaders from beyond, which shows how formidable the enemy was.
With his current level of power, Shi Xiaole could not influence the overall situation. And as the second great battle between heaven and earth was about to commence, what would be his place in it?
What would be the fate of the loved ones, partners, and friends that he was protecting when East Victory faced its moment of peril?
Every time he thought about it, Shi Xiaole shivered, and his nightmares kept him from finding peace in sleep. No one could understand the pressure he was under; to wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
Under the gaze of anticipation or scathing criticism from the world, Shi Xiaole deeply understood that his legendary status in the Martial World could be destroyed at any moment.
"I must keep going, all the way to the end of invincibility. If I fail, what will become of the people of Nine Heavens Mountain?"
Some people crumble under immense pressure, but for others, pressure only sharpens their focus. Without a doubt, Shi Xiaole belonged to the latter group.
Closing his eyes, he almost instantly entered a state of self-obliviousness, focusing on comprehending the Supreme Sword Way and squeezing out every ounce of his potential.
"He really is formidable."
The spirit of the Array System couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.
Despite knowing it was impossible due to the deep impression left by the first five tests, it still couldn’t help but secretly hope, wondering if Shi Xiaole could surprise it once more.
...
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, three days had gone by.
Shi Xiaole, bathed in the aura of the Supreme Sword Way, had every pore on his body opening, eagerly absorbing it, while his mental power worked overtime, peeling away and comprehending each bit and piece.
"My mental strength has not reached its limit. The reason why my Heart Sword has encountered a bottleneck is simply due to a lack of foundational depth in the Sword Way. And the Supreme Sword Way just happens to make up for this shortfall," Shi Xiaole reasoned.
Shi Xiaole tried to use the system space to capture the escaping aura of the Supreme Sword Way, but it was futile. This made him realize that the ashen miasma of the Life-and-Death Unfounded Cave must be on a lower level.
He absorbed knowledge like a sponge, even more crazily accumulating foundational depth and enriching himself.
From the bits of Supreme Sword Way aura, he seemed to see swordsmen from different eras wielding their swords, offering him inspiration and insights.
The flexibility of water, the explosive unpredictability of fire, the piercing edge of metal, the destructive power of thunder, the extreme speed of light... Various essences of the Sword Way made Shi Xiaole completely forget the passage of time as he indulged in the satisfaction of self-improvement.
Hisss!
A surge of sword momentum shot up to the heavens.
His Heart Sword strength increased from five hundred and seventy strands to five hundred and eighty.
"Did he actually succeed?"
The spirit of the Array System was shocked.
With its sixteen hundred thousand years of wisdom, it understood better than anyone what it meant for the Heart Sword strength to reach five hundred and eighty strands.
The number one swordsman of that glorious martial arts era, and historically known as the Boundless Sword Emperor, had Heart Sword strength of only six hundred strands.
But it’s important to note that the Boundless Sword Emperor was a bona fide Sky Origin Realm Supreme Lord who had immersed himself in that realm for nearly a hundred thousand years.
And Shi Xiaole? The spirit of the Array System did not know his exact age, but his life aura was definitely not over a hundred years, which was truly a terrifying feat.
If one were to speak candidly, even the Holy Monarch had done no better.
"A bottleneck is a hurdle. Once you overcome it, you’ll make great progress," the spirit of the Array System muttered.
Sure enough, another three days went by.
Shi Xiaole’s Heart Sword strength went from five hundred and eighty strands to five hundred and eighty-five. It might seem like just a small increase of five strands, but at this stage, each additional strand was a precious improvement that made his sword intent sharper and more powerful than before.
On the seventh day...
As the last wisp of Supreme Sword Way dissipated, Shi Xiaole finished his comprehension. His Heart Sword power had not increased, but his foundation had grown too much compared to seven days ago.
Shi Xiaole was confident that once he had fully integrated his experience, even if his Heart Sword power did not improve, his mastery in Divine Sword Control would undoubtedly reach a higher level.
Furthermore, the enhancement of his Sword Realm foundation also gave him more insights into the Saintly Spirit Sword Technique. After this trip, he should be able to master the Emotional Heaven and Earth Sword, and at that time, his overall strength would surely reach a new realm.
It could be said that a short trip to East Victory Town had saved Shi Xiaole at least decades, if not a hundred years of effort, truly deserving the name of a miraculous encounter.
"Unprecedented, your existence is indeed unheard of in heaven and on earth! With you leading this generation of East Victory, the chances of resisting the Outer Heaven Demons have increased by a few points!"
"It’s a pity, such a pity, why couldn’t the heavens have let you be born five hundred years earlier, otherwise..."
The Array System spirit laughed heartily one moment and sighed sorrowfully the next, feeling a mix of excitement and profound regret. Though not in human form, it had over the years developed deep feelings for the world of East Victory.
In the battle of that year, if East Victory had had one more top ten martial artist, they would certainly have swept away the demons and driven out the invaders. In the eyes of the Array System spirit, giving Shi Xiaole five hundred years might well have brought him to that level.
"Thank you for your benevolence, senior. There’s no need for you to feel sad, as everything is subject to human endeavor. Although my power may not be enough, I will still fight bravely when the time comes, to slay as many demons as possible, that’s all there is to it."
Shi Xiaole spoke calmly.
"Well said, ’that’s all there is to it’! There’s no point in dwelling on so many ’what ifs’ in the world. Since it’s been arranged this way, there must be a reason. It turns out I was the one overthinking it."
The Array System spirit grew fonder of Shi Xiaole.
A person’s high talent is not what’s fearsome; what’s fearsome is when their temperament far surpasses that of ordinary people. With such a combination, it’s destined that Shi Xiaole will create earth-shattering achievements. No one can predict his future.
"Senior, you mentioned earlier that before me, twenty-two people had taken the trial. May I ask who they were?"
Shi Xiaole suddenly asked. This question had been lingering in his mind for a long time, and he had never had the chance to ask.
After a moment of silence, the Array System spirit was not supposed to reveal this information, but since it was Shi Xiaole, it hesitated and finally, with a misty air, condensed the images of the twenty-two people.
Shi Xiaole indeed saw the Dusty Three Elders, the Sect Leader of the Six Lotus Sect, and other experts from beyond the heavens like the Nine Heavens Wanderer. He didn’t recognize the rest, but not one of them was a simple character.
"Senior, where are they now?"
Shi Xiaole was very concerned about the situation of the Dusty Three Elders.
"I’m afraid I don’t know. East Victory Town is very large, and I’m only responsible for this space."
The Array System spirit replied.
"How can I leave this place?"
Shi Xiaole asked.
"You have passed the test and even exceeded the highest standards. Next, of course, is to leave this place and claim your reward."
"My child, the aura of the Supreme Sword Way is also a stroke of fate, but it’s tailored only for you. The real rewards of East Victory Town may not fall short of the Supreme Sword Way. Hahaha, I hope you make good use of them."
As he spoke, a crack suddenly opened in front of Shi Xiaole, revealing a lengthy Void Channel. Following the guidance of the Array System spirit, Shi Xiaole bid farewell and stepped into it.
The next moment, the Void Channel closed on its own.
"I wonder if we will ever meet again."
Throughout the years, the Array System spirit had never been so curious about anyone.
The Void Channel was tens of thousands of meters long, and at its end was a secret chamber formed by a white light screen. The chamber was only a few dozen square meters in size, with many items floating around.
Shi Xiaole’s eyes immediately fell upon a cyan-blue curved saber, three feet and two inches long, with a delicate handle and an ancient, unadorned sheath. At first glance, it appeared unremarkable.
Clang!
Unsheathing the saber, the blade was crystal clear, with a faint fluctuation. Within that fluctuation, however, resided a supreme might. Like the sea under the sunlight, calm on the surface but tumultuous underneath, possessing the power to destroy heaven and earth.
"Treasure!"
Shi Xiaole’s breath hitched. By the judgment of his mental strength, this saber’s level was definitely not below that of the Demon Blade and the Shark Tooth Whip.
Unfortunately, it was not a sword, or else with Shi Xiaole’s current power, wielding the might of the divine sword, he would be ninety percent sure of defeating giants of the Fake Sky Origin Realm.
Beyond the cyan-blue saber, there were many exceptionally rare spiritual herbs, pills, and more. Among them, Shi Xiaole even found six kinds of the top ten Exotic Fruits, each capable of creating an unparalleled genius!
As for the pills, they were all lost ancient treasures, some of which were almost as powerful as the top ten Exotic Fruits.
Beyond that, there were martial arts manuals that were legendary in the world of East Victory, all of them top-tier techniques. Any one of them, if released into East Victory World, would spark a ferocious scram.
However, there were no Divine Martial Arts.
It made sense; even within the system, there were only a few Divine Martial Arts, countable on one hand. It was unlikely that the powerful masters of the past would leave their Divine Martial Arts here should they not really be dead.
The treasures here, each and every one, could be described as invaluable, capable of easily altering the destiny of a person or faction.
But on another note, the willingness of the experts of East Victory to set aside their prejudices and leave behind such astonishing items also proved how dire the situation had been.
Putting the items into the system space, Shi Xiaole continued forward because there was still another door ahead.
