207: Chapter 76: Li Xin, the Sword Immortal 207: Chapter 76: Li Xin, the Sword Immortal Xuanshui Cave Heaven, the second layer of heaven.
Countless lotuses swayed in the sea of azure, with Sword Qi forming mist, enveloping the surface of the azure sea.
“I hadn’t expected that these two would have an epiphany lasting ten whole days…”
Huang Su and Xie Xuanyi entered the Grotto Heaven together, advancing against the Lotus River to the second layer of heaven, where above the azure sea floated two giant Sword Qi lotuses, swaying and drifting, with petals closed and emitting streaks of divine radiance.
Xu Nianning and Duan Zhao sat atop the petals of these golden lotuses.
The divine radiance closed in, and the petals trembled.
Sword Intent, in thousands of strands, dispersed in all directions.
The grand competition within the Xuanshui Cave Heaven had already passed ten days.
An epiphany, for cultivators, constituted a felicitous opportunity that was serendipitous and not sought after.
The Taoist saying went, once epiphany struck, the Dao would be comprehended in an instant…
Some people, despite shutting themselves away for an entire year, could not match a single day of epiphany.
The longer the period of epiphany, the better the effect naturally was.
However…
the duration of an epiphany was not something cultivators could decide.
Inside the Xuanshui Cave Heaven, where Primordial Energy was plentiful, the realms of Dao moved like dragons and serpents, and after ten days of epiphany, a golden lotus slowly blossomed, and Xu Nianning, seated cross-legged, slowly opened her eyes, the streak of crimson Sword Qi on her forehead dazzling and radiant, emitting waves of sharp Sword Intent.
“The fifth layer of the Cave Heaven Realm?”
Xie Xuanyi, with his hands clasped behind his back, casually glanced and, smiling, pointed out the realm Xu Nianning had reached.
Ten days of epiphany, advancing through two realms.
This was the Xuanshui Cave Heaven that everyone in the world yearned to enter.
Before entering Da Sui Sword Palace, Xu Nianning had just advanced into the third layer of the Cave Heaven Realm, but in just ten days, she had broken through two realms, a pace of advancement that was incredibly rapid.
“…Peak Master, Brother Xie Zhen.”
Xu Nianning exhaled a long breath, opened her eyes and, seeing two familiar figures, quickly stood up, intending to pay her respects.
Huang Su’s sleeve flick halted the gesture.
“Has your Sword Intent taken initial shape?
Not bad, it’s ‘the Path of Fire’.”
Huang Su narrowed her Feng Mou, scrutinizing the Sword Qi blossoming on Xu Nianning’s forehead; after the lotus unfolded, strands and threads of flames spun around Xu Nianning.
This delicate-looking young lady from the Xu Family in Banzhou was discerning Sword Intent related to “Yin Fire” among the Five Elements.
The Path of Fire is extremely fierce, but “Yin Fire” is different from “Yang Fire”.
Yin Fire is not as blazing as Yang Fire, but it is more stable.
Those who comprehend “Yin Fire” often possess qualities of “tenacity”.
“Yin Fire Sword Intent…”
Xie Xuanyi smiled and asked softly, “Earlier, passing by the Lotus River, I saw a streak of Sword Intent that closely resembled you…
If I remember correctly, there is a senior in the Xuanshui Cave Heaven known as ‘Li Xin Sword Immortal’.
During your epiphany, did you feel his Sword Intent?”
Huang Su glanced at Xie Zhen with a hint of emotion.
This young man was incredibly talented.
How long had it been since he entered the Xuanshui Cave Heaven, and how recently had he taken charge?
Having even discerned the identity of those Sword Intents in the Lotus River using his Divine Soul?
In the Lotus River, there are countless Dao stores.
Now, being the master of the Xuanshui Cave Heaven, Xie Xuanyi naturally could distribute them as he wished.
His Divine Thought could freely sweep into the Lotus River, interacting with the Dao of Sword Intent there…
These days, Xie Xuanyi would take time to visit the Lotus River, feeling the remnants of Sword Intent that this Cave Heaven had gathered over nearly a thousand years.
Behind the peaks of the Sword Palace, the Thirty-three Cave Heavens were guarded by the Sword Palace’s decree against serious offenders.
To reinforce the array patterns, the Thirty-three Cave Heavens were surrounded by steles of Sword Intent carved by the sages.
By comparison,
the Sword Intent in the Lotus River was softer and fuller.
After all, the Sword Intent here was left for future generations with destiny, the future masters of Da Sui Sword Palace.
Therefore, within the Lotus River, Xie Xuanyi saw many “familiar” Sword Intents…
In his younger days, he had retreated behind the peak and suffered much under those Sword Intent steles tasked with suppressing criminals.
However, reuniting with these sage Sword Intents now, only goodwill remained.
“Indeed…
it was ‘Li Xin Sword Immortal’.”
Xu Nianning’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Xie Zhen.
Even though this young man appeared younger than her, she still subconsciously called him “Brother”.
Perhaps because Xie Zhen was a disciple of Xie Xuanyi?
But for some reason,
Xie Zhen gave her an extremely reliable and convincing feeling.
Xu Nianning looked somewhat shocked as she savored the moment, then slowly spoke, “Within this Xuanshui Cave Heaven, it seems countless Sword Intents are sweeping through…
After those several echoes of Sword Qi chiming, I felt my Divine Soul leave my body, uncontrollably roaming beyond heaven and earth, where I saw numerous Sword Immortals, riding Flying Swords, freely roaming the azure sea.”
“Oh?”
Huang Su was somewhat curious.
Although she was the Lotus Peak Master, she had never visited the Xuanshui Cave Heaven.
This Cave Heaven held the greatest significance for cultivators in the Cave Heaven Realm, because Sword Cultivators of the Cave Heaven Realm had not yet condensed the “Great Path of the Sword.”
Huang Su had already advanced to Yin God, passed the confusing phase of forming the Dao, and she was very clear about what kind of Sword Dao she was cultivating…
She could even say that after some time, once her Dao stabilized, she would also qualify to “reside” in the Xuanshui Cave Heaven by bestowing her Divine Thought—
It was only about what Xu Nianning had said, the scene of countless Sword Immortals converging in the Cave Heaven.
Huang Su yearned for it.
“These Sword Immortals must all be ancestors of the Sword Palace; they left their Sword Intent here, as well as their Divine Thoughts…”
Xu Nianning murmured, “Following the guidance of my Divine Soul, I rode the golden lotus toward the end of the Xuanshui Cave Heaven, where many Sword Immortals invited me.”
Huang Su looked somewhat anxious, “And then?”
“They were not the ones I wanted to meet.”
Xu Nianning shook her head and earnestly said, “My sword heart tells me that these Daos are not meant for me…
Eventually, I met a young Sword Immortal draped in a red robe, who told me his name was ‘Li Xin’ and asked if I wanted to see him evolve his Sword Intent.”
Xuanyi smiled and said, “I see, so you stopped then.”
“Yes…”
Xu Nianning reflected, “How long has passed outside?”
“Ten days.”
Xuanyi spoke, “A full ten days, you were in enlightenment.”
“Has it really been ten days?”
Xu Nianning said in astonishment, “It felt like only a moment, at most an hour…”
“Enlightenment is just like that.”
Huang Su shook her head, gently saying, “Li Xin, the Sword Immortal, was a great cultivator of the Sword Palace from eight hundred years ago.
His ‘Yin Fire’ Dao was extremely potent, just one step away from reaching the summit to become a Yang God.
In that era, he was a renowned figure…
Sadly, he died in the Demon Country, and it is said that before his death, he had broken through his realm and went to his death alongside a Venerable from the Demon Country.
Due to the passage of time, the Sword Palace has very few records of this Sword Immortal, only in the Thirty-three Cave Heavens of Jade Screen Peak does a Sword Qi Stele still remain.”
“Eight hundred years ago?”
A complex feeling stirred in Xu Nianning’s heart as she murmured, “No wonder his figure appeared so blurry to me…”
The remnants of Sword Intent in Xuanshui Cave Heaven.
Some were clear, some were blurry.
This was related to both the strength of the Sword Intent’s owner and how ancient they were.
Some Sword Intents had dissipated due to the passage of time…
Being able to persist for eight hundred years shows the formidable strength of Li Xin, the Sword Immortal.
“Do not immerse yourself too much in the Dao of ‘Li Xin, the Sword Immortal.’ The path of Yin Fire is not cultivated by him alone,” Huang Su gently advised.
“The purpose of contemplating in the Xuanshui Cave Heaven is to help you clarify your own ‘Sword Dao’…
Next, you need to walk your own path.”
Xu Nianning took a deep breath.
She left the golden lotus and came ashore, unable to resist looking back at another closed golden lotus.
Ten days had passed.
She had already emerged from enlightenment, whereas the lotus enveloping Duan Zhao…
was still tightly closed without any sign of opening.
Although she did not know the identity of Duan Zhao, the young lord of Wangyou Island,
Xu Nianning had already sensed that this youth was very special.
Earlier, running against the flow of Lotus River and starting so much later, he nearly managed to catch up with “himself.”
This youth’s Sword Dao talent was likely superior to her own.
“He should be alright, shouldn’t he?”
Xu Nianning asked with some concern, “To be in enlightenment for ten days, showing absolutely no signs of awakening…
Is that normal?”
“That’s certainly not normal.”
Xuanyi smiled, speaking softly, “To be in enlightenment for two or three days is already quite extraordinary.
Being so for ten days is truly extraordinary.”
This excursion into Xuanshui Cave Heaven bestowed the greatest fortune on Xu Nianning, allowing her to witness Li Xin, the Sword Immortal, evolve his Sword Dao from eight hundred years ago, thereby allowing her to formulate the embryo of her own Sword Dao.
Huang Su raised an eyebrow and squinted, saying, “When exactly will this young man named Duan wake up?
Being in enlightenment for so long, what kind of opportunity is he experiencing; it must be something that reaches the heavens?”
Xuanyi shook his head helplessly.
He smiled and said, “It might still take some more time…
I’ll wait for him here.”
Huang Su showed no signs of lingering.
Her purpose in coming here was to take Xu Nianning away.
As for Duan Zhao.
This little fellow, best left for Xie Zhen to deal with, even if he had found an incredible opportunity, it had nothing to do with her.
After the two of them left.
Xuanyi stood before that golden lotus, shaking his head with some regret.
This field of Lotus Sea, appearing thriving with countless Sword Intent surrounding it, and myriad Divine Thoughts converging, truly resembled a flourishing scene of “flowers in full bloom.”
Yet this flourishing scene was solely for Xu Nianning.
The young miss from the Xu Family of Binzhou, truly possessed exceptional Sword Dao talent, sitting on the lotus attracting countless Sword Immortals to “impart teachings,” and as Xu Nianning departed, the myriad Sword Qi scattered far and wide.
Although the golden lotus enveloped Duan Zhao…
around this lad, not even a single strand of Sword Qi Divine Thought lingered or entwined.
What was happening?
Enlightening for so long, it couldn’t just be enlightenment for the sake of loneliness, could it?
Xuanyi stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for a full day.
That lotus of Sword Qi showed no intention to open, but rather closed even tighter.
It seemed…
ten days of enlightenment was far from the limit for “Duan Zhao.”
Seeing this, Xuanyi no longer stayed.
He left Xuanshui Cave Heaven and returned to his own courtyard, leaving behind only a trace of Divine Thought, feeling the tremors of the lotus.
The twelfth day.
The thirteenth day.
…
…
On the twentieth day, that lotus in the second layer of Xuanshui Cave Heaven, finally emitted its first tremor.