Chapter 1805: Sword Dao Discussion

## The Mortal World

As for the exact timing, Qin Sang found it difficult to pinpoint. The Wheel Seal and the Demon-Slaying Seal had already merged; it hadn't taken long and seemed relatively straightforward. However, the further he progressed, the greater the difficulty of fusion would inevitably become. Qin Sang couldn't possibly neglect his own cultivation to solely focus on comprehending the Buddhist seals.

"How about a fifty-year limit?" Qin Sang mused, proposing a very generous timeframe. For a Spirit Transformation cultivator, fifty years was but a fleeting moment.

"Fifty years..." Venerable Zhenru was silent for a moment, then nodded. As long as the seal could be opened and the Buddhist treasures inside the pagoda retrieved within a hundred years, it was acceptable. He was still 150 years away from his next Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, and the remaining time would be enough to digest his gains.

"This humble monk will wait fifty years for you, True Man! If after fifty years you cannot break the seal, I hope you will impart this seal to our temple." Venerable Zhenru added another condition: he would offer corresponding treasures in exchange, but the Buddhist treasures in the Pagoda of Immortality would then have nothing to do with Qin Sang.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then agreed. He stayed at Jingtai Temple for several more months, studying Buddhist scriptures and continuously watching the recorded image. It was the insights gained from this recorded image that gave Qin Sang the confidence to fuse the Buddhist seals.

On the day of departure, Venerable Zhenru personally escorted Qin Sang down the mountain.

"Venerable, please stop here." Qin Sang bowed, then flew northward on his escape light.

Venerable Zhenru watched Qin Sang leave, then returned to the temple to begin his work. The two had agreed to collect as many treasures as possible that could help resist the golden light, and if any other methods for breaking the seal were found, Qin Sang would immediately rush to assist.

On his way back, Qin Sang's mind was largely absorbed in the "Seven Master Buddhist Seals." The monk's recorded image was astonishing, broadening Qin Sang's horizons, and most importantly, pointing him in the right direction.

Returning to Xingdao Immortal Lake, Qin Sang first went to Huzhong Island. He traversed the city streets for a while, then arrived at a secluded small courtyard in a residential area for mortals, knocking on the door knocker. With a creak, an old man pushed open the door. Seeing Qin Sang, his face lit up with joy. "Master, you're back."

"Old Chen, your health is getting stronger," Qin Sang said with a smile as he entered the courtyard.

The old man's face was filled with gratitude. "Thanks to you, Master, for curing this old servant's illness and providing a place to settle down. Even if I were to serve you as an ox or a horse for generations, it wouldn't be enough to repay your kindness."

Qin Sang shook his head. "Just take good care of this courtyard; consider it payment for your treatment. There's no need to serve as an ox or a horse."

Dismissing the old man, Qin Sang entered the quiet room in the back hall. A formation was set up in the quiet room. If Mo Xingdao had any news, it would be transmitted through this formation. The two could only contact each other this way, which wasn't timely but had the advantage of being discreet. Qin Sang activated the formation, but there was no response.

After reassuring the old man a few words and leaving some money, Qin Sang stepped out of the courtyard and went to Master Qi's residence. Since helping Qin Sang refine the Returning Wind Armor, Master Qi's forging skills had greatly improved, and his reputation was even more prominent than before. Master Qi had not given up on continuing to melt the True Treasure fragments, but each verification required a large amount of resources and carried the risk of destroying the Returning Wind Armor. It wasn't that Qin Sang was unwilling to part with the Returning Wind Armor; it was just that he had more important things to do. He took out most of his resources and entrusted Master Qi to collect as many spiritual flowers needed for the Yinghua Pills as possible, to be given to Master Lingxu for alchemy.

This visit to Master Qi also had another purpose: the process of opening the meridians for the gauntlets was halfway complete, and he wanted Master Qi to take a look. As soon as Qin Sang met Master Qi, the Returning Wind Armor was immediately requested. Qin Sang smiled helplessly and followed Master Qi into the fire room.

Ten days later, Qin Sang left Master Qi's residence and, using the Dao Court's channels, sent the spiritual flowers to Master Lingxu's residence. If it were a top-tier treasure, he certainly wouldn't trust others with it, but the Dao Court surely wouldn't covet these spiritual flowers.

After dealing with these trivial matters, Qin Sang returned to Sword Heart Island for secluded cultivation.

Time flew by. Another half-year passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Qin Sang held the Shadow Blade in his hands, a contemplative expression on his face. After a moment, he made up his mind, put away the sword, left his cave dwelling, and decided to ask True Man Zhijian to examine it. For nearly three years, Qin Sang had continuously tried various methods to test the sword, but it had shown no reaction whatsoever. Even if Qin Sang continuously made breakthroughs in artifact refinement, he wouldn't be much stronger than the sect master of Mount Jindian. Unable to ascertain the sword's true nature, he could only seek advice from a master of the sword path.

Furthermore, he wasn't going to waste any more time on the Shadow Blade. He had many things to do, and cultivation was the top priority. Due to the limitations of his divine sense, he didn't know when he would be able to refine the Qilin Origin Seed. If Qin Sang wanted to maintain his combat strength, he had to constantly improve his strength cultivation, cultivating both spirit and body. With the "Essence Soul Sword Cultivation Chapter" as primary and "Heavenly Demon Body Refining" as secondary, he would need double the cultivation time. Secondly, comprehending the "Seven Master Buddhist Seals," refining the gauntlets, and blood-feeding the Heavenly Eye Butterflies all required considerable effort.

The sword servant diligently guarded the entrance of True Man Zhijian's cave dwelling, having clearly received instructions. Upon learning of Qin Sang's intention, he immediately activated the formation.

"Come in, my friend," True Man Zhijian's voice echoed from within the cave, and the door opened by itself. The sword servant respectfully stepped aside.

This was Qin Sang's first time entering True Man Zhijian's cave dwelling, and he looked around curiously. The cave dwelling True Man Zhijian had arranged for Qin Sang was meticulously decorated, yet his own could be described as simplistic. Inside the hall, there was only one person, one prayer mat, and one incense table. On the incense table, there was an incense burner and a sword being offered! Qin Sang couldn't help but take another look. The sword was very peculiar, suspended upside down above the incense table. He had only seen ancestral offerings and divine statues in the Ordination Hall; this was his first time seeing someone offer a sword. The sword had no scabbard; white cloth strips were wrapped around the entire blade, including the hilt, making its true form invisible. Qin Sang could tell that this was no ordinary white cloth; it was inscribed with talismans, though he didn't know their purpose. He had never seen True Man Zhijian use this sword before.

With doubt in his heart, Qin Sang looked at True Man Zhijian, who had his back to him, and his expression suddenly changed. "Dao Brother, you..." He looked ashamed. "This humble Daoist shouldn't have come." True Man Zhijian's aura at this moment was extremely powerful, yet it had subtle fluctuations, a sign that only appeared when one was on the verge of a breakthrough. In just a few short years, True Man Zhijian was actually about to break through to the Mid-Spirit Transformation stage. Indeed, Qin Sang had come at an inopportune time.

"It's fine," True Man Zhijian slowly withdrew his cultivation, saying calmly, "A breakthrough at this moment would actually be very forced. This humble Daoist was almost overwhelmed. Your arrival, my friend, happened to help me regain my composure." Qin Sang didn't know if True Man Zhijian's words were true or false, but he did feel guilty and hesitated, not wanting to disturb True Man Zhijian further.

True Man Zhijian rose and turned around, saying, "What I said is true, my friend, so please don't mind. If you have anything important, feel free to speak directly."

With a sigh, Qin Sang nodded and directly took out the Shadow Blade. "I unexpectedly obtained this sword, but I don't know its origins. I originally intended to ask for your guidance, but I didn't expect..." As he spoke, Qin Sang directly handed over the Shadow Blade.

True Man Zhijian took it, gazed at it for a moment, let out a soft "hmm," then ran his finger across the blade. With a clear clang, a sword's hum echoed throughout the cave dwelling. Qin Sang's gaze froze. The Shadow Blade had never produced such a crisp hum in his hands.

True Man Zhijian flipped the sword, lightly swung it twice, clicking his tongue in admiration. He showed a look of joyful discovery, exclaiming, "So such a sword truly exists in this world." Gently caressing the blade, True Man Zhijian contemplated it while saying to Qin Sang, "I recall, my friend, that you also used a sword in the Sinful Plains, and your swordsmanship was superb. You should understand the Way of the Sword."

Qin Sang was silent, glancing at the Shadow Blade in True Man Zhijian's hand. He truly didn't dare claim to understand the Way of the Sword.

True Man Zhijian didn't know Qin Sang's thoughts. Without waiting for a response, and not minding, he gazed at the Shadow Blade, his eyes sparkling with strange brilliance, and murmured, "What is the Way of the Sword? We cultivate the purest sword intent, nurturing the sword with our intent. Whether one chooses the way of the killing sword, illusionary sword, transforming sword, extreme sword, and so on, with only the sword in one's heart, the sword heart becomes clear, reaching the utmost purity and refinement. Some believe that only those whose hearts are utterly devoted to the sword are true sword cultivators, considering this the orthodox path, with all others being inferior."

Qin Sang nodded; he agreed with this view. He was able to recognize that he could not be a true sword cultivator. The "Essence Soul Sword Cultivation Chapter" was certainly a top-tier cultivation method of the killing sword lineage, yet he had always regarded it as a tool, valuing the killing talismans that enhanced cultivation speed more. Looking back at his cultivation path, he had been distracted by too many things: ghosts, corpses, demons, insects, fire, poison, avatars, Buddhist and demonic arts, and so on. He had never even broken through major realms purely relying on the Way of the Sword. As long as something could help him, enhance his strength, and assist his breakthroughs, he would use it without hesitation. Among his acquaintances, Senior Qingzhu could be called a sword cultivator. Shangguan Lifeng abandoned his saber for the sword; if he could comprehend the "Qingzhu Sword Scripture," he might count as half a sword cultivator. Qin Sang believed that True Man Zhijian before him also counted as one.

Unexpectedly, True Man Zhijian gently shook his head. "This Way of the Sword lies in purity, but are other sword practitioners not sword cultivators? They might not be able to follow the path of pure sword intent due to insufficient talent, inadequate temperament, or various external factors. In this world, there are the Way of Talisman Swords, the Way of Ten Thousand Swords; some focus on sword formations, some prioritize techniques over Dao, and some are engrossed in finding unique treasures to refine a supreme sword without strictly pursuing sword intent. Or they cultivate sword intent but rely on external forces. Are the Ways of the Sword they seek by forging new paths truly inferior to the path of pure sword intent? This humble Daoist believes that all great paths lead to the same destination; there are only differences in approach, no superiority or inferiority. It's just that what the world remembers are those unparalleled heroic figures whose sword intent pierced the heavens, capable of cleaving through a thousand difficulties and dangers with a single strike. And it is merely that we have not yet seen those who have pushed other paths to their absolute extreme."

True Man Zhijian seemed to be merely expressing his understanding of the Way of the Sword, not expecting Qin Sang to answer. He pointed to the Shadow Blade, saying, "This sword is an 'external object' through which one can gain sword intent." Qin Sang was still pondering True Man Zhijian's assertion. Hearing this, he couldn't help but scrutinize the Shadow Blade.

"It is said there is a sword cultivation method that must be performed by top-tier sword cultivators, where their own sword intent is fused during the tempering process, ultimately forming a special sword artifact," True Man Zhijian continued.

"How should this sword be used?" Qin Sang wondered, as he hadn't sensed any sword intent within the Shadow Blade.

"This type of sword artifact cannot be used independently, but it can be refined. During the refinement process, one must use their own spiritual sword as an aid. After refinement, it can not only enhance the power of the spiritual sword but also separate into a sword shadow. It is said that this sword shadow can possess a certain percentage of the spiritual sword's power, and being formless, it can strike unexpectedly. Enemies would surely not anticipate a hidden sword shadow." True Man Zhijian paused, then added, "Most importantly, one can obtain the sword intent left by predecessors from the sword artifact. To gain it first and then comprehend it is naturally much easier than cultivating it oneself. However, such a legacy is entirely different from imparting a sword scripture. It will inevitably leave a mark of that sword intent in one's heart, difficult to erase, making it most suitable for passing down the Dharma to junior disciples of the same sect. Thus, it is also called a legacy sword artifact. If this humble Daoist didn't pursue pure sword intent and didn't wish to be interfered with, I would certainly ask you for this sword, my friend." He even expressed regret. This type of sword artifact was indeed very precious and rare, a once-in-a-millennium find. Those capable of refining such legacy sword artifacts were all top-tier sword cultivators.

Hearing this, Qin Sang also furrowed his brow in thought. Judging by True Man Zhijian's words, the Shadow Blade didn't seem to be a simple integration into a spiritual sword. Qin Sang wondered if it could be used with the Wandering Sword; if not, he would have to choose the Grey Oriole Sword. As for the sword intent legacy, Qin Sang was naturally very tempted, but the "Essence Soul Sword Cultivation Chapter" was his fundamental cultivation method. Would rashly obtaining someone else's sword intent legacy shake his own cultivation path?

With the master right before him, Qin Sang immediately voiced the doubts in his heart.

Upon learning that Qin Sang's fundamental cultivation method was a sword Dao technique, True Man Zhijian's gaze became somewhat peculiar. After all, Qin Sang's previously demonstrated strength cultivation and poison Dao abilities were extraordinary. Other sword cultivators who didn't cultivate sword intent at least still used swords. True Man Zhijian deliberated, then said, "My friend, you are different from us. If you do not pursue the utmost purity and refinement of sword intent, you can accept the legacy, and you will surely benefit greatly. However, it's best not to accept it entirely. How to grasp the 'degree' of acceptance will require your own judgment. But doing so might be seen as a waste of a precious resource." As he spoke, True Man Zhijian's face showed regret. A legacy sword artifact could only pass its essence to one person; if Qin Sang accepted only a part, the remaining sword intent would dissipate. If a descendant of the person who refined the Shadow Blade were to obtain this sword, it might cultivate a top-tier sword cultivator.

Qin Sang, however, didn't have such thoughts. The Shadow Blade was obtained from the Immortal Palace; the person who refined it back then had probably long turned to dust, and their descendants were nowhere to be found. At this thought, Qin Sang's heart suddenly stirred. Both the "Essence Soul Sword Cultivation Chapter" and the Shadow Blade originated from the Immortal Palace. Could there be a connection between the two legacies? With this idea surfacing in his mind, Qin Sang was even more determined to try.

"Are you sure you want to accept the sword intent legacy, my friend?" True Man Zhijian asked.

Qin Sang nodded without hesitation. "Please teach me, Dao Brother."

"A legacy sword artifact usually has a special seal that encapsulates the sword intent, preventing others from recognizing it. One must first locate the seal, then ascertain its strength..." True Man Zhijian meticulously taught Qin Sang the method for refining a legacy sword artifact. Qin Sang carefully noted it down, secretly thinking that the Shadow Blade had existed for who knew how many years, and its seal might have been significantly weakened by the erosion of time.

Having received True Man Zhijian's guidance, Qin Sang bowed in thanks. Instead of leaving immediately, he pointed outside the cave dwelling and said, "I will guard you, Dao Brother." True Man Zhijian was on the verge of a breakthrough and could not afford to be disturbed again.

True Man Zhijian did not refuse, nodding with a smile. "In the future, if you have any questions about the Way of the Sword, you can come to me anytime. Though I am untalented, I can still offer you some insights, my friend. My help isn't free; after you comprehend the legacy, I'd like to spar with you."

"It's more than just insights; I only hope Dao Brother won't find it troublesome in the future," Qin Sang secretly sighed, realizing that befriending True Man Zhijian was truly a brilliant move. After Senior Qingzhu, he had finally met another renowned sword master.

True Man Zhijian laughed heartily.