Chapter 514: No Self No Form Sword

"Emperor, please take a look." The red-robed Venerable heard this, and with a flip of his hand, a book appeared, which he respectfully handed to Meng Chuan.

Meng Chuan opened the book.

The book detailed nineteen Emperor-level ultimate techniques. Meng Chuan quickly scanned through them before focusing on the description of the 'picture album' classic.

"Formless and Egoless Sword" was created by Huang Yong, a 'Soul Tribulation Realm Three-Tribulation Great Power'. Originally a mortal generation's sage of painting, he entered the path of cultivation, using a sword as his brush... and independently created the Emperor Perfection-level ultimate technique, "Formless and Egoless Sword."

This sword technique is renowned for its vast number of variations, totaling thirty-three thousand moves.

Once unleashed, it becomes ubiquitous within thirty thousand li, as if one simultaneously exists at any point within that range, able to execute all thirty-three thousand sword moves at once to form a painting. Its power is unimaginable.

However, due to the sheer number of sword moves, each extremely profound, it is very difficult to learn.

This particular classic, however, allows one to disregard all sword moves and directly comprehend the five paintings within the classic itself. If one can fully grasp these five paintings, they can also cultivate this sword technique to perfection, reaching the 'Heaven and Earth Realm Perfection' level.

Meng Chuan looked at the sword moves of this technique.

An ultimate sword technique that reached Heaven and Earth Realm perfection filled Meng Chuan with anticipation.

"That ultimate sword technique, it's actually painting?" Meng Chuan pointed at the worn picture album itself.

The red-robed Venerable smiled and said, "To be frank with Your Majesty, this 'Formless and Egoless Sword,' though called a sword technique, is actually more like a brush technique! The brushwork is ever-changing and extremely difficult to learn. But if one can directly comprehend its essence from the paintings, then cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds."

"The painting is good."

Meng Chuan gazed at the ancient picture album. The first painting was visible on its surface, although an array prevented conscious probing.

Meng Chuan looked at this first painting...

Meng Chuan could discern the 'bones,' 'spirit,' and 'soul' of this painting at a glance.

The application of the brushstrokes, though seemingly similar between two strokes, actually varied in speed—some fast, some slow.

The speed, weight, direction, substantiality, and transitions of the strokes... With a single glance, Meng Chuan mentally deconstructed the first painting into thousands of brushstrokes. He even felt as if he was witnessing Senior Huang Yong painting it. This first painting was merely at the 'Dharma Domain Realm' level of brushwork, so Meng Chuan fully comprehended it instantly.

"This 'Formless and Egoless Sword' is not from the Lightning lineage, nor from the Water or Fire lineages... instead, it's a pure brush technique that applies spatial rules," Meng Chuan nodded slightly.

It enters the Dao through brushwork, and then enters the Spatial lineage.

Meng Chuan appeared quite at ease.

"The painting is truly excellent. I'll buy this classic picture album," Meng Chuan said, looking at the red-robed Venerable. "Name your price."

"Buy it?" The red-robed Venerable was stunned.

One could simply learn the inheritance once; why buy it?

"Sister Li, this Emperor wants to buy the original 'Formless and Egoless Sword' and is asking for a price. This is your item, make a decision quickly," the red-robed Venerable whispered, and the other four Venerables nearby also noticed.

"One can just learn the inheritance once, why buy the original? Isn't that spending extra origin crystals?"

"It's good to earn more origin crystals, Sister Li. Your home world should have more than one original copy of the 'Formless and Egoless Sword' classic, right?"

"Just this one," a female Venerable transmitted. "Senior Huang Yong is not a cultivator from my home world. This original was purchased from outside our domain by our ancestors and brought back, with the belief that its essence could be comprehended from the paintings. However, millions of years have passed, and no one from our home world has successfully cultivated the 'Formless and Egoless Sword,' which is why I brought it out."

"Quickly name a price, but don't scare off His Majesty. After all, he's an Emperor; Emperor-level ultimate techniques only have a certain impact on them."

"I won't sell it cheap, as it's the original."

The five Venerables conversed, and the female Venerable in green robes stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Your Majesty. This 'Formless and Egoless Sword' classic belongs to my home world, and it was only out of necessity that I brought it out for sale. If Your Majesty wishes to acquire it, it will be eight Spatial Origin Crystals."

"Eight Spatial Origin Crystals?" Meng Chuan shook his head and chuckled. "That's enough to buy two or three 'Three-Tribulation Realm secret treasures'."

One Spatial Origin Crystal could procure an ordinary Emperor-level secret treasure.

This original, for eight Emperor-level secret treasures?

"After all, it was written by a Tribulation Realm Great Power," the female Venerable in green robes said.

"Regardless of who wrote it, it's ultimately just an Emperor-level ultimate technique," Meng Chuan frowned. "Five Spatial Origin Crystals is my acceptable price. If you don't agree, then so be it."

He negotiated the price with the Venerables in his capacity as an Emperor.

He wouldn't be overly verbose.

The female Venerable in green robes pondered. Although learning all nineteen Emperor-level ultimate techniques once only cost 'one Spatial Origin Crystal,' the number of people who actually came to learn them throughout the treasure exchange event was likely very small. The price Meng Chuan offered... was the normal price for an original 'Heaven and Earth Realm Perfection' level ultimate technique!

"Very well, I will sell it to Your Majesty," the female Venerable in green robes said with a slight smile.

Having bought the original picture album, Meng Chuan immediately returned to his cave abode. He couldn't wait to begin studying this ultimate classic.

As he truly absorbed the ultimate technique's inheritance and began learning, Meng Chuan grew increasingly excited.

He had stumbled upon a treasure!

There is also a degree of compatibility between an ultimate technique and a cultivator.

For instance, some ultimate techniques presented to him would give Meng Chuan a headache, and he would learn them slowly. In the past, he learned rapidly! Later, when his realm was high enough, "Heaven and Earth Wandering Dragon Blade" suited him quite well. However, Meng Chuan still found it insufficient and modified it, creating his own "Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique," which was more suitable for him.

"Beautiful," Meng Chuan murmured. Despite having learned the inheritance, he continued to flip through the picture album, utterly fascinated.

The Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique involved painting oneself in the world, but it still contained the original foundation of the Lightning lineage.

The Formless and Egoless Sword also involved using a brush to paint in the world, and it was even purer than Meng Chuan's method!

Meng Chuan had a high talent in the Lightning lineage. With this foundation, he then created the Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique.

Senior Huang Yong's talent in other areas was not high; he hadn't cultivated any other systems. He directly entered the 'Spatial lineage' through his brushwork, making it even purer.

"Exquisite, truly exquisite."

"The application of the brush has reached a miraculous level."

"This third painting, though seemingly composed of three thousand six hundred strokes, is actually formed by a single stroke. My understanding of the 'application of substantiality and insubstantiality' in brushwork is far inferior," Meng Chuan observed with admiration. "After all, as a Heaven and Earth Realm Perfection ultimate technique, 'substantiality and insubstantiality' is one of the two core principles of the Formless and Egoless Sword."

Meng Chuan's achievements in the Dao of painting were extremely high, in no way inferior to the other party's.

It was simply that the other party's achievements in the Dao of spatial laws were extremely high, integrating them into the brushwork, which naturally made it even more miraculous. Yet, Meng Chuan found it very smooth to learn.

Meng Chuan could even easily combine the so-called 'thirty-three thousand' sword moves to form paintings. At least the first three paintings... Meng Chuan had already completely seen through them.

"The fourth painting is at the Heaven and Earth Realm level," Meng Chuan said, turning to the fourth painting and observing it carefully.

"Substantiality and insubstantiality, and domain?"

As Meng Chuan studied the fourth painting, he analyzed each stroke, comprehending their unique qualities.

This painting appeared to be slower to grasp. The reason he bought this album was that simply receiving the inheritance was not as effective as constantly observing every stroke in the 'picture album'.

"So, it's not two core principles."

"Instead, 'domain' is the core, and substantiality/insubstantiality and egolessness are employed to realize this 'domain'..."

Meng Chuan gazed at the painting, gradually comprehending its essence, though fully mastering it would not be easy.

Substantiality, insubstantiality, and egolessness were all profound mysteries of space, integrated into the brushwork.

They even naturally formed a 'domain'.

Meng Chuan's Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique was already considered top-tier among Grotto-Heaven Realm ultimate techniques. After reaching Grotto-Heaven Realm perfection, he had been troubled by how to break through to the Heaven and Earth Realm.

However, now learning the "Formless and Egoless Sword," Meng Chuan was no longer troubled. He even temporarily set aside his Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique to focus on this sword technique. His accumulated understanding of the spatial lineage rapidly integrated into the "Formless and Egoless Sword," causing this sword art to quickly reach Grotto-Heaven Realm perfection, and even push towards the 'Heaven and Earth Realm'.

During this period of cultivation, the treasure exchange event also arrived.