Chapter 1026: Ten Years of Hidden Sword, Listen to the Sword's Song

If Sky City were to fall, all the low-level Spirit Refiners in the Yunlun Mountain Range would perish. Baxun'an certainly understood this.

The Holy Servants' mission was to oppose restraint and oppression, not to be anti-society or anti-continent. Naturally, he couldn't allow Sky City to simply crash. Furthermore, the Yunlun Mountain Range was home to the younger generation of Holy Servants, as well as the talents from the unofficial organization, the First Building in the Heavens. For all reasons, these people could not be allowed to die.

The rumbling grew increasingly deafening. Looking up, the tail end of the ancient city was now visible, engulfed in roaring flames.

According to the original plan, Water Ghost was supposed to lift and hold the city. He had to sustain the city until Baxun'an recovered sufficiently, at which point a second command would be issued to halt Sky City in mid-air and keep it suspended. However, this method would waste valuable time.

If the Sacred Temple reacted and Ai Cangsen shot an arrow, Water Ghost, preoccupied with lifting the city, would be unable to move and would have to endure the attack head-on, ensuring his demise. Although, for the sake of the Spirit Refiners in the Yunlun Mountain Range, it was highly improbable the Sacred Temple would fire such an arrow. Yet...

Baxun'an averted his gaze from the horizon, turning to Xiuyuan Ke, who still possessed a pure heart. He realized he had a better option now.

"Do you wish to save them?" Baxun'an asked with a faint smile.

Xiuyuan Ke paused, "I'd like to, but..." He looked up at the colossal city hurtling down, knowing that withstanding such an impact would require a force no less potent than one capable of obliterating all buildings in Canyue Immortal City with a single sword stroke.

"I'm afraid I can't accomplish that..." Xiuyuan Ke swallowed, forcing a bitter smile. He was nowhere near that powerful.

Baxun'an didn't concern himself with Xiuyuan Ke's capabilities. He simply glanced at Cen Qiaofu and Water Ghost, gesturing for them to withdraw for the moment. After they had retreated several dozen meters as instructed, he lifted his gaze once more to the colossal city almost upon them. Without turning, he softly asked, "An ancient swordsman?"

"Huh?" Xiuyuan Ke was momentarily taken aback before realizing his master was addressing him. He quickly nodded, "Yes."

"What sword art do you primarily cultivate?" The city's fiery glow reflected in Baxun'an's dim eyes.

"I've dabbled in all nine great sword arts..." Xiuyuan Ke said, his eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement. "Master, what are you implying?"

"Can you perform Illusion Sword Art?" Baxun'an asked, not answering, his voice still calm.

"Yes!" Xiuyuan Ke nodded emphatically.

"To what extent have you comprehended it?"

"The first realm: Space-Time Leap!"

"How long have you been studying the sword?"

"Thirty-four years!" Xiuyuan Ke replied without hesitation. "Master, I transitioned to ancient sword arts midway through my path, just like most people in Canyue Immortal City, influenced by you... I never believed you would perish!"

"Thirty-four years, first realm, a mid-path transition..." Baxun'an murmured, then a corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile. "That's quite impressive."

Xiuyuan Ke's weathered face flushed, and he scratched his head. "Still far from your level, Master."

Baxun'an shook his head slightly. How could the two be compared?

He paused, finally turning to face Xiuyuan Ke. His gaze swept over the man, then he smiled faintly. "I can't teach you sword intent in a short amount of time. Perhaps fate will allow it in the future, but for now..." His gaze sharpened, and Baxun'an looked at the peach wood sword case on Xiuyuan Ke's back.

"I possess a sword technique I can impart to you. However, given your current cultivation level, mastering this technique will either result in death or severe injury! Considering this... are you willing to learn?"

Xiuyuan Ke froze, speechless for a moment. Moments later, his eyes widened, and his body began to tremble with overwhelming excitement and joy. The consequences of "death or injury" didn't even register in his mind. From Baxun'an's words, he extracted only one idea... His master was going to impart a sword technique?

With a thud, Xiuyuan Ke dropped to his knees, creating a large crater in the ground. Unaware of his bleeding knees, his eyes were filled only with profound reverence. "To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening, I would have no regrets!"

Behind them, Cen Qiaofu and Water Ghost observed the scene, then glanced up at the colossal city in the sky, seemingly understanding what was about to unfold.

"How extraordinary!" Cen Qiaofu shook his head with a sigh. "Thirty years ago, with his arrogant disposition, he wouldn't have spared a second glance for a mere passerby like Xiuyuan Ke!"

"But times have changed, haven't they..." Water Ghost murmured in agreement.

In a daze, he recalled his second meeting with Baxun'an, when he was invited to join the Holy Servants once more. At that time, the peerless prodigy had been so severely wounded that his treasured sword was gone, and he was left with only eight fingers. Wielding a sword was out of the question. Whether Baxun'an could still be considered a swordsman was highly debatable!

When Water Ghost received the invitation, he scoffed with a laugh, "You can't even hold a sword; are you joking by inviting me to join the Holy Servants?" Yet, despite a scar on his neck, a crippled body, and eyes that had lost their former sharpness, Baxun'an's will had never faltered.

"My body may be broken, but why abandon the sword? All swordsmen under heaven are my instruments! How can it be said that one cannot draw a sword without a physical blade, or walk a path without a tangible Dao?" This serene response made Water Ghost suddenly realize that the man who had once single-handedly attempted to challenge the entire world was no longer the same.

He had changed after his injury. He had learned to wield influence, leveraging the immense power associated with the title "Eighth Sword Immortal," which he had established in just three years... Using people as his swords, he would wait for the right moment to rise to the heavens once more! A person like Baxun'an, with just himself and a sword, could instill endless terror throughout the world. After he learned to wield influence, who in the world could possibly stand against him?

Water Ghost could no longer refuse such an invitation. At that time, he also yearned for answers, and Baxun'an, in that state, was clearly the only one capable of surpassing him and providing those answers.

In a flash, the scene returned to Solitary Sound Cliff. In the background, the ancient city, ablaze with roaring flames, descended obliquely like a meteor. Above the dimly lit cliff, a one-armed, limping old man knelt devoutly. Before him, Baxun'an calmly extended his hand, beckoning with a curled finger.

"Sword, come."

With a snap, the peach wood sword case on Xiuyuan Ke's back cracked open in response. A wide, long peach wood sword clanged as it flew out, arcing brightly across the sky before settling into Baxun'an's hand.

Water Ghost watched, taking a deep breath. A moment ago, he had considered Baxun'an's idea of using Xiuyuan Ke instead of him to stop the city to be utter madness. Yet, unable to defy the order, he had retreated as commanded. Now, a sense of calm settled within him. "What reason is there to distrust this man?"

On the precipice, Baxun'an gently cradled the long peach wood sword in his left hand, while his right hand, with two fingers joined, slowly glided along its blade. As his gaze passed over it, the peach wood sword, inch by inch, began to glow with a faint white luminescence.

"Humm—"

Although he wasn't wielding the sword himself, at that moment, Xiuyuan Ke felt the joy emanating from his own treasured blade. He clearly saw the surge of spiritual power appearing on the peach wood sword in the wake of his master's fingertips... This was sword intent! Likewise, with just that passing touch, Xiuyuan Ke even felt as if his own sword had recognized his master as its true owner! If his master so desired, the sword seemed capable of immediate celestial transcendence! It was simply... unfathomable!

"Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!" The fiery glow behind them illuminated the darkness, making the figures on the cliff shimmer, while the ceaseless roar echoed, as if announcing the end of the world.

"What is the sword's name?" Baxun'an asked calmly.

Xiuyuan Ke couldn't help but look up, his gaze sweeping past his master to the ancient city, now so close it felt almost within reach. Panic seized his heart; he couldn't fathom how his master could remain so composed.

"Immortal Peach," he replied tremulously.

"Wooden Sword Immortal Peach... A beautiful name indeed." Baxun'an suddenly curled the four fingers of his left hand, gently clasping Immortal Peach. At that moment, a white luminescence surged along the wooden sword's blade, and a sword's cry resonated, piercing the distant heavens.

"Humm!"

Goosebumps instantly prickled Xiuyuan Ke's skin. He felt the surrounding space-time slow to a crawl, accompanying the sword's hum! Sensing the surging power within the wooden sword, a power strikingly similar to his own, Baxun'an asked with slight astonishment, "You've been concealing your sword?"

"Yes!" Xiuyuan Ke replied, awestruck. "I've been concealing my sword for thirteen years, four months, and twenty-six days, Master..."

Baxun'an's lips curved slightly. From the looks of it, Xiuyuan Ke might just cling to life after a single sword strike.

"Close your eyes." The gentle voice instructed. Xiuyuan Ke didn't understand, but he obeyed. "Extend your hand." As he extended his hand, he felt a weight settle in his palm—the power of the Immortal Peach sword.

"Rumble, rumble, rumble—" With his eyes closed, the roaring in his ears became even more piercing. Xiuyuan Ke was taut with nervousness, simultaneously thrilled at the prospect of receiving his master's sword transmission and anxious about his own unworthiness. This must be a moment even Senior Brother would envy, he thought.

"Relax, don't overthink."

Xiuyuan Ke immediately relaxed.

"Meditate." He focused intently, and suddenly felt the surrounding clamor subside slightly.

"Next, I will transmit my insights into the Way of the Sword to you. How much you absorb will depend entirely on your comprehension," Baxun'an said, his voice showing no emotional fluctuation, as he extended a finger.

Xiuyuan Ke was so excited he began to tremble again.

"Relax." The voice came again.

At that moment, Xiuyuan Ke released all control, completely surrendering to his master's guidance. At some point, he felt a warmth on his brow, which he presumed was the power from his master's fingertip.

"Humm—" The next second, Xiuyuan Ke felt his soul tremble, and the world fell silent.

Behind them, Cen Qiaofu and Water Ghost observed as intense temporal and spatial energy unfurled the moment Baxun'an's finger touched Xiuyuan Ke's brow. Visible ripples expanded into the void, merging with the Heavenly Dao. The next moment... The world stopped!

"What?" A look of horror flashed in Water Ghost's eyes. How long had it been since he witnessed Baxun'an take action personally? Yet Baxun'an, still in a sealed sword state, simply by transmitting a sword technique, could unleash power that influenced space-time itself?

He strained to look around him. Flowers, grass, and trees no longer swayed; the wind and animal cries no longer resounded. Even the flames blazing from the tail of Sky City, which plummeted from the heavens, had ceased to flicker...

"Is this truly an Acquired Realm manifestation?" "Is this what they call a 'weakened state'?" Water Ghost stared, dumbfounded. Baxun'an, though weakened to such an extent, revealed only the tip of an iceberg of his power, yet it was enough to astonish Water Ghost, a master of water profundities. If the sword seal were truly lifted... What magnificent sword strike could Baxun'an then unleash?

"Thud!"

Xiuyuan Ke felt the same incredulity as Water Ghost and Cen Qiaofu. He felt as if the world had vanished, and in his mind, only he and his master existed in the entire universe.

"There is wind..." An ethereal voice spoke. Within the realm of Illusion Sword Art, Xiuyuan Ke felt the distinct presence of wind around him, whistling. "There are people..." Xiuyuan Ke became fully immersed in the second world his master had created. With that phrase, he heard the faint rustle of the human world. "There are towers..." In the chaotic mental world, with that sound, heaven and earth separated, becoming distinct. Amidst the vast mist, tall towers rose, constructed of green bricks and glazed tiles, with emerald eaves soaring upwards. Their number of floors was unknown, but immortal clouds swirled around them, and immortal cranes cried softly.

"Master!" Xiuyuan Ke, as if on a pilgrimage, suddenly saw a solitary, faceless silhouette standing atop the spire. Within the misty clouds, beneath the cries of cranes, that figure wielded a sword, dancing atop the spire...

"Humm, humm, humm!" From the elegant sword traces, visible ripples emanated. "Illusion Sword Art, Mo Sword Art, Ghost Sword Art, Emotion Sword Art..."

Xiuyuan Ke was stunned. These were, astonishingly, the very mysteries of the great sword arts that he had been unable to decipher for decades! Like a parched sponge, he immediately immersed himself, frantically absorbing, eager to devour every piece of knowledge. But then, he abruptly recalled his master's words. "Can you perform Illusion Sword Art?"

—Don't bite off more than you can chew!

Xiuyuan Ke immediately reined in his thoughts, resisting the temptation, and focused solely on the Illusion Sword Art his master had directed him towards. Space-Time Leap, a single thought made eternal. Xiuyuan Ke forgot both time and space.

After an indeterminate amount of time, he felt he finally understood the name of the sword technique his master was imparting! He suddenly stood upright. Holding the Immortal Peach wooden sword, Xiuyuan Ke opened his eyes and looked at the chaotic world before him.

"Not just one sword! My master intends to impart everything here! Illusion Sword Art, the ultimate profundity... the Second World!"

Clang—

Upon this realization, a piercing sword hum resonated, tearing the world before him to shreds. Xiuyuan Ke awoke from the chaos, immediately feeling an endless sword intent gushing from within him, soaring directly into the heavens.

"Boom, boom, boom..." He was like a human undergoing evolution; his sheer aura alone shattered Solitary Sound Cliff, sending debris flying. In his ears, the excited hum of the Immortal Peach sword resonated throughout the entire Yunlun Mountain Range... Before him was the ancient city, now halted in the void, its stillness a testament to his own power...

"I..." Xiuyuan Ke was at a loss. This power, belonging to a peak ancient swordsman—had he truly mastered it? This was something he had never before been able, or even dared, to imagine. Yet now... His dream had come true!

Xiuyuan Ke stood stunned, his gaze unconsciously sweeping towards Cen Qiaofu and Water Ghost, who were observing his transformation from behind.

With a "boom," the sword intent in his eyes surged like a tide, tearing apart the cliff and forcing the two observers back several dozen meters further.

"I..." Xiuyuan Ke was stunned once more. He could accomplish this with a mere glance? He saw the horror in Cen Qiaofu and Water Ghost's eyes at his transformation, but he himself found it even harder to believe this was the power he had acquired simply by closing and opening his eyes!

"Tap." In his bewilderment, a weight settled on his shoulder. Xiuyuan Ke looked back to see his master's face, etched with profound weakness, yet his eyes still held encouragement and admiration. Baxun'an had indeed not anticipated that Xiuyuan Ke, with his comprehension of the first realm of Illusion Sword Art, could absorb so much of his legacy and grasp so much of its second realm.

He smiled, then pointed toward the sky. There, suspended in the sky, was Sky City, halted due to Xiuyuan Ke's power!

"Ten years of concealed sword, now heed its hum... Go! Now is your time!"

As these words fell, Xiuyuan Ke felt a surge of wild power within him, a stimulation more potent than any elixir, an encouragement more fierce than any forbidden technique.

"Ten years of concealed sword, now heed its hum..." Xiuyuan Ke repeated the phrase, feeling that in this vast world, only his master truly understood him. He looked up. Amidst the hazy red, Xiuyuan Ke believed it was the reflection of the ancient city's flames, unaware that blood was already seeping from his seven orifices.

He no longer hesitated. He raised his hand, unleashing a single sword strike.

"An—!!!"

A brilliant sword light erupted, immense enough to fill the sky and even eclipse Sky City. Under the terrified gazes of all cultivators in the Yunlun Mountain Range, this sword light engulfed everything, carving a brilliant new dawn from the encroaching darkness of the apocalypse.

"What a magnificent sword strike!" Xiuyuan Ke's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the sword strike he had unleashed. The Second World! This was the "Second World" he had always dreamed of!

Within this single sword strike, he saw the figure dancing with a sword atop the sword tower—it was not his master, nor the Sword God, but himself. He, Xiuyuan Ke! He had unleashed such an astonishing and peerless sword strike! This was his dream... the Second World!

"Crack!" After that single strike, the wooden sword Immortal Peach immediately splintered.

"Thud!" On the precipice, Xiuyuan Ke, his back slamming into the ground, his body covered in blood, saw everything before him blur. Yet in his eyes, an intense awe lingered, reflecting all the beauty of the world.

What joy is there in living, what sorrow in dying? For swordsmen like us, the lifelong pursuit... Is but this one sword! Nothing more, nothing less!

"I did it! I did it!! I actually did it!!! Though it was but a fleeting moment... Master! Senior Brother! I, Xiuyuan Ke, did it!!!"

Xiuyuan Ke did not close his eyes, only screamed silently. Amidst the smoke and dust, within the grey and another beautiful world, he fixed his gaze on that sword strike in his mind, finally ceasing all his mental activity. To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening, I would have no regrets.