Chapter 275: Slaying Dragon Sword

Clang!

As Xu Yang re-gripped the sword, the overwhelming malice he had felt before was gone, replaced by an incredibly pure and refreshing coolness. He faintly felt his body and mind merge with the sword, connecting with the faint, ethereal soul residing within its core.

"After sleeping for hundreds of thousands of years, someone has finally arrived here."

The phantom slowly turned, revealing a tall, entirely red silhouette. Unlike the skeletal phantom he had encountered earlier, this luminous figure held no malice towards him. Instead, it exuded a sense of attachment, much like the nine-petaled Heavenward Plant's devotion to Bai Lianxue.

"Did you kill all these beings whose bones lie beneath me?" Xu Yang couldn't help but ask.

To him, a weapon was like a cultivator's second life. If they couldn't understand and trust each other, the hidden dangers they would face when confronting powerful enemies in the future would be fatal.

"Indeed," the sword soul replied. "More precisely, it was my previous master who, by merging with my power, slew them. That includes the true dragon beneath your feet."

"A dragon-slaying sword, then! No wonder it carries such a strong aura of hostility."

"What, are you afraid?" the sword soul asked. "Afraid of being corrupted by my aura? But I saw you performed very well just now, effortlessly wiping out desire."

Xu Yang chuckled. "You must sense that I possess a heart aligned with the Dao. Illusions are not difficult for me to overcome; the true terror lies within one's own core being. If I harbored the intent to slaughter all beings, even without this sword, I would still bring disaster to the world. Cultivation itself is the process of cultivating the mind, elevating one's realm, and using a broader vision to give back, nurture, and protect this world. That is all."

The sword soul smiled. "You are remarkably similar to my previous master. No, I should say that at your age, he was only at the Divine Infant stage, and your future is far brighter than his. As long as you adhere to the rules of this Tomb of Buried Cultivators and complete the corresponding trials with your chosen artifact, you can truly possess me and leave this place."

Xu Yang nodded lightly. "I am already prepared. Bring it on!"

As he finished speaking, everything before him gradually faded, and Xu Yang found his vision restored, now gazing out at a boundless vista. Without him realizing it, the ancient blood-colored sword had already settled in his hand.

"Oh, by the way," Xu Yang said, "I haven't had a chance to ask your name."

"Lin Huang. No, that was just my previous name. You need to give me a new one first."

Xu Yang looked speechless. "Uh, that's truly a difficult task. After all, I don't know anything about your power yet. We're more like partners; I haven't truly conquered you, so I can't be considered your master."

The sword soul stared in annoyance. "You're really quite rigid! Didn't you consider that if you name me, I would be bound to you prematurely?"

Xu Yang chuckled. "The hardest and most contradictory thing in this world is coercion. I never force anyone to do anything, including myself. If we are truly not meant to be together, then parting ways peacefully is also a choice…"

Soon, the sword soul released a powerful guiding force, taking over from Xu Yang and leading the way forward. As the unnamed sword departed from the thousand-meter-high mountain of bones, the entire mountain collapsed with a roar, disintegrating into scattered dust. All of it was absorbed into the ancient sword's form.

The entire process astonished Xu Yang. "You…" he began.

The sword soul smiled faintly. "Otherwise, how do you think my soul power grows? Every fallen soul beneath this sword in your hand, its shattered soul essence will be devoured by my soul power. Of course, this will have no effect on you, but it will bring improvement to me as a sword soul, thereby enhancing the weapon's own power."

Xu Yang exclaimed, "I never imagined there were so many unknown aspects in the realm of weaponry; how marvelous! If I'm not mistaken, with the protection of this sword, it should be very useful against mental suppression from opponents."

"You saw through that too?"

***

The path ahead gradually brightened.

Countless colossal beasts began to appear in Xu Yang's vision. All were powerful ancient creatures nurtured within the Tomb of Buried Cultivators, and a considerable portion were soul beasts, manifesting only as spiritual forms.

"So," Xu Yang said, "this is the trial I have to undergo? Just bringing you along to kill a few ancient beasts?"

The sword soul sneered. "Do you think this is simple? With their strength, they naturally can't stop you. Not only do you have a profound cultivation foundation, but you also have a dragon-slaying sword like me to assist you. They are merely illusions waiting to be obliterated. But what's important is that your cultivation methods do not contain sufficiently powerful lethal techniques.

While the Dao evolved from the Yin-Yang Diagram is certainly potent, it is a Dao that governs the laws of spiritual energy transformation in heaven and earth. It can only provide you with continuous spiritual energy support and cannot serve as an effective combat Dao power for eliminating opponents.

If I'm not mistaken, almost none of the opponents you've encountered so far have been able to surpass you in strength, and even if they have, the gap between you has been minimal.

However, as your strength grows, you will face more and more masters in the future. Not to mention that once divine realms like Qilin Mountain reveal themselves, many of their powers will be unimaginable.

By then, your opponents will be far more terrifying than they are now. Without sufficiently formidable offensive Dao power at your disposal, you will find it difficult to gain an advantage."

Xu Yang fully agreed with the sword soul's words, which also reminded him of the advice from the mysterious old man he had met on his journey.

There are countless Daos in the myriad heavens. One must learn to perceive and comprehend deeper Dao power from between heaven and earth to achieve a breakthrough in strength.

"So, the trial you're providing me is to forge a new, even more formidable offensive Dao for myself?"

"Precisely," the sword soul confirmed. "This is the only trial the Tomb of Buried Cultivators has for you. Of course, the price is eternity. If you cannot achieve new enlightenment and creative breakthroughs in this aspect, you will be trapped here forever."

Xu Yang was speechless.

Roar!!

No sooner had he spoken than a purplish-blue demonic tiger descended before him. Judging by its appearance, its strength was at the peak of the Human Race's Divine Infant stage. What was more terrifying was that a pair of wings materialized out of thin air on the tiger's back, lifting its corpulent body into the air.

"Watch out for its aerial spirit cannon blast!"

Xu Yang had no defensive awareness to counter such an attack, but the sword soul instantly perceived his combat state and offered the most opportune warning. Indeed, the tiger suddenly opened its gaping maw and unleashed a powerful spiritual energy orb toward Xu Yang's position on the ground.

Boom!!

Where Xu Yang had originally stood, there was now a pit several meters deep, looking quite terrifying.