Chapter 1302: Lingxu Three Swords

The Elder of Swords' Lingxu Three Swords technique was coveted by countless people. Despite his severe injuries back then being due to an enemy's revenge, truthfully, that enemy also desperately wanted to seize the secret manual. Now, with the Elder proactively offering to pass on the legacy, the other person actually refused, even looking disdainful...

Intense frustration made his chest feel heavy.

"I won't learn the sword technique. The sword is useful to me; can I take it?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

The Lingxu Three Swords technique, though highly praised by the other party, was, based on the sword intent he had just witnessed, full of flaws. Rather than learning such a technique, it would be better to gather ordinary sword moves and combine them into a Heaven's Path cultivation method. That would lead to faster progress and greater power... and most importantly, he wouldn't have to be a student! Having grown accustomed to teaching others, suddenly becoming a student himself felt genuinely awkward.

"The Lingxu Sword is bound to this Celestial Artificer's Stone Platform using the Lingxu Three Swords method. It's impossible to remove it without learning the sword technique and reaching a certain level of mastery..." Seeing Zhang Xuan refuse to learn, the Elder of Swords frowned.

The longsword on the stone platform was sealed by him using a sword technique. Only by cultivating the Lingxu Three Swords and reaching a certain realm could one remove it. His purpose was to ensure the legacy would be passed on... It was utterly impossible to take the sword without learning the technique.

Just as he was about to explain further and persuade the young man to become his disciple, he saw the youth casually touch the ground, then step on each of the four corners of the stone platform. *Click!* A sound of mechanical springs turning echoed, followed by another stomp on the ground. The longsword, embedded in the platform, sprang up and landed in the young man's hand.

"You... you broke both the seal and the Celestial Artificer's Stone Platform?" The Elder of Swords swayed, nearly losing control of the sword qi within him, almost causing it to explode on the spot. He had just finished saying that the other person needed to learn the Lingxu Three Swords to retrieve the sword, and then this happened... Was he deliberately trying to undermine him?

What was most crucial was that... this platform and seal had cost him immeasurable effort, and even he couldn't forcibly break it to take the sword. Yet, this fellow simply kicked it a few times and succeeded... The Elder of Swords felt like a mere clown, putting on an act in front of someone who clearly didn't care.

"Your seal and Celestial Artificer's Platform are decent, but they have too many flaws..." Ignoring the Elder's reaction, Zhang Xuan smiled and looked at the longsword in his hand.

It was entirely black, showing no cold glint or sharp sword qi; outwardly, it seemed no different from common artifacts. But holding it revealed its true terror. True energy flowed through it without obstruction, and a mere flick could unleash unimaginable power. Even now, though he couldn't fully unleash the longsword's might, even a tenth of its power could easily slay an expert at the early stage of the Domain Realm! Terrifying!

As he was experiencing its power, he felt the Lingxu Sword in his palm shake violently, seemingly trying to break free from his grasp.

"Hm?" His brows furrowed.

"The Lingxu Sword was nurtured by my sword intent, requiring countless hours to achieve this power... It's impossible to refine it without learning the Lingxu Three Swords and my sword path cultivation method... Without refining it, even the most powerful Saint artifact is useless to a cultivator..." the Elder of Swords explained.

This sword was personally crafted by him and nourished with his sword intent, imbued with his will. If anyone could refine it, it wouldn't be so precious.

"Behave yourself!" Before the words even finished, the young man opposite him snapped, then tapped the sword several times with his finger. *Crack! Crack!* With a series of crisp sounds, the longsword trembled, quickly stopped shaking, and bowed down to the ground. "Greetings, Master!"

"Good." With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan put the sword into his ring, then looked at the Elder of Swords before him with a puzzled expression. "What did you say...? I wasn't paying attention just now!" He had been too focused on experiencing the longsword's power to hear what the other person was saying.

"N-nothing..." The Elder of Swords' mouth twitched, and his body, formed by sword qi, disintegrated even faster.

Although he was dead and the Lingxu Sword was now masterless, he had personally forged this immensely proud longsword, and for it to submit to someone in the blink of an eye... he still found it somewhat unacceptable.

"If there's nothing else... I'll be leaving now!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fists.

"But... how can you leave without learning the Lingxu Three Swords?" the Elder of Swords called out again. "The stone platform is enveloped in sword intent. If you force your way through without learning my sword technique, you'll only get hurt, get..." Before he could finish the word "hurt," he saw the young man's finger trace the sword intent a few times, and the sword light on the platform dispersed with a *whoosh*.

"Cough, cough!" His face flushed crimson, the Elder of Swords could no longer hold back, and a plea appeared in his eyes: "Please reconsider, my Lingxu Three Swords are truly formidable..."

"I know, but I truly cannot be your student!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"It's fine if you don't become my student... as long as you pass on my legacy?" The Elder of Swords paused, then said.

He had originally hoped to take on a highly talented student who would spread his sword technique in the future. But... this young man was simply too outstanding, even beyond his comprehension. Taking him on as a student was clearly out of the question. He only hoped that after receiving the inheritance, the young man would ensure this lineage continued.

"That's simple. Where's your sword technique?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"Here..." The Elder of Swords' gaze flickered, and a stream of sword intent surged directly towards Zhang Xuan, who didn't dodge. It was as if he instantly saw thousands of sword qi streaks flashing through his mind, and a complete sword technique immediately appeared in his sea of consciousness.

Although this sword technique only consisted of three moves, each one was earth-shattering and infinitely powerful. Even the Grand Compassionate Demonic Palm he had previously learned paled significantly in comparison.

"It's likely a Saint Realm High-tier martial art..." His eyebrows rose. The Grand Compassionate Demonic Palm was merely a unique skill cultivated by Ancient Sage Qiuwu in his youth, only at the mid-tier Saint Realm. This technique surpassed it in power and attack, probably reaching the high-tier level. No wonder the Elder of Swords was so confident; it was indeed extraordinary.

"However... with so many flaws, how can one even learn it?" After confirming the sword technique, Zhang Xuan sighed, his face full of vexation. Breaking the Sea, Vast Ocean, Soaring Heaven—each move was fiercer and faster than the last. But... the flaws were so numerous it was exasperating. Not to mention Soaring Heaven, the most powerful move, even the simplest, Breaking the Sea, had a staggering three hundred and thirty-six flaws, making anyone lose interest and not want to learn it.

"Most critically, this sword technique requires coordination with numerous longswords... as many as one hundred and eight!" By rights, even some low-level cultivation methods don't have so many shortcomings. The most important reason for this was that this sword technique wasn't executed with just one Lingxu Sword; it was a sword formation requiring over a hundred swords! With so many swords, each having different moves and directions, it naturally led to more vulnerabilities.

"These are my unique Lingxu Three Swords. If you don't wish to learn them, I hope you can find someone else to pass on the legacy, so it doesn't end here!" Seeing the young man accept the inheritance with a look of utter disgust, as if he were about to vomit, the Elder of Swords said.

"Don't worry. Although your sword technique has many flaws, consumes a lot of true qi, and doesn't look perfect... its power is still acceptable. I'll find a way to modify it and help you pass on the legacy..." Seeing the Elder's sincerity, Zhang Xuan clasped his fists. In truth, he merely felt that it had many flaws requiring numerous other sword techniques to compensate, so he wasn't overly disdainful. To be precise, the sword technique's power was not weak.

"Uh..." The Elder of Swords, choked with emotion, swayed twice more. "Then I'll leave it to you..." Having said that, he could no longer hold on, and with a *snap*, he dissipated before Zhang Xuan's eyes.

He had only wanted to leave behind a legacy... He never dreamed he would encounter someone who would literally infuriate him to the point of dissipating, without even having the chance to impart his understanding of the sword path.

"Alas!" Seeing him dissipate, Zhang Xuan sighed, "Having learned your sword technique and received your longsword, I will fulfill your wish to spread this sword technique and restore its glory!"

The Elder, gravely injured, had left behind this inheritance and a written test. Although there was no formal assessment, it showed his determination that his unique skill should not perish but be propagated by future generations. Since that was the case, Zhang Xuan didn't mind preserving the legacy for him and ensuring his name would be praised through the ages.

"This stone platform is also a treasure; I'll take it too!" The fact that it had prevented him from drawing the longsword indicated the platform's material was not weak. Zhang Xuan grabbed it with his palm and put it into his ring. Even if he didn't know how to use it, it would make a good scabbard. Imagining using a longsword inserted into it, swinging a ten-meter-diameter stone platform to beat people... it certainly felt rather appealing.

Leaving the stone platform, the water flow resumed. Zhang Xuan stretched, looked outside, and then saw Ji Lingzhen lying on the ground, already lifeless.

"I told you to teach him a lesson; why did you kill him?" Zhang Xuan frowned, glancing at his clone. Although he disliked Ji Lingzhen, he had only intended for the clone to teach him a lesson, not kill him.

"They did it, not me..." The clone waved his hand, pointing backward. Zhang Xuan looked over and saw the surrounding mist slowly dissipating, revealing a pile of people lying on the ground, numbering over a hundred.

They were the ones who had been standing in front of the stone tablet, studying the character for "sword." After a glance, Zhang Xuan confirmed they were only unconscious, not dead, and breathed a sigh of relief, filled with curiosity. Weren't these guys studying the inscription outside? How did they all end up unconscious here?

"Just now, sword qi shot into the sky, and everyone knew a unique treasure had appeared. These people rushed over to seize it... I told them Ji Lingzhen had obtained the treasure, so they rushed forward and beat him to death! When they couldn't find it, they tried to cause trouble for me, so I... knocked them all out!" The clone shrugged, looking nonchalant.

This guy could easily defeat Ji Lingzhen, who was at the early stage of the Domain Realm. Although these people weren't weak in cultivation, they were still far inferior to him.

"It's fine as long as they're not dead; it's nothing significant..." Hearing the clone's explanation, Zhang Xuan knew he would have acted similarly. He shook his head, no longer dwelling on it. Greedy people were irrational; rather than wasting words, it was better to simply knock them out.

After sending his clone back to the beehive, Zhang Xuan walked out of the mist. He immediately heard numerous footsteps and then saw "Brother Sun," Sun Qian, and others appear before him.