Chapter 2026: Flying

The twelve sword moves, which increased sequentially in difficulty, ensured a continuous flow of vital energy within the body during cultivation, without any discomfort. Most importantly, after practicing them, his understanding and mastery of the Sword Path had genuinely advanced by leaps and bounds. How could the sequence be wrong?

"'If you swap the first and seventh moves, the vital energy will gather more quickly. Swapping the eighth and eleventh moves will make the sword intent more profound! Exchanging the sixth and third moves will make it easier to focus your mind...'"

Zhang Xuan gestured with his finger. Full of doubt, Han Jianqiu followed his instructions and changed the cultivation sequence.

Boom! The power within his body surged. Areas previously uncultivable were instantly mastered, and his comprehension of sword intent immediately surpassed its previous level, seemingly capable of tearing through space at any moment.

"It's true..." Han Jianqiu stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.

He had cultivated this technique for over eighty years, yet he had never imagined the sequence could be wrong. Even more, he never conceived that a simple swap would yield such powerful effects. It even loosened some of the power that had been stagnant within him for a long time!

Although this loosening was very slight, with time, it would certainly grow and eventually lead to a qualitative change. It might even be possible to comprehend the Divine Sword Intent, just like the person before him!

After the shock, he looked again at the young man nearby, his eyes filled with intense disbelief.

The sword moves he had spent 15 years to learn, the other party mastered in the blink of an eye... Most importantly, he could even identify the errors and flaws within them...

This... isn't human, is it?

He had previously thought that the other party's comprehension of Divine Sword Intent was related to luck. Now it seemed to have nothing to do with luck; instead, the other party's talent was simply too immense!

He could even... rival the Hall Master of the Tongshén Temple!

Legend has it that thousands of years ago, the Hall Master of the Tongshén Temple appeared out of nowhere. In just a few months, he swept across the world, unrivaled by anyone. He even single-handedly broke into the Divine Temple and seized a single character...

Such an ability had only been seen once in thousands of years. He never expected the second to appear in their sect!

"'With this... when the Tongtian Bridge opens and the geniuses from the six major sects gather, our Lingyun Sword Pavilion will surely take the lead and suppress all others with a single sword...'"

A light of excitement flickered in his eyes, and Sect Master Han Jianqiu clenched his fists.

Previously, when the Tongtian Bridge opened, their Lingyun Sword Pavilion, despite possessing half of a divine character, was limited by insufficient talent and could never truly lead the overall situation. Now, with this person, they would certainly make a stunning debut and genuinely gain the right to speak!

Full of excitement, he looked at the young man nearby and saw him standing quietly, seemingly engrossed in contemplation.

Knowing that such insights were rare and could not be forced, Han Jianqiu said no more, turned, and withdrew.

Just as he had guessed, Zhang Xuan was indeed engrossed in contemplation.

This set of Lingyun Sword God Art did not offer much help for him to break through to the Immortal Monarch realm. However, it allowed him to more easily control the Divine Sword Intent he had previously comprehended.

The Book of Heaven's Path, formed by taking Dan Xiaotian as a disciple, sealed the incoming sword intent, giving him a perfect understanding of the Divine Sword Intent. But until now, limited by his strength and soul power, this sword intent could not unleash its full power.

At this moment, by connecting the twelve moves before him, the sword intent unexpectedly broke through the seal of the Book of Heaven's Path and perfectly merged with his body.

This meant that the sword intent had completely integrated into his body, becoming a part of him, fully understood and mastered. It could be unleashed at will, no longer constrained.

"So this sword technique was the key to unlocking the Divine Sword Intent..."

When fighting the three True Immortal Realm black-robed figures, the Divine Sword Intent could not be fully unleashed, which put him somewhat on the defensive. Once it could be perfectly unleashed, even without breaking through to the True Immortal realm, he could still slay them.

Integrating into his body, the sword intent flowed within him. His entire being seemed to become sharp, as if he could pierce the heavens at any moment.

"I can fly..." His eyes lit up, and Zhang Xuan was filled with excitement.

The spatial pressure in the Firmament was many times greater than in the Master Teacher Continent; only those who reached the Immortal Monarch level could fly!

Although he was only at the peak of the True Immortal Realm, he could perfectly transform into a long sword with the aid of the Divine Sword Intent within him, soaring freely. His speed was even considerably faster than Elder Chou Huo's!

"'Being able to fly, coupled with reaching the peak of the True Immortal Realm and fully controlling the Divine Sword Intent... I can even fight against a peak Immortal Monarch! It won't be so easy for that black-robed Immortal Monarch to stop me now...'"

Feeling the changes in his internal power, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he hadn't collected Heavenly Path cultivation techniques for the Immortal Monarch realm, these twelve moves gave him a deeper understanding of the Divine Sword Intent, and his combat power surged once again.

Previously, Elder Bai Ye and others whom he held in awe might not even be his match in a real fight now.

"Oh right, Gourd, what about those long swords you swallowed? Didn't you leave me two?"

Pulling his thoughts back from his cultivation, he quickly looked at the gourd within his dantian.

He had told this fellow to swallow the opponents' long swords to resolve the crisis at the time... Once it acted, it didn't even spare Elder Chou Huo's... The situation had been critical just now, so he hadn't had time to ask for details. Now that he had time, he wanted to see what had happened.

The gourd looked wary: "Didn't you say not to spit them out? Are you going back on your word?"

"No, I'm not full, just finished digesting them..." Zhang Xuan's face didn't redden.

"Digested?" His eyebrows twitched, and Zhang Xuan quickly looked. Indeed, he saw the gourd lazily lying in his dantian again, showing no signs of being full at all.

"Never mind..." Knowing that it was impossible to get them back once the gourd had swallowed them, Zhang Xuan, with a helpless expression, flipped his wrist, and several corpses appeared before him.

They were precisely the Immortal Monarch and the three peak True Immortal Realm cultivators who had previously ambushed him.

As soon as the corpses appeared, a long sword shot straight towards Zhang Xuan's glabella.

It was the Immortal Monarch-level weapon used by the black-robed Immortal Monarch. Its master had been killed by a single book and, before it could react, it was stored in the storage ring. Now, seeing its enemy appear, it could no longer hold back.

Zhang Xuan extended a finger and gently pinched. The long sword was immediately gripped between his fingers.

An Immortal Monarch-level weapon was formidable when he was at the Void Immortal Realm. But now at the True Immortal peak, and having fully comprehended the Divine Sword Intent, even a true peak Immortal Monarch might not be his match, let alone a mere sword.

"You, you..." The long sword seemed unable to believe it.

In less than half an hour, how did this guy become so much stronger all of a sudden?

Too lazy to bother with it, Zhang Xuan gripped the long sword, aimed at several spots, and flicked his finger.

Swish, swish! He saw sword intent immediately surge into the long sword's body along its blade. The long sword instantly let out a whimpering cry, and its spiritual essence dispersed.

The spiritual essence of this long sword had been refined by its previous owner. Even if subdued, it could still betray him. He certainly didn't want his own weapon to turn against him and kill him during a battle.

So, to avoid trouble, he directly extinguished its spiritual essence with the Divine Sword Intent.

"You... if you do that, this sword will be useless..." Seeing his action, the Tongshang Sword, which had just been taken out, was startled and trembled continuously.

Its strength was similar to the other sword's. In the blink of an eye, the master had annihilated its spiritual essence. Didn't that mean it could also be directly obliterated?

But... without spiritual essence, a sword was like a body without a soul. At most, it was just a hard material. Many sword techniques could not be performed, and it would no longer possess the power of an Immortal Monarch-level weapon.

"Don't worry, it won't be useless..." With a light laugh, Zhang Xuan gently flicked the sword's body again with his finger. After two breaths, the long sword leaped sharply and emitted a clear ringing sound once more.

This time, it sounded like a bird singing, filled with excitement.

"It has spiritual essence again?" The Tongshang Sword swayed and nearly fell from the air.

The spiritual essence of a sword required countless years of nurturing to appear. Yet, with one flick of his finger, he destroyed the old one, and with another, a new one appeared...

Trembling continuously, the Tongshang Sword dared not say another word.

Before, it had its arrogance because a sword without its spiritual essence was useless. No swordsman would cut off their own path.

Seeing the other's actions, it finally understood... This guy couldn't be measured by normal human standards!

Casually obliterating spiritual essence... More importantly, after obliterating it, he could create a new one...

In other words, its proudest reliance was nothing in front of this person...

It seemed that from now on, it absolutely could not show off. Otherwise... it wouldn't even know how it died.

At this moment, the Tongshang Sword completely submitted, no longer daring to harbor any special thoughts.

"From today on, you shall be called... Long Sword!"

Easily refining the newly awakened spiritual essence, Zhang Xuan looked at the weapon in his hand with satisfaction.

Just like the Tongshang Sword, it was also a weapon that had reached the peak Immortal Monarch level.

"Long Sword?" It trembled, and the Long Sword almost fell from the air.

Does it have to be so casual? It was an Immortal Monarch-level weapon, a super powerful being renowned throughout the continent... And it gets a name like that?

"Master, do you want to... change its name? This one... is truly too casual!" Unable to hold back, the Long Sword said.

"Casual? This..." Zhang Xuan frowned: "How about... Little Swordy?"

"Thud!" The Long Sword couldn't steady itself, dropped to the ground, and cried aloud.

Dammit, the first name was better...

However, at this moment, it also understood that the master before it was terrible at naming. It was useless to say more, so it endured with tears in its eyes.

"Let's see if there are any good things in their rings..." Putting the Long Sword back into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan no longer paid it any attention. Instead, he looked up at the four corpses nearby.

They were powerful figures from the Divine Temple, and their cultivation levels were so high. Would there be any treasures in their storage rings?

With a hook of his finger, the four rings immediately flew over and landed in his palm.