Chapter 963: Understanding the Way

On this ancient peak stood several ancient pines, their roots deeply embedded by the lake. Their age was unknown; they resembled old dragons coiled and soaring towards the sky, ancient, vigorous, and powerful.

Beneath one ancient tree was a crude, unpretentious stone table, rustic and natural.

It had been carved from a single rock, lying like a reclining ox. On its surface lay three ancient jade tablets, their colors faded and covered in millennia of dust, engraved with bird-script characters.

Upon seeing these three ancient jade tablets, Ye Fan immediately understood the intention of the old Valley Master from five hundred years ago: combining all nine jade pieces would likely reveal the whereabouts of the Earth Immortal.

He stepped forward. The main peak was very flat, with little other vegetation visible apart from a few old pines, as barren as the sheer cliff face.

At that moment, he also felt a powerful, invincible sword intent that threatened to sever his very soul and obliterate his nascent divinity.

Even when Ye Fan melded into the void of heaven and earth, he could still be perceived. He summoned his cauldron, suspending it above his head, and the Mother Qi of All Things descended like a curtain of rain, shielding his true form.

Occasionally, sharp sword qi would strike, each blow immensely heavy. Had he not possessed the Sacred Body of the Human Race, a single strike would have been enough to turn a Sect Master into minced meat.

The Mother Qi Cauldron clanged loudly, like mountains and rivers roaring, emitting trembling sounds. The entire mountain vibrated in resonance, as if an immortal sword were reawakening.

Brother Ye placed Xiao Song into the cauldron, fearing an accident and unable to attend to it otherwise. Chi Songzi's supreme sword intent was soul-stirring; even though its killing aura had dissipated, it was still not something ordinary people could approach.

"If the killing intent were still present, even ancient Sages would likely find it difficult to take a few steps forward."

He couldn't help but be astonished. The first cultivator mentioned in the 'Biographies of Immortals' truly possessed boundless power, was unfathomable, and wielded world-defying methods; no wonder his entire life was dedicated to achieving immortality.

Ye Fan stopped nine steps from the stone table, unable to advance further. It was as if an immortal sword weighing tens of thousands of jun pointed at him; even with the cauldron protecting him, his body still threatened to disintegrate.

This was a vast and unparalleled sword intent, insurmountable by anyone in this era. Streaks of sword marks appeared in the void, capable of shattering Kings who had achieved Dao Slaying.

Ye Fan activated the 'Soldier' character secret, intending to retrieve the three ancient jade tablets from a distance. However, at that moment, an eternal light burst forth, dazzling and brilliant!

In that instant, nothing else mattered; only this sword light existed. The sun, moon, and stars in the sky seemed insignificant, devoid of their own radiance.

A vast sound, more terrifying than thunder, was unavoidable. The Mother Qi Cauldron of All Things violently shook, and Ye Fan vomited a mouthful of blood, sent flying backward.

"Clang!" "Clang!"...

At the same time, this Immortal Sword Mountain Peak also shook as if a hundred thousand celestial swords resonated in unison, emitting dazzling light that could sever gods and cleave demons, striking fear into the heart.

Ye Fan was sent flying several miles. Wiping golden blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart was greatly shaken; this was the first time he had been injured since returning to Earth.

That sword light just now could slay Kings of Immortal Stage 3, utterly terrifying. Even with the Mother Qi Cauldron protecting him, he was wounded. The force was too immense; the sword qi couldn't penetrate his body, but the sheer force directly wounded him.

"Too powerful. Chi Songzi truly deserved to be called one of the strongest individuals of ancient times." Now he could confirm that if the killing aura were still present, not dispelled by Chi Songzi himself, even a Saint would be slain upon arrival.

The Third Valley Master flew over, his face pale, asking Ye Fan if he was alright. He had been repeatedly horrified just watching from a distance that he couldn't bear it, let alone experience it firsthand.

Ye Fan shook his head. Activating the 'Rejuvenation' secret, golden blood surged through his body with a thunderous roar, and his physical form quickly recovered.

He pushed forward once more, ascending the main peak amidst thousands of sword lights, walking towards the stone table, intending to retrieve the three ancient jade tablets.

However, this time was even worse. When he was still dozens of steps away, as soon as he activated the 'Soldier' character secret, a sword light struck, like heavenly thunder destroying the world, fiercely and utterly dominant.

Ye Fan was sent flying again, this time recoiling several miles. His heart was greatly shaken; this approach wouldn't work, he couldn't get closer.

Chi Songzi was already dead, yet the supreme sword intent he left behind was still this powerful. His peerless demeanor was imaginable; if he were alive today, leveling an ancient star with a powerful orthodox lineage with a single sword would be no problem.

Ye Fan ascended once more, but this time he didn't act rashly. He stopped at a significant distance and also released Xiao Song, allowing it to comprehend the Dao alongside him.

He decided not to force his way in. He would first comprehend Chi Songzi's sword Dao. Otherwise, no one in this era could approach that stone table and the clear Sword Lake.

He stood there for a full half-month without moving. Even the lively and active Xiao Song adopted a solemn demeanor, holding its stone Buddha bell and diligently comprehending.

Ye Fan couldn't help but be shocked. This sword intent was vast and profound, boundless and unfathomable, containing the true meaning of 'one weapon breaking ten thousand techniques!'

"That's it, I shall cultivate diligently here for a while."

With a solemn expression, he sat down cross-legged, earnestly comprehending, meditating deeply, and pondering Chi Songzi's supreme Dao lineage, absorbing it into the marks of his cauldron.

Sword cultivators primarily focus on offense; once a sword is unleashed, mountains and rivers for ten thousand li are shattered, nothing can stop it!

Upon reaching a certain realm, the sword is not limited to tangible forms; a blade of grass, a tree, or even a speck of dust can become a celestial sword, capable of cleaving mountains and seas.

Ye Fan's heart trembled. Chi Songzi's sword intent was indeed invincible: a speck of dust could transform into a sword to fill the vast ocean, and a blade of grass could become a sword to cleave the sun, moon, and stars.

"Having reached such a realm, what else is there to fear? Roving across the ancient universe and destroying numerous star domains would be no problem." He stared blankly, lost in thought. Even such a powerful figure was ultimately trapped by life and death, unable to become an immortal. His lifespan dried up, and he eventually passed away. Ye Fan diligently pondered the sword intent, realizing that many views of the ancient supreme figures were interconnected. Chi Songzi had evolved 'one weapon breaking ten thousand techniques' to its extreme.

All things can be weapons, ultimately converging into a single instrument. Ten swords, a hundred swords, a thousand swords, ten thousand swords... ultimately, what is used is simply "one." A speck of dust can fill the sea, a blade of grass can cut down the sun, moon, and stars, one person can fight across the eight wastes, cultivating the sword for an entire life, bringing peace to the chaotic ancient universe.

This was Chi Songzi's Dao; the sword was merely its form! Later generations inherited his sword cultivation, but it's unknown how many truly grasped its essence.

Ye Fan sat in silence, diligently pondering and comprehending with his heart, rather than merely learning its form or memorizing its sword techniques. At his stage, it was impossible to switch to sword mastery, but all methods are interconnected. By grasping its essence, he could transform it into his own Dao.

One weapon breaks all techniques!

Ye Fan only needed to remember this phrase, which he had known before. One cauldron was enough; its form was close to the Dao, and even more natural.

The cauldron could also be wielded as a sword: it could fill the sea, cleave the sun, moon, and stars, and suppress all heavens.

At this moment, a one-inch-tall small cauldron floated before Ye Fan's brow, merging with his spirit. He combined the concept of 'one weapon breaking ten thousand techniques' from the Daoist scriptures with Chi Songzi's Dao, comprehending them together and achieving sublimation.

If facing an enemy, once the cauldron was unleashed, it could shatter all things! If it were Dao Slaying, setting aside his realm for a moment, his combat power alone would surely increase significantly.

The inch-tall small cauldron wove out intricate patterns, inherently a vessel for the Dao. Now it carried only himself, emitting immeasurable light before his brow, then quickly retracting it, returning to its ordinary, unpretentious state.

Another half-month passed before Ye Fan opened his eyes and stood up. He hadn't simply copied Chi Songzi's sword Dao, but he had gained much.

He glanced at Xiao Song and found that the little purple creature seemed to have gained something too, looking surprisingly proper. It was seriously sitting with all five centers (palms, soles, crown) facing upward, still immersed in deep contemplation.

He couldn't help but extend his divine sense to see what Dao it was comprehending. He was immediately astonished: it was evolving the universe within its mind!

Ye Fan was surprised, not expecting this little one to possess such great ambition, creating heaven and earth and evolving worlds within its own mind.

But upon closer inspection, he was left dumbfounded and amused. The little purple creature was comparing each star to a pine nut, imagining how many it could destroy.

He put the little one back into the cauldron without waking it. Regardless, having its own ideas was good; one shouldn't restrict its thinking. Perhaps in the future, it truly could walk its own Great Dao.

Chi Songzi had not set up a killing formation here; it was merely because he had practiced his sword art here for many years, leaving behind traces of his Dao and sword marks on the main peak. These could still emit sword light after endless ages.

Ye Fan had comprehended his Dao here for so long that the two no longer clashed. He finally reached the stone table and easily took the three ancient jade tablets into his hands.

Afterward, he came to the Sword Lake shore, gazing at the water. It was clear and transparent, and vaguely, thousands of sword lights seemed to gather within it.

This was Chi Songzi's sword-washing pond, containing undying sword light. He had lived here for most of his life, and this sword pond had long become sentient, capable of condensing supreme sword intent.

Ye Fan did not enter the water, merely walked around it. He saw rolling thunder appearing and disappearing within the water, knowing that if he touched it, it would likely cleave heaven and earth.

He searched carefully here. Chi Songzi's life was very simple; he only lived for immortality and cared for nothing else, leaving no special items behind.

Finally, after comprehending the sword intent, Ye Fan left the place, flying out of the Immortal Sword Heavenly Pool and appearing in mid-air. The Third Valley Master immediately rushed excitedly to meet him.

"Found them," Ye Fan said. "Let's go to the Myriad Demon Valley and combine them with those six jade tablets to understand the truth."

Returning to Myriad Demon Valley, the Third Valley Master solemnly took out the six ancient jade pieces, placing them on the stone table to combine with the three new ones.

In those days, Chi Songzi had only obtained three pieces. The ancient Demon God Ancestor of Myriad Demon Valley had obtained two, and the remaining four were collected by later generations over thousands of years.

"These nine ancient jades have different colors, but when put together, they look like a single piece, and even the oracle bone script connects seamlessly," the Third Valley Master said excitedly.

"They were originally nine jade tablets carved at the same time, only separated later, which is why they can be rejoined and their content connected." Ye Fan was also astonished, for after the jade pieces were joined, a dragon-shaped terrain surprisingly appeared.

The oracle bone script recorded a concise message: "Ancient jade pieces combined, true dragon appears." It confirmed the existence of Earth Immortals: never touching the ground in life, never entering the earth in death, an immortal fetus, untainted by dust throughout its existence.

After the nine ancient jade pieces were joined, they revealed ninety-nine true dragons. Upon closer inspection, they were ninety-nine dragon-shaped mountains, coiled and gathered, magnificent and awe-inspiring. This was truly a rare terrain of ages, causing even Ye Fan to tremble.

"What is this place? Setting aside everything else, this terrain alone is extraordinary!" Having studied the Source Heaven Book, Ye Fan naturally understood how rare such a terrain was.

"I've never seen it," the Third Valley Master shook his head. "I've traveled all over the world, both within and beyond the seas, and there's no terrain like this."

At this moment, even the Great Valley Master was startled. The complete collection of the nine ancient jade pieces was no small matter. He had emerged from his seclusion to witness it. He was an old crane who had attained the Dao, possessing a lifespan of six hundred years. His complexion was excellent, truly a case of 'crane's hair, child's face.' Upon seeing the terrain map of dragons gathered, his spirit was greatly shaken, and he stated that he had heard of it in ancient legends and knew what place it was.