Chapter 511: Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate and Unity of Man and Sword

Lu Yang was an absolute genius, dual-cultivating both Sword and Spell; his innate talent was beyond all shadow of doubt.

In the mystical arts of spells, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Yun Zhi.

In the mastery of the sword, he showed faint signs of eclipsing even Taoist Bu Yu.

"Originally, I intended to instruct you in the proper execution of foundational sword strikes, but now it seems there is no need."

Foundational strikes formed the very bedrock of swordsmanship; a deviation of a mere fraction of a degree would yield vastly different destructive force.

"The sword techniques I possess demand a formidable level of cultivation and are beyond your current reach. The technique of Ten Thousand Swords Manifested from One requires an immense reserve of spiritual energy. Though your core reservoir ranks among the very best in the Golden Core stage, and few in the Nascent Soul stage can match your depth, you are still a considerable distance from performing it."

"Once you advance to the Nascent Soul stage, I shall impart the technique of Ten Thousand Swords Manifested from One to you."

The technique of Ten Thousand Swords Manifested from One was actually a sword strike meant for the Soul Formation stage. With a single swing, ten thousand swords would follow in grand obedience like a vast army, blotting out the sky and the sun—a maneuver craved by every sword cultivator alive.

Yet, taking into account Lu Yang's prodigious talent in the Way of the Sword and his immense reservoir of spiritual energy, he would be capable of executing it at the Nascent Soul stage.

"As for riding a flying sword, you will master it naturally without instruction."

"Learning the realm where no sword surpasses a physical sword is far too premature for you now; you would easily go astray. Moreover, you possess the Qingfeng Sword. How could an empty hand ever triumph over a blade in your possession?"

"The foundational realm required for the Myriad Swords Returning to the Ancestor is the Soul Formation stage, which remains far beyond your current reach."

"As for my ultimate technique, the Sword Opening the Heavenly Gate, its difficulty is greater still. Do not even dream of executing it before reaching the Unity stage."

Taoist Bu Yu listed various sword techniques, none of which were quite suitable for Lu Yang to learn.

"The Sword Opening the Heavenly Gate? Did you comprehend that move yourself, Master?" Lu Yang had never heard of such a strike.

Taoist Bu Yu shook his head and sighed, "Forced by circumstances, it was never my desire."

It was an admission.

Lu Yang looked at Taoist Bu Yu with envy. The techniques of a sword cultivator were actually few in number; maneuvers like the Unity of Man and Sword or Ten Thousand Swords Manifested from One had been passed down from antiquity, and sword cultivators merely followed convention to learn them.

Yet for the exact same sword technique, differing comprehension and insights into the Way of the Sword would produce a disparity in power as vast as heaven and earth.

Those who created their own sword techniques like Taoist Bu Yu were a rare minority.

The only other cultivator Lu Yang knew who had created his own sword technique was the Sovereign of the Sword Tower.

The cultivation world did possess numerous sword styles, such as the Falling Rain Sword Style, the Hundred Flowers Sword Style, the Breaking Dawn Sword Style, and the Carefree Sword Style. Some sword cultivators were rather poor at naming things, so instances of identical names were not uncommon; Lu Yang knew of at least four distinct versions of the Carefree Sword Style.

"Forced by circumstances?"

When his master created that move, he must have already been a cultivator of the Unity stage. There should have been very few adversaries capable of matching him in the cultivation world.

Could it be that his master had provoked too many enemies, who then launched a stealth attack from the shadows while he was off-guard? Encircled by a hundred peers of the same level, even a man as mighty as his master would find it difficult to escape into the heavens. Battered and scarred under ceaseless assault, his life hanging by a single thread, his master must have attained enlightenment at the precipice of life and death, comprehending a strike that pierced through mortality—the Sword Opening the Heavenly Gate.

Once that sword was unleashed, even the heavens would fracture!

Stroking his white beard, Taoist Bu Yu spoke, "That happened over a thousand years ago. Back then, I committed a slight indiscretion, and your Grandmaster confined me to Heavenly Gate Peak, forbidding me to leave for ten years. You know me; I am a cultivator of the mortal world. How could I bear not going out?"

"But there was no alternative. Your Grandmaster's cultivation was higher than mine, and he excelled in sealing arts; he sealed the entire peak."

"I realized this would never do. If things continued like this, would I truly be locked away for ten years?"

"At that very moment, I entered a state of sudden enlightenment. Sitting cross-legged on the spot, my body became a great smelting furnace. All my lifelong insights into the Way of the Sword dissolved, evolved, tempered, and sharpened within that crucible until, at last, I struck out with a single sword, shattering the seal of Heavenly Gate Peak!"

"And so, I named this move the Sword Opening the Heavenly Gate."

Lu Yang: "..."

Master, why is the process of your comprehension so entirely different from what I imagined?

"Speaking of sword cultivators, I did encounter one before I ascended to immortality. Truly, they are the most devastating combatants within the same realm, terrifyingly strong, a formidable rival."

Seeing Taoist Bu Yu recall his comprehension of a sword technique, the Immortal Fairy remembered a tale from the past.

"Pray tell, Fairy." Hearing of one of his own kind, Lu Yang's interest was piqued.

It was a rare occasion to hear of ancient sword cultivators.

"That sword cultivator was named Liu Ningxuan. He was a peerless master of both the zither and the sword, revered as the Venerable Zither-Sword. You know the technique of the Unity of Man and Sword, right? He was the one who created it."

Lu Yang's eyes widened slightly. The Unity of Man and Sword was a legendary technique capable of raising one's combat power in the shortest span of time. Everyone said this move had been passed down from antiquity, yet none knew its origin or its creator. He never expected to receive the answer from the Fairy's lips.

"That lad Liu Ningxuan was quite a fighter. Like all sword cultivators, he placed his absolute faith in the blade in his hand. The moment he gripped a sword, his entire spirit and presence transformed into something utterly terrifying. With a longsword in hand, piercing through space, shattering the void, and severing time itself were child's play to him."

Lu Yang drew a sharp breath. Piercing space, shattering the void, and severing time—these feats sounded incredibly potent, far beyond anything he could achieve at present.

Surely, this senior named Liu Ningxuan was a paragon among ancient sword cultivators, perhaps even the greatest sword cultivator of the ancient era.

"When he struck with his sword, even an immortal as mighty as I had to yield three paces, unwilling to face it head-on."

"Yet, in the end, he was still no match for me and fell by my hand."

"The Fairy is truly magnificent. How did this Venerable Zither-Sword lose?"

"That battle was perilous indeed. At that time, the conflict between us raged fiercely, destroying heaven and earth and shaking the stars. Perhaps he sensed a crisis of life and death from me, and under that immense pressure, he attained a higher level of enlightenment in the Way of the Sword from the ethereal realms."

"He also realized that he could not defeat me with his original techniques and had to innovate. Drawing upon the insights grasped during his breakthrough amidst battle, he pushed the Unity of Man and Sword to a completely new realm, one that no man had ever achieved before."

"He merged himself with his blade, transforming into an immortal sword, his aura surging violently as if splitting the universe asunder."

Lu Yang's eyes shone with fascination as he immersed himself in that cosmic battle. He asked eagerly, "And then?"

The Immortal Fairy scratched her head with some embarrassment, "And then? There was no 'and then'. After he turned into a sword, he discovered he had fused too thoroughly with it, and he couldn't change back."

Lu Yang: "..."

Fairy, did you never encounter a normal opponent when you were ascending to immortality?

Just then, Taoist Bu Yu slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering something, breaking Lu Yang's reverie as he listened to the Fairy's glorious history.

"I just remembered, there is one technique I can teach you."

"Which one?"

"The Unity of Man and Sword. This move is a signature technique passed down from ancient times. It can unleash unbelievable power in an instant, making it perfect for the weak to triumph over the strong and launch a desperate counterattack..."

"I shall not learn it."

Lu Yang refused decisively.

Taoist Bu Yu was bewildered, completely unable to fathom why his young disciple had declined so swiftly and resolutely.

Since he refused to learn the Unity of Man and Sword, it seemed that given Lu Yang's current realm, he could not yet learn any other sword techniques.

"Very well, then I shall teach you how to commune with the Way of the Sword."

(End of Chapter)