Chapter 905: Asking the Sword with Intent

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Ming Tai looked at Lu Yang with ever-deepening admiration; his own sword-heart was already rare beneath the heavens, yet he had never imagined that Senior Brother Lu Yang’s devotion to the sword would surpass even his own.

He feared that throughout the ages, even including the shrouded mysteries of the ancient era and the Venerable Zither Sword of old, none had ever been quite like Senior Brother Lu Yang.

The only uncertainty lay with the Qilin Immortal; it was said that the Qilin Immortal wielded a blade, but whether it was merely a weapon of choice or the mark of a true sword cultivator remained unknown.

Were the Qilin Immortal a sword cultivator, one could only wonder whose sword-heart would reign supreme between him and Senior Brother Lu Yang.

To achieve immortality, one must possess a uniquely profound understanding of both the way of the sword and the sword-heart.

"This sword-heart is surely the greatest across the eternal ages," someone murmured in a low voice, instantly drawing echoes of agreement from the crowd.

"Lu Yang's sword-heart is paramount across the ages!"

"The sword is the sovereign, Lu Yang the subject; his sword-heart is supreme through eternity!"

Even the elders of the Sword Pavilion cast admiring glances at Lu Yang, feeling that by virtue of this sword-heart alone, he was destined to leave an immortal legacy and serve as a beacon for all future sword cultivators.

Though the slogans varied, they carried the same essence, swelling into a tumultuous roar like mountain gales and crashing waves, while a thoroughly embarrassed Lu Yang lowered his head, digging his toes into his shoes.

It felt as though everyone were chanting that he was merely a loyal subject to the Immortal Fairy.

Lu Yang began to regret attending the Grand Sword Inquiry Ceremony; there really had been no need to concoct an excuse just to wander outside, for staying within the Seeking Dao Sect would have been perfectly fine.

Yun Mengmeng knew little of the way of the sword, but judging from the crowd's reaction, she could tell that Lu Yang's sword-heart was exceptionally formidable, which filled her with a touch of pride.

"I've found a wonderful teacher for Little Zhi."

"Grandmother was so worried I might meet with misfortune outside, but with my luck, how could any mishap ever occur?"

With Lu Yang's peerless sword-heart casting its shadow before them, the answers of all other sword cultivators paled into insignificance, utterly incomparable to his.

"See that? It is all thanks to this Immortal's guidance that your sword-heart is so magnificent, Little Yang." Lu Yang simply ignored the sword spirit's shameless bid for credit.

"The Inquiry of the Sword through the Heart has concluded. I believe that even without my utterance, everyone knows whose sword-heart commands the greatest admiration," the Lord of the Sword Pavilion said with a smile, his gaze drifting intentionally or otherwise toward Lu Yang. Had it not been for his inability to defeat Daoist Bu Yu, he would have loved to snatch Lu Yang away as his own disciple.

Then again, rumor had it that Yun Zhi doted fiercely on this youngest junior brother; it seemed that even if he could best Daoist Bu Yu, he would still be no match for Yun Zhi.

Forget it, Lu Yang was doing perfectly well staying at the Seeking Dao Sect.

"Next, we shall begin the Inquiry of the Sword through the Intent."

The Grand Sword Inquiry Ceremony was held once every century; if it were a matter of one-on-one combat using mere sword techniques, those who had cultivated the longest would inevitably triumph, rendering the battles meaningless.

To remedy this, the Paragon of the Sword Pavilion had proposed suppressing everyone's cultivation to the exact same level, allowing them to contend purely through the strength of their sword intent.

Lu Yang felt a staggering pressure descend, vast and all-encompassing, blanketing the entire grounds and suppressing the realms of everyone present—including himself—down to the Golden Core stage.

Following this, the earth trembled violently as eighteen platforms burst forth from the soil, encircling the Sword Pavilion.

Lord Guan introduced, "These eighteen platforms were forged by our founding first Lord. You need only place a strand of sword qi onto the stage, and it will manifest into a figure of sword intent, which you can then control to do battle."

"So these are the legendary Arenas of Sword Intent?" The sword cultivators' eyes shone brightly as they gazed upon the eighteen platforms, each as smooth as a bronze mirror.

This was a supreme treasure left behind by the Paragon of the Sword Pavilion; if one cultivated upon it over a long period, it could temper their sword intent, sharpening it to a fine edge.

Lu Yang felt it was his first time seeing such a thing, but listening to the discussions around him, he grasped just how remarkable these Arenas of Sword Intent truly were.

Lu Yang drew a lot for the second group, meaning he would have to wait until the matches of the first group concluded before his turn arrived.

Lu Yang recalled the few cultivators Ming Tai had warned him to watch closely; among the first group was Xuan Xuan of the Black Tortoise Clan, whom he had introduced earlier.

Xuan Xuan bore a massive, heavy black sword on his back, its hilt adorned with the drawing of a tiny turtle, and each of his steps gave the impression that the mountains were shaking and the earth was trembling.

Lu Yang had also seen Xuan Xuan's opponent before—an octopus whose tentacles coiled around eight distinct swords.

"Wu Er, I never expected to cross paths with you here," Xuan Xuan said with a grin, revealing eight gleaming white teeth.

Both he and the octopus were sword cultivators hailing from the Eastern Sea; though they had long heard of each other's renown, they had never once exchanged blows.

"Xuan Xuan, everyone says my way of the sword falls short of yours. I could never find an opportunity before, but today I shall shatter those rumors!"

"What rumors? They were merely speaking the honest truth. How could you hope to match me!"

Wu Er struck first, his tentacles spinning the eight swords in a frenzied, blindingly fast whirl that formed an impenetrable defense; none of those who had sparred with him before the ceremony had managed to touch his actual form.

Xuan Xuan gave a great roar, exerting his might to heave the thick black greatsword, bringing it down in a powerful strike toward Wu Er the octopus.

Clang—

Such a strike would have spelled disaster for almost any other sword cultivator, yet when it landed on Wu Er, it was directly deflected away by the rapidly spinning cluster of eight blades.

"You do have some tricks up your sleeve," Xuan Xuan muttered, his interest piqued. While sword cultivators were renowned for their offensive prowess, Wu Er had done the exact opposite, turning his art into absolute defense.

"Is it not just spinning around? As if I cannot do the same!" Xuan Xuan reverted to his true form, transforming into a Black Tortoise with a serpentine body and a shelled back; he flipped himself over, resting the curved dome of his shell against the ground.

Retracting his head into the shell, he clamped his jaws onto the sword's hilt and prodded the ground with his tail to set his body spinning.

As the speed and force of his tail strikes grew, Xuan Xuan's rotation accelerated until he became a blur so rapid that head and tail were entirely indistinguishable.

Using his tail to gain momentum and steer his course, Xuan Xuan hurtled straight into Wu Er, knocking the octopus clean off his feet.

A surge of anger flared within Wu Er; this technique of his had always been invincible, and this was the very first time he had been toppled.

"Do you think I fear you!"

The two marine cultivators spun and clashed upon the arena like iron spinning tops; whenever one was sent flying, he would summon all his strength to hurl himself right back.

Lu Yang watched Xuan Xuan and Wu Er with genuine admiration, never expecting to witness a combination battle tactic here.

Except these two sea denizens were even more remarkable; they required no fusion, capable of spinning entirely on their own, which made it far more convenient to execute.

Seeing that the two iron tops would not settle their score anytime soon, Lu Yang began to wander around the Sword Pavilion to see what was happening on the other stages.

"Xiao Feng, h-how can you be here!" one of the sword cultivators cried out in sheer terror upon seeing his opponent's face and name.

The one named Xiao Feng smiled, a stiff and unnatural grin. "Brother Lin, I told you long ago that we would surely meet again. Did you truly believe that by changing your name and surname I could never find you? I knew you would bound to attend this centennial Grand Sword Inquiry Ceremony!"

"A blood feud can only be repaid in blood. Today, let us decide life and death upon this very stage!"

"Eldest Senior Brother, I never thought we would face each other on the arena. Do you still remember our pact? Only the victor earns the right to confess his love to Junior Sister!"

"Second Junior Brother, whom our junior sister loves is her own affair. Do not use the outcome between us to decide her destiny in marriage!"

"Words are useless. Let us fight!"

"Eldest Brother, twenty years ago you tore out my spiritual root and cast me down the abyss. You never imagined I would still be alive, did you!"

"What if you are alive? You are nothing but a rootless cripple. How could you ever hope to defeat me!"

"Heh, the concept of breaking down to rebuild anew is something you will likely never comprehend!"

Lu Yang: "..."

Are you people at the Sword Pavilion absolutely sure you didn't rig the matchmaking when drawing these lots?

(End of Chapter)