Legend of Swordsman

“The Nine-world Picture consists of nine paintings in total and each of them represents an Occult of the World Dao.

Among the paintings, I’ve comprehended the Occults of the two with a flower and a leaf drawn on it. I’ll need to work on the remaining seven.”

Jian Wushuang thought to himself as he hung the remaining seven paintings on the wall.

He then sat down with his legs crossed and began to observe the third painting, on which there was only a pebble. However, as he continued to stare at it, he discovered that the pebble was, in fact, a small world, containing many laws of the universe and the nature of the World Dao.

What he needed to do was to comprehend those laws and nature.

“It’s wonderful.”

Jian Wushuang brightened up at the thought of how much faster he could comprehend the World Dao now with those paintings as reference.

“Now, I have the paintings to help me comprehend the World Dao.

“The Six-story Pagoda and Slaughter Book will help me comprehend the Slaughter Dao.

I also have Enlightenment Mountain and a Dao Origin Fruit at hand… I’m like a fish in the sea!”

His eyes flickered.

“Master has tried his best to acquire sufficient resources for my cultivation, so I can’t slack off in the remaining year and a half before the Sect Competition begins.

“I really want to see how much progress I can make in this period of time.”

He swallowed the Dao Origin Fruit on that same day and started cultivating with the resources he had been given.

Since then, he had spent most his days in the Enlightenment Mountain, meditating. Sometimes, he would go to the Sword Palace or the Dao Palace and listen to the lectures and he never missed one of Xuan Yi’s lectures. If he was confused about something, he would ask his master for help.

The arrival of winter signaled that two years had elapsed since Jian Wushuang first entered Ancient Sect.

One day, he was sitting down on a peak, which towered up into the clouds, with the white-robed Xuan Yi beside him.

“Master, I can feel that I’ve reached the threshold in Sword Principle, so why do I kept failing to condense even one trace of Sword Heart?” Jian Wushuang asked Xuan Yi with a frown.

“Because your heart is not really at peace.” Xuan Yi smiled at him. “The most important aspect of Sword Heart is the Sword, but you can’t leave out the Heart. Your success will depend on both, so calm down and let it be.”

“Understood.” Jian Wushuang nodded.

“The Sect Competition will begin tomorrow. Are you ready for it?” Xuan Yi added while looking at him.

“Yes.” Jian Wushuang gave him a smile. In fact, he had nothing he needed to prepare in advance. His power was all that he would rely on in this competition.

“You look confident. I shall await your success.” Xuan Yi grinned and continued, “Show us your power as much as you can. Only in this way can I help you acquire more resources.”

“I will.” Jian Wushuang nodded.

“Then go.” Xuan Yi waved his hand. Jian Wushuang bowed to him and left.

Watching Jian Wushuang’s back, Xuan Yi had an inscrutable smile on his face.“He has better perception than anyone I’ve met. He really is incredibly gifted.”

Not long after Jian Wushuang came back to Enlightenment Mountain, Huo Ying presented himself at his door.

“Jian Wushuang, have you heard that Feng managed to break into the sixth level of the Dao Tower today.” After taking a seat at a table, Huo Ying spoke seriously to Jian Wushuang.

“Really?”Jian Wushuang was surprised.

Dao Tower was a place used to test the disciples’ comprehension in the Dao.

He heard that three were 13 levels in total, and the better one’s comprehension in the Dao, the further he could go in the tower.

When Jian Wushuang had just entered the Ancient Sect and possessed a little comprehension in the Dao, he had once taken the test in the tower as well. However, at that time, he was only able to make it to Level Three.

“It’s very difficult for a disciple who has comprehended the third Occult to make it to Level Six, but Feng did it. He must have comprehended the third and maybe even the fourth Occult. He has made a lot of progress in these two years.”

Jian Wushuang was lost in thought for some time before replying to Huo Ying. “Feng is indeed talented.”

“He is more than just talented,” Huo Ying echoed his words. “His Master has said that he is well-grounded and only lacking resources, which is why he had cultivated slowly when he was in the Ancient World. However, now that he has entered the Ancient Sect, he has progressed faster and faster while depending on his previous accumulations. In these two years, his power has skyrocketed.

“Now, everyone in our sect has learned of his power. Surely, he will be able to keep his place in Enlightenment Mountain during the Sect Competition tomorrow.”

“I agree.” Jian Wushuang nodded.

It was clear to him and everyone else in the sect that Feng could keep his place as an inner disciple in tomorrow’s competition. As for the other competitors, few of them had made it to the fourth Occult and, therefore, could not be his match.

“Alas, I really envy him.” Huo Ying looked worried as he continued speaking, “As for me, I’ve only comprehended the second Occult and can only be ranked in the middle among all the outer disciples. I’m afraid I will no longer be an inner disciple after tomorrow and won’t be able to return to Enlightenment Mountain for a long time.”

He looked toward Jian Wushuang and continued, “Jian Wushuang, with Xuan Yi as your master, over the last two years, I reckon you’ve progressed no less than Feng has. Are you sure that you can survive tomorrow’s competition?”

“Well, not quite.” Jian Wushuang thought he should be humble.

“Not quite?” Huo Ying shot him an odd glance but continued, “Anyway, it’s better than having no chance. You’re not like me, I know I’ll be removed from the list of inner disciples tomorrow.”

Jian Wushuang could not find any words to reply with, so he sighed in secret.

Huo Ying was the weakest one among the six from the Ancient World. Relying on the resources in the Ancient Sect, he had progressed a lot, but he was still far from being Feng’s match.