Talisman Emperor

How many times has it been?

If this was the outside world, then I would have probably already died over a few hundred times?

Huff~ Huff~

Rapid gasps for breath resounded as Chen Xi raised his head with frustration within the darkness, and his countenance was ghastly pale.

He’d already become numb to the sharp pain that filled his body, and the terror in his heart seemed to have been replaced by those wisps of sword qi since a long time ago.

Those wisps of sword qi were all left behind by the old man in linen clothes. Every single wisp of sword qi was different, yet their auras and even the unique will they possessed were exactly the same.

At this moment, Chen Xi’s mind was completely devoid of thoughts because he’d already pushed his ability of deduction to its limits. However, in the end, he was still unable to see through the profundities behind those wisps of sword qi.

Why?

I’ve clearly utilized every single ability I possess, yet why am I still unable to succeed?

If such barriers are impossible to overcome, then why would it exist within the Ancient Dao Emperor Grounds? Why would the academy allow students to enter these tombs to receive the tests within?

Or is it because I’m not strong enough?

Wait! Since it’s a test directed at students, then it definitely has its limits. Otherwise, it would be impossible for me to continue taking the test after dying a few hundreds of times now.

Then what exactly is it?

Chen Xi was dazed. He sat cross-legged on the ground by himself, and his mind was completely blank.

At this moment, he did indeed have no thoughts at all. His entire body seemed as if it had been possessed, and he didn’t notice the passage of time at all. It was even to the extent that he’d disregarded the test that was about to begin after the time for an incense stick to burn.

Om!

However, amidst this state where his mind was completely blank, a wisp of sword qi suddenly flashed into appearance within his mind, and it was like a flash that was peerlessly brilliant.

After that, a second, a third, a fourth… Sword qi after sword qi that were like a multicolor shoal of fish suddenly flashed within his mind, and there were an entire few hundreds of them.

These wisps of sword qi weren’t like they were before any longer. They flashed while it was impossible for a trace of them to be captured. They moved about without end and revealed a myriad of different trajectories. It was so profound, and it was filled with a naturally curved aura.

In next to no time, these wisps of sword qi and their trajectories started to fuse together like droplets of water fusing into one. In merely a short period of time, merely a single strand of sword qi remained in his mind.

This strand of sword qi was clean, translucent, calm, and ordinary. However, when it silently appeared within his mind, it caused Chen Xi to sense the feeling where the Grand Dao was perfect and without any weakness to exploit.

Hmm? In the next moment, Chen Xi suddenly woke up from his blank state, and he muttered. This sword qi… This sword qi…

As his voice resounded, a strand of bright light suddenly flashed in the depths of his eyes before gradually spreading and brightening. In the end, it blazed like the sun, and it filled his eyes.

So this is his Sword Dao! In the darkness, a wisp of a heartfelt smile suffused the corners of Chen Xi’s mouth.

“The 573rd trial of the test, begin!” The icy cold voice resounded once more.

…

Swoosh!

It was still that familiar platform, and it was still that familiar ‘sword forest’ and the linen clothed old man that stood with the Snowdrain Immortal Sword in hand.

However, at this moment, Chen Xi’s mentality was completely different.

From inside out, his entire body emanated a tranquil and composed immortal aura, and it was just like how the Violetsky Immortal Sword in his hand was at this moment. Even though it didn’t emanate a ferocious imposing aura, yet it naturally carried a tranquil force that couldn’t be underestimated.

Swoosh!

The old man was indifferent as always. He raised his hand and another strand of sword qi slashed down. It was executed casually and seemed to turn the ordinary into extraordinary, and it was executed at will!

This sword strike was still as formidable as it was before, and it was still impossible to resist.

However, this time, Chen Xi seemed as if he’d expected this strike, and his figure flashed while he suddenly stabbed out with Violetsky!

At this instant, Chen Xi seemed as if he’d become a completely different person, and he displayed his strength to its full extent. Every single inch of skin on his body emanated strands of terrifying auras of Sword Insight. When looked at from afar, it seemed as if his entire body had transformed into a sword, and Sword Insight shot into the sky while throwing the surroundings into chaos.

Bang!

An enormous bang resounded. The aftershock swept throughout the platform while the peerless sword qi swept through the myriad of immortal swords on the platform to the point they trembled and wailed.

“Eh!” A bright glow that seemed like the glow of a sword god erupted from within the indifferent eyes of the old man, and he glanced at Chen Xi.

On the other hand, Chen Xi remained calm as before at this moment.

If there was another person present here, that person would definitely notice that the aura of Sword Insight emanated from Chen Xi’s entire body was practically on par with the old man, and it could rival the old man equally!

At practically the exact same moment outside the Ancient Dao Emperor Grounds, Hua Jiankong’s brows raised abruptly while his icy cold and composed face actually revealed a wisp of surprise for a moment.

“Perfection in the realm of Sword God!” He muttered lightly while a wisp of admiration and praise flashed within his eyes.

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Daolu, Zuoqiu Taiwu, and even the other seniors that were paying attention to the situation here were fiercely shocked in their hearts, and an uproar erupted amongst them.

…

Pu!

Unfortunately, after he resisted a sword strike from the old man, Chen Xi who caused all those seniors of the academy to exclaim with praise was ‘killed’ once more, and he returned to the dark space.

However, even though he’d merely resisted a single sword strike from the old man, this sort of improvement was already sufficient to make Chen Xi feel excited, and it was like he’d captured a trace of light and hope within the darkness.

He didn’t hesitate and started to comprehend and deduce.

After the time for an incense stick to burn, he resisted two sword strikes from the old man.

In the following trials, besides constantly being tortured by the great terror he suffered at the instant between life and death, he utilized the rest of his time to deduce and battle.

The outcome that he received in exchange from being ‘killed’ over and over again was that he’d already gradually become accustomed to the old man’s battle rhythm, and the number of attacks he resisted gradually increased.

The 13th strike!

The 19th strike!

The 33rd strike!

…

When he experienced the 800th test, Chen Xi was already capable of resisting thirty nine strikes from the old man!

Hua Jiankong had witnessed this entire practice, and he practically didn’t have the time to pay attention to the other students at all. During this entire process, he acutely noticed that the Sword Insight around Chen Xi’s body was growing in strength, perfection, and power.

That was the evidence of attaining perfection in the realm of Sword God!

All those years ago when Hua Jiankong was still a Saint Immortal, he’d merely passed through the threshold of the Sword God Realm, let alone attained such an extent in it.

Even now, Hua Jiankong’s cultivation in the Sword Dao had merely attained perfection in the Sword God Realm!

Moreover, according to his knowledge, more than half of those seniors within the academy hadn’t come into contact with this level of cultivation. So even if their cultivations were much formidable than Chen Xi, they’d been surpassed by Chen Xi when it came to the Sword Dao!

Presently, all he lacks is dealing with the terror of life and death… Hua Jiankong acutely noticed that so long as Chen Xi was able to be completely fearless of death, then it would be the moment Chen Xi launched a counterattack. Yet now, Chen Xi only had less than two hundred trials in the test. Would Chen Xi be able to succeed?

…

There was great terror in the moment between life and death!

At this moment, Chen Xi was seated cross-legged in the darkness. He’d stopped deducing while only two words remained within his heart — life and death.

The Laws of Life and Death were one of the three supreme laws of the Immortal Dimension, and it coexisted with space and time. Only Immortal Kings were able to grasp these Laws to perfection.

Yet after all is said and done, the Laws of Life and Death were none other than new life and death. It was like how plants grew and withered, and it wasn’t new life after the cycle of reincarnation. It was true life and death.

Only with life would there be death.

It just happened to be like darkness and light. If there wasn’t darkness, then the living beings of the world wouldn’t know what light was.

If there was no meaning in living, then death was nothing.

Life and death, they were both different, yet they were like the hands of a person and couldn’t be separated.

For example, Immortal Kings were able to live practically eternal lives and be unafraid of the corrosion of time exactly because they’d grasped the Laws of Life and Death.

When facing such a paramount force and supreme Law, no one was capable of providing an accurate explanation of it.

At this moment, Chen Xi had been ‘killed’ over eight hundred times, and he’d just happened to experience life and death over and over again. Besides terror, his heart was filled with thoughts about life and death.

Life and death… Life and death… In the world, no matter if it’s the gods and Buddhas, or the myriad of living beings, can any one of them be unafraid of death?

But could it be that there’s really no one in this world that isn’t afraid of death?

Wait! Some can be unafraid of death for the sake of survival. Some can similarly be unafraid of death for the sake of seeking the Grand Dao. The reason they’re unafraid of death is because they’re obsessed with something in their hearts!

One can only accomplish greatness when there’s something to persist on in the heart! Seeking the Dao, fighting for supremacy with the heavens, isn’t it all just like that as well?

Suddenly, Chen Xi came to a slight understanding. Presently, he was utterly unable to escape the restraints of life and death, yet there was a way for him to be unafraid of death!

It was obsession!

This obsession wasn’t stubbornness or obstinance, and it was a type of firm spirit and persistent will!

In an instant, Chen Xi recalled too many things. He recalled that he still hadn’t found his parents, he recalled that he still hadn’t taken revenge, he recalled the supreme Grand Dao that he’d always been seeking diligently…

All of this transformed into the obsession in his heart!

“The 888th trial of the test, begin!” The icy cold voice resounded once more, and Chen Xi was already completely enlightened.

On the platform, before the old man could attack, Chen Xi suddenly stabbed out with his sword!

This sword strike was extremely ordinary like it was simple and unadorned from being completely stripped of its complexity, yet it carried an aura that advance forward courageously and fearlessly.

He’d forgotten life and death, and he didn’t know life and death!

He’d forgotten all terror, and there was no restriction in his heart!

Along with this sword strike being executed, numerous sword howls resounded on the platform and resounded through the world. The myriad of immortal swords had actually completely collapsed into pieces at this moment!

It wasn’t just that, the heavens, the earth, the platform, and even the old man that held Snowdrain in his hand showed signs of collapsing, shattering, and being obliterated at this instant.

Rumble!

At the instant when a wisp of sword qi sprayed out from Chen Xi’s sword, everything before his eyes was completely destroyed!

With a single strike of the sword, everything was obliterated!

“He did it!” Outside the Ancient Dao Emperor Grounds, Hua Jiankong who was usually icy and indifferent actually roared with laughter at this moment.

What? Wang Daolu and Zuoqiu Taiwu were stunned, and then they seemed to have come to an understanding, causing their eyes to light up in unison while a trace of excitement couldn’t help but surge out from their hearts. “Chen Xi overcame the Sword Exalt’s tomb?”

“Yes, during the 888th trial!” Hua Jiankong’s reply was spoken in a powerful tone. Yes, Chen Xi had finally succeeded in doing what he failed to do all those years ago. Moreover, since the Ancient Dao Emperor Grounds had been established, Chen Xi was the first existence to overcome the Sword Exalt’s tomb!

“He did it?”

“That kid, Chen Xi, actually defeated the Sword Exalt?”

“My god! It’s simply unbelievable!”

“I knew it. This kid can’t be judged by convention at all. It would truly be unusual if he did something that was just normal one day!”

At this instant, the voices of those seniors resounded once more through the heavens and the earth.