The Divine Crown
Sou!
The Thousand Deep Sword danced quickly in the air, and another slender green sword danced along with it, quickly tearing through the dark skies.
Engraved Dragon Blade!
After experiencing the damage the last time, it had finally awakened.
Su Yun stood at the side of the Evil Spring, quickly urging the Profound Spirit Qi in his body, the seven types of Profound Spirit Qi which was like a ray of rainbow, following along the sword body, he recklessly swept around. The Thousand Deep Sword and Engraved Dragon Blade were originally not strong, but with the power of the special Profound Spirit Qi, they became different, with their might increasing.
For the next few days, he would either be training or be in the spring. All the food and necessities needed to supplement the training were provided by Cheng Xie. Although the meat related food he would find would either be rotten or minced, but it still tasted normal.
A month of time passed quickly, with the help of the Evil Spring and Monarch Occult Force, Su Yun’s body already produced 400 Evil Spirit Essences, and 100 of them were already fully formed, and began to produce Evil Profound Spirit Qi. his Qi channels also became larger, his strength increased by bursts, and he had instantly stepped into the Spirit Core Disciple realm.
Although Su Yun could have quickly trained and stepped into the Spirit Soul Disciple realm with the help of the everlasting stone that gave a huge boost at the initial stages, but for Qing Er, he did not have time for himself, and thus spent very little time on training. But now, he could peacefully train.
Upon entering the first stage of the Spirit Core realm, the Evil Qi around Su Yun’s entire body became increasingly stronger, feeling that the bloating feeling was close to its maximum, in a while it disappeared, and he had advanced to the second stage.
Even for ordinary people with good talent, to rise from the first to second stage of the Spirit Core Realm, would require at least a year. But for Su Yun with such godly treasures and techniques supporting him, how could his cultivation not jump by leaps and bounds?
Cheng Xie could only nod his head, he was extremely fussy when it comes to Su Yun, but seeing the two flying swords in the air, his pitch black face exposed surprise.
“What technique is that?”
“Imperial Sword Technique.”
Su Yun replied.
“I have seen Imperial Sword users before, but they can only use one sword, but you are able to so easily wield two flying swords, seems like it’s not as simple as that.”
Su Yun did not say anything.
Cheng Xie laughed, and when his gaze landed on the black sword that was stabbed into the ground in front of Su Yun, a confused look appeared in his eyes.
“This sword that is in its sheathe is giving me an intimate feeling, why are you not using it?”
“Once it comes out, it needs to kill someone, if not it will not rest. So I do not use it to practise. Even if I have to practise with it, I do not unsheathe it.”
“A good demonic sword.” Cheng Xie looked at the Death Sword. He extended his hand out wishing to touch it, but when his fingers grazed it, he instantly retracted it back, and asked: “Where did you obtain this sword?”
“I picked it up.” Su Yun lied.
Cheng Xie was startled, but did not ask anymore.
Time slowly crawled past. Su Yun had more and more Evil Spirit Essences in his body, his Evil Profound Spirit Qi becoming stronger and stronger. He felt his body becoming colder, as though his blood had already frozen, and strange thoughts of massacres and destructions would always surface in his mind.
Was this the repercussions of cultivating Evil Profound Spirit Qi?
Su Yun did not feel it, but he was happy while cultivating the entire period, as he progressed by leaps and bounds. While the burst growth of Evil Spirit Essences had caused the Profound Spirit Qi to be full, directly rushing into the second stage Spirit Core realm, and progressing steadily to the third stage.
Such a rate of training, was extremely terrifying.
On one of the day, Su Yun came out of the Evil Spring, and went to his frequented training area, which was the flat ground near the spring. The open space was barren except for dried leaves all around.
He went around searching for many tree branches, threw them on the ground, and began attempting controlling the branches.
It was a total of 100 branches. The Profound Spirit Qi in his body spurt out threads after threads of Spirit Qi like a spider, which stuck onto the branches.
Sou sou sou sou
The threads quickly wrapped around the branches that all started to fly out. The 100 branches all flew around, quickly revolving around Su Yun’s body, forming a gale like momentum, they quickly rushed forth, as though they were forming a tornado.
Controlling the branches were extremely effortless, even if he changed them to swords, he should be able to control them.
Seeing that he had almost completed training in the first sword of the Four Swords Master Stage of the Limitless Sword Art, and could begin training for the second sword, and control a thousand swords.
(TN: Hi guys, in chapter 7, Sword Elder explained about the stages. Let me reiterate it here for y’all. I have decided to change it to Four Swords Master Stage, Twin Swords Saint Stage, and Single Sword God Stage)
“For the four bottom-tiered swords, the person can be rated as a Sword Master. After training in one sword, it can be used to defend against a hundreds enemies. Actually, to defend themselves, the cultivators of this technique can make hundreds of blades fly through the air, attacking everything. To practice two swords, it can be used to defend against a thousand enemies, for three swords, it can be used to defend against ten thousand enemies. For four swords, you can use Spirit Sword techniques, thereby doubling your power.”
“To practice the two middle tiered swords, the person can be rated as a Sword Saint. After practicing one sword, the person can control ten thousand swords. Depending on how much Spirit Qi the person has, he could control numerous swords. After mastering two swords, the person can create Sword Stars. However many stars are in the sky, the person can create the same number of Star Swords.”
“For absolute mastery, it requires mastery of the top tiered sword, called Sword God. Once mastered, the person has endless swords, is able to kill anything, and completely dominate the world. If you became a Sword God, what will happen to the world? Every creature would submit to you.” Then the old man smiled and said: “But nowadays, very few people are able to train to four swords, other than my master. The strongest one was only able to train in the third sword of the four swords, but could still defend against a thousand swords. While mastery of the pair of swords is more than a legend in my Limitless Sword Arts.” )
Thousand swords attacking was equivalent to a huge tide of raining swords, hiding the skies and covering the earth, preventing enemies from escaping. Just by imagining such a vast scene, his mind surged with excitement.
Su Yun went to find more branches, and activated all of the Profound Spirit Qi, his base Spirit Essences, Earth Spirit Essences and Evil Spirit Essences. His Qi channels frantically worked, as huge amounts of Qi leaked out, and wrapped around the branches.
The branches all started to fly, all scattering out, the branches that were wrapped by Profound Spirit Qi were as sharp as knives, and could easily cut down the trees in the surroundings.
“A total of 198. That means my limit is currently a 198 flying swords.”
After a long day, Su Yun could feel his limit. Wielding the Thousand Deep Sword, he panted and thought.
Seems like to complete the second sword, I still have a long way to go.
The basic training of Limitless Sword Art, was the playing importance on the ability as well as the performance of Profound Spirit Qi. Other than that, that would be what the Limitless Sword Art emphasized on ‘The heart and Qi as one, the heart and sword as one’. Upon attaining the ‘Heart and Qi as one’, that means that the cultivator is able to manipulate the Profound Spirit Qi to the point of instantaneous thought, while the heart and sword as one meant that after attaining the heart and Qi, the mind and the Qi acts as one, the Qi controls the sword, and the mind and sword acts as one. If the heart and sword are as one to the point of familiarity, controlling the flying swords would be extremely smooth and agile.
And to manipulate a large number of flying swords, he have to first train his Sword Qi, attaining the concept of the sword, and that cannot be done in one day, but have to go through a long time of practice.
Su Yun found a large amount of Evil Realm wood, and substituted them for wooden swords, and controlled them for practise. Everytime he exhausted himself, he would immerse himself in the Evil Spring, and moisten his Evil Spirit Essences and recover his strength. His strength dramatically increased day by day, and he extremely indulged in that feeling.
Sou sou sou sou sou
The use of the seven types of Profound Spirit Qi on the wooden swords allowed them to fly in the air, forming a big sword screen, occasionally dispersing in patterns, it was extremely graceful.
The Sword Elder had told him before, that the Limitless Sword Sect’s secrets still contained records regarding the Limitless Sword Arrays. Using the Limitless Sword Arts to activate these strong sword arrays would create astronomical results. But the Sword Elder had transformed into a sword rock, and all the sword arrays would not see the light of days, and was a pity.
“Not good!!”
Just as Su Yun was training in the forest, a loud shrill of Cheng Xie suddenly came out, only to see him running frantically towards him.
Su Yun was surprised, he dropped all the flying branches in the air, kept the Thousand Deep Sword and Engraved Dragon Blade, looked towards Cheng Xie and asked: “What’s happening?”
“Go! Quickly go! That group of people are here again, quickly go!!”
Cheng Xie ran and shouted towards Su Yun at the same time.
“That group of people?”
Su Yun was suspicious, but did not dare hang around, and immediately followed Cheng Xie deeper into the forest.
Cheng Xie led Su Yun to hide behind a gigantic tree hole deep in the forest.
The tree hole was jet black, with a large amount of dark Qi. The moment the both of them entered, they were enveloped in it.
Su Yun was confused, seeing how Cheng Xie leaning on the tree, his entire body shivering and his face displaying a terrified look, like a terrified rabbit.
“Cheng Xie, what happened? Who is coming?”
Su Yun asked.
“It’s them! It’s them! Master’s enemies, they have once again come to torture the loyal guards of the Master!!”
Cheng Xie spoke while shivering.
“Loyal guards? Master?” Su Yun was confused, he did not understand what Cheng Xie was saying.
Cheng Xie grabbed his head, and said: “Human, you don’t understand, I am actually the Shrine of Evil Spirit’s guard leader, and am helping Master to guard the shrine. Master had travelled all around, and have met countless strong cultivators, and made them into his own servants, until there was one day, Master offended a huge being. Although he was not as strong as Master, but he used sneak attacks! When Master was not prepared, he used a huge locking trap arts, and lured Master in. He slowly sucked out Master’s spirit and soul, causing his cultivation to drop. In the end the huge being tore his body apart, and all the shrine guards who wanted revenge for our master, were all chopped up by the being. All of their spirits did not die, and after a bloody battle, they relied on Master’s instructed magic, and finally injured the huge being. That angered him, and he immediately set a curse on the guard’s souls, transforming them into fruits. They are hanging on the tree, being blown by the wind and under the sun, forever unable to experience rebirth!” Cheng Xie painfully shouted.
Hearing that, Su Yun thought of the human face fruits, and suddenly realised: “Those fruits there are the guard’s spirits?”
“That’s right! The fruits are spirit fruits, after consuming them you will gain huge increase in cultivation. Because the guards only recognize me, other than me, whoever picks them, the guards will choose to kill themselves and die forever. They would rather be dead than to let other people eat them, other than agreeing to me. Because they trust me, they believe that I can revive them, and revive Master. That is why I told you, these fruits, only I can pick them.”
“No wonder when you were plucking spirit fruits, you have to kowtow and pay respects, so you were thanking them.”
“They all know that me plucking them are for the sake of reviving Master. So they are willing to sacrifice themselves. Even when they know that they will be eaten, they still do not care.”
Saying on and on, Cheng Xie’s face was filled with sorrow.
All these years, so many guards had sacrificed themselves for nothing.
Su Yun felt himself respecting Cheng Xie and all of the guards. To be able to last till now, their Master should feel gratified.
“So, the reason that you want me to go to the Shrine of Evil Spirits, is to help you revive your master?”
“Ever since the huge being got injured and left, he had sent people to come and destroy the shrine. All the boundaries in the shrine, the arrays, the Evil Qi and everything are all in a mess. And because they are all mixed up, it had attracted a large number of Evil Beings to come, and many of the Evil Realm soldiers who have been exposed to the Qi, will lose their minds, and become a walking corpse. For people like me, we cannot enter the shrine, much less walk inside. So I need your help, to go inside the shrine and retrieve the Divine Crown. Before dying, my master had quietly placed a spirit and soul inside, and I can use the divine crown and think of a way to revive my master! And revive the loyal guards.”
Cheng Xie wiped the tears, and said painfully: “Now, the huge being’s people have come again, they will not pluck the fruits down, but will torture them endlessly, and cause the fruits to feel pain beyond life!”
“They are truly senseless.” Su Yun said helplessly.
“Wait until they have tortured enough, then they will head to the Shrine of Evil Spirits, and find the Master’s Divine Crown.”
“Find your master’s Divine Crown? Why didn’t they do it when they destroyed the shrine?”
“Because only after the protection Master had sealed for the Divine Crown was broken, did the dense Qi leak out, so countless people of the Evil Realm have felt it! But up to date, the shrine is extremely terrifying, only the strong can enter, and over these few years countless of people have died trying.”
“So it’s like that.”
Su Yun nodded his head.
Just then, Cheng Xie’s terrified voice shouted: “They are here!”
Su Yun was startled, he quietly went to peek outside, to see a group of Evil Realm people coming closer.
At that moment, Su Yun’s heart was racing.
Cheng Xie was the master’s person, if he was taken, then that would basically meant death. And for him to be with Cheng Xie, it did not bode well for him either.
I have to think of a way to escape.