Chapter 44: Sword Practicing! Impressive!

Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Yang Dingtian was completely immersed in the Xuwu Nine Disaster Sword.

His heart and soul had completely entered the depths of the sword art.

“The first disaster, Sword of Birth!”

Yang Dingtian dropped from the sky. His sword slammed into the hard ground like a meteor.

“Bang…” A powerful Xuan energy shot out quickly. A piece of white jade splintered into pieces and scattered everywhere.

The sword light was pulled back, gorgeous and luxuriant like a galaxy.

He cut through the splashing rocks.

“Boom!” In an instant, countless flying stones crumbled into dust.

“The second disaster, Sword of Beings!”

“Swoosh swoosh swoosh…”

The long sword quivered, and the tip of the sword shot out quickly. There were countless rays, resembling the dense canopy of stars in the sky.

In an instant, there were dozens of swords. Then, hundreds of swords!

A hundred cold stars flashed.

“Phew…” The sword traced a circle and brought the hundred cold stars together.

The numerous cold stars condensed into a thick sword and struck down like lightning.

“Boom…”

The entire ground burst open.

Countless jade stones flew everywhere.

“The third disaster, Sword of Ruthlessness!”

“Phew…” The cold light was circling while the sword shadow was looming.

Swaying in the turbulence, the sword hovered between the cold light and the sword shadow. It was impossible to pinpoint its exact location.

Suddenly, a cold light burst forth, shining like the stars.

“Swoosh…” The sword light struck.

“Bam bam bam…” The air tore apart inch-by-inch.

The head of a stone lion in the distance was silently cut off.

The sword of ruthlessness seemed ephemeral, and yet, the shadow would reappear, ruthless and cold.

“The fourth disaster, Sword of Ecstasy!”

The air circulated, and the sword shadow instantly became graceful, simultaneously straight and curved, suddenly cold and soft.

The sword whistled like weeping.

The figure holding the sword seemed solitary like a wild goose.

The sword hovered unpredictably and circled Yang Dingtian lightly.

As gentle as water, it moved delicately like smoke.

“Phew…” Suddenly, the gentle sword rainbow turned into a sharp blade.

“Kill!”

“Destroy!”

The sword shadow faded. In the aftermath, everything was covered in dust.

“The fifth disaster, Sword of Boundlessness!”

If the heart was boundless, then the sword was also boundless. Though the heart was not, the killing intent was still very strong.

Kill everyone and destroy everything.

“The sixth disaster, Sword of Selflessness!”

Where did I come from? Where did I go?

If there was no me, where would the sword be?

If the sky is ruthless, why am I there?

“The seventh disaster, Sword of Compassion!”

Grieving after victory. Depression after failure.

Sorrow in life. Sorrow in death!

A grieving sword breaks the heart. Every sword breaks the soul!

“The eighth disaster, Sword of Nirvana!”

The heavens are dead. The earth is dead.

Life is short. Ask for what you desire. Imagine something to wish for.

What is there to fear? Being destroyed by heaven and earth is not a big deal!

“The ninth disaster, Sword of Peace!”

Take sorrow to the limit. Then, there will be no sorrow.

Take fear to the limit. Then, there will be no fear.

At the end of disaster, in the past and the present, there will be no sadness, no joy, no fear, and no disaster!

…

Yang Dingtian held his sword and stood still.

For a long time, his figure and spirit could not be separated.

“Phew…” All of a sudden, the smoke surrounding Yang Dingtian dispersed. It fell to the ground and reformed into Xuwu Piaoyan.

At this time, the entire ground was a mess. Hundreds and thousands of meters of the floating platform had been destroyed by Yang Dingtian’s sword.

“Wake up!” Xuwu Piaoyan shouted gently.

Yang Dingtian’s eyes turned from dull to alert. Looking at the mess around him, he revealed an incredulous expression.

“What happened just now? Why don’t I remember anything at all?”

“How do you feel?” asked Xuwu Piaoyan.

“I felt like I was in another lifetime,” Yang Dingtian answered. “Such exquisite swordsmanship. I’ve never seen or even heard of it before. After I learn the Pig Killing Swordsmanship, there will be no sword in the world! But…”

“But what?” Xuwu Piaoyan asked.

“But, the Xuwu Nine Disaster Sword that I performed was not the same as the one demonstrated by Senior,” Yang Dingtian said.

“It doesn’t have to be the same,” Xuwu Piaoyan replied. “The sword has no fixed pattern. Each person is different so each sword will be different. Otherwise, it would be a dead sword. Xuwu Nine Disaster Sword pursues spirit, not form.”

Xuwu Piaoyan continued, “Want to hear my evaluation of you?”

“Please!” Yang Dingtian said.

“Your talent is something I’ve never seen or even heard of. Your first time demonstrating the Xuwu Nine Disaster Sword makes one feel deep despair after watching it. But, it’s not just because of your talent. Your sword also contains your joy and anger as well as your grievances and hatred. At your age, you have already gone through so many things. Thus, your sword is filled with endless stories and has become extremely deep and profound. But…”

“But what?” Yang Dingtian questioned.

“You invested too much of your mind into it, making it easy to hurt yourself and others. You should know that the Xuwu Nine Disaster Sword is the most complicated, the most profound, the most gorgeous, and the most mysterious sword art. However, the ultimate goal of the Pig Killing Swordsmanship is to return to the basic, to return to the vulgar yet elegant swordsmanship. Therefore, don’t push too hard. Fate passes by your door if you push too hard. If it should be empty, it must be emptied!” Xuwu Piaoyan explained slowly.

Yang Dingtian immediately fell into deep thought. After a long time, he said, “Senior, although I am not capable right now, I will try to understand your words. Do I need to practice a second time?”

Xuwu Piaoyan shook his head. “No need. Such a Sword Tactic is something you only need to learn once from the secret scroll. You have already learned as much as you can. After leaving the dimension of virtual illusion, you can comprehend by yourself. How does your body feel at this moment?”

Yang Dingtian answered, “There is a vigorous energy surging to get out.”

Xuwu Piaoyan explained, “Each martial arts secret scroll in the world contains the pure vitality energy of the writer. When someone learns it for the first time, it can cleanse the Xuan veins, absorb the Xuan energy between heaven and earth, and expand the Xuan veins and Sea of Energy. Thus, each student learning a secret scroll for the first time will experience a subsequent breakthrough. An ordinary secret scroll can cause a one-star breakthrough. An excellent secret scroll can cause one to break through two stars. As for the Pig Killing Swordsmanship scroll, you will be able to break through four stars with your talent. When you return to reality, you will find that your Sea of Energy had experienced a great breakthrough. At that time, you will be a four-star Novice Martial Artist, or perhaps even higher.”

“Is that true?” Yang Dingtian was immediately overjoyed.

“Of course it is true,” Xuwu Piaoyan continued. “However, this opportunity comes once and only once in a lifetime.”

Yang Dingtian was filled with hope. “Then, within half a month, will I be able to break through to become a Six-Star Xuan martial artist?”

Xuwu Piaoyan was stunned and then shook his head. “It is impossible. Even martial artists from ten thousand years ago, with their greater prosperity and legacies, would be unable to achieve this. For a peerlessly talented person, it would still take three months for him to go from enlightener to a Six-Star Xuan martial artist.”

Yang Dingtian’s heart turned cold.

The person in front of him was not a master of the world but an incomparably powerful saint who lived ten thousand years ago.

If he said no, then there really was no possibility.

“There is no possibility, even in a history spanning tens of thousands of years?” Yang Dingtian was filled with an unwillingness to concede.

“There is no possibility. Such a thing completely violates the greatest theorems of the human body and nature,” Xuwu Piaoyan replied.

Yang Dingtian exhaled hard.

“By the way, what day is it today?” Xuwu Piaoyan suddenly asked.

“Even-numbered year, the first day of September,” Yang Dingtian answered.

“Is it God’s will…?” Xuwu Piaoyan was stunned and muttered to himself.

Yang Dingtian’s heart jumped suddenly. “Is there any hope? Senior Xuwu.”

Xuwu Piaoyan explained, “In 12 days, it will September 13th, which is the Yin Yang Festival that occurs once every three hundred years. At that time, the twin Moons will cover the Twin Suns, casting the world into pure darkness. At that moment, Yin and Yang blend, causing the Xuan energy between heaven and earth to become extremely pure. As you know, the world’s martial artists can only inhale and exhale Xuan energy in the morning. This is because the Xuan energy at that time is relatively pure. Even so, if you swallow ten buckets of Xuan energy, there will be nothing left after refining because Yin and Yang are separate. Xuan energy is impure, and the properties of strength and grace are separate. Excessive swallowing of it will harm one’s life. However, during the Yin Yang Festival, at the moment of the full solar eclipse, the Xuan energy between heaven and earth is instantly purified. The Xuan energy absorbed at this time needs almost no refining. It can be collected and used for oneself. Therefore, swallowing Xuan energy at that time is over a hundred times more effective than usual.”

Yang Dingtian said, “At that time, can I break through to become a Six-Star Xuan martial artist?”

“Of course not,” Xuwu Piaoyan replied. “Despite the over a hundred times effectiveness of absorbing Xuan energy at that time, the period passed too quickly, gone in almost an instant. So, you need to construct a big formation called the Yin Yang Five Element Formation. Have you heard of it?”

“I have never heard of it,” Yang Dingtian said. Not just Yang Dingtian, not even Dongfang Niemie had heard of it. Therefore, it must be something that was lost during the great calamity.

“When inhaling and exhaling Xuan energy, one can only absorb the Xuan energy within ten meters. However, using the Yin Yang Five Element Formation, one can swallow Xuan energy even a few miles away at the very least. On the high end, one can even swallow Xuan energy from dozens or even hundreds of miles away,” Xuwu Piaoyan explained.

Yang Dingtian’s hot blood instantly started boiling after hearing these words. He needed to break through to become a Six-Star Xuan martial artist by September 15th. On the 13th, a total solar eclipse, which occurs only once every three hundred years, would cover the entire world. Was this not God’s will?

“Well, then I can break through to become a Six-Star Xuan martial artist, right?” Yang Dingtian asked.

“Maybe, but it’s also difficult,” Xuwu Piaoyan replied. “In my era, someone used the Yin Yang Five Element Formation during the Yin Yang Festival and broke through thirteen levels to finally become the world’s strongest. Your talent is amazing, but breaking through sixteen levels is really hard to imagine.”

Yang Dingtian was excited. “Even if there is only a little hope, I will try my best. Senior, please tell me what to do. How do I build the Yin Yang Five Element Formation?”

Xuwu Piaoyan explained, “You need to find a piece of circular land, half of which is Yin and half of which is Yang. Yin has Yang. Yang has Yin, but with a clear separation. Then, build the Five-pointed Star Formation within the circle. Place a Five Element Demon Nucleus in each of the five respective corners. Electric type on the top. Ice type on the left. Fire type on the right. Gold type and wind type on the bottom. In this way, the Yin Yang Five Element Formation is complete. The stronger the formation, the more Xuan energy you can gather. You will stay in the eye of the formation. When the Twin Moons cover the Twin Suns, the endless Xuan energy will enter your body from your head. At that time, the energy is incomparably pure and can directly enter the Sea of Energy. You will be able to use it. Then, you only need to operate the unique Xuan inhalation tactic of the Pig Killing Swordsmanship, and you will be able to refine the Xuan energy and merge it into your Sea of Energy.”

“I’ll remember, Senior.” Yang Dingtian replied excitedly.

“Remember, to obtain the Five Element Demon Nucleus, you must hunt and kill the beasts by yourself. You must not borrow outside strength. This is because the moment before the beast dies, your energy, breath, and your aura will imprint themselves onto the demon nucleus. If you don’t hunt the beast yourself, the formation will not be compatible with you, creating unimaginable consequences. The endless Xuan energy will instantly tear you into pieces.”

“I’ll remember, Senior.” Yang Dingtian repeated.

“Well, then out you go. Go back to the real world. A long time should have already passed. I’m going to disappear too…,” Xuwu Piaoyan said.

Suddenly, a cool feeling flooded from the top of his head. Yang Dingtian woke up slowly and returned to reality.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep