In the Hengyun Sword City, inside the Sword Building.
Thanks to generations of sword city disciples, this mountain peak shaped like a giant sword has been excavated nearly to the point of being a Swiss cheese!
The library is nestled right in there.
All the martial arts left behind by those who pondered the sword marks are collected here; the deeper you go, the fewer the martial arts left behind, with most of the early shelves filled with middle-level techniques.
Following the two metaphysical masters, the crowd slithered through a lengthy stone bookshelf maze.
“Man, I’ve got so many rewards still waiting to be picked up; heading back is going to be a project!”
“I love a good project like that…”
Little Li was in a good mood.
He had raked in a serious haul from the Martial Arts Summit. He had barely grasped the Dugu Nine Swords, condensed a sword pellet, and most importantly, he scratched that swordsman itch without any catastrophic fails.
Plus, he had even figured out a hammering technique, and the system’s feedback was more than he could wish for.
And there was still a big prize waiting from Ice Chunk…
“Hiss…”
Li Mo suddenly inhaled sharply.
“Brother Li… what… what’s wrong with you?” Little Princess Jiang panicked.
Ying Bing snapped back to reality and glanced over.
Li Mo had a look of utter torment on his face:
“Quick, let me snap out of it; I can’t help but think inappropriate thoughts!”
Jiang Chulong: “？？？”
Ying Bing: “…..”
Looks like Ice Chunk came to the rescue; she gently plucked off the big doll from her waist.
With an expressionless face, she gripped the oversized head and gave it a fierce twist.
Little Li’s mood stabilized.
Along the way.
The group passed by sections housing middle to upper-level martial arts, and even ultimate skills.
Others continuously drifted away, submitting various martial arts they understood or intended to exchange.
Only Li Mo and his crew.
They trailed behind the two metaphysical masters until they reached the depths of the Sword Building.
This area was where the divine skills were stored.
The gray-haired youthful-looking master turned around, gazing at the three with an emotional look:
“Since the sword city has stood here, only two people have ever come to this spot.”
“Are those… the two seniors?” Little Princess Jiang asked, wide-eyed.
The gray-haired youth: “…..”
The old man with the crane hair and youthful face: “……”
Are we even human?
The innocent words from the little girl were as sharp as her sword.
“Metaphysical masters have abilities akin to immortals; how can we judge them by common standards?”
Li Mo ruffled Little Princess Jiang’s hair.
Then he respectfully clasped his hands to the two:
“Please, go on. This place must hold profound significance?”
The gray-haired youth shot Li Mo a smile and continued:
“Those two? One was once the Master of the Profound Realm, the Sword Saint of Yunzhou, Senior Manze Wan.”
“And the other is the one who left that sword mark on the marvelous stone.”
Li Mo was momentarily taken aback.
Isn’t that sword mark ancient and eternal?
But thinking it through, he realized, with the quirks of the Yunzhou jianghu, it’s best not to believe every rumor…
“True enough.”
Ying Bing lowered her eyes slightly and nodded almost imperceptibly.
“You’re quite clever.”
The crane-haired youthful-looking old man chuckled:
“The other person who visited this place and left the Hengyun Sword Mark on the marvelous stone was none other than His Majesty, the Founding Martial Emperor!”
Little Li’s eyes widened minimally.
Does that mean the mark on the marvelous stone was penned by the former emperor himself?
After thousands of years, the rumor morphed into being the work of an immortal?
“He was here to see the stone… it was the Founding Grandfather…” Jiang Chulong said, her words a mix of understanding and confusion.
“Don’t worry,”
the gray-haired youth shook his head and smiled:
“This matter is probably unknown even to the Da Yu royal family. Besides, a powerhouse like the Martial Emperor has an expansive mind; even if he knew a later outstanding genius changed the sword marks, he’d likely feel pleased…”
He was speaking, then suddenly remembered.
He thought about what Li Mo could have been leaving behind.
So he changed his tune:
“Rest assured, compared to the Martial Emperor, you should worry more about Misty Rain Tower’s possible retribution. They always pay back every slight and are ever-so stealthy.”
“Much closer than the ancient Martial Emperor.”
Li Mo: “……..”
Now that’s some comfort you’re dishing out.
“Please.”
“You may preserve the martial arts you just comprehended for future generations or leave behind a martial art of similar quality.”
The old man took out all sorts of recording instruments for martial arts—jade tablets, paper and brushes, reflection walls, you name it.
The latter part was merely procedural.
Across the entire world, how many receive divine skills?
Those without the metaphysical destiny will find that even recognizing divine skills comes to naught.
For instance, the sword marks left by the Martial Emperor on the marvelous stone have remained in Hengyun Sword City for millennia, yet no one has genuinely possessed them.
Martial arts are selective, and such lucky individuals are exceedingly rare.
Jiang Chulong and Ying Bing both chose the reflection walls, uniquely crafted to capture a person’s image.
Ying Bing, after a moment of contemplation, drew her sword—Tian Shuang.
It was the stunning and mysterious sword technique from before.
Seeing such swordplay again, even the two metaphysical masters were filled with awe:
“This kind of sword move feels like a celestial trace; what’s it called?”
“The name…”
Ying Bing frowned slightly.
Celestial Heart of the Divine Sky?
No, this sword is nothing like the previous one; it’s something she had comprehended from Li Mo’s consciousness and created.
If she were to give it a fitting name, she honestly didn’t know how…
“At once ethereal, let’s call it ‘Flying Immortal from Beyond the Sky’?”
Little Li classmates delivered that wonderfully.
Art comes from life…
Ying Bing’s thoughts settled.
Suddenly, upon hearing “Flying Immortal from Beyond the Sky”, anything else might as well be gibberish.
How did he come up with that?
He keeps saying art comes from life; where’s that really from? Who has seen an immortal…
Soon enough.
Little Princess Jiang followed suit and finished her recording.
When it came to Li Mo, he wore a troubled expression:
“Two seniors, it’s not that I want to keep secrets; you all know me well…”
“But that martial art is impossible to record in text, and even if I try to perform it, I truly can’t.”
If he could solely rely on himself to execute the entire “Seven Determinations of the Universe” to its final move, it would be a miracle he could even use strength to achieve that, or else he would have to rely on the world’s seed.
Ying Bing sheathed her sword and lightly moved her gaze.
He can’t move that divine skill?
Doesn’t that imply that in the next rank, the divine skill can’t even be counted as combat power?
The two metaphysical masters exchanged glances.
Well, okay.
It’s logical; the effects of divine skills vary; some are meant to temper the self, while others hold tremendous power, and without reaching a certain realm, one cannot even perform them.
With the vastness of heaven and earth, this statement held high credibility.
The white-haired youth pondered:
“Were it not for your foresight, the sword city would have suffered great harm. It wouldn’t be impossible to set a precedent for you…”
“How dare I let a senior break the rules for me? Besides, everyone takes care of each other; that’s the essence of the Martial Arts Summit.”
Li Mo flashed a shy smile.
He couldn’t easily squander the good will of the sword city.
He still wanted to sketch that marvelous stone; if he did so after discovering it, he’d have a difficult time asking…
“I have three plans for you to consider, seniors.”
“The first is quite straightforward; I, as a junior, will produce some valuables so that this act of comprehending the marvelous stone is officially a purchase from the sword city.”
The young man in white laughed silently:
“How could the sword city lack your trifling contributions? How much can you offer?”
“Well, just a little bit.”
Little Li extended two fingers, shyly making a gesture.
As everyone knows, a mustard seed can hold the universe.
So the gap between his fingers may not be as small as it seems.
….
PS: Typo corrections will come later; if you see one, please kick me, dear audience.
Seeking electricity charges, mwah mwah, orz.
