"There's nothing more, unless you lift my seal. Only then can I take out other items from the storage ring."

Qi Mengdie gritted her teeth.

Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Chu Xiu, who was squatting not far away, counting his spoils.

"All fourth-tier elixirs, and the fifth-tier ones are pitifully few.

And 4000 high-grade essence stones, better than nothing!"

Chu Xiu nodded, putting the small pile of items into his storage pouch.

"Thanks, Master~"

Watching the figure gradually disappearing into the distance.

For the first time in her cultivation journey, Qi Mengdie felt powerless.

Should I go plead with the Holy Lord? Maybe she can help me lift the seal.

No, no, if it can't be lifted, and the rebellious disciple senses danger and flees far away, or gets killed...

Wouldn't I be a mortal for life, eventually dying of old age?

No... that's not the life of Qi Mengdie.

I, Qi Mengdie, with my extraordinary talents, am destined to compete on the Ancient Star Road, how could I fall here?

She reached into her bosom.

Taking out a bronze mask with fox patterns.

"Earlier, when the rebellious disciple was lifting the seal, I took out this treasure. Fortunately, he didn't search me, otherwise, it would have been snatched away.

Bronze Fox Mask~"

It can simulate and conceal all cultivator auras.

As long as there's no contact with others, even a peak Saint King cannot probe from afar.

Qi Mengdie's expression was dazed, recalling the figure on Soul-Returning Cliff a month ago.

This mask was dropped when that person was being chased.

"Ah, that Chu Xiu was also extraordinarily talented, reigning supreme among the younger generation after just a century of cultivation."

That phrase: Breaking immortality to seek longevity, the Great Emperor regrets, but I do not.

How wanton and arrogant, how extraordinarily talented.

"Unfortunately, you were too strong, too monstrous. If you didn't die, how could the major Holy Lands, Archaic Noble Clans, and Grand Sects be at ease?

If you didn't die, when the Emperor's Path opens, who on the Firmament Continent would have a chance?"

Shaking her head to dismiss the distracting thoughts.

"Now I must find a way to break free from that rebellious disciple's control, or I might be under his sway for this entire life."

***

Back at the entrance of his cave dwelling, Chu Xiu seemed to sense something, a smile curling at his lips.

"Put it on! If you don't wear this mask, how can I be at ease developing in the Taisu Holy Land? My dear Master...."

Entering the cave dwelling.

Chu Xiu took out the Profound Weapon Azure Blood Sword, a reward from the system, from his storage pouch.

Buzz~

The long sword unsheathed, surrounded by a bloody aura.

This sword was three feet three inches long, its blade as crimson as blood, thin as a cicada's wing, with a hilt made from the rib of some fierce beast, exuding a chilling killing intent.

"Still a fierce weapon. Just barely usable."

Chu Xiu shook his head, clearly not impressed, but he didn't dwell on it.

His current realm was too low; even if given a Divine Artifact, he couldn't use it.

Sitting cross-legged, he placed the Azure Blood Sword across his knees.

His narrow eyes closed, beginning to refine the Profound Weapon.

***

There were still three days until the death match.

He planned to use this time to practice a movement technique and two sword arts.

One of the sword arts was originally practiced by the "tool man Chu Xiu," named the Three Azure Edge Forms "Profound Grade."

The name sounded lowly, and the moves were simple, consisting of three forms: Draw Sword, Severing Sword, Returning Sword. ("Draw the sword, cut someone, sheath it")

Chu Xiu was originally a great sword cultivator, and with his discerning eye, he could see that although this sword art was of low grade, it vaguely had a sense of returning to simplicity, aligning with the Dao.

What is a sword cultivator?

Is it merely wielding a life-bound flying sword, killing from a thousand miles away, with myriad swords returning to the sect, making a flashy display, that makes one a sword cultivator?

Shallow!!!!

Technique is inferior to art, and art is inferior to intent.

A sword cultivator does not cultivate sword techniques or sword arts, but sword intent.

Comprehending the Dao through sword intent, a simple slash can destroy heaven and earth.

Doesn't it perfectly embody — Draw the sword, cut someone, sheath it?

On the second day, with the full moon in the sky and stars stretching for miles...

Inside Chu Xiu's cave dwelling.

[Ding~]

[Wow!! Congratulations, Host, for comprehending the artistic conception, beginning to seek intent....]

Buzz~

A sword cry echoed in Chu Xiu's mind.

The next moment.

His soul consciousness seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand, flying out of the cave dwelling, passing through the Taisu Holy Land's sect formation, soaring higher and higher.

When he opened his eyes again, his consciousness was already in a pitch-black space.

Chu Xiu looked up, gazing into the distance, seeing beams of various colors descending from above the darkness, some thick, some thin.

The thick ones were as wide as a bucket, the thin ones only the diameter of chopsticks.

"Place of Origin, seeking intent...."

Indeed, each beam here was a sword intent.

Every sword cultivator has only one chance in their lifetime to come here, of course, Chu Xiu, having died once, is an exception.

Sword cultivators who come here need to find the sword intent that aligns with their own Way of the Sword.

Sword intents also vary in strength.

Some heaven-defying sword intents, even if comprehended at the Intent Comprehension Stage, are much stronger than ordinary Entering Realm sword intents.

Chu Xiu had been here once before, but at that time, he had already reached the Dao Palace Realm.

In his previous life, without a master's guidance, he practiced entirely by groping his way, and when he entered the Place of Origin to seek sword intent, he casually chose a light pillar, resulting in a weak sword intent.

In this life, as he cultivates anew, he naturally wants to find one of the strongest sword intents possible.

The deeper one goes into the Place of Origin, the stronger the sword intents one can find.

Without further thought.

Chu Xiu moved, flying towards the depths.

Passing one light pillar after another, he continued flying towards the deepest part of the Place of Origin.

If an ordinary Wheel Sea cultivator entered here, they could advance at most eight hundred meters before their consciousness couldn't withstand the pressure of the Place of Origin and would be crushed.

If the consciousness is crushed.

By then, not to mention finding intent, whether one can survive is questionable, and even if they do, they would likely be a fool.

However, Chu Xiu had no such concerns!

Before his rebirth, he was at the peak of the Lesser Saint Realm, having battled for a century, killing countless Holy Sons, Holy Daughters, and Grand Sect Elders, with an uncountable amount of spoils, who knows how many Heavenly and Earthly Treasures he consumed, in terms of soul strength, even ordinary Great Saints might not match him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to practice the Soul Secret Art, forcibly possessing and being reborn.

Eight hundred meters.....

One thousand meters.....

Find the original at "pawread.com".

One thousand five hundred meters....

Two thousand meters....

Taisu Holy Land, Taisu Peak.

In a simple and unadorned cave dwelling.

A female cultivator in a plain white long dress, with long wavy cyan-blue hair, slowly opened her phoenix eyes.

Her pupils were like brilliant stars, divine light shining, with countless worlds being born and destroyed in her eyes with each breath.

Behind her head, three mysterious light arcs in gold, blue, and red rotated clockwise.

She was stunningly beautiful, with an inherently sacred and inviolable aura!

Even a Great Saint would bow before her, not daring to meet her gaze.

She was the Holy Lord of the Taisu Holy Land, the current Taisuzi.

A dominant figure in the Saint King Realm.

"Someone in the Holy Land is seeking sword intent."

She looked up, her starry eyes seemingly able to see through all things, seeing through the river of time.

Her gaze fell on the Place of Origin filled with chaotic aura.

"Interesting~ Actually advanced three thousand five hundred meters.

Not bad, four thousand meters."

As time passed.

Gradually,

Taisuzi's calm expression showed a hint of surprise.

"Six thousand seven hundred eighty-nine meters~

Seven thousand seven hundred sixty-seven meters~

What a strong soul, what a strong will, to reach this point at the early Wheel Sea stage.

Eight thousand eight hundred eighty-eight meters...!

Eighteen meters more than when I sought blade intent at the Beyond Shore Realm.

This person is extraordinary, is he a Great Saint's possession? Or is he exceptionally gifted?"

***

Three hours later.

Taisuzi's beautiful eyes gradually widened.

"Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine meters... How is this possible..."

Taisuzi stood up, her red lips slightly parted, murmuring: "Thirty thousand years ago, that Quasi-Emperor Sword God of the Infinite Sword Domain, his sword intent was earth-shattering, never needing a second strike to kill, invincible in his time. It's said that when he sought intent, he reached nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine meters.

Could it be that my Taisu Holy Land will also produce a figure like that Sword God?"

---

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan