Xu Xiaoshou headed east.
Because Yuan Tou was listening, he said he was heading westward. The fellow was probably going to hunt him down again. But, with the misinformation he'd just fed him, he might not be able to find him at all in three days.
Tianxuan Gate was a big place, after all.
He hummed a quiet tune, and, as he occasionally pulled his fingertip out of his palm, he could feel himself growing used to the pleasure rippling through his body.
In an attempt to stop relying on pain to distract himself from the pleasure, he yanked his fingertip completely out of his palm.
"Nngh!"
It still felt a little unbearable. Something strange was happening to his body again.
He steeled himself, bore the discomfort, and continued marching forward, no longer inflicting pain on himself.
The [Breathing Technique] was a [Passive Skill], and, sooner or later, he was going to activate it by entering someplace that was rich with spiritual energy.
This was only the Tianxuan Gate. He was going to leave the Spirit Palace and enter secret realms that were even more powerful than the Tianxuan Gate. Was he going to stop cultivating and becoming stronger because he couldn't overcome the intense pleasure?
No way!
Resistance was futile. You couldn't fight life all the time. Sometimes, you had to learn how to enjoy it.
"Oh, man…this feels great…"
Alone, Xu Xiaoshou started to let loose.
As time passed, he gradually regained the ability to walk normally.
When other people entered the Tianxuan Gate, they would seize the day and either rush to cultivate or rush to locate a secret realm so they could cultivate there.
Xu Xiaoshou was different.
He'd always relied on his [Passive Skills] for his cultivation. He could've been lying down on the ground right now in the Tianxuan Gate and still would've been cultivating. In fact, the results he would've achieved from doing so could've surpassed that of those who diligently cultivated without wasting a single second.
He wasn't a complete sloth, though. He pulled out the jade scroll containing [10 Sections of the Finger Sword] as he headed toward the Black Cliff.
This was the technique that the legendary prodigy of the five regions and Eighth Sword Deity, Bazhun'an, had created.
Now that he knew its origins, the jade scroll in his hands seemed the more valuable now.
He had no idea how Elder Sang had managed to acquire the complete version of the technique, but he was certain that he must've paid a heavy price for it.
"I didn't get a chance to look at it earlier, but now I can finally take a look!" he thought.
He placed the jade scroll on his forehead and allowed his mind to scan through its contents. Vast volumes of information flooded his mind.
It was as he'd expected. This was a [Special Spiritual Technique] whose training focused solely on the practitioner's ten fingers. It didn't need a Spiritual Source. In fact, inherent in the Technique were traces of combat strategies that relied heavily on [Sword Will].
"What's going on? So the [Sword Will] doesn't possess the swordsman, then?"
Xu Xiaoshou was slightly baffled. Was this a fusion of [Pure Sword Will Combat] and [Sword Will Possession]?
"That isn't completely outside the Realm of Impossibility…" he thought.
Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he'd just been struck by an epiphany.
There was only one other person besides himself whom he could think of when it came to [Pure Sword Will Combat], and that was the masked intruder.
And now that the jade scroll he had also seemed to touch upon [Pure Sword Will Combat]…he couldn't help but be reminded of what the masked intruder had told him. He'd said that the road that Xu Xiaoshou had chosen led to a dead end.
Had the Eighth Sword Deity chosen this path as well?
Without further thought, Xu Xiaoshou studied the contents of the jade scroll again.
In order to practice [10 Sections of the Finger Sword], one needed extremely strong fingers. He should be able to fulfill those criteria on account of his [Innate Level Physique]. Should that fail to suffice, he still had [Sharpness] to make up for it!
This wasn't going to be a problem at all.
The obstacle that had hindered nine out of ten cultivators from learning the Technique was easily circumvented, and Xu Xiaoshou moved on to the second step.
The [Sword Will] was to materialize and take possession.
"What does that mean?
"The [Sword Will] materializes easily enough, doesn't it? I mean, all those sword energies…"
Xu Xiaoshou grew increasingly alarmed as he continued reading. From the contents of the jade scroll, it was obvious that there was a clear distinction between the [Sword Will] and sword energy.
After reading the full contents of the jade scroll, Xu Xiaoshou finally realized that he'd been mistaken all along.
His techniques like [All Things are Swords], the [Blade-Draw Technique], and various Techniques in which he used the force of his sword energy to overwhelm his foe… were all classified as basic ways of employing sword energy in the jade scroll.
He hadn't been using his [Sword Will] at all!
This meant that strictly speaking, that all along he'd been using [Pure Sword Energy Combat] instead of [Pure Sword Will Combat]!
"This is fascinating…
"What happens if my will is unable to materialize and take visible shape? How can it be put to good use then?"
Xu Xiaoshou sank into deep thought, and it didn't take him long to remember his [Modified Sword Style].
That was the Technique he'd stumbled upon in an epiphany the first time he leveled up his [Sword Technique Expertise]. He'd been fighting Zhou Tianshen then, and the technique had allowed him to deftly deflect the latter's powerful [Deity Mountain-Lifting Technique] with little effort, winning him the match.
But that particular Technique had proven useless in subsequent fights.
It was restricted by too many limitations and didn't have any set moves. He often forgot that he had it in his arsenal and would oftentimes use [Blade-Draw Technique] instead.
Having read the contents of the jade scroll, he now knew that of all the Techniques that he possessed, only one counted as a technique that relied on [Sword Will].
Because he'd boxed them into a rigid set of moves, the Techniques he'd gained through epiphanies had all ended up as lesser moves.
He might have given these abstract revelations visible form, but if he were to continue doing so in this fashion, he would end up straying down the wrong path in the long run.
"True combat with the [Sword Will] is one that is without form or essence, with neither move nor technique. Ten thousand blades are but one blade and ten thousand Techniques undone without a single blade."
Realization dawned on Xu Xiaoshou as he read these words inscribed in the jade scroll.
The magnitude of what "ten thousand blades are but one blade" meant sent his mind instantly reeling, and the line that followed next, "ten thousand Techniques undone without a single blade," opened the doors to a whole new universe.
How incredibly well put!
This was something he'd always dreamed of achieving!
He should've known how easy it'd be to stray down the wrong path when stuck figuring things out on one's own.
Hold on a minute…
Why did those words sound so familiar?
He suddenly remembered that the masked intruder had said something similar after fighting him with something that resembled his own style.
"The [True Sword Will] is not bound by levels and cares not for form or essence. It mirrors that which its foe tries to inflict upon it."
That was the line!
That was what the masked intruder had said after seizing Xiao Qixiu's sword and stabbing him with it.
Xu Xiaoshou's memory had drastically improved since acquiring [Sense]. All he needed was a brief moment of contemplation to recall something.
He could remember how after every move, the masked intruder had made a point of emphasizing…
[Innate Level]!
The [Innate Level All Things are Swords] and the [Innate Level I Am the Sword]…
The masked intruder had rambled on and on then, and he'd simply thought the old man was trying to show off. But now that he thought it over again, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
"Was he trying to give me pointers?"
Xu Xiaoshou stopped in his tracks as realization dawned on him, and he sank into deep thought.
"Who is the masked intruder?
"Could he be the Eighth Sword Deity?
"That's impossible! Elder Sang told me that the Eighth Sword Deity died!
"Hold on a minute. He did mention the death…
"…of a prodigy. Maybe he meant the Eighth Sword Deity is no longer a prodigy."
Xu Xiaoshou's pupils shrank, and Xiao Qixiu suddenly popped into his head.
The man had been stabbed that day but had appeared extremely excited after the battle, which was odd!
Who would be so excited after being stabbed in the chest? Now that he thought about it, that look on his face then…
It was the exact look a fan had when seeing his idol!
Xiao Qixiu… a fan…
"Oh, man!"
Xu Xiaoshou shivered.
Even if the masked intruder wasn't the Eighth Sword Deity, Xu Xiaoshou had a feeling that he still had something to do with the latter. He might be the Eighth Sword Deity's disciple or grand disciple.
"Woah!"
What a surprise!
Xu Xiaoshou collected his thoughts and carefully stowed the jade scroll away. If he hadn't read its contents, he wouldn't have realized what a treasure it was!
Thankfully, he had the jade scroll to point him in the right direction. Otherwise, he had a feeling he would've continued down the erroneous path of creating his own Techniques.
But the [Blade-Draw Technique] was simply too powerful a Technique to give up...
If he were to abandon it, he wouldn't have any powerful Techniques to employ in battle in the future!
"I'm painting myself into a corner…"
Xu Xiaoshou was at a loss momentarily, but he quickly shook himself out of it.
He was definitely going to choose the way of the [Sword Will], but no one said he couldn't work on creating his own Techniques at the same time. There was no inherent conflict between the two.
"I'm a genius!"
Xu Xiaoshou stared at the skies with a bright, burning look in his eyes.
Before reading the contents of the jade scroll, he'd thought the [10 Sections of the Finger Sword] a Technique that he could do without, but its contents had changed his mind.
The Eighth Sword Deity had deemed the [10 Sections of the Finger Sword] his pride, so it must have its merits. Besides, he had gained such a powerful revelation from just one line in the text. If he were to master the Technique…
He might gain himself a terrifying combat style!
His next destination: Black Cliff!
His calves tensed. The ground caved slightly under his feet, creating a crater, and the impact sent Xu Xiaoshou flying into the sky.
He landed a few hundred meters away.
Boom.
Another huge crater later, he shot into the sky once more…
Leaping around like that was quicker than [Innate Level Flight]!
"Hmm?"
"Why does this look so familiar?"
Xu Xiaoshou realized that something wasn't quite right as he continued leaping.
If his skin were a little greener and his body slightly bulkier, wouldn't that make him…
"The Hulk?"