In other words, the Sword Cultivators of the Age of Decline either had to give up nurturing their Sword Artifacts or cease their cultivation.
And the entirety of a Sword Cultivator's skill lies in their sword; unless they have reached the realm where the sword and the wielder are one, they can't be separated from their Sword Artifacts.
Therefore, a Sword Cultivator without a sword is like a tiger without teeth, possessing no deterrent power whatsoever.
Giving up one's cultivation is even more out of the question; although the essence of a Sword Cultivator is indeed the sword, they also require their own level of cultivation to wield it.
Even with a top-tier Sword Artifact, if one lacks the corresponding cultivation level to activate it, its full power cannot be unleashed.
Conversely, if the Sword Artifact cannot keep up with the wielder's cultivation, they also won't be able to exert the strength appropriate for their realm.
