Old Chen stood with his hands behind his back, full of spirit and ambition, eager to rise to the heights and compare himself to the sages of old! His heart burned with passion, almost wanting to shout to the heavens. But when he looked up, he couldn't manage a cry. A rain of sword lights poured down like a deluge, overwhelming him in a cascade of brilliance.
His scalp tingled. What was happening? Was the inner realm this dangerous? He had just entered, and already faced death? There was no escape; sword light was everywhere!
Old Chen did his utmost, employing all the techniques of a grand master to expand his spiritual realm, trying to shield himself from the dazzling beams.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He felt like a small boat in a raging sea, tossed about by towering waves, shot up into the clouds only to be hurled back into a terrifying vortex.
Old Chen was bewildered. The inner realm was perilous—had Wang Xuan really meant it when he spoke of consuming one's life potential?
The pain was unbearable!
He felt as though he was falling apart. His spiritual domain, now enveloped in mist, was being sliced apart like wisps of smoke drifting upward. It was a hellish introduction—attacked on entry! Old Chen began to question life itself.
The scene was indeed tragic; his once pure spiritual realm now lay in tatters. Smoke was rising from his head...
Old Chen wasn't an ordinary person. Despite the agony and the feeling of disintegration, he remained alive amidst the endless sword light. He gritted his teeth and activated the ancient practitioner's root method, showcasing the demeanor of a grand master once again.
He had entered to grow stronger and, sensing the mysterious essence all around him, began to absorb it wildly, ignoring the pain to restore his spiritual realm.
At that moment, he looked up and saw the sword immortal, a true celestial figure draped in a moonlight-blue dress, wielding a sword with unparalleled elegance, scattering divine light like rain.
This young-looking sword immortal embodied every detail from myth; she stood in mid-air, effortlessly severing the heavens with her single sword, exuding unmatched grace.
Given Old Chen's mindset, he naturally doubted Wang Xuan's words, but now he was in awe and felt a deep respect.
This was a real sword immortal! After practicing for years, he had never encountered anyone like her. Just her stance and the way she unleashed sword light left him mesmerized—it was profound and breathtaking. He absolutely had to learn!
"The way of the sword immortal, one sword can freeze the frost across fourteen states, cutting through the skies with a vibrant force! I've long yearned for this since my youth," Old Chen sighed, only to be abruptly taught a lesson by reality, as he was brutally struck down!
A deluge of sword light rained down; the elegant immortal had no time for his sentimentality. With a mere gesture, she unleashed waves of brilliance that crushed him relentlessly.
On the edge of the inner realm, Wang Xuan watched this unfold, hesitating to step in. He absorbed the surplus mysterious essence to alleviate his exhaustion while studying the sword immortal's posture.
Though he hadn't acquired the sword immortal scriptures over the years, he had gained valuable experience through his encounters, now emulating her movements with a newfound understanding.
Seeing Old Chen in such a dire state made him feel a pang of shame. Little Wang was learning the sword! As a grand master, he had no reason to slack off. He should practice too!
Then, he earnestly began to imitate the sword techniques!
The sword immortal had already deemed him the master of the black sword, sensing its aura within him. Now, seeing him dare to imitate, she retaliated with even fiercer attacks!
The sword light became a torrent, crashing down relentlessly, overwhelming Old Chen with a sense of impending collapse, making him feel like he might scream in agony. Even a grand master couldn't withstand this!
"Why isn't she attacking Little Wang? He… isn't in here?!" Old Chen's eyes reddened, realizing he had been tricked by the young man.
Wang Xuan, witnessing Old Chen's plight, was alarmed but ultimately decided to enter. After all, the opportunity was rare; the inner realm was crucial for those walking the path of ancient arts.
"Even if I must bear the weight of the heavens falling, entrenched in endless suffering, I will enter!" He gritted his teeth, resolved to push through. Even if it meant enduring hardship, he had to practice the golden body technique in this silent place!
He moved, struggling to control his body, reaching for the black long sword but quickly letting go, placing it in Old Chen's hands instead.
This was the first decisive act he completed upon entering the inner realm.
In that instant, Old Chen felt as if blood and flesh were united—the black sword appeared in his grip. Was this… a mythical weapon?!
He was both shocked and moved. This weapon could be brought into the inner realm? Did it rush in to protect him upon sensing his danger? He nearly shed tears of joy!
Old Chen had little understanding of the inner realm and hadn't yet attuned to the external situation; he didn't realize this was just the manifestation of the black sword's essence.
With the divine sword in hand, Old Chen felt invigorated. All pain, all hardships, all the agony tearing at his body faded away; he was determined to learn from the sword immortal!
That day, Old Chen endured the darkest pain of his life, pierced through by countless beams of sword light. Yet he remained undeterred, fiercely committing to his sword practice.
From a distance, Wang Xuan practiced the golden body technique, and merely watching made him ache. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, he shouted, "Old Chen, don't forget, your body is waiting for revival! Quickly circulate the ancient practitioner's root method!"
Old Chen was almost stunned from the relentless strikes. He shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind. Soon, his expression darkened; he felt he had been set up.
Why wasn't Little Wang being "educated" too? Why was it only him enduring the sword light's "baptism"? The more he swung his sword, the harder he was hit?!
Old Chen lay on the ground, immobile. He needed to figure out what was happening. It seemed he had again… taken on an immense burden!
He understood he was too unfamiliar with the inner realm, making it easy to be at a disadvantage. He needed to quickly familiarize himself with the situation.
Sure enough, as he lay there, discarding the black long sword and ceasing to resist, the sword light began to thin out, becoming less concentrated.
Old Chen activated the ancient practitioner's root method, restoring his spirit. As time passed, he sensed the condition of his physical body outside; the injuries to his internal organs seemed to be gradually healing.
"This…" He was astonished.
At his level, Old Chen naturally understood more and sensed the changes in his physical body. He immediately realized how precious the mysterious substance was—an invaluable treasure!
Thus, even while enduring sword strikes, Old Chen remained undaunted. As long as he didn't die, he would absorb this rare essence from the heavens and earth at any cost to strengthen himself.
He marveled at how much more superior this mysterious factor was compared to the life-extending methods in the realm of the New Techniques. If the financial conglomerates found out, they would undoubtedly go mad, deploying countless super battleships, using all means to force him to open the inner realm.
This matter had to remain confidential; otherwise, it could lead to a catastrophe! He fully understood the dangers and horrors involved. If things went awry, those who successfully practiced ancient arts could be captured and drained of all their value.
Of course, the ultimate goal of the conglomerates and large organizations would be to master such methods themselves.
Old Chen realized that this technique was not universal; for now, only Wang Xuan had grasped it, and even he had to rely on "Master Wang" for guidance to enter.
However, outsiders wouldn't see it this way. If he spoke of it, they wouldn't believe him and would use every means to force him into submission.
"Little Wang, this secret here must never be revealed…" Old Chen said, though he was suffering greatly, his expression heavy with concern.
Wang Xuan, practicing the golden body technique nearby, saw Old Chen's miserable state and felt a wave of compassion. He said, "Old Chen, you should…"
Old Chen quickly listened, inwardly cursing. This kid was clearly trying to trick him. He knew the situation but wasn't telling him. Fortunately, Old Chen was quick-witted, and he didn't let the opportunity slip.
Though Wang Xuan felt a twinge of guilt, he suspected that Old Chen was intentionally exaggerating his suffering. So he said halfway, "Old Chen, you should be honest about how you got that black sword. Are you a disciple of the evil sword sect?"
"What's going on?!" Old Chen exclaimed in shock as the sword immortal targeted him again, this time not just with sword light but with heavenly thunder, massive bolts of lightning crashing down incessantly.
Soon, Old Chen understood why. The scene of the sword sect being annihilated on a rainy night resurfaced in his mind, making him gasp in horror, feeling like he could never wash himself clean.
"Speak the truth from start to finish!" Wang Xuan shouted.
"Wait, I'll explain! The sword isn't mine; I found it on a desolate mountain…" Old Chen painfully confessed the origins of the sword.
Wang Xuan ignored him, focusing on his practice of the golden body technique. He wanted to reach the sixth level, at which point ordinary bullets would probably not pierce him!
To be fair, Old Chen was quite eloquent, going on and on about the black sword, explaining that he found it near a corpse and was not a disciple of that lineage.
He talked non-stop, starting from his own birth to prove his innocence, speaking for two days straight.
Whoosh! The sword immortal suddenly dashed out of the inner realm and disappeared.
"Where did she go?" Wang Xuan was puzzled.
"Little Wang, I'm going to settle the score with you!" Old Chen snapped back to reality, ready to take it out on him!
Wang Xuan hurriedly said, "This is a rare opportunity! If you don't fix your body now, when will you? She might return at any moment."
Though filled with resentment, Old Chen ultimately suppressed it and began to circulate the ancient practitioner's root method to heal his body.
Years later, the female practitioner reappeared, seemingly having been away for only a few minutes in the outside world. Upon entering the inner realm, she wordlessly struck at Old Chen.
"Why is it always me?" Old Chen felt life was unfair, as if he was the subject of cosmic misfortune.
Wang Xuan also suffered another beating, experiencing the overwhelming power of the sword light once more.
"Old Chen, is there something wrong with the black sword's excavation site? You better confess," Wang Xuan said while dodging.
"Time has changed, and landscapes have shifted. I'll describe how the current terrain corresponds to the ancient topography," Old Chen quickly explained, taking two days to recount various regions of the Old Earth.
Then, the sword immortal indeed left again.
This time, she was gone for many years. Until one day, she returned with a melancholic demeanor, striking at Old Chen without a word!
"Why?!" Old Chen felt he was going crazy, lamenting his cursed fate—why was she always targeting him?!
Wang Xuan shouted from a distance, "Old Chen, you need to empathize with the immortal. After all, the black sword ended up in your hands. With the culprit long gone, you have to bear some of the consequences."
Old Chen gaped, enduring excruciating pain, feeling utterly helpless.
He gritted his teeth for two years, ultimately realizing that he had to start giving the sword immortal a history lesson. He spoke about everything from the Pre-Qin period to the Han and Tang dynasties, detailing the state of ancient arts during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and even describing modern splendor, elucidating what super battleships were—giving a vivid, thrilling account of history.
However, this took a full six months. During this time, Old Chen continued to endure sword strikes, forcing himself to keep talking about the past.
He surmised that perhaps the passage of history turned into smoke; the current era left the sword immortal feeling lost, leading her to vent her frustrations on him. He patiently explained.
Sure enough, after fully understanding the current era, the sword immortal left again and didn't return for a long time.
"This one… is truly powerful. She has only recently revived and can freely enter and exit the inner realm," Wang Xuan sighed. His golden body technique was gradually taking shape, and his body began to emit a faint golden glow.
The female practitioner returned once more. After entering the inner realm, she unleashed ten years of relentless assaults on Old Chen!
Of course, Wang Xuan was also caught up in it and faced the same fate.
Both endured, refusing to exit.
Until one day, the sword immortal seemed to have had enough. Without saying a word, she swept Wang Xuan and Old Chen out of the inner realm with her sword light, expelling them cleanly.
"How are you, Old Chen?" As soon as they returned to their physical bodies, Wang Xuan opened his eyes and asked.
Old Chen's condition had improved somewhat, but he was far from healed. After all those years in the inner realm, he spent most of his time being bombarded by sword light while unable to focus on absorbing the mysterious essence.
"I'm still a bit off," he said weakly.
Qingmu was astonished and nearly shouted.
"Shh!" Wang Xuan stopped him, saying, "Let your master remain in this state. We can't let this leak out for now."
Old Chen whispered, "Qingmu… come here, throw that sword… aside."
"Huh?" Qingmu was shocked, wondering if his master had been possessed. It was clearly not right. That was his most beloved weapon—why toss it away?!
"I've quit swords for now. Just seeing one makes me want to vomit!" Old Chen said weakly but firmly, insisting it be put aside, at least out of his sight.