Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 365: Freak

"Since I have an appointment with you, I dare not be late, Senior," Wu Yuan said with a smile.

"Senior? I told you to call me Old Madman," the filthy old man scowled, "If you don't change the way you address me, don't blame me for getting angry."

Wu Yuan was taken aback, realizing that this mysterious senior was indeed serious.

"Old Madman," Wu Yuan reluctantly acquiesced.

"Hehe, that's more like it," the grubby old man chuckled, "Remember, I'm guiding you solely because you have received the Great Eldritch's inheritance. Forget senior and junior, or superior and inferior."

"Here, there’s only the Dao, don't let anything else bother you."

Wu Yuan faintly grasped the meaning behind the unkempt old man's words.

Addressing each other as equals could help reduce his concerns.

"Alright, enough of that. You've had a month to internalize the Star Ruins Sword Codex, and you should have deepened your understanding of the Celestial Body Dao. Now, demonstrate what you have comprehended through the sword," the unkempt old man instructed, "You may harness your essentia and unleash your power to its full extent."

"However, keep in mind that this space is limited to one li in radius, so control the range of your outburst."

"Yes," Wu Yuan responded solemnly.

In an instant, Wu Yuan's entire demeanor shifted. If he resembled a nobleman in black robes before, he now emanated the aura of an indomitable swordsman.

He exuded a chilling sword intent, something he had subconsciously cultivated after studying the Dark Earth Sword Codex and the Star Ruins Sword Codex.

His sword intent was sharp yet restrained, weighty, and majestic!

"Old Madman, take my strike." Three lifebound flying swords materialized before Wu Yuan, aligning themselves to form a small-scale sword array.

Whoosh! As the array assembled, it resembled a blade slicing through the heavens, evoking a sense of grandeur akin to the unstoppable force of a plummeting meteor!

Whoosh! Simultaneously, sword lights manifested out of thin air, resembling a torrential river of blades.

They surged towards the decrepit old man.

"Oh? Is this the fourth step of the Dark Earth Sword Array, Light Of The Land?" The eyes of the disheveled old man gleamed brightly.

"Go!" The unkempt old man pointed, unleashing a beam of light from his finger. The beam shot forth with overwhelming might, akin to a needle piercing through the chaff, aimed directly at Wu Yuan's sword array.

As the two sides collided, the solitary beam of light abruptly bifurcated into nine. Each of the nine sword lights surged forward, swiftly neutralizing the sword lights spawned from Wu Yuan's sword array.

A deep rumble echoed through the air as the array formed by three of Wu Yuan's lifebound flying swords collapsed. They tumbled through the air before righting themselves, leaving streaks of light in their wake as they circled back to his side.

The light beam shooting out from the grubby old man's finger suddenly dissipated as well, and space regained its calm.

"This?" Wu Yuan was in disbelief as he replayed their previous clash in his mind.

Over the past month, both of Wu Yuan’s true selves had dedicated themselves to studying the two sword codices.

With the Celestial Body Law Codex as guidance and the previous demonstration by the grubby old man, he had made significant progress. Now, he could even successfully execute the fourth step of the Dark Earth Sword Array, Light Of The Land. One had to understand that only those who reached the True Intent stage were able to exhibit this technique.

Yet, the unkempt old man effortlessly dismantled it just by pointing at it. Moreover, Wu Yuan could clearly perceive that the old man did not utilize any high-level profundities of the Dao. The move he had executed was also Light Of The Land.

"You are improving quickly, but you’re only barely able to execute the fourth step," the old man remarked with a serious expression, shaking his head. "You are too rigid. Do you understand why the fourth step is known as Light Of The Land?"

Wu Yuan subtly shook his head in response.

"The 'light' in this context refers to sword light, symbolizing a deep understanding of the sword and the profundity of the Land. It no longer needs to be tied to the sword array itself," the old man explained. "Instead, you must integrate the profundity of the Land into your sword technique, dispersing sword lights throughout the Domain, filling it completely."

"As for your execution? Those extraneous sword lights may take form, but they lack power..." the old man shook his head. "Observe."

With that, the old man raised his hand once more, unleashing a brilliant strand of sword light that resembled a shooting star, seemingly rending the void. At the same time, more strands of sword light followed, cutting through space with precision.

It was a breathtaking display, blurring the line between illusion and reality for a fleeting moment. Perhaps, one could argue that all those sword lights were indeed real.

"This?" Wu Yuan’s eyes were wide with wonder, completely captivated.

This was the true Light Of The Land!

...

After more than ten breaths, Wu Yuan finally snapped out of his reverie. All he could think of was that the old man's swordplay contained many profound lessons.

"Thank you, Old Madman," Wu Yuan said, his voice filled with respect.

He had come to understand that the old man's demonstration was his way of guiding him.

The old man chuckled. "You had your opportunity to attack, now it’s my turn. Don’t try to evade it."

With a flick of his finger, beams of light burst forth, weaving together to form a construct of sword lights that stretched across the sky. It resembled a net, hurtling towards Wu Yuan.

The force it contained was absolutely formidable.

"This?" Wu Yuan's expression shifted slightly. Without hesitation, he released three lifebound flying swords, activating the Light of the Land once more in an attempt to dismantle the approaching sword net.

A cacophony of clashes reverberated. The strands of sword light from Wu Yuan's array were obliterated upon impact, yet the relentless sword net continued its advance.

In a flurry of motion, six more lifebound flying swords materialized around Wu Yuan, each one exuding powerful auras. He had no time to summon any more swords.

With three swords per array, two sword arrays connected like colossal grinding stones, encasing Wu Yuan within their protective embrace.

The sword net descended, its lethal sword lights stabbing or slicing Wu Yuan's sword arrays.

A thunderous explosion echoed through the air as Wu Yuan's sword arrays were subjected to an unprecedented impact. They veered on the brink of collapse, yet continued to withstand the assault with incredible sturdiness, evoking the solidity of a rock.

A full three breaths passed!

Boom! The two sword arrays formed by Wu Yuan's lifebound flying swords completely collapsed. His expression betrayed a flicker of concern.

The onslaught was too swift, too close for comfort.

Wu Yuan could only watch helplessly as the sword net loomed ominously overhead. If it truly landed, he would be completely annihilated.

Then in a blink, the oppressive sword net dissipated into nothingness, restoring tranquility to the once tumultuous space.

“What a pity, I thought you’d be able to hold on for four breaths, but you couldn't make it past three," the old man shook his head.

"Sorry, I’ve disappointed you," Wu Yuan replied, a tinge of bitterness in his smile.

Four breaths? It had taken Wu Yuan everything to hold on for just three.

"You may have fallen slightly short, but you managed to reach the initiate threshold of the Star Ruins Sword Codex, gaining a rudimentary understanding of and executing Solid As A Rock to a passable degree," the unkempt old man shook his head.

Wu Yuan listened attentively.

Passable? The complicated contents of the Star Ruins Sword Codex could be categorized into five main steps.

The first step, Solid As A Rock.

The second step, Immovable As A Mountain.

The third step, Sword Of The Land.

The fourth step, Body Of A Star.

The fifth step, Darkness Returns To Ruin.

These five steps emphasized defense, each representing a progressively deeper understanding of the Celestial Body Dao. Attaining the fifth step was a significant milestone, indicating that one was nearing full comprehension of the Celestial Body Dao.

"Li Xia, watch this strike closely." The old man moved, and sword lights appeared.

His presence immediately transformed, exuding an unwavering and majestic aura.

This is Solid As A Rock? Wu Yuan observed in awe.

Though it was the same technique, the difference in power was staggering.

Moreover, the unkempt old man's swordplay fully conveyed the profundity of the Celestial Body Dao, instantly sparking numerous epiphanies in Wu Yuan's mind and resolving numerous questions that had arisen during his one month of study.

...

A while later, Wu Yuan came back to his senses, feeling nothing but absolute admiration for the unkempt old man.

When the other party demonstrated the first sword strike, Wu Yuan still had his doubts. But when the second sword strike was demonstrated, they melted away.

The old man's demonstration seemed off-handed, but in reality, he had seen through all the flaws of Wu Yuan's swordsmanship. These strikes addressed them with great precision, showing him exactly how to make up for his own shortcomings without the slightest deviation.

Such insight and understanding of swordsmanship were simply unimaginable. Just how powerful was this immortal cultivator?

"Old Madman, I..." Wu Yuan began to speak.

"There’s no need to speak. You have decent comprehension aptitude, and you’ve been cultivating diligently. I suppose you barely meet my expectations." The unkempt old man shook his head and said, "I'll give you a little guidance. Don’t slack off."

"Come see me again in a month."

Without waiting for Wu Yuan's response, the old man disappeared without a trace, as if everything that happened just now was an illusion.

A true expert! Is he a senior from the sect? Wu Yuan was stunned.

He was just too powerful. It looked as though he had only demonstrated two strikes, but in fact, he had analyzed all the weaknesses of Wu Yuan’s swordsmanship.

I mustn’t delay. I should head back now and continue to contemplate the sword codices. Wu Yuan left the jade platform immediately, quickly returning to his world residence.

...

Where did this freak come from? The unkempt old man stood in the air, his gaze distant, as if piercing through millions of li of space, watching Wu Yuan practice his swordsmanship.

Based on his physical characteristics, he should have a stronger affinity for the Wood Dao. But unexpectedly, his progress in comprehending the Celestial Body Dao and Earth Dao is surprisingly fast. So fast that it's shocking. The unkempt old man frowned.

Moreover, his soul seems to be growing rapidly.

Even though he only has a third-degree immortal root, he managed to forge nine lifebound flying swords... and his specific origins cannot be traced. All I can confirm is that he first appeared in the fifth-tier city, Fengchuan City.

Is he the reincarnation of a great being? Or an incarnation? Or does he have other true selves? Is this just his qi refiner self?

The dirty old man thought of another possibility: If this is his qi refiner self, then perhaps it was only created after his body refiner self grew relatively strong, and his body refiner self has an extremely high affinity for the Land Dao.

Only this could explain the powerful soul, lifebound flying swords, affinity for the Earth Dao, and other aspects that did not conform to common sense.

There’s no rush. It has only been a few months since he entered the sect. With the passing of time, any secrets he is keeping will gradually be revealed. The old man wasn’t too fixated on it. Since he has joined my Dragon Star Immortal Sect, he is naturally a disciple of my sect.

Whoosh! With a step, he disappeared.