"Latercomer, when you pick up this sword, I will already be gone..."
The scene shifts.
Perhaps because they were no longer in Tianren City, the spiritual essence of the divine sword seemed affected, and the ensuing visions appeared fragmented and broken.
All Li Mo could vaguely discern were the hands that had once wielded this sword.
The flickering, disjointed images faded away.
Tearing through the remnants of those visions was a chilling sword aura.
This sword strike originated from an intangible, ethereal intent—yet the moment its light flashed, it gave the sensation of already having pierced through its target.
The feeling was familiar.
It was the same sensation Li Mo had experienced when he first laid eyes on Chixiao.
But the spiritual essence of the Tianren Divine Sword was incomparable to that of ordinary mystical weapons.Closing his eyes, Li Mo released his intent soul, and in the depths of his consciousness, he seemed to glimpse a figure.
Clad entirely in black, their face concealed by a dark cloth—impossible to discern whether they were man or woman—only a pair of cold, emotionless eyes were visible.
In their grasp was a short sword, its blade emanating a dim glow, like the stillness of stagnant water.
Their voice, too, carried no trace of emotion:
"My swordsmanship lies in the accumulation of momentum. I do not strike lightly—but when I do, it is not to determine superiority, but to decide life and death."
"There is only one technique in my sword art, named..."
"Wuchang Tie (Post of Impermanence)."
Li Mo had heard this name before.
He once overheard a storyteller speak of it—the former Second Heavenly Slayer of the Misty Rain Tower, who was also once ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List. A figure shrouded in mystery, their true identity unknown to this day.
The only thing known was that they wielded but a single sword technique, dedicating their entire life to mastering just that one strike.
During the eras of the Human Butcher, Earth Fiend, and Heavenly Slayer, none could withstand this unpredictable, ghostly blade.
After assassinating a member of the Great Yu royal family, they vanished without a trace. Some claimed they had died, others that they had retired—but this sword technique became a legend, never to be seen again.
Now, this enigmatic Wuchang Tie had reemerged into the world through the Tianren Divine Sword.
Clang—
The short sword was unsheathed in an instant, its contained killing intent pure, chilling, and even... dazzlingly radiant, instantly overwhelming the target's senses.
An inch longer grants dominance, an inch shorter invites peril.
A short sword cannot slash—it can only stab. This strike distilled complexity into simplicity, embodying the pinnacle of danger.
"Haah..."
Li Mo narrowed his eyes, rubbing the goosebumps on his neck.
He placed himself in the shoes of this swordsman's opponent.
Despite his formidable physique and towering intent soul, he could still feel an overwhelming threat!
He could crush his opponent with a single hammer blow.
But at the same time, he would be grievously wounded by this eerie, deadly short sword.
If he were to use a sword instead...
"None of the sword intents left within the Tianren Divine Sword are to be underestimated."
Li Mo exhaled deeply.
"My sword technique may appear simple, but it is the refinement of complexity. It requires years of relentless practice—three thousand thrusts each day, every strike imbued with the resolve to shatter jade rather than yield."
"Thus, even for those with exceptional talent in the sword, mastering this technique demands painstaking effort."
"Meeting me first... your luck is poor."
The sword intent of the Second Heavenly Slayer spoke indifferently.
"Only after mastering this technique may you proceed to the next sword intent."
"But even for those whose talent rivals mine, achieving minor mastery of this sword requires no less than eight years."
Eight years.
By then, Li Mo would long have fallen off the Hidden Dragon List.
The Hidden Dragon Assembly was about to begin—he couldn’t afford to master only this single sword technique.
Fortunately...
What he feared least was the grind, the passage of time.
[Thirty years of martial insights successfully infused.]
[Year One: Following the sword intent’s legacy, you begin contemplating the essence of "shattered jade over intact tile," attempting to execute the thrust. You deliver over ten thousand strikes, yet only one faintly captures the spirit of Wuchang Tie.]
[Year Ten: You continue the ceaseless cycle of drawing and thrusting. Now, out of nine thousand strikes, a hundred align with the essence of Wuchang Tie.]
[Year Twenty...]
[Year Thirty...]
[Congratulations, Host. Your Wuchang Tie has achieved minor mastery.]
[Congratulations, Host. As you have mastered another formidable sword technique, your proficiency in the Nine Swords of Dugu has also advanced, reaching new heights.]
Boom—
Countless epiphanies surged through Li Mo’s mind. It was as though he had lived through thousands upon thousands of thrusts.
In the end, all those strikes coalesced into one.
He opened his eyes.
A wisp of pure, chilling sword intent flickered into existence.
"......"
The intent left within the divine weapon was, after all, not a living being.
It froze momentarily, as if malfunctioning.
Staring at Li Mo for a long while, it remained silent.
A sword technique that should have taken decades to refine—the distilled simplicity of Wuchang Tie—had been mastered in an instant...
Minor mastery achieved!
The Tianren Divine Sword trembled faintly.
"Next, please."
Li Mo clasped his hands in a polite salute, then grinned at the divine sword, the corner of his lips curling upward.
Looked down on my swordsmanship talent, did you? Bet you didn’t see this coming.
This is what you call... sword-before supremacy!
Well, for now, it’s sword-before supremacy. But when the Hidden Dragon Assembly arrives, it’ll be human-before supremacy!
......
Noon.
Having expended three hundred years’ worth of martial insights, Li Mo descended the stairs after achieving minor mastery in several sword techniques. He let out a long breath and headed to the kitchen to cook a few dishes, relaxing his mind.
After absorbing multiple profound sword legacies in succession, his intent soul felt swollen.
It seemed even martial insights couldn’t withstand such relentless use.
"With seventeen hundred years left... will it be enough to master all the sword intents within the Tianren Divine Sword?"
Carrying the dishes to the main hall, Li Mo felt uncertain.
Though he had learned much, compared to the vast repository of sword intents within the divine sword, it was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Young Li had never imagined...
That even seventeen hundred years of martial insights might prove insufficient.
The more sword techniques he mastered, the greater the power he could wield when commanding the Tianren Divine Sword.
Lost in thought, he noticed Murong Xiao, Xiao Qin, and the others already seated at the table, waiting for the meal.
What kind of chef could Bu Yun Lou possibly have, to compare with Brother Li’s cooking?
"That guy’s dream last night was so bizarre. Utterly foul."
Qin Yuzhi’s face was dark as she gulped down several mouthfuls of tea, seemingly unable to shake off the aftereffects.
"What dream?"
Li Mo was curious.
Sister Qin was a Seventh-Realm cultivator—she had traversed countless surreal dreamscapes in her dreamwalking. What kind of dream could leave such a lasting impression?
"That man’s dream was filled with nothing but Heavenly Venerable-brand instant noodles. Even the smell makes me nauseous now."
Qin Yuzhi grimaced, shooting a resentful glare at Li Mo.
Down in the Southern Border, she had spent her days propagandizing instant noodles in the dreams of common folk. Now, even in the Imperial Capital, the noodles were haunting her!
"Even worse, the guy ate the noodles with this disgusted expression, like he was ascending to immortality."
"In the end, he actually died, forcing me to cut the dreamwalk short."
"Died?"
Li Mo stiffened, asking for a description of the man.
"Skinny and frail, but after eating the noodles, he bulked up like an ox."
"Lu Zhuang?"
Li Mo was stunned.
He had planned to use Lu Zhuang as a lead to uncover the truth behind the Heavenly Venerable noodles laced with Divine Power Powder.
But now...
The man was already dead.
"Sister Qin, can you tell where he died?"