Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 299 - 292: Challenge - Part 1

Chapter 299: Chapter 292: Challenge - Part 1

Heaven’s Will Saber was a tall, dark-skinned strong man with a large S-shaped saber strapped to his back; hearing the words, he merely clasped his hands towards those few people in greeting.

Then he went to sit cross-legged under the archway, where a disciple had already prepared a cushion for him, and was guarded by fellow apprentices on either side. An incense burner was moved in front of him, with the fragrance wafting and slowly spreading around.

Time slowly passed, and the sun gradually rose from the east to overhead.

Noon arrived.

Heaven’s Will Saber slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the sky, his brows slightly furrowing.

"Still no movement, Sect Master," a nearby elder whispered.

"No hurry," Heaven’s Will Saber said indifferently. He was about to continue meditating with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, a man in black flew slowly from the distant sky.

The mask worn by the man was, astonishingly, the Three-Eyes Divine Monarch mask described by the disciples earlier. The silver mask vaguely reflected light, somewhat dazzling, and was noticeable from a great distance.

"He’s here!"

"He’s come! It’s that guy!"

"The Three-Eyes mask, really arrogant. The Three-Eyes Divine Monarch has always represented the War God in battle. To use this disguise, one must be extremely confident in oneself."

The onlooking cultivators began to grow restless.

"If it were me, I wouldn’t be so brazenly flying directly here surrounded by enemies. This is regarding the Heavenly Dao Sect’s members as nothing."

A young cultivator shook his head.

"This is an audacious display of courage and momentum."

"Perhaps, in my view, it’s more foolish bravery."

Without regard to how others judged, Heaven’s Will Saber slowly stood up, his gaze focusing intently on the figure in the air.

"Since you’ve come, the gift you gave three days ago will be properly returned to you today," he said with a solemn expression, as he slowly reached for the curved saber on his back.

Lin Xin flew to a point a hundred meters opposite Heaven’s Will Saber and slowly descended.

All the people around them quickly moved away, leaving space for the two to confront each other.

Lin Xin swept his gaze over the scene filled with hundreds of onlookers close by, and that was only those nearby. There were also faint presences in the distance within the woods, numbering in the hundreds as well. Among them were obscured and powerful auras. His heart acknowledged that the Central Prefecture truly had no shortage of experts.

He then focused his attention on Heaven’s Will Saber.

"You are Heaven’s Will Saber?"

"And who might you be?" Heaven’s Will Saber slowly drew his curved saber, which was as limp as noodles at first. As he exerted force in his hand, the entire blade abruptly quivered and straightened.

"You may call me Three-Eyes. I came here because I heard you’re the strongest in this land, so I’ve come to challenge you. A pity you were not around three days ago..."

"So you killed my son-in-law!?" Heaven’s Will Saber suddenly manifested dark purple dragon patterns across his body like some kind of tattoo.

"Your son-in-law? He tried to kill me, so I killed him. Isn’t that natural and justified?"

"Forget it, discussing this now is pointless. Murder requires retribution, which is also natural and justified. You killed a member of my family, now I will have your life!!"

Heaven’s Will Saber shook his saber blade, and a jet-like burst of white smoke suddenly exploded behind him, propelling him like a rocket towards Lin Xin.

The speed was so fast that he already seemed to surpass the average Golden Core Daoist Master.

Lin Xi didn’t dodge or avoid, choosing to gauge his opponent’s strength with the first move. His sword blade also began vibrating, its tip aimed at Heaven’s Will Saber below.

Clang!

The two connected in a flash, saber blade to sword tip, and it was clear that neither weapon was ordinary.

Dark purple dragon patterns suddenly emerged on the blade of Heaven’s Will Saber, those patterns wildly surging and moving on the blade in an agitated manner.

Lin Xin’s Red Flower Sword also faintly radiated red light, somewhat blinding.

Huge forces and spiritual energies collided mid-air. Lin Xin hadn’t expected his opponent to be so powerful! Deserving of being a Sect Master, the cultivation level was at least at the peak of the Daoist Master level, only slightly inferior to the War God Xi from the past.

His own spiritual energy was just at the Foundation Establishment, but due to the Dragon King’s exceptional physical strength and recovery provided by the Daoist Foundation, plus the enhancement of his body’s strength and speed by attributes, he was exceptionally powerful. Yet, even so, he was still somewhat weaker than Heaven’s Will Saber.

Boom!!

A white cloud of smoke suddenly exploded, as Lin Xin was forcefully slashed by the saber and sent reeling back, tumbling through the air.

"Half a Bloom!"

Heaven’s Will Saber held his blade horizontally, and the dark purple dragon on it suddenly shot out, diving into the void in front of him.

When it reappeared, it was already behind Lin Xin, hundreds of meters away.

The dragon was only as thick as an arm, composed as if of ink, and it fiercely bit towards Lin Xin’s neck.

Thump!

Lin Xin countered with a lightning-fast thrust of his hand, piercing through the dragon, but another dark purple dragon immediately appeared on the other side, attacking his waist from the side.

"This is the characteristic assassination skill of a Golden Core Daoist Master!"

Below the battle, the Vice Sect Leader of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Ge Tan, calmly explained to the disciples.

"This is the powerful divine skill unique to a Qi Cultivator at the Golden Core realm, able to integrate escape skills into their techniques. Compared with those at the Foundation Establishment, Daoist Masters can fly through the skies and burrow into the earth, naturally stronger and faster. But the most substantial advantage, as our Sect Master is currently demonstrating, lies in the combination of techniques and escape skills that take the enemy completely by surprise, attacking when they least expect it."

"Father will certainly take revenge with his own hands! For my husband’s vengeance!" Du Xianxian, daughter of the Heaven’s Will Saber, stared intensely at the battle in the sky as she spoke.

"The divine might of the Sect Master will surely avenge Miss Qianqian! The departed is gone; Miss Qianqian, don’t be too heartbroken, lest you harm your health," a handsome young man beside her consoled in a low voice.

"What business of mine requires your interference?! Scram!" Du Xianxian had always been strong-willed and temperamental. Overwhelmed with emotion, she suddenly turned and slapped the man.

A flash of shame and anger passed through the man’s eyes, but was quickly covered by hatred. He bowed his head and fell silent.

At that moment, two shadows in the sky crossed paths again, one red and one black clashing violently.

This was Lin Xin’s first formal encounter with a peak Golden Core realm Daoist Master. He had barely escaped the earlier Dragon Attack with full force from his Heart Eye Sword Path and rushed towards the opponent’s true form. He hastened his attack, but only managed to hold his ground.

In mid-air, the spiritual energy dispersed, and the white and blood-colored energies tangled fiercely, canceling each other out and dying half the sky white and red.

The Heaven’s Will Saber slashed furiously, delivering eighteen cuts in a second. Each stroke of white Blade Gang extended the attack distance instantaneously, aiming at Lin Xin from several different directions.

For a moment, Lin Xin could only defend; the opponent’s speed and strength were not inferior to his own, in fact, the strength was even greater. It was a close but clear difference; directly facing the opponent, he had no choice but to retreat steadily.

Sparks flew continuously between the two men as the blade and sword edge collided wildly, emitting a vibration-like special ringing.

Suddenly, the Heaven’s Will Saber disengaged and retreated over ten meters. The blade stood upright, slowly drawing a semicircle downwards.

The tip of the saber traced a cold and crystal-like amethyst-black line in the air.

"Life hangs by a saber, Asking Huangquan!!"

Boom!

With a loud noise, a dark yellow giant hand suddenly emerged behind Lin Xin. It was too late to dodge, his strength relaxed from the saber’s previous cut, and he hadn’t caught his breath yet, when the five fingers instantly grasped him.

Bang!

The giant hand was taller than a man, with rotten, stinking slime covering its surface, not resembling a human hand. It grabbed Lin Xin and started to squeeze fiercely.

"Asking Huangquan! This is the Sect Master’s first question after reaching the Golden Core stage! It’s been years since the Sect Master took action, this is the first time in decades that I’ve seen it," the Vice Sect Leader raised his voice from below.

"The saber seeks, the sword is sincere; this is the path one must take after reaching the Golden Core stage. Becoming a Scenic Level master requires confronting this step. It is a cultivation of the spirit, as well as a trial and integration for oneself." The Great Elder of the Heavenly Dao Sect nodded as he stroked his beard.

"What do ’asking’ and ’sincerity’ mean?" A little girl with goat horn braids, seemingly his disciple, stood behind the Great Elder. She had a giant saber wider than her head strapped on her back. She seemed to be no more than ten years old and asked in her childlike voice.

"The way of the sword is domineering. It embodies the path of the hero and the despot, with killing the enemy relying entirely on the explosive force of a single moment’s strike. Once one wields a saber, they must cultivate their temperament so that there is no hesitation or doubt while striking. Therefore, they must question their innermost feelings, condense all the doubts they cannot explain, and if they can resolve them, their spirit will solidify, becoming indomitable. This is why saber practitioners center their path around the concept of ’asking’."

The little girl only half-understood, but she nodded her head nonetheless.

*************

"Teacher, why must saber cultivation always begin with asking?"

Elsewhere, where other high-level masters from various sects were watching the battle, a youth carrying a zither asked the same question softly.

A middle-aged scholar dressed cultivator smiled as he explained.

"Asking about the saber is essentially seeking the Dao, just like our zither cultivation. Once anyone’s cultivation reaches the Daoist Master Level, they must question their heart. Saber cultivators tend to be decisive and clear-cut. So the goal of questioning the saber and the heart is to cut away doubts and delusions. Thus, the questioning is merely a manifestation; the essence is the act of cutting!"

"I sort of understand now..." the youth nodded.

A cultivator nearby chuckled.

"Que Yue Daoist Master speaks profoundly. Indeed, as sword practitioners reach this stage, we must also enter this phase. However, we call it sincerity. When Sword Intent is sincere, the heart is calm, and when the heart is calm, there is no disturbance. The Sword of Sincerity is a reflection of the deepest truth within the sword cultivator’s heart. It mirrors the vast world with the heart. The sword blade, an inanimate object, can accept and accommodate all facets of the human heart, whether it be good or evil, ugly or beautiful. In the end, it turns into the most suitable way for the cultivator to project their inner self, which also gives rise to various unique divine abilities."

"Exactly, exactly, this is the inevitable step to reach the Scenic Level. After the Alchemy Dao, the body turns into a flawless vessel without leakages. Yet the cultivation of the mind requires more than just spiritual energy or external forces."

Another Daoist Master Level elderly hag murmured in agreement.

"I see, so that’s why many top Daoist Masters have such different temperaments, with vastly varied strengths and divine skills, and their weapons are often of strange shapes. Is it because the weapons are reflections of their hearts, and thus they take on different forms?" the zither-carrying youth suddenly realized.

"Precisely. In cultivation practice, we cultivate the body and spirit and tread the great Dao." His master, Que Yue Daoist Master, laughed heartily.

******************

A dark yellow, decayed giant hand viciously grasped Lin Xin, and its immense force kept tightening. It seemed that many corrosive liquids coated the surface of the giant hand, and upon contact with the protective aura around Lin Xin, they rapidly emitted a hissing corrosion noise.

"This is my Way of the Sword’s first question," Heaven’s Will Saber said indifferently. "I must say, your physical body is exceptionally robust, unlike that of an ordinary person. I don’t know what methods you have used to conceal your cultivation level and disguise yourself as merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but none of that matters."

He looked at Lin Xin, now completely enveloped by the giant hand, not a trace of him visible.

"What matters is, it’s all over now."

As soon as he finished speaking, his hand-blade swiftly divided into three shadows.

"Avenge my son-in-law."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Die."

Bang!!!

The divided saber shadows suddenly shattered.

The giant hand also exploded abruptly, blowing up a cloud of earthy-yellow smoke in midair, with faint echoes of wailing and screaming, as if numerous tormented souls were wildly struggling in its center. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)