The Transmigrator's Cultivation

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 289: Sword Shaped Wood

Later, for reasons unknown, everyone with sword intent in their minds heard a vague voice, stating that the day the mist dispersed would be the time the sword-shaped wood was born. After this voice, some sword cultivators faintly sensed that the appearance of the sword-shaped wood would be in another hundred days.

Because of this, all who came to this place, initially expecting fierce competition, were now waiting patiently, each one prepared to act once the white mist cleared.

Xu Ziqing finally understood. However, there was still one thing he didn’t grasp. Earlier, there had clearly been a sword monument blocking the way, requiring a trial for sword practitioners to enter this place. Yet, among Xuan Ze’s many subordinates and guest cultivators, there were a few he could easily see who had never practiced swordsmanship. Why were they allowed to come in?

Since the arrival of the two eased Xuan Ze’s tension, he didn’t dwell on this and began to answer their questions one by one.

Xu Ziqing learned that while the trial of the sword monument was indeed meant to test the will of sword practitioners; if one happened to fail the trial, they could be wrapped in sword intent by others and brought in. Xi Lin, being in the third realm of sword intent, had many means to guide everyone into the Absolute Sword Heavenly Manor.

After a brief conversation, Xuan Ze, due to his royal status, would not always humble himself, so he quickly had his subordinates arrange for the two brothers to settle down comfortably.

There were no private rooms in the vehicle, so a secluded corner was designated as their place for cultivation. Since cultivators did not need to sleep every day, having a spot to meditate was sufficient.

Xu Ziqing walked with Yun Lie to the corner and sat together.

Yun Lie held Xu Ziqing’s hand, drawing closer to him.

Xu Ziqing was startled and slightly recoiled, shaking his head, “There are many people here, Shixiong…”

Upon hearing this, Yun Lie frowned slightly.

Xu Ziqing smiled wryly; he didn’t want to push his Shixiong away, but he was wary of Xuan Ze. If Xuan Ze noticed something amiss with his Shixiong, there could be complications. Moreover, he had a lingering feeling that the sword-shaped wood was closely related to his Shixiong, which made him even more cautious. He then explained the dangers involved, his gaze carrying a hint of pleading.

Seeing this, Yun Lie fixed his gaze on him for a moment before averting his eyes.

Xu Ziqing felt a weight lift from his heart, knowing his Shixiong had listened to his advice.

The two brothers exchanged hurried words in hushed tones, while Xuan Ze and the others remained unaware of their actions.

After Xu Ziqing relayed his thoughts to his Shixiong, he naturally entered meditation again.

This time, he was not pondering his existing divine abilities but was spreading his spiritual consciousness throughout his Zifu, carefully contemplating the sword techniques hidden within the Qingyun Needle and the derived four-season sword method.

Although the meanings of these sword techniques and formulas had already merged into the Qingyun Needle, they still appeared different from their original forms. However, this place was abundant with sword energy, so he needed to re-experience them for future needs.

In the remaining days, Xuan Ze did not neglect Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing. To Xu Ziqing’s eyes, his attitude grew increasingly friendly. Each day, Xi Lin brought many spirit pills required by sword practitioners, along with several high-quality spirit stones for Yun Lie’s cultivation.

Xu Ziqing observed that apart from his Shixiong, Xi Lin and a few other sword practitioners received similar treatment, indicating Xuan Ze placed unusual importance on this matter. Even the Nascent Soul cultivators had to take a step back, yet those elders pretended not to notice, likely due to prior communication between Xuan Ze and them.

Time passed swiftly, and as everyone cultivated, the hundred-day period arrived.

During this time, perhaps out of concern for encountering some troublesome individuals, the vehicle had never moved. This morning, Xu Ziqing felt a streak of colorful clouds traverse his Zifu, as if a sharp sound cutting through the air suddenly rang out, like lightning striking his sea of consciousness, waking him in an instant.

Xu Ziqing quickly opened his eyes and met Yun Lie’s deep black gaze. He immediately asked, “Shixiong, did you notice anything?”

Yun Lie nodded slightly, confirming that he, too, had been awakened by the strange phenomenon in his sea of consciousness.

Xu Ziqing looked at the others, noticing that Xi Lin and several sword practitioners were also awake, while those who had never practiced swordsmanship seemed completely unaware.

Xuan Ze had also practiced swordsmanship, though not very deeply, perhaps even less than Xu Ziqing. After sensing something, he immediately issued orders, saying, “Everyone, prepare quickly! Open the vehicle and set up defensive formations!”

Everyone moved in response, and Xi Lin gestured to Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie, saying, “You two, follow me. The prince may have use for you.”

Xu Ziqing didn’t hesitate to quibble over small details at that moment. He immediately grabbed Yun Lie and went to Xuan Ze’s side.

At that moment, the vehicle transformed, becoming a vast expanse of clouds beneath their feet, soft yet very stable.

Everyone stood on the clouds, surrounded by a transparent barrier. Several Nascent Soul cultivators also stepped forward, creating countless runes on both sides to establish powerful protective formations.

The cloud layer was no less than ten miles away from the white mist. Although there weren’t any similar flying magical artifacts nearby, further away, many luminous lights could be seen, indicating that protective measures were being set up to investigate.

Xuan Ze’s gaze remained fixed ahead.

At the top of the dense white mist, brilliant colors began to silently emerge.

These colors resembled smooth satin, forming vivid and dynamic hues that flowed like water.

Absolutely breathtaking.

However, what the crowd admired was not this beauty, but rather the moment when the colors appeared, the thick white mist that had shrouded their spiritual consciousness and sight finally began to dissipate.

All the cultivators present were transfixed, fearing they might miss something.

Xu Ziqing saw this scene and noticed that the colors that had just appeared were unmistakably the same as the ones in his sea of consciousness. Could it be that this sword-shaped wood was truly about to emerge at this moment?

Soon, the mist began to dissipate even more rapidly.

As the fog lifted and the clouds cleared, a gray-white wooden form gradually became visible.

At the same time, a suffocatingly powerful aura suddenly spread like mercury!

Everyone finally realized that the revealed giant tree was so tall that it pierced straight into the sky, breaking through countless layers of clouds!

This giant tree stood a full eight hundred zhang high!

It was an extremely strange sight, appearing neither entirely wood nor entirely metal; it bore no hint of greenery typical of trees and revealed no trace of wood energy. Instead, it emanated a chilling aura, as if getting even an inch closer would slice through their skin, shattering them into countless pieces.

The height of this tree was nearly equivalent to a mountain, with numerous branches. Each branch resembled a sharp sword, and every leaf took on a sword shape, containing countless inscrutable thoughts. It seemed that each one was different, yet faintly resonated with many people.

Xu Ziqing had never seen such a peculiar tree—no, it perhaps was no longer a tree. It had once grown by drawing on wood energy, but after countless years of tempering, it had become an embodiment of a sword, capable of thriving solely on the myriad thoughts contained within it.

At that moment, Xu Ziqing quietly had a thought. If he could… truly collect this wood, it might prove to be immensely useful in the future.

In an instant, countless people gasped in surprise.

“It’s the sword-shaped wood!”

“Indeed, this is the sword-shaped wood, exactly as described in ancient texts!”

“I’ve heard that each leaf on this tree contains a kind of sword intent. If we sword practitioners can obtain it, our cultivation will surely advance greatly!”

“Quickly be attentive, don’t let others take it from us!”

These sword practitioners realized that the various sword intents they comprehended might not necessarily match the sword intent of the sword-shaped wood, but anyone who grasped sword intent could deepen their understanding of the sword path through the surrounding sword intents. For those who hadn’t comprehended sword intent, it was even more convenient; they just needed to collect as many sword-shaped leaves as possible and would greatly benefit from daily insights into the sword intent released from them!

For a moment, excitement surged among the crowd as they observed the white mist dissipating, naturally feeling that it would not be as dangerous as before.

Moreover, on the path of a swordsman, one must forge ahead. When an opportunity is right before them, they would never give up out of cowardice.

Xuan Ze also noticed this, but his focus was not on the sword-shaped wood. He quickly gestured to the eager Xi Lin and others to stop their movements, transmitting a thought, “Have you all forgotten the intention with which I invited you?”

The several sword practitioners’ excitement instantly cooled, and they quickly responded, “We would never forget.”

Xi Lin stated seriously, “We will head there right away. While the many sword practitioners are busy fighting over the sword-shaped leaves, we can take the opportunity to search for that rare medicine.”

Xuan Ze then looked at Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing, the two brothers.

Xu Ziqing smiled gently, saying, “We will not let the prince down.”

Xuan Ze was satisfied and said, “I will transmit the image of that rare medicine to you all now. I hope you can pay close attention to it.”

Soon, everyone felt a slight tremor in their consciousness, and a thought was transmitted, which they all accepted naturally.

Indeed, a silhouette of a spirit medicine appeared, allowing them to remember it.

Xuan Ze was extremely cautious; he had not come here for the sword-shaped wood but for that rare medicine. However, this medicine was too precious, and if a rumor got out, it would be detrimental to him. Therefore, it was only at this moment that everyone truly received the concrete information.

After noting it down, the many seekers of the medicine flew forward along with those sword practitioners, heading towards the sword-shaped wood. Along the way, they discussed that since Xu Ziqing was a wood-attributed cultivator, he would search for it together with Xi Lin, while the others would divert their gaze and pretend to fight with others over the sword-shaped leaves to conceal their true intentions.

If any accidents occurred, the one with the highest sword intent, Yun Lie, would take action.

After their plan was established, everyone had no objections, so they dove down together toward the tree shrouded in thin clouds.

Xu Ziqing flew side by side with Yun Lie, the wind howling in his ears, but he also transmitted a thought to him, “Shixiong, I’ll separate a portion of the Qingyun Needle for you. I hope you can collect more sword-shaped leaves.”

Currently, it seemed that his Shixiong had become somewhat more self-controlled than before, perhaps related to the forging of his life-bound sword’s core, allowing him to make slight suggestions.

However, to Xu Ziqing’s surprise, Yun Lie seized his wrist, saying, “You cannot leave my side.” After speaking, his aura stilled, as if many hidden storms lay beneath the night, and if one were not careful, a vast wave would rise, sweeping everything away.

Xu Ziqing had underestimated the situation; Yun Lie had fallen deep into the demonic path, and his patience over the past days had only been because Xu Ziqing was constantly by his side, allowing him to suppress it. However, the demonic nature was wild, and the more it was suppressed, the more violent it became.

Xu Ziqing had always been obedient to Yun Lie, but now, not only was he no longer compliant, he even attempted to part ways, leading to the current consequences.

He sighed, realizing that Xu Ziqing had never truly fallen into the demonic path. Even though he had tried hard to fathom the thoughts of those who had, his actions were still somewhat naive. He did not know that, under the influence of demonic thoughts, even a Shixiong like him was not one to reason. He thought his Shixiong was reasonable, but in reality, it was merely a concession from him.

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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