Luo Xuan Mingyue had only heard that when the Monarch first entered Shangqing Sect, his cultivation had been crippled, his destiny scattered, and his body riddled with injuries. This was the first time she heard her Great-Grandfather mention that back then, the Monarch had also been subjected to various insidious and vicious restrictive seals by numerous powerful experts.
“Then how did the Monarch manage to cultivate again later?
And how did he ascend to Earth Immortal in just nine short years?”
Luo Xuan Mingyue was well aware that in the current era, reaching Earth Immortal in nine years wasn't particularly rare. But placed in the resource-scarce Ancient Era, it was absolutely unimaginable. Moreover, back then, the Monarch's cultivation had been crippled, his body covered in injuries, and numerous powerful experts had placed various insidious restrictive seals on him to prevent him from cultivating. She simply couldn't imagine how the Monarch had managed to successfully cultivate again under such circumstances.
“This is also what I admire most about that Gu kid,” Luo Xuan Ancestor recalled. “Initially, I helped him out of pity. But later, as I slowly interacted with him, I grew more and more impressed by his capabilities—utterly awestruck, in fact. If I hadn't been so old back then, I might have even kowtowed to him in worship.”
“That kid seemed born to cultivate. His mind was incredibly sharp, mastering all ten arts of the Immortal Dao with nothing he didn't excel in or understand. Any profound supernatural ability, he only needed one glance to grasp seventy or eighty percent of it. Give him a single spirit stone, and he could use it to set up an array and break open a cave dwelling. Give him a cultivation manual or supernatural ability, and he could deduce eighty-one different variations for you.”
“Those insidious restrictive seals those experts placed on the Gu kid not only failed to suppress him, but he actually reversed and utilized them to unblock all the meridians and acupoints in his body, successfully laying his foundation.”
“In all my years, I've never seen anyone with such a monstrous level of comprehension. As for the so-called prodigies and geniuses of the current era, compared to that Gu kid, they're not even worth a pile of shit. Take your Shangqing Sect's Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability, for example.
You've cultivated that ability too, haven't you?
You've been practicing it for at least ten years, right?
How's your progress?”
“I've only grasped the surface basics.”
The Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability was Shangqing Sect's signature ability, incredibly powerful but also the most difficult to comprehend. She had cultivated it for a full ten years and had only grasped the surface basics. Even those elders in Shangqing Sect who had practiced for thousands or tens of thousands of years had merely glimpsed the doorway.
“What's his name again in your Shangqing Sect?
The one who achieved perfection in the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability in six years?”
“That's our Senior Brother Wuya.”
Mentioning Senior Brother Wuya, Luo Xuan Mingyue's delicate face was filled with admiration.
She had cultivated the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability for ten years and only grasped the surface basics, while Senior Brother Wuya had achieved perfection in just six years. He possessed the highest comprehension among all Shangqing Sect disciples, which she greatly admired. “Senior Brother Wuya's comprehension is peerless, unmatched under heaven. Even our Shangqing Sect's Ancient Immortals can't compare...” Before Luo Xuan Mingyue could finish, Luo Xuan Ancestor spat disdainfully. “Peerless comprehension? Unmatched? What a joke! Do you know how long it took that Gu kid to achieve perfection in the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability back then?”
“How long?”
“One day!
No!
To be precise, half a day—the time it takes for one incense stick to burn!”
“Heavens!
This...
Is that even possible?”
Achieving perfection in the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability in the time it takes for one incense stick to burn? In Luo Xuan Mingyue's view, this was absolutely impossible. Thinking carefully, she questioned, “How come I've never heard of this?”
“Nonsense!
That's because that Gu kid never displayed the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability in front of outsiders!”
“That still doesn't make sense. The Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability is our Shangqing Sect's peerless ability. Only inner disciples are qualified to cultivate it. In the Ancient Era, the Monarch was essentially a convict cultivating at Shangqing Sect. He wouldn't have had the chance to come into contact with the Heaven Sword ability, would he?”
“Heh heh!” Luo Xuan Ancestor laughed. “That Gu kid indeed never saw the secret manual for the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability.”
“Then how did the Monarch comprehend it?”
“How did he comprehend it?
Let me tell you, that Gu kid only watched that girl Ye Tianlan perform the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability once. You heard right—just once. I was there at the time. After watching, in less time than it takes for an incense stick to burn, that Gu kid had already grasped seventy or eighty percent of the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability. He swung his first sword—Return. The second sword—Depart. The third sword—Vanish.”
Return.
Depart.
Vanish.
These were the three realms of the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability, the very essence of the ability.
Luo Xuan Mingyue stopped in her tracks, stunned, her expression filled with deep shock, her eyes brimming with incredulous disbelief.
He never saw the secret manual.
He only watched the Female Sect Leader perform it once, and grasped seventy or eighty percent. First sword—Return. Second sword—Depart. Third sword—Vanish.
Good heavens!
Is this true?
If anyone else had said this, Luo Xuan Mingyue would never have believed it. But these words came from Luo Xuan Ancestor, and she knew her Great-Grandfather wouldn't lie to her. If so...
Had the Monarch's comprehension truly reached such a world-shaking, earth-shattering level?
“I still remember to this day, after that Gu kid swung those three swords back then, your Female Sect Leader collapsed on the spot. It took her a long while to regain her senses. Later, the way she looked at that Gu kid changed completely...”“There's one more thing I haven't told you. Might as well tell you today.”
“What else don't I know?”
“Your Shangqing Sect also has an Earth Sword Supernatural Ability and a Human Sword Supernatural Ability, right?”
Luo Xuan Mingyue nodded in affirmation. “The Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability was created by our Shangqing Sect's founding ancestor. The Earth Sword and Human Sword Supernatural Abilities were both created by the Female Sect Leader. The Earth Sword Supernatural Ability is no less powerful than the Heaven Sword, perhaps even surpassing it. As for the Human Sword Supernatural Ability, it's too profound. No one has been able to comprehend it to this day. I heard the Female Sect Leader once performed the Human Sword Supernatural Ability, and its power was said to be even more terrifying than the Heaven and Earth Swords.”
“What you said is mostly correct, but there's one point you got wrong.”
“Which point?”
“The Earth Sword Supernatural Ability was indeed created by Ye Tianlan. As for the Human Sword Supernatural Ability... that was created by that Gu kid.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Xuan Mingyue was once again greatly shocked, exclaiming in astonishment, “How is that possible?”
“Nothing is impossible. Back then, after Ye Tianlan performed the Heaven Sword Supernatural Ability in front of that Gu kid, she also performed the Earth Sword Supernatural Ability she had created herself. That girl Ye Tianlan said she wanted to create the Human Sword Supernatural Ability as well, thus completing the Heaven, Earth, and Human Three Swords. As for that Gu kid, he drank a jug of wine, took a sword, and swung three more strokes. One stroke—Life-Death. One stroke—Reincarnation. One stroke—Dust.”
Luo Xuan Mingyue was dumbfounded.
Completely dumbfounded.
She stood there stunned, feeling the heavens and earth spin, her mind filled with Luo Xuan Ancestor's words.
One jug of wine.
One sword.
One stroke—Life-Death.
One stroke—Reincarnation.
One stroke—Dust.