"What in the blazes...
What's going on here?"
After entering, Da Xing the Mad Monk was also stunned speechless by the sight of flying swords blanketing the mountains and fields. He looked around, growing more and more astonished, and exclaimed, "How can there be so many flying swords?"
Clearly.
Even Da Xing the Mad Monk, who had lived for untold ages, had never seen such a vast number of flying swords.
Gu Qingfeng walked while observing, discovering that without exception, nearly all the swords stabbed into the ground were scrap—like withered weeds, devoid of any vitality, having lost their life force as if dead. Perhaps weathered by too many eons, most of the flying swords had also decayed.
"Wait!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk seemed to recall something and hurriedly said, "Could this be the Taixu Sword Tomb?"
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng halted his steps and murmured, "Taixu Sword Tomb?"
"I once heard my master mention that during the Early Desolate Ancient Era, there was a senior who entered the Dao through the sword, later achieving Sagehood. He was known as the Taixu Sword Saint, though most called him the Sword Demon, saying that before attaining sainthood, in his pursuit to comprehend the Sword Dao, he was practically indistinguishable from a demon."
"It's said that when he was comprehending the Sword Dao back then, he slaughtered until the heavens darkened and the earth was dyed, causing widespread devastation among living beings, all just to collect flying swords from across the world. For every flying sword he comprehended, he would bury one. No one knows how many flying swords he comprehended in his lifetime, nor how many he buried. It's only known that this person later grasped the true essence of the Sword Dao and achieved sainthood in one fell swoop. The place where he once comprehended swords came to be known as the Taixu Sword Tomb."
The Great Dao numbers three thousand, and these three thousand represent the boundless.
Since the Primeval Ancient Era, most people have entered the Dao through paths like immortality, Buddhism, demons, or monsters.
In truth, this isn't the only way to enter the Dao. Besides immortality, Buddhism, demons, and monsters, there are far too many other methods to enter the Dao. For instance, one can enter the Dao through blades or swords, through music, melody, qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, and so on.
After the Primeval Ancient Era, there have been those who entered the Dao through qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, blades, or swords, though not many. Especially as the path of immortality grew dominant, cultivating immortality to enter the Dao gradually became mainstream, while arts like qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting were relegated to unorthodox paths. Later, they gradually declined, and in the present era, it's almost impossible to see followers of these left-hand paths.
In his lifetime, Gu Qingfeng had rarely used swords, having forged at most one or two. He wasn't very knowledgeable about the Sword Dao and had never heard of any Taixu Sword Saint. However, the phrase "Early Desolate Ancient Era" from Da Xing the Mad Monk's mouth deeply puzzled him.
"What did you mean just now by 'Early Desolate Ancient Era'?
What, is the Desolate Ancient Era divided into early and late periods?"
"You don't even know this basic common knowledge?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head. Truth be told, he really didn't know.
"It's one thing if others don't know, but how come even you don't? The Desolate Ancient Era is so important to you, yet you dare to wander around knowing nothing. I really think you're beyond saving."
Da Xing the Mad Monk seized every opportunity to mock him, but Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to listen to this nonsense and snapped, "Spit it out if you've got something to say."
"How should I put it... It's normal you don't know. This matter of the Desolate Ancient Era being divided into early and late periods—looking across heaven and earth, aside from some old-timers, I'm afraid not many know."
"What do you mean?"
"Young Gu, do you remember me telling you that the complexity of the Desolate Ancient Era far exceeds your imagination?"
"And then?"
"Actually...
If you ask me to explain why the Desolate Ancient Era is divided into early and late periods, or what constitutes the Early Desolate Ancient Era versus the Late Desolate Ancient Era, I can't give you a clear explanation either. It's just what everyone calls it."
Gu Qingfeng cursed, "Then you might as well have said nothing!"
"Young Gu, you can't blame me for this, can you?
I've told you before, my memories from past lives have mostly faded. Now, without those past-life memories awakened, how can I clearly explain all those messy things from the Desolate Ancient Era?"
He paused, then continued, "Besides, whether it's the Early Desolate Ancient Era or the Late Desolate Ancient Era, it's all still the Desolate Ancient Era, isn't it? Why bother with early or late? As long as you know about the Desolate Ancient Era, that should be enough."
Gu Qingfeng ignored him and leaped up, flying towards a solitary peak.
This Desolate Ancient ruin was covered in decayed, lifeless flying swords across its mountains and fields, with several peaks particularly eye-catching. Gu Qingfeng counted them—nine in total. Each peak stood motionless like a pillar supporting the heavens, feeling as though they connected heaven and earth.
Gu Qingfeng arrived atop one of these peaks and examined it closely. Good heavens!
This wasn't a mountain peak at all, but an enormous flying sword.
Scanning the other peaks, they were all the same—all were gigantic flying swords.
"These are nine sword peaks!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk exclaimed in awe.
Gu Qingfeng nodded. Previously, he hadn't had a concrete concept of the term "sword peak," but now, gazing upon these nine flying sword peaks that seemed to stand between heaven and earth, he truly and deeply felt the meaning behind those two words.
"Yes, yes, I think this must indeed be the Taixu Sword Tomb."
Da Xing the Mad Monk also stood atop a sword peak, removed his tattered gray hat, rubbed his bald head, and said, "I also remember my master saying that the Taixu Sword Saint spent countless eons, dedicating his entire life to comprehending the Sword Dao. With all his lifelong learning, he comprehended boundless sword intents and created the unparalleled, supreme Sword Dao masterpiece of all ages—the Taixu Nine Swords!"
"What about the Taixu Sword Saint himself?"
Gu Qingfeng asked. "Could he have also perished in the Desolate Ancient Cataclysm?"
"This...
Probably not. Most who died in the Desolate Ancient Cataclysm were beings from the Late Desolate Ancient Era. The Taixu Sword Saint belongs to the Early Desolate Ancient Era. Even if he were to die, he should have died in the Early Desolate Ancient Era, right? Moreover, he's the Taixu Sword Saint!
Someone who achieved Sagehood wouldn't die so easily, would he?"
Gu Qingfeng gazed at the world full of flying swords and murmured, "Achieving Sagehood..."
"Young Gu."
Da Xing the Mad Monk sidled up to him and asked curiously, "Do you want to achieve Sagehood?
I hear that after achieving Sagehood, one leaps beyond the Great Dao, no longer bound by its constraints. At that point, you might even become the Dao itself."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head.
"What?
You don't want to?"
"Right now, even trying to be a proper human is damn difficult for me. Why would I seek Sagehood?"
"You can't put it that way. After achieving Sagehood, you might truly transcend."
"Nonsense!
Who told you that achieving Sagehood means transcending? And where did you hear that about leaping beyond the Great Dao after achieving Sagehood?"
"What?
Isn't it true?"
"If achieving Sagehood allowed one to leap beyond the Great Dao, then where did the term 'Saint Dao' come from?"
"Don't forget, legend says the words 'Sacred' and 'Saint' stand above the three thousand Great Daos!"
"They only stand above the three thousand Great Daos. Standing above doesn't mean transcending. In my view, whether becoming a deity or a sage, it's merely jumping from an inner fire pit to an outer one. As for how many more fire pits lie beyond that, who knows?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and sighed. "No one knows. The older I live, the more I feel a certain saying might be right."
"What saying?"
"'All phenomena are illusory.' If everything is false, then damn, that would be too amusing."