Chapter 629 - 638: Sword River
Suddenly, a powerful, metallic clang echoed from the void. The sound was perfectly articulated, as if it resonated deep within one’s soul.
Only after the sound faded did the crowd slowly open their eyes. They saw the crimson sword slowly retreat, returning to its place within the Sword Pattern.
Jian Chunqiu nodded in satisfaction. "Seventeen breaths. He’s passed the first layer."
A tremor went through the crowd. Countless gazes converged, all fixed on the Flying Swords above the Sword Pattern.
Then, a kaleidoscope of colors flashed before their eyes as Flying Swords of every hue shot out from the Sword Pattern one after another.
"Weapon!"
...
"Struggle!"
...
"Warrior!"
...
"All!"
...
"Formation!"
As a tremendous roar echoed in their ears, a wave of excitement washed over the crowd. The 6th Layer had been passed.
"As expected of his Sword Technique Cultivation, which is on par with the Celestial Dao! He passed the 6th Layer in just half an incense stick’s time."
"The 6th Layer... I might not reach that level in my entire life, yet Senior Brother Wen did it in half an incense stick. Now that’s a true genius."
"Senior Brother Wen is just too powerful!"
...
Yue Mingzhu stared at the Sword Forest ahead, a bead of cold sweat forming on her brow. ’This Wen Qingye is a true monster,’ she thought. ’The 6th Layer is supposed to be the equivalent of reaching a depth of three hundred zhang in the Sword River. He did it in half an incense stick, while I had to give it my all just to reach the 6th Layer at all.’
’As expected of the once-in-a-generation swordsmanship genius who defeated Xiaomo,’ Yue Mingzhu thought, taking a deep breath.
Jian Chunqiu’s eyes were fixed on the Sword Forest, his heart pounding with an excitement he could barely contain. ’Even though Wen Qingye isn’t from my Cloud Conceal Peak, it’s enough that he’s a disciple of the Celestial Profound Sect,’ he thought. ’To witness a swordsman of his caliber is one of the great fortunes of a lifetime.’
...
Wen Qingye walked forward slowly, Bladeless Heavy Sword in hand. A boundless, sharp intent radiated from him, so potent it felt as if it could pierce the very heavens.
Drawing upon the Sword Dao Origin from the first six layers, Wen Qingye’s Sword Dao Cultivation had achieved a major breakthrough.
His Lifeless Sword Dao, Spiritual Softness Law, and Swift Wind Law all broke through to the second layer of the Earthly Realm. The Overlord Law of his Slaying Immortal Sword Dao also advanced to the second layer of the Earthly Realm.
Currently, only the Killing Lifeless Principle of his Lifeless Sword Dao and the Bursting Law of his Slaying Immortal Sword Dao remained at the first layer of the Earthly Realm; all the others had reached the second layer.
Wen Qingye’s figure slowly vanished into the pitch-black space as he entered the 7th Layer.
BOOM!
The next moment, the roar of colossal, sky-high waves thundered in his ears. Streaks of blue light appeared before him, stretching out to meet the distant horizon.
Wen Qingye felt as if he were floating on the surface of a vast ocean, with endless waves stretching out beneath his feet. Ahead, monstrous waves a hundred feet tall roared and crashed. If Yue Mingzhu were here, she would have instantly recognized this place: it was the Sword River of her Sword Sect.
Beneath his feet, countless streams of Sword Dao Origin darted about like schools of fish, glinting in the shimmering water.
Qing Ruo’ai gazed at the innumerable streams of Sword Dao Origin below, her voice tinged with surprise. "This looks like the Sword Sect’s Sword River. I can’t believe the Celestial Profound Sect’s Sword Forest actually managed to replicate it and use it as the 7th Layer. How incredible is that?"
"The Sword Sect’s Sword River?" Wen Qingye nodded. He had also heard that the Sword Sect had a place for tempering disciples that was quite similar to the Sword Forest—a place called the Sword River.
Qing Ruo’ai rubbed her chin and smiled. "The trial of the Sword River is to descend into its depths. It seems that if you want to pass this 7th Layer, you’ll have to do the same."
Wen Qingye gave a faint smile. Without a shred of hesitation, he dove, plunging beneath the river’s surface.
SPLASH!
The instant Wen Qingye submerged, a massive swarm of Qi Auras surged toward him, intent on tearing him to shreds.
Utterly fearless, Wen Qingye swung his Bladeless Heavy Sword, sending a tremendous shockwave of energy rippling through the water.
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
Countless Qi Auras were instantly pulverized by the shockwave, completely annihilated within the churning waters of the Sword River.
Along with them came innumerable streams of Sword Dao Origin, which surged generously into Wen Qingye’s body and converged upon his Immortal Slaying Sword Dao Tree.
At this moment, the lush leaves and branches of the Immortal Slaying Sword Dao Tree swayed. Its thick main trunk seemed to soar toward the heavens, shooting upward without pause, while several surrounding trunks also grew steadily.
These thick trunks represented the Laws Wen Qingye was cultivating in his Slaying Immortal Sword Dao. He was currently in the process of fusing the Overlord Law with the others.
The more Laws he tried to fuse, the greater the difficulty became. So far, Wen Qingye had only managed a simple fusion of the Rock Law, the Vibration Law, and the Swift Wind Law—a fusion of three Laws.
Now, Wen Qingye was using the surrounding Sword Dao Origin to attempt to fuse his Overlord Law with those three.
As he descended deeper, the surrounding Sword Dao Origin grew more abundant and denser, and the Qi Auras became increasingly sharp.
But Wen Qingye’s Sword Dao was simply too profound. With a casual wave of his hand, he struck at the Qi Auras’ fatal flaw, as if grabbing a snake by its vital point. Their weak spots exposed, they all dissipated into nothing.
Before he knew it, Wen Qingye had already descended three hundred zhang. All the while, his Immortal Slaying Sword Dao Tree was absorbing a massive amount of Sword Dao Origin and growing ceaselessly, its branches—which symbolized his Laws—growing right along with it.
’I’m almost there. I need to descend faster.’ Like an arrow loosed from its string, Wen Qingye’s body shot downward with frenzied speed.
SPLISH! SPLASH!
The surrounding currents were violently thrown aside. Wen Qingye’s Bladeless Heavy Sword became a blur, its movements so fast they formed an impenetrable defense around his body.
As Wen Qingye dove deeper, the streams of Sword Dao Origin transformed from small, darting fish into massive marine beasts.
CRACK!
Suddenly, a branch on the Immortal Slaying Sword Dao Tree erupted in a brilliant light and began to grow at a tremendous rate.
Bursting Law! Second layer of the Earthly Realm!
Viewed from a distance, Wen Qingye looked like a massive dragon’s head plunging into the depths, the trail of white water in his wake forming the straight, powerful body of the beast.
Five hundred zhang!
He thought he saw a patch of light ahead—it seemed to be the gate leading to the eighth level.
Amidst the swirling Sword Auras, the sword in Wen Qingye’s hand danced even faster.
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
Wave after wave of churning water and energy were shredded by his blade, and the concentration of Sword Dao Origin gathering around him grew ever greater.