Chapter 277 : The Second Sword Heart

Chapter 277: The Second Sword Heart

“Why?”

Chu Huaixu didn’t know what exactly had happened to the Dao Ancestor that he couldn’t even use sword techniques.

Even someone like Little Xu—an extremely pure and crude body cultivator—could still use techniques.

The difference was that a normal cultivator stored spiritual energy within the Spirit Embryo, while body cultivators had less spiritual energy, with their power hidden in their physical body, relying on strengthening the flesh.

Overall, body cultivators were weaker than normal cultivators when using techniques.

However, their powerful physique could compensate for this to some extent.

Chu Huaixu suddenly felt that not being able to use a sword, and not having a life-bound sword of his own… might actually be acceptable?

“I’m not as strong as the Dao Ancestor—he can dominate the world with just ‘basic attacks.’ I still need skills.”

A gentle breeze passed, and the surrounding scene dissipated.

Everything once again sank into boundless darkness.

Chu Huaixu was already used to it and began waiting silently.

When his vision gradually returned, he found himself back in the small courtyard he had visited before.

The place where the Founding Ancestor of Spring and Autumn Mountain had bid farewell to the Dao Ancestor.

The first thing he saw was the black fat cat being held in the arms of the woman in purple robes.

“You’re really willing to give it to me?” She stroked the fat cat, a faint smile in her eyes.

“It’s not giving—it’s lending,” the young Daoist corrected her wording.

But the woman ignored him and instead said to the fat cat, “How about you stay with me from now on?”

The fat cat swayed its long tail, casting a slightly smug look toward the Daoist.

Watching from the side, Chu Huaixu suddenly understood.

“So this is when the cat started staying at Spring and Autumn Mountain?”

And then… it lived there for a thousand years?

After teasing the cat for a while, the woman in purple took out a jade slip from her storage ring.

“Here, this is the fragment of the Heaven-grade sword technique you wanted.”

The young Daoist reached out and accepted it.

The woman looked at him and said, “This is only a fragment. Trying to complete it yourself is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.”

“You’re really willing to trade an eighth-grade spiritual pill to our Spring and Autumn Mountain for something like this?”

“I am,” the young Daoist replied, taking out a Spiritual Pill Treasure Box and immediately handing it over.

An eighth-grade spiritual pill was extremely rare—very few in the world could refine one.

Even so-called grandmaster alchemists might fail countless times in their lifetime and only occasionally succeed.

As for ninth-grade spiritual pills, those were things of legend.

The woman in purple looked at him and couldn’t help but mutter, “I really don’t understand you. You can’t even use sword techniques, yet you’re obsessed with the Sword Dao.”

“You carry a sword scabbard all day but don’t even get a sword, and you still call yourself a sword cultivator. You don’t look like one at all.”

Clearly, this Daoist had an exceptionally good temper and didn’t get angry in the slightest.

He simply smiled and said, “Whether there is a sword or not—it makes no difference.”

After chatting a bit more, the woman said, “I’m leaving!”

She rose into the air and flew toward Spring and Autumn Mountain.

This time, she wasn’t as hesitant or reluctant as before.

Perhaps she had already realized that the Daoist had no romantic feelings toward her—everything had been one-sided.

After she left, the young Daoist lay down on a recliner and began studying the jade slip.

Watching from the side, Chu Huaixu felt a faint sense of anticipation.

“Could it be… I’ll get to learn a Heaven-grade sword technique?”

Even Little Xu had managed to complete the incomplete version of 【Six Formations of the Broken Array】.

With the Dao Ancestor’s talent, perhaps completing a Heaven-grade sword technique was also possible?

The young Daoist silently deduced for a long time, then suddenly let out a bitter smile.

“This isn’t a fragmented sword technique at all.”

“This is a sword technique that went into deviation, and its creator destroyed it.”

“If one cultivates this technique, the problems would be enormous!”

“It actually attempts to merge one’s divine sense with the sword spirit to achieve the state of Human and Sword as One.”

“But a person is a person, and a sword is a sword.”

“Even with one’s own life-bound object, repeated fusion will cause mutual influence.”

He sighed, seemingly realizing that this trade had been quite a loss.

Chu Huaixu watched as the Dao Ancestor slowly closed his eyes, as if deep in thought.

After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he finally spoke softly:

“However… it does provide some ideas.”

“Based on my own situation, perhaps I can try using my divine sense to guide a sword spirit.”

“I’ll need to experiment more.”

Seeing this, a sudden realization struck Chu Huaixu.

It’s starting!

Could it be that the Dao Ancestor’s Path of Borrowing Swords began from here?

Each time he borrowed someone else’s sword, was he actually experimenting with guiding their sword spirit using his own divine sense?

Immediately after, the scene before him became extremely fragmented.

Chu Huaixu saw the Dao Ancestor borrowing swords again and again.

“Fellow Daoist, this humble one borrows your sword!”

The young Daoist said this every single time.

At first, however, the swords he borrowed were relatively ordinary spiritual swords, and the cultivators he borrowed from were not very strong.

After seeing this scene repeat nine times, everything froze again.

The Dao Ancestor held a spiritual sword in his hand, still sheathed, raised upright before him.

Having stayed in the inheritance secret realm for so long, Chu Huaixu already had a rough idea of what this meant.

“Am I supposed to try learning this sword-borrowing technique too?”

“This is way too easy!”

This was completely his comfort zone.

Chu Huaixu whistled at the mid-grade spiritual sword.

“Whistle——!”

The sword flew out of its sheath and landed in his hand.

He glanced at his Sword Heart Condensation Progress Bar and discovered that it had increased slightly?

“Why?” Chu Huaixu was momentarily stunned.

This wasn’t his first time borrowing a sword.

During the Eastern Continent Grand Competition, he had borrowed Han Shuangjiang’s Zhegutian.

That day, Zhegutian had been extremely excited—even before its master agreed, it had already left its sheath.

But after borrowing the sword, his Sword Intent progress bar hadn’t increased at all.

A thought flashed through his mind.

“So my Sword Intent has nothing to do with borrowing swords—but my Sword Heart might be related to it?”

Because of this connection, the progress of condensing his Sword Heart increased?

From that point on, the scenes became increasingly fragmented.

Each time, the Dao Ancestor borrowed a sword, and Chu Huaixu followed suit.

However, the quality of the swords kept rising.

And the cultivators he borrowed from grew stronger and stronger.

Mid-grade spiritual sword — high-grade spiritual sword — supreme-grade spiritual artifact!

Fifth Realm — Sixth Realm — Seventh Realm — Eighth Realm!

One sword cultivator after another had their swords borrowed by the Dao Ancestor.

And Chu Huaixu, following along, effectively borrowed them as well.

Finally, Chu Huaixu saw a “familiar face” at the end.

—The current Sword Sovereign of the Sword Sect!