Chapter 280 : Condensing the Second Sword Heart

Chapter 280: Condensing the Second Sword Heart

Within the Dao Ancestor Inheritance Secret Realm.

Chu Huaixu did not know that at this very moment, Han Shuangjiang had slowly opened her eyes.

The flow of time was no longer frozen—it had returned to normal.

The young girl let out a long breath at once. Looking at her surroundings, she felt a brief moment of disorientation.

To be precise, it was a feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

She had stayed in that dreamlike yet extremely real place for an unknown length of time.

She had completely lost her sense of time.

Han Shuangjiang only knew that she had followed the Dao Ancestor step by step, comprehending various sword techniques alongside him.

Until she had read through the Three Thousand Scrolls of the Sword Dao in the Sword Pavilion, until she had cultivated 【Azure Firmament Lodged Flame】—the technique gifted by the Sword Sovereign—to Major Mastery.

Only after completing all of that did she leave the illusory realm.

—Completing her own trial.

Yes, she had stopped there and did not experience everything that came afterward.

Thus, she had never seen the Daoist who went around borrowing swords.

For her, this journey had brought tremendous gains.

“Just reading through the three thousand sword scrolls alone is enough to benefit a lifetime!”

Han Shuangjiang felt countless insights arise in her heart, yet also many lingering confusions.

All of these would require time to slowly digest.

Through this journey, she had already raised 【Reincarnation Sword Intent】 to Perfection.

After all, her comprehension far exceeded Chu Huaixu’s.

Even though both had brought most of the Three Thousand Scrolls of the Sword Dao to Minor Mastery, her gains were greater.

Moreover, in terms of tempering her Dao Heart, her journey had been far more arduous and painful than her Dao companion’s.

Because Chu Huaixu had learned through the system that time outside had stopped.

But Han Shuangjiang didn’t know.

She truly believed she had spent years inside.

She missed Chu Huaixu. She missed everything outside.

Well—she especially missed Chu Huaixu.

So, she immediately turned her head to look beside her.

There, the young man was still sitting in meditation.

However, something was floating before him.

—The black sword scabbard 【Ding Fengbo】!

To be precise, it wasn’t the scabbard itself floating.

It was the Black Bead that was suspended in midair, pulling the entire scabbard along with it.

Just like back on Hidden Spirit Mountain, when Chu Huaixu had reached for the bead and somehow dragged the Dao Ancestor’s sword scabbard off the stone platform’s seal.

The Big Ice Block slowly crouched down in front of him.

She wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees.

Her soft curves pressed against her clothes, forming a full, rounded silhouette.

She simply stared at the young man before her, observing him carefully.

To Xiang Yan and the others outside, only a short time had passed.

But from Han Shuangjiang’s perspective, she hadn’t seen Chu Huaixu for a very, very long time.

In that illusory place, one was like a wandering ghost—the loneliness and isolation were endlessly amplified.

“Only now do I realize… his eyelashes are quite long. When his eyes are closed, it’s especially obvious,” she thought.

“And… his Adam’s apple is quite pronounced.”

“Hm? There’s actually a small tear mole at the corner of his eye—so faint I almost didn’t notice.”

She tilted her head slightly, quietly watching him, waiting for him to awaken.

At this moment, she no longer had her usual cold demeanor—she looked a bit softer, even slightly adorable.

However, Han Shuangjiang wasn’t foolish. She had already guessed that not much time had actually passed.

The reason was simple—

Chu Huaixu hadn’t even grown much facial hair.

This made her realize even more just how terrifying this inheritance secret realm was—and just how powerful the Dao Ancestor truly was.

But gradually, she noticed that Chu Huaixu’s aura suddenly became somewhat unstable.

“What’s happening?” the cold-faced girl frowned, concern appearing in her eyes.

Then—that familiar sensation appeared again.

Back then, beneath the Cold Pool, they had undergone a trial together.

Afterward, Chu Huaixu consumed a Xuantian Embryo Breathing Pill, causing his Spirit Embryo to evolve and awaken a divine ability.

She had watched it happen firsthand.

At the time, she felt that Chu Huaixu suddenly exuded a sharp aura—like a sword drawn from its sheath!

Now, she felt something similar again.

“But… it’s a bit different from last time.”

She couldn’t quite pinpoint the difference.

Then, she noticed that the 【Zhegutian】 she had placed on the ground suddenly began to stir.

This supreme-grade spiritual sword started trembling continuously, emitting waves of sword cries.

Han Shuangjiang immediately communicated with the sword spirit, signaling it to stay silent.

Chu Huaixu was clearly in meditation—likely undergoing a breakthrough. She didn’t want to disturb him.

As for such phenomena, she was already somewhat used to them.

But even under her command, 【Zhegutian】 still emitted sword cries.

Only now, they were suppressed—barely contained?

It simply couldn’t hold back.

The sword cries kept slipping out.

This left Han Shuangjiang astonished.

Moreover, as the sword trembled uncontrollably, it even began moving across the ground—vibrating its way closer to Chu Huaixu.

All of this happened right in front of its owner.

Meanwhile, outside—

Ten thousand swords began to cry out once more!

Across the entire Mountains Beyond Mountains region, all spiritual swords began trembling and ringing.

In the Purple Bamboo Forest, the gaunt Daoist nun sat atop a tall rock.

Even the wooden hairpin in her hair trembled, emitting faint sword cries!

A hint of surprise appeared on her face.

As one of the Four Great Divine Swords, even her sword reacted this way—let alone others.

For sword cultivators like Mo Qingmei, their life-bound swords even slid partially out of their sheaths, as if trying to soar into the sky.

Yet, being connected to their masters, the sword spirits also felt confused.

They wanted to go—but didn’t know where.

So they could only tremble… and cry out!

The sword cultivators of the Dao Gate looked at each other in shock.

“What’s going on now?”

“Where is it trying to go?”

My life-bound sword… is leaving me?

This was far more terrifying than the previous Heaven-and-Earth Phenomena.

Panic spread.

Only when Xiang Yan circulated his spiritual energy and projected his voice across the Dao Gate did people calm down slightly.

“All disciples, remain calm. This poses no harm.”

Even so, the disciples were bewildered.

Why had there been so many terrifying phenomena recently?

What they didn’t realize was—

They were still underestimating how frightening this phenomenon truly was!

Outside the Dao Ancestor Secret Realm, Jiang Zhi suddenly frowned.

“Chu Huaixu must have gained something tremendous this time!” he said firmly.

“Little Martial Uncle, what makes you say that?” the others asked curiously.

“Because even my sword is excited—so much so that it can barely suppress the urge to leave its sheath!” Jiang Zhi said in a deep voice.

“What!?” The Dao Gate elders were utterly shocked.

This wasn’t an overreaction—it was truly astonishing.

Jiang Zhi had sealed his sword for many years.

He had been nurturing a single strike!

For this, he had even forced his own realm to drop.

For years, his sword had never left its sheath.

And now—after all that accumulation—it was almost breaking?

That single strike was meant for the fifth layer of the Origin Spirit Realm.

It was his lifelong aspiration.

That strike would shake heaven and earth!

And yet—even such a sword showed signs of agitation?

“What exactly is happening inside the secret realm!?”

Within the Dao Ancestor Inheritance Secret Realm, in the “illusory realm”—

Chu Huaixu’s Sword Heart Condensation Progress Bar had reached 99.9%!

He could feel a force forming within him.

And yet—it still felt like something was missing.

He raised his head, looking at the Dao Ancestor sitting on the rooftop.

More than ten thousand swords floated beneath the sky.

From below, they formed a vast circle.

The sight was overwhelmingly majestic.

Among the gathered sword cultivators, some bold individuals began speaking:

“I don’t think even the Sword Sovereign of the Sword Sect could achieve this!”

They could feel the terrifying power contained within each sword.

After all, many of these were their own life-bound swords.

And there were over ten thousand of them!

They couldn’t even imagine—

If these swords fell like rain upon the world, what kind of destruction would that bring?

Some cautious individuals even began to consider leaving.

Others had already fled.

It was simply too terrifying.

What if something went wrong?

But at the same time, they all knew:

“If he succeeds, we will have witnessed history!”

This Daoist would be acknowledged as the strongest in the world!

Even some Seventh and Eighth Realm cultivators present felt—

Even ten Ninth Realm experts combined couldn’t replicate this scene!

Meanwhile, those with limited insight couldn’t even grasp how terrifying it truly was.

Chu Huaixu looked at the sky—

At the Dao Ancestor’s “ten-thousand-fold basic attack”!

Suddenly, everything froze again.

The murmuring cultivators fell silent.

Even falling leaves hung motionless in midair.

Yet the ten thousand swords still pulsed with terrifying power.

Chu Huaixu looked at the Dao Ancestor.

At some point, the black sword scabbard rested across his legs.

The Black Bead floated above his palm.

He turned his head and looked directly at Chu Huaixu.

Then, he spoke again:

—“Raise swords.”

In the next instant—

Chu Huaixu shot into the sky!

His body became a streak of light, ascending upward.

Unlike before, when swords flew—

This time, it was a person!

He felt not only his body being drawn—

But also his Sword Intent, and even the Heart Sword within his Sea of Consciousness!

The ten thousand swords formed a massive circle.

Chu Huaixu rose into its center.

Surrounded by all swords!

Then, a gentle voice sounded in his ear:

“Chu Huaixu.”

The Dao Ancestor had called his name!

A man from a thousand years ago… speaking it aloud.

“Feel it well,” the Dao Ancestor said.

Floating in the air, Chu Huaixu looked around.

The swords trembled—the swords cried!

Among them, he saw familiar ones—

Han Shuangjiang’s 【Zhegutian】, Shen Man’s 【Slow, Slow Tune】, Chu Yinyin’s 【Parting Joy】…

He even saw Mo Qingmei’s sword, and the swords of his fellow Dao Gate disciples.

“How are these their swords!?” he was shocked.

Looking down—

There was nothing below.

No cultivators. No Gentleman Temple. Not even the Dao Ancestor.

He realized—

Through some method, his divine sense was now guiding all the swords in the Mountains Beyond Mountains region.

Perhaps even more than that.

“Something must be happening outside as well…”

Was this a simulated Myriad Swords Converge—driven by his own mind?

Chu Huaixu calmed himself.

He knew this opportunity was precious.

He could sense that this was different from what the Dao Ancestor had done.

Back then, the Dao Ancestor controlled ten thousand swords.

But now—

They were submitting to Chu Huaixu!

He didn’t know what exactly the Dao Ancestor wanted him to feel.

But this was his first realization:

All swords. All sword spirits.

Their attitude was unified.

Submission!

At this moment, Chu Huaixu observed himself.

He seemed… to have become a sword.

Man is the sword.

He had always resisted this idea.

But—

Atmosphere matters.

When the moment builds to this point—

What man could resist?

Even a stick resembling a sword in the wild would be picked up and swung a few times!

Let alone—

Ten thousand swords submitting!

—I am the sword. So what?

At least, in this moment, Chu Huaixu believed it.

The sword cries grew louder—

Like a grand act of worship!

Amid this chorus—

A system notification sounded.

His Sword Heart was fully condensed.

The progress bar reached 100%.

And the name of this Sword Heart—

Differed from 【Myriad Swords Converge】 by just one character.

Standing within this sea of swords—

“【Ding! Congratulations! You have condensed Sword Heart—Myriad Swords as One.】”