Chapter 571

Chapter 571

I Can See Through Everything

“He’s already having insights this quickly?”

Senior Sister Ye and the others could clearly feel the surge of sword intent emanating from Shen Zangfeng, their faces all showing shock.

It had only been a short while, and Shen Zangfeng had already comprehended something from the carved words?

The other cultivators nearby were also stunned.

They had been studying the carvings for quite some time themselves and could naturally sense the change.

The sword intent rising from Shen Zangfeng wasn’t fully formed yet, but it already closely resembled the sword Dao aura within the carvings.

In other words, in this short amount of time, he had already gained insight.

And judging by the strength of the sword intent radiating from him, his comprehension was deep.

“So this is the cultivation aptitude of a true sword Dao monster…”

A cultivator, sensing the sword intent from Shen Zangfeng, felt both awe and envy.

They were awed by his terrifying aptitude—and envious for the same reason.

In mere moments, Shen Zangfeng had grasped a sword intent they had spent years failing to comprehend.

How could they not be envious?

“I knew it—Brother Shen was bound to receive the sword Dao inheritance within those carvings.”

Batian let out a loud laugh, looking as if everything was within his expectations.

The other members of the Ba Clan also showed admiration.

They, too, had tried to gain insight from the carvings just moments before, but had only managed to catch a faint glimmer of understanding.

They were nowhere near condensing sword intent like Shen Zangfeng had.

As expected of someone on par with their Daozi, having condensed a flawless superior-grade precelestial Golden Core—a true peerless genius!

With that, none of the others had the heart to keep meditating.

Everyone’s attention was now fixed on Shen Zangfeng, waiting to see how far he could take his comprehension.

Could he fully unravel the carvings and obtain the legendary sword Dao inheritance left behind by the sixteenth Lord of Tianxu City?

Could he accomplish what no one had in tens of thousands of years?

Under everyone’s gaze, the sword intent around Shen Zangfeng grew ever more refined.

And just then, Lu Qing slowly opened his eyes.

With a hint of awe, he murmured, “The Seven-Star Sword Formation… I didn’t expect this senior Qixingzi to have taken the path of the sword formation.”

He had refined seven strands of sword intent and combined them into a formation.

Once the Seven-Star Sword Formation was unleashed, it swept through everything in its path—unmatched by anyone of the same level.

At this moment, Lu Qing had fully received the sword Dao inheritance contained in the carvings.

However, what he had gained was far beyond what he expected.

This inheritance wasn’t just any sword technique—it was a rare path of sword formations.

It was about splitting sword Qi into multiple strands, weaving them into a formation, and using the overwhelming might of the formation to annihilate enemies.

“This Seven-Star Sword Formation walks a path completely opposite to the Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi.”

Lu Qing thought back to the other sword Dao inheritance he had once obtained in the Nascent Soul Realm.

Though both were sword Dao inheritances, the Seven-Star Sword Formation focused on dividing sword Qi—one sword becoming myriad arts.

Whereas the Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi condensed all power into a single devastating strand of sword Qi, bursting forth with boundless might.

It destroyed all attacks with a single sword strike—even the sky itself could be cleaved.

It was the path of a single sword breaking all techniques.

“To think I would come to possess two sword Dao inheritances with such fundamentally opposed philosophies: one of myriad forms, one of absolute destruction.”

Lu Qing felt true joy in his heart.

Although the principles behind the Seven-Star Sword Formation and the Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi were polar opposites, they didn’t conflict.

In fact, having mastered such divergent sword paths gave him broader insight.

They would inspire new ideas as he developed the follow-up to the Perfect Golden Core Technique.

Moreover, despite their differing principles, the two sword Dao inheritances might even be capable of being fused together.

He had glimpsed a faint thread of that possibility.

Of course, it was just a possibility—for now.

Whether fusion could truly be achieved would depend on future comprehension and deduction.

But now was not the time to focus on that.

Lu Qing calmed his thoughts and looked ahead, toward the center of attention—Shen Zangfeng.

He had naturally noticed the Ba Clan’s arrival.

Though his main consciousness had been in the illusionary space receiving the inheritance, he had left a portion of his awareness monitoring the outside world.

So he had sensed their arrival but paid them no mind, continuing to absorb the inheritance.

Now, feeling the ever-condensing sword intent around Shen Zangfeng, Lu Qing was impressed.

His sword Dao talent was indeed formidable.

To gain such deep comprehension from the carvings in such a short time—no wonder geniuses thrived in the Tianyuan Great World.

Among everyone Lu Qing had encountered, probably only his master could rival this level of sword Dao aptitude.

Even Xiao Yan would likely fall just short.

Lu Qing hadn’t used his abilities to investigate Shen Zangfeng’s true identity, having just finished receiving the inheritance and with Chu Xiaojing and the others communicating via divine soul transmission.

So he didn’t know who Shen Zangfeng really was—only that he was a peerlessly gifted genius.

“Still, talent alone won’t be enough to fully comprehend the Seven-Star Sword Formation.”

After his admiration faded, Lu Qing silently shook his head.

Despite Shen Zangfeng seemingly being on the verge of condensing the Seven-Star Sword Intent, Lu Qing knew he was bound to fail.

The reason was simple—the inheritance within the carvings on the mountain was incomplete.

When Qixingzi inscribed the words “Tianxu City” upon the stone, he had done so in a moment of inspiration.

His emotions stirred, he had inadvertently imbued the inscription with the sword intent of the Seven-Star Sword Formation he had just conceived.

But he had never intended to leave behind a full inheritance.

As a result, the carvings only contained sword Dao intent, not the actual cultivation method.

If not for Lu Qing’s extraordinary abilities—abilities that allowed him to project a moment in time from tens of thousands of years ago…

And to embody Qixingzi himself, experiencing firsthand the process of unleashing that sword intent…

He, too, would never have obtained the Seven-Star Sword Formation.

Even the Seven-Star Sword Intent itself was no small matter. It was a powerful intent formed by blending seven distinct sword intents into one.

To master the Seven-Star Sword Intent, one had to first comprehend those seven foundational sword intents.

Then, using a unique incantation, one could fuse them into the complete form.

Without the actual cultivation method, comprehending the Seven-Star Sword Intent directly was absolutely impossible.

That was the true reason no one had fully grasped the sword Dao intent within the carvings for tens of thousands of years.

If it truly contained a full inheritance left by the ancestral City Lord, would Tianxu City have allowed the entire cultivation world to study it so freely?

Of course not.

They knew well that the carvings contained no specific cultivation method.

No matter how long others meditated on them, they could never truly grasp the Seven-Star Sword Intent.

As Lu Qing’s thoughts rippled, he noticed that Shen Zangfeng, who had been meditating with closed eyes, suddenly furrowed his brow.

The nearly tangible sword intent surrounding him dispersed in an instant as he opened his eyes.

A long sigh escaped his lips.

“Brother Shen, what’s wrong?”

Batian was startled and quickly asked.

The others also looked on in confusion.

“What a pity,” Shen Zangfeng said, shaking his head.

“A pity? What do you mean?”

“The sword Dao intent in these carvings is incomplete. It isn’t a full sword intent inheritance,” Shen Zangfeng said slowly.

“Is that so…” Batian was astonished. “Then the rumor that’s lasted tens of thousands of years… was false?”

“Not entirely false,” Shen Zangfeng replied. “The sword Dao intent in these carvings is indeed profound and unfathomable.

“For ordinary Golden Core Realm cultivators, just gaining a glimpse of its essence would greatly elevate their sword Dao cultivation.

“So, in that sense, calling it a profound sword Dao inheritance isn’t entirely wrong.

“But regrettably, for someone like me, an incomplete Nascent Soul-level inheritance doesn’t hold much value.”

The disappointment on Shen Zangfeng’s face was hard to hide.

He could feel that the sword Dao inheritance within the carvings was extraordinary and deeply beneficial to him.

If it were a complete cultivation method, his sword Dao would surely make a breakthrough.

Unfortunately, it was incomplete—only sword Dao intent remained, with no corresponding cultivation method.

Even if he tried to forcibly mimic and condense it using his own talent, it would be form without essence.

“To think the truth behind a rumor that persisted for tens of thousands of years would be like this… What a letdown,” Batian said, shaking his head in disappointment.

He had hoped to witness Brother Shen unravel a sword Dao inheritance that no one had been able to comprehend for millennia.

But this was the result?

“Heh, we should’ve expected it,” Shen Zangfeng sighed. “Over the past tens of thousands of years, how many cultivators have come through Tianxu City?

“Among them were surely countless peerless geniuses, some no less talented than us—perhaps even many Nascent Soul experts.

“If the carvings truly contained a complete inheritance from a Five-Tribulation Nascent Soul powerhouse, it would have long been discovered.”

“That’s true,” Batian nodded. “We were fooled by rumors. Since that’s the case, Brother Shen, shall we take our leave?”

“Let’s go. My martial uncle sent word just yesterday, urging me to meet up with him as soon as possible. There’s no need to linger.”

“Very well. Let’s go, then.”

Batian raised his hand and summoned a massive flying vessel.

The members of the Ba Clan filed aboard one after another, with Batian and Shen Zangfeng boarding last.

The next moment, the vessel activated. A surge of power burst forth, and it vanished in a blink before everyone’s eyes.

From beginning to end, Batian and Shen Zangfeng had treated everyone else as if they didn’t exist—not even sparing them a glance.

Once they were certain the Ba Clan had truly departed, a wave of noise erupted on the platform.

Everyone had heard the conversation between Batian and Shen Zangfeng loud and clear.

The legendary sword Dao inheritance said to be contained in Tianxu City’s carvings—was fake?

“How could that be? Then what have I been working so hard to comprehend all these years?”

One cultivator looked utterly disheartened, unwilling to believe what he’d just heard.

“I knew it! The rumors had to be false. Otherwise, why would Tianxu City so generously allow everyone access to such a great opportunity?”

Others shouted indignantly.

“Who said it’s fake? Didn’t you hear what that disciple from Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect said? He only said the inheritance is incomplete, not that the sword Dao intent itself is fake.”

“Exactly! If it were fake, then those experts over the years who gained insights from the carvings—were they all frauds?”

“That’s right! Just from a few years of studying it, my sword Dao cultivation rose from the third transformation of the Golden Core to the fourth. That’s very real!”

…

The cultivators on the platform were engaged in heated debate.

Meanwhile, among the disciples of the Qiankun Sect, murmured discussions stirred as well.

“Senior Sister Ye, you have the highest cultivation among us and are best versed in the sword. Is the sword Dao intent in the carvings really incomplete?”

Chu Xiaojing asked, wide-eyed.

“How could I possibly say for certain?” Senior Sister Ye replied with a wry smile. “I meditated for only a short while just now and found the sword Dao intent within the carvings to be extremely profound and mysterious.

“Even grasping a sliver of its essence is tremendously difficult—how could I possibly determine whether it’s complete or not?”

“In that case, maybe Shen Zangfeng’s words weren’t true after all?” Zixiao mused. “Maybe he’s already grasped the true meaning of the carvings and doesn’t want others to do the same, so he said that on purpose.”

“Very likely!” Chu Xiaojing immediately nodded in agreement. “That Shen Zangfeng might look like a righteous gentleman, but I get the feeling he’s extremely calculating!

“When Batian tried to drive people off earlier, he said it wasn’t necessary—but he was the first to take a seat!”

“Exactly! Over the years, so many people have studied those carvings, and no one’s ever said there was a problem with them!”

Another Qiankun Sect disciple chimed in.

Standing off to the side, Lu Qing couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle upon hearing their conversation.

He suddenly said, “There’s no need to be so fixated on this. Whether the sword Dao intent in those carvings is complete or not—

“As long as it’s helpful to your cultivation, that’s enough.

“The path of cultivation is about remedying one’s deficiencies by drawing from external strengths.

“It requires constant reflection upon heaven and earth, and the tempering of the self.

“As long as you gain insight from it, whether it’s complete or not doesn’t really matter.”

The Qiankun Sect disciples were taken aback by his words at first, but then visibly moved.

And soon enough, they all came to a realization.

“Brother Chen, you’re awake?” Chu Xiaojing exclaimed joyfully.

“Yes, just woke up. I happened to hear your discussion,” Lu Qing nodded slightly.

“Then, Brother Chen, did you comprehend the sword Dao intent from the carvings?”

Chu Xiaojing looked at him full of hope.

The others all turned to Lu Qing as well.

They had seen for themselves the depth of his sword Dao mastery.

Even someone as formidable as the demonized Li Motian had been slain with a single sword finger.

Lu Qing’s sword Dao was unfathomable—if not quite equal to Shen Zangfeng, then surely not far behind.

So everyone eagerly awaited his response.

“Of course not,” Lu Qing said with a smile, shaking his head. “Even a top disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect couldn’t comprehend it—what ability or talent do I possess to surpass that?”