Chapter 177: The Spirit of a Sword Cultivator
Chen Huaiâan took a moment to compose himself...
He was a science major, not exactly great with words.
But after descending into Cangyun Realm so many times through his recharged avatar... After seeing so much of the world...
He found that his mind had unknowingly become more refined.
Now, with countless disciples staring at him, his adrenaline surged, and his mind went blank...
But somehow, the words flowed naturally from his heart.
"Disciples of the Sword Pavilion... look!"
Chen Huaiâan raised two fingers like a sword and drew a line across the sky.
Clangâ!
From afar, a snow-capped mountain suddenly collapsed, its peak sheared off with a single sword cry. The clean, iron-straight cross-section was exposed, gleaming under the moonlight.
Su Qinianâs eyelids twitched.
That mountain had just been cultivated, with several spirit fields on it.
In an instant, at least a million low-grade spirit stonesâ worth of investment was wiped out... with just a flick of the ancestorâs finger.
Chen Huaiâan spoke, his voice firm.
"A disciple of the Sword Pavilion must stand like this mountainâs ridge."
"For three thousand years, wind and frost have battered it... Its peak has crumbled, its slopes have fractured... yet this sword ridge remains unyielding. It would rather shatter than bend. It would rather break than bow."
With that, Chen Huaiâan took out a half-broken swordâ
It was Li Qingranâs former sword, the one he had taken after giving her the Su Xian Sword.
Originally, he had kept it as a souvenir... But now, it had become a symbol.
The disciples gazed at the fractured blade.
The swordâs body was riddled with cracks, yet it still emitted an inch of unwavering sword intent.
"The core of the Sword Dao... is spine first, edge second!"
Chen Huaiâanâs silver hair swayed without wind.
Behind him, an ancient pine tree that had stood for three thousand years was silently shattered by the invisible sword intent released with his words.
"A sword... must be like pine and cypress against the snow! Even under a hundred layers of frost... it must pierce through, carving a path straight to the heavens!"
Su Qinian glanced at the destroyed pine tree...
Then he silently added another ten low-grade spirit stones to the sectâs expense log.
"Ancestor... You are ruthless."
"Lastly... there is the matter of sharpening oneâs sword."
"A sword honed for ten years... its frost-bitten edge never tested."
"A fellow disciple is your grindstone... A blade tempered in blood, an edge sharpened by the soul... Only then, in the moment of life and death, can it drink deep of demonic blood!"
"This time, when you enter the Secret Realm, remember these three things!"
Chen Huaiâan put away the broken sword... and with a wave of his sleeve, his sword intent fused with the moonlight, sinking into the foreheads of all the disciples who were listening with rapt attention.
"The swordâs edge is not for slaughter... but for the safety of your comrades."
"The swordâs aura is not for fame and glory... but to keep the righteous path alive."
"And when your sword breaks... do not grieve."
His voice suddenly softenedâ
But at that very moment, the entire Sword Pavilion trembled.
In the sectâs ancestral shrine, where Lin Yuxi was meditating, the memorial tablets of past ancestors began shaking violently.
In the Sword Grave at the back of the mountain, where broken swords lay embedded in the ground, they suddenly quivered in unison.
Crackâ!
The sound of shattered scabbards tore through the night.
Countless streaks of azure sword light soared into the sky.
The broken swords rose into the air, spiraling around the summit of Luoxia Peak, their blade edges humming.
The disciples looked up, watching the swords shine.
Upon each broken blade, golden names surfacedâ
These were the names of fallen Sword Pavilion disciples from past generations.
Chen Huaiâan gazed at them as well.
For a moment, countless images flashed through his mindâ
Blood and tears.
Roars of defiance.
Unyielding spirits.
His eyes grew slightly misty, his voice trembling as he spoke.
"Their sharpest sword technique... was the way their broken bodies shielded their comrades."
"Their brightest sword light... was the final explosion of a sword formation as their souls vanished."
Hummmâ!
Suddenly, some disciplesâ own swords began unsheathing on their own, resonating with the broken blades in the sky.
"Sheathe your swords."
Chen Huaiâan lowered his gaze, giving a soft command.
In an instantâ
All the swords fell silent.
"If the day comes when your sword breaks... then use your bones as your blade... your blood as your edge... and your soul as your flame."
"For ten thousand years, the Sword Pavilion has stoodânot because of some peerless divine sword... but because of the unbreakable sword bones of those who refused to turn their backs to the enemy."
What does it mean to have the spirit of a sword cultivator?
The wind tore his words apart.
But on Luoxia Peak, the sword intent surged toward the heavens, and the sword cries echoed like temple bells.
At the edge of the Sword Grave, a withered iron fir tree, dead for thirty years, suddenly sprouted new leaves.
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"Did I... just do something legendary in Cangyun Realm?"
The avatarâs time ran out.
Chen Huaiâan took off his VR helmet, his hands shaking, his mind in a daze.
"Did I really say all that? Since when did I become such a speechmaster?"
Deciding to praise himself, he gave a thumbs-up to his own reflection in the mirror.
"Iâm amazing!"
The resources had been distributed.
Li Qingranâs survival rate had increased to 99.999%.
But...
It still wouldnât reach 100%.
Chen Huaiâan accepted this.
"Nothing in this world is truly absolute... Just like how the sun rises in the east and sets in the westâit seems like an unshakable truth, but what if you blow up the sun?"
He had spent a ton of money...
But he hadnât just given things away for free.
He made the Sword Pavilion disciples work for himâthe alchemists refined pills for him, the talisman makers crafted seals, the swordsmiths forged sword marbles, and those who couldnât do any of that?
They had to write Sword Dao insights, which he collected for âreviewââbut in reality, he was just hoarding them like a merchant.
He even had Su Qinian order spirit wine from the Pill Sect, under the excuse that he liked to drink.
After giving away so many resources, even the most stingy Sect Master of the Sword Pavilion...
Was moved to tears.
Surprisingly, he didnât even haggle.
Chen Huaiâan was deeply satisfied.
Otherwise, he might have had to âventilateâ the Sect Leaderâs Hall.
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Without Li Qingranâs gentle gaze watching over him...
He finally had the energy to examine his Supreme-tier reward.
Chen Huaiâan had thought the Scarlet Heart Insight would appear physically, but instead, it directly integrated into his mind.
A golden flash of enlightenment lit up in his consciousness.
And now, it was completely under his control, ready to be used whenever he pleased.
"I have two techniquesâTideborn Technique and Heavenly Demon Technique... Which one should I upgrade?"
He took out the Heavenly Demon Techniqueâa stone tablet the size of an adultâs forearm, covered in bloody, writhing text that exuded demonic energy.
Just looking at it...
Even his spiritual beasts were unnerved.
"Should I modify this... and step into the path of the Demon Dao as a sword cultivator?"
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