Chapter 147: Sword Sovereign's Predicament
Only Fusion Stage and Tribulation Stage cultivators can refine mystic realms. Once a mystic realm is refined, it gains special rules. For example, the random trials in the Mysterious Mystic Realm—Meng Chun only left behind a remnant soul, and her power alone isn’t enough to make everyone fall into illusions or dreams. That’s due to the rules of the mystic realm.
Another example is the Three Trials of the Sword Tomb, which are also part of the mystic realm’s rules.
These kinds of mystic realms are considered personal possessions, relatively independent from the Nine Provinces World. When the Yin-Yang Heaven Seal awakened the spirit treasures of the Nine Provinces, it didn’t awaken those within mystic realms that had already been refined. That’s why the spirit swords in the second trial are still ordinary spirit swords and haven’t become sentient.
It’s said that all the swords in the second trial once belonged to the Sword Sovereign—some were his personal swords, others were trophies taken from enemies. The number is staggering. The Sword Sovereign used divine arts to conceal their original appearances and fixed them with rules so that each person could only draw one sword—and even then, only if fate allowed.
Rules are rules. No matter how talented you are, like Bai Hongtu, if you lack fate, you won’t be able to draw the best spirit sword. All you can do is settle for a lesser one and miss the chance to enter the third trial.
But wherever there are rules, there are always exceptions. Jiang Li was now pulling swords out like he was yanking out radishes, sword and soil both. Who cares about rules or fate? He could pull them out regardless.
After throwing a bit of a tantrum, Jiang Li finally put all the spirit swords back.
The space where the second trial takes place is vast. Jiang Li was only in a small corner. The others were far away and didn’t see his miraculous antics.
Spirit swords of varying grades—Spirit Artifacts, Magic Artifacts, Dao Artifacts—were being obtained by those with fate.
Those with deep fate got Dao Artifact-level spirit swords. Those with shallow fate got Spirit Artifact-level swords. And those with no fate at all got rusty swords that were one step away from scrap metal.
Quite a few people entered with Qin Luan and the others. Judging by the wide grins on their faces, they’d all gotten decent rewards.
“Look, a Dao Artifact-level spirit sword.”
“Mine’s also Dao Artifact level.”
Seven Kill Daozi and Qin Luan came over, bickering and comparing swords.
“Mr. Jiang, take a look—whose sword is of better quality?”
Seven Kill Daozi thought to himself, I’ve had a bond with swords since I was a child. At three, I hugged my sword to sleep. If I didn’t, I’d wet the bed. At five, I got spanked with a sword sheath whenever I acted up. At seven, I used a sword as a crutch when I broke my leg. Sure, I didn’t test positive for a sword-type spiritual root at twelve, but I fantasized about it every day. At fifteen, my ancestor came to me in a dream and told me I was destined to master the Heaven-Severing Seven Kill Monument.
What does that prove? It proves I, Seven Kill Daozi, was born to walk the Sword Dao. Qin Luan, what do you have to fight me with?!
“Qin Luan’s sword is a notch better than yours.”
“Huh?” Seven Kill Daozi was stunned.
Jiang Li explained, “Both of your swords are high-grade Dao Artifacts. Legend says that during his Fusion Stage, the Sword Sovereign used twin swords for a time. These two swords are likely the Twin Serpent Swords he once wore. Yours is the female sword; Qin Luan’s is the male.”
“When your female sword touches Qin Luan’s male sword, it loses power.”
“Also, the Twin Serpent Swords only unleash their full power when wielded by the same person. If separated, their power drops by sixty or seventy percent, if not more.”
Seven Kill Daozi was hit with a deep sense of defeat.
Although he was unwilling, he could only hand his sword over to Qin Luan.
Because his was the female sword.
However, Qin Luan refused. Instead, he handed the male sword to Seven Kill Daozi.
“Qin Luan, are you trying to insult me?!” Seven Kill Daozi glared at him, teeth clenched, and took the male sword.
Qin Luan: “…”
Your mind and your body really are on different channels.
He ignored Seven Kill Daozi and said to Jiang Li, “Mr. Jiang, actually, before I found the male sword, I sensed another sword that seemed to have a strong connection with me. I think it might be the best sword in the Sword Tomb, but I couldn’t pull it out, so I went looking and ended up with this male sword instead.”
This plot sounds familiar. Jiang Li’s interest was piqued. “Where is that sword?”
Qin Luan led the way and brought Jiang Li to a small mound, which was covered in swords.
“That one.” Qin Luan gripped a sword hilt and used all his strength, but it wouldn’t budge.
The moment Jiang Li laid his hand on the sword and prepared to exert force, he sensed a divine sense emanating from within the sword.
“Fellow Daoist, please don’t force it.”
“Sword Sovereign?”
A misty white fog drifted out from the spirit sword and coalesced into a human figure—white robe, white boots, handsome and elegant, tall and noble, with the proud air unique to sword cultivators between his brows. Just his gaze carried the oppressive aura of a superior being.
Bai Hongtu used to have this, too. But after fighting Jiang Li, he learned to behave.
This was the first time Qin Luan and the others had ever seen a true Tribulation Stage cultivator. Unlike Jiang Li’s unassuming Mahayana demeanor, the Sword Sovereign’s aloof, world-dominating presence matched their idea of what a true powerhouse should be.
If Jiang Li had the same attitude, they probably wouldn’t dare follow him—the pressure would’ve been too much.
What Qin Luan didn’t know was that Tribulation Stage experts in the Nine Provinces used to all act like the Sword Sovereign—arrogant, stubborn, convinced of their own invincibility.
After all, they were all in the Tribulation Stage. How different could any of them be?
But Jiang Li changed their mindset. With his strength, he showed them that there really is a Mahayana Stage beyond Tribulation, and that their cultivation was far from enough. They had no right to be arrogant.
That’s why Tribulation Stage cultivators in the Nine Provinces now quietly focused on training, not daring to act superior anymore.
“Indeed, that’s me. I can sense that your cultivation is unfathomable—likely Tribulation Stage, like me. But even so, please don’t get involved. This is my own matter.”
The Sword Sovereign couldn’t see through Jiang Li’s cultivation, which meant Jiang Li was also Tribulation Stage. The idea of someone being Mahayana or ascending to immortality hadn’t even crossed his mind. The Stairway to Immortality had vanished—no one could ascend. As for Mahayana Stage, to him, that was simply impossible.
The more he cultivated as a Tribulation Stage expert, the more he felt Mahayana was out of reach—something no one could achieve.
“What happened?”
“Four thousand years ago, I stepped into the Tribulation Stage. Feeling grateful for heaven’s blessings and for the people who tempered my sword, I inscribed my Twelve Sword Forms onto a stone stele as the first trial. I offered all the swords I had collected in my life as the second trial. The third trial is me—whoever finds me and passes the trial, I’d give them some guidance, maybe even take them as a disciple.”
For a sword cultivator, being taught by the Sword Sovereign would indeed be an incredible opportunity.
“It’s embarrassing to say,” the Sword Sovereign sighed. “Who would’ve thought that while I was in seclusion on the third level, I encountered a Heart Demon Tribulation, which shook my sword heart. I lost in panic, and my heart demon took over. I, the original self, was driven out and attached to this sword.”
“I’m in the second level; the heart demon is on the third. I used a portion of the rules to trap him there. If he dares leave the third level, the rules will backfire on him—not fatally, but enough for me to strike and reclaim my body.”
“This sword is the best among all the second trial’s swords and the only one that can bear my soul. According to the rules, whoever draws it will be transported to the third level. But if I forcibly change the rules, the heart demon will escape the third level.”
“That’s why we’ve been locked in stalemate for four thousand years.”