Chapter 8: The 'Heart-Sword Style' of the Nameless Sword Art

Ji Ning, clad in black Daoist robes, extended a finger and condensed a seven-colored divine sword, then began to execute a sword art.

Swish, swish, swish~~~

The sword shadows were dreamlike and illusory, as if raindrops appeared everywhere, occasionally revealing a hint of sharpness.

At first, Ji Ning's face still bore a puzzled and bewildered expression, but as he practiced, he gradually revealed joy, even letting out a long, high-pitched cry.

"Swish."

A flash of sword light vanished as if it had hidden into the void.

"What a fine 'concealed sharpness,'" Ji Ning stopped, unable to hide the joy in his eyes. "Bei Xiu World God went to great lengths to guide me. Ninety-eight sword technique steles, step by step leading me... making my insights into the sword increasingly suitable for cultivating the 'Nameless Sword Art.'"

"These two sword technique steles both convey the meaning of 'concealed sharpness,' and I have understood them."

"The ninety-eight sword technique steles... all are now clear to me!"

Ji Ning waved his hand.

A碧玉神殿 appeared beside him, and he immediately entered it. On the walls of the碧玉神殿 were displayed countless patterns and sword moves, recording the true ultimate technique of Bei Xiu World God, the 'Nameless Sword Art.' Even at Bei Xiu World God's level, the sword moves he recorded were only partially mastered.

Being able to record them does not mean being able to master them all.

Just as the Sanqing Daoist could record the Ninefold Chaos Seals, but when he refined the 'Immortal-Slaying Sword Diagram,' he had only comprehended seven of them.

"The 'Nameless Sword Art' points directly to the source," Ji Ning said softly. "According to Bei Xiu World God, cultivating this sword art offers hope of reaching the sixth level of sword force."

The sixth level of sword force, the 'Sword World' realm, is a state of great perfection.

If one truly reached this level, a cultivator of the Divine Demon path could completely reconstruct their body with the 'Sword World' as the core, becoming a World God!

A cultivator of the Immortal path could, with the 'Sword World' as the core, cause the golden core space within their body to return to chaos and step into the realm of Chaos Immortal!

The 'Sword World' realm is on the same level as the Chaos Heavenly Dao!

The Chaos Heavenly Dao is the most common. According to Bei Xiu World God's records, over ninety-nine percent of cultivators become World Gods or Chaos Immortals by relying on the Chaos Heavenly Dao! Because chaos is omnipresent, no matter which Heavenly Dao one comprehends—for example, fully comprehending the Water Element Heavenly Dao—one can immediately begin to comprehend the Chaos Heavenly Dao.

Chaos evolves into Yin and Yang, into life and destruction, into metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

No matter which of the other nine Heavenly Daos one fully comprehends, one can comprehend chaos! Thus, any Dao Ancestor can draw power from chaos and comprehend it! This leads to a very large number of cultivators who become World Gods or Chaos Immortals by comprehending the 'Chaos Heavenly Dao.'

In contrast, those who become World Gods or Chaos Immortals by comprehending the 'Sword Source' to reach the Sword World realm are extremely rare.

Every 'World God' or 'Chaos Immortal' who reaches the Sword World realm is an exceedingly fearsome existence, with extraordinary offensive power, far beyond ordinary Chaos Immortals and World Gods.

However—

Each improvement in sword force level is ten or a hundred times more difficult.

Going from the first to the second level of sword force is relatively easy; the third level is not too difficult; the fourth level is very hard.

Stepping into the fifth level, the 'Sword God realm,' there are only a handful in the Three Realms, fewer than the number of leaders!

Stepping into the sixth level, the 'Sword World realm,' is even more difficult, far harder than becoming a World God or Chaos Immortal!

"And the 'Nameless Sword Art' is a peerless sword art that points directly to the source and can cultivate one to the 'Sword World realm,'" Ji Ning said, looking at the sword art recorded on the walls of the碧玉神殿.

The 'Nameless Sword Art' recorded before him consisted of seven forms! It was still an incomplete text; Bei Xiu World God did not even know the name of this sword art.

He had only mastered five forms back then! But mastering the third form would allow one to step into the 'Sword World realm.'

"Let alone the third form, even this first form... if I can master it, my chances in the final battle will be greatly increased," Ji Ning said, looking at the wall.

The first form of the 'Nameless Sword Art'—the 'Heart-Sword Style.'

Once this form is mastered! Below the level of World Gods and Chaos Immortals, in terms of sword art alone, one would have almost no rivals. Among tens of thousands of Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals, it would be hard to find one whose sword art could compare.

...

Ji Ning, clad in black Daoist robes, carefully observed the wall, comprehending this first form.

The previous ninety-eight sword technique steles were all preparations for comprehending the first form. Without those ninety-eight steles, merely looking at the first form would be enough to make one feel like vomiting blood. Having understood the previous ninety-eight, Ji Ning could now comprehend it, but he still found it extremely difficult.

"The Heart-Sword Style... this, the first form of the Nameless Sword Art, is so ethereal, so unfathomable." Ji Ning could not understand as he looked at the densely packed sword moves on the wall; those moves were only for his reference.

The Heart-Sword Style...

Originally without sword moves, yet there is a heart-sword.

In all his years of cultivation, Ji Ning had relied on the sword in his hand for battle! The 'Heart-Only Style,' 'Dripping Blood Style,' 'Heaven-Collapsing Style,' 'Shadowless Style,' and 'Yin-Yang Style' of the Brightmoon Sword Art were all visible sword moves. But the 'Heart-Sword Style' of the Nameless Sword Art had no sword moves at all... This made it very difficult for Ji Ning to comprehend.

He vaguely glimpsed that realm, but still found it extremely hard to comprehend.

He also understood that once he mastered it, he would enter a new realm of swordsmanship.

...

After practicing the sword for three to five years, Ji Ning would stop and go to quietly comprehend the 'Water Element Heavenly Dao.'

Practicing the sword and comprehending the Dao.

Alternating between the two... Although the final battle was imminent, Ji Ning still quietly comprehended and cultivated.

...

The Three Realms were already seething with undercurrents; both camps were preparing for the final decisive battle.

Great beings like the Jue Ming Buddha, who had hidden their strength, were also ready at any moment.

The Ten Thousand Demon Realm.

"In this realm war in the Shennong Great World, after nine years of fighting, we still lost." Mo Zhu Dao Ancestor, sitting there, spoke with urgency. "Demon Lord, didn't you say we had an army of insect beasts? In that realm war in the Shennong Great World... why didn't the insect beast army appear in the end?"

The Ten Thousand Demon Lord sat above, smiling at Mo Zhu Dao Ancestor: "Mo Zhu, no need to be impatient. We need to set our sights broader. Losing this war is no big deal; at least we preserved our strength, and the losses aren't great. As for the insect beast army, of course we have it, but we'll wait until the final struggle for fate before deploying it."

"Feng Mo, is there really an insect beast army?" Mo Shou Dao Ancestor, sitting nearby, pressed.

"Yes." The Ten Thousand Demon Lord nodded.

"Why have we never known about it before, and only now do you reveal it?" Mo Shou Dao Ancestor asked in confusion.

"It was kept secret before." The Ten Thousand Demon Lord swept his gaze across the room. "Today, a great being of our Wujian Gate returns. Everyone, please wait a moment."

"A great being returns?" Everyone present was puzzled.

"Aren't all our great beings already in the Three Realms?" Black Robe God King was even more confused. The powerful Ancestral Gods from ancient times died in the Primordial Destruction War. The few powerful ones who survived, like Mo Shou Dao Ancestor and Huan Mu Master, were also in the Three Realms. What great being was returning?

"You'll know in a moment." The Ten Thousand Demon Lord smiled. Although they had just lost the battle in the Shennong Great World, he was still in a good mood.

The other ten or so great beings present could only wait in confusion.

After about half an hour.

A figure suddenly appeared at the door and stepped inside. His head was half-bald, and his eyes carried a natural ferocity and ruthlessness. As soon as he entered, he was visibly excited and respectfully knelt: "Disciple pays respects to Master."

"No need." The Ten Thousand Demon Lord reached out, and a surge of divine power held the man's knees. The Ten Thousand Demon Lord smiled, "Disciple, you have endured endless years in solitude. It is I who should thank you. Moreover, your current strength is comparable to the Ancestral God level, so there is even less need to kneel."

"Without Master, I would have died as a mortal." The bald man, exuding a fierce aura, said respectfully, "No matter when, Master is always my master."

The Ten Thousand Demon Lord smiled.

He liked this disciple the most and trusted him the most.

"Shi Hu!" Black Robe God King stood up, staring incredulously at the fierce bald man. "You, you didn't die?"

"Bu Xiu, if you didn't die, how could I?" The bald man sneered.

"Feng Mo, you say that Xue Hu is comparable to an Ancestral God? He has reached the leader level?" Mo Shou Dao Ancestor asked in surprise.

The Ten Thousand Demon Lord nodded: "Yes."

"Hahaha..." Huan Mu Master laughed. "Back then, Feng Mo, you rescued us, traveled the chaos alone, and only released us when you returned to the Three Realms. You said your disciple 'Xue Hu Demon Ancestor' had died in the chaos... It turns out you deliberately deceived us."