Chapter 274: Heaven Never Bore Me, Gu Jin Nian; Sword Dao Eternal as a Long Night, Sword—Come!

Gu Jin Nian's voice rang out.

It drew the attention of the world.

He now stands within Tong Tian Sword Mountain, where murderous intent flares everywhere, terrifyingly so; a single misstep could cause Gu Jin Nian to be lost in this cataclysm.

People watch Gu Jin Nian, and they are also curious how he will resolve this killing calamity.

Especially the strong of the Jie Tian Sect, they watch Gu Jin Nian, hoping he will be slain by the Silent‑Extinction Sword God.

Within Tong Tian Sword Mountain.

As Gu Jin Nian's voice sounded.

Everything fell silent.

"Junior can fulfill the senior's wish."

A resonant voice rang out, and Gu Jin Nian's words instantly drew a flood of mockery.

"Fulfilling the Silent‑Extinction Sword God's wish? Who do you think you are? Gu Jin Nian, though you are a saint and have great worldly fortune, you are virtually clueless about the Sword Dao; what right do you have to speak of fulfilling the Sword God's wish?"

A voice sounded, not mocking or ridiculing, but actually a kind of anger.

He believes that although Gu Jin Nian is powerful, he is not that powerful; though a saint, everyone knows Gu Jin Nian is completely ignorant of the Sword Dao, and under such circumstances, how can he fulfill the Silent‑Extinction Sword God's wish?

Isn't that ridiculous?

"The Silent‑Extinction Sword God is a peerless Sword Dao master, the supreme of the mythic age; his wish is not something an ordinary person can accomplish."

"Even if a saint, even if Confucius himself descended, I wouldn't mind; after all, Saint Gu is enlightened in the Confucian‑Taoist lineage, but the Silent‑Extinction Sword God is different—fulfilling his wish? That's somewhat exaggerated."

Some voices sounded, from the ancient peoples, they truly could not endure.

Especially the Ancient Sword Sect.

Even more intense words followed.

"The Silent‑Extinction Sword God's greatest wish is the ultimate Sword Dao; if it's merely other insights, I would believe Saint Gu, but the Sword Dao lineage—it's not that I look down on Saint Gu—do you understand the Sword Dao?"

A voice sounded, from the ancient human tribe's Sword Origin Immortal Sect; they are a great Sword Dao sect, and the speaker is the sect's head instructor, who originally taught sword techniques to Jian Jiutian.

It can be said that he is the foremost Sword Dao practitioner of the age.

Naturally, faced with Gu Jin Nian's words, they felt a chill, thinking Gu Jin Nian truly somewhat ridiculous.

Voices rose one after another.

In fact, even those who support Gu Jin Nian speak little now, not because they are unwilling to support, but because these words indeed have little issue.

No one has ever heard of Gu Jin Nian having any attainment or achievement in the Sword Dao.

Now saying this, they support Gu Jin Nian and are willing to believe in him, but praising him is truly hard to find a suitable reason.

"One method mastered leads to all methods mastered; Jin Nian's talent is far more than what you see."

At this moment, Su Wenjing's voice rang out.

He is a saint and also Gu Jin Nian's master; his words still carry weight.

"Indeed, one method mastered leads to all methods mastered, but the Sword Dao lineage is completely different. I can recognize Gu Jin Nian; even though he has now entered the Seventh Realm of Sword Dao, I still believe that he has never practiced sword techniques. No matter how high his talent, could he leap into the Sword God Realm overnight?"

"If that were the case, from now on, the Sword Dao lineage would only revere Gu Jin Nian."

A voice sounded, still the head instructor of the Sword Origin Immortal Sect; he still looks down on Gu Jin Nian, because Sword Dao is his strongest domain, and he is qualified to disdain Gu Jin Nian.

"That's different."

"The Sword Dao lineage itself is also about comprehension; I once gave the ancient Sword Dao scripture to Saint Gu, though the time was short, but with Saint Gu's talent, perhaps he has already mastered much, not completely clueless."

At this moment, a voice sounded; it was the Eastern Sword Saint, who now has also entered the Seventh Realm and received the world's blessing.

Therefore at this time, he still has the right to say a few words for Gu Jin Nian.

The Eastern Sword Saint's voice rang out, provoking surprise; many looked and immediately began to argue.

"So the Eastern Sword Saint once taught sword techniques to Gu Jin Nian?"

"That's truly uncertain; Saint Gu's talent, across ancient and modern times, there is almost no one like him; such talent shakes past and present, perhaps he truly has comprehended something."

"That is also true; thinking carefully, Saint Gu dared to come to Tong Tian Sword Mountain, surely he has his own confidence—without confidence, who would dare venture here?"

Some voices sounded, they praised Gu Jin Nian, finally finding a key point.

"What use can an ordinary sword scripture have?"

The ancient human tribe's voice returned, full of contempt, dismissive.

This was mocking the Eastern Sword Saint.

The latter heard it and said nothing, because his words were correct; in the other's eyes, his sword technique truly is ordinary.

These people are all from the ancient era; their scriptures indeed shake past and present.

Boom.

However, within Tong Tian Sword Mountain, terrifying sword qi spread again; the sword qi was astonishing, nine celestial swords locked tightly above Gu Jin Nian's head, the murderous aura more dreadful than before.

This sword qi pierced flesh, striking straight at the primordial spirit; all 108 Sword Mountains also rumbled.

It seemed as if the Silent‑Extinction Sword God were enraged, looking incredibly terrifying.

"Senior."

"Separated by several eras, the junior also has different insights."

Gu Jin Nian's voice rang out.

His expression was calm.

The enemy is not frightening; what is frightening is that the enemy has no weakness. The Silent‑Extinction Sword God has one, so he is not afraid; it's simply whether he can resolve it himself.

"Stop speaking; the Silent‑Extinction Sword God is not as simple as you think. The Sword Dao lineage, you may not grasp; if you follow the saint's way, the Silent‑Extinction Sword God might grant you some face, after all you have the saint's inheritance; if you argue with him about the Sword Dao…"

"If you don't receive his answer, you may truly die here."

Senior Tie Bing spoke; he knows what the Silent‑Extinction Sword God signifies and understands Gu Jin Nian's current predicament, so he hopes Gu Jin Nian relies more on his own system rather than discussing the Sword Dao with the Silent‑Extinction Sword God.

He said something blunt.

Is Gu Jin Nian a match? Does he truly know sword technique? But the words have already been spoken; inside the main peak of Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain, a terrifying aura spreads out at this moment, the immortal sword locks on—if Gu Jin Nian makes the slightest rash move, he will be executed on the spot.

The terrifying aura presses down; everyone watches nervously, curious about Gu Jin Nian's fate, and also curious how the Extinction Sword God will act.

"What is the Sword Dao?"

However, at this very moment, a grand voice sounded within Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain; the voice was full of vicissitudes and also carried an overbearing aura.

He was asking Gu Jin Nian.

What is the Sword Dao.

Obviously, the Extinction Sword God has become somewhat interested.

In response to Gu Jin Nian's answer.

At that very moment, voices suddenly sounded.

"Extinction Sword God, Gu Jin Nian is our brother; we hope the sword god will show mercy and spare him."

The voice sounded; it was the voices of the Ten Palace Kings.

At that time, the Ten Palace Kings appeared, their figures appearing within Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain, gazing at the Extinction Sword God.

They were both supreme beings of the mythic era; in that era, the Ten Palace Kings were somewhat stronger than the Extinction Sword God, but now they have received this world's grace, so their strength has weakened; otherwise they would not need to do this, they could simply act and settle everything.

The appearance of the Ten Palace Kings indeed made this matter somewhat different; the various ancient clans,

"My affair."

"No one can interfere."

However, within Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain, the Extinction Sword God's voice sounded; this was his response, informing the Ten Palace Kings not to interfere.

This is very overbearing.

Hearing this, the Ten Palace Kings' expressions turned slightly cold; in the mythic era they were invincible beings, and even when facing the Extinction Sword God they would absolutely not make any compromise.

But in this era, being treated this way, they naturally feel resentful.

"The Extinction Sword God is indeed somewhat arrogant; should we just act, using the Netherworld Holy Artifact, to open a passage for Brother Jin Nian?"

A voice of will sounded, asking Qin Guang Wang; facing the Extinction Sword God's such remarks, they also felt uncomfortable and were not afraid of battle.

"We can try using the Netherworld Holy Artifact; we need not fear him—worst case, we perish together; we are all mighty beings of the mythic era, who fears whom?"

"We can act."

"I can accept."

The Ten Palace Kings' wills kept communicating; they were truly angry, these people of their status came, yet the Extinction Sword God gave them no face at all, leaving them somewhat unable to accept.

However, Qin Guang Wang's voice sounded, letting everyone fall silent.

"Cannot win."

"Even if we use the Netherworld Holy Artifact, we still cannot defeat him; the mythic seal remains, we are destined to lose to him."

"Moreover, even if we truly won, it would only be to rescue Jin Nian; the Extinction Sword God would still seek to destroy the world, and Jin Nian would not stand by idly."

"Letting him stay here is a good thing for Jin Nian; but if Jin Nian cannot resolve it, we will act again to rescue him."

Qin Guang Wang spoke; he knew Gu Jin Nian's intentions and also knew what Gu Jin Nian cared about—merely rescuing Gu Jin Nian would not be significant.

Hearing this, the other Yama Kings fell silent; they understood Qin Guang Wang's meaning and ultimately said nothing more.

At that very moment.

Sword qi again spread, filling the great world with a killing aura.

"What is the Sword Dao?"

The voice sounded.

Ice-cold beyond compare.

The Extinction Sword God's inquiry made everyone feel this intense killing intent; if Gu Jin Nian fails to answer well, his fate will surely be miserable.

At this moment, all eyes of the great world gathered on Gu Jin Nian, eagerly curious what he would say.

Within Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain.

Gu Jin Nian felt this terrifying aura, an unprecedented pressure that made it hard for him to breathe.

The terrifying killing intent made his hair stand on end, yet facing such pressure,

Gu Jin Nian involuntarily let out a long breath.

He spoke no word, gave no answer; instead his gaze was calm as he looked upon all the surrounding sword souls, then slowly opened his mouth.

"Later-generation person Gu Jin Nian."

"I humbly ask the seniors to bestow upon me the Sword Dao."

"As a junior, I wish to comprehend the ultimate Sword Dao; I hope the seniors will lend me their strength."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

He truly does not understand sword technique, even saying he knows nothing of it, but he is not afraid; he wishes to comprehend the Dao here, to comprehend the ultimate Sword Dao.

Although he has a feeling of last-minute cramming, he is confident he can clearly comprehend this world's strongest sword technique.

Upon hearing this, the 108 sword mountains instantly boiled at this moment, sword souls surging forth and entering Gu Jin Nian's body.

Thus he clearly comprehended the Sword Dao.

These sword souls were the strongest swordsmen of all ages; they have lost their names over time, but their sword intent endures.

As the sword souls entered his body,

The Extinction Sword God said nothing; he could wait, and also gave Gu Jin Nian this opportunity.

Meanwhile, in the great world, some people do not wish to see this scene; they do not want to give Gu Jin Nian any chance, and would rather the Extinction Sword God ask for an answer now, then Gu Jin Nian fail to reply and be executed on the spot here.

It is a pity that Gu Jin Nian is a sage, and the Extinction Sword God is willing to give him this opportunity.

Boom boom boom! As the sword souls entered his body,

Gu Jin Nian slowly closed his eyes, sensing the intent of these sword souls.

Close both eyes.

The surrounding scene changed instantly.

A large amount of memory also appeared in the mind.

Heavy snow fluttered.

The cold wind pierced to the bone.

A youth was practicing sword under the eaves.

The youth swung his sword, his momentum extremely full, his gaze extremely firm.

Spring warm, summer cool, autumn wind, winter cold.

The youth practiced sword for three years, finally condensed sword qi, without any words, shouldered his pack, rode a swift horse, and stepped into the martial world immortal path.

All the way hurried, the scenery beautiful yet bleak; this is the growth of a lone swordsman.

Crossing mountains and ridges, in the bitter winter, he walked while swinging his sword.

Under the waterfall, he tempered his body.

The sword way grew ever more proficient, sword qi ever stronger; when the road had injustice, he swept away all injustice with vast righteous sword qi.

His sword intent grew ever stronger.

His sword qi also grew ever stronger.

All the way singing triumphantly, he defeated all heroes under heaven; all sword cultivators, he walked the invincible path.

A mortal body, in the mythic era, one person one sword, traversing heaven and earth, he had no shackles, only pursuing the invincible path.

In a hurry a hundred years, the youth had already grown into an extremely powerful sword cultivator.

On a great mountain.

Vast white snow.

The growing swordsman bore a blue-edged sword, gazing at a famed swordsman under heaven; he drew his own sword and crossed blades with him.

This was a great battle.

If he could defeat the top ten sword cultivators under heaven, he would completely solidify his invincible sword dao heart.

However, this great battle ultimately ended in failure.

His invincible path ended here.

Undefeated in a lifetime.

But when facing a true strong opponent, he lost.

Just one.

His sword shattered, his dao heart destroyed; the one who defeated him felt no pleasure, on the contrary his injuries were extremely severe; although he had won, this battle drained his life, and not long after he would be buried in the ages.

He lost.

Heaven and earth all instantly dimmed and lightless.

His life, at this moment, was utterly defeated, devoid of any brilliance.

Under the gaze of countless people, he chose to leave.

He became a destitute swordsman.

He no longer went about doing righteous deeds; when encountering unfair matters, he merely lowered his head and glanced at his sword.

After who knows how many years, he grew old to the extreme, came to a mortal dynasty, became a wanderer, drinking heavily each day, lying anywhere in the city.

In recent years, someone still mentioned his name, but as time passed, no one remembered who he was.

People discussed a new swordsman, he was very invincible, all the way victorious; they sang of his glory, praised his youthful heart, worshiped his forward-moving spirit.

But vast great snow.

Who would know, a lonely swordsman slept in the great snow, forever closed his eyes.

Scene shifts.

Still a youth.

On a high mountain.

Several hundred youths were waving the long swords in their hands.

The youth was weak; he waved the long sword, yet appeared somewhat laughable; the people around him all had divine aura and were stronger than him.

He was very helpless; in the crowd he was quite conspicuous, but not a shining conspicuousness—rather a somewhat laughable conspicuousness.

Waiting for people to leave.

The youth did not choose to leave; he was striving to swing the sword, though his aptitude was poor, he did not want to give up.

One shichen.

Two shichen.

Three shichen.

The great night filled the sky; above the firmament the moon was not visible; the late wind came rustling, and there was an indescribable loneliness.

He put in more effort than others.

One day.

Ten days.

One month.

Ten months.

Three years later.

The youth remained weak, but everyone in the sect knew there was a person who was extremely diligent.

But just on this day, the sect elder appeared, said something to the youth, roughly meaning, let the youth leave the sword sect.

He did make an effort.

But his talent was too poor, his physique also inadequate, unsuitable for sword practice.

This day.

Under the starry sky.

The boy wept loudly; under the moonlight, he poured out all the grievances of these three years, he wept silently—not because he was driven away to weep, but because his three years of effort had yielded no return.

It makes one feel sad.

The next day.

The boy left; no one cared about an ordinary talent-less person departing—this era was originally one of heroes contending for supremacy, and everyone's gaze was fixed on those shining stars.

Who would care about the dim starlight?

No one would care.

The boy left; he did not choose to give up sword practice, even placing himself in deadly situations to survive; he experienced countless life-and-death trials, and in his eyes there was only the sword way.

Several times, he almost died inside a certain secret realm.

Experienced life and death.

He had no complaints; on the contrary, he chose to strive forward without hesitation.

He knew his talent was too poor.

He also knew his sword way was inferior to others'.

But he knew even more: if he did not rely on himself, this life was destined to be dim.

Thus.

A hundred years passed hastily.

He became a renowned sword cultivator, yet merely renowned, his dream remained a hundred thousand eight thousand miles away.

In the deep night.

He was thinking, how should his sword way be, and whether he still needed to persist in sword practice?

Before him lay two paths.

Here he could establish a sect, relying on his fame to enjoy his twilight years and become a prominent local figure—although the true sword way was still far away, at least he would no longer have to live that life.

The second path was to pick up his sword and embark on a new road ahead, which could be extremely dark and full of danger.

After such a choice, he finally let out a long breath, picked up his sword, and once again stepped onto his sword way.

He emulated the ancients, making friends through the sword.

But it was not as smooth as imagined; only failure remained, again and again, leaving him numb.

But his sword-heart also grew stronger each time.

He believed that someday he would surely become a master of the sword way.

But although the ideal was good, after several hundred years he grew old, unable to lift his sword, and chose to bury himself in the place where he began, returning to his roots.

The fighting spirit in his heart gradually faded with time.

Looking back on his life.

Failure permeated his life.

In his youth he entered the Sword Sect; as a teenager he was expelled; in middle age he gained fame, yet ultimately he remained obscure, dreaming of continuous success, but in the end he was defeated by time and by his talent.

He did not know what he was pursuing in this life, nor why he struggled so hard.

If he had let go earlier, perhaps it would have been better.

No one knew what he was thinking, nor did anyone know his life.

Even if they knew, they would not say anything.

Indeed, failure permeated his life.

There was nothing noteworthy.

Even the only regrettable point was his overconfidence.

The scene shifted again.

Still, heavy snow fell.

In an ancient city.

A child stood under the heavy snow, enduring the cold wind, and also waved his long sword.

He did not say a word.

Only a little girl accompanied him in silence, waiting for something.

Thus, time passed bit by bit.

Spring went, winter came.

Unknown how many years had passed.

The child grew into a youth, the girl into a maiden; they accompanied each other for ten years, and finally the youth drew his sword and, looking at the maiden, spoke slowly.

"I want to leave."

He spoke, his tone calm.

"Good."

The maiden said little, as always, just sat silently beside him, without a hint of doubt, as if she would support whatever the youth did.

Hearing these words, the youth fell slightly silent, finally gave a faint smile, took his sword, and left the city.

"I will return."

At the parting, the youth spoke, gazing at the maiden, and said these words.

"When?"

The girl asked him, simply and directly.

"When I become the greatest swordsman in the world."

The boy gave a faint smile; he wasn't particularly handsome, but in the girl's eyes, he had a different kind of handsomeness.

"Good."

The girl nodded, gave a light smile, without many words, and watched him off.

But after the boy left, the girl couldn't help but ask.

"Why come back?"

She asked.

"Marry you."

An distant voice echoed back, the boy's voice; he had his back to the girl and waved his hand.

Parting doesn't need to be too sorrowful.

When we meet again, these sorrows will be meaningless.

Thus.

Inside the small town.

Extremely peaceful.

The girl did the same thing day after day; she was graceful and renowned as the beauty of the small town.

Many wealthy families came to propose, but she refused them all; even her parents could not force an arrangement.

Some knew she was waiting for someone.

But many knew she would surely not wait; so many years had passed, the boy never returned, not because she doubted his promise, but because the outside world was too dangerous.

Thus.

In the blink of an eye, another ten years passed.

Time left some traces on her face, not many; she remained beautiful, often standing at the town gate, waiting for his return.

Soon.

Someone said the boy had died in battle.

Her parents urged her to marry; many in the town still waited for her, at thirty she was still lovely enough to stir hearts. But she gave no reply, she continued to wait.

There were many words.

He had already died in battle.

He had joined a sword sect, become its senior elder brother, and married the sect leader's daughter.

He was strong, famous; you are not worthy of her.

Many such words reached her, yet the girl still waited.

Whether there is an outcome doesn't matter.

She only wanted to wait for his return, no matter what, no matter what happened.

Twenty years passed in a hurry.

Her temples had some white hair.

Everyone in the town knew this; they sighed, feeling sorrow for the woman.

Her best years just slipped away like that.

Some felt it was not worth it for her.

Some angrily cursed that boy.

Some lamented that love hurts the most.

But she responded to none of those words.

Just waiting.

Finally, she grew old.

Time treats everyone kindly, yet never favors anyone; her qi and blood waned, her beauty vanished, and in her clouded eyes there was no longer the former brightness.

Heavy snow fell.

She lay in a chair, watching the snowflakes fall, just like her hair.

She was very quiet.

Her breathing was calm; she knew her end was near, yet felt no fear.

Gazing out at the heavy snow beyond the courtyard, she dimly saw a boy waving a long sword.

He said nothing.

She neither spoke.

She just quietly watched.

Someone had asked her what exactly she liked about the boy; she couldn't answer.

She was also curious.

Liking doesn't need a reason.

The heavy snow lasted seven days.

On the fourth day she closed her eyes forever, but it was only discovered on the seventh day.

The neighbor next door took a glance.

They remained silent for a long while.

Some held a funeral for her; some who once admired her beauty wept bitterly, supporting their frail bodies as they saw her off.

Although they knew the person she hoped for was that boy.

But they were still willing to see her off on her final journey.

The coffin was buried.

Everyone was waiting, the youth would return; although they had already parted, they hoped to see this scene.

But.

In the end, he did not appear.

Someone cursed, feeling regret and unwillingness for her.

Some admirers wept bitterly, while others harbored hatred, wondering why they chose such a person, and were unwilling to choose themselves.

Some were also curious, wondering where the youth had actually gone.

"So, when parting, one should say more, after all, perhaps this parting will never be met again in a lifetime."

Someone spoke up.

He spoke the truth.

But no one knew where the youth had actually gone.

The end of a story.

Accompanied by the beginning of another story.

In a luxurious palace.

A wailing cry rang out.

Heaven and earth bore an omen, the birth of an unparalleled heavenly pride, a celestial sword condensed in the firmament above, this is a terrifying omen.

Extremely astonishing.

As the omen arose, the infant ceased crying.

This is the age of myth.

A supreme innate sword dao was born.

Time flew swiftly.

At ten years old, the child grew; his sword qi was terrifyingly formidable, every gesture exuded dreadful sword qi.

He was invincible; his life at ten surpassed that of far too many people.

Born in an ancient sword sect, he possessed an extraordinary inheritance, with countless benefits.

He was invincible.

At thirteen, he stepped out of the sect, treading an invincible path.

All the way, he sang triumphantly.

No one could surpass him; he possessed an invincible heart, and his sword dao was acclaimed as the most talented sword cultivator from ancient times to the present.

His radiance surpassed the sun.

Everyone before him appeared dim and lackluster.

Everything, everything.

Nothing could compare to him.

Twenty years old.

He ascended to the top ten of the world's sword dao, an unbelievable achievement, especially in the age of myth.

His name shook ancient and modern times.

He possessed an invincible heart.

He swept aside everything.

His sword dao will was overly powerful.

But only when his will reached its peak.

He passed by an ancient city.

He saw an old man sleeping in the heavy snow; he sensed that the old man also possessed a strong sword intent, merely dim and lackluster.

He understood that, at the same age, the other was also a star.

However, he was a failure.

He had no need to understand why the other had declined; he simply watched silently until the man closed his eyes forever.

He left that ancient city.

His state of mind was utterly tranquil, unaffected by anything.

On the road forward.

He encountered another person once more, a middle-aged man, his gaze vague, his sword intent wavering on the brink of collapse; although he could sense it, the man possessed a strong will.

But he could see at a glance that the man was unsuited to cultivate the sword dao, lacking talent and aptitude; although diligent, what meaning did such diligence have? Yet he found it neither laughable nor contemptible, for the path of life is chosen by oneself.

Do not worry about gains and losses.

When you choose this path, you have already gained much; so-called loss is merely what you have not obtained.

He continued onward.

Gazing at the grandeur of mountains and rivers, feeling the naturalness of heaven and earth, he elucidated the truth of the sword dao.

What is the sword dao?

He did not understand.

The sword in his hand gleamed lustrously; a single sword qi could cleave a hundred thousand great mountains, and in a thought could overturn the heavens and earth of a region.

But is this the sword dao?

He did not understand.

On a mountain peak.

He saw a youth gripping a sword, under attack, besieged by several people; the youth was covered in wounds, some even deep to the marrow.

His life was nearing its end.

But the youth felt no fear; instead he fled, as if something awaited him.

It let him forget the pain, clinging to a breath.

As a peerless heavenly pride, he regarded this law of the jungle as trivial; the weak had no chance to choose, life or death already predetermined.

But he was curious why the youth was so persistent.

He made a move.

At any other time, he would definitely not intervene.

This time, he chose to act and saved the youth.

He slaughtered the enemies who had besieged him.

But he did not keep the youth alive; instead he silently watched him.

The youth felt no gratitude.

His gaze always fixed on the northwest, he kept running, uncaring that his vitality was ebbing away bit by bit.

"If you keep running like this, you won't survive an hour."

"Don't move now, and you might last a few more hours."

A voice sounded; Tianjiao informed him of his current state.

The youth said nothing, just kept walking, indifferent to life or death.

"Are there any precious medicines to the northwest?"

"You've wounded your heart and lungs; ordinary precious medicines probably can't save you."

Tianjiao was curious and asked.

But the youth still remained silent, which made Tianjiao very curious.

Until the final half-hour.

The youth finally felt unable to turn the tide; he stopped and went no further.

Instead he looked at Tianjiao, his face extremely weak, holding a letter which he handed over.

"Please, deliver this letter for me."

"In the next life I will surely repay your kindness."

The youth spoke; perhaps his injuries were too grave, he could not utter anything; a sentence had been brewing for a long time before he finally said it.

"Someone very important?"

Tianjiao spoke, asking the other party, and he unleashed a sword qi to stabilize his wounds.

This made him feel a bit better.

"Indeed."

"Very important."

"She is waiting for me, but I can't make it."

"I want to make a final farewell."

The youth's words grew a bit more, yet his tone remained calm as before.

It seemed as if this were his nature.

"Is such a farewell meaningful?"

"If she is so important, why tell her?"

"Does she think you are important?"

Tianjiao spoke up, questioning the other party, somewhat curious.

Upon hearing this, the youth became even more silent.

"Perhaps, but I'm not sure."

The youth did not know how to answer, wondering whether the other party cared for him; he was unclear, perhaps they would, but not certain.

"If you care, the first farewell already saddened her; why make a second?"

"If you don't say goodbye, time will let her forget everything."

"If you say goodbye again, it will only make her remember the sorrow."

"If she cares for you, no farewell is needed."

"If she does not care for you, no farewell is needed."

"Right?"

Tianjiao's voice sounded, very calm, also carrying a sense of seeing through the world.

But what he said was not wrong.

Since you care, not saying goodbye is the best farewell for her; if you don't care, then there is no farewell at all.

The youth could no longer utter a word.

He looked at the letter in his hand.

He remained silent.

"Only without love can the emotional entanglement be broken."

Tianjiao spoke softly; these were his last words. After saying them, he slowly walked away, leaving this place.

The youth said nothing.

Leaning against a tree, he gazed at the letter.

His gaze grew hazy, his life force dwindling, and he became ever more tranquil.

This is spring.

Myriad flowers bloom.

In the bewildering haze, he saw boundless white snow.

He does not like winter.

What he likes is that girl, the girl sitting quietly beside him, the girl watching him practice sword.

There were no words.

There were no questions.

Nor was any glance needed.

He felt deep nostalgia.

The envelope in his hand, blown by a gust of clear wind, disappeared without a trace.

His aura was also completely extinguished.

Several hundred li away.

Heaven's Pride halted; he sensed that the opponent's vitality had been completely extinguished, he felt no sigh, nor any emotion.

He had a way to save the youth, but he would not go save him.

Everyone's fate was already predetermined.

Everyone's Dao lies beneath their own feet.

This path itself is arduous; the Sword Cultivation lineage is inherently about contending with heaven—win is win, lose is lose.

He believed he would become invincible, becoming the most conspicuous existence in the Great World.

So he would not regret, nor would he choose to help others.

He is himself.

His own Sword Dao.

Cannot be disturbed by anything.

One after another story, one after another different Sword Intent, merged into Gu Jin Nian's mind.

Every sword.

Each has its own story.

Not necessarily splendid.

But each segment is different.

Gu Jin Nian comprehended these Sword Intents, enlightened to this terrifying Sword Dao.

To outsiders, time passed quickly; in less than half an hour, he opened his eyes.

But in Gu Jin Nian's perception, it was several hundred years, also several thousand years.

All of time was no longer time.

This moment.

His gaze underwent many, many transformations.

He had comprehended the rise of the unparalleled Sword Immortal, one person, one sword, shocking the Great World.

He also comprehended relying on a mortal body, step by step reaching the pinnacle of the Sword Dao.

Some youths achieve fame early, while others achieve greatness late.

But the vast majority still perish.

They are dim.

In every era, there will always be a sun shining upon the Great World, people praising its greatness, yet far more are those stars, or even beings not worthy of being called stars.

They are not humble; because of them, the sun's brilliance is set off.

This path.

Too many people have failed.

Yet their Sword Dao surpasses even those who have reached the pinnacle.

Life is like this.

Failure always permeates everything.

Success is merely accidental.

Open the eyes.

Gu Jin Nian's gaze had transformed too much; his entire demeanor also underwent a great change.

"Gu Jin Nian!"

"What is the Sword Dao?"

Just then.

A voice sounded.

It was still the voice of the Extinction Sword God.

He posed a soul‑searching question.

What is the Sword Dao?

As this voice sounded, countless people in the Great World paid attention to Gu Jin Nian; they were curious whether, within that half hour, he had truly comprehended the true Sword Dao.

Many were nervous.

Some feared Gu Jin Nian would fail.

Others feared Gu Jin Nian would succeed, taking the final step, with the seven great systems all reaching the Seventh Realm—an achievement unprecedented and unmatched.

What will happen, no one knows.

But it will surely astonish the ancients and outshine the present.

In the Sword Mountain.

Gu Jin Nian no longer felt the earlier tension and pressure, nor that fear and dread.

His gaze was clear and see-through, calm and composed.

Gazing at the countless flying swords surrounding Sword Mountain, and also gazing at these sword souls.

Finally, Gu Jin Nian spoke lightly.

"Plants and trees are swords."

"Mountains and rivers are swords."

"Stars are swords."

"Heaven and earth are swords."

"Time is a sword."

"Life is a sword."

"All things are swords."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, expressing his insight.

But this answer disappointed many, for it sounded not the best; within the Sever Heaven Sect, many rejoiced, believing Gu Jin Nian's answer meant certain death.

However.

Just then.

Gu Jin Nian closed his eyes.

Sensing everything.

"My Sword Way."

"Right beneath my feet."

"All things are swords."

"A single blade of grass can cut through the sun, moon, and stars."

Having said this,

Gu Jin Nian suddenly opened his eyes.

His aura, at that moment, was extremely terrifying.

Boom boom boom! One hundred and eight Sword Mountains.

At that moment, it instantly boiled over.

Between heaven and earth, it also gave the greatest response at that moment.

"Heaven does not give birth to me, Gu Jin Nian."

"The Sword Way is as enduring as a long night through the ages."

"Sword, come!"

A louder voice sounded.

Gu Jin Nian's essence, energy, and spirit also reached their peak at that moment.

His eyes.

Condensing terrifying sword Qi.

The one hundred and eight Sword Mountains boiled over completely; countless flying swords rose from the ground, flying toward the heavenly dome, hovering above Gu Jin Nian's head.

Not only that.

Throughout the great world, countless flying swords, even if mundane, as long as they were swords, seemed to become psychic, rushing toward the Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain.

Ancient human race.

Sword Origin Immortal Sect.

Countless flying swords soared into the air; these people were astonished, especially the elders within the sect, showing looks of disbelief.

"This is impossible!"

Someone cried out loudly.

But more people.

They were shocked.

In their eyes, it was unbelievable.

(End of chapter)