Chapter 349: Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter

When Lu Yang emerged from the Reception Hall, he was met by True Person of Banishing Demons with a somewhat helpless gaze: "I never expected you could truly offer incense to the Ancestor."

"Follow me."

True Person of Banishing Demons sighed, said no more, and instead led Lu Yang, riding a beam of escape-light; in no time they arrived at the very peak of the Yushu Jiange's mountain gate.

This place stood atop the highest peak, overlooking all other mountains as small; a hall stood there conspicuously, and now beams of light and shadow had manifested one after another. A single glance revealed they were all Foundation Establishment True Persons. After bringing Lu Yang here, True Person of Banishing Demons did not delay, directly reaching out with a hand gesture to summon a thick Daoist scripture.

"Today, a disciple named Yan Xiao entered the Reception Hall to offer incense to the Ancestor."

True Person of Banishing Demons held the scripture with both hands and solemnly declared: "In obedience to the Ancestor's decree, he is listed as a Sword Seed of the Sect. For the remainder of his life, he shall diligently cultivate, uphold the Righteous Path, and regulate the world."

Having spoken, he inscribed the name of Lu Yang's current incarnation into the scripture.

"You are my foremost disciple. By seniority, you should belong to the Ming generation. Today I shall bestow upon you a Dharma name: Ming He. I hope you will strive accordingly."

"This disciple greets his Master."

Lu Yang bowed respectfully, received from True Person of Banishing Demons the token symbolizing the status of a Sword Seed, and then voluntarily withdrew.

"The status of a Sword Seed is comparable to Foundation Establishment."

"Holding this token, you may independently seek a cave dwelling within the Extreme Heaven Cliff. Your past life's roots are profound; you must cultivate diligently and swiftly regain your former True Person rank."

After watching Lu Yang depart, True Person of Banishing Demons' gaze suddenly turned gloomy.

Almost simultaneously, a Foundation Establishment True Person approached and smiled, saying: "Congratulations, True Person. With this new beloved disciple, the day when all karmic debts are extinguished is not far off."

This man was named Ye Cheng.

As a disciple of the Ye Family, a joyful smile now graced his face: "I have heard that this person harmed Xing Feng; he deserves to repay the evil karma of the past!"

Upon hearing this, True Person of Banishing Demons' expression grew even more unpleasant.

For external cultivators who joined the Yushu Jiange, the Pavilion possessed a very complete and concise whitewashing process, with the Reception Hall being the most critical link.

"All outsiders joining the Yushu Jiange first have their past-life memories erased, then enter the Reception Hall to offer incense, where their fortune is drained and reshaped into the Yushu Jiange's fortune. I originally thought Daoist Friend Lu lacked the talent to learn the 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter,' leaving room for remedy, but I never expected the spilt water cannot be gathered back."

Thinking thus, True Person of Banishing Demons sighed once more.

"... It is Heaven's will."

The 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter' is a First-Rank True Art known to all within the Yushu Jiange, yet throughout the Pavilion and beyond, very few cultivate this method.

True Yushu Jiange direct lineage members rarely cultivate it.

If one were to tally carefully, it would be found that only disciples who were True Persons from the outside world in a past life, and who joined the Yushu Jiange after reincarnation, would cultivate this technique!

Extreme Heaven Cliff, within a quiet meditation chamber of a cave dwelling.

"'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter'..."

This technique is profound and vast, containing fully ten thousand words, embracing all phenomena; more importantly, it overturns all cultivation systems!

What is a Sword Cultivator?

Generally, any cultivator who uses a sword is considered a Sword Cultivator; however, within the 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter,' this is not the case, viewing such practice as a Left Path.

A true Sword Cultivator is one who cultivates the sword itself!

Focusing on the one and only, abandoning all else, having only a sword accompany one day and night, interacting sincerely until reaching the divine, finally taking the sword as the Dao—only then can one be called a Sword Cultivator!

Reading this, Lu Yang could not help but frown. Until now, he had encountered many Yushu Jiange cultivators; yet according to the standards of the 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter,' even within the Yushu Jiange, there was probably only one who truly deserved the title "Sword Cultivator": True Person of Banishing Demons, Ye Guangji!

'Something is not right.'

The intuition honed over many years of study at the Initial Saint Sect told Lu Yang there was a problem here! After all, this was a First-Rank True Art; how could it be shown to anyone so casually?

'... Unless there is a trap!'

And a heavenly pit at that!

Thinking thus, Lu Yang grew even more vigilant and continued reading the 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter'; soon, his expression changed.

Moments later, he closed his eyes.

'I knew the Yushu Jiange would not be so kind... What First-Rank True Art? It's actually incomplete! The cultivation portion ends abruptly at Foundation Establishment completion!'

The 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter' is indeed a First-Rank True Art, because it is the only true "Void-Proofing" method Lu Yang has ever seen. The creator of this technique was clearly intending to prove a 【Sword Dao Fruit Position】 from nothingness, a ambition so grand it was admirable.

After all, even the 【Void Heaven】, strictly speaking, was not true Void-Proofing.

'The 【Void Heaven】 is less like Void-Proofing and more like finding a fruit-position prototype, then using one's own Dao methods to transform it into a desired form.'

To this day, Lu Yang also knew what the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner concealed.

That mysterious great power allowing him to falsely hold the position of a Great True Person was actually a fruit-position prototype, sealed away after being obtained by a Primordial True Person!

So strictly speaking, the 【Void Heaven】 still had a foundation.

However, the 【Sword Dao Fruit Position】 that the 'Treatise of the Sword Lord on Mystery and the Golden Secret Chapter' seeks to prove is different; it truly aims to prove a real fruit-position from the void!

The ambition is grand, but what is the price?

'The price is paid by us!'

'Regardless of whether you were Foundation Establishment before your death, or what supernatural abilities you possessed, once you cultivate this technique, you will be transformed into a 【Constant Observing World Golden Sword Foundation】.'

'Even your innate supernatural abilities from your past life will be transformed along with it!'

This method shares a similar effect with the 【Void Heaven】; both drag the Dao foundations under other fruit-positions into the water to fill the great pit of the 【Sword Dao】!

'The 【Sword Dao Fruit Position】 is difficult to prove, so we are needed to cultivate this First-Rank True Art, using our lifetime's talent and comprehension to fill it bit by bit, making up for it. If the 【Sword Dao Fruit Position】 is a painting, then we are the ink and brush used to paint it.'

'This technique... is probably specifically designed for outsiders!'

Lu Yang understood clearly in his heart: external True Persons have numerous Dao foundations. Even if past-life memories are erased, the soul has not been washed by reincarnation, and the Dao foundation remains unchanged.

It is perfect to use this First-Rank True Art to wash them again.

First wash the memories, then wash the fortune, and finally wash the Dao foundation. During this period, the Yushu Jiange collects the fortune and fills the 【Sword Dao Fruit Position】, making a fortune beyond measure!

And yet, I still owe them karmic debt!

'Sword Seed... no wonder they are called Sword Seeds!'

'If not for us Sword Seeds filling our lifetime's cultivation into it, how could the 【Sword Dao Fruit Position】 take root and sprout, growing into a towering tree?'

However, thinking this, Lu Yang suddenly froze:

"No, there are indeed some in the Yushu Jiange's main lineage who have cultivated this First-Rank True Art, True Person of Sweeping Demons! He seems to be a pure sword cultivator!"

Lu Yang had witnessed True Person of Sweeping Demons in action; yet when facing the assault of the Immortals of Heaven and Earth from the Profound Spirit Realm, this Great True Person at the peak of Foundation Establishment had not unleashed any supernatural powers, merely drawing his sword from its sheath—that so-called Intent of Non-Killing seemed to be the hallmark of a sword cultivator!

'But why would he cultivate such a huge pitfall?'

'Could it be that he, like me, is a reincarnated True Person from the outside world? No, impossible. He is a main-line scion of the Ye family, a Yushu Jiange native with roots as straight and seedlings as black as ink.'

'... True Lord of Inheriting Heaven and Upright Virtue?'

Suddenly, within the Banner of Ten Thousand Spirits, Patriarch Ting You, who had been reading the *Treatise of the Sword Lord on the Profound and the Golden Secret Chapter* alongside Lu Yang, spoke up abruptly, his expression slightly strange:

"What has been will be again."

Patriarch Ting You sighed with emotion, then said in a deep voice: "Could it be that True Person of Sweeping Demons, Ye Guangji, cultivated 【Wall Earth】 before?"

(End of this chapter)