Chapter 77 - Heavenly Firmament Sword Canon

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The land beneath Heavenly Sword Mountain was scarred and battered, with invisible sword intent swirling around the mountain. Gales howled. Sword energy pierced the clouds.

The peak stood hundreds of meters tall, and in the crevice where it had been cleaved in two, one could still faintly feel sword intent erupting, allowing visiting disciples to imagine the ferocity of the battle that once took place here.

…

Just three meters from the base of Heavenly Sword Mountain, Chu Yang sat cross-legged, circulating the energy of the War Immortal Tactics, using the sword intent around him to refine and temper himself.

Comprehending sword intent was a slow and arduous process, and Chu Yang knew this well. However, in recent days, he felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Around him, many other disciples also sat cross-legged, either meditating on sword intent or using it to temper their bodies.

“See him? That’s Senior Brother Chu Yang,” some disciples whispered, pointing toward Chu Yang’s back.

“One day, I want to be just like him!”

“Yeah, right. He just got lucky and was taken in by the Sect Master as his final disciple. Big deal,” someone muttered with jealousy.

“Don’t be bitter. The man beat a True Meridian Realm cultivator while still at the Meridian Forging Realm. You’re not even close.”

…

Recently, the Heavenly Sword Sect had grown especially lively, as a new batch of disciples had just joined. With new blood, the sect brimmed with vitality.

And Chu Yang had become the undisputed rising star of the sect.

He had passed the trial in Fire Beacon City and arrived at the sect with no background or connections. As was common for new disciples, he faced suppression and bullying from the older generation.

But Chu Yang didn’t choose to yield. Unlike other new disciples who would grovel and give away their allotted cultivation resources just to avoid trouble, he chose to fight back head-on.

Everyone expected him to be crushed under the pressure and eventually fade away like others before him.

No one anticipated that this young man would rise like a comet and shine like fireworks.

He had already reached the Meridian Forging Realm before joining the sect.

That alone made him stand out in the outer sect, where most disciples were still in the Spirit Meridian Realm.

After winning the outer court tournament, he naturally entered the inner court.

Many assumed that in the inner sect, he would finally be suppressed. That the veteran disciples would teach this upstart a lesson.

But instead, he swept through the inner sect undefeated.

Invincible among peers. Can you believe that?

Those in the same cultivation realm as him were no match. Even those a level or two higher couldn’t last long.

Eventually, his growing fame provoked the ire of one of the core disciples, a cultivator at the True Meridian Realm.

That core disciple challenged Chu Yang to a duel on the sect’s arena. Before thousands of disciples, the match was held.

Chu Yang, still at the peak of the Meridian Forging Realm, defeated the True Meridian Realm core disciple.

That battle shook the entire sect like a storm, spreading overnight and making Chu Yang a household name.

Even Sect Master Yue Buli was alarmed and personally accepted him as his final disciple.

…

Chu Yang’s rise made him a symbol of admiration for many in the sect. He was one of them: no background, no support.

If he could do it, why couldn’t they?

This shared struggle made Chu Yang especially respected among lower-ranked disciples.

Of course, none of them knew that their hero had a cheat code: a hidden old grandpa guiding him behind the scenes.

…

“Senior Brother, the Sect Master wants to see you,” a disciple came to wake Chu Yang from his meditative state.

“Understood,” Chu Yang nodded.

He had grown taller, and his once-boyish face had begun to harden with maturity. The Wandering Dragon Sword was slung over his back, and he wore a pale white robe. His long hair, uncut for a while, draped messily over his head.

“I’m already at the peak of the Meridian Forging Realm,” he thought as he stood. “It won’t be long before I step into the True Meridian Realm.”

Before leaving, he cast a long look at the broken mountain of Heavenly Sword Mountain. His understanding of sword intent had become increasingly vivid, as though he was just one step away from piercing through the veil.

…

Chu Yang made his way to the mountain where Yue Buli resided.

In the courtyard, Yue Buli sat in a gazebo, dressed in a green robe, sipping tea.

“You wanted to see me, Master?” Chu Yang asked as he approached.

“You’ve taken me as your teacher, but I haven’t given you much in return,” Yue Buli nodded and handed over a book.

“Take this. It may be of use to you.”

Chu Yang received the book, clearly a hand-copied cultivation manual. The pages were crisp and new, and the white cover bore four bold black characters:

“Heavenly Firmament Sword Canon.”

Seeing the puzzled look on Chu Yang’s face, Yue Buli smiled and explained: “This sword canon was left behind by the founder of our Heavenly Sword Sect. If you can comprehend it, you’ll be able to grasp the Heavenly Firmament Sword Intent.”

“Thank you, Master,” Chu Yang quickly stowed the manual and bowed respectfully.

“To be honest,” Yue Buli said with emotion, “in my life I’ve seen many gifted and talented disciples. But what drew me to you most wasn’t your talent, it was your dao heart.”

“A dao heart that knows no fear, no compromise, and never retreats.”

“I’ll do my best,” Chu Yang replied solemnly.

“I’m old,” Yue Buli said with a sigh. “Unless something unexpected happens, it’s unlikely I’ll improve further in this life. This era belongs to the young.”

“You know,” he continued, “our Heavenly Sword Sect isn’t particularly renowned in this far western land. Most disciples, when they consider joining a sect, aim for the great imperial lineages like the True Martial Sacred Ground or Divine Sun Sacred Ground.”

“At the very least, they aim for first- or second-tier sects.”

“Those who come to our third-rate sect are often the ones who were rejected or have poor talent.”

Chu Yang nodded silently. Big sects not only offered better resources but also stronger protection for their disciples.

“With your talent,” Yue Buli smiled, “even if you had joined one of those imperial lineages, you wouldn’t have been overlooked.”

“In truth, when I took you as a disciple, I was being a little selfish. I wanted to tie you to this sect. I hope you won’t blame me for that.”