Chapter 279: Sword Intent, Second Heaven!

Gazing at the ancient sword pool, its qi bristling with sword intent and its aura soaring to the heavens, Shi Yilan trembled with excitement, her beautiful eyes blazing with fervor.

Her main path was the Sword Dao; such rich, pure, and multi-layered ancient sword intent was, to her, an unparalleled opportunity.

If she could comprehend even a fraction of it and integrate it into her own sword path, her strength would undergo a qualitative leap.

She suppressed her excitement, turned to Zhang Shaochong and Di Chunlei, and pleaded, "Brother Zhang, Brother Di, this sword pool is vital to me—I wish to meditate here. Could you two kindly guard me for a while?"

Chen Mu was also deeply intrigued by this sword pool; though he had already comprehended sword intent, if he could seize this chance to absorb diverse insights and refine himself, his sword Dao would surely ascend another level.

He nodded in agreement, "Chen also wishes to meditate here. I beg your assistance, Brother Di and Brother Zhang."

Zhang Shaochong and Di Chunlei exchanged a smile; one practiced the Jumu Sect's arts, the other followed the brute-force path of the Jumuling Sect—neither followed the Sword Dao. Though awed by this opportunity, they had no desire to compete for it.

"Of course no problem."

Di Chunlei said cheerfully, "Brother Chen, you two focus on your meditation—this place is ours to guard."

"Indeed," Zhang Shaochong nodded with a smile. "We'll guard the two of you. May you both gain great insights!"

"Thank you!"

……

With the plan settled, Chen Mu and Shi Yilan wasted no time. Each chose one side of the sword pool, sat cross-legged at its edge, calmed their minds, and attempted to comprehend the vast, oceanic sword intent within.

Yet.

The sword intent within this pool, having settled over countless ages, was not only immense and grand, but also chaotic and fragmented due to the presence of over a hundred distinct sword philosophies, forming an invisible barrier.

Shi Yilan held her breath, strained for a long while, her brow furrowed, sweat beading on her temples—yet her spirit always struck an invisible wall, unable to truly sink in, let alone merge and comprehend.

Chen Mu faced the same powerful resistance.

The chaotic, overwhelming sword intent seemed to repel all outsiders, making it hard for him to penetrate.

After a moment of thought, Chen Mu's mind stirred. He brushed his hand across the Weapon Vault, and the Xianlong Sword emerged at once, resting horizontally across his knees.

Gently stroking the blade, he slowly released his own sword intent—barely at the First Heaven realm—like a bridge, using the Xianlong Sword as an intermediary, cautiously probing toward the sword pool.

This method worked!

When Chen Mu's sword intent touched the pool's through the Xianlong Sword, the repelling force clearly weakened.

Instantly, his spirit found a crack—and successfully merged into that boundless ocean of sword intent!

In an instant, dozens of wildly different sword philosophies surged into Chen Mu's mind like a tidal wave.

A sword intent as scorching as the sun, burning all things to ash.

A sword intent as icy as the Nine Heavens, freezing the soul.

A sword intent as violent as underground fire, destroying all.

A sword intent as cold as black ice, freezing sky and earth.

A sword intent filled with deathly stillness, erasing all life.

A sword intent forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, slaughtering all living beings.

A sword intent that stirred inner demons and summoned endless terror…

Dozens, even hundreds of sword intents—strong or weak, orthodox or strange, hard or soft—interwove and clashed, as if displaying the Dao and thoughts of ancient sword cultivators from this very land before Chen Mu's eyes.

Chen Mu steadied his spirit, absorbing them like a sponge, carefully experiencing the unique subtleties of each, extracting their essence, discarding their dross, constantly verifying, refining, and perfecting the foundation of his own sword Dao.

On the other side, Shi Yilan, seeing Chen Mu's method work, quickly imitated him—drawing her personal spirit sword and placing it across her knees, releasing her own sword momentum as a guide.

After considerable effort, she too finally succeeded in merging with the sword pool's intent and began her arduous comprehension.

Yet, the gap between them was obvious.

The sword momentum Shi Yilan emitted, though sharper than before, paled by more than several times compared to Chen Mu's on the opposite shore—his sword intent like a divine blade about to be unsheathed, subtly bending the air around him with razor-edged aura.

Di Chunlei and Zhang Shaochong, guarding nearby, clearly sensed this disparity. They exchanged a glance, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.

Zhang Shaochong murmured, "Brother Chen is truly a Dragon of Hidden Potential, a martial genius! Not only does his cultivation advance at an astonishing pace, but his comprehension of the Sword Dao is downright terrifying."

"Indeed."

Di Chunlei nodded deeply in agreement. "A Dragon of Hidden Potential—aptly named. To know Brother Chen is truly our fortune."

The two did not dare slacken. They calmed their minds, standing guard—one left, one right—around the sword pool, alert for any danger.

They guarded for five days and five nights.

During this time, Liu Xianbo and Liu Xiankang once secretly approached with a mechanical tiger, whether out of ill intent or mere curiosity—Zhang Shaochong and Di Chunlei spotted them in time, issued verbal warnings and exerted aura pressure, forcing the brothers to retreat sullenly, never daring to cause trouble again.

On the seventh day, Shi Yilan's face turned pale, her body trembling slightly, her sword momentum becoming erratic and unstable.

She had reached her limit; if she forced herself further, she risked sword intent backlash and damage to her foundation.

Without hesitation, she withdrew her spirit, ceased meditation, rose unsteadily, and stepped away from the pool's edge.

Chen Mu, however, remained as still as a meditating monk, unmoving.

His sword momentum did not weaken—it grew denser, purer, and stronger, like steel tempered a thousand times.

The invisible blade-edge stirred by his sword intent formed a three-foot zone of exclusion around him, even bending light slightly.

"Huu~"

Shi Yilan pulled out her water flask and dried rations, replenishing her strength while gazing at the calm, mountain-like figure across the pool—her eyes filled with envy and sincere admiration.

She could feel Chen Mu was not merely absorbing sword intent—he was using these hundred sword philosophies as whetstones, continuously refining and elevating his own Dao.

Her own barely stabilized First Heaven sword intent seemed insignificant against his ever-rising momentum.

Indeed, Chen Mu had now, with the sword pool's aid, perfected his sword intent, solidifying it at the peak of the First Heaven—and was beginning to draw upon the essence of countless sword intents to construct the far more profound and mysterious Second Heaven sword intent!

Di Chunlei and Zhang Shaochong sensed the increasingly terrifying, sharp sword intent emanating from Chen Mu—their admiration deepened beyond words.

The three waited patiently for another ten days.

Chen Mu still persisted; his sword intent had successfully crossed the threshold into the Second Heaven and was steadily rising.

But the ancient sword intent within the pool—whether due to its extreme age, or because of Chen Mu's prolonged absorption over more than half a month, or due to external qi influences—began to destabilize.