Chapter 421: The Sword Armor Is Complete!

Since obtaining the legacy of the Duan Tianhe Sword Sovereign three years ago, seeking and collecting the scattered pieces of the Sword Armor has become Chen Mu's most important pursuit on his martial path, aside from his own cultivation.

Three years of wind, frost, rain, and snow, traversing countless lands, enduring countless dangers, countless moments of sensing, countless battles, countless efforts—finally, at this moment, it all came to completion.

At the bottom of the silent, uninhabited gorge, the wind moaned.

Chen Mu sat cross-legged before the gray-white boulder, took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and his gaze turned still as an ancient well.

The next instant, pure Duan Tianhe true energy surged from his palm, like a gentle stream, slowly enveloping the entire boulder.

At the same time, his spiritual sense acted like the most precise probe, slipping through the gaps in the true energy, meticulously probing the interior of the boulder, sensing the sealing structure.

This seal was not a killing array; it was more like a protective slumbering imprint, firmly locking the spirit and essence of the spirit sword within the stone's core, isolating it from external sensing.

The sealing technique was highly sophisticated, but Chen Mu carried the most orthodox Duan Tianhe Scripture—his true energy and spiritual sense both originated from the same source as the Tianzong Yun Sword!

At this moment, like a prodigal son returning home, they sensed each other, as if a key had found its matching lock.

The true energy and spiritual sense slowly circulated within the boulder, and soon, they triggered several core nodes of the seal.

"Crack…"

A crisp but not loud shattering sound emerged from within the boulder.

Immediately after, fine cracks spread like a spiderweb, radiating rapidly from the point where Chen Mu's palm pressed, engulfing the entire boulder!

"Shhhla~"

With a strange sound, the boulder split apart, crumbling into countless fragments of varying sizes, pattering down to pile thickly on the ground.

In the center of the rubble, a long sword hung motionless.

The sword measured three chi seven cun in length, its blade slightly wider than an ordinary longsword, about the width of an adult's palm, entirely deep, obsidian black, its design ancient and unadorned, even appearing somewhat clumsy and heavy.

The hilt, guard, and spine bore no extra carvings; only near the hilt, along the spine, was a faint, seemingly natural, barely perceptible cloud pattern.

Is this the Tianzong Yun Sword?

Externally, it seemed far removed from the image of a sharp, dazzling, luminous divine weapon—it resembled more an unsharpened, utterly unremarkable iron ingot.

Chen Mu extended his hand and firmly gripped the black hilt.

It felt slightly heavy, cold to the touch, carrying an indescribable weight and longing.

Without hesitation, Chen Mu channeled Duan Tianhe true energy into the blade.

At first, the black sword absorbed the true energy like a parched sponge, offering no response.

But only three breaths later—

"Hum—"

A low yet clear sword hum suddenly erupted from within the blade, as if a colossal dragon, slumbering for ten thousand ages, had awakened at this moment.

The deep obsidian black of the blade receded like a tide.

In its place appeared a luminous silver-white, clear as autumn water yet seemingly infused with boundless starlight.

The blade instantly became slender, elegant, and fluid, its edges shimmering with a terrifyingly sharp cold radiance.

The once ancient and clumsy form seemed to come alive, its lines now more graceful and aggressive; the faint cloud pattern along the spine now flowed like a living thing, faintly accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder.

The greatest change occurred in the region where the hilt met the blade.

There, at some point, a strange gem the size of a pigeon's egg had appeared—translucent, its interior swirling with a slowly rotating river of stars.

Starlight flowed, dazzling and brilliant, radiating an incomparably sharp spiritual fluctuation!

Top-grade divine weapon!

Its spirit, after two hundred years of dormancy, had finally been reactivated by Duan Tianhe true energy!

A sensation of perfect harmony, of blood and kinship, surged instantly through the hilt into Chen Mu's spirit.

The spirit of the Tianzong Yun Sword, like a child just waking with a hint of resentment, transmitted to Chen Mu a vague yet clear thought.

Why did it take you so long to come?

No specific words, yet containing countless meanings.

Chen Mu's lips curved into a faint smile, and he replied with his spirit.

We won't be separated again!

The blade trembled gently, emitting a joyful hum, as if in response.

At this moment, sword and man were in perfect accord.

Chen Mu subtly shifted his intent, exerting no true energy at all—merely holding the sword, he swung it casually toward a steep cliff several hundred meters away.

"Shhh—"

A slender, brilliant blade of light, seemingly forged from pure starlight, shot silently from the tip.

Its speed surpassed visual perception!

Where the blade passed, the air made no explosive sound—as if the extreme sharpness had cleanly "cut" a vacuum channel.

The distance of hundreds of meters was crossed in an instant!

"Chii…"

An extremely faint sound, like a hot knife slicing through butter.

On the distant, solid cliff face appeared a straight cut ten zhang long, barely a thread wide, yet depthless.

The cut was smooth as a mirror, its edges showing no cracks or chips.

Along the extension of the cut, several ancient trees with trunks as thick as two arms, and several protruding jagged rocks, were all cleanly severed in half—their surfaces smooth and even—until now, the upper halves slowly slid down, crashing to the ground with a boom.

No thunderous spectacle, only ultimate restraint and ultimate sharpness!

Chen Mu's eyes gleamed with brilliant light.

"Excellent. Extremely excellent!"

Without any deliberate activation, the blade's inherent sharpness and spirit alone could unleash such a terrifying strike.

If augmented further with true energy and sword intent, the power was unimaginable.

Without further testing, under mutual understanding, Chen Mu already comprehended the full power of Tianzong Yunjian.

With a thought, he sealed the newly awakened xuan weapon into the space within his palm.

Looking around, confirming no obvious traces remained, Chen Mu wasted no more time; his figure became a streak of light, speeding toward Wulong Fucheng.

……

Returning to the rented courtyard, he entered the room and shut the doors and windows.

Chen Mu sat cross-legged on the bed, calming his turbulent emotions.

The next moment, a faint glow shimmered in his palm space.

Tianzong Yunjian, the ancient and solemn helmet, the sleek chest armor covering chest and abdomen, the angular greaves and vambraces, and the light yet sturdy battle boots…

One by one, the "Jianzhuang" components were taken out and laid before him.

Chen Mu took a deep breath, rose, and donned each component in turn.

The helmet settled on his brow, cool and serene. The chest armor clung to his body, heavy and secure. The greaves and vambraces fitted snugly, flexible yet protective. The battle boots touched the ground, steady and powerful.

Finally, he gripped the Tianzong Yunjian, now turned silver-white.

With all components now worn, the complete Duan Tianhe Jianzhuang once again united upon a single person!

Chen Mu slowly activated the Duan Tianhe Jue.

As soon as the technique stirred, his true qi surged through his body with unprecedented speed and harmony!

Simultaneously, every component of the Jianzhuang emitted a faint hum.

One by one, intricate silver-white patterns—like lines drawn from pure starlight—appeared and glowed upon the helmet, chest armor, vambraces, greaves, battle boots, and even the blade of Tianzong Yunjian!

These patterns were not chaotic; they followed some supreme principle, extending, connecting, and interweaving.

In Chen Mu's mind's "vision," these scattered silver-white lines rapidly constructed, upon his body, a brilliant, luminous "Star River" spanning his entire form.

The Star River flowed and rotated slowly, countless specks of light flickering within it, as if holding infinite mysteries.

Then, this "Star River" began to contract, collapse, and transform… until finally, it became a slowly rotating, profound and boundless "Star Cloud!"

At the center of the Star Cloud, a single point of light burned brightest—like the origin of all things, or a window to the unknown.

At the very moment the "Star Cloud" took shape—