Chapter 468: 443 Sword Intent

Let me take it?

Tang Zhao felt a shock in his heart, his emotions stirred uncontrollably.

That is an Immortal Sword!

Even if it is broken or shattered, it is still the sword of a Sword Immortal from back then. Never mind a broken sword; even a single sword mark from that time would be worth a fortune!

But immediately after, he reacted, thought through the joints of the matter, and his heart became as still as water. He said, "How can I take it? Besides, what use is it for me to take it? I am already a Sword Guest."

That broken sword was prepared for the new generation of Dongjun, for him to complete his Sword Intent. Tang Zhao was not only not the Jinwu Sword, he was not even a newcomer without a sword. Whether today or in the future, he could not possibly obtain the Jinwu Sword. What was the point of going to take that broken sword?

Xiangyangzi sighed and said, "I forgot, you are a blockhead who understands nothing. Then let me make it clear to you: it is precisely because you are a Sword Guest that you can take it. If you were a Mortal, what use would a broken sword be to you? Letting you take this sword means to bestow this Sword Intent upon you."

Tang Zhao listened until his mouth felt dry, and he said, "Sword Intent... for me? Can Sword Intent be obtained so easily? Furthermore, as a Sword Guest, how could I possibly collect another's Sword Intent?"

Sword Intent is something that only top-tier Sword Heroes would consider when preparing to charge toward the Sword Immortal realm.

Even as a ladder for ascending to become a Sword Immortal, how to collect Sword Intent is an untold secret. High-level knowledge for Talisman Sword Masters is a secret, and high-level knowledge for Sword Guests is monopolized even more severely. One could even say there is no path in the Human World to become a Sword Immortal.

Tang Zhao had seen swords with multiple Sword Intents, but only in Sword Manuals. Those ancient Immortal Swords and Saint Swords never lacked Sword Intent. However, the swords he had recorded in the Human World, such as those of veteran Sword Heroes like Ping Jiangqiu, only had one Sword Intent. The only exception was Ling Baoyu; she had two Sword Intents, but she was a subordinate sword of a Sword Immortal, directly inheriting the Sword Immortal's legacy, which was different.

Tang Zhao did not know if Gaoyuan Marquis had multiple Sword Intents; perhaps she did not. She was the top powerhouse in the Human World, commanding the military and civilians of a province, and had once been a highly prestigious commander on the Qianxian. What resources could she not obtain? If she still could not step into a higher level at such an age, perhaps what she lacked was precisely the path to ascend.

When he was receiving guidance as a Sword Guest, Chi Qianli never touched upon the acquisition of Sword Intent. It might have been that Tang Zhao's realm was too low to be qualified to know, but it was more likely that the entire Yunzhou lacked this heritage, let alone the Inspection Bureau.

The heritage that the Inspection Bureau could not provide, Xue Xianyun could provide even less. His knowledge of Rune Formulas and Sword Guest knowledge were both stuck firmly at the Sword Hero level.

Previously, Tang Zhao had a vague feeling: Sword Immortals and Sword Heroes were two different species, just as Sword Guests and Mortals were two different species. Perhaps the gap between a Sword Hero and a Sword Immortal was even greater than the gap between a Mortal and a Sword Guest.

The so-called distinction between immortal and mortal—what is an immortal? What is a mortal?

Perhaps every stage has a different answer.

However, Tang Zhao was still at the Sword Guest stage. Under normal circumstances, it would take him several years just to become a Sword Hero, so there was no need to consider this problem now.

Unexpectedly, a piece of Sword Intent was now abruptly delivered before his eyes, and he was even asked to collect it now. It truly left him feeling both dazed and puzzled.

Seeing his blank expression, Xiangyangzi realized he mostly still did not understand, sighed, and said, "Alright, you don't need to understand; it's useless even if you do. I said you can take it, that's just giving you a chance. You have to actually obtain it first."

Tang Zhao rubbed his forehead and said, "I truly do not understand. I am only a Sword Guest; can I contain another Sword Intent? Will I be like a snake trying to swallow an elephant and suffer the consequences instead?"

Xiangyangzi said, "That is a sober statement. As long as a sword's upper limit is not too low, it can contain at least three Sword Intents from the moment of its birth without issue. Moreover, an additional Sword Intent can directly increase combat power; if matched well, even doubling it is an understatement. So why do all traditions tell people to collect Sword Intent only during the Sword Hero stage? It is because of the Sword Heart. The more Sword Intents there are, and the more profound they are, the more a stable Sword Heart is needed; otherwise, the Sword Heart will collapse and the Sword Intent will crumble in an instant. I ask you, how is your Sword Heart?"

Tang Zhao hesitated slightly and said, "I am... alright?"

Xiangyangzi said, "I guessed as much. This Spirit Hall suppresses all swords uniformly. You, a Sword Guest without a sword, are actually still able to summon a Sword Image and control it with ease; your Sword Heart must be stable, and you are in perfect harmony with your sword. Otherwise, I would not let you try. After all, you can still live for a few days if you stay; if you try blindly and lose your life immediately, that would count as me killing you."

Tang Zhao said, "Many thanks for the affirmation, Senior."

Xiangyangzi said, "It is not a true affirmation; I am only saying you can try. No matter how stable you are, you are not a Sword Hero and certainly have not reached the realm of perfect spiritual resonance. Therefore, it is all a risk. Whether it can succeed, no one can say for sure. If you ask me, the possibility of failure is greater."

Tang Zhao nodded; he had guessed as much. He said, "I am willing to try even if I fail. Having hope is better than sitting and waiting for death."

Xiangyangzi said, "Don't be in such a hurry; let me finish. And even if your Sword Heart can contain it, it must be compatible with the Sword Intent, or it will never succeed."

Tang Zhao said, "Just like matching with a sword?"

Xiangyangzi said, "A bit like it, but also not quite." It used a large flower leaf to support its flower disk, as if a person were resting their chin on their arm while thinking, considering how to explain it clearly. "The matching between a Sword Guest and a sword is the most stringent; it must be at least seventy percent compatible. But the second Sword Intent does not have such high requirements; even thirty or forty percent is enough, as long as it is not completely contradictory. But you must know, the choice of the second Sword Intent is not essentially for you to match it, but to match it with your first Sword Intent."

Tang Zhao let out an "Oh," listening with increasing focus.

The so-called "true transmission is a single sentence, false transmission is ten thousand scrolls." Sometimes, such words of truth that pierce to the essence, though short, are the most precious. If not for a fortuitous encounter, one could not buy them even with mountains of gold and silver.

Xiangyangzi continued, "The second Sword Intent must match the first. It does not mean the more similar the better, but that there is a connection between the two, a 'Dao' that can connect them. Sometimes it is even better if the two Sword Intents are not too similar; having a gap makes it easier to work with. Actually, the second Sword Intent is still quite free, because from one point, one can diverge into thousands of combinations that can be related. The most important thing is that you must conceive the third Sword Intent in advance when choosing the second, because the third Sword Intent must have a connection with both the first and the second. They connect in pairs, forming a..."

Tang Zhao said, "A triangle?"

Xiangyangzi closed its two flower leaves and said, "When drawn, yes, the so-called tripod stance. After the three Sword Intents are fixed, this triangle cannot move. The center of the triangle is your Sword Dao, which is also your only Sword Dao. In fact, it is already determined after you choose the three Sword Intents. Most Sword Immortals know their own Dao; it only depends on whether you can achieve Harmony with Dao. If you can achieve Harmony with Dao, you are a Sword Saint!"

Tang Zhao felt as if he had been enlightened, immediately understanding many things, and he let out a long breath.

Xiangyangzi said, "So when you go to take that Sword Intent, firstly, it will test you, and secondly, you must choose it. Although it is the third Sword Intent that determines your life's path, the second Sword Intent has actually already set the layout of your Sword Dao for the most part. A passive choice may not necessarily be a good thing for you. Of course, you have no choice now. Once you take Dongjun's Sword Intent, the Zhugong will take you as its master and obey your command, and only then can you walk out. For now, we cannot worry about the future; we must look to the present. But I still must make the pros and cons clear to you."

Tang Zhao bowed deeply and said, "Many thanks for the guidance, Senior—may I ask, what is the Sword Intent within the broken sword?"

Xiangyangzi paused, hesitated for a moment, and said, "This is the greatest secret. I have told you; regardless of whether you succeed or not, you are absolutely forbidden from letting others know!"

In fact, just as it had said before, if Tang Zhao could not succeed, he would not be able to get out, and the dead would certainly be able to keep a secret. And if he succeeded, how could Tang Zhao leak his own Sword Intent to others at will?

But since Xiangyangzi had spoken so solemnly, Tang Zhao also solemnly raised his hand and swore that if he leaked it, he would be destroyed by heaven and earth.

Xiangyangzi said, "This Sword Intent is 'Growth'."

"Ah?"

This Sword Intent was beyond Tang Zhao's expectations. He had assumed that since it was the Jinwu Sword, it must be a powerful and intense Sword Intent like "Bright Light," "Warmth," or "Scorching Heat." He did not expect it to be Growth.

Does this have... anything to do with Dongjun?

It still has a connection.

He mused, "Plants can perform photosynthesis, so the sun can provide energy to let plants grow..."

Xiangyangzi said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Dongjun also has the meaning of the God of Spring. When spring arrives on the earth, all things grow. Is this hard to understand?"

Tang Zhao knew he had overthought it and let out a laugh to ease the awkwardness. Xiangyangzi snorted, "If you can succeed, Growth will be your second Sword Intent. You should consider how to get the third Sword Intent and construct your Sword Dao."

Tang Zhao smiled and said, "You really think highly of me. I, a mere Sword Guest, must not only consider other Sword Intents for a Sword Hero but also the Sword Dao of a Sword Saint. If I do not become a Sword Saint in the future, I would be letting down the high regard you have shown me today."

Xiangyangzi said, "It is not about being overly ambitious. If you cannot take the Sword Intent, naturally there is nothing to say. If you can take it, the harvest will be more than just one Sword Intent; there are other benefits. The so-called 'a lean camel'... the so-called 'a rotting ship still has'... you know."

It wanted to describe how even a little bit of Dongjun's legacy could benefit Tang Zhao immensely, but it could not think of any good words. It still respected Dongjun, so it gave up since it could not think of any.

Tang Zhao nodded and said, "Understood, the so-called 'a hair pulled from his body is thicker than my waist.' Should I just take it directly? Do I not need to do anything?"

Xiangyangzi said, "Do not use your hands, use your sword... you have no sword now, use that little Sword Image of yours to touch it. Open your Sword Heart, go and adhere to the sword, use your Sword Heart to surround your Sword Intent, and even fuse with it. Yes, no need to rush, take your time, there is plenty of time."

The process of fusing Sword Intent actually requires great caution. Most require specialized seclusion, finding an absolutely safe and quiet place, and even bathing and fasting before devoting oneself wholeheartedly to the slow attempt. But now, in an emergency, many steps were omitted.

Moreover, there were not many places in the world safer and quieter than this place.

Xiangyangzi did not emphasize how dangerous and difficult this matter was; it thought that children are prone to fear difficulties, and the more one reminds them, the more they cannot let go. It was better to let nature take its course, which would make success easier.

As it spoke, Tang Zhao acted, summoning his Micro Light Sword Image, closing his eyes, and devoting himself wholeheartedly, approaching the broken sword bit by bit.

Finally, the Jingxing Sword and the Jinwu Sword met across the air.