Chapter 82: 79 Yanggu

79 Yanggu

"Do you wish to simulate holding it?"

Although his heart itched with impatience, Tang Zhao did not immediately choose "Yes," but instead focused his attention on the Yanggu Sword.

A note appeared accordingly:

"The place where the sun rises is Yanggu. The Yanggu Sword was recorded on page 16 of the Sword Manual in the year 1260, and re-edited to page 21 in the year 1450. Do you wish to open the Sword Manual?"

Oh, can it be opened this time?

Yes.

Inside the Glasses, that thick Sword Manual appeared once more, slowly turning to a page.

As it turned, a surge of power flowed through the Dharma Artifact into the Glasses, supporting the page as it opened completely.

On the page was a red orb of light, surrounded by a faint golden-red halo, looking warm and cozy.

This is the sun.

Not the brilliant, scorching sun that hangs in the sky at noon, but the Rising Sun that has just leaped out from Dong Mountain, its sunlight gentle and warm, bringing warmth and vitality back to the dark, cold, and silent earth, beloved by all things; for it, licorice gathers dew, and the rooster chirps.

A series of characters emerged:

"Sword: Yanggu

Sword Guest: Ming Hao (Sword Immortal)

Sword Dao:

Sword Intent: Purple Qi Comes from the East, Resurrection, Shine

Supernatural Power: Ten Suns Over the Sky

Sword Image: Rising Sun (Forming Momentum)

Sword Heart: Heart-Sword Unity

Sword Realm: Potential Realm

Sword Momentum: Earth Warming

Sword Technique: Golden Light Illuminates All, Golden Crow Melts Snow, Auspicious Rosy Clouds

Secret Sword Art: Golden Silk Sword, Chirping, Dancing, Ten Thousand Golden Lamps, Raising Rosy Clouds, Seeing Auspiciousness...

Sword Art: Yao Sword Art

Recorded in Sword Manual: Page 21.

Manual Note: Yanggu, also known as Tang Gu, the place where the sun rises, can also be used as a metonym for the sun."

Although it was only a few short pages, Tang Zhao felt his whole body heating up, and he felt as if everything before his eyes had suddenly cleared.

So this is the strength of the swords at the front of the Sword Manual?

Is this the strength of a Sword Immortal?

Every entry was maxed out; this is too luxurious! It is far stronger than the... Sumeru Sword! Not to mention the Sword Momentum, Supernatural Power, and so on that he had never seen before, there was more than one Sword Technique, and even several types of Sword Intent! The names of the Sword Techniques and Sword Arts sounded incredibly cool just by hearing them!

One sword, one Sword Immortal, countless powerful Supernatural Powers and spells...

This is the Sword Guest in his heart, this is the Sword Immortal in his heart!

Moreover, this sword is so suitable for him, even more suitable than the Lihuo Sword he is currently getting along with; the goal in his heart was set instantly: he must find this sword that suits him!

If he cannot find it, he will forge one!

However, even such a powerful sword is only ranked twenty-first; there are still twenty pages of even stronger swords and even stronger Sword Immortals ahead! What kind of existences are those?

And which great master compiled this Sword Manual?

The year 1450, what year is that? What calendar is used?

Do not think that Tang Zhao had accidentally recorded a sword before; that was merely his good luck in meeting Ping Jiangqiu, that Sword Hero... that genius. With his strength, apart from his own friends and family, he should not have been able to record any sword at all. And the person who compiled the Sword Manual from nothing, recording so many powerful swords, definitely possessed not just luck and extensive knowledge, but also astonishing strength and talent.

Looking closely at the Sword Manual, Tang Zhao increasingly perceived strands of power flowing from the Lihuo Sword in his hand, through his body, and into the Glasses, supporting the viewing of the Sword Manual.

He had already guessed in his heart that his previous inability to view the Sword Manual due to a lack of Mental Power was perhaps not just because his Mental Power was insufficient, but because he had not found the right method. It is very likely that the Sword Manual can extract power from Dharma Artifacts to support itself, but not just any Dharma Artifact will do; it must be compatible with the sword in the manual to be used to view the corresponding page.

Although he knew the method, this method is not easy. He does not even know which swords are in the Sword Manual, so how is he to find the corresponding Dharma Artifacts? If there is no corresponding Dharma Artifact, he cannot open the Sword Manual, so how is he to know which swords are inside?

It is a dead loop, so to speak.

For now, what he can rely on seems to be luck. He will take it one page at a time as he happens upon them.

He could not help but feel restless.

This Sword Manual should be the most mysterious part of his Glasses; the more he glimpsed the tip of the iceberg, the more his heart itched with impatience.

He knows the sword, so what about "simulate holding it"?

"Do you wish to simulate holding it?"

"Yes!"

A surge of power erupted from the Glasses, pouring madly into Tang Zhao's body.

Tang Zhao's whole body shook, and with a boom in his mind, a sun leaped out!

That was the bright red sun, the Rising Sun from Yanggu!

It was like the divine bird in the fire that Tang Zhao often meditated upon, occupying his entire Spirit Sense sea, and even seemingly touching his deepest Soul.

Accompanied by the rising red sun, power gushed out accordingly.

The Lihuo Sword began to burn once more; this time, the light was neither bright red nor pure white, but golden—the color of the sunlight that illuminates the earth!

Even as the Rising Sun, its light remained golden.

Tang Zhao's whole body felt as if it were boiling; he raised the sword and swung it downward—

Golden light moved with the sword, and a red sun emerged from the sky, rising right above Tang Zhao's head, as if adding a halo of light to him.

Sword Image, descend!

This is not the Sword Image of the Lihuo Sword, but the Sword Image of the Yanggu Sword. Its descent proves that the sword in Tang Zhao's hand is no longer the Lihuo Sword, but the Yanggu Sword.

The body of the Lihuo Sword was shrouded in a layer of golden light; with light and shadow interweaving, its appearance looked different from before, now resembling another sword entirely.

The so-called Simulated Holding does not hold the sword before one's eyes, but the sword in the Sword Manual.

At this moment, Tang Zhao's mind was perfectly clear. With the appearance of the red sun, he had completely mastered this sword, and everything in the Sword Manual was within his heart. Following his mood, not just the Sword Image, but even the Sword Technique, Sword Art, and even... Supernatural Power, he could release them.

It was just that he had a premonition that if he wanted to release that Supernatural Power, he would likely have to pay a huge price; the Dharma Artifact might shatter, and he himself would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

Although he dared not release it, the key to doing so was indeed in his hands; the only difference was whether or not to open that door.

Is this the feeling of mastering a sword?

However, he still felt a subtle difference.

He could master the previous Lihuo Sword, having a sense of closeness that came from the heart, even actively communicating with the sword in his hand. Even if the Dharma Artifact was not a real sword, Tang Zhao could still feel the sword's acceptance of him; it was a relationship of "if not me, then who."

But at this moment, he did not feel such communication and fusion. Replacing it was absolute control; that sword was his weapon, his hand. The brain only commands the limbs and would never communicate with them, and the limbs have no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness; even if they did, it would be meaningless to the brain.

This feeling is very much like... an Authority Sword?

Once this thought arose, Tang Zhao was suddenly enlightened.

Isn't this just an Authority Sword? The Sword Guest is someone else, and the sword is also someone else's sword. The power is directly bestowed, and the Sword Art and Sword Technique are ready-made things practiced by others; one only needs one condition to use them directly.

It was also because when he held that Authority Sword before, the sword was still sealed, and many abilities could not be used. He hadn't actually fully become an Authority Sword Envoy, so it was hard to compare; otherwise, he should have realized it from the beginning.

So, the condition for holding a sword from the manual is that the sword before one's eyes and the sword in the manual must have a relatively high compatibility.

Perhaps seventy percent?

This condition... isn't difficult, right?

Although seventy percent compatibility shouldn't be low, there are seventy or eighty swords in the Sword Manual. Even if some are very obscure, with so many directions, the probability of hitting one shouldn't be low, right?

So he is now carrying seventy or eighty Authority Swords with him, and they are extremely powerful Authority Swords? This cheat... seems much bigger than analyzing annotations or whatever? Especially since he has obtained a few Dharma Artifacts confirmed to be capable of Simulated Holding, it is equivalent to carrying a few absolutely usable Authority Swords on his person?

Oh my, is it this strong... I'm even a little embarrassed.

Tang Zhao chuckled, secretly feeling smug all by himself in the deep autumn mountain forest.

The red sun suddenly flickered as if it were about to disappear, and Tang Zhao felt a wave of exhaustion.

This was much shorter than the time he lasted when he first held that killing sword, and this was even with his own physical quality having improved significantly.

In other words, this sword consumes more than a real Authority Sword? Is it because this sword itself is more powerful, or because the method of Simulated Holding has a higher cost?

Perhaps the latter?

Tang Zhao always felt that Simulated Holding was too miraculous; it was normal for there to be restrictions.

So, is it ending just like this?

Tang Zhao still felt a bit unsatisfied, pondering whether to test a Sword Technique?

Let's see how the Sword Technique of this Yanggu Sword compares to the Lihuo Sword?

Those three Sword Techniques all looked quite strong.

Which one is good?

Because he had absolute control, he not only knew the names of these Sword Techniques but also their uses. In this state, he was almost equivalent to a Sword Guest in terms of authority.

Golden Light Illuminates All is an ultimate move, a group attack.

Golden Crow Melts Snow is used for detoxifying and healing wounds.

Auspicious Colored Clouds relates to destiny, seemingly having good luck bestowed.

Seemingly?

Is the Sword Technique this vague?

Tang Zhao thought for a moment and then felt relieved. Destiny, such an ethereal thing, how could a mere Sword Technique touch it? It would be good enough to just touch the edge, so it can only be "seemingly," right?

Then it's this one; I'll try the feeling of good luck descending.

Thinking this, Tang Zhao moved his mind, and the brilliance at the blade turned from gold to purple; a purple light-silk with colorful trails drifted up gracefully.

That light-silk's momentum was not grand, far worse than the Vermilion Bird fire Tang Zhao had released before. It was like a silk sash on a lady, softly wrapping around him, winding around smoothly, reflecting his cheeks in a purplish-red hue.

Winding and winding, the light-silk disappeared.

All strange phenomena disappeared.

Is it over?

Tang Zhao's head sank, exhaustion surged up, the red sun in his mind disappeared, and the Sword Manual closed. The Lihuo Sword faded from its golden color and returned to its original appearance.

Simulated Holding, ended.

Tang Zhao couldn't clearly describe the feeling; there was excitement, there was exhaustion, but the most lingering feeling was that sense of loss.

Luck, was it actually added or not?

How can one tell?

He comforted himself again—there's no disaster or illness in front of me, so adding luck isn't of much use anyway.

Regardless of whether it was really added, he decided to give himself one before entering the Demon Cave; at least it would be a good omen.

Auspicious Colored Clouds, truly auspicious.

Putting away the Lihuo Sword, Tang Zhao went back to eat dinner, practiced Sword Technique for a while with peace of mind, and returned to his room to rest.

At night, he still slept on that small bed, while Xue Jiejie had her own large room to sleep in.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly heard the alarm bell ringing loudly, and Tang Zhao woke up with a start.

The bell is an alarm; this is not a good thing!

He heard Xue Jiejie call out: "The Wangliang have come!"

79 Yanggu