Chapter 682: Sword Dao Eleven: Drawing the Sword to the Blue Sky

In the void, Master Yue Xi wore a magnificent golden-flowing robe, her towering, superhuman stature making her seem like a celestial immortal descended from myth.

Her expression was calm, her gaze serene; since arriving at the Sword Abyss, she had labored tirelessly in the courtyard, never resting, and in just one year, she had made tremendous progress.

At this moment, she was accompanied by Wei Wei Hongye.

Upon learning that this junior sister had emerged from seclusion and was preparing to challenge Emperor Sword Cliff, Wei Wei Hongye had come specifically to accompany her.

Master Yue Xi glanced across the void to the opposite side of Emperor Sword Cliff, where countless figures from the Sword Abyss filled the air; though the Sword Abyss had fewer disciples than the Spear Abyss, there were still tens of thousands.

Yet, at a single glance, she did not see the figure she wished to see.

Master Yue Xi frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure; if the other possessed such a temperament, even with a Nine-Ring Dao Heart, they would eventually be surpassed by her—perhaps even already had been.

She gathered her thoughts, ceased dwelling on it, and arrived before Emperor Sword Cliff.

On the opposite shore, many Heaven Court disciples watched and whispered about Li Hao's newly recruited apprentice.

"I heard Elder Li brought back two disciples a year ago—I inquired, both were taken from the Questioning Heart Pagoda City; one with an Eight-Ring Dao Heart, the other a Nine-Ring, both Eternal Dao Hearts. Master Yue Xi is the Eight-Ring; the Nine-Ring one keeps to themselves, rarely seen."

"A Nine-Ring Dao Heart? Is the other already an Immortal Lord?"

"You're foolish—can an Immortal Lord still be a disciple? They'd be made an administrator at once, even eligible for Elder status."

"True Immortal Realm, yet a Nine-Ring Dao Heart? What kind of mind is this? Does he even know what qi deviation is?"

Many Heaven Court disciples murmured quietly, their gazes growing serious.

At this moment, Master Yue Xi stood directly before Emperor Sword Cliff; she heard Wei Wei Hongye's whispered encouragement, took a deep breath, then raised her hand and drew her sword.

With a sharp *clang*, the blade vibrated free and landed in her grip.

She stared at the towering, sheer face of Emperor Sword Cliff, seeing its countless names—all prodigies of the Sword Abyss.

And her own name sat at the very bottom.

Instantly, silver radiance flared in her eyes, followed by brilliant golden light emanating from her golden robe; a piercing, vast sword intent surged forth from her body.

From afar, her figure seemed enveloped by a spectral sword shadow, standing tall and straight toward the heavens.

As a member of the Yanghuo Clan, she possessed extraordinary sword talent and a primordial sword embryo.

"True Immortal Realm, Third Layer!"

"Such intense sword intent—my own sword is trembling!"

"Is this what a Heaven Court disciple looks like? At True Immortal Realm Third Layer, she already has this presence—I feel even my Fifth Layer wouldn't stand a chance."

"You're overestimating—even Sixth Layer might not defeat her."

Far away, many Earth Court and Mystery Court disciples whispered in awe.

Even the Heaven Court disciples grew solemn, feeling pressure from this woman.

At this moment, Master Yue Xi gripped her sword and flew toward Emperor Sword Cliff.

As she neared the cliff's base, she felt a majestic, overwhelming aura—like an emperor seated atop a mountain, his gaze blazing, his power filling heaven and earth.

She felt like an ant crawling beneath his eyes; her own sword intent and Dao seemed reflected in a mirror, suddenly appearing inferior.

She clenched her teeth, her eyes hardening with stubbornness; fueled by a fierce, icy resolve, she unleashed all her ultimate power and surged upward toward the spot just above her original name.

Behind her, a hazy, silver-threaded celestial manifestation emerged—like a goddess from beyond the heavens—matching her sword-wielding form as they both shot forward.

Emperor Sword Cliff radiated boundless might; in Master Yue Xi's eyes, it was no longer a cliff, but a single sword—standing between heaven and earth, rendering all else dim and insignificant.

She had never seen such a sword, never felt such terrifying sword qi; yet this proximity transformed her understanding of the sword utterly—but with it came despair: could she ever reach such a pinnacle of sword Dao?

She felt she might never, in her entire life, cultivate such an ultimate sword Dao.

This daze affected her sword heart; her movements slowed uncontrollably. Only when she realized it did she find herself standing before Emperor Sword Cliff.

*Clang. *

A flash of sword light slashed swiftly, carving her name into the cliff.

This time, her name rose three feet higher than before.

Just three feet—but it leapt past hundreds of names, overtaking numerous prodigies.

As her name was carved, her strength seemed spent; her body flew backward, unable to bear the aura any longer, her face pale as she retreated beyond Emperor Sword Cliff.

Her chest rose and fell slightly, her breaths heavy, her sword-hand trembling—but behind her, countless stunned gazes fixed upon her.

In just one year, she had left her name on Emperor Sword Cliff—and leapt three feet higher. It was astonishing.

"True Immortal Realm Third Layer—if her cultivation deepened further, she might reach even higher."

"This sword intent alone can compensate for a tenfold disparity in immortal power; challenging Sixth Layer as a Third Layer isn't impossible."

Far away, the crowd regained their composure and began murmuring.

True Immortal Realm's Tenth Layer is the peak; each layer doubles the immortal power!

Second Layer is double, Third Layer is quadruple, Fourth Layer is eightfold!

By the time one reaches Tenth Layer, their immortal power is 512 times that of First Layer!

With hundreds of times more immortal power, most ultimate techniques cannot compensate—like Divine Body Realm, which boosts physical strength tenfold, yet is negligible against five hundredfold immortal power!

The same applies to celestial manifestations; although they greatly enhance combat power, by the True Immortal Realm Tenth Layer, most possess them—and the higher the realm, the more terrifying the boost!

These ten layers are like ten heavens, hard to leap across; those who can challenge across realms are top-tier prodigies—like Master Yue Xi before us.

"Not bad. You've improved greatly."

Wei Wei Hongye's figure glided to Master Yue Xi's side, speaking softly.

Dressed in plain white, she appeared dignified and elegant—compared to Master Yue Xi's opulence, she seemed more like a transcendent fairy.

Hearing her praise, Master Yue Xi looked up at Emperor Sword Cliff, her eyes scanning upward from her name until she found the three characters: Wei Wei Hongye.

She pressed her lips slightly, steadied her trembling hand, and said to Wei Wei Hongye: "Thank you, Senior Sister, for accompanying me."

"You have great talent. Return and keep striving."

Wei Wei Hongye smiled.

Master Yue Xi nodded, glanced once more at the crowd across Emperor Sword Cliff—still no sign of that figure—and felt a faint pang of regret, then let it go, turning to walk back with Wei Wei Hongye.

Upon returning to her courtyard, Master Yue Xi summoned her steward and sent word to that other courtyard.

Moments later, her steward returned, his expression odd, bowing respectfully:

"Immortal, the steward of Idle Courtyard says Young Master Hao left the mountain some days ago."

"Left the mountain?"

Master Yue Xi, who had been caressing her blade in the pavilion by the courtyard lake, narrowed her eyes. "Where did he go?"

"He didn't say. After all, Young Master Hao is a Heaven Court disciple—his whereabouts aren't disclosed."

Master Yue Xi's eyes flickered, but she said nothing, only closed them.

The steward, seeing her expression, knew it was time to withdraw and slipped away quietly.

…

In the Questioning Heart Pagoda City.

The vast square, compared to a year ago, now seemed far emptier.

This ancient city had long declined; travelers passing through were few, nowhere near the bustling crowds of former times when many sects came to recruit disciples.

Now, the towering Questioning Heart Pagoda stood in the square, with occasional figures entering to test their Dao Hearts.

At the square's edge stood a small earthen hill.

On its peak, two figures leaned against a tree, facing a precipice below, shrouded in mist; now, more smoke drifted into the fog.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose as Li Hao grilled meat.

Beside him, the lame old man smoked a long pipe.

Though both appeared idle, invisible threads wove through the mist ahead.

Soon, the rich aroma spread; Li Hao handed the old man a piece of roasted dragon liver. "Old Han, still nothing?"

Since half a year ago, Li Hao had come here in his spare time to compete in fishing with this man.

Rarely had he met a fisherman better than himself; coupled with the old man's talk of Long Que, Li Hao had yet to catch anything—he couldn't truly return empty-handed and never come back again; it would haunt his sleep.

After half a year together, though the lame old man was hard to get along with and spoke little, Li Hao had slowly opened him up by grilling and cooking while chatting; he learned the man's surname was Han, though his full name remained unknown.

"Hmph. Aren't you the same?"

Old Han snorted, took the dragon liver, and devoured it without ceremony.

He uncorked his wine gourd, pairing meat with wine, eating with growing pleasure.

"Ah, delightful."

After half a dragon liver and his own brewed wine, his eyes were half-lidded, his face flushed with satisfaction.

Li Hao ate too, chewing on the dragon demon he'd hunted in the wastelands beyond the Pagoda City—its texture was excellent.

"Pass me some wine."

Li Hao said casually.

Old Han, long accustomed, didn't mind; he handed the gourd to Li Hao.

He ate Li Hao's grilled meat; Li Hao drank his wine—each gave and took.

Li Hao wiped the gourd's mouth, then tilted it upward, drinking deeply, savoring the rich flavor.

Old Han glanced over, snorted, took back the gourd, and drank straight from it.

"Your fishing skill is too crude—you're still stuck at the beginner stage, haven't grasped the true essence of fishing."

Old Han said calmly.

"Oh?"

Li Hao was intrigued. "Then what is the true essence of fishing?"

"Tian Wujie can be fished—immortals, gods, demons, beasts, all races… even time and age!"

Old Han said, eyes half-closed.

Li Hao had asked casually, but hearing those words, he felt as if a great bell had rung in his mind, a shudder coursing through his entire body like enlightenment drenching him.

Including time and years?

Li Hao's mind kept replaying it—years and time… how could one fish for time?

What could possibly pull on time?

Countless thoughts flashed through him, yet suddenly, he seemed to grasp it—only his own hook could pull on time.

This time encompassed the time of heaven and earth, and the time of all living beings.

All things are like fish, flowing in their own rivers of time; when hooked, they are dragged from their temporal currents into another path—or to an end…

The dragon meat in Li Hao's mouth lost its flavor; his spirit was wholly immersed in the collision of countless thoughts, his eyes closing without notice.

He let those thoughts spread and echo freely in his mind.

The chaotic divine fire burning before him flickered and vanished, leaving only the scent of roasted meat lingering in the air.

The hidden threads Li Hao had buried in the mist had also disappeared—completely, utterly gone. The mist drifted quietly, a gentle breeze brushing past the boy's temple hairs beneath the tree shadows.

Beside him, the old man drinking to aid his swallowing suddenly turned his gaze toward Li Hao, his drinking motion halting.

He slowly set down his wine gourd, and within his calm eyes, a faint glimmer emerged.

The mist still drifted, the sea of clouds serene.

And Li Hao's body grew even quieter, as if merging with heaven and earth.

This was not the fusion of ultimate transcendence—it was another kind of spiritual harmony.

All things can be fished for; all things can become the fishing line…

Suddenly, the mist churned violently, and from within, something immense trembled and rolled!

In an instant, the mist parted—and the trembling thing leapt out, but it was neither Long Que nor any other demon beast, but a towering, majestic pagoda.

The pagoda rose from the mist as if dragged forth by an unseen force.

Had anyone else been present, they would have been stunned to realize this pagoda was identical to the one standing in the square—the Wenxin Pagoda!

Only, this pagoda was whole, its peak sharp as a sword blade!

Suddenly, the pagoda shook violently, as if being shattered; divine light scattered like flowing rainbows and iron blossoms, splattering everywhere.

!. Read

The imperial aura upon the pagoda also dimmed amid the trembling.

Beside him, the old man smoking his pipe stared blankly at this scene.

His eyes reflected the radiant pagoda, as if countless lights swirled within them—lost time.

He had never imagined that the sliver of time Li Hao had fished from the mist was precisely that era.

At that moment, Li Hao opened his eyes, gazing at the broken, dimming pagoda, watching it shift from tangible to hazy, until it dissolved like smoke and dust—he felt dazed.

The pagoda was not real—it was a temporal projection he had fished out.

But he recognized it: Wenxin Pagoda.

He had fished out the moment when Wenxin Pagoda was destroyed.

At that moment, a system prompt echoed in his mind.

【You have comprehended the fundamental state of Fishing】

【Fishing has advanced to Level Eleven】

【You have gained 38,282 Fishing experience…】

One prompt followed another, yet Li Hao remained lost in the aftermath of his insight.

Time… years… he had truly felt them.

Among the Nine Orders, time was the hardest to touch. Wang Lao's search for Ying Xiao Xiao was almost certainly for the reincarnation of the Timeless Heavenly Maiden, who was born with mastery over the fundamental Dao of time.

Now, he too had the fortune to touch it.

"Fishing… can let me comprehend the Dao of Time…"

Li Hao's heart trembled; he increasingly sensed that every skill he possessed carried profound meaning.

At this moment, a flood of information surged into his mind—Fishing, the fundamental Dao of Time.

Li Hao slowly felt, absorbed, and digested it.

The old man sensed the shift in Li Hao's aura, sat quietly beside him, smoking his pipe, smoke veiling his face, obscuring his expression.

Long, long time passed.

When Li Hao had fully absorbed all the information, he opened his eyes with a faint weariness, then turned to the old man beside him.

Seeing the man lost in thought, Li Hao slowly rose, bowed deeply, and paid a solemn reverence:

"Thank you, Elder, for your guidance!"

Li Hao faintly sensed that his insight was somehow tied to this old man—not merely a casual hint.

The old man snapped back to awareness, seeing Li Hao's solemn posture; rare warmth flickered in his eyes—a look Li Hao had only glimpsed occasionally when he handed him roasted meat over the past half year.

"You're clever. I merely nudged you, and you grasped it. Rare indeed."

The old man rarely praised anyone.

Hearing this, Li Hao felt he had not misjudged him. He sat down and asked:

"Old Han, you must be an incredibly powerful expert, right?"

The old man gave no answer, speaking calmly: "Powerful? Not really. Otherwise, I wouldn't be stuck here, too afraid to even seek revenge."

As he spoke, a self-mocking smile curled his lips.

Li Hao naturally didn't believe him. Even if it were true, Old Han's aura felt no less formidable than Wang Lao's.

"You have enemies."

"Who in this world doesn't have enemies?"

The old man found Li Hao's words naively endearing; a faint smile touched his lips before he returned to his usual cold demeanor, though his eyes held a trace of weariness as he gazed at the sea of clouds: "What did you feel when you fished out what you just saw?"

"You mean the Wenxin Pagoda?"

Li Hao recalled the temporal projection he had fished out, then remembered the colossal hand descending from the sky at the Wenxin Pagoda, sighing: "The one who destroyed the Wenxin Pagoda must be an Immortal Emperor, right?"

The old man did not deny it, speaking slowly: "Futu City has guarded the Abyss for many years. Long ago, the Wenxin Pagoda was already an Imperial Artifact. But during the cataclysm ten thousand years ago, it charged at the front, was suppressed, its imperial aura dimmed, its imperial soul likewise…"

He chuckled softly, as if muttering to himself: "Wenxin, Wenxin—the Wenxin Pagoda questions the sincerity of all beings, yet it lost its own imperial heart, leaving only half…"

Li Hao had heard from Wang Lao that Imperial Artifacts possessed imperial souls, and imperial souls possessed imperial hearts. If the imperial heart perished or was damaged, the cultivator's power would likewise decay.

"If half remains, there's still hope."

Li Hao said.

The old man looked at Li Hao: "Hope?"

"Even if the imperial heart shatters completely, it can be reforged. Perhaps even surpass its former state. Destruction isn't necessarily bad; eternal indestructibility isn't necessarily good. Permanence means stagnation…"

Even if the Emperor's heart shatters completely, it can coalesce again, perhaps even surpassing its former state; destruction is not necessarily bad, and eternal indestructibility is not necessarily good—permanence implies stagnation...

The old man's pupils subtly contracted. He murmured: "Reforged… surpassing the past…"

After a long silence, he suddenly chuckled, then burst into loud laughter.

"Brilliant! Brilliant! How true—eternal indestructibility isn't good. To grasp this state of mind… no wonder your Dao Heart has reached the ultimate of eternity…"

The old man looked at Li Hao—he alone knew the boy before him did not possess a Nine-Ring Dao Heart, but a Ten-Ring one!

He knew clearly: a True Immortal with a Ten-Ring, ultimate Dao Heart would draw immense attention—and immense threats.

For it meant the one before him had the qualification to enter the Pretender Emperor realm.

One step further, and he would reach the Heavenly Dao Heart!

"This roast was delicious!"

The old man laughed, then pulled another wine gourd from his space, tossing it to Li Hao: "Not enough? This is yours."

Li Hao caught it, eyes widening: "Aren't you the one who said this wine is hard to brew, and you only had one flask?"

"Hard to brew? True. It takes a very long time…" The old man smiled faintly, a touch of nostalgia in his voice, yet no regret: "But what I have the most of… is time."

He had waited ten thousand years—what more did he lack?

He laughed freely, his gaze toward Li Hao softening.

He had thought him merely a lucky fool—turns out, he had underestimated him.

I thought he was merely a lucky fool, but I underestimated him.

Li Hao, hearing this, fell silent. The old man was truly a master of concealment—had eaten so much of his roasted meat, yet acted so stingy, so ungenerous!

When the remaining roast was finished, Li Hao stood, brushed the dry grass off his backside, and said: "Time's up. I should return to the sect."

"Go, go. Oh, by the way—take this."

The old man waved his hand, then paused, flipped his palm, and pulled out a small, pitch-black pagoda, handing it to Li Hao.

It was truly tiny—no bigger than a thumb, crude in outline, as if molded from black mud by careless fingers.

Li Hao took it, slipped it onto his thumb like a cap, and asked: "What is this? An Immortal Weapon?"

Li Hao took it and spun it like a cap on his thumb, asking, "What is this? A divine weapon?"

The old man chuckled wryly: "Call it that if you like. Keep it safe. It might save your life in a pinch."

So it was a life-saving artifact… Li Hao, seeing this, didn't refuse. "Then I'll take it. When I grow stronger, I'll return it to you."

"I hope I live to see that day."

The old man smiled.

Li Hao waved goodbye, promising to return for another fishing trip.

He turned and walked back, arriving at the teleportation array near Futu City's gate, preparing to depart for the Great Dream Nine Abyss.

He rose and returned to the teleportation array near Futu City's gate, setting off for Da Meng Daming Jiuyuan.

On the way back, Li Hao pulled up his interface and stared at the newly acquired Fishing Origin Mindset.

His Body Dao and Control Dao have both risen to Level Eleven.

Now he could enhance his Sword Dao.

Li Hao didn't overthink it—among all his paths, Sword Dao had granted him the greatest power, especially in attack.

As he allocated points, countless streams of information flooded into his mind.

【Sword Dao elevated to Level Eleven.】

Numerous insights into Sword Dao surged into his heart.

Simultaneously, all the sword techniques Li Hao had previously mastered underwent profound transformation and deeper understanding as he absorbed these insights.

Immortal's Pointing Path—he had already touched its origin level.

The Immortal's Sword Draw, which had barely entered the initial stage before, had now reached its peak level!

This showed that the Immortal's Sword Draw remained a technique of the True Immortal Realm, albeit one of the supreme sword arts.

The Azure Si Si Tian Jian Art, one of the Ten Supreme Immortal Arts inherited from the Heaven's Calamity Emperor's Palace, had also been only in the initial stage before—but now it had reached perfection.

To advance to perfection, one needed three layers of Sword Dao Origin.

Now, with his Sword Dao at Level Eleven, Li Hao's Sword Dao Origin had reached three layers.

With the enhancement of these two sword arts, Li Hao's aura shifted, becoming more ethereal and piercing—but as he integrated them, he fully suppressed the changes.

Even without relying on the Taowu Immortal Weapon, Li Hao felt his destructive power had reached an astonishing level.

Simply combining the Immortal's Sword Draw and Azure Si Si Tian Jian Art would unleash unimaginable power.

By the time he returned to Sword Abyss, he had fully absorbed everything.

He flew to the mountain peak, crossed the sheer, steep Emperor's Sword Cliff, and glanced once.

(End of Chapter)