Chapter 463: Tai Chu Nine Swords

Feng Caichen honestly shook his head: "The junior only knows that this sword intent points directly to the Primordial, embraces all laws, destroys to return to truth, but the higher‑level mysteries I still cannot reach."

Tai Chu's eyes seemed to hold a recollective hue, "Hehe, I, back then, created this sword intent, exhaustively probing the origin of the sword Dao, eventually deriving it into nine forms, collectively called… Tai Chu Nine Swords!"

"Tai Chu Nine Swords?" Feng Caichen's eyes flashed with brilliance.

"Correct." Tai Chu's tone was indifferent, yet seemed to state a cosmic truth, "These nine swords are not fixed techniques, but embodiments of nine ultimate states of the sword Dao, the ninefold elevation and metamorphosis of Tai Chu Sword Intent. Grasping the nine swords fully, the sword Dao can be called… Supreme."

He looked at Feng Caichen, said lightly, "Since we meet today, it is fate. I will now impart the mysteries of the Tai Chu Nine Swords to you. How much you can comprehend depends on your own insight and destiny."

Having said that, without waiting for Feng Caichen's reply, Tai Chu casually lifted his right hand, his index finger lightly pointing forward.

That point made no sound, no trace, no energy fluctuation, not even the slightest ripple in the surrounding space.

Yet the instant his fingertip touched, Feng Caichen felt his entire soul, his whole consciousness, as if drawn into an endless, vast, ancient ocean of sword intent!

A terrifying torrent of information, unimaginable, indescribable, massive enough to burst ordinary souls, surged like the first deluge at the opening of the universe, directly, violently, yet supremely pure, pouring into the deepest part of his sea of consciousness!

In a daze, Feng Caichen saw a majestic, ancient sword silhouette beyond words, born from the undivided Chaos of Tai Chu!

The sword silhouette quivered slightly, the First Sword emerged, as if cleaving ignorance, establishing the boundary between existence and Void!

The Second Sword emerged, evolving yin and yang, separating the pure from the turbid!

The Third Sword emerged, generating the Five Elements, constructing the material foundation!

The Fourth Sword emerged, the Space-Time River beginning to split, the long river surged!

The Fifth Sword emerged, causality interweaving, Fate manifesting!

The Sixth Sword emerged, Reincarnation first appearing, life and death ordered!

The Seventh Sword emerged, myriad Dao converging into flow, laws forming a net!

The Eighth Sword emerged, the fire of civilization, the light of wisdom!

The Ninth Sword emerged… the sword silhouette seemed to merge with the Dao, the slash no longer a blade of light but an entire Epoch of the universe, from birth to Jiemie, and from Jiemie birthing anew!

The nine swords in succession seemed to enact a hyper‑condensed cosmic epic, the ultimate of the sword Dao!

Each sword contains an ineffable supreme sword principle, the source of all ancient sword Dao, the ultimate convergence point of boundless sword intent!

It transcends technique, transcends forms, even transcends the sword's very shape, pointing directly to the most Primordial, core truth of the Dao!

The torrent of information battered Feng Caichen's mind and spirit; with his Sword Heart Reaching Sage cultivation and steadfast Dark Heart, he felt waves of intense dizziness and stabbing pain, as if his soul were about to be burst by this Supreme sword principle!

Yet he gritted his teeth and persisted, desperately memorizing and perceiving even the slightest Dao Rhythm flowing within those nine sword silhouettes.

After an unknown length of time, the vast information onslaught slowly receded.

Feng Caichen snapped his eyes open, fine cold sweat already beading on his forehead, his complexion slightly pallid, yet his clear eyes shone terrifyingly, as if two Open Heaven divine swords were drifting, appearing and vanishing within them!

Although the ultimate mysteries of the Tai Chu Nine Swords are like mirage and moonlit flowers—most of it obscure and beyond his current realm's comprehension—just that fleeting glimpse, the nine sword silhouettes imprinted deep in his soul, were enough to open a brand‑new door in his understanding of the sword Dao, leading to the Supreme realm!

Its value is incalculable!

He inhaled deeply, forced his tumultuous mind and boiling sword intent down, bowed deeply to Tai Chu again, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and gratitude: "Senior, the kindness of imparting the Dao… the junior… will never forget for eternity!"

This is no longer merely a life‑saving favor, but a teacher's grace of imparting the Dao and pointing the way forward!

Tai Chu's expression remained calm, as if he had done a trivial act; receiving this gift, he said lightly, "The opportunity has been given; how far you can go depends on yourself."

Feng Caichen steadied his mind, thought a moment, then asked, "Senior, today I have seen your visage, dispelled the junior's great doubts, and received the Supreme sword Dao. I wonder… if in the future the junior makes progress or has matters to consult you about, where should I go to find you?"

He felt deep gratitude and reverence toward Tai Chu; if able, he would wish to repay, and moreover, such a Supreme being offering occasional guidance would be a heavenly blessing.

Tai Chu heard this and casually smiled, saying, "Seek me? Hehe, the me you see is merely a thought imprint projected casually from my true self deep within the Space-Time River, lasting only a short time before dissipating after the task is done. As for my true self…"

He paused slightly, his tone tinged with a hint of ethereality: "Usually, if there is nothing else, I might be residing within the Tai Chu Universe."

"Of course, not necessarily. For us, Space-Time is no longer a constraint; wherever the mind reaches, the body can follow."

"If you truly wish to find me, go to the Tai Chu Universe and try your luck; the chance of finding me may be the greatest."

"Tai Chu Universe?" Feng Caichen and the nearby Ye Wuque heard this, both slightly startled, their eyes showing doubt.

They had never heard that name before.

Tai Chu saw the doubt on their faces, couldn't help but grin, and said lightly, "What? Never heard of it? Hehe, it seems you two youngsters, buried in diligent cultivation, limit your understanding of the Zhutian Wanjie to just the four so‑called Multi‑level Universes: Nine Heavens Ten Earths, Other Shore, Xuanhuang, and Honghuang?"

He gently shook his head, his tone bearing a hint of senior‑like tolerance and guidance: "Indeed, you are still young, and the road ahead is long. This world is far broader and more splendid than you imagine. The endless Void, countless stars, are more than just those four Multi‑level Universes. Their mysteries are boundlessly strange. I will say no more; as you travel farther and see more, you will naturally understand."

"Then… senior, where exactly is your true self?" Feng Caichen couldn't help but ask, his curiosity toward this mysterious, powerful benefactor evident.

Tai Chu laughed heartily, his laughter carrying a detached nonchalance and a hint of unfathomable depth: "My true self's location? Hehe, this mere Avatar imprint has no right to know the possibilities of the true self. Perhaps it drifts at the source or terminus of the Space-Time River; or perhaps it slumbers at the Singularity where Time and Reincarnation intertwine…"

His words were cryptic and unfathomable, leaving Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen bewildered, yet they felt an inexplicable shock and yearning.

That was a realm they currently could not comprehend at all.

"Alright, these matters are still premature for you," Tai Chu reined in that ethereal hint, his tone returning to calm, "Cultivate diligently, keep your feet on the ground, don't overreach. In the future… if you can keep progressing, reaching sufficient heights, perhaps… the day you truly meet my true self may come."

He looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce the endless starry sky, staring into the unfathomable distant beyond, his voice suddenly tinged with a faint, elusive melancholy and solitude, sighing softly as if to himself:

"A tumultuous autumn… Darkness approaches, the great building will topple… Other Shore stirs restlessly, ominous whispers in the dark… that abyss of Darkness even the Supreme shuns, the No Return path that buried countless glorious Epochs… seems to be stirring again…"

"Endless Darkness… a terrifying great calamity… as if another Reincarnation's end is drawing near…"

"We old ones… perhaps it's time we must once again step into that unimaginable depth where peril and opportunity coexist…"

That whisper‑like sigh was soft, yet carried a weight that seemed able to crush the ancient star rivers, tightening Ye Wuque and Feng Caichen's hearts inexplicably, as if they glimpsed a fragment of a massive future upheaval.

Tai Chu withdrew his gaze, looked at Feng Caichen, his face regaining the warm, gentle smile, as if the earlier hint of melancholy had been an illusion.

He flipped his palm, and an ancient, rustic Sword Gate about a foot long, entirely dark‑gold, its surface etched with countless fine, arcane sword patterns, appeared in his hand.

The Sword Gate was plain and unadorned, yet subtly exuded a terrifyingly sharp aura that could freeze the Zhutian Wanjie for ages, as if it sealed a divine sword spirit capable of cleaving epochs!

"Before parting, I'll give you a small trinket."

Tai Chu handed the Sword Gate to Feng Caichen, "Inside, a Tai Chu Sword Qi of mine is sealed. Though it was merely gathered casually, its power is decent. If that Thunder Clan still dares to chase you heedlessly, you can activate this Sword Qi, which should keep you safe."