...
Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu walked through the gate, and the last courtyard of Jian Ge finally had its owner.
The following days were very peaceful.
According to Jian Ge's statistics, on the first day of the opening of Chu Xue, a total of thirteen thousand four hundred and fourteen cultivators ascended the mountain. Nearly half of these were drawn by the Xin Ri Sword.
However, less than half of that half could withstand the sword intent and finally reach the summit. For example, Sun Tong's junior brother and sister, after leaving the disciple courtyard, could only walk downwards, unable to see the scenery at the very top of Jian Ge, nor the newly forged nine immortal swords.
And those who could see them gained nothing.
On the first day of Jian Ge's opening, Chu Xue, more than three thousand four hundred cultivators attempted to have the Xin Ri Sword recognize them as master, but all were met with a violent backlash, engulfed in flames.
The remaining eight immortal swords also possessed their own pride. Facing swordsmen as numerous as mountains and seas, not a single immortal sword recognized a master.
As the sun set and dusk descended, the first day of Jian Ge's half-month opening period concluded.
That night, starlight sprinkled across the mountains and wilds, reflecting a faint glow on the sword blades. Jian Ge, both on the mountain and below, was illuminated by countless lights.
Sun Tong returned very late, in disarray. His simple cloth clothes were covered in tiny nicks and tears. He returned to his room and fell asleep, his sword still the same one he had always carried.
Zuo Mingqiu and Xu Mu sat cross-legged on the roof, gazing at the twinkling starlight between heaven and earth, quietly meditating and cultivating.
...
The second day of Jian Ge's opening.
The nine immortal swords were as good as new.
Hundreds of rare and precious swords recognized their masters and were taken away by swordsmen from various sects. Countless individuals with ulterior motives followed them down the mountain, stirring up bloody storms in the martial world.
The third day of Jian Ge's opening.
After tonight, the immortal swords would be returned to the forge for tempering, significantly increasing the difficulty of acquiring them. Thus, the swordsmen on the mountain went mad, vying to have the immortal swords recognize them as master, unleashing their strength, burning their essence blood, and employing all sorts of tactics.
And then, Na Lan Mu Cuo made his move.
This swordmaster, ranked third on the Xuan Ranking, stalemated with the Xin Ri Sword for half an hour, causing a phantom image of the great sun to hang in the air. The Xin Ri Sword blazed with light, scorching the earth, turning even the rocks red-hot. Many felt Na Lan Mu Cuo had a great chance of succeeding, but in the end, he failed.
Countless swordsmen and cultivators lamented, believing he was just a little bit short. They voluntarily cleared the path, hoping Na Lan Mu Cuo could try a few more times before nightfall, but he refused.
Na Lan Mu Cuo took a drink of wine and descended Jian Ge dejectedly. Although everyone believed he was only a little short, only he knew the true gap, as vast as the difference between clouds and mud.
He hadn't even touched the sword hilt before his innate abilities were scorched dry. What use would trying more times be?
Besides the nine immortal swords positioned at the highest echelon, the high-quality immortal swords forged in previous years were also highly sought after, but not a single one was taken away. Bai Yu, which Sun Tong had cherished for many years, was the same.
He left early and returned late, covered in wounds, attempting to have Bai Yu recognize him as master over seventy times, all ending in failure. As night fell, he could only watch helplessly as the elders of Jian Ge took Bai Yu away for tempering.
After returning to the courtyard, Sun Tong looked up at the starry sky, tears of despair welling in his eyes. For after tonight, acquiring Bai Yu would be even more difficult. Would his efforts over these past days be in vain?
Sun Tong's Dao heart wavered, but then he saw Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu sitting cross-legged on the roof, facing the myriad of precious swords, still and unwavering.
For the past three days, they would ascend to the roof with the morning dew and sleep under the bright moon at night. Regardless of the outside world or the celestial phenomena of the immortal swords, the two simply meditated and cultivated, undisturbed by any external matters.
In truth, Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu were merely bored.
When bored, they cultivated.
But in Sun Tong's eyes, this was indifference to external gains and losses, a steadfast Dao heart, and a calmness of being in control of everything.
Thus, Sun Tong, who moments before was dejected and despairing, was instantly revitalized. He remembered Xu Mu's words when they first ascended the mountain, and those words echoed in his ears once more at this moment.
Sun Tong bowed respectfully to Xu Mu, then entered his room and quickly fell asleep.
...
The fourth day of Jian Ge's opening.
Sun Tong left in the morning and returned at dusk, his robes tattered by sword qi, his body covered in bloodstains.
He had failed again.
But his face was filled with excitement.
For although Bai Yu had become even more arrogant, through sheer, unyielding effort, he had once again managed to grip Bai Yu's hilt, and he held it for nearly five breaths of time.
The smooth, cool touch intoxicated him.
Sun Tong felt he was getting closer and closer to Bai Yu.
...
The fifth day of Jian Ge's opening.
Among the nine immortal swords forged by Jian Ge, the third one, named Hei Chao (Black Tide), was taken by Li Zao of Meihua Valley. The dark tidal phenomenon obscured the sky over Jian Ge for a hundred li, alerting the world.
...
The sixth day of Jian Ge's opening.
Sun Tong left in the morning and returned at noon.
After five and a half days of effort, he was getting closer to Bai Yu, but there was always an indescribable distance. He understood that this distance was the key to having an immortal sword recognize a master, and it couldn't be overcome by mere stubborn attempts. Therefore, he returned to the courtyard early.
What was he still missing?
Sun Tong looked at Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu, who were still sitting on the roof, quietly cultivating. He seemed to gain some enlightenment and, following their example, climbed onto the roof to practice his swordplay, facing the sun and the moon. With each horizontal slash, vertical cut, and spinning thrust, Sun Tong's state of mind reached perfection, and he unintentionally broke through his cultivation, advancing his mental techniques.
The seventh day.
Sun Tong returned at noon after failing to take the sword. Covered in wounds, he stood on the roof with a peaceful state of mind and began practicing his sword. He started from the most basic introductory moves he learned when he first picked up a sword, only stopping, drenched in sweat, as the sun was swallowed by the horizon.
Xu Mu sat on the roof of another building, watching the entire process silently. Although he didn't understand swordsmanship, he had sparred with many masters who did, such as Yan Yu, Zuo Mingqiu, and Chen Changkong.
The sword techniques in the world were myriad and ever-changing, but generally, they evolved from the simplest horizontal and vertical cuts. After careful observation, he could see some imperfections in Sun Tong's sword moves, so he decided to offer some suggestions, but he was stopped by Zuo Mingqiu.
Zuo Mingqiu looked at Xu Mu and said calmly:
"I will."
...
As Zuo Mingqiu said, so he did.
On the eighth day of Jian Ge's opening, Zuo Mingqiu stopped Sun Tong, who was about to leave, and asked if he was willing to learn swordplay from him. Sun Tong was extremely excited and replied with a resounding "yes."
Sun Tong did not cultivate the Dao. His swordsmanship differed from his own, Zhao Qingdong's, and Yan Yu's. After pondering for a moment, Zuo Mingqiu decided to teach him Chen Changkong's sword techniques.
Only Xu Mu remained alone on the courtyard roof. Zuo Mingqiu and Sun Tong practiced swordplay in the courtyard until darkness made it impossible to see.
The sun set and rose.
The ninth day of Jian Ge's opening.
Under the watchful eyes of Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu, Sun Tong walked out of the courtyard and only returned at sunset. As before, he was covered in wounds, his robes tattered. But what was different was the sword in his hand. It was a slender, soft, white sword, smooth and cool as a fish.
The sword was named Bai Yu.
Zuo Mingqiu stepped forward, wearing a black conical hat, and stood quietly at the courtyard entrance, scaring away many swordsmen who had followed.
Zuo Mingqiu looked at the Bai Yu in Sun Tong's hand for a long time, then suddenly turned his head to look at Xu Mu and said, "I want a new sword too."
Hearing this, Xu Mu nodded and said, "Alright."
The tenth day of Jian Ge's opening.
The teleportation array of Jian Ge was repaired.
On this day, Zuo Mingqiu left in the morning and returned at noon.
Perhaps it was because of the scorching midday sun, but everyone in the disciple courtyard, and indeed the entire Jian Ge, felt an inexplicable heat. The sun was blindingly bright, as if it had descended before their very eyes.
Xu Mu and Qi Long stood quietly at the entrance of the cave where the teleportation array was located, watching Zuo Mingqiu return, carrying the sun on his back, their eyes squinting into smiles.
On this day, the Xin Ri Sword recognized its master.
The Sword Master: Zuo Mingqiu!
...