Borrowed Sword

Chapter 77: He Was Going to the Mountain Peak!

When it came to 《Zhegutian》, the first thing Chu Huaixu thought of was that poem by Xin Qiji.

“【At the river’s edge, the wind and waves are not yet the fiercest, but walking the road of the mortal world, there are far greater hardships.】”

At this moment, the stone steps of Hidden Spirit Mountain were an incredibly difficult climb for ordinary people, which indeed matched the sentiment.

In the mountaintop region, the total number of supreme-grade spiritual artifacts was already very few, and among them, swords were even scarcer.

For the vast majority of people, if they could win the mutual recognition of Zhegutian’s sword spirit, that would already count as a deeply satisfying encounter of fate.

This sword, which should have belonged to Han Shuangjiang, was at this moment trembling lightly, faintly emitting waves of sword cries.

—It had chosen Chu Huaixu.

To this, he did not feel the slightest bit of surprise.

After all, along the way, every sword had extended an olive branch toward him.

Only, the one before his eyes was a supreme-grade spiritual artifact, which naturally stirred his heart with greater agitation.

What’s more, this was Han Shuangjiang’s life-bound sword, which gave rise to some unusual emotions in Chu Huaixu’s heart.

Rounding it up, wasn’t this a little like betraying her?

“The Big Ice Block’s sword, of course I have to touch it.” The Dead Fox had such a thought rise in his heart.

He had already tried out top-grade spiritual swords, but what about a supreme-grade one?

He took a step to the side, then lowered his head to carefully examine this sword.

Zhegutian, including its scabbard, had silver as its main tone.

The sword scabbard bore large numbers of hollowed-out patterns, etched with mystical lines, leaning toward cloud motifs.

Now, he was still half a step away from the sword.

But he could already feel a rush of icy chill surging toward him!

Chu Huaixu did not know what material it had been refined from, but just this biting cold alone made him feel it was incomparably suited to that Big Ice Block.

This sword carried a sword tassel, its tassel threads an icy blue, adding a touch of ornamentation and giving it an even more ethereal air.

As he drew closer, Zhegutian grew ever more lively.

With its trembling, it even faintly showed signs of wanting to unsheathe itself!

Chu Huaixu could tell that its fear of the Heart Sword was weaker than that of the top-grade spiritual swords.

Or rather, the proper word should be dread?

This made him fully realize the terror of the Heart Sword.

“Other than the sword left behind by the Dao Ancestor at the mountain peak, supreme-grade spiritual artifacts are already the highest class of magical treasures.”

“That means, the black small sword in my Sea of Consciousness can bring suppression to all sword spirits?”

But soon, Chu Huaixu shook his head with a laugh, feeling that his thinking was far too simplistic.

“First, these spiritual swords have not yet recognized a master, have not yet become cultivators’ life-bound swords.”

“Once they do, they will receive nourishment, and the sword spirits will grow stronger day by day.”

“As for relics left behind by seniors, their artifact spirits only decline more and more with the passage of time. Hidden Spirit Mountain’s formation merely nurtures them, ensuring they do not dissipate into heaven and earth.”

“A sword’s strength lies in the person who wields it.”

With this thought, Chu Huaixu no longer felt conceited or inflated.

But in his heart, a surge of heroic spirit arose.

“No matter, I will only grow stronger as well, won’t I?”

Chu Huaixu stretched out his hand, fingertip brushing against Zhegutian.

The next instant, the supreme-grade spiritual sword was jolted and sent flying, though not too far.

His own body, too, went out of control, forcing him to retreat a step. He stomped hard with his foot before finally managing to steady himself!

“Just as expected.” Chu Huaixu lifted his head toward the sky shrouded in cloud and mist.

He had already adjusted his mindset and was not overly disappointed.

Under the pull of the formation, Zhegutian flew back to its original position.

Its trembling grew more violent, its sword cries ever louder.

Its blade even slid out of the scabbard by about a finger’s length!

In an instant, icy cold radiated out!

The surrounding temperature dropped several degrees.

It still revealed its desire to acknowledge Chu Huaixu as master!

Only, under the suppression of the Heart Sword, about a finger’s length out of the scabbard was already its limit.

Looking at it, Chu Huaixu saw that Zhegutian’s blade was a watery blue.

This sword was indeed beautiful.

“I am truly sorry, but it seems you and I are not fated.” He did not know whether this sword could understand his words.

“However, barring the unexpected, you and I will surely meet again.”

“Your destined master is still behind me.”

“Why not… wait a little?” He smiled at Zhegutian.

With that, Chu Huaixu turned around without hesitation and continued climbing upward.

On the way, he encountered several more top-grade spiritual swords.

But no matter how excited or fervent they grew, Chu Huaixu never stopped his steps.

He would no longer do things of meaningless value.

“Since I’ve crossed into Borrowed Sword, I must go to the mountain peak, must witness that legendary sword!”

“Otherwise, wouldn’t this trip be wasted!”

Chu Huaixu looked toward the mist above, his gaze sharpening as he stepped forward!

Hidden Spirit Mountain had no road of return.

If one reached the mountain peak, everything seen along the way up this mountain would no longer belong to you.

But Chu Huaixu would still go!

He did not know whether it was his illusion, but as his determination solidified, the black small sword in his Sea of Consciousness seemed to grow more spirited as well.

—Then let us see it!

“Let us go together and meet it!”

At Ask-Dao Peak, inside the main hall.

The Dao Gate’s high-level figures all grew tense.

Because from Chu Huaixu’s actions and bearing, they could already faintly guess his thoughts.

“As expected! He really is going to the mountain peak! He’s going to see that sword!” Chu Yinyin said loudly.

“The Heaven’s Chosen, he truly is the Heaven’s Chosen spoken of in the Dao Ancestor’s prophecy!” Sect Master Xiang Yan could not help but sigh in emotion.

"Looking at that stance, he really doesn't intend to stop." Nangong Yue spoke.

Li Chunsong, the damned gambling addict, instantly felt his heart leap into his throat.

If Chu Huaixu chose a non-sword spiritual artifact partway through, then he would win!

But if he truly made it to the summit, then everything would become uncertain.

Don’t be fooled by how Li Chunsong had just dared to badmouth Little Martial Uncle behind his back—deep down, he understood well: "When it comes to serious matters, Little Martial Uncle never messes around."

There was no reason for him to look for the wrong person at the foot of the mountain.

Moreover, since Chu Huaixu had awakened his Spirit Embryo’s divine power during the Qi-opening Stage, heading directly toward the realm of 【Sword Heart Clarity】, everyone was even more convinced of this.

"If he doesn’t take that sword, then it can only mean one thing..."

"Dao Ancestor was wrong!"

That was what Li Chunsong thought inwardly—but those were words he absolutely dared not speak.

Not because the Dao Ancestor couldn’t be questioned, but because with the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth approaching, and the Origin Spirit Realm about to emerge, everyone regarded the Dao Ancestor’s maxim as the hope for salvation.

If that were proven wrong, the pressure would become even greater!

Inside the great hall, the Enforcement Elder Lu Pan couldn’t help but speak up at this moment, "This kid has real guts!"

"Exactly. After all, he doesn’t even know that he’s the fated one. If he can’t obtain that sword, then this whole trip is nothing but entering a treasure mountain and coming away empty-handed." Nangong Yue admired him more and more, nodding in full agreement.

Everyone knew that every generation of Sword Sovereign from the Sword Sect had challenged that sword on Hidden Spirit Mountain over the past thousand years.

Yet no one had ever tamed it.

Even the leaders of the Sword Dao had failed to do so—would a mere First Realm cultivator not only dare to try but dare to dream of success?

Yet Chu Huaixu openly displayed his ambition.

He was coveting that sword!

Chu Yinyin, ever blunt and quick-tongued, couldn’t help but sigh, "Ah! Even I feel it’s a bit of a pity!"

"He already possesses 【Sword Heart Clarity】, and such a temperament!"

"Given time, under Shen Man’s training—no, under the training of both Shen Man and me, two peerless sword cultivators..."

"He just might be the next of the 【Four Great Divine Swords】!" Chu Yinyin said so.

Everyone automatically ignored a part of her statement, but the rest they couldn’t help but agree with.

"Indeed, it’s quite a pity. If he doesn’t become a Sword Attendant, he’ll most likely be the next Sword Dao leader of our Dao Gate." Even Sect Master Xiang Yan affirmed this.

【Sword Heart Clarity】! And so young too!

But if a person was to be tamed by a sword, how could they still carry their current pride and unyielding spirit?

Even if... it was the sword left behind by the Dao Ancestor!

It was like how every generation of Sword Sovereign from the Sword Sect came to challenge the sword atop the mountain—they could lose, but they would never believe they had no chance of winning!

On Hidden Spirit Mountain, Chu Huaixu had no idea that a group of cultivation world powerhouses was already mourning his fate in advance.

He brushed past one precious spiritual artifact after another, getting closer and closer to the 9,999th stone step.

By now, when he looked up, the mist had disappeared.

Because with just a little more distance, he would reach the summit.

For some reason, Chu Huaixu felt an invisible pull guiding him.

Even though there was still a good distance to go, he could feel something waiting for him at the summit.

This feeling was a little similar to what he experienced when he first encountered that jade pendant—

But even stronger!

At the same time, he could sense the black small sword within his Sea of Consciousness beginning to stir.

It was still in its sickly, half-dead state.

Yet Chu Huaixu could clearly feel its restlessness!

"Could this be…" Four words surfaced in his mind.

——"Kings never meet!"

Chu Huaixu took a deep breath. Now, only ten steps remained to the summit.

He lifted his right foot and placed it on the stone step.

In the next instant, an overwhelming spiritual pressure surged toward him, nearly causing him to stumble and fall to his knees!

The effect on his body was secondary—the real impact was the pressure on his Sea of Consciousness.

Chu Huaixu suddenly went black in the eyes, dizzy and disoriented, as piercing pain shot through his Sea of Consciousness, as if it were about to explode.

This level of spiritual pressure was no different from a high-level cultivator forcibly invading a low-level cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness with their divine sense!

Yet up until now, all the spiritual pressure released by the artifact spirits across the mountain had no effect on him.

None of them posed any threat to the 【Heart Sword】.

Then there could be only one explanation.

This sudden spiritual pressure came from the sword atop the mountain—from the sword left behind by the Dao Ancestor!

Gritting his teeth, Chu Huaixu forced his left foot up and planted both feet firmly on the tenth step from the top.

This strange event caused an uproar in the grand hall of Ask-Dao Peak.

Chu Yinyin, the most agitated, even jumped to her feet.

"What’s going on!" she exclaimed.

"Back when we climbed the mountain—or even that time when it got furious—there was never anything like this!" Chu Yinyin questioned the senior brothers and sisters.

Even though every time they climbed the mountain, they could feel that suspended sword looking down on them, equally disdainful of everyone—

It never actively released spiritual pressure.

Even when each generation of Sword Sovereign challenged it, nothing like this happened on the way up.

Was it usually just indifferent?

Or was there some other reason?

Xiang Yan frowned deeply and voiced his speculation: "Don’t forget, Chu Huaixu is a Sword Attendant."

"If he is a Sword Attendant, then that means he is to be tamed by this sword."

"Perhaps, this is it trying to tame him."

Everyone fell silent at those words, but they all agreed with the guess.

However, what happened next on the mountain left them all stunned.

That Chu Huaixu, who was being completely crushed by the spiritual pressure, began twitching his head—forcing it upward in an agonizing motion.

He gritted his teeth.

His facial features twisted.

His expression contorted in pain!

That man in black robes let out a sudden roar!

He did not lower his head—instead, his eyes remained locked forward, bloodshot and unyielding.