Borrowed Sword

Chapter 78: The King’s Contempt

Inside the great hall, everyone’s expression changed drastically.

Yet the scene before their eyes was both unexpected and within reason.

If Chu Huaixu had not resisted at all and was simply suppressed completely, that would have been unreasonable.

Everyone had observed him for quite some time, and had gained some understanding of his temperament.

Unfortunately…

“Sigh!” Nangong Yue was the first to feel a tinge of pity, letting out a long sigh.

Enforcement Elder Lu Pan spoke: “Such terrifying Spiritual Pressure would instantly cause an ordinary low-level cultivator to explode and die!”

Hearing this, Li Chunsong’s eyes flickered with worry.

“Don’t let something go wrong.”

He held a rather high opinion of Chu Huaixu and quite admired this young man.

Moreover, the Dao Gate emphasized karmic fate.

Although he had gone down the mountain to fetch him under Little Martial Uncle’s orders, the fact remained that he was the one who brought him back.

“Everyone, remain calm.” Xiang Yan raised his hand and pressed downward.

He continued: “When we were in the Purple Bamboo Forest, we all entered his Sea of Consciousness. You and I both know well how extraordinary that small black sword within his Sea of Consciousness is.”

“Even Little Junior Sister, when unprepared, was shaken out of his Sea of Consciousness by that Black Small Sword.”

“You all know clearly—the sword has been sealed on the mountain for a thousand years.”

“The Dao Ancestor set countless Restrictions upon it. It requires a Sword Attendant.”

“Therefore, its purpose is only to subdue Chu Huaixu, not to kill him.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded.

For now, they could only wait and see.

On the other side, within the Inner Sect, in the Purple Bamboo Forest.

A thin Dao nun in robes still sat high upon a boulder, facing the stone wall.

At this moment, the wooden hairpin stuck in her black hair flickered with a dim light.

Shen Man seemed to sense something as well. She raised her head in confusion, looking toward the direction of Hidden Spirit Mountain.

“Y-you felt it too?” she muttered to herself, still stammering, as she spoke to her wooden hairpin.

That was her sword—a wooden sword.

This sword had a name that suited her perfectly.

Many of Dao Gate’s Spiritual Artifacts were named after titles of lyric poems, almost as if it were tradition.

It was called 【Slow, Slow Tune】.

At the tenth step from the bottom of Hidden Spirit Mountain.

Chu Huaixu’s body, strengthened by both the 《Sword Refining Art》 and the 《Dao Canon》, was now straining under the pressure.

As for his Sea of Consciousness, it was in complete chaos.

Fortunately, the 【Heart Sword】 had already awakened the Spirit Embryo’s divine power and had entered the supreme sword realm of 【Sword Heart Clarity】.

It was like the stabilizing needle within Chu Huaixu’s Sea of Consciousness.

Without it holding on with all its strength, this Sea of Consciousness would have already collapsed completely!

If the Sea of Consciousness suffered severe damage, at best he would fall into a coma, at worst he would die instantly.

Chu Huaixu could feel it clearly. Though the Heart Sword still seemed frail and sickly, that languid aura had completely disappeared.

He knew very well—the reason the Heart Sword appeared lifeless and in poor condition was simply because his own cultivation was too low, and his Spirit Embryo was merely a low-grade Spirit Embryo.

As he continued to break through, and constantly acquired new Spirit Embryo Attributes, its condition should steadily improve.

“After all, at the very beginning, it seemed like it only had one breath left, as if barely clinging to life.”

“Compared to back then, now it’s already a little better.”

As for that lazy temperament—it was obviously just its own problem.

Its current state fit a phrase rather well—disabled but strong-willed.

The Black Small Sword within the Sea of Consciousness had completely locked horns with this Spiritual Pressure!

Chu Huaixu and it were linked by intent—man and sword could influence each other.

If he was enraged, it was enraged as well.

If it bore fighting intent, then so did he!

At this moment, it was as if there was a clear division of labor.

Chu Huaixu bore the burden of his body, while it bore the burden of his Sea of Consciousness.

The realm of 【Sword Heart Clarity】 spread outward, and all the unowned swords across the mountain began to tremble violently!

At this very moment, Han Shuangjiang had only just reached the mountainside.

She had never seen so many Magical Treasures and Spiritual Artifacts, and naturally was filled with curiosity, climbing the mountain at a very slow pace.

Her face was full of shock as she raised her head. Vaguely, she even suspected that the entire mountain’s swords were letting out Sword Cries!

When immortals fought, mortals suffered.

The clash between the sword atop the mountain and the Heart Sword directly affected all the Spirit Swords across the mountain.

They trembled, they prostrated, they feared this struggle.

“No doubt, it has something to do with Chu Huaixu again,” the Big Ice Block thought.

For some reason, a wave of unease rose in her heart.

She no longer cared to look at the dazzling array of Spiritual Artifacts around her.

Han Shuangjiang began to quicken her pace up the mountain.

“Dead Fox, you better not get into trouble.” The young girl prayed silently in her heart.

Under the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure, Chu Huaixu struggled to lift his right foot, only for it to be forced back down.

He repeated this several times before finally placing his right foot on the next step.

His face was twisted in pain, but his head remained proudly raised.

Though his entire body shook uncontrollably, his spine did not bend in the slightest.

In Chu Huaixu’s childhood, he had suffered constant beatings, growing up in a household plagued by domestic violence. Yet even so, once he grew, he dared to fight back.

To put it humorously: “If I dared to hit even my own father, who the hell do you think you are?”

His body continued to strain as he lifted his left foot with great difficulty, stepping onto yet another stone stair.

Blood began to drip from Chu Huaixu’s palms—his ten fingernails had already dug deep into his flesh.

Thanks to the 《Dao Canon》’s enhanced healing ability, the wounds were visibly closing.

Chu Huaixu clenched his fists tightly, gritted his teeth, and continued climbing.

Each step he took was painfully slow.

Even each step he took was unsteady.

Yet that stubborn drive, that hysteria from deep within his heart, was gradually erupting.

Chu Huaixu could sense the strength of that sword.

After all, even though it was sealed atop the mountain, it could still exert such terrifying Spiritual Pressure from afar!

If not for the countless Restrictions upon it, how terrifying would it truly be?

But its attitude was just that clear.

This Spiritual Pressure was descending from above, striking from the heights.

If Chu Huaixu’s body could not withstand it, then he would either collapse or kneel!

Perhaps that was precisely what the sword wanted!

Fortunately, this might already be its limit under all those Restrictions.

The Spiritual Pressure did not increase step by step with each stair.

It merely made every single movement of Chu Huaixu incomparably difficult.

And the longer it dragged on, the worse his condition grew, the more excruciating it became.

Later, he even began bleeding from the Seven Apertures.

Blood flowed out, making his face look ever more ferocious, his features twisted.

This sight caused all the Dao Gate elders within the great hall to grow increasingly tense.

“It feels like this is going too far.” Nangong Yue could not help but speak out, feeling that the sword atop the mountain was bullying him too much.

The worry in Li Chunsong’s eyes grew even heavier.

This gambling addict wasn’t even thinking about the wager anymore.

“Sect Master, this…” Zhao Shuqin, his eyes narrowed into slits, wanted to speak but hesitated.

Xiang Yan sighed: “According to sect rules, Hidden Spirit Mountain itself is a trial for disciples. No one may interfere.”

At this time, it was actually Enforcement Elder Lu Pan who gave a cold snort.

“Chu Huaixu, this child, I like him very much.”

“If his life truly becomes endangered, I will intervene!”

“When that time comes, I will personally go to the Enforcement Court to accept punishment!”

Sect Master Xiang Yan looked at Lu Pan in surprise, then gave a wry smile: “Eldest Brother, I didn’t mean it like that, you misunderstood.”

At this moment, all their hearts were wavering.

On one side was the Dao Ancestor’s Maxim, tied to the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth, tied to the Sword of Salvation.

On the other was an outstanding disciple of Dao Gate, with boundless potential.

Among the Dao Gate’s elders, there was only one consensus—that no matter the outcome, Chu Huaixu’s life must be preserved!

Just as everyone was concentrating their Divine Sense to observe the situation, Chu Huaixu on the mountain suddenly seemed mad, first letting out a roar, then breaking into wild laughter.

“Hahahahahaha!”

Even as blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, his laughter was utterly unrestrained.

Because just as he had anticipated, the system’s notification sound rang by his ear.

“【Ding! Upon detection, you have triggered a Passive Mission—Sword Spirit Oppressive Might.】”

Passive Missions were not taken on voluntarily by players, but born of circumstance.

Back then, it was so when the Patrol Bureau surrounded him, and so when Liu Chengqi took revenge.

Such missions were always triggered passively.

Yet there was still logic behind them—players could even deliberately guide them.

Chu Huaixu had only just now harbored a faint hope in his heart, uncertain whether the system would trigger a mission.

He had not expected—it actually did.

Unfortunately, his current state was far too poor. He could not spare the slightest distraction, or else all would be lost.

At this moment, his mind grew ever more muddled, with no time to open the mission panel or view the mission details.

But none of that mattered.

Because his spirit was ablaze, and his goal had become clearer.

He climbed step by step, painfully trudging upward.

Just ten stone steps, yet harder than ascending to the heavens.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Spirit Sword struggled to hold on, while his spiritual world was racked with endless agony.

He forced himself to remain conscious.

His body trembled, even spasmed.

But those bloodshot eyes still locked dead ahead, and his spine remained straight as a blade.

Since man was sword, then he must understand:

—A sword would rather break than bend!

This man who had first practiced the 《Sword Refining Art》 and later cultivated the 《Dao Canon》 now roared hoarsely, venting with all his might.

“It doesn’t hurt!”

“It doesn’t hurt!!”

“It doesn’t hurt!!!”

His hysterical voice echoed above Hidden Spirit Mountain, while in Dao Gate’s great hall, silence reigned. Everyone was shaken by his madness.

The third-to-last step, the second-to-last step, the very last step!

After a long, long time, Chu Huaixu finally reached the mountain peak.

The summit of Hidden Spirit Mountain was a flat expanse.

It was so level, as if someone had cleaved it flat with a single sword strike.

That sword strike had come from the Dao Ancestor himself.

At the four corners of the summit stood towering stone pillars, carved with countless obscure and profound runes.

Whenever the sword experienced any anomaly, these runes would seem to come alive, moving as if animated!

And they would emit a dim golden radiance.

At this moment, as the sword unleashed its Spiritual Pressure, these runes had “awakened.”

Other than that, the vast plateau was nearly barren, holding only the stone platform at the center, and the stone stele beside it.

On the stone stele were carved the two characters “Gentleman,” beneath which were densely packed small characters inscribed by many hands.

Upon the stone platform lay a Sword Scabbard, with a Black Bead hanging upon it, and beneath the bead dangled Black Tassels.

The sword left behind by the Dao Ancestor hovered in midair.

At this moment, it looked down upon Chu Huaixu from above.

With undisguised contempt—along with endless loathing!