Fairy, return my flying sword to me

Chapter 235 Memory Fragments
Faced with several sword lights bursting forth from the void behind the lens, a cluster of golden light flashed in Lin Jian's pupils.

When the first wisp of sword energy pierced three inches in front of his eyebrow, he suddenly twisted his waist and spun around, his knuckles striking the invisible blade seven inches away.

The surging sword intent erupted instantly, and with a crisp "crack" like an ice river bursting open, the condensed sword light, which was as solid as a substance, was shattered into crystal dust.

More sword beams swept in from all directions, and the swordsman struck out from the forest, instantly unleashing a vast expanse of cold light.

Like a dazzling lotus flower blooming in the void, countless lotus petals burst forth in the next instant.

Almost simultaneously, they launched a counterattack against every single longsword that came their way.

Some sword beams exploded, while others were icy cold. However, regardless of their nature, all of them were shattered into nothingness by the swords in the forest.

After several sword intents flashed by in that instant, Lin Jian closed his eyes to sense them carefully, and then resolutely crossed over the direction from which one of the sword beams came.

When I looked at the things in front of me again, I found myself in a magnificent space that was completely different from before.

Facing Lin Jian, who had reached the "ultimate level of skill" and possessed sword intent, the sword intent of the third level of this secret realm was no challenge at all.

Aside from needing to accurately discern the path ahead amidst the fleeting sword intent, the space here is not as stressful as the initial impact of the sword qi and heroic spirits on the forest during the second battle.

After passing through several mirrored doors, a flower that radiates brilliant light like an ice crystal came into view in the forest.

The flower takes root in the void, and its overall appearance is a pale blue hue.

And this translucent flower, which constantly flickers with crystalline light, is the legendary Sword-Eating Orchid.

After shattering the sword beams shooting out from the several mirrored gates beside Youlan, Lin Jian was finally able to personally set foot in the domain where Youlan resided.

Faced with the intrusion of the forest, this orchid, which had long been filled with sword intent and sword energy in this space, immediately bloomed and burst forth.

Accompanied by a strange fluctuation, almost endless sword energy, carrying sword intent, shot out from Youlan like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

At the same time, sword energy, like turbulent currents, instantly wove together in the air, forming a thorny, strangling zone.

Countless turbulent streams of sword energy swept across Lin Jian's body like knives, instantly shredding his clothes and leaving countless fine marks on his skin.

However, traces are just traces.

Part of the sword energy that struck the body in the forest vanished into thin air, as if it had been directly absorbed by the Golden Spirit Body and transformed into some kind of pent-up counterattack force.

The remaining force struck Lin Jian, but clashed with the golden spirit body, producing a series of clanging sounds.

Having undergone the trials of the previous two stages, the Golden Spirit Body had absorbed enough nutrients to transform its body in the forest into something akin to a true magical artifact.

At this moment, even Golden Core cultivators would have to exert all their strength to protect themselves from the chaotic sword energy, yet he could forcefully ignore it with just his physical body.

Of course, even more important are the hundreds of condensed sword beams emanating from Youlan.

These orchids have lived in this space for many years, feeding solely on sword energy and sword intent.

Now that he finally had a chance to unleash his power, he poured almost all his strength into Lin Jian.

Meanwhile, Lin Jian also unleashed a sword strike, accompanied by the golden spirit body, which was brimming with counterattack power.

Thousands of golden particles filled the forest, while a long sword swept through the domain of the orchid like a dragon.

The sword energy and sword intent left by countless predecessors have traversed thousands of years to engage in a time-traveling duel with the sword cultivators of later generations.

When all the obsessions subsided with the fading of the sword intent, the volatile Youlan finally returned to the calm state she had when she first met her in the forest.

It remained rooted in the void, yet the sword energy crystals that resembled flower petals continuously radiated outwards, quietly dissipating into the air after leaving the flower's body for a distance.

At the center of this orchid, which had completely calmed down, a crystal, also exhibiting irregular radiating changes, floated faintly on the flower.

He channeled his inner energy in the forest and easily collected the seed of this orchid.

This thing is called the essence of sword intent, and it is also the seed condensed from this orchid.

All the disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect explored the third level of the secret realm for this purpose. After returning, it has unique effects whether used for cultivation and meditation, or for refining weapons and pills.

It swallowed it whole in the forest...

He didn't know about others, but his purpose in coming to this Sword Ruins Secret Realm was to accumulate enough power as quickly as possible in order to break through to the Golden Core realm.

What could be a more suitable natural treasure for condensing the Taibai Xuan Gang than this sword intent essence?

It could even be said that Chunxue's purpose in bringing him to the Chunyang Sword Sect to use their secret realm was precisely for the sake of the sword essence of the third level.

As expected, the moment the essence of the sword intent entered his mouth, it instantly transformed into a burst of sword light that was about to explode within Lin Jian's entire body.

However, when faced with the Golden Spirit Body, which cultivates both internal and external aspects, the explosive sword light was suppressed into the Qi Sea like an obedient little lamb.

As the cultivation technique was fully activated, these countless pure, ownerless sword beams eventually transformed into the Taibai Xuan Gang, which belonged only to the forest, and joined his Qi Sea.

A single essence of sword intent is a large pool of extremely thick golden liquid.

Although the gains from the previous two trials were substantial, they were all insignificant compared to the Taibai Xuan Gang surging from this sword intent essence.

It seems that with the absorption of four or five more sword intent essences, he might be able to accumulate enough Taibai Xuan Gang to support his breakthrough.

"many……"

The forest, which looked inward, opened its eyes wide.

He could feel the vortex at the center of his Qi Sea rotating more and more slowly under the increasingly dense Tai Bai Xuan Gang.

But this is not a bad change.

Once he had accumulated enough Taibai Xuan Gang, the first thing he needed to do was to ignite a fire, so that this viscous, high-quality true energy could start circulating again.

Only by circulating one's Qi to a rapid pace can one possibly condense the Golden Core that all cultivators dream of!
Feeling a genuine boost, Lin Jian was in high spirits and his interest in the so-called Sword-Eating Orchid grew even stronger.

The Pure Yang Sword Sect was unaware of the situation beyond the third level of the secret realm, and Chunxue, who had previously gathered intelligence, naturally could not learn more about the inside story.

But the benefits from the Sword-Eating Orchid alone are enough to make me focus all my attention on them from now on...

Lin Jian, who was completely absorbed in his mission, only noticed a faint spiritual energy hovering quietly around Youlan after he had fully absorbed the essence of the sword intent.

It simply exists there quietly, waiting for outsiders to touch it.

"These are the fragments of ancient cultivators' memories they were talking about?"

The spirits in the forest noticed this faint spiritual presence.

Through his keen observation, he could clearly see that this intention was not aggressive at all.

It is merely a memory from someone else.

Even after watching it, I only intended to watch it as an observer, without becoming so immersed that I could no longer distinguish whether I was my original self or some kind of possessed monster...

Some wicked and wicked people like to leave behind similar methods when they know that their time is coming to an end, waiting for someone destined to come to them in the future.

This fragment of memory posed no risk whatsoever, and Lin Jian naturally accepted it with his spiritual sense...

In a scenic, verdant valley, clouds and mist swirl, and cranes call out sweetly.

Dozens of sword cultivators stood on mountain peaks, streamsides, and pine branches, greeting each other with clasped hands, creating a harmonious yet solemn atmosphere.

One of the cultivators, dressed in a simple Taoist robe, bowed and smiled, saying, "Fellow Daoist Li, please enlighten me!"

The white-robed swordsman opposite him laughed loudly, his long sword trembling slightly, the blade gleaming with a clear, cold light.

The two figures intertwined, their swords flashing like rainbows, yet they always stopped short of striking, their sword energy displaying the demeanor of gentlemen.

The surrounding cultivators either clapped their hands in admiration or discussed swordsmanship in hushed tones, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

However, just as the two were about to finish their sword strikes—

A sudden change occurred!

A wisp of dark mist seeped from the gap in the white-robed cultivator's sword, coiling around his wrist like a venomous snake.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his once clear eyes were instantly replaced by violence. His sword aura suddenly became ruthless and vicious, aiming straight for the throat of the swordsman in the simple Taoist robe!
"Watch out!" someone exclaimed, but it was too late.

The swordsman in his simple Taoist robe hastily parried, but his protective true essence was torn apart by the sword energy tainted by the black mist, and blood splattered everywhere.

Even more terrifying, the black mist seeped into his meridians through the wound, and his eyes gradually turned dangerous...

The fragmented images in the memory are chaotic and disjointed.

They were fighting just a moment ago, and now they're locked in a fierce battle.

With a sudden spurt of blood, the images in the fragmented memories abruptly stopped.

"What... happened?"

Lin Jian was quite concerned about that black aura.

"It seems there was another reason why the fight that took place here turned into a final battle to the death."

However, events from thousands of years ago are impossible to verify. The only person who might have known the details, the founder of the Chunyang Sword Sect, had already perished and left no record of this deadly battle.

Even the people of their Pure Yang Sword Sect are unaware of the inside story. Based solely on the fragmented memories they currently possess, Lin Jian is unable to reconstruct the truth of what happened back then.

"Let's keep going..."

The desire to explore and unravel mysteries is simply my own nature at work.

But Lin Jian always remembered that his main purpose in coming here was to break through his own cultivation level.

The sword essence condensed from the Sword-Eating Orchid is what he needs most right now.

As he continued forward, deadly sword light began to gather from countless mirrored gates.

Lin Jian's powerful physical body, forged with the Golden Spirit Body, coupled with his sword comprehension that had reached the "extreme of technique," allowed him to rampage through the forest. These deadly moves from the Mirror Gate, which should have been extremely troublesome for every disciple of the Pure Yang Sword Sect, were merely nourishment for him in another sense.

These sword beams are obviously not as effective as sword intent essence in tempering one's physical body and providing feedback to true qi, but accumulating them can still contribute to Lin Jian's cultivation bit by bit.

One way… … After all… … Three ways… …

In this secluded realm where there was no one else but the forest, the third level of the entire realm was left to the sole person in the forest to harvest at will.

During his visit, he also saw a newly blooming orchid in the woods, which meant that someone had just gotten there before him not long ago.

Which disciple from their Pure Yang Sword Sect is it?
"What a blessing."

I couldn't help but sigh as I walked through the woods.

I followed the feedback from the sword intent and walked along the path leading to the core.

The disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect were most likely just dodging the sword beams shot out from the mirror gate while frantically running around randomly in this shattered space full of distortions and cracks.

It's like a maze, and the orchid is a reward along the way.

They followed the guide themselves, but the others were just wandering around like headless flies.

Even so, everyone still bumped into the same point at different times.

……

"Five hours have passed already, which is equivalent to five days inside. He still hasn't come out?"

"When have our sect's disciples ever stayed inside for so long before? I wonder how far he got on the third level? Could there be a fourth level?"

"Could it be that they've already reached the core and are about to reclaim our ancestor's sword?"

"I really want to see what the sword left behind by our ancestor looks like..."

"I wonder if that sword is a core treasure used to suppress this secret realm. If we take it away, will we lose this secret realm completely in the future?"

"No matter what, the sword carries the legacy of our ancestor on the way of the sword. Even if we lose the secret realm, we must bring back this treasure."

"Here we go again... This is nothing, and you're already fantasizing about finding our ancestor's sword?"

"Yes, he's just a Foundation Establishment stage kid! This Golden Core stage secret realm isn't so easy to break into. If there's any hope, I think we can wait until he cultivates to the peak of the Golden Core stage in our Pure Yang Sword Sect before going back to investigate."

As time slowly passed, the sun in the sky gradually dimmed as it moved westward.

The disciples' chatter was so loud that anyone who paid attention would have a hard time not hearing what they were saying.

None of the elders waiting in the training ground left.

This was the biggest upheaval the Pure Yang Sword Sect had encountered in all these years regarding the secret realm, and even the sect leader was alarmed by it.

They just wanted to stay there, ready to get the scoop at any moment.

Some elders have already begun discussing, "What should we do if he really manages to retrieve the patriarch's sword?"

"What if our master's sword recognizes that kid as its master?"

"When will he finally come out... If you can't find him, can you just give me a quick death? I'm dying of anxiety."

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. Let me rush..."

(End of this chapter)