The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 265 Li Shiyi (4k)

The two exchanged a smile, then strolled away side by side.

As they walked, the man in black spoke first, asking, "Which sword would you like to see first, sir?"

Du Yuan shook her head and replied with a smile, "Of course I should listen to you on this matter, since I know almost nothing about these swords."

The man in black didn't refuse and immediately nodded, saying, "In that case, I'll take the liberty of doing it. Come, please follow me."

Looking in the direction the man in black was heading, Du Yuan vaguely guessed that he was going to the mountain that suppressed the sword.

In fact, it does.

After walking for a while, the man in black suddenly spoke: "Do you know that countless immortal swords once fell in this world?"

Du Yuan shook her head: "I don't know."

The man in black smiled faintly: "Judging from this situation, you must have avoided that great calamity long ago. Otherwise, being in this world, you would surely know about this matter."

Du Yuan did not refute, but only asked softly, "What kind of past events are you referring to?"

The man in black slowed his pace, as if recalling: "You should remember that before the great calamity struck, heaven and earth bestowed upon us an unprecedented era. Treasures of nature were everywhere, and opportunities and fortune were endless. Even those with unparalleled talents, rare in thousands of years, were commonplace."

“That should have been an incredibly glorious era, but after the three founders of the religion pointed it out, everyone realized that it was just the last bit of mercy that heaven and earth had shown us.”

"But some people say that this is not pity, but the last glimmer of hope that humanity has won for us, and that this is the last chance to reverse the great catastrophe!"

"It was because geniuses emerged in great numbers at that time, and many variables arose, so much so that even the course of the great calamity seemed to be altered."

"It is precisely because of this that the younger generation born in that era were inexplicably burdened with a fate that they should not have had to bear from birth."

Hearing this, even though the man in black didn't continue, Du Yuan already guessed the answer. He then asked softly:
"A calamity?"

The man in black let out a long sigh, his tone full of melancholy: "Yes. The karma accumulated by countless generations of cultivators has, in the end, been repaid by a single generation. And since everyone says so, those children have actually believed it."

Born to face calamity, departing to defy it.

Everyone said the same thing back then, and that's what spurred those children on. So much so that even the founders of the three religions had given up, but a group of children refused to give up, always dreaming of reversing the great calamity and rebuilding the world.
Whenever he thought of this, Mo Yike couldn't help but shake his head, his tone filled with indescribable complexity.

"In short, it was under these circumstances, when disaster was imminent, that a child stepped forward."

Those children can hardly be considered children anymore. They're already adults, some even famous. But to these old folks, a group of people who won't even live past a hundred, aren't they children?
"You should remember him, Your Excellency; he is none other than Li Shiyi!"

The man in black turned to look at Du Yuan, only to see him solemnly shake his head, clearly having never heard of the name. This surprised the man in black, but he didn't delve into it further, simply saying casually:

"Your Excellency's decision to withdraw from the world seems to be a bit premature?"

When he vaguely sensed in his early years that a great calamity might be coming, he discovered that many cultivators had already hidden themselves in various secret realms, just to completely sever their karmic ties and safely avoid the calamity.

In his view, Du Yuan was probably one of them.

Du Yuan reluctantly cupped her hands and said:

"This matter cannot be explained in a few words. Please tell me, who exactly is this Li Shiyi?"

The man in black then continued:
"He originally had no surname or given name, and was an orphan. His master found him under a plum tree, so he took 'Li' as his surname and 'Shiyi' as his given name, and became known as Li Shiyi."

"This person is an insurmountable peak in the path of sword cultivation! Even the most revered master once commented on him: 'How far the path of the sword can go, that's how far he can go.'"

"He truly lived up to expectations, standing out among his peers at such a young age. Although he was not a disciple of the three religions, nor did he come from any of the Hundred Schools of Thought, he once challenged a celestial being with his sword and ultimately only lost by half a move."

When this incident occurred years ago, it instantly shook the world, and the uproar resounded throughout the heavens.

The old patriarch, who had been presiding over the Taoist ancestral temple for many years and was widely recognized as nearly invincible, only managed to defeat this young man by half a move!

Such an outcome would shock anyone who heard it.

In an instant, people all over the world were saying: This child may be the most promising person in history to be comparable to the founders of the three religions.

Some even boldly asserted that he might be able to take the lead over the military strategists, leading the sword cultivators to form their own system and become the "fourth religion" that surpasses the three religions!
But all of this ultimately came to naught.

Because the great calamity came too quickly, so quickly that it didn't give these children even a little more time!

As the man in black spoke, his gaze gradually became unfocused, as if he had fallen back into that long-forgotten era.

He had actually met Li Shiyi before. The boy was very shy and would lower his head slightly when he saw his elders. He spoke softly and was nothing like the aloof person that was rumored to be.

I have also seen his sword. There are no moves, no rules, only a pure sword heart. As long as the sword heart remains, the sword energy will never cease.

If the sword cultivators can keep their sword energy flowing, their killing power will be boundless.

The man in black still remembers that when he first visited the child, he had intended to "blow off his arrogance"—

At that time, Li Shiyi's reputation was too great. He was afraid that the young man would be blinded by the praise and ruin the rare genius of the sword cultivator lineage. So he wanted to teach him the principle that "there are always people better than you".

Moreover, how can a sword cultivator not sharpen his sword?

Of course, these are all on the surface. Whether he really thinks that way or is just angry that a young person is so outstanding, that is something he himself doesn't know.

After seeing it, he lost all his temper; he's a rare good kid.

I also genuinely believe that this child will forge a new path in swordsmanship that I have never seen before.

We'll never see each other again!
The man in black robes lowered his voice, and his fingertips trembled slightly as he spoke: "On the day the great calamity was about to strike, all the immortals and gods under heaven withdrew and fled, and even the Confucian Temple went into seclusion long ago!"

"Only Li Shiyi, with only his sword, went against the tide of fleeing people, walking step by step towards the direction where the calamity was most severe!"

In the past, a great calamity descended from the south, and all living beings went north, except for him, who faced south.

The man in black robes grew increasingly agitated:
"One person delivers the sword to a great calamity—this is what a swordsman should be, this is what we seek in our entire lives!"

"At that moment, he stood at the crossroads where north and south forked, his back to the millions of fleeing souls, facing the boundless darkness alone. Some shouted that he was 'mad,' others pulled him to 'run away,' but he didn't turn around. He simply thrust the long sword at his waist in front of him!"

"In an instant, the sword's cry pierced the sky, drowning out the noise of half the world!"

At this point, the man in black suddenly raised his voice, filled with the fear of surviving a calamity, yet also with an unspeakable reverence:

"Because of this sword strike, the sword cultivators who were scattered all over the world stopped and turned around!"

At that moment, someone fell abruptly from the clouds, never looking back at the closing Heavenly Gate.

Some cleaved through the secret realm's grand formation with a single sword strike, traversing thousands of miles of mountains and rivers to arrive. Others tilted their heads back, finished their last sip of wine, and then flew over on their swords with a long howl.

At that moment, regardless of whether they had deep-seated hatred or were completely unrelated, almost all the sword cultivators who could come headed south!

No one gave the order, no one took the lead, all because of the sword that Li Shiyi handed to the great calamity!

"Do you know how magnificent that scene was?" The voice of the man in black was hoarse, yet surprisingly bright, as if one could still see the sky full of sword light from back then. "From north to south, one sword light after another pierced through the darkness after the sun set. They weren't scattered, but countless rainbows converged in one place!"

"Red, white, and green sword energies mingled together, tearing the great calamity apart for a moment!"

"That is the last and greatest pride of my sword cultivator lineage!"

"Everyone knows that once they go, they won't come back, but not a single person backs down!"

"Because Li Shiyi is still standing at the very front, because his sword hasn't stopped, and his sword energy hasn't ceased!"

"Because we see in him the spine of our sword cultivator lineage, which was broken long ago!"

He paused, as if he could still hear the sword's cry from years past, and the excitement in his eyes slowly transformed into a profound weight that Du Yuan couldn't quite describe:

"In the past, all living beings went north, but he alone went south; later, all sword cultivators in the world followed him south. One man handed over his sword, and ten thousand swords followed—shaking heaven and earth, this is what a sword cultivator should be like!"

The man in black didn't say anything more after that, but the outcome was obvious.

Du Yuan simply looked around, focusing on the immortal swords hidden in the wilderness.

"So this is why so many immortal swords are gathered here?"

"Yes, almost all the sword cultivators in the world gathered here, and even many who were not sword cultivators came. In the end, only a handful of them were able to escape."

"Even now, only these few swords remain of the ones they left behind."

The man in black robes looked around, his eyes filled with an unyielding sorrow.

In the past, the number of sword cultivators who came here was more than ten thousand.
But now, let alone their graves, they don't even have many swords left.

It turns out that the cruelest thing in this world is not the cataclysmic disaster, but the passage of time that even immortal swords cannot withstand.

"So, this place is actually a sword tomb!?"

“Yes, the largest sword tomb in the world.” The man in black nodded, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Du Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Were you also a sword cultivator before?"

"I used to be." The man in black twitched his lips, his smile full of self-mockery, completely devoid of any real emotion, only a superficial facade. "Back then, I came here too, but I didn't have their guts. I ran away, even leaving my natal immortal sword here, and I didn't dare to turn back and make a move."

These words left Du Yuan speechless for a moment, and she could only carefully choose her words to speak:
"So you've come back this time to retrieve your sword?"

"No, no," the man in black hurriedly waved his hands, lowering his head slightly. "How can someone who has lost his sword heart and abandoned his sword have the face to come looking for it again?"

He reached out and took down the wine gourd, uncorked it, and poured some wine onto the open ground in front of him.

The wine seeped into the soil, as if adding wine to the cups of the deceased underground, before tilting its head back to take a sip, its voice softening:
"I've come here simply to offer a libation to my old friends and say a few words. I also want to see if the swords they left behind can find a truly suitable home."

He gazed at the countless immortal swords hidden in the wilderness, his eyes softening, as if speaking to Du Yuan, or perhaps whispering to the swords' former owners:

"The people in that group back then all had different thoughts."

"Some sword cultivators hope that their swords can protect this world for them and remain in the world forever; some have no attachment to their swords and only wish that they can meet someone who understands them in the future and not be covered in dust and decay; there are also those with fiery tempers who value their swords more than their lives, and would rather their swords break in the calamity than fall into the hands of outsiders."

"I came here not only to offer them a drink, but also to keep an eye on things so that their last wishes can be truly fulfilled, and so that their swords don't end up with an unclear and unjust fate."

Du Yuan remained silent, listening quietly as the man in black recounted his past.

But at that moment, the man in black suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry:

"You are a Confucian? Then you have come here for the sword beneath the Lan River?"

Du Yuan nodded and said, "My friend said that the sword resonated with me and urged me to come and see it. I never expected that this place would hold such a past."

The man in black shook his head repeatedly, his tone suddenly becoming solemn. "That sword represents 'benevolence.' Not only is this character, which represents his birth year, embedded in the sword, it is also one of the fundamental weapons of Confucianism. In terms of preciousness, it is indeed rare."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings, and added.
"Even in the largest sword tomb in the world, you probably can't find a sword more precious than this."

Then, he changed the subject: "But I must remind you, when the Confucian Temple handed over this sword, it was certainly to help Li Shiyi, but it's possible that they also had the intention of 'throwing the sword away' in it!"

"What does this mean?" Du Yuan frowned slightly, full of confusion. "If it's such an important artifact, why throw it away?"

The man in black smiled, but his smile held a hint of helpless understanding:
"The Confucian's natal character is one of the most powerful and divine characters in the world. But there are some characters that even the Confucian sages themselves felt they couldn't bear or endure."

He looked at Du Yuan, his tone becoming more earnest.

"So I advise you not to even think about getting your hands on this sword. Even the Confucian Temple doesn't want to keep it, so it's best for others to stay away."

Du Yuan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "I've got it. I'll pay more attention to it in the future."

Seeing his expression, the man in black knew that he might not listen to advice completely, so he could only shake his head and sigh, "I have said all I can say. Please think it over."

As the two were talking, they unknowingly arrived at the foot of the mountain that was pressing down on the sword.

The man in black suddenly stopped, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked Du Yuan up and down, clicking his tongue in astonishment:

"Your shrinking earth technique is simply too amazing! Although I didn't watch closely, I couldn't figure out the slightest trick—amazing, amazing!"

Du Yuan raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Hey, actually, my ability to cross water is no worse than this."

"Oh?" The man in black chuckled, teasing him, "Mountains and waters are opposites, and their principles are inherently contradictory. Since you are so skilled in the art of shrinking the earth, your art of crossing water must either be superior or far inferior. How can they be identical? You're clearly just bragging!"

Seeing that the man in black didn't believe her, Du Yuan didn't argue. She just shook her head with a smile, a hint of cunning in her eyes.

I hold both the Mountain and Water Seals in my hands! In truth, they are practically identical!
But before the smile faded, the man in black suddenly stopped teasing, his gaze falling on the majestic mountain before him, his tone tinged with melancholy yet also concealing a hint of pride:

"This sword is called 'Spring Breeze.' It was my natal sword back then. If you want it, then take it. I am no longer worthy to hold it."

He turned to look at Du Yuan, his back straightening unconsciously, his tone full of certainty and affection for the old sword:

"However, I can assure you that my 'Spring Breeze' is absolutely extraordinary!"

(End of this chapter)