Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 136 Divine Firmament Inheritance: The Battle for the Great Dao (3rd update, please vote)

Xia Dong immediately noticed the strange changes within his body.

The original "Dragon Subduing" martial arts essence, which had just broken through and was still somewhat superficial and restless, seemed to have found its core and instantly settled down.

The martial arts essence, as clear as blood-red glass, not only became more solid and profound, but also became as stable as a mountain deep within the spiritual platform.

It's a sense of security that comes from within.

At this moment, in this desolate sword tomb space, the omnipresent sword intent of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao is still raging wildly.

The sharp sword intent converged, creating a series of monstrous waves that crashed relentlessly against Xia Dong.

The power of this wave of sword intent was indeed astonishing.

Previously, such an impact would have been enough to tear Xia Dong's martial arts will to shreds. If an ordinary cultivator or martial artist had entered, they would have been instantly annihilated into an empty shell without a soul in the face of such a wave of sword intent.

But now, the situation is completely different.

Faced with the overwhelming wave of sword intent, Xia Dong didn't even move an inch.

He stood quietly in place, the true meaning of "Subduing the Dragon" flowing naturally around him, forming an invisible barrier on his body that seemed as thin as a cicada's wing but was actually indestructible.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A violent wave of sword intent crashed fiercely against Xia Dong's body, producing a deafening roar. However, Xia Dong remained as if he were an ancient reef rooted in a raging sea.

Feeling the sword intent surrounding him, which was like a gentle spring breeze and could no longer inflict any excruciating pain, Xia Dong felt completely at ease.

Moreover, the joy of gradually finding opportunities and reaping success in a life-or-death struggle is far more profound and intoxicating than consuming any rare and precious treasures.

"Indeed, one must forge one's own path before one can be considered to have entered the realm of cultivation."

Looking back, whether it was practicing the Crane Stance or breaking through limits to evolve into the Crane Shadow Step and Wind Control Technique, he actually relied heavily on the deductive abilities of the ancient bronze bell in his sea of ​​consciousness. He was walking the path paved by his predecessors.

But at this moment, the true meaning of "Subduing the Dragon" and "The Dragon Regrets" were created by him completely abandoning the ancient bell and relying on his own comprehension, foundation and will, through countless blood and pain!

On the path of cultivation, he was no longer just a passerby who could only rely on external things and drift with the tide, but had truly begun to understand the way and pushed open the door to the supreme path.

Just as Xia Dong was basking in the joy of having just begun to understand the basics, a sudden change occurred.

The once continuous tide of sword intent suddenly split into a very special wave without warning.

On the surface, this wave looked no different from the other rampaging sword energy, but its speed was extremely fast, carrying an indescribable ancient charm and decisiveness, as it crashed down fiercely.

Xia Dong's expression remained unchanged as he continued to unleash the martial arts essence that resembled blood-red glass to defend himself.

However, a horrifying scene unfolded.

That special sword intent, upon contact with the true meaning of "Dragon Subduing," completely ignored Xia Dong's indestructible martial arts true meaning defense, and even penetrated the physical body's barrier. With a "whoosh," it entered his brow as if it were in an empty space, and plunged straight in, fiercely piercing into his sea of ​​consciousness!

"Oh no!" Xia Dong's heart skipped a beat.

But the next moment, Xia Dong's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled down.

His sea of ​​consciousness was not some undefended backyard; it was also the territory of the ancient bronze bell!

Anything that doesn't belong to Xia Dong can be considered an intrusive foreign object in front of the ancient bell.

Deep within his consciousness, the ancient bronze bell that had been silently suspended trembled slightly, emitting a clear and majestic hum.

Immediately afterwards, an unparalleled, domineering force of absorption emanated from the mouth of the ancient bell, like a whale sucking in water, completely overwhelming it.

Giving the sword intent no chance to resist, it was forcibly pulled over and swallowed whole!

As this special sword intent was absorbed by the ancient bronze bell, Xia Dong felt a sudden jolt in his mind.

His mind was involuntarily drawn in, deeply immersed in the ancient bronze bell.

Immediately afterwards, Xia Dong's vision began to distort violently.

The surrounding dark red wasteland, the broken swords scattered everywhere, and the violent tide of sword energy all receded like the tide.

Instead, he gained an extremely unique perspective. It was as if he had traversed countless years, and the information remaining in this sword intent directly pulled him to the most prosperous period of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao in the medieval era, a period that only existed in ancient records!

The sky was a clear, deep blue, and the abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth transformed into a dense, visible mist that swirled among hundreds of immortal mountains and islands.

Countless cultivators flew on their swords, weaving through the sea of ​​clouds. Their swords shone brightly, like an endless meteor shower, painting a magnificent picture of a prosperous era of cultivation.

From this ethereal perspective, Xia Dong is like a ghostly observer, taking a cursory look at the life of the original owner of this sword intent.

He saw a stubborn little boy, braving the cold wind on a steep cliff, tirelessly wielding a wooden sword, his back soaked with sweat; he saw that child grow into a spirited young man, winning first place in a grand sect competition where heroes gathered, drawing all eyes; he saw the young man enter middle age, wearing a Taoist robe embroidered with thunder patterns, standing amidst the clouds.

With a single finger pointing out, a heaven-slaying sword aura ripped through the sky, instantly obliterating a rampaging demon.

Countless images flashed through Xia Dong's mind.

He truly felt the tedium of the other's sword practice, the ecstasy of sudden enlightenment, and the unparalleled sharpness that was unyielding and capable of cutting through everything when facing a powerful enemy.

As the scene ended, a profound realization dawned on Xia Dong.

This peerless swordsman, who in my memory went from youthful innocence to world-weariness and finally whose sword energy dominated the world, is the true master of this swordsmanship secret realm!

Under the influence of the ancient bronze bell, Xia Dong's consciousness seemed to transform into an absolutely rational observer, immersed in this scroll of memories spanning thousands of years.

He saw that in that spiritually rich medieval era, the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao was undoubtedly a major sect on this continent, with many outstanding talents emerging from within its ranks, displaying a magnificent and extraordinary presence.

The original Shangqing Shenxiao Dao was not limited to sword cultivation, but rather followed the two extreme paths of "slaughter" and "destruction" side by side.

However, the struggle for the Great Dao is extremely cruel.

Xia Dong witnessed an extremely brutal and bloody internal war within the sect in his memory.

In the end, the sword cultivators, who focused on "slaughter," prevailed with overwhelming force, completely suppressing and excluding the cultivators of the "destruction" faction from the lineage.

From then on, the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao established "the Great Dao of Slaughter" as its sole core sect doctrine, completely transforming into a pure sword cultivation sect.

Purity signifies ultimate power, but also ultimate extremity.

After transforming into a purely sword-cultivation sect, the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao's style of doing things became increasingly domineering.

They proved their path through killing; wherever their swords pointed, those who obeyed prospered and those who defied perished, offending many powerful forces and ancient traditions on the continent along the way.

However, relying on the terrifying killing power of the Killing Sword Dao, the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao not only did not decline, but instead stepped on the corpses of countless powerful figures, becoming more and more prosperous and invincible.

Until one day, the sky fell.

In Xia Dong's view, the originally azure sky was suddenly torn open with a blood-red crack that spanned millions of miles.

The sky seemed to be filled with a bloody storm as a group of powerful beings from another world, exuding overwhelming bloodlust and calling themselves the "Styx Blood Clan," invaded the continent like locusts.

Among them, a Taoist priest wearing a blood-red robe and surrounded by strange phenomena of mountains of corpses and seas of blood shattered the void alone and descended directly above the mountain gate of Shangqing Shenxiao Dao.

He called himself "Yuan Tu Dao Ren" and looked down at the thousands of proud sword cultivators below, declaring indifferently: the path of slaughter followed by Shangqing Shenxiao Dao overlapped with his own path, this was an irreconcilable "battle of the Great Dao".

What happened next left Xia Dong, an observer, feeling deeply suffocated and shocked.

Faced with such a blatant provocation, the arrogant Shangqing Shenxiao Dao naturally unleashed its full power.

Countless exceptionally talented sword cultivators soared into the sky, their sword energies weaving together to form an unparalleled killing array powerful enough to cleave stars in two.

However, that Yuan Tu Daoist was simply too powerful!

It was so powerful that it completely overturned Xia Dong's current understanding of strength.

With just one move, he transformed into a blood-red ocean that crushed everything.

The Shangqing Shenxiao Dao Sect's protective sword formation, which was said to be able to cleave the heavens and split the earth, was as fragile as paper in front of Yuan Tu Dao Ren, collapsing at the slightest touch.

Xia Dong watched in shock as this once-powerful and arrogant sect, teeming with geniuses, was utterly crushed by Yuan Tu Dao Ren single-handedly!

The immortal mountain collapsed, the sword broke, and people died.

Countless arrogant sword cultivators fell like raindrops, and the entire sect was completely stained red with blood.

The original owner of this sword intent—the one who opened up this secret realm—fought desperately to break through in that devastating battle that could be described as a massacre.

He burned his sword heart and soul, and although he was lucky enough not to be killed on the spot by Yuan Tu Dao Ren, he still suffered an irreversible and fatal injury.

In the final scene, this once-renowned swordsman fled all the way, eventually ending up deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Xinjiang. In despair and resentment, he sat down cross-legged, and soon after, his life force waned, and he passed away peacefully.

His remains, forged through countless trials, along with the countless broken swords that were buried with him, and the lingering sword intent imbued with killing intent and resentment, have, over the vicissitudes of time, evolved into the sword cultivation secret realm where Xia Dong now resides.

As his consciousness gradually drifted away from the magnificent medieval painting, a sense of enlightenment dawned on Xia Dong.

He finally understood that the desolate and oppressive sword mound before him was actually the burial ground for the fallen sword cultivators of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao.

A swordsman's life is intertwined with cultivating a flying sword; as long as the person lives, the sword lives; when the person dies, the sword is destroyed.

These countless rusted, broken swords scattered across the ground are the last remnants they left behind in the world. After thousands of years, the resentment and sharpness of these previous generations of sword cultivators have transformed into a sword intent that has not yet completely dissipated, mourning day and night in this space.

However, no matter how stunning the unparalleled sword intent, it can never withstand the erosion of the relentless passage of time.

This sword cultivation secret realm, in its spontaneous passive defense, forcibly slashed in order to repel the vice leader of the Wusheng Sect and the patriarch of the Barbarian Witch Clan.

Having unleashed that unparalleled sword aura, revealing its full potential, its essence had been completely exhausted, truly reaching the end of its destruction.

Xia Dong finally understood why this secret realm had such strict entry restrictions.

Because whether it is a cultivator who has condensed the Foundation Establishment Platform or a martial artist who has formed the "True Meaning" of martial arts, their own foundation and path have been completely formed and solidified.

How domineering and pure is the killing sword intent of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao?

It would absolutely not tolerate the presence of other established foundational Dao elements within the inheritor's body.

Therefore, this secret realm is only open to cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage or below the True Intent stage.

Only this unformed "rough jade" can withstand the baptism of sword intent and obtain this heaven-defying opportunity for inheritance.

In this near-destruction secret realm, Xia Dong, with the help of the raging waves of sword intent, forcibly tempered his martial arts will and successfully broke through to the True Intent Realm.

His true meaning of "Dragon Subduing" was, in a sense, honed little by little by the killing sword intent of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao.

It came out.

This caused his aura to resonate with this ancient sword intent in a mysterious and profound way.

For this reason, the originally lofty and unyielding inherited sword intent, after realizing that the secret realm was about to be destroyed, instinctively recognized Xia Dong and tried to make him the "passing on of the torch" of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao in this era.

So they directly entered his sea of ​​consciousness, wanting to imprint that supreme swordsmanship inheritance firmly into Xia Dong's soul.

"Unfortunately, you've come to the wrong place."

Xia Dong shook his head inwardly.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness resided that mysterious and unfathomable ancient bronze bell.

No matter how domineering the sword intent of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao was, it was nothing more than a foreign object in front of the bronze ancient bell. As soon as it showed its head, it was sucked away by the ancient bell without any politeness, without even making a ripple, let alone successfully completing the inheritance imprint.

If someone else had missed this incredible opportunity, they would probably be kicking themselves and regretting it to the point of vomiting blood.

But Xia Dong breathed a sigh of relief, and a deep sense of relief arose in his heart.

"Not accepting this sword intent inheritance is actually a great thing!" Xia Dong's eyes were clear, and he secretly felt a sense of lingering fear.

Cause and effect are very mysterious things.

Having accepted the inheritance of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao and enjoyed its legacy, one must also bear its irreconcilable blood feud of annihilation!

That Styx vampire expert who called himself "Yuan Tu Dao Ren" was simply unreasonable in his strength.

An existence that can single-handedly crush an entire major sect is not necessarily destined to perish even after millions of years.

If his soul were branded with the mark of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao, and if that Yuan Tu Daoist were to come looking for him through the causal energy—Xia Dong simply couldn't bear to think about that scenario.

He only wants to pursue immortality peacefully now, and doesn't want to inexplicably bear this world-destroying blood feud that spans thousands of years.

Rumble!

Just as Xia Dong's thoughts were churning, the entire Sword Tomb space suddenly began to shake violently.

The gray sky began to peel away in patches, and deep, dark spatial rifts spread wildly all around like a spider web.

Having lost the support of its last source of sword intent, this ancient and weathered sword cultivation secret realm finally and irreversibly headed towards complete collapse.

A violent spatial turbulence began to ravage the wasteland, and the broken swords stuck upside down in the ground were reduced to dust in the turbulence.

"This is not a place to linger!"

Xia Dong felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed the secret realm becoming increasingly unstable, with even the place where he stood crumbling inch by inch.

He dared not hesitate any longer and quickly withdrew his attention from the ancient bronze bell.

With a sudden burst of magical power, combined with the Wind Control Technique, Xia Dong transformed into a swift afterimage, rushing out without looking back along the spatial rift he had come from before, before the surrounding space completely collapsed and was annihilated.

Whoosh!

With a violent spatial fluctuation, a tall figure shot out like an arrow from a bow through the crumbling spatial rift and landed steadily on the outer plaza.

Shortly after his heels touched the ground, the enormous spatial rift that had stretched across the valley for so long cracked with a crisp "crack," collapsing and annihilating completely in the turbulent spatial currents, turning into nothingness, like a shattered mirror.

This sudden turn of events instantly drew the attention of all the Eagle Wolf Guards and cultivators from all walks of life in the square.

When everyone saw the figure who had escaped from the brink of destruction, an incredulous gasp erupted from the crowd.

"Look! It's Xia Yidao! Xia Yidao is out!"

"My God! Look at his eyes—he's clear-headed, his breathing is steady, there's not a trace of madness in him!"

"Not only is he not insane, but he doesn't even show the slightest sign of mental or physical weakness! How is this possible? Could it be—could it be that he really withstood the test of the ancient sword cultivators and obtained the inheritance of sword intent?"

The entire square erupted in cheers.

Countless gazes converged on Xia Dong, some with shock, some with jealousy, and even more with—

Just then, an incomparably powerful aura burst forth from the crowd.

The high-level cultivator who had previously stood on the high platform and used the "Heart-Cleansing Mantra" to save the mad martial artist appeared in front of Xia Dong in an instant.

He is not only the guardian of this secret realm, but also the key figure used to supervise the trials.

"Boy, how are you?" The high-level cultivator stared intently into Xia Dong's eyes, asking impatiently, "Did you receive the sword intent inheritance?"

As he spoke, this high-level cultivator, in order to test Xia Dong's strength, intentionally or unintentionally unleashed an immense spiritual pressure far exceeding that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, like an invisible mountain pressing down directly on Xia Dong.

Faced with this sudden and powerful spiritual pressure, Xia Dong frowned slightly.

He had just undergone countless trials in the Sword Cultivation Secret Realm, and his "Dragon Subduing" martial arts essence had only just been completely stabilized, and was now at its most acute and active peak state.

Faced with the pressure from the external energy, Xia Dong didn't need to deliberately activate it. His internal energy was like an angry dragon that had been provoked, instinctively launching a counterattack.

"boom!"

A blood-red wave, almost tangible, suddenly erupted from Xia Dong's body!

This fluctuation lacked the dazzling power of a cultivator's magic, but it exuded an extreme domineering aura of unyielding strength and the ability to subdue all creation.

The blood-red, glass-like martial arts essence circulated around Xia Dong, actually managing to withstand the immense spiritual pressure exerted by the high-level cultivator!

The high-level cultivator's anxious expression instantly turned into extreme shock.

"The true meaning of martial arts! This is the true meaning of martial arts!"

"You—you broke through to the True Intent of Martial Arts right there inside?"

At his level, he naturally saw through the clues at a glance.

The sword intent emanating from Xia Dong was not the pure killing intent of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao, but the true martial intent that belonged entirely to the martial artist and was condensed from the inside out!

He realized that the young man in front of him was not only not assimilated or devoured by the terrifying sword intent in the secret realm, but was also extremely audacious. He actually used the ancient sword intent that was enough to kill the soul as a whetstone and used it to hone his own martial arts edge!

The entire audience seemed to hold their breath at that moment.

The value and potential of a True Intent Martial Grandmaster who breaks through on their own are absolutely no less than those who obtain a remnant sword intent inheritance!

Faced with the shock of the high-level cultivators and the deathly silence of the entire audience, Xia Dong slowly suppressed the surging "Dragon Subduing" true meaning around him.

He stood tall and calmly met the other person's gaze, uttering two words with neither arrogance nor servility: "Not bad."

These two words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer blow.

However, before the high-level cultivator could say anything more, a strange ripple, like water, suddenly appeared in the void above the plaza without warning.

Immediately afterwards, two figures draped in black cloaks and wearing faceless masks slowly emerged from the void like ghosts.

They didn't emanate any magical power, but their chilling, murderous aura sent shivers down the spines of all the Eagle Wolf Guards present, including the high-level cultivator.

It was the black-clad envoy from the Tongxuan Division who had been secretly observing from the isolated peak!

That is, the "Messenger of Impermanence" who is feared by everyone within the Eagle Wolf Guard!

The two messengers of impermanence looked down at Xia Dong, their eyes, hidden behind masks, gleaming with excitement. Clearly, Xia Dong's breakthrough to the True Intent of Martial Arts was of immense significance.

The envoy on the left stepped forward, his cold and domineering voice echoing throughout the valley, carrying an absolute authority that brooked no dissent: "This brat, our Tongxuan Division wants him!"

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