Immortal Road.

The two wandered around inside the Nine-Turn Primordial Furnace.

The space inside this Heavenly Treasure is extremely vast, and flames rage everywhere. Without the protection of the Myriad Manifestations Star Flame, one cannot withstand it for more than a few breaths. Even cultivators who specialize in body training cannot endure it.

Lin Shan activated his Star-Slaying Demon Eyes and looked around, when he suddenly realized something from the tremors of the furnace wall beside him!
"Master Lin, where is my master?"

"Wait, listen!"

Jian Guhan did as instructed, pressing his ear against the scorching furnace wall. He could hear a series of knocking sounds coming from the right side, the same sounds he had heard outside earlier.

"let's go!"

Lin Shan led him along the edge, and soon they found the source.

At this moment, within the Nine Revolutions Primordial Furnace, countless pills were moving around like a beehive, constantly bumping and knocking against the walls, flying and wandering like madmen.

Ding ding ding ding ding.
The two looked over in astonishment. They couldn't possibly count how many pills there were with the naked eye. If they were to give a number, it would probably be far more than tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands? Millions? Tens of millions?
So many pills were frantically escaping, it was enough to drive anyone crazy. From the outside, the two from Shangxiao Sword Sect seemed to be diligently refining pills, but who knew that things inside had turned into such chaos!
Lin Shan seized the opportunity, grabbed a pill, and examined it.

The pill was bluish-black, about an inch in size. It struggled desperately between his two fingers, but when it could not escape, a face appeared on it—a fierce-looking bald man!

"Let me go! I am the Sword Saint, and I will take back everything that is rightfully mine!"

Jian Guhan also grabbed a pill, but what appeared was the face of another farmer, who was also roaring at him.

"Let me out! I am the Sword Saint, and I will reclaim everything that belongs to me!"

These two shouts, however, instantly enraged all the pills. They all stopped flying, frozen in mid-air, revealing their faces—men, women, young, and old—and shouted in unison:
"I am the Sword Saint, and I will reclaim everything that is rightfully mine!"

As soon as the words were spoken, they seemed to suddenly gain intelligence, and then they all started arguing and shouting at each other, debating who was the real sword saint.

The deafening noise made Lin Shan and Jian Guhan feel nauseous and want to vomit. They had never faced such a chaotic mix of sounds gathered in this isolated area before.

The sound was deafening; it could be heard not only inside the furnace but also outside!

The Holy Lord of Shangxiao and the Sword Daoist were also taken aback!
"Holy Lord, listen!"

"Don't speak, what are they saying?"

The two of them also huddled against the wall of the Nine-Turn Primordial Furnace, pressing their ears against it to eavesdrop. They were almost paralyzed by the vast and endless noise!

They were both stunned.

"We spent so long refining Ma Yuanjue's sword domain, refining his primordial spirit, only to end up creating countless Ma Yuanjues?"

This whole thing sounds incredibly far-fetched. Where exactly did things go wrong?
"Holy Lord, is it possible that this guy couldn't withstand the pressure and didn't last until we extracted the Sword Domain, causing his primordial spirit to shatter and his mind to split into billions of personalities?"

The original Sword Daoist also found it absurd. They had been busy for hundreds of years, capturing people three times just to force out the sword Dao inheritance, but in the end, the person was destroyed by the refinement!

Lin Shan and Jian Guhan, who were inside the furnace, also found it unbelievable.

"This is the poison of incense. I told you that vows and faith should not be tainted indiscriminately, as it would inevitably lead to serious trouble in the future, and it has indeed come true!"

Back in the Yimeng Mountains of Qingzhou in the Song Dynasty, he encountered the Black Lotus Sect's Dharma King in distress while on the run. He used his supernatural powers, burning a huge amount of incense, to fight against the four elders of the Zixiao Sect who joined forces.

Ultimately, he was poisoned by the power of incense and prayers, and ended up with a split personality!
At that time, Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue was just one of the three main personalities who fought their way out from among billions of personalities and finally gained control of his body.

Now, after being refined day and night by the Nascent Soul stage cultivators and the Heavenly Treasure of the Shangxiao Sword Sect in this world, it has once again been confusedly restored to its original state, turning back into a situation where billions of personalities fight and breed Gu!
This dramatic scene was so explosive that it left the two of them completely disoriented.

They broke in to save people, but the Sword Saint transformed into countless spiritual entities, each claiming to be the Sword Saint. Who were they supposed to save?
"I've come, I've come to find my master! Master, where are you? I'm your little disciple!"

Jian Guhan shouted into the air, but his voice was insignificant amidst the millions of curses and was quickly drowned out, failing to make any ripple.

Amidst the chaotic commotion, the pills even began to fight each other, each splitting open its gaping maw, revealing sharp fangs, and began to devour and bite the pills around it!

A new round of fierce battles involving the breeding of venomous insects is in full swing.

"You're no good, let me do it!"

Lin Shan cleared his throat and immediately used his Nascent Soul stage cultivation to enhance his shout.

"I am the Sword Saint, and I will reclaim everything that belongs to me! You are all traitors!"

shuh~
The world fell silent for a moment.

He drowned out all the other pills' voices, and then they all turned to look at him. After noticing the two of them, some of the pills started scratching their heads in distress, some felt that the two of them were familiar, some were confused and didn't know what to do, and some had a fierce glint in their eyes and started to have bad ideas.
All beings have myriad forms, and all their thoughts are impure.

This is precisely the legacy left by the earliest Dharma protector.

Incense is poisonous!

This poison is recognized as an incurable disease in the cultivation world. Even a true immortal would fall victim to it. However, today, thanks to the fierce actions of the Shangxiao Sword Sect, it inexplicably caused the splitting of billions of personalities within the faith.

Lin Shan realized that this was the perfect opportunity to save the Sword Saint!

If we could find the true Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue in the vast sea of ​​cinnabar, help him escape from this sea of ​​suffering, and allow him to become his true self, escape unscathed from the encirclement, and cleanse himself of the poison of incense and faith, that would be a great merit!
Sure enough, the next moment a pill recognized Jian Guhan.

"Disciple, is it really you?"

"master!"

Jian Guhan was overjoyed and quickly looked in the direction of the voice, only to find that the person who called him was an old woman with a sinister face.

"."

Not only that, there were also a whole thousand random pills, seemingly inheriting the Sword Saint's memories in this regard, and he also began to acknowledge Jian Guhan as his disciple.

They immediately swarmed towards him, all letting out terrifying, awkward howls.

"My disciple, I'm having a terrible time! Please come and help me!"

scare?
Jian Guhan had never seen anything like this before. He was so frightened that he trembled all over and hid behind Lin Shan, shaking with fear.

There were also pills that recognized Lin Shan, but only a few dozen of them.

"Disciple, it's you! Have you come to save your master?"

Lin Shan glanced at them and was surprised to find two unusual pills. The faces on them were not those of Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue, but rather those of Martial Instructor and Master Cen!
Huh?
These two personalities initially fought alongside the Sword Saint for control of the Dharma King's physical body, emerging victorious in the battle of raising Gu. Originally, there should have been a separation of powers, but something happened later.

His sudden appearance stirred up long-forgotten memories for him!

Without hesitation, he immediately got up.

Lin Shan took the pills from Instructor Wu and Master Cen directly into his hands. Surprisingly, these two had retained their intelligence and were very pleased to see him. They even had time to ask Lin Shan how he had been all these years.

"My two teachers, putting aside me for now, where is Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue?"

The two pills immediately stretched out their arms, pointed behind Jian Guhan, and retrieved the personality of Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue from the vast sea of ​​pills!
"Master! Is it really you?"

Jian Guhan, overjoyed at finding such a treasure, held the pill belonging to Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue, tears streaming down his face. Overwhelmed with emotion, he wept. "Silly boy, why are you crying? Master and disciple have met again. By the way, how did you get in? Did Yuanjian Daoist throw you into the Nine Revolutions Primordial Furnace as well?"

"No, it's me and Leader Lin."

While they were reminiscing, countless pills outside began their battle of breeding and killing.

After observing, they then discovered the differences.

Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue clearly still retained his sanity and knew that devouring was wrong. Having finally escaped the sea of ​​suffering caused by vows, how could he possibly turn back?

Although Instructor Wu and Master Cen didn't understand it that well, they had a vague premonition.

However, the other personalities are unaware of this. They gradually grow stronger through devouring. Devouring one pill is nothing, but after devouring hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands, the aura of Golden Core and Nascent Soul begins to emerge.
"If one of the pills manages to emerge victorious in the final battle, it will inherit all the strength I possessed in my lifetime, fully comprehend the Sword Domain, and become the first Void Realm expert to break through in the lower realm!"

Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Although it was just a pill, he could see through everything at this moment.

Jian Guhan immediately understood everything.

"Was it intentional for you to enter the Nine-Turn Primordial Furnace before?"

"nonsense!"

Ma Yuanjue jokingly scolded his little disciple for being so dense, only now realizing his intentions.

"The Void Transformation stage requires the complete return of all thoughts, and not even a single primordial thought avatar can be left outside. With billions of distracting thoughts entangled within me, how can I cultivate a pure and flawless sword domain?"

"As the saying goes, 'No destruction, no construction; destruction precedes construction.' Only by dying once can one be reborn from the ashes!"

"That old fellow, Yuan Jian Dao Ren, wants to refine me? Then let him refine me! He'll refine away 1.08 billion souls, leaving me alone and unique in the world. From now on, I'll soar like a bird into the blue sky, shattering all impossibilities."

Lin Shan and Jian Guhan were greatly alarmed.

It turns out that all of this was a setup, a meticulously planned setup!

The Sword Saint entered the palace three times, and was captured by the Shangxiao Sword Sect three times in total, all in an attempt to overthrow the empress and establish a new one. He finally succeeded on the third attempt.

Break free from the original physical body, detach from worldly desires and distractions, and return to your true self, for the true self is unique.

"But Master, if it weren't for me and Leader Lin coming to rescue you, how would you have escaped?"

Watching the chaotic and disorderly battle of devouring in the sky, Jian Guhan was overwhelmed and witnessed the pills winning in the process of raising Gu, gradually growing heads, noses, ears, arms, legs and so on, and even their aura once approaching the level of the late Nascent Soul stage or even the Great Supernatural Power!
Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue smiled without saying a word, then turned to look at Lin Shan.

"I remember you. You were the first disciple I took in the Song Kingdom. I thought you had died in the war, but I never expected you to survive and even cultivate all the way to the Nascent Soul stage!"

Lin Shan was overjoyed; this cheap master really hadn't forgotten him.

"Disciple greets Master!"

Jian Guhan was overjoyed. Lin Shan was indeed his senior brother. They were family. No wonder he took such good care of him during the faction war.

"Hehe, it's a pity that your master has now abandoned everything, lost his cultivation, and only has a wisp of pure primordial spirit foundation left. I can't give you a gift. You've suffered all these years."

The Sword Saint's words carried a warm and comforting power that melted everything without anyone noticing. Who would have thought that such chivalry and tenderness would be revealed at this moment?

Lin Shan grinned, genuinely happy.

After many years apart, the master and disciple reunited. Even though it was just a brief moment, it felt like they had been master and disciple for a lifetime. There was no barrier, no awkwardness, and they met again in a simple and ordinary way.

"Master, you haven't answered Junior Brother's question yet!"

The Sword Saint did not answer this question, but simply looked up and watched the billions of chaotic thoughts clashing and being devoured, gradually giving rise to the aura of the Primordial Spirit stage.

This kind of battle is primitive and bloody. Between pills, it's nothing more than big fish eating small fish. As long as you gain the first advantage, the snowball will grow bigger and bigger, the speed of consumption will be faster and faster, and the realm will be higher and higher, thus determining a new winner to inherit and replace the previous sword saint!
"You should know that this world is but an insignificant grain of sand in the vast universe. The Great Thousand Worlds are the true stage, and the Immortal Path civilization is a concept from an even higher dimension. The Sword Path has become a heretical path, and the heretical path is simply not mainstream."

Jian Guhan, not understanding his meaning, frowned and asked.

"Master, didn't you once tell me that the Sword Clan is thriving in the Immortal Realm, and that our lineage is not alone, and that the Sword Dao civilization can still fight back?"

"Silly child, I was just mentioning it casually. If anyone's going to gamble, it's me. You just obediently follow the path of immortal civilization and don't get involved in the revival of the ancient era. Remember, don't get tangled up in it!"

Lin Shan vaguely sensed something from their conversation.

The Sword Saint willingly walked into the trap, using this trick of escaping unscathed. Could it be that he was not only trying to get rid of the incense poison, but also changing his identity to avoid being investigated? Could it be that a huge force was planning this behind the scenes?
Given this, how could there not be a backup plan?
At this moment, the battle of raising Gu above our heads has reached a fever pitch. Seven pills are constantly snowballing and being devoured, and have already grown into the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage!

There were also scattered small pills flying around outside, but they didn't amount to much.

It's not hard to imagine that the final winner will be chosen from these seven pills!

"The old self will be reborn, but it will not be the real me."

"The new me abandons everything, yet I am still the same person I once was."

Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue watched this scene as if he had foreseen it many years ago. He showed no surprise, but calmly looked back at the path he had come from, which stirred up memories of his past rebirth.

At this moment, a tiny crack appeared inside the Nine-Turn Taiyuan Furnace.

A call came from a distant time and space:
"The way of the sword has been revived, the Son of the Era has returned, the passage will be maintained for a short while, we await you at Qingping Sword Gorge in the westernmost part of the Great Thousand World."

"I have to go now."

The Sword Saint smiled and turned his head, beckoning to the spot where the flames in the furnace had been buried. An unknown iron sword was drawn towards him, and suddenly he swung it fiercely at Lin Shan!
"Ah~~~"

A woman's scream rang out, followed by wisps of smoke dissipating.

Lin Shan then discovered that one of his Yuan Sha puppets in his Yuan Sha Domain had been completely destroyed, and it was none other than You Mei Ji!

"This woman harbors the remnants of an immortal. If she is not eliminated today, great disaster may ensue. We must be careful in the future."

As he spoke, he handed the sword to Jian Guhan.

"This is an ancient sword from the Sword Dao Era. You can study it slowly in the future; it will be of great use."

A celestial being's lingering thoughts, the Azure Lotus Fairy?
Lin Shan suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He realized that he actually had Qinglian Fairy's backup plan, which was hidden on You Meiji.

The Sword Saint chuckled lightly, and without turning his head, he walked into the spatial rift beside him, leading to the contingency plan left for him by the ancient era of swordsmanship. Only his words of advice drifted into the ears of the two of them.

"I also have an apprentice named Sunflower outside, so I'm entrusting her to your care!"

"I have left you a great gift for ascension in the ancient ruins of this world."

"Never mention my name when you go to the Immortal Realm, or you will bring about your own demise. The green hills remain and the clear waters flow on; we shall meet again."

Above them, just as all the elixirs had finished their battle, devouring all their kind, the Gu worms had given birth to a true king, and a vast aura of the Void Transformation stage erupted forth! (End of Chapter)