Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

On the shores of the East China Sea, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The semi-transparent light shield that enveloped the sea and sky fluctuated more violently, and the runes flowing on it flickered like breathing. An ancient and desolate aura permeated the surrounding area, foreshadowing the imminent opening of the secret realm.

Inside the Qingxuan Sect's headquarters, Fu Shaoping sat cross-legged, his mind subtly resonating with the powerful aura outside. The persistent warmth from the core disciple token at his waist was not an illusion. He attempted to circulate the Sunset Sword Intent, especially the nascent "Setting Sun" conception, which surprisingly elicited a faint resonance within the light barrier, like a distant call.

"This secret realm is indeed related to the way of the sword, and may even have some connection with the concept of 'Xia'..." Fu Shaoping thought to himself, feeling both more expectant and wary of this unknown secret realm.

During this time, he noticed that Ling Juexiao, the sword disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, had also approached the light barrier several times, his sword intent surging around him, seemingly conducting a similar test. The two men's eyes met across the distance, and although there was no longer any contest of wills, they could both feel the sharp and ambitious edge of each other's swordsmanship.

Besides the Heavenly Sword Sect, other talented disciples from various forces also attracted attention. The Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier's Witchcraft Lands was surrounded by faint, colorful miasma; the barbarian warriors of the Northern Ice Plains possessed blood and qi as hot as a furnace, their murderous aura soaring to the heavens; the ascetic monks of the Western Desert Buddhist Kingdom held prayer beads, their expressions solemn yet concealing a fierce, wrathful presence. Furthermore, many outstanding rogue cultivators, their auras complex and their eyes shrewd, were clearly not to be trifled with.

Three days later, at noon, a strange change occurred!
The enormous light barrier suddenly erupted with blinding light, causing the seawater within its range to boil and the mountains to tremble. The runes on the light barrier swirled wildly, eventually converging at the top to form a slowly rotating vortex. A surge of spiritual energy, several times purer and more ancient than before, burst forth from it, mixed with various ancient, sharp, and even violent auras.

The secret realm has opened!

Someone shouted, and in an instant, thousands upon thousands of streaks of light, like locusts, rushed toward the vortex passage!

"Go!" Elder Li shouted, and the Qingxuan Sect members transformed into streaks of light and soared into the sky.

Fu Shaoping transformed into a golden rainbow, moving with incredible speed, closely following Elder Li. As he approached the vortex, a powerful tearing force surged forth. He circulated his true energy to protect himself and plunged into it without hesitation.

A dizzying sensation swept over him, a feeling of spatial shift washing over him. Even with his current cultivation level at the peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining (after traveling and adjusting over the past few days, his cultivation had reached the peak of the seventh level) and his resilient meridians, he felt a slight discomfort. After a few breaths, his feet found solid ground beneath his feet, and he found himself in a completely new world.

The scene before them was breathtaking. The sky was a strange, dusky yellow, like an eternal twilight, devoid of sun, moon, and stars. The earth was vast and desolate, with rolling mountains, mostly barren rocks and sparse vegetation. The air was thick with ancient spiritual energy, but also mingled with an inescapable sense of death and sharpness. Looking into the distance, the outline of a massive, dilapidated palace seemed to appear on the horizon, and further still, streaks of sword-shaped light of various colors occasionally shot into the sky, emanating varying degrees of sword intent.

"Although the spiritual energy here is dense, it also carries a sense of decay and desolation, with countless sword intents remaining... It's like an ancient battlefield, and one belonging to sword cultivators." Fu Shaoping's mind raced, and he immediately made a preliminary judgment. He tried to sense it and found that the space here was stable, the range of his divine sense was greatly suppressed, and communication talismans and other items also seemed to be interfered with.

The cultivators who entered the secret realm were randomly teleported to different locations. There were only a few people around Fu Shaoping, and they were not from the same sect. Those few people exchanged wary glances, then each chose a direction and quickly left.

Fu Shaoping didn't act rashly. He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the fluctuations of the core disciple token at his waist, while simultaneously channeling his full power into the Sunset Sword Intent. Sure enough, the faint resonance became clearer, pointing in a direction. That direction roughly coincided with the location of a crimson pillar of sword intent shooting into the sky.

"It seems my intuition was correct." Without further hesitation, he chose a direction, used his movement technique, and sped away like a wisp of green smoke. He didn't fly at full speed; in this unknown land, maintaining vigilance and having abundant true energy was crucial.

The scene along the way was one of utter devastation. Broken giant swords were embedded in the earth, still radiating an indomitable sword intent despite the passage of time; enormous skeletons were half-buried in the soil, the origins of some ancient creature unknown; and fragmented array formations and restrictions occasionally peeked out, lurking with hidden danger. He even saw several traces of recent battles, the blood still wet, clearly indicating that cultivators had fought over certain discoveries.

After traveling about a hundred miles, Fu Shaoping suddenly sensed something and stopped. Ahead lay a valley of jagged rocks, filled with a faint golden mist. The crimson sword intent beam emanated from the depths of the valley. Before him, two groups had already arrived at the valley entrance and were confronting each other.

One group consisted of disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, led by Ling Juexiao, while the other group consisted of several cultivators dressed in luxurious clothes and exuding extraordinary auras. Judging from their attire, they seemed to be members of a large cultivation family.

"This place was first discovered by my Wang family. Fellow members of the Heavenly Sword Sect, please find another place," said a young man leading the Wang family in a deep voice. He held a jade fan and his cultivation level was also at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Ling Juexiao remained expressionless, simply uttering two words: "Get out of the way."

Behind him, the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect stepped forward simultaneously, their sharp sword intents forming a continuous line, like unsheathed swords, pointing directly at the Wang family members.

The Wang family members' expressions changed, and the young man gritted his teeth and said, "Ling Juexiao, don't push your luck! The sword intent here resonates with the ancestral techniques of my Wang family, there must be some connection between us!"

"Opportunities are for the strong." Ling Juexiao's tone remained icy.

Just as tensions were about to rise, Ling Juexiao suddenly turned his gaze to the direction where Fu Shaoping was hiding: "You've been watching for so long, aren't you going to show yourself? A friend of the Qingxuan Sect."

Fu Shaoping felt a slight chill, knowing that he had been discovered, so he stopped hiding and calmly walked out from behind the boulder.

His appearance subtly shifted the atmosphere. The Wang family members became wary, realizing they had gained another competitor. Meanwhile, from the Heavenly Sword Sect's side, aside from Ling Juexiao, the other disciples also cast scrutinizing glances at him.

"Fu Shaoping?" Ling Juexiao clearly recognized him, a flash of fighting spirit appearing in his eyes. "You've also come here for the sword intent?"

Fu Shaoping calmly said, "Searching for destiny in secret realms depends on one's intuition."

Seeing this, the young man from the Wang family rolled his eyes and suddenly said to Fu Shaoping, "Brother from the Qingxuan Sect, the Tianjian Sect is powerful and wants to forcibly seize the opportunities of my Wang family. Why don't we join forces to force them back first, and then discuss what we have gained in the valley?" He could tell that Fu Shaoping was no ordinary person, as he could hold his own against Ling Juexiao, so he wanted to win him over.

Before Fu Shaoping could answer, Ling Juexiao sneered, "What good is joining forces with these chickens and dogs?" He stared directly at Fu Shaoping, "Your sword seems even sharper than when you arrived. Perfect, let me see what qualifications the Luoxia lineage of the Qingxuan Sect has to contend with my Heavenly Sword Sect!"

Before he finished speaking, Ling Juexiao pointed his fingers like a sword, and a white sword aura, extremely condensed and seemingly capable of tearing through the void, had already pierced through the air and arrived! This sword was fast, ruthless, and accurate, without any fancy moves, only extreme sharpness and destruction, which was the signature "Heaven-Splitting Sword Aura" of the Heavenly Sword Sect!
The Wang family members were taken aback by the sudden attack of the sword and retreated.

Faced with this incomparably fierce sword strike, Fu Shaoping's eyes narrowed, and he dared not be careless. His longsword was instantly drawn, its blade trembling, and a myriad of sword intents naturally erupted!

In an instant, the sword light transformed into layers of dense, endless clouds, meeting the sky-splitting sword aura.

"Chichichichi——!"

The white sword aura pierced through the flowing cloud sword curtain, producing a piercing tearing sound. The cloud mist was constantly being cut open and dissipated, yet it also layered upon layer, endlessly regenerating, continuously wearing down and deflecting the indestructible sharpness. A few breaths later, the sword aura and the flowing clouds vanished simultaneously.

Fu Shaoping swayed slightly, taking half a step back, his sword-wielding arm going slightly numb. Ling Juexiao, however, stood motionless.

The difference in quality is obvious.

But a genuine surprise flashed in Ling Juexiao's eyes. Although he hadn't used his full strength in that sword strike, he had still used seven-tenths of his power. Even an ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator might not be able to withstand it so easily, let alone someone who was only at the peak of Qi Refining Seventh Level (he could see Fu Shaoping's cultivation level)! The exquisiteness of that Flowing Cloud Sword Intent and the ingenuity of its force-dissolving were far beyond his expectations.

"If you can withstand one of my sword strikes, you are qualified to enter the valley." Ling Juexiao withdrew his hand, no longer looking at Fu Shaoping, but instead turning his gaze to the golden mist deep in the valley. "However, the real test is inside."

Having said that, he ignored the Wang family members and Fu Shaoping, transforming into a sword beam and shooting directly into the golden mist of the valley. The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect followed closely behind.

The young man from the Wang family turned pale and then flushed, but finally gritted his teeth and led his clansmen inside. Clearly, they were unwilling to give up.

Fu Shaoping calmed his surging blood and qi, gaining a more direct understanding of Ling Juexiao's strength. "The Sword Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect lives up to his reputation." But he was not discouraged; on the contrary, his fighting spirit grew even stronger. That sword strike just now had also given him a new understanding of the application of "Thousands of Flowing Clouds."

He glanced at the spreading golden mist and could sense that the sword intent within it was becoming more intense and dangerous. However, the resonance between the token at his waist and his own sword intent was also growing stronger.

Without hesitation, Fu Shaoping moved and disappeared into the valley mist.

Upon entering, the surrounding scenery changed drastically. The golden mist was not ordinary water vapor, but was formed by countless fine and sharp golden sword energies! As the mist surged, countless golden sword threads silently attacked, cutting through the flesh and eroding the soul.

Fu Shaoping immediately activated the Yi Wood Azure Origin Technique, a hazy azure light protecting his body. At the same time, his sword intent surged forth, shredding the incoming sword threads. However, the mist was endless, and the sword energy was inexhaustible, greatly consuming his true energy and mental strength.

He looked up and saw that Ling Juexiao in front of him was surrounded by a solid white sword shield, his steps were steady, and he was the fastest. The Wang family members summoned an umbrella-shaped magic artifact, which cast rays of mysterious light to protect their bodies, but they were obviously struggling to support it, and their speed was much slower.

Fu Shaoping's mind stirred, but he did not force his way in. He recalled the essence of "Thousands of Flowing Clouds"—to adapt, guide, and neutralize. He no longer used his sword intent to directly confront the golden sword threads, but instead attached them to his body, as if covering himself with a layer of flowing cloud-like sword armor. When the attacking golden sword threads touched this sword armor, most of their force was guided and deflected, like raindrops sliding across a lotus leaf, and the energy consumed was greatly reduced.

His speed suddenly increased, gradually overtaking the Wang family members who relied on magical artifacts, and chasing after Ling Juexiao ahead.

Ling Juexiao seemed to sense something, turned around and looked back. When he saw the ever-flowing cloud-like sword intent around Fu Shaoping, his surprise deepened.

The two traveled one after the other through the endless golden sword mist, like two ships cutting through the waves.

The deeper they went, the thicker the fog became, and the more ferocious the sword energy grew, even beginning to condense into various sword shapes to attack. Under the increasing pressure, Fu Shaoping's use of "Thousands of Flowing Clouds" became more and more proficient, and the combination of his internal energy and sword intent became more and more tight. The bottleneck of the eighth level of Qi Refining actually began to loosen under this high pressure.

Suddenly, the fog cleared, revealing an open area. In the center, a long sword, entirely crimson and with an ancient design, was stuck diagonally into a huge golden rock, its blade radiating a towering pillar of crimson sword intent! On the hilt, the two ancient characters "Liu Huo" were faintly visible.

Around the ancient sword sat three skeletons clad in tattered armor. Their bones were pale gold, and although they had been dead for countless years, they still exuded a powerful and chilling sword intent!
Ling Juexiao and Fu Shaoping arrived at the area almost at the same time, their eyes immediately drawn to the crimson ancient sword.

"Earthly Fiend Sword, Flowing Fire!" A fiery glint flashed in Ling Juexiao's eyes.

However, just as the two were about to step forward, crimson flames suddenly ignited in the empty eye sockets of the three golden skulls!
"Om-!"

Three powerful sword intents, comparable to those of the early Foundation Establishment stage, instantly locked onto the intruder!
Protect the sword puppet!

The real test has only just begun! And the path to the ancient sword clearly requires traversing these three sword puppets. Fu Shaoping and Ling Juexiao exchanged a glance; though they didn't speak, they both understood each other's intentions.

For now, they need to join forces.

Fu Shaoping took a deep breath, held his longsword horizontally in front of him, and the sword intent of the morning glow began to rise, while the sword intent of the flowing clouds was ready to be unleashed. The hidden crimson hue of the setting sun also faintly flowed at the tip of the sword.

His eyes, sharp as swords, were fixed on one of the golden sword puppets engulfed in flames.

Faced with three sword puppets comparable to those in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, Fu Shaoping and Ling Juexiao instantly reached a tacit understanding.

Ling Juexiao let out a low shout, and his white sword aura surged, actively meeting the two sword puppets on the left. His sword momentum was wide and powerful, and his Heaven-Splitting Sword Intent was unstoppable. He actually fought two against one and temporarily restrained the two sword puppets. He was clearly serious, and the sharpness of his sword aura caused fine cracks to appear on the golden bones of the two sword puppets.

"The one on the right is yours!" Ling Juexiao's voice came, carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

Without a word, Fu Shaoping moved with lightning speed, rushing straight for the sword puppet on his right. Crimson flames flickered in the sword puppet's eye sockets. Sensing the threat, it conjured a golden, gleaming phantom sword in its hand, its sharpness capable of tearing through anything, and slashed down! Even before the sword arrived, the immense pressure of the sword made Fu Shaoping gasp for breath.

Can't be hardwired!

Countless clouds drift by! (End of Chapter)