Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 242 Wandering in the Void

High-altitude lakes, ripples and tributaries...

"This is... a map?"

The map is drawn in a very peculiar style, both impressionistic and precise.

The lines are smooth, and the ink tones are well-balanced, outlining the contours of mountains, rivers, seas, islands, and continental landmasses.

Some areas are depicted in extremely detail, showing the textures of mountains and rivers, and even tiny marks or annotations for certain important locations.

Many other areas appear blurry and simplified, with only a general outline, like a veil covering the details, making them difficult to discern.

In addition, a considerable portion of the map is shrouded in thick, swirling ink, pitch black, like an impenetrable fog, where even the outlines are indistinct.

Song Yan stared intently at the screen, growing increasingly alarmed and deeply shaken.

This appears to be a map of the human world!
Although he had never seen the whole picture, judging from the familiar outline of the border region, the central position of the Central Region that seemed like a behemoth, and the several extremely vast and huge islands scattered among them and the four seas that embraced the continent, there was absolutely no mistake!

The vast and mysterious southern and northern border regions...

That boundless ocean in all directions...

In a remote corner of the map, a white dot of light is continuously emitting a soft yet striking glow.

Song Yan looked closely and saw that the point of light was in the Chu Kingdom, located slightly to the north.

Almost instantly, he realized something.

This point of light should be the ruins of the Sword Sect.

"I see……"

Song Yan suddenly realized something.

Therefore, according to the normal process of this bead, it should only guide the sword cultivator who possesses it to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

I only went there in advance by chance.

This newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Chu Kingdom, filled with the pride and curiosity of stepping into a new realm, began to carefully examine this enormous scroll that stretched across the heavens.

He tried to understand the vastness of the world, his gaze following the flowing lines of ink painting, from the border state of Chu, to the neighboring states of Qi and Ning, and then to other smaller states in the more distant regions.

Then there was the entire continent, so vast it was breathtaking.

The territory of just one Central Region seems boundless!

Rivers flow across it, and mountains crisscross it, marking numerous prefectures and cities.

Most of the other names were unfamiliar, and even if I had seen or heard them in some obscure corner before, the impression was very vague.

There was only one name he had heard countless times before.

Changan.

"..."

The State of Chu was remote and its borders were far away.

Even if it was only once, perhaps all the cultivators in the border region had thought about one day arriving in the Tang Dynasty and seeing this city in the hearts of all the people of the world.

At the edge of the celestial map, the vast and boundless ocean occupies an even larger space, deep and dark.

However, as this magnificent picture gradually became clear in his mind, the excitement that Song Yan felt from successfully establishing his foundation and seemingly glimpsing a corner of the Great Dao gradually dissipated.

An indescribable sense of insignificance quietly welled up in my heart.

He subconsciously raised his hand and gestured with his fingers.

"The State of Chu... is it really that small?"

On this map, the State of Chu looks like a drop of ink that was accidentally spilled onto the surface.

The entire border region pales in comparison to the colossal Central Region.

The huge blank area outlined in thick ink on the map between the border region and the central region does not represent a smooth road, but a real, long distance that needs to be crossed.

However, when he thought of this, he suddenly froze.

At this moment, he didn't think about any grand ideals of traveling all over the world, but thought of a person, an ordinary person.

This person's name is Xie Tianji.

"its not right……"

Song Yan murmured.

His gaze lingered on that gap, weighing it over and over.

"In the border regions, apart from the Wei and Jiang kingdoms, which barely border the Central Region, those border areas are mostly treacherous and desolate places or boundless wilderness."

"The other border states must reach the true Central Region..."

Based on the scale of the Chu state on the map, he roughly estimated: "...the journey is far, more than ten thousand miles."

Foundation Establishment cultivators can fly through the air without sleep, food, or drink, and can easily travel tens of thousands of miles a day.

"If this map is correct, it would probably take several years for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to travel to the prosperous core of the Central Region, even if he travels at full speed and has a smooth journey, without considering the need to recover his spiritual power, encounter dangers, or stop to rest and recuperate."

Xie Tianji, however, was just an ordinary person...

Even with unparalleled swordsmanship, having slain all mortal opponents and earned the reputation of being the best in the world.

But he was, after all, just a mortal.

How fast can an ordinary person travel?
Traveling a hundred miles a day is already the limit; trekking through mountains and rivers only adds to the difficulties, as well as the dangers of wind, snow, miasma, and illness.

Horses and boats have their limits.

Food, fodder, and water were all problems.

Not to mention traversing those death zones marked with huge blank spaces and thick fog on the map, which must exist in reality, the primordial swamps!
"How...how could he possibly have traveled all the way from Chu to the Central Region on foot, earned the title of the best in the world, traveled thousands of miles across the land, and finally returned to Chu?"

How can an ordinary person measure the world in just a few decades?

Song Yan stared at the vast, despair-inducing map in the sky, and then recalled the heroic spirit and desolation flowing between the lines of the sword scroll. He felt a sense of doubt and confusion.

Who is helping him?

That immortal...

The details of the Song banquet are unknown.

After much deliberation without reaching a conclusion, I simply gave up.

……

Inside the Earth-character 21 cave, Xiao Ju had completed her cultivation for the day.

Having traveled with Song Yan for many days, she had also developed the habit of breathing in the purple aura at sunrise. Now she had just returned to her cave and was preparing to continue studying the art of formations.

Xiao He has been cultivating diligently recently, and her demonic power is steadily increasing.

Back in their cave, they all looked toward the secluded meditation chamber.

Xiao He asked, "How long has Yan Yan been inside?"

Monsters have a very vague concept of time, and if Xiaohe didn't braid some small grass ropes, she wouldn't be able to count how much time had passed.

"About thirteen months," Xiao Ju replied. "Senior Song has been in seclusion for three hundred and ninety-seven days."

"So long."

Snake Baby muttered.

Just then, the restrictive spiritual light in the secluded cultivation room rippled outwards like waves on water.

hum...

The heavy stone door of the meditation chamber was moved open from the inside by a gentle yet powerful force.

Amidst the dust and light, a figure slowly stepped out.

He still looked young, wearing the same black Taoist robe, but his demeanor was completely different. Thirteen months of secluded cultivation had washed away all worldly impurities.

The spiritual energy around him flowed smoothly and evenly, without any of the stagnation that Qi Refining cultivators experience. Instead, he felt a profound and solid sense of strength and depth.

The two looked up and, when they saw the figure bathed in light, they were first taken aback, and then a surge of joy welled up in their hearts.

"Senior, you succeeded?"

After asking the question, she laughed at herself in her heart.

Of course, Senior Song is a god-like figure, how could he fail?

Thirteen months later, all the worries and expectations that had accumulated during this long wait have now vanished.

She wanted to bow, but was at a loss for words. In the end, she just looked up at Song Yan with her eyes full of admiration.

Xiao He was naturally overjoyed.

Snake Treasure was very sensitive to auras, and it sensed the immense power within Song Yan that merged with the heavens and earth.

"Yanyan!" A childish voice burst into a huge scream of surprise.

With a flash of green, the little snake nimbly coiled around Song Yan's shoulder, its little head rubbing against his neck, its tail tip wagging excitedly.

"Wow! Yan Yan! You've become... uh, you've become so radiant!"

Snake Treasure suffered from a lack of cultural knowledge and couldn't find the right words to describe the profound Daoist aura it possessed after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Song Yan chuckled, gently patted Xiao He's head, then looked at Xiao Ju and said softly, "Yes, it worked. Everything went smoothly."

A simple sentence made Xiao Ju's heart leap with joy.

Senior Song has successfully established his foundation. Does this mean I can now become his disciple?
Song Yan naturally remembered the previous agreement.

But there's no rush.

Calculating the time, there are still about five months until the Grand Competition of the Nine Veins of Longtan Mountain, which is quite a lot of time.

The powerful feeling of reaching a new realm and merging with the Dao made Song Yan eager to experience it firsthand, a privilege reserved for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Flying through the air.

Now that he has established his Dao foundation, he can not only fly by controlling objects, but also practice the sword-based escape technique "Wandering in the Void".

However, Song Yan did not immediately begin cultivation. Instead, he wanted to try directly activating sword energy and flying in mid-air without using any external aids.

He strolled out of the cave and came to the open space of the bamboo grove courtyard.

Hold your breath and concentrate, your mind slightly stirred.

Within the Zhendao Sword Mansion, the blooming lotus flower gently rotated, and a powerful sword aura slowly emanated from its body. However, it was no longer used to injure enemies, but rather to permeate the entire body in a mysterious way.

The sleeves of his dark Taoist robe fluttered, and the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet slowly disappeared.

Song Yan's figure slowly rose into the air!

Xiao Ju and Xiao He in the courtyard looked up at Song Yan in the sky, both of them astonished.

Snake Baby's golden vertical pupils widened: "Wow..."

At first, his flight was somewhat sluggish and unfamiliar, and his ascent was relatively slow. He was only about ten feet off the ground, which was even slower than when he used the Lingyun Intent Body Technique to leap across the ground during his Qi Refining period.

This is quite normal. When cultivators first enter the Foundation Establishment stage and are just trying out the art of flying, they generally go through a stumbling and awkward adaptation period.

But he quickly grasped the key points, and flying through the air became natural.

Song Yan hovered in mid-air, feeling the breeze ruffling his hair, looking down at the familiar cave dwellings and bamboo forest valleys below, a smile he could hardly hide on his lips.

Flying alone would be too selfish.

You can also try the ordinary method of flying on a sword.

Song Yan's mind stirred again, and the Unmoored Boat transformed into a black and white stream of light that appeared beneath his feet.

“Come up.” He reached out his hand to the person and snake below.

Without hesitation, Xiao Ju lightly touched the ground and awkwardly rose into the air.

She is only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining and cannot fly alone, but with the guidance and protection of Song Yan's Foundation Establishment Qi, she easily landed on the unmoored boat and stood in front of Song Yan.

Xiao He then darted directly into the Taoist robe, swimming around and peeking her head out from the collar.

"Hurry up?"

"Eee-ya-ha!"

The flying sword soared into the air, and Xiao He's scream was instantly swallowed by the sound of the wind.

A sword's cry pierces the sky!

The black and white spiritual light of the unmoored boat shone brightly, carrying the two people and the snake, transforming into a sword rainbow that soared straight into the sky!
Flying on a sword is completely different from using flying artifacts like the Red Dust Fighter in the past.

Those are ultimately just external objects; there will always be a barrier between the flow of emotions and intentions.

At this moment, man and sword are in perfect harmony, their minds are in sync, and the flow of sword energy is the direction of their will!
Soaring straight up into the sea of ​​clouds, swooping down over the treetops, and darting swiftly through the precipitous peaks, it moves with complete freedom and ease!

The wind whistled in my ears, and the clouds rolled past me.

At first, Xiao Ju nervously closed her eyes and clung tightly to Song Yan's Taoist robe, feeling the speed and freedom. Slowly, she opened her eyes wide, her face flushed, and she was filled with pure shock and excitement.

Snake Baby excitedly shouted and yelled in the air, its golden vertical pupils looking down at the rapidly changing earth and mountains. It had never felt that the sky was so close and the world was so small!

The sword energy was abundant, and the energy required to sustain this flight was minimal.

The two people and the snake circled, swooped, stopped abruptly, and flipped in the blue sky, having a great time. Their crisp laughter and the snake's exclamations echoed between the blue sky and the flowing clouds.

After a good half-day, the group finally returned to their cave dwelling, having thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Xiao Ju and Xiao He were still immersed in the excitement of their recent adventure, their faces flushed and full of lingering enjoyment.

They chattered away as they returned to their cave.

Song Yan remained in the bamboo grove courtyard.

After a short period of rest and recovery, he recalled the sword escape technique called "Wandering in the Void" from the Sword Control Immortal Technique.

This method is completely different from ordinary flying techniques; it involves becoming one with the sword and transforming the body into a stream of light.

The swordsman praised him, saying, "His body is like flowing light, faster than lightning. Wherever his mind goes, his will goes, he can travel a thousand miles in an instant. This is called 'roaming the vast void'."

Perhaps this sword-based escape technique is the true means by which the cultivators of the Sword Sect roam freely across the world and move freely without fear of loss.

In an instant, the essence of this escape technique flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

This method requires the natal flying sword to be integrated with the body, and the divine sense to drive the sword energy to merge into the void, so that the body moves with the sword and travels hundreds of miles in an instant.

Rather than "riding a sword," it's more accurate to say that one transforms into a beam of light, traversing the heavens and earth.

This method has many profound and subtle aspects.

Firstly, it is fast. It eliminates the physical burden of flying swords and other weapons. Wherever the mind goes, the sword energy points, and the body arrives instantly.

Not only is its speed far beyond that of ordinary escape light, but it is also extremely agile.

With a thought, within a small space, they moved and dodged with lightning speed, their agility far surpassing that of ordinary flying with objects.

If used in a life-or-death struggle where everything changes in an instant, this technique is enough to catch the opponent off guard. It is extremely convenient for chasing down enemies to seize the initiative, or for escaping danger and avoiding death.

Another point is the flow of Qi.

Transforming into sword light and merging with the energy of heaven and earth, the trajectory of flight becomes unpredictable and difficult to be completely locked by the divine sense of cultivators of the same level.

However, this method is not without its drawbacks and problems that cannot be ignored.

The most obvious effect is the enormous consumption of sword energy.

Compared to ordinary flying by objects or flying directly in the air, the energy consumption is several times higher.

(End of this chapter)