Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 169 Clarity Like a Mirror, the Ultimate Meaning of the Sword

Midday on the moon.

East Courtyard of Mingxin Hall.

Lu Wubing sat on the flower bed, with his sword as a pillow on his knees, cross-legged and with his eyes closed.

There was silence.

The joyful noise coming from all directions inside the hall seemed to be separated by an invisible force when it reached the east courtyard.

In an instant, all the servants were plunged into the deepest dream.

The grass and trees were still, silent and still.

"boom……"

Hear thunder in a silent place.

Lu Wubing completely released the suppression of the Yuanling Sword Intent deep within his sea of ​​consciousness.

A surge of overwhelming, violent emotion, like a volcanic eruption, rushed straight to the top of his head, bursting out three feet, transforming into turbulent waves that surged in all directions.

Within a radius of three zhang around him, a scorching and chaotic aura boiled and roared.

In the reflection of his mind, the world seemed to change color.

As this energy fluctuation appeared, countless mosquitoes and moths flying in mid-air, as well as ants and earthworms several feet underground, instantly emitted mournful cries that were inaudible to ordinary people.

His body was limp and withered; he died silently.

[Such domineering emotional fluctuations! In terms of extreme ferocity, they go further and faster than the Subduing Dragon Sword Intent.]

Lu Wubing exclaimed inwardly.

This time, he truly understood what this emotional fluctuation transformed from the primordial spirit's will was.

On the surface, it's the uncontrollable seven emotions and six desires.

In fact, this fluctuation is inherently sword intent.

I wonder what the person who made this achievement was thinking?

This will only endlessly increases the power of the attack, regardless of anything else, as if it were using its own body as a container to nurture something terrifying.

I never even considered whether the human body is truly under my control.
Will it completely collapse?

Could it be that he intends to destroy himself first, then all living things... and finally, the world?

If that's truly the intention, Lu Wubing couldn't imagine what kind of person created this sword.

Perhaps this world has enormous problems... and many traditions don't belong here at all.

Just like the [Ten Directions Seal].

Another example is the Yuanling Sword Manual, which is passed down in my family.

The former technique is divine and holy, seemingly involving the operation of the world's fundamental rules.

The latter, like a demon or monster, actually carries the meaning of destroying and annihilating everything.

This thought crossed Lu Wubing's mind.

Then he understood why, even with his rapid growth, he still couldn't outpace the destructive power amplification speed of the [Primal Spirit Sword Manual].

Because this thing is rooted in flesh and blood, deep in the soul.

The stronger the flesh and blood, the stronger the desires.

The more one's soul and spiritual power transforms, the stronger the Yuanling Sword Intent becomes.

It seems to involve the power of the mind, a subtle influence that gradually transforms a person's emotions and desires from fiery passion to apathy and indifference.

Ultimately, it will turn the cultivator into a demon who only knows how to kill and has no self.

This is a struggle of the mind; if one can maintain one's true self and remain true to oneself, one will not be harmed.

If one's true nature wavers, and one substitutes their own heart for that of another, then even if one is still alive, one is already dead.

In my past life, I experienced all sorts of changes in the world, as well as mental anguish. I also experienced the helplessness and pain of wanting things but not getting them, and finally having to accept my fate.

Lu Wubing understood perfectly.

Swept up in the ever-flowing currents of the world, one's true nature has been changing ever since birth.

Nothing is permanent.

Including every cell in one's body, from division to old age and death; including every memory, everything from the past, which has long since lost its original form over the years.

Even those people or things that we thought we would always cherish, when we look back, have faded into the past and are no longer remembered.

The only constant is change itself.

Amidst change, let us rediscover that initial spark of humanity.

I am who I am, change is me, missing opportunities is me. What difference is there between who I am today and who I will be tomorrow? No matter how much everything changes, I am who I am...

Lu Wubing sat upright in the flower bed, a thought flashed through his mind, and his mind shone brightly.

My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; all my deeds are righteous!

After truly understanding this sentence, he suddenly felt that all the internal turmoil, worries, and confusion deep in his heart had vanished without a trace.

Deep within his consciousness, the sharp horn that had previously grown wildly gradually withered and disappeared, shrinking back into itself.

His eyes became incredibly bright at that moment, like the brightest morning star in the night sky.

Opening my eyes, the entire east courtyard seemed to have two bright moons, bathed in a layer of silver light.

The moths and mosquitoes that fell to the ground regained their vitality and buzzed and fluttered about, seemingly unaware that they had already died once before.

Even the ants and earthworms deep underground, bewildered, begin to pupate again, toiling diligently in a realm unseen by the world...

When I closed my eyes, it seemed as if countless dark shadows were flying wildly, roaring and howling in the pitch-black courtyard.

An ominous atmosphere filled the air once again.

[A single thought can lead to Buddhahood, a single thought to demonhood. In truth, there is no such thing as Buddha or demon; it's merely a matter of indulgence and restraint.]

Lu Wubing smiled, and all the sinister and eerie auras were absorbed into his body.

His spirit soared to new heights, and the torrent of emotions in his mind transformed into unparalleled sharpness, breaking through the bottleneck with a thunderous roar, and his sword intent materialized from nothingness.

Clang…

Unsheath the sword.

Lu Wubing thrust out his sword diagonally.

The sword energy penetrates three feet, but the sword intent extends ten feet.

The originally ethereal and transparent sword intent, at this moment, seemed to have absorbed unknown energy from the void and instantly transformed into substance.

A clear, gleaming longsword lay across the east courtyard.

The air hissed wherever it passed.

A sword was swung out.

The sword intent circled around the house, slicing through trees and artificial hills, sweeping over pavilions and towers, and cutting away a layer of dust from the surface of all the buildings in the east courtyard.

It does not harm any living beings in the world, and it can slay all kinds of evil spirits.

This sword intent exists both in the mind and in reality.

He can appear or disappear at will, vanquish evil and eliminate wickedness, slay demons and monsters, and achieve anything he desires.

This is only the second level of sword intent, the Yang Realm.

From illusion to reality, guided by the mind and mediated by the spirit, the spirit is completely integrated into the sword energy, interfering with the creation of the mortal world.

When swordsmanship reaches this level, it transcends the limitations of ordinary sword skills and achieves a state where "if I want to, I can do it."

No wonder, no matter how talented a martial artist is below the Innate Realm, they can at most withstand a master of the early stage of the Yin Void Realm.

Faced with the sword intent of the mid-stage Yang Realm of the Innate Realm, one can only retreat, unable to withstand even a single move. This is the reason why.

When dreams become reality, no matter how strong one's blood and qi or the power of one's spiritual energy cultivation, it cannot surpass the power of "my thinking".

The most powerful aspect of this idealistic power is that its depth and breadth have absolutely no upper limit. It truly allows one to achieve as much swordsmanship as one's mind.

Thinking about this, Lu Wubing understood his own Tianxing Sect's headmaster even better.

When Ouyang Zheng saw that Bi Fenkong of the Ziyang Sect had reached the mid-stage of the Innate Realm and used the [Six Yang Burning Void] technique to burn the entire mountain forest to ashes, how desperate must Ouyang Zheng have felt?

Have you ever worked hard your whole life, only to end up not being able to beat someone even with a single finger?
[I only hope he doesn't take the path of seeking quick success and instant benefits, and that he can suppress the evil intent of his primordial spirit—if he can, then keep it suppressed.]

Lu Wubing actually had confidence in his master's perseverance.

If he were truly in danger of his entire family being wiped out, and had no other choice, he might disregard everything and forcefully continue cultivating, killing enemies and devouring spirits.

However, if he can temporarily keep the sect stable and his family safe, he might forcibly suppress his desires.

Even if I'm suffering every day, I won't indulge myself.

This can be seen from Ouyang Zheng's past cultivation progress.

He didn't take the risks that I did.

Of course, it was also because he couldn't see the road ahead, he didn't have his own confirmation of what lay ahead, and he didn't understand the essence of this Yuanling sword intent.

The reason why Lu Wubing dared to recklessly practice the Yuanling Sword Manual was to improve his spiritual cultivation and sword intent level as quickly as possible.

It was because he was certain that his cultivation speed of "Heaven Rewards Diligence" would allow his sword intent level to consistently suppress the level of this "Primordial Spirit Sword Intent".

The essence of the Eight Swords of Subduing Dragon is control, to eliminate and destroy all external evil wills.

The Yuanling Sword Intent, on the other hand, is destructive.

Break down the barrier between mind and reality, and destroy everything.

This sword intent is utterly lawless, self-centered, harming both itself and others, like a world-destroying demonic dragon.

The Eight Swords of Subduing Dragon can just be used to subdue this demonic dragon and turn it into our own.

Of the Eight Swords of Subduing Dragon today, only three have cultivated sword intent, and only one, the [Flowing Light Sword Style], has refined [Yin Deficiency] into [Yang Substance].

This level of sword intent is generally sufficient to deal with the enemies before us. However, to deal with the [Primordial Spirit Sword Intent] hidden deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, it can only transform into an iron chain to lock up the demonic dragon.

It cannot be completely suppressed.

Next, if one wants to truly contend with this Yuanling Sword Intent that is constantly devouring spirits and souls and growing wildly, one must master all eight swords of the Subduing Dragon to the ultimate level.

The ultimate sword intent leaves a mark in the void.

Only when one reaches the late stage of innate sword intent, the ultimate state of mind and sword, can one attempt to transform the seven emotions and six desires and begin to dissolve and utilize that evil intent.

Transform the seven emotions and melt the six desires, then transform them into an extreme emotion, moving from chaos to order.

In this way, one can pass through the first stage without worrying about the Yuanling Sword Intent affecting one's mind, and truly be able to utilize this evil sword intent to reach a higher realm.

"what!"

I have just decided on my cultivation path.

As Lu Wubing felt a slight sense of relief, before the joy could spread throughout his body, he suddenly remembered something.

Back then, my grandfather Lu Chengyun, in his prime, made a name for himself as the Sword Master of the Southern Sky. He immediately abandoned his sword and went into seclusion to focus on opening a medical clinic and treating the sick and saving lives. Did he also foresee this path ahead?
That's probably the reason.

He must have taken compassion as his ultimate goal, transforming all his emotions, desires, and crazy thoughts into compassion.

Dedicated to helping the world's poor, weak, sick, and vulnerable.

As a result, compassion clashes with madness and evil.

In the end, the East Wind prevailed over the West Wind, turning this evil primordial spirit into its own, leaving only a single thought.

Otherwise, with such skills, why would he do nothing but stay in Jiangzhou for decades treating patients and saving lives? That doesn't make sense.

If one is born a saint who is excessively kind, that's fine.

But Lu Wubing had read his grandfather Lu Chengfeng's diary and knew that he was not that kind of person.

Especially when I was a monk at Dafan Temple, I was constantly chanting scriptures and practicing asceticism, which made me restless and unable to calm my mind.

Finally, he secretly made a deal with the terrifying evil spirits under the Demon-Subduing Tower. After a battle of wits and courage, he obtained the [Primal Spirit Sword Manual].

Furthermore, it caused the death of that extraterrestrial demon.

No matter how you look at it, this behavior doesn't suggest someone who is high-class or sophisticated.

Even though I don't want to speak ill of my grandfather out of respect for his elders, I'd like to avoid mentioning his mistakes.

Lu Wubing also felt from the bottom of his heart that his grandfather, Lu Chengyun, was actually somewhat unscrupulous.

The extraterrestrial demons that could suppress the Demon-Subduing Pagoda of the Patriarch of Dafan Temple must have been incredibly powerful.

Stories usually describe it this way: after crossing the boundary, this terrifying alien creature becomes incredibly weak, losing almost all of its abilities.

Then, they were trapped by the local natives, who sealed off their vital energy and cut off all possibilities of recovery.

Even so, it's still impossible to kill this thing.

Only time can slowly wear down and destroy the extraterrestrial demons.

Then the problem is coming.

What was stolen was just a sword manual.

Or is it the evil spirit from outer space itself?

Did the extraterrestrial demon die or not?
Upon realizing this, Lu Wubing was startled and horrified.

His current cultivation level is only at the sword intent level, having reached the second step, and he is about to cross the threshold of the third step of cultivation.

There is absolutely no understanding of anything beyond the innate.

Of course, it's not very clear whether there are any other pitfalls in this Yuanling Sword Manual besides the pitfall of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires.

In any case, my grandfather, Lu Chengyun, suppressed the evil spirit for thirty or forty years with his compassionate heart that heals the sick and saves people.

Even in his final years, he could only hide in the family temple, quietly striking the wooden fish, not daring to get too involved in the secular world.

Ultimately, it was suppressed.

What does it prove?

This proves that this behavior is useful.

It's useful, but not very useful.

From Lu Wubing's current perspective, he probably thought his grandfather had overestimated him. He went to extremes with the opposite emotion, wanting to completely eliminate this evil intention.

He fought against it for most of his life, but in the end he fell into confusion and could not resist it.

I can't just watch this pit fall into it myself.

If instead of outright confrontation, we aim to adapt and utilize the technology, employing a similar but fundamentally different approach, wouldn't we be able to sustain the conflict for longer and better adapt it for our own use?
The more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

Lu Wubing silently pondered, and once again unleashed the [Flowing Light Sword Style], the bright light within the sword gradually taking on an ominous hue.

With a single thrust of the sword, grass and trees turned to ash.

"With this sword, I can slay demons and monsters, help those in distress, uphold justice, and even recreate the universe."

"kill!"

Lu Wubing's mind was made up.

An overwhelming killing intent rose in the courtyard, causing ripples in the air as it swept across the entire Mingxin Hall and then across the surrounding streets.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and necks, and a sense of vigilance rose in their hearts. They couldn't help but start to think about whether they had done something wrong or offended someone. It was as if a great disaster was about to befall them.

"This sword technique requires a lot of practice. Without a year or two of practice, one cannot master its full potential."

Lu Wubing sighed inwardly, feeling a warm glow in his heart. A guiding light had been lit, and all his confusion vanished.

He discovered that when he decided to use the killing sword as his path and walk to the extreme of death, the faint oppressive feeling emanating from the evil primordial spirit in his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly lightened, as if it no longer existed.

He knew in his heart that this was the right path.

The ultimate form of death that one controls is fundamentally different from the destruction of all things that is influenced by others.

Although they appear to be of the same nature.

However, his own [Ultimate] innate sword intent can be reborn from death.

With boundless vitality within, this step is easy to take.

Just like removing the fuel from under the pot, it's about taking it away little by little and transforming it.

No more harm to the divine will or the body.

As for the results, we'll have to wait and see.

……

In the central hall of Mingxin Hall, the night was deep, and no one was sleepy.

Gathering the goods and filing them into the warehouse—these miscellaneous tasks didn't require Cheng Liangyu, Lin Wenjing, or the others to worry about.

They were somewhat apprehensive about how to proceed.

The news from the prefectural governor's office has been confirmed.

Before they could storm the Moon Shadow Hall, Li Yuanzhong, a top-tier martial arts expert who served Governor Cui, was killed on the spot.

Also killed with him was Jie Yuantong, the Commander-in-Chief of the Jinghai Division and the City Commandant. This man was a second-rank cultivator, skilled in using the crescent blade, and extremely adept at military strategy.

Cao Jiang, the commander who led 500 elite soldiers to ambush Mingxin Hall, was one of his capable generals.

News came that Li Yuanzhong and Xie Yuantong died a gruesome death at the hands of Lu Wubing, and that Prefect Cui was so terrified that he soiled himself and lost all his civility.

At this time, Prefect Cui Ning had already returned to his residence.

I heard that they are mobilizing their elite troops and recalling experts from all over to surround their residence.

Meanwhile, the mansion was brightly lit, and it was unclear what they were discussing.

Has he truly given in and resigned himself to his fate?

Or do they want to take a risk, coordinate from the inside and outside, and fight another battle?
The people in Mingxintang were also a little nervous.

After all, Cui Ning ultimately represented the imperial court.

If they were to turn against each other, they were not yet ready to raise an army in rebellion and truly confront the Great Li Dynasty.

When a wave of light emanated from the east courtyard, making it difficult for everyone to catch their breath, Cheng Liangyu and the others rushed out of the courtyard and quietly looked towards the east. In the darkness, a beam of light suddenly appeared, crisscrossing back and forth, and their hearts were immediately at ease.

Regardless of what choice the prefect makes.

In fact, things were destined long ago.

The sheer power of this aura was so overwhelming that even across ten acres of land, it sent chills down the spines of all thirty-odd people present. Such power was simply beyond comprehension.

Clearly, the young sect leader Lu Wubing has made another step forward in his cultivation and strength.

Even if it were Jie Yuantong's elder brother, and he sent a whole team of experts to cause trouble, he would probably be in deep trouble.

After all, they were a maritime gang, with a large and powerful force that no one could match.

In reality, there aren't that many truly top-tier experts.

The imperial court has no control over Donghai County, and since it did not send any experts before, it will not do so now.

Otherwise, the infiltration of the Dongyi ronin would not have been so severe.

As long as we don't actually raise the flag and maintain a superficial calm, there shouldn't be many problems.

But it's the Zhu family's place.

As one of the twelve great families in the world, no one can say for sure how strong its foundation is, so we must be wary.

We need to inquire about it carefully.

..........................................

Writing about skill practice is difficult; it needs to be logical and insightful—that's incredibly hard. That's all for today, more tomorrow. How about some votes to encourage me?

(End of this chapter)