Primordial Era: Cultivation level equals the sum of the Jie Sect's total; the Three Pure Ones a

And at this very moment, on the edge of the primordial wilderness.

Tongtian finally moved.

He gazed at the void, at the gray figure, sensing the sharpness of the sword in its sheath, and slowly raised his hand.

"Since you've come, fellow Daoist, then take my sword."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sword light suddenly shone from his fingertip.

The sword light was extremely faint, almost imperceptible, yet it contained a profound foundation in swordsmanship accumulated over billions of yuan.

He cultivated the sword for hundreds of millions of yuan, from the Four Swords of Zhuxian to the Sword Heart Clarity, never wavering, never deviating.

This sword strike embodies his unwavering commitment to his billion-dollar business and his steadfast swordsmanship.

As Taixu gazed at the sword light, a faint light flickered deep within his sharp eyes.

He did not draw his sword, but simply stood there, letting the sword light fall three zhang in front of him.

The sword light swept past him like flowing water, leaving no trace.

But Taixu was slightly taken aback.

The sword light contained neither power, nor killing intent, nor laws.

It is a state of mind.

A heart that is steadfast to the extreme.

A sword heart that has never wavered, never deviated, and never hesitated.

Taixu remained silent for a moment.

He gazed at Tongtian, at that lean yet composed face, at those eyes that shone with the light of swords yet remained calm as still water, and a sudden thought stirred within him.

That was exactly what he was missing.

His seclusion cost tens of thousands of yuan and was intended to impact Hunyuan Taiji, but all his efforts were in vain.

He thought it was because he lacked the necessary foundation or because the opportunity had not yet arrived.

But now, after receiving this sword strike, he truly understood the meaning of Xuandu's words.

"Your sword is not pure enough."

"Your sword has been tainted by obsession."

The person before him, though a fifth-level Saint, was far inferior in cultivation to him, yet his sword heart was far purer.

Taixu stood still, silent for a long time.

Outside the South Heavenly Gate in the distance, Haotian sensed the clash of sword intents and his heart skipped a beat.

The force of the collision was not intense; in fact, it could be described as extremely gentle. Yet, within that gentleness lay a Daoist aura that even made this quasi-saint at the peak feel suffocated.

"Are they... having a sword duel?"

Haotian muttered to himself, his voice tinged with disbelief.

He had thought that extremely sharp aura was there to provoke him, but he never expected that the person was actually debating swordsmanship with Tongtian.

And judging from his posture, it seemed like he was there to ask for advice.

Outside the South Heavenly Gate, Haotian stood amidst the clouds and mist, his imperial robes billowing.

His gaze lingered on the edge of the primordial wilderness, remaining fixed for a long time.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice low and deep:

"Pass down the order: all the gods in Heaven, please remain in your positions. There is no need to panic."

"That aura is not from an enemy."

"They are guests from the Jie Sect."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further:

"At least, not yet."

The heavenly soldiers and generals behind them looked at each other, but none of them dared to ask a question.

They simply bowed and kowtowed, responding in unison:

"Your Majesty, we obey."

Deep within the Lingxiao Palace, the five true spirits on the Investiture of the Gods list gradually calmed down.

Taiqing's true spirit sank into silence, Yuanshi's will slowly subsided, and Nuwa remained silent.

The light of the Buddha that guided Jieyin and Zhunti flickered slightly, but ultimately did not cause any further ripples.

Because they all sensed it.

That extremely sharp aura did not come towards the Heavenly Court, nor did it go towards any particular faction.

It simply stopped at the edge of the primordial wilderness, sitting and discussing swordsmanship with Tongtian.

They are debating swordsmanship.

At this multi-million dollar gathering, no one has ever come to discuss martial arts in the primordial world.

An existence far surpassing even a saint actually came all the way here to debate swordsmanship with the Tongtian Sect Leader.

If this news gets out, it will probably shake the entire prehistoric world.

But it really happened.

Haotian slowly turned around and walked towards the Lingxiao Palace.

His steps remained steady, but the solemnity in his eyes lingered for a long time.

He sat on the dragon throne, gazing at the Investiture of the Gods, at the five silent true spirits, and spoke in a low voice, clear and resonant:

"The Jie Sect... is becoming increasingly unfathomable."

"The Tongtian Sect Leader actually challenged a being at the half-step Hunyuan Taiji level to a duel."

"Even though Xuandu has gone to the depths of chaos, he can still bring such beings to the Jie Sect."

"The depth of the Jie Sect's foundation... far exceeds my expectations."

As the sound faded, silence returned to the Lingxiao Palace.

At the edge of the primordial wilderness, the two opposing figures still stood in the void.

The chaotic energy flowed slowly between the two, and the sharp sword intent and the towering sword heart resonated silently.

This duel has only just begun.

Taixu stood on the edge of the primordial world, his sharp eyes flashing with an uncertain light.

He gazed at the towering peak and spoke slowly, his voice carrying a seriousness he had never shown before in the Billionaires Association:

"Tongtian, your sword heart is indeed pure."

"I spent tens of thousands of yuan to go into seclusion and try to master Hunyuan Taiji, but I failed at the last hurdle."

"Xuan Du said that my sword is not pure enough."

"In hindsight, he was right."

"You are at the fifth level of the Saint realm, yet your sword heart is far more perfect than mine."

"You have never wavered in your commitment to this multi-million dollar investment."

Tongtian's gaze fell upon Taixu, and a faint glimmer of light flashed deep within his eyes, which shimmered with sword light:

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I am merely guarding my own sword."

"The billion-yuan club has never deviated from its principles, nor has it ever considered deviating from them."

"If you wish to rediscover that purity, fellow Daoist, you might as well stay here a little longer."

"If we sit down and discuss swordsmanship, we might gain something."

Taixu remained silent for a moment.

He then nodded slightly, a very light movement, yet carrying a solemnity that suggested billions of dollars were about to be relinquished.

"it is good."

Taixu and Tongtian stood facing each other, the chaotic energy surging between them like a tide, yet it separated on its own between the two sword intents, as if even heaven and earth dared not interfere with this sword duel.

Taixu did not speak immediately.

He simply gazed at Tongtian, sensing the essence contained within that sword strike.

At the billion-dollar gathering, he had met countless sword cultivators.

Some people prove their Dao through force, breaking through all laws with a single sword strike.

Some people seek to attain enlightenment quickly, cleaving through the void with a single sword strike.

Some people prove their path by killing, slaughtering all living beings with a single sword.

But he had never seen anyone prove the Way through their heart.

The sword that reaches the heavens is neither fast, nor ruthless, nor domineering.

That sword held only the unwavering resolve of the Billion Yuan Society.

That steadfastness is like an immovable mountain, no matter how strong the wind and rain, the billions of dollars will never waver.

Taixu spoke slowly, his voice carrying a rare hint of seriousness:

"Tongtian, there is something in your sword strike that I have never seen before."

"Is that the heart of a sword? Or the heart of the Dao?"

Tongtian gazed at him, his eyes, which gleamed with sword light, held a depth as calm as still water.

"At the Billion Yuan Gathering, I cultivated the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, but I later realized something."

"Sword formation is a technique, but the sword mind is the way."

"I can live without sword formations, but I cannot live without the heart of a sword."

Taixu was slightly taken aback.

A flickering light shone in the depths of those sharp eyes.

Tongtian's words were like an invisible sword, piercing straight into the deepest part of his heart.

Sword formations are techniques, but the heart of the sword is the way.

This sentence sounds simple, but for Taixu, who has walked the path of the sword his whole life, it was like a thunderbolt exploding in his mind.

He secluded himself for tens of thousands of yuan to try and master Hunyuan Tai Chi, but failed at the last hurdle.

He always thought it was because he lacked the necessary foundation and that the right opportunity had not yet arrived.

But only now did he truly understand that his problem was never about his level of understanding.

He used the sword as a tool, as a key to break through that threshold.

He never truly regarded the sword as his own path.