Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 68 Sword Tomb

After resting quietly in the stone chamber for two days, Su Ye took a medicinal soup made from the poisonous snake gall to neutralize the poison. With the nourishment of Su Yan's internal energy, her qi and blood had recovered, and she could walk steadily without feeling unsteady. Her meridians were also becoming more and more unobstructed due to the nourishment of the spiritual medicine.

As the first light of dawn shone through the stone chamber entrance, the Divine Eagle let out a clear cry, strolled to the stone bed, gently pecked at Su Yan's sleeve with its beak, and then turned to look at the cave entrance, clearly intending to lead the two to a certain place.

Su Yan understood. The Sword Demon was living in seclusion here, and the Sword Family was the core of his martial arts. The Divine Eagle was leading them to the legendary place where the sword was buried.

He immediately helped Su Ye to her feet and followed closely behind the Divine Eagle.

The Divine Eagle strode forward, leading the two out of the stone chamber. They walked through forests and streams, winding down steep cliff paths for almost half an hour before finally arriving at the bottom of a deep, treacherous valley.

The surrounding area is surrounded by towering cliffs and sheer walls that pierce the sky. At the bottom of the valley, there is a large, flat, and open area, facing a sheer cliff that is barren and smooth as a mirror.

The valley floor was utterly silent, surrounded by towering cliffs on all sides. Facing the viewer was a sheer, barren cliff face, its surface devoid of any vegetation. Engraved on the cliff were two large, ancient characters: "Sword Family," written with immense force. Beside them were two lines of smaller text: "The Sword Demon, Dugu Qiubai, having found no equal under heaven, buried his sword here. Alas! All heroes are helpless, the long sword lies useless—is this not a tragedy!"

Despite enduring a century of wind and rain, the calligraphy remains vigorous and powerful, revealing a unique and proud spirit.

On the large blue stone platform below the cliff, four sword families are arranged in order. Each family has a stone box made of blue stone. The boxes are simple and heavy. Su Yan removed the stone lids one by one, revealing the weapons hidden inside. There are no extra clutter in the houses. Only the mountain wind whistles through the valley, revealing the lofty and desolate feeling of the peerless swordsmen.

His gaze slowly swept over the four sword families from right to left, his expression solemn. He was familiar with the legend of the Sword Demon, and with his memories from his previous life, he had a clear understanding of the realm divisions of this holy land of swordsmanship. Even now, being there in person, he could not suppress the excitement in his heart.

"Look at this first sword."

Su Yan raised his hand, gesturing for Su Ye to look towards the swordsman on the far right. Inside the stone box lay a long sword, about four feet long, gleaming with a bluish light, its sharpness intimidating. Even before being drawn, it exuded an invincible sharpness. Two lines of small characters were engraved on the blue stone beneath the sword: "Sharp and fierce, invincible; before reaching adulthood, I used it to contend with the heroes of Hebei."

"This is the sword that Senior Dugu used when he was just over twenty years old. As a young man, he was full of vigor and sought victory by defeating his enemies with his sword, relying on his skills and the overwhelming power of the sword."

Su Ye opened her eyes wide, carefully examining the inscription on the stele, and then looked at the blue-green longsword in the stone box, her eyes full of curiosity.

Su Yan moved to the second spot. There was no longsword in the stone box, only a long stone slab. The words carved on the bluestone under the slab revealed endless regret.

"The Purple Rose Soft Sword was used before the age of thirty. It was used to accidentally injure a righteous man, which was considered an ominous sign. I was filled with remorse and abandoned it in a deep valley."

He sighed softly.

"Having mastered the ultimate techniques of unconventional and ever-changing swordplay, the soft sword is agile, unpredictable, and elusive, winning for the sake of winning."

Further to the left, inside the stone box of the third sword mound, lies a massive, dark sword, over three feet long, with a blunt blade.

The sword tip is rounded and has no sharp edge, yet it weighs over 9981 jin (approximately 44.5 kg). Its entire body gleams with the dark light of black iron, and the stone carvings beneath it exude an imposing aura.

"A heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears effortless. Before the age of forty, I relied on it to roam the world unchallenged."

Su Yan lightly touched the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword with his fingertips and felt a heavy, powerful force rushing towards him.

"This is the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword. The heavy sword has no edge and its great skill is without artifice. It abandons skill and returns to the essence, using strength to overcome skill. Man controls the sword, not the other way around."

On the far left, in the sword mound, lies a rotten wooden sword in a stone box. The blade and hilt are cracked and weathered, and the sword is as light as a feather, seemingly harmless. However, the stone carvings beneath the sword reveal the highest realm of swordsmanship.

"After the age of forty, one is no longer attached to material things; grass, trees, bamboo, and stones can all be swords. From then on, one refines one's skills and gradually progresses to the realm where having no sword is better than having a sword."

Su Yan looked at the wooden sword with admiration in his eyes.

"Senior Dugu's swordsmanship progresses step by step, from seeking victory through the sharpness of a sword, to the unconventional swordsmanship of the soft sword realm, to the swordsmanship of overcoming skill with force in the heavy sword realm, and finally reaching the swordless realm where one is not bound by things and one's mind controls the sword intent. He transcends worldly victory and defeat and becomes one with the Dao. He can be called the first swordsmanship model in the martial arts world throughout history."

Su Ye listened intently, her gaze towards the four swords growing increasingly intense. Although she was still young, she could sense the invincibility and loneliness of that peerless swordsman from the inscriptions on the monument and the shapes of the swords.

Su Yan lowered his head and stroked the inscription inside the stone box, and could actually feel the sharpness of some sword intent.

This makes me think that these are also the four realms of life.

Think of the young people of the past, who were full of vigor and ambition when they first entered the workplace. They took winning performance and gaining the limelight as their only goal, relying entirely on their drive and hard work, and taking external recognition and the support of their positions as their only source of confidence.

Older, seasoned veterans, like those wielding a soft sword, have mastered the rules of the workplace, learned to maneuver and leverage their connections to overcome numerous difficulties. However, they often lose sight of their original intentions and compromise their principles in the process of scheming.

Those who have matured through trials are like those who wield heavy swords, shedding their impetuosity and abandoning shortcuts, cultivating their core competencies, and establishing themselves with composure and depth, without getting entangled in empty fame and petty gains; the truly insightful wise reach the state of having no sword, breaking free from the shackles of external things and worldly judgments, and cultivating themselves inward.

Su Yan walked to the gleaming sword, raised his hand to grasp the hilt, and gently pulled the longsword out of the stone box.

The moment the sword was drawn, a chilling light rushed towards you. Its sharpness far surpassed that of Su Yan's Qingfeng Sword. The sword was light and easy to handle, making it an extremely rare and precious sword.

"This sword is sharp and fierce, which is just right for your swordsmanship style. It is a hundred times stronger than the ordinary swords you used before."

Su Yan handed the gleaming green sword to Su Ye, his tone resolute.

Su Ye was stunned for a moment, staring at the cold, gleaming blue sword before her. She then looked up at Su Yan, her eyes filled with disbelief, which quickly turned into deep joy. She took the sword with both hands, her fingertips touching the cool hilt, feeling the perfect weight and sharpness of the blade, her heart filled with delight.

Su Yan glanced at the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword in the stone box beside him and pondered to himself.

This sword weighs eighty-one jin (approximately 40 kg), and it is difficult for anyone but someone with superhuman strength to wield it. The swordsmanship I have learned focuses on agility and subtlety, and although I have a lot of internal energy, it is not suitable for heavy sword techniques.

Only someone with superhuman strength like Wang Xingyi, or a genius like Yang Guo who will appear in the world in the future, is worthy of using this Xuan Tie Heavy Sword. For now, there is no need to change weapons; leaving it in the Sword Family's stone box is the best course of action.

Su Ye gripped the cyan sword tightly and tried to swing it gently. With a flick of his wrist, a sharp sword aura burst forth, several times stronger than when he used an ordinary sword, and the sword movement became smoother.

"Thank you, Brother Yan. I will definitely study hard and never let this sword down."

After saying that, she couldn't help but swing her sword again. Amidst the flowing blue light, the sword shadow danced, and her small figure paired with the sharp longsword gave her a bit of the heroic spirit of a swordsman.

The eagle looked up from the side, letting out a high-pitched cry, as if it saw the shadows of old friends in them and was overjoyed.