I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

The excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart by invisible tribulation lightning nearly caused him to lose consciousness. The monstrous maw of the black dragon before him, radiating an aura of annihilation, rapidly enlarged, and the shadow of death had never been so clear. Yet, under this extreme pain and oppression, Li Bai's "Red Dust Sword Heart," which had just undergone the tempering of his inner demons and was now clear and perfect, remained as steadfast as a rock in a storm, radiating a gentle yet resolute light. Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, the projection of the blue lotus and the small lotus-heart sword no longer swayed but remained firmly in place. All the pain, weakness, and fear seemed to be filtered and settled by this perfect state of mind. He slowly raised his head, and on his face, bleeding from his seven orifices, his eyes shone with a terrifying light, containing not despair but only a calm and resolute determination akin to martyrdom. His hand gripping the sword, veins bulging, remained as steady as a rock. The remaining, faint internal energy began to flow and converge in an unprecedented rhythm towards the sword, towards his dantian, and towards the perfect "heart" deep within his sea of ​​consciousness. The next sword strike will be the ultimate manifestation of his two lifetimes, all his insights and perseverance.

The eighth tribulation lightning bolt, formless and intangible, was like countless red-hot needles, relentlessly piercing and churning his sea of ​​consciousness. It was an indescribable torment, as if his soul were being ground on a millstone, every inch of his consciousness screaming and disintegrating. Large swaths of darkness began to appear at the edges of his vision, his hearing became distant and blurred, only the endless tearing sensation within his skull was undeniably real. The blood flowing from his seven orifices was no longer bright red, but tinged with faint golden light—a sign that his soul's origin was being damaged and beginning to dissipate. The bronze divine tree platform beneath his feet trembled violently, the cracks at its edges groaning under the weight, and rubble tumbled into the abyss. The air was filled with the smells of burnt flesh, blood, and a nauseating, decaying stench originating from the soul level.

Above them, the destructive lightning dragon, formed entirely from pitch-black lightning, was already within reach!

The dragon's head was ferocious, every scale clearly visible, swirling with crimson, ice blue, cyan, earthy yellow, silver white, deep purple... all the residual elemental power from the first eight tribulation lightning strikes was now compressed and fused into the purest destructive black lightning. Its eyes, like two bottomless black holes, were fixed on Li Bai. The dragon's mouth opened wide, silent, yet possessing a suction force capable of devouring everything; the rubble, dust, and even the sparse spiritual energy floating in the air on the platform were frantically sucked into the pitch-black maw. The will of destruction, like tangible ice water, poured over Li Bai's mangled body and trembling sea of ​​consciousness, causing his already collapsing body to groan in agony.

A matter of life and death!

A truly hopeless situation with no room for maneuver.

The soul is being torn apart, the body is disintegrating, and destruction is imminent.

But at this moment, Li Bai's heart was at unprecedented peace.

It was an absolute clarity that came after stripping away all distractions, fears, and calculations of gain and loss. The two illusions of "perfection" he experienced during his inner demon tribulation—his ordinary life with Yang Xiaohuan in the modern world and his absolute power with Yang Yuhuan in the ancient world—were like two mirrors, reflecting his deepest desires and fears. They also allowed him to see clearly the "Tao" he truly sought, which was not to indulge in any single kind of "perfection."

His path exists within the mortal world, yet transcends any fixed form of mortal existence.

It's about protecting, not possessing.

It's about experiencing, not indulging.

It is the persistence of doing what is known to be impossible, the unwavering commitment despite hardships, and the compassion of loving one person while pitying all living beings.

This is his "Sword Heart in the Mortal World".

Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, a blue lotus swayed, and the small sword within its heart hummed. The perfected sword heart acted as a stable fulcrum, forcefully anchoring his crumbling soul. The tearing sensation from the formless, intangible tribulation lightning still lingered, but it could no longer shake his fundamental will. The pain remained, but it became a whetstone for tempering his will.

He loosened his grip on the sword hilt.

It's not giving up, but rather another form of "holding hands".

With fingers spread, the palm rested lightly on the hilt of the Azure Lotus Sword. The remaining, faint, flickering internal energy, like a candle in the wind, no longer attempted to repair the body or resist the pain. Instead, it flowed smoothly and naturally along the arm and into the sword.

The Azure Lotus Sword emitted a clear and melodious sword cry.

No longer the sharp, resounding roar of the previous tribulation lightning, but a deep, resonant hum, seemingly echoing the heavens and earth. The charred marks on the sword began to peel away, revealing a warm, jade-like blue blade beneath, the naturally formed lotus patterns on which seemed to come alive, slowly flowing. At the tip of the sword, a faint yet incredibly pure light shone. That light was not gold or silver, but rather possessed a strange, chaotic hue encompassing all aspects of human life—the warmth of everyday life, the verdant green of mountains and forests, the vastness of rivers, the tenderness of love, the sorrow of parting, the solitary pride of steadfastness…

Li Bai closed his eyes.

He no longer looked at the destructive lightning dragon that was so close at hand, nor did he pay any attention to the divine soul tribulation lightning raging in his sea of ​​consciousness.

His entire spirit, will, perceptions, and even all the memories and emotions from his two lifetimes merged completely with the Azure Lotus Sword, following the faint power of the elixir.

Man is sword, sword is man.

No, at this moment, there is no distinction between us.

He is the "Sword of the Mortal World" that has been tempered by the mortal world and whose will is perfected.

There are no specific sword moves, no complicated sword techniques.

All the exquisite sword techniques recorded in the "Red Dust Sword Manual" have now been transformed into the most basic and fundamental "intention".

He slowly raised his hand, which was resting on the sword guard.

The movements were slow, so slow that time seemed to stand still. As his arm rose, pale golden blood seeped again from the open wound beneath his skin, and his bones creaked under the strain. But his hand remained steady, without the slightest tremor.

As he raised his hand, the Azure Lotus Sword, which was stuck in the platform, silently floated up, its tip pointing diagonally upwards, directly at the descending Thunder Dragon of Destruction.

The chaotic light on the sword suddenly spread out.

There was no earth-shattering burst of momentum, no dazzling sword light soaring into the sky.

It was just a faint, light sword shadow, seemingly composed of countless tiny specks of light, that detached from the Azure Lotus Sword and met the sky-covering, pitch-black thunder dragon.

This sword shadow is the embodiment of all of Li Bai's current understanding and insights.

——**A Sword in the Mortal World**.

Amidst the swordplay, one can almost see the sweltering summer night in Chengdu in 2003, the deep sorrow and helplessness hidden in Yang Xiaohuan's eyes as she turned away; one can almost see the pure and beautiful smile of fifteen-year-old Yang Yuhuan as she turned back in the bright spring sunshine of Chengdu; one can almost see the warm light and simple meals in that rented room during the tribulation of inner demons; one can almost see the splendor and loneliness of the palace under the moon; one can almost see the suffering of all living beings amidst war and displacement; one can almost see the ancient and mysterious Shu Mountain Secret Realm; one can almost see one's own two lifetimes, from cowardice to resilience, from powerlessness to pursuit, from confusion to enlightenment...

Love, infatuation, longing, regret, sorrow, compassion, perseverance, and commitment... all the flavors of life and the vastness of the mortal world are contained within this one sword.

It is not sharp, but incredibly heavy, bearing the full weight and color of a person's soul across two lifetimes.

It wasn't fast, but it seemed to transcend the constraints of time, drifting upwards in a manner that appeared slow but was actually unstoppable.

The Thunder Dragon swooped down at incredible speed, the resulting wind pressure scraping away a thick layer from the platform's surface. Its pitch-black maw gaped open, revealing a swirling, all-consuming vortex of darkness within.

And that light, chaotic red dust sword shadow silently drifted into the dark dragon's mouth.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

The anticipated massive explosion did not occur.

The anticipated energy offset did not occur.

There wasn't even a sound.

The ferocious, roaring, and overwhelmingly powerful destructive thunder dragon suddenly stiffened the instant the mortal sword shadow entered its mouth. The destructive flames burning in its eyes flickered and swayed violently, as if doused with cold water. The various colored lightning bolts flowing across the dragon's body seemed to encounter some incomprehensible and irresistible assimilative force, beginning to become chaotic and dim.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The jet-black thunder dragon's body, entirely composed of destructive lightning, began to melt and fade silently, starting from its mouth, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. It wasn't an explosive dissipation, but a more fundamental, natural dissipation, as if "understood" and "encompassed." Crimson fire, icy ice, fierce winds, thick earth, sharp metal, purple heaven… various attributes of lightning were stripped from the dragon's body, no longer violent destructive energy, but transformed into the purest, most primal points of spiritual energy, shimmering with soft light and drifting in the air.

The dragon's body rapidly dissipated, from a hundred feet to tens of feet, then to several feet... In the end, only wisps of pure black lightning remained, which also merged into the scattered spiritual energy specks.

The wisp of crimson sword shadow that had entered the dragon's mouth remained suspended in mid-air after the thunder dragon completely dissipated, only its color had become paler, almost transparent. It trembled slightly, then transformed into countless finer specks of light, as if possessing life. Some of these specks fell downwards, merging into Li Bai's battered body, while others flowed upwards, entering Li Bai's sea of ​​consciousness, where blood was flowing from his seven orifices and he was enduring an invisible tearing apart.

The moment these specks of light merged into his body, Li Bai felt a jolt.

The relentless, tearing pain originating from the tribulation lightning of the soul was instantly soothed, as if gently stroked by a warm hand. The invisible tribulation lightning power raging in the sea of ​​consciousness encountered the sword intent light containing all of Li Bai's worldly insights. It was as if it had encountered its natural enemy, or as if it had found its home. It ceased its violent attack and was gently enveloped, soothed, and ultimately assimilated by the sword intent, becoming nourishment for the soul.

The eighth divine soul tribulation lightning strike is broken!

"boom--!"

It wasn't an explosion, but the sound of some invisible barrier being broken.

In the sky, the suffocatingly dark thunderclouds that had shrouded the area for who knows how long began to dissipate at a visible speed. They weren't blown away by the wind, but rather contracted and faded like the receding tide, eventually disappearing completely, revealing the eternal, unchanging dome above the secret realm, seemingly studded with starlight and jewels. Only now, that dome seemed brighter than before, and the starlight even more dazzling.

The oppressive aura receded like a tide.

The deathly silence was broken.

Instead, an indescribable, vibrant "humming" sound emanated from the bronze divine tree beneath their feet, from the surrounding secret realm void, and from every inch of air.

Immediately afterwards, a massive amount of pure and refined spiritual energy from heaven and earth, mixed with the pure energy remaining after the nine tribulation lightning bolts were broken and purified by the "Red Dust Sword," surged wildly from all directions like a torrent that had found its home, converging on the center of the platform around the figure who still maintained the posture of closing his eyes and leaning on his sword.

The spiritual energy was so dense that it was almost liquid, shimmering with a seven-colored luster, enveloping Li Bai and forming a huge, slowly rotating vortex of spiritual energy.

"Well……"

Li Bai let out an unconscious groan.

It's not pain, but an ultimate sense of comfort and fulfillment.

The spiritual energy and power surging into his body were gentle yet boundless, like the finest nectar, washing over his riddled meridians, nourishing his nearly depleted dantian, and repairing his mangled body. The cracks in his skin healed, scabbed over, and fell away at a visible speed, revealing newly grown, smooth, jade-like skin beneath, faintly shimmering with a precious light. The broken bones made a crisp sound as they snapped back together, and his internal organs, scorched by lightning, were enveloped and repaired by the warm energy. The remaining blood stasis and impurities within his body were forced out of his pores by the powerful force of regeneration, dissipating as wisps of black mist.

But this is just the beginning.

More spiritual energy and power, like rivers flowing into the sea, surged wildly into his dantian.

Within the dantian, the pale golden Azure Lotus Sword Core, which had undergone tempering by inner demons, resonated completely with the Azure Lotus Sword, and endured the baptism of nine lightning tribulations, was now undergoing a tremendous transformation.

The sword core was originally a pale gold color, with its surface shimmering and shifting. The phantom of the lotus heart sword appeared and disappeared intermittently, and it was in a critical state of being about to be completed.

At this moment, under the infusion of a massive amount of pure energy, the sword core suddenly trembled!

Om-!

A clear, resonant sound, seemingly emanating from the depths of Li Bai's soul, rang out, a sound only he could hear.

The radiance on the surface of the sword core suddenly receded, no longer radiating light outwards, but becoming warm and serene, like the finest mutton-fat jade. Its color also transformed from pale gold to a deeper, richer dark gold, as if it had accumulated countless years and insights. The sword core's volume didn't increase; in fact, it seemed to have shrunk slightly, but the total amount and quality of spiritual energy contained within it instantly increased more than tenfold!

The lotus pattern, which had originally been just a phantom, was now clearly imprinted on the surface of the golden core, each petal lifelike, as if it were about to bloom at any moment. At the heart of the lotus, the phantom of the small sword completely solidified, transforming into a miniature cyan sword identical to the Azure Lotus Sword outside, steadily hovering in the center of the lotus heart. On the blade of the sword, there were also fine patterns flowing with Daoist charm.

The Azure Lotus Sword Core is now completely stable!

Golden Core Realm achieved!

Just as the golden elixir was completely stabilized, an indescribable enlightenment surged into Li Bai's mind.

His understanding of the "Red Dust Sword Manual" deepened countless times in an instant. Many sword techniques and supernatural abilities that were previously obscure and difficult to comprehend, requiring only rote imitation, now became naturally clear as water flowing into a channel. His sensitivity to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth became incredibly acute. His divine sense spread out like mercury, instantly covering the entire bronze divine tree platform and continuing to extend into the distant void of the secret realm. He "saw" the details of every crack on the platform, "heard" the joyful murmur of the divine tree's branches and leaves nourished by spiritual energy, and "sense" the subtle trajectory of the spiritual energy flowing in the void.

His body felt light and airy, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted, or as if he had formed a deeper connection with the surrounding world. Every gesture seemed to contain an overwhelming and unstoppable power. The sword control technique that previously required him to exert all his inner energy to barely perform could now be executed with just a thought, and sword light would spontaneously arise.

He slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes shone brightly, clear and deep, as if reflecting the myriad phenomena of the galaxy, yet also containing the dust and smoke of the mortal world. The previous weariness, pain, and weakness had vanished. In their place was a full and abundant vitality emanating from within, and a calmness and majesty that naturally flowed forth after experiencing tribulations and achieving the perfection of the Dao.

He looked down at his hand holding the sword.

His palms were as white as jade, with distinct knuckles, and the calluses and scars from previous battles had all disappeared. With a gentle grip, one could feel the surging, boundless internal energy within his body, as well as the warm, calm, yet terrifyingly powerful dark golden core in his dantian.

A thought subtly stirred within me.

The Azure Lotus Sword, sheathed beside him, emitted a cheerful chirp and flew up automatically with a "whoosh," landing in his palm. The sword was cool to the touch, its connection to his mind and spirit incredibly strong, as if it had become an extension of his body. He could even clearly sense the flow of every wisp of spiritual energy within the sword, and feel the nascent, innocent, yet intimate will of the sword spirit.

He stood with his sword in hand, his posture upright like a pine tree.

An invisible pressure emanated from him involuntarily.

This pressure wasn't domineering or fierce; instead, it carried a peculiar sense of contradiction—possessing both the sharpness and transcendence of a sword immortal, and the profound depth and warmth of someone deeply entrenched in the mortal world. It rippled outwards like water, and wherever it passed, the scattered spiritual energy points in the air paused slightly, as if paying homage to this newly ascended Golden Core sword immortal.

Li Bai took a deep breath.

The rich and pure spiritual energy in the secret realm surged into his lungs, bringing an unprecedented sense of freshness and power. He looked up at the deep dome of the secret realm, his gaze seemingly piercing through the barriers of space, seeing those distant, worldly concerns.

The Golden Elixir has been formed, and the Sword Immortal is just beginning to take shape.

But the road ahead is still long.