A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting as a Sword-Forging Servant and Ascending to Immorta

Zhou Lingxuan saw his reaction but didn't urge him. He pulled out the chair with the missing leg next to the table and sat down.

"Brother Qin, I'm going there, not to join the fun."

"I've already grasped some of the essence within the Izumo sword."

Old Qin had been pacing around the room when he heard this, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Have you figured it out?"

"Tell me more about it."

Zhou Lingxuan placed his right hand on the table and tapped it three times with his fingertips.

"When the Izumo sword broke into three pieces, the sword intent within it also broke. Those remnants of intent originally came from the same source, so in theory, as long as the original patterns are found, they can be reconnected."

"But I tried to fix it a few times, and every time it was about to close, the tear would break open again."

Old Qin listened attentively and couldn't help but ask another question.

Why?

"It's been suppressed."

Zhou Lingxuan raised a finger and pressed it between the three marks on the table.

"Within Young Master Qin's sword intent lies the oppressive force left by another sword intent. When the remnants of the previous intent merge, the force behind them will shatter them once again."

"If I want to master the Cloud Sword, I need to figure out the difference between the two sword intents first, and it would be best if I could personally experience that sword once."

Old Qin fell silent.

He did not doubt these words.

After the Chuyun Sword broke, the three weapon-refining masters of the Weapon Peak only noticed the collapse of the sword intent, and none of them mentioned that there was another power hidden within it.

But he had witnessed the situation firsthand back then.

On the day Qin Zhaoyun was defeated, even the hand holding the sword was trembling.

In the years that followed, no matter how much the Izumo sword was nurtured, the three broken sword sections would be shaken apart as soon as they got close.

This perfectly matches what Zhou Lingxuan said.

Old Qin slowly exhaled.

"In that case, it is indeed necessary for you to go to the Sword Testing Stone."

"But this is not a good thing."

"Because the Sword Testing Stone is not something ordinary people can access?"

Zhou Lingxuan tugged at his gray cloth clothes.

"Or is my status as a lowly servant in this abandoned hall too low to even be qualified to approach?"

Yes and no.

Old Qin dragged over another stool and sat down opposite him.

"The Sword Testing Stone is indeed not something that just anyone can see, but the sect has never set any identity restrictions, nor does it check cultivation levels, and it does not require an elder's token."

"As long as you can get there, even a mortal who has no connection with the Heavenly Sword Pavilion can stand in front of the Sword Testing Stone."

Zhou Lingxuan was even more confused.

"Since there are no rules stopping you, what were you worrying about just now?"

Old Qin raised his hand and rubbed his forehead.

"Brother, you've only been in the inner sect for a day, it's normal that you haven't heard of some places."

"Every ancient sword sect has a sword tomb. The Heavenly Sword Pavilion is no exception."

"The Sword Tomb holds great significance for sword cultivators. Before a sword cultivator passes away, they often place their last sword into it."

"The sword returns to its tomb, the Dao returns to dust."

Old Qin paused for a moment, and his tone softened.

"The swords that can be inserted into the sword are the last swords in a swordsman's life. The swords that the master could not finish cutting, the people he could not kill, and the paths he could not traverse will all remain in the swords."

"Some were unwilling, some regretted it, and some wanted to strike again even in death."

"Over time, the sword intent accumulated in that place will become something no one dares to underestimate."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lingxuan had already guessed what was to come.

"Is the sword-testing stone in the sword tomb?"

"The deepest part."

Old Qin raised his hand and gestured a position.

"Nearly ten thousand swords are buried in the outer perimeter. The deeper you go, the higher the cultivation level of the owner who left the sword intent. The deepest batch even includes the swords of the sect leaders and supreme elders of past generations."

"The Hundred-Year Sword Ranking is never just about who can leave a mark on the Sword Testing Stone."

"If you can't even get to the stone, you're not even qualified to draw your sword."

Zhou Lingxuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"So no one was guarding it, and no one was stopping it?"

"No need."

Old Qin gave a wry smile.

"The swords in the Sword Tomb will block your way."

"If a Qi Refining disciple can walk a hundred steps around the outer perimeter, they are considered to have good aptitude. A Foundation Establishment sword cultivator might be able to reach the halfway point. Even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to touch the Sword Testing Stone."

"Your current cultivation level is only at the second stage of Body Tempering. Let alone seeing the stone, you would probably have your sea of ​​consciousness damaged by the residual intent of ten thousand swords as soon as you get close to the Sword Tomb."

At this point, Old Qin added another sentence.

"The wounds in that area are very difficult to heal with medicine."

"If the physical body is injured, take medicine and rest for a few days. But if the sea of ​​consciousness is ripped open, and you're unlucky, you might never recover."

Zhou Lingxuan did not respond immediately.

Old Qin thought he had finally listened to him, so he quickly continued to persuade him.

"Brother, how about we try another approach?"

"I'll ask your old rival to fight again, but I definitely won't be able to. However, the Sword Pavilion has a record of that match. If I pay some price, I might be able to borrow it."

"The image-recording stone can only show the moves, not the sword intent."

Zhou Lingxuan shook his head.

"I need to experience that power for myself."

"Why are you still thinking about going in?"

Old Qin slapped his knee in frustration.

"After all I've said, did you only listen to the last sentence?"

"I listened to everything."

Zhou Lingxuan raised his fingers, which were wrapped in coarse cloth.

"That's why we have to go even more."

These words left Old Qin speechless for a long time.

Zhou Lingxuan originally only wanted to see the sword mark left by the number one swordsman on the century-old sword ranking.

Now that I've heard about the Sword Tomb, there's one more reason I can't miss this trip.

The Heaven-Forging Hammer can temper the physical body and also forge the sea of ​​consciousness.

The pressure from the three fiery pits at the bottom of the valley was just right for tempering his surging blood and strength.

However, the earth fire is almost useless to the sea of ​​consciousness, and its help to the meridians is also limited.

The Sword Tomb contained nearly ten thousand remnants of intent, which pressed down layer upon layer, forcing his spiritual power to withstand constant impact.

As long as he keeps a safe distance and doesn't go too deep at once, this place is even more suitable for him than the abandoned hall and fire pit.

The physical body contains earth fire.

There is a sword mound in the sea of ​​consciousness.

The problem with the meridians is still unresolved; perhaps we need to find a place where spiritual energy frequently surges.

These thoughts flashed through Zhou Lingxuan's mind, but he quickly stopped himself from revealing them to Elder Qin.

The secret of the Heavenly Hammer cannot be revealed, not even half a word.

Old Qin stared at him for a while, then lowered his voice.

"Tell me the truth."

"What is your current cultivation level?"

"Body training".

"Which level?"

"Anyway, it's not just level two."

"Eighth rank?"

Zhou Lingxuan picked up the cold tea on the table, took a sip, and did not answer.

Seeing his demeanor, Old Qin relaxed a bit.

When he approached Zhou Lingxuan yesterday, he felt his vigorous blood and energy, which was indeed far beyond that of an ordinary old man.

When they met again today, the other party was hiding his abilities perfectly; even he could only detect the fluctuations of the second stage of Body Tempering.

At least this old man has some trump cards up his sleeve.

"Eighth level of Body Tempering is not enough."

Old Qin held up two fingers.

"I can take you through the back mountain of the ruined hall, avoiding the main peak disciples. Once we reach the outer perimeter of the Sword Tomb, you are only allowed to take twenty steps first."

"If you can't hold on, retreat immediately."

"Can it hold out?"

"Thirty steps."

"What if we hold on a little longer?"

"Fifty steps, no more."

"Brother Qin, are you taking me to see the Sword Tomb, or are you taking me to pick up stones at the entrance?"

Old Qin was so angry that his beard trembled twice.

"Do you still want to reach the Sword Testing Stone that day?"

"You have to eat one bite at a time, I'm not that stupid."

Zhou Lingxuan put the teacup back on the table.

"I promise to do what I can. If I can't handle it, I'll back down. I will never risk my life."

"Before you mastered the Cloud Sword, your life wasn't entirely your own."

Old Qin got up, took a few steps, and then turned back.

"What will happen to your sword, young master, if something happens to you?"

"So you have to take me there."

Zhou Lingxuan replied quickly.

"If you won't let me see that sword mark, the Izumo Sword will be stuck here. You can continue to wait, three or five years, ten or eight years, it doesn't matter."

Old Qin walked around twice, and finally pointed at Zhou Lingxuan.

"Tomorrow morning."

"I'll take you there."

"Let me make this clear first: if you don't listen to my advice and wander off, I'll break your legs and carry you back."

Zhou Lingxuan looked at his arm.

"Brother Qin, are you strong enough to carry me?"

Old Qin turned and left.

"Try it tomorrow!"

The next day, Zhou Lingxuan got up very early.

He first went to the vicinity of the valley floor and found the four servants.

The short, stout servant was sealing the wooden crate. When he saw him coming, he quickly put the things he was carrying further away.

"Hey bro, so early today?"

"I have to go out for a bit and will be back late."

Zhou Lingxuan pointed to the spot where the box had been placed yesterday.

"Keep your stuff piled up there as usual."

The short, stout servant readily agreed.

"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing."

"However, the alchemy hall blew up two more furnaces yesterday, so there are probably several more carts today."

A tall handyman next to him chimed in.

"Did that young lady in blue cause another explosion?"

"Who else could it be but her? The Dan Tang would run away faster than if they saw her start the furnace than if they saw a poison pit."

Zhou Lingxuan noted this down and didn't delay any longer.

When I returned to my residence, Old Qin was already waiting outside the door.

The two did not go through the entrance of the abandoned hall valley.

Old Qin led him around to the back of the management office, through the space between two mountains of discarded artifacts, and into a mountain path that could only accommodate one person at a time.

"This road used to be used to transport discarded swords to the Sword Tomb."

Old Qin walked ahead without stopping.

"Later, the sect changed its rules, and ordinary broken weapons were no longer buried. This road became deserted, so you'll encounter fewer people and avoid anyone staring at you, this newly minted Heavenly Sword Prodigy."

"Brother Qin, you're quite good at making sarcastic remarks."

"I learned it from the young master."

After walking for about half an hour, the mountain path began to ascend.

It wasn't far from the fire pit in the abandoned hall; it was only separated by two mountain ridges.

After climbing over the last section of rocky slope, Old Qin suddenly stopped.

"arrive."

Zhou Lingxuan looked in the direction he pointed.

There was a low hill standing in front of us.

The mountain was barren of vegetation, and the soil and rocks were grayish-white. From bottom to top, the mountain was covered with all sorts of swords.

Some swords are intact, while others are only half-finished. Some are broad and thick, while others are slender and long.

Many of them are covered in rust, and the hilts have been worn down by time to the point that they are unrecognizable.

There are too many to count.

Zhou Lingxuan had only taken a few steps forward when the mountain wind blowing in his face brushed against the back of his hand, leaving a white mark on his skin.

He paused in his tracks.

It's at least a hundred feet away from the Sword Tomb.

The wind has already carried scattered sharpness.

The next moment, a sharp pain suddenly came from his sea of ​​consciousness.

The broken swords in the distance, which could rust at any moment, remained motionless, while nearly ten thousand sword intents, accumulated over many years, pressed down with the mountain wind, piercing through his flesh and directly into his mind.