Seeking the Flying Sword Path

Moments later.

The gatekeeper returned, stirring Cui Lianfeng’s emotions. He was filled with anticipation.

"Elder Cui," said the gatekeeper. "Madam said that Master is currently not in the Great Chang world. It’s unknown exactly when he will return. Madam will inform him once he returns."

"He’s not in the Great Chang world?" Cui Lianfeng was slightly taken aback and could only nod. "Thank you."

With that said, he turned and left helplessly.

...

Qin Yun had indeed been cultivating in Qin Manor most of the time these past few years. But sometimes, he would head to Green Touring Palace for seclusion during critical junctures.

Green Touring Palace. Void Island.

Void Island was a cultivation sacred land similar to Broken Sword Valley. It was an island that floated in the void, spanning fifty kilometers! More than a thousand Green Touring Palace disciples sat cross-legged on Void Island, and each of them were separated by several kilometers, not disturbing each other while they cultivated.

"Perfected Heavenly Cycle?" Qin Yun was one of the thousand disciples sitting cross-legged in silent meditation. He was looking at the periphery of Void Island into the distance.

Void Island was enveloped by the void.

The space was like a sphere, encompassing the island. Faint golden runic patterns swirled on the surface of the void sphere.

"Late-stage Skyimmortals mostly meditate over the void." Qin Yun looked at the swirling golden runic patterns from a distance. "The void is what’s considered a perfected Heavenly Cycle. My Sword Dao has reached quite a high level of accumulation. The Heavenly Cycle Stellar Realm and Heavenly Cycle Stellar Robes are just a hair away from the initial success stage. But I’m always just a sliver short. What am I lacking?"

Despite feeling that he had accumulated enough, and even though his divine powers were already close to reaching the initial success stage, he had failed to break through all this while. Therefore, Qin Yun came to Green Touring Palace to seclude himself.

"I’ll consume a Five Senses Immortal Pill." Qin Yun flipped his hand and took out the yellow-skinned calabash. He poured out an Immortal Pill that suffused a radiance before swallowing it down.

After consuming it, Qin Yun immediately felt ideas flood his mind. The insights he had regarding his Sword Dao instantly collided with these ideas, as each of them were inferred into insights. Various sword arts also appeared in his mind.

To Qin Yun... the myriad items of the world could all be manifested as Sword Dao.

The sword was his way of viewing the world.

Time passed and, after fifteen days, Qin Yun’s cultivation came to an end.

"I’m done." Qin Yun smiled. "The two divine powers, Heavenly Cycle Stellar Realm and Heavenly Cycle Stellar Robes, have finally broken through, reaching the initial success stage."

These two divine powers stemmed from the Ancient Heavenly Courts.

The initial success stage allowed one to rival a ninth firmament Skyimmortal.

If one gained the phenomenal success stage, they would be able to battle mighty figures like Golden Immortals or Buddhas.

As for perfection? The perfected stage of the Heavenly Cycle Stellar Realm could trap eighteen Golden Immortals and Buddhas inside, giving them absolutely no leeway to flee. However, no one had attained this stage ever since the Ancient Heavenly Courts toppled.

"External items like Immortal Pills are indeed useful for cultivation; however, they are only of minor help. It is said that Myriad Dharma Pool is the most miraculous cultivation aid of all. Its effects are hundreds or a thousand times better than one Immortal Pill," thought Qin Yun. "But I should only enter the Myriad Dharma Pool after I encounter the bottleneck at the pinnacle Skyimmortal realm."

According to the experiences of many of his senior brothers and sisters, even if one could not break through to become a Golden Immortal after entering the Myriad Dharma Pool, it would still be a great boon to them. Their strength would increase and constantly approach that of the Golden Immortal level.

"It’s time to return." Qin Yun got up and left Void Island.

...

The blurry light descended as Qin Yun returned to Qin Manor in the Great Chang world’s Grand Dominance City.

"Dad." Qin Yiyi, who was practicing her swordplay on the mirror lake’s surface, could not help but shout when she saw Qin Yun.

"Yiyi." Qin Yun smiled at his daughter. After all these years, Yiyi had matured some. She was now a big girl.

"Dad, this seclusion of yours was quite long. It took more than half a year." Qin Yiyi walked across the lake to the bank.

"I had to consume one of my Immortal Pills to break through. If not, it would not have been strange for me to be in seclusion for a decade or two," said Qin Yun with a smile.

"Dad, didn’t you give me a few Immortal Pills?" asked Qin Yiyi. "Perhaps you should leave more for yourself."

"Don’t worry. I have enough for myself," said Qin Yun with a smile. "Besides, my Sword Dao is getting closer and closer to the pinnacle of the Skyimmortal realm. Ordinary Immortal Pills are less and less useful to me."

If he reached a bottleneck, the consumption of a few Immortal Pills had negligible utility.

The help was obvious during a period of rapid growth in strength.

"Xiaoxiao." Qin Yun looked at his wife who walked over from the distant yard.

"Brother Yun," said Yi Xiao with a smile. "Sword Tower’s Cui Lianfeng came a month ago. He actually got the gatekeeper outside the manor to pass the message to seek an audience with you."

"He got the gatekeeper to pass the message? To seek an audience with me?" Qin Yun was astonished.

"Such an official call on you probably means it’s something important," said Yi Xiao.

"Yes."

Qin Yun nodded and immediately sensed Cui Lianfeng through their karmic ties.

"Brother Cui, It’s Qin Yun. I just returned." Qin Yun directly sent a voice transmission over through their karmic connection.

Not long after.

The gatekeeper ran into the back garden and upon seeing Qin Yun, said reverently, "Master, Elder Cui wishes to seek an audience with you."

"Let him in," said Qin Yun.

Soon, Cui Lianfeng entered. He saw Qin Yun, Yi Xiao, and Qin Yiyi when he arrived.

He had an austere expression on his face, and when he came in front of Qin Yun, he immediately knelt down, as though he was about to prostrate himself.

"Brother Cui, what are you doing?" said Qin Yun immediately. He used his Dharmic powers to hold Cui Lianfeng up, preventing him from kneeling. "Tell me whatever you have to say."

Failing to kneel, Cui Lianfeng could only give a deep bow and said, "Brother Qin, I have something I must ask of you."

"Go ahead," said Qin Yun. Yi Xiao and Qin Yiyi were listening by the side.

Cui Lianfeng looked at Qin Yun, his eyes brimming with desire. "Brother Qin, I wish to ask you to impart your Sword Immortal Essence Soul Dharmic formulation to me! Recently, I stepped into the Dao, with a Dao domain of five kilometers! However, I’m a sword immortal and have no Dharmic formulation to condense an Essence Soul. I heard that in the Three Realms, apart from the Grand Supreme sword immortal lineage, only you have created one. Therefore, I am here to implore you."

"I know that the Dao is not readily instructed. Brother Qin, in order to create a Sword Immortal Essence Soul Dharmic formulation, you went through great difficulties and so you would not easily impart it. But if I do not have that Dharmic formulation, I’ll forever be a mortal. Once my five hundred years are up, I’ll turn to dust. Therefore, I can only plead this of you. As long as you are willing to impart the Dharmic formulation to me, I’ll do anything you instruct."

Qin Yun furrowed his brows when he heard that. "On this matter..."

When he saw Qin Yun frowning, Cui Lianfeng immediately said, "I do know that I’m weak, but I hope that, on account of our past friendship, you will impart the Dharmic formulation to me seeing how inclined I am towards the Dao."

"Brother Cui," said Qin Yun. "Although a Dharmic formulation is not readily instructed, you are one of my Great Chang world brethren and we had close ties in the past. I will definitely impart it to you if you seek my help but... this Dharmic formulation of mine requires a Dao domain of twenty-five kilometers before one can condense an Essence Soul."

"A Dao domain of twenty-five kilometers?" Cui Lianfeng was astonished.

"Yes."

Qin Yun nodded. "The Sword Immortal Dharmic Powers are too sharp, so nurturing an Essence Soul is extremely difficult. I have heard that even the Grand Supreme sword immortal lineage requires a Dao domain of fifteen kilometers before they can condense an Essence Soul. This lineage of mine... still needs a minimum of twenty-five kilometers despite numerous attempts to perfect it."

"Even after modifying it after extensive periods of time, I’m afraid the difficulty of condensing an Essence Soul for this lineage will not be lower than the Grand Supreme sword immortal lineage’s," said Qin Yun.

Cui Lianfeng was taken aback before a bitterness overcame him.

"It’s said that sword immortals are powerful. The more powerful a Dharmic formulation, the higher the requirement needed to condense an Essence Soul." Cui Lianfeng gave a self-deprecating smile. "I just never imagined that a Dao domain of twenty-five kilometers is required to condense an Essence Soul."

"My stepping into the Dao only gave me a Dao domain of five kilometers. I probably have no chance left." Cui Lianfeng immediately thanked Qin Yun. "Thank you for informing me, Brother Qin. I’ll take my leave."

Following that, he turned and left.

Qin Yun wanted to say something but all he could do was sigh silently.

Grand Supreme sword immortals were rare, and his lineage temporarily had no new person to take up his mantle because of the high requirements!

It was not easy for mortal sword immortals to reach a Dao domain of twenty-five kilometers. Back when he was a mortal, he had reached the mid-stages of the Skyimmortal realm before he created the Essence Soul Dharmic formulation.

"I do wish to help him since it’s rare for a Great Chang world mortal sword immortal to step into the Dao," said Qin Yun.

"It’s not bad to enjoy five hundred years. There are way more people worse off than Elder Cui," said Yi Xiao. Back when she was imprisoned, she suffered the pain of her dragon transformation daily, while weeping over her daughter daily and missing her husband. That was true misery, which was why she especially cherished her present days.

"By the way, Xiaoxiao. I’m planning to switch targets for the second round of Green Touring Palace tests," said Qin Yun.

Green Touring Palace’s second round of tests required him to kill a Skyfiend or extremely vile figure that had strength of at least a seventh firmament Skyfiend!

"Switch targets? Didn’t you already choose an eighth firmament Skyfiend previously? Who do you plan on switching to?" asked Yi Xiao. Qin Yiyi listened from the side as well.

"Old Fiend Fire Puppet," said Qin Yun.

"Him?" Yi Xiao could not help but comment. "You previously mentioned that the West Sea Ancient Skydragon’s homeworld, the Dragon Mountain world, had been occupied by this Old Fiend Fire Puppet, causing a large number of dragons to be slain."

"Yes." Qin Yun nodded. The only wish the West Sea Ancient Skydragon had before his death was to have his ashes scattered in the Dragon Mountain world’s Thousand Revolutions Dragon Lake.

"But Old Fiend Fire Puppet is a ninth firmament Skyfiend," said Yi Xiao. "Wouldn’t that be too difficult?"

"There are things you are unaware of," said Qin Yun with a smile. "Old Fiend Fire Puppet is indeed famous. His strength is also rather formidable, but he is most famous for his puppet arts. When he sends a large number of puppets to attack... that was how the dragon-entrenched Dragon Mountain world was leveled! Even a ninth firmament Skyimmortal would not wish to provoke such a large number of puppets."

"I never thought I could deal with him previously, either. I planned on first choosing a few weaker seventh or eighth firmament Skyfiends, someone easily bullied to pass my second round of tests to get the treasures of Star Cluster Hall."

"But now, my divine powers have broken through. I have obtained initial success in the Heavenly Cycle Stellar Realm! A divine power like the Heavenly Cycle Stellar Realm is a perfect defense against being swarmed," said Qin Yun with a smile. "Therefore, Old Fiend Fire Puppet’s puppet arts happen to be weak against me."