World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 552: Mu Wanxuan Arrives

"Sect Master, please keep these notes on my understanding of the Dao of the Sword within the Xinghai Sect."

Wang Sheng handed over several sheets of white paper. He didn't have fancy handwriting, but it was at least neat and steady. Every character carried a light trace of his unique sword intent. Any sword cultivator weaker than him would gain new insights just by reading these notes once, even if they could not fully grasp the deeper meanings.

Yao Xingzi took the pages and carefully placed them in his storage artifact.

"What are your plans now, Elder Pi?"

"I want to cultivate." Wang Sheng sighed. "For now, I have taken some small revenge against the Celestial Wind Sect. I will wait until I am strong enough to shake that 'great tree' before I complete my vengeance."

The sudden visit from the Celestial Wind Sect made Wang Sheng realize that he could no longer act in secret. Additionally, with their control tightened, more surprise attacks would not achieve much anyway.

He couldn't quickly destroy a sect as powerful as the Celestial Wind Sect. Still, the Fengli Sect's three years of inaction made him feel helpless.

The strongest members of those two major powers were clearly difficult opponents.

Fortunately, Yao Xingzi did not sell him out. Wang Sheng now had to protect the Xinghai Sect and stop the Celestial Wind Sect from crushing them completely.

Wang Sheng asked, "Have we made any progress in our territory relocation over the past few years?"

Linyuan smiled. "We're almost done with it. In a few months, we'll bring back all our people from the nearby stars, which will increase our power on Fengmo. "If Lishang can reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm, we will finally be able to compete with the Celestial Wind Sect and the Fengli Sect."

Wang Sheng thought for a moment. "We still have to be careful."

If Lishang reached the Heavenly Immortal Realm, she would be an incredible powerhouse. Her special racial talent made it hard for even heavily armed experts to fight her.

Right now, the sect had put its entire hope on her. Wang Sheng was a helpful surprise, but he knew he was still far from the Heavenly Immortal Realm and could not rush his growth.

Lishang remarked, "My race is different from humans. I'm mentally ready, but I need a specific treasure to break through."

"What kind of treasure?" Yao Xingzi asked.

"Something that carries the blood and energy of my people. It could be a magic herb or even old roof tiles that their aura once touched. I have to evolve to break through, but I don't even have any elders from my race to guide me..."

She looked confused and helpless. At that moment, she seemed very lonely.

Wang Sheng smiled. "Then we will go find it."

Softly, Lishang requested, "Master, I want to return to my ancestral lands. I can feel where it is, and I have mapped the path. The round trip would take six to nine years."

Linyuan looked extremely serious and hesitant. He stayed quiet for a while.

Feeling bad for the vice sect master, Wang Sheng asked, "What's wrong, Senior? Is there a problem with her old home?"

"That place has become very dangerous." Linyuan sighed. "I only managed to rescue her by sheer luck. Poisonous insects and wild beasts are everywhere, and the deepest part of her ancestral land is now the home of a terrifying ancient beast. I went there years ago because I was curious about ancient secrets, but I ended up almost dying multiple times. Even now, recalling it still frightens me."

Lishang simply closed her eyes.

Wang Sheng also began to ponder.

Yao Xingzi took out a turtle shell and placed several jade pieces inside. After gently shaking it a few times, he lightly tossed the shell onto the low table. The shell shook, the jade pieces flew out, and a faint, pale-red glow circled among them.

"That's a sign of great calamity."

Linyuan gently suggested, "Lishang, maybe you should try to break through another way."

Though unwilling, Lishang nodded in agreement.

Yao Xingzi also stepped forward and assured her, "I will continue searching for matters related to the ancient era. We may find something of value."

After some thought, Wang Sheng said, "Vice Sect Master, I have a few friends who are well-traveled. When they come to see me, I will ask whether they possess any relevant treasure."

Lishang nodded lightly. Seeing her displeased expression, the three did not press further.

After briefly discussing cultivation matters, they each took their leave. However, just as Wang Sheng was about to depart, Lishang asked, "You are not staying here?"

Wang Sheng was momentarily stunned.

"Judging by the actions of the Celestial Wind Sect today, they probably still have spies in the sect. I'll activate the grand array shortly. You should stay here. I usually cultivate in the pool, so I shouldn't disturb you."

Wang Sheng nodded slowly. He then turned to her. "Thank you, Vice Sect Master."

He truly didn't know how to refuse. Her considerations were purely for the benefit of the Xinghai Sect, and he had no intention of overthinking it.

Yao Xingzi and Linyuan also said nothing more on the matter. Before leaving, they reactivated the grand arrays throughout the valley to seal the area from disturbance.

Wang Sheng chose a narrow, quiet room in the corner of the pavilion. He arranged a sufficient number of Immortal Stones, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

Soon, he heard water flowing faintly. He vaguely sensed Lishang entering the lotus pond and swimming toward its center.

He took out his senior sister's soul lamp and placed it before him. After staring at the wick for a while, he gently breathed out.

Over the past three years, he had gained many new insights. His sixth sword intent, the Dragon-Slaying Sword Intent, was now ready to be formed.

The number of sword intents he grasped kept increasing, yet their overall quality had not improved much.

The strongest was still the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent, the first one he had formed. It could draw power from the stars, which not only allowed him to cultivate at all times but also greatly increased his strength in battle. Wang Sheng had reached those conclusions through three years of combat.

After all, practicing the sword required cutting people down—ahem, it required actually participating in battles. Theory and guesswork were not enough. Theory had to be put into practice before it could be truly turned into combat power.

Now, he had a lot of time-consuming matters to tend to.

Aside from forming the sixth sword intent and mastering the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent, Wang Sheng also had to study the Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent. He had to learn how to release the true power of a heavenly tribulation in places where energy was scarce.

Not only did he rely on immortal power to imitate tribulation clouds and start heavenly tribulations, but he also used the tribulation clouds to assimilate the surrounding primal qi. Its power wasn't that impressive in places like the ancient battlefield, where primal qi was thin. At most, it could destroy a few buildings.

Gradually, as the wick of the soul lamp flickered, Wang Sheng quickly entered deep meditation. He was completely unaffected by the changes in his surroundings.

In the lotus pond, Lishang quietly drifted under the water and stared at Wang Sheng for a while. A trace of doubt appeared in her eyes, but she soon shook her head as if she were disagreeing with her own thoughts.

"That's not possible..."

***

In the Realm of Exiled Immortals.

A semi-transparent shuttle sped through space. Considering how vast the Realm of Exiled Immortals was, though, it would take a very long time for it to cover even a small distance.

The universe was simply too big. It was vast enough to make a civilization feel hopeless. Hence, cultivators below the Heavenly Immortal Realm didn't dare wander around it without a plan.

The shuttle was somewhat larger than the one that Huai Jing and the others had used. It was more like a celestial ship that used more Spirit Stones and moved slightly faster.

Spiritless floated above the control disk of the shuttle, guiding its flight. Meanwhile, the others sat cross-legged in the corners of the cabin. They were all already deep in their own meditation.

They were headed toward a chaotic world filled with immortals. There was no peace there. The strong bullied the weak, and the weak took out their frustration on those even weaker than them.

Even though training even harder at a moment like this felt like sharpening a blade right before a fight, it was still better than doing nothing.

Before a clear window, Mu Wanxuan stood quietly. In her hand was a smartphone packed with advanced technology. However, to make the battery last longer, the phone did not have any projection features. It naturally couldn't get a signal, though. After all, they were already far beyond the solar system and out of reach of any phone company.

"Can't meditate?" Yaoyun asked.

Mu Wanxuan turned her head, watching the sword spirit fly out of Spiritless and land beside her.

Mu Wanxuan nodded gently. She gazed back at the wallpaper of her phone, which was Wang Sheng standing with his sword. She lightly brushed her slender finger across the image.

Careful not to disturb her four cultivating companions, she typed on the screen. How much longer?

"About four more months," Yaoyun replied. "We'll reach him in no time. Unlike us, he still has to wait over thirty years."

Mu Wanxuan sighed softly and stared out the window, momentarily lost in thought.

After a while, she typed another line. Yaoyun, will you ask Junior Brother to restore the Heavenly Court?

Yaoyun was clearly surprised. She had not expected Mu Wanxuan to ask such a question. Nevertheless, she soon slowly shook her head. "Even if I wanted to, it's not something he can do alone. When I saw the ancient battlefield, a voice in my heart told me that the Heavenly Court no longer exists.

"Considering we never heard news about the Heavenly Court from the outside world, the previous counterattack most likely failed. Still, some of its immortals should have survived. All I think about now is being able to see them again."

Mu Wanxuan quickly typed. What do you plan to do after you reunite with them? Will those immortals want to restore the Heavenly Court?

Yaoyun could not help but fall silent. Mu Wanxuan carefully chose her words.

I don't want some mission to tie my junior brother down in the future. I know Earth and the Heavenly Court are closely connected, but I still don't want another Heavenly Court to be created.

The Platform of Immortal Dreams showed me my past life. There are many things I did not tell my junior brother because I didn't want to ruin his hopes for the Heavenly Court. However, the Heavenly Court isn't necessarily wonderful.

Yaoyun sighed softly. "No matter whose road it is, it will have things that one cannot control."

Mu Wanxuan intended to type a reply, but she stopped. She gazed out the window and at the stars, which seemed to be completely still. Her eyes, like pale-white flowers, bloomed in the dark.

She then sighed softly and found a GIF of a girl wearing a red headband with the word "strive" on it. She added a bold line of text under it.

To protect Junior Brother, I must first become an immortal!