World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 608: Sword Intent: Myriad Slayer

Ninth floor of the Sword-Forging Tower.

Two streams of light chased and collided with one another. The sword phantasm erupting from within them flashed like a startled swan, yet it fully displayed the essence of profundity.

The tower spirit stood amid the clouds and mist, watching Wang Sheng dart around nonstop. From time to time, he nodded lightly and stroked his beard with a soft chuckle.

The Great Dao sword case had been passed down through countless cultivators from the end of the Primal Era to the present day. Among them were many great divine-ability users who treated it as a collectible or a treasure for barter and exchange. Yet over all those years, dozens of sword cultivators had also managed to enter the Sword-Forging Tower and steadily climb it.

However, Wang Sheng could be considered the first True Immortal to reach the ninth floor in no time. Moreover, he consecutively unleashed four completely different sword intents.

After all, such a treasure was unlikely to fall into a True Immortal's hands. Most who entered this place were experts like Chun Yangzi. Even the tower spirit would treat them with utmost respect, lest they destroy this site of his old master's legacy.

At last, one who could reflect his own lofty bearing had arrived—ahem, at last, a promising seedling with strong potential had arrived.

The tower spirit observed for a while longer. Right now, the ninth floor's Yanluo Sword Servant had already fallen into a complete disadvantage. By seizing tiny openings during clashes, Wang Sheng gradually took the initiative.

Using Zhang Zikuang's Special Warfare Unit jargon, Wang Sheng exhibited "excellent battlefield rhythm control." In the words of common cultivators, he was simply "damn impressive."

After another hundred exchanges, Wang Sheng knocked the Yanluo Sword Servant's sword away with a swing of his sword. He sliced through the red mark on the Yanluo Sword Servant's throat, causing it to explode and scatter.

Wang Sheng sheathed his sword and stood still, quietly comprehending the new insights that he had gained from the Taiyi Golden Immortal Sword Art. He also understood the late-stage True Immortal Realm a little better.

Cultivation was, in truth, fundamentally interconnected. For Wang Sheng, refining his sword and comprehending the Dao was not necessarily any slower than sitting in silent meditation.

After some time, a cloud ladder descended from the cloud path ahead, leading him to the tenth floor.

The tower had a total of forty-nine floors. Even with his strength taken into consideration, he had no idea how far he could go. Still, he wanted to find an opponent who was marginally stronger than him—someone who could truly temper his Dao of the Sword. A duel with a Heavenly Immortal like Long Aotian, who relied on "overwhelming force to break all techniques," offered little benefit to his Dao of the Sword. After all, he could simply destroy such an enemy with Green Lotus Ultimate.

Cultivating in the Dao was like climbing mountains, with each peak higher than the last. Looking ahead, countless towering peaks stood before him. Cultivating in and comprehending the Dao of the Sword was no different.

Wang Sheng ascended the cloud ladder and reached the tenth floor. Emerging from the mist, he arrived in a landscape that resembled a painted scene of mountains and waters.

An immortal sword hovered above a pool of water. From time to time, the sword tip trembled lightly, and ripples appeared upon the pool's mirror-like surface.

That senior who left all this behind is... truly creative.

Just as Wang Sheng was about to step forward, the tower spirit issued an instruction from the side. Though he spoke in an ancient language, Wang Sheng could still understand him.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master. I have two incomplete sword manuals here. They contain the two Daos of the Sword that the master had comprehended long ago.

"Since you already have an extremely profound understanding of the Dao of the Sword, and you specialize solely in it, I consider you to be one of the rarest talents I've encountered over endless ages. Since you have the potential to inherit the master's legacy, I have taken the liberty of lending you some assistance.

"Please choose one, Young Master. You'll find the tower's challenges far easier afterward."

Sword manuals?

Wang Sheng's curiosity was piqued. After all, he was extremely interested in all refined and profound sword techniques.

However, he soon frowned.

The tower spirit opened his hands. Two blurry phantasms of incomplete sword intents slowly surfaced. The sword intent on the left churned with blood-colored strands, while the sword intent on the right surged with faint golden light.

Two auras continuously circled Wang Sheng. One was tyrannical, cold, and extremely brutal, while the other was warm, inclusive, and gently benevolent.

"Senior, do these two sword intents have any particular significance?"

The tower spirit smiled. "Of course. One is called the Emperor's Benevolence, the other is Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent, or simply Myriad Slayer."

Emperor's Benevolence? Myriad Slayer?

The names stunned Wang Sheng. He couldn't help but contemplate for a while.

As if he had already grasped the Emperor's Benevolence Sword Intent, resplendent immortal palaces, immortal maidens playing music and dancing, and countless immortal ministers kneeling in submission appeared before him.

However, the scene soon changed. Seemingly grasping the Myriad Slayer's sword intent instead, he saw corpses covering the ground.

Yaoyun, who had been quiet all this time, telepathically said, "Choose Emperor's Benevolence."

Wang Sheng subconsciously raised his hand toward the Emperor's Benevolence, but he soon lowered his arm and closed his eyes, quietly sensing.

The old man's expression remained indifferent when he reached out. However, he revealed a trace of relief and satisfaction when the sword cultivator lowered his arm.

Wang Sheng wasn't hesitating. On the contrary, he was simply thinking about the paths that the two sword intents represented. He was already beginning to believe that the senior who created the Great Dao sword case was an extraordinary, powerful being. Just the phrase "Myriad Slayer" caused his Dao Heart to twitch violently.

Emperor's Benevolence, Myriad Slayer...

This was an exploration of the true meaning of "sword."

No one knew when it began, but the sword as ruler and the saber as a general became a kind of rivalry. Emperors mostly wielded swords and rarely sabers, and the Xuanyuan Sword[1] was the best proof of this.

Favored by the noblemen, the sword became the king of all weapons. Yet at its core, the sword was still a weapon. As Yuan Pu Zhenren once said, "The sword is fundamentally a weapon for killing."

The Great Dao of the Sword itself belonged to the Great Dao of Slaughter.

These two sword intents seemed to have gone to opposite extremes. When Wang Sheng carefully reflected on them, he gained comprehension.

One sword with two edges, one sword with two faces.

One appeared to be the weapon borne by emperors, while the other seemed like an instrument of slaughter.

For Haotian to unify the Three Realms, he waged war in the Immortal Saint Realm for tens of millions of years. Over those long ages, the Emperor's Benevolence buried countless beings under it. Nevertheless, it became a symbol of benevolence and righteousness, hanging above the peak of the Immortal Realm.

Softly, Wang Sheng stated, "These two sword intents should be merged."

The tower spirit old man paused. He then asked, "What makes you say that?"

A trace of emotion welled up in Wang Sheng's heart. "Hold the emperor's sword, and from this day slay all living beings. Bear witness to the Immortal Saint Dao, and raise one's head, with none above."

The tower spirit remained expressionless, but a corner of his mouth began to twitch uncontrollably. "Choose one. Emperor's Benevolence or Myriad Slayer."

Wang Sheng raised his hand again, still reaching toward the Emperor's Benevolence. But just as he was about to grasp the incomplete sword intent, he paused and looked at the other sword intent.

"Forget it."

He laughed lightly and casually grasped the blurry hilt of the Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent. As his Primordial Spirit appeared to freeze instantly, a segment of a mantra and dozens of afterimages popped into his mind.

A pure murderous aura spread around Wang Sheng's Primordial Spirit, and a blood-colored flame symbol appeared on its forehead. The Astral, Heavenly Tribulation, Dual-Polarity, Pure Yang, and Dragon Sword Sword Intents circling him all trembled at once as a blood-colored sword phantasm forcefully squeezed its way in as well.

Immediately after, Wang Sheng's small wooden sword strangely appeared and floated above the blood-colored sword phantasm, seemingly suppressing it.

Wang Sheng instantly broke free from the cold and pure killing intent. Momentarily confused, he stared at the small wooden sword and realized that it wasn't actually suppressing the sword intent. On the contrary, it seemed to be fusing with it and reshaping it.

The previously manifested Green Lotus Sword Intent and the Myriad Slayer Sword Intent seemed to merge, causing numerous insights to appear in Wang Sheng's mind.

The wooden sword had given him its answer on whether it accepted or rejected the new sword intent.

This sword intent was an incomparably pure path of slaughter, the closest to the Great Dao of the Sword's origin. The wooden sword was extremely fond of the newly arrived "handsome lad."

Wang Sheng was rendered speechless.

The Myriad Slayer Sword Intent was incomplete, and what Wang Sheng obtained was likewise an incomplete mantra. After giving it a rough look, he felt that it was simply too domineering.

Once used, it had to kill. Since it couldn't exercise restraint or mercy, there would be no turning back once it was unleashed. It would slaughter to the very end, refusing to ever retreat.

While Wang Sheng was completely focused on comprehending the Myriad Slayer Sword Intent, the tower spirit looked as though he had seen a ghost. He stared intensely at the small wooden sword rotating beside Wang Sheng, yet he still couldn't discern its origins. All he knew was that its quality didn't seem to be inferior to his own true body.

That True Immortal is definitely a monster. Somehow, he even obtained the Great Dao sword case. Is he a disciple of the Three Pure Ones? Maybe a prodigy born into the world through resonance with the Great Dao?

After quietly comprehending the insights that he had gained for several days and nights, Wang Sheng preliminarily grasped the Myriad Slayer Sword Intent.

He muttered, "Who exactly is the great expert who created the Great Dao sword case?"

The tower spirit said, "The master's name is far too ancient. People of this age are unlikely to know it."

Wang Sheng smiled. "Oh? If you don't tell me, Senior, then how can you be sure that I haven't heard of your master?"

The tower spirit hesitated for a while. Finally, he whispered, "Young Master, have you heard of the two swords Yuan Tu and Abi? Combined, they become the master of slaughter."

Wang Sheng froze for a moment, finding the names rather familiar.

At that moment, Yaoyun telepathically said, "Hua Qing is looking for you."

Wang Sheng immediately set aside these "idle matters." Smiling, he told the tower spirit, "Senior, let's talk later. I have urgent affairs to attend to."

The tower spirit smiled and waved his hand. "Very well. Next time you enter the tower, you may come straight to this place."

As the tower spirit swept his long sleeve, the surrounding illusion quietly dispersed. Wang Sheng's Primordial Spirit returned to his Heavenly Abode, and he instantly opened his eyes.

Mu Wanxuan stood quietly at the side, holding a transmission jade talisman in her hand. When she saw Wang Sheng awaken, she hurried forward.

"Sect Master," she said.

Wang Sheng immediately understood that Yao Xingzi had sent the jade talisman. After taking it, he rose to his feet. While still thinking about the Myriad Slayer Sword Intent, he infused immortal power into the jade talisman and activated it.

Inside was a letter from the Fengli Sect's sect master.

1. A famous legendary sword that an emperor used in Chinese mythology. ☜