Chapter 552 - 330: Heart Sword Beheads the Ape: Foundation of the Divine Path

[Ding! Three-Inch Heart Sword Observation Method Mastery (8000/8000)]

[Ding! The Level of Three-Inch Heart Sword Observation Method has increased! Current Level: Small Success (1/10000)!]

[Skill promoted. Commencing Skill Implantation...]

Before Han Feng could even react, the remaining two-thirds of the vast amount of Spiritual Essence and the large patch of verdant Life Essence in the Guiyuan Sword Pool instantly began to boil!

This Energy was forcibly extracted by an invisible force, transforming into a torrent that madly poured into Han Feng’s body.

"Holy shit!"

Han Feng let out a wail, watching helplessly.

In the Guiyuan Sword Pool, the Spiritual Essence and Life Essence—which had been converted from the corpses of the Three-headed Illusory Yin Snake and the Thousand-Eyed Demon Moth and was meant to be his greatest future trump card—was being instantly drained dry, as if a floodgate had been opened. All that remained was a thin layer of dregs at the bottom!

He felt a visceral pang of loss.

’Those were the spiritual resources I’d gotten by taking immense risks and felling two Divine beings!’

’It was my strategic reserve for Healing, for saving my life, and even for breaking through to the next realm!’

’I’d barely had my hands on it, and now the system, that damn spendthrift, had burned it all as fuel for an upgrade!’

Only then did he remember that this was the first time he had promoted one of his Core Skills within his Sword Tomb Space.

And he could already tell from his previous Sword Bone Transformation.

The system’s enhancements were never created from nothing.

Any upgrade involving a change to his fundamental condition required a corresponding consumption of resources.

During the Sword Bone Transformation, a large amount of Spiritual Material had been consumed.

When the Three-Inch Heart Sword was promoted to Mastery, his Divine Soul was strengthened by absorbing the Energy condensed by the Weaver.

This time, however, he was undergoing the promotion within his own Sword Tomb Space.

The resources within this Space naturally became the system’s first choice to "source locally."

Although the loss stung, Han Feng felt the trade was well worth it when he sensed the earth-shattering changes emanating from the depths of his Divine Soul.

A vast and profound torrent of information instantly flooded his mind.

It was the accumulated insights of countless senior Sword Cultivators on Divine Soul Attacks: how to condense the Heart Sword, slay illusions, and use the Divine Soul to interfere with reality...

After an unknown amount of time, Han Feng’s eyes snapped open.

His Divine Soul Strength, thanks to this Empowerment, had broken straight through the six thousand mark!

[Spiritual Power: 6200 Hz]

Range of Divine Sense increased to 500 meters.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Three-Inch Heart Sword had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.

It was no longer a translucent Energy Body, but had condensed into an almost tangible form, resembling a Flying Sword carved from the purest crystal. It could even slightly affect the microscopic particles of reality.

[Skill: Three-Inch Heart Sword (Small Success)]

[New Trait 1: Crystal Condensation. The condensation of the Heart Sword is greatly increased, nearing a solid energy state. It can slightly interfere with the material world and possesses a stronger physical piercing and cutting effect against Divine Soul bodies.]

[New Trait 2: Illusory Sword (Middle Level). Consume Spiritual Power to conjure two false Heart Swords identical to the original. The real and false can be interchanged at will.]

[New Trait 3: Formless. A fusion of ’Traceless’ and ’Illusory Sword’.

Targets with a Divine Soul weaker than the host’s will be unable to perceive the real Heart Sword, seeing only its illusions.]

’Success!’

Feeling the surging Divine Soul Power within him and the new Heart Sword that moved as easily as his own limbs, a confident smile spread across Han Feng’s lips.

’Although my Spiritual Essence is almost completely depleted, with only enough dregs left for two or three more repairs at most, this upgrade is a qualitative leap!’

’Qing Shan, thank you for the "pummeling."’

’Now, let’s see how you like the edge on my sword!’

’System, activate the Divine Power Module!’

’Amplify the Three-Inch Heart Sword! Pour in all remaining fifteen thousand wisps of Sword Aura!’

BOOM!

It was as if a sun had exploded in his Sea of Consciousness.

A torrential amount of Energy poured in, and the Crystal Heart Sword instantly became more solid than ever before. At the same time, the newly acquired Formless Trait was pushed to its absolute limit.

The body of the sword vanished completely—traceless, shapeless, formless!

...

Out on the barren plains, Qing Shan’s Divine Thought was stretched to its limit.

It was on full alert, wary of the strange Heart Sword that had just wounded it.

’Here it comes!’

In its Perception, two faint golden sword shadows materialized out of thin air several hundred meters ahead.

One on the left and one on the right, they were identical to the Illusory Swords that had confused it before.

’This trick again?’ A trace of disdain flashed in Qing Shan’s crimson eyes.

’I was fooled once; how could I possibly fall for the same trick again!’

’In its view, the insect had run out of tricks.’

’These two sword shadows had to be fakes. The real attack was definitely hidden somewhere else!’

"Shatter!"

The black Stone Ape within Qing Shan’s Divine Soul’s Sea of Consciousness held nothing back this time.

It let out a silent roar as its two giant stone fists shot out simultaneously, smashing toward the two sword shadows.

’It would use absolute power to crush all illusions!’

However, just as its fists were about to touch the sword shadows, the sense of a life-or-death crisis suddenly erupted in its mind!

’Wrong!’

’The real attack isn’t here!’

But its fists were already thrown with immense force and momentum; it was too late to change its move.

Its fists passed through the two sword shadows without any resistance.

The two sword shadows were like soap bubbles in the sun, shattering on contact without even stirring the slightest ripple of Energy.

’They really were fakes!’

’But where is the real attack?!’

The next moment, an indescribable, bone-chilling Sharpness erupted directly between the eyebrows of its Spirit Body!

The real Heart Sword—traceless, shapeless, and formless—had finally revealed its deadliest fangs after tricking its fists!