Chapter 579: Cave Profound Sword Stele

At the center of the giant crater stood the corpse of a cultivator, so gaunt that his Daoist Robe seemed to be draped over a mere skeleton.

The style of the Daoist Robe was clearly from the same origin as the one Po Jun Star Monarch wore, with only a few minor differences.

His cheeks were sunken, his hair was gray, and his eyes were wide open. A resentment that soared to the heavens could be clearly felt even after ten thousand years.

Two trails of bloody tears had left stained tracks on his face, and his mouth was slightly agape.

“For his flesh to remain incorruptible for ten thousand years… It seems this Divinity Transformation Great Power from the Taibai Sword Sect also had considerable attainments in Body Refining.”

True Monarch Tiann Xiang was the first to spot the cultivator’s corpse, his expression complex.

An expert who stood at the pinnacle of the Cultivation Realm, both in the past and present; a Divinity Transformation Sword Cultivator whose achievements he might never even approach in his entire life—and yet, there he stood silently, long bereft of any life.

Longevity and Vision seemed to be nothing more than a myth, something impossible to achieve.

Even a Divinity Transformation Sword Cultivator of peerless strength—what did it matter? After death, he couldn’t even return to dust.

“Ancestor Hek Feng…”

Po Jun Star Monarch suddenly dropped to his knees, performing the grand rite of three kneelings and nine prostrations before the corpse.

He had obviously recognized this Sword Cultivator as a Divinity Transformation Ancestor from the era when the Taibai Sword Sect was destroyed.

‘Hek Feng must have lured a Divinity Transformation Level Outer Celestial Demon into the Sword-Cleansing Grotto Heaven. He used the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Demon Extinguishing Sword Formation to partition the battlefield and succeeded in slaying the demon at a great cost… But he was inevitably corrupted by Demonic Qi. At the same time, his injuries were too severe to be reversed, so he simply took his own life within the Grotto Heaven. Then, in his final moments, he moved the Sword-Cleansing Grotto Heaven into the Star Palace Secret Realm.’

Bai Zichen pieced together what might have happened. A black mist swirled around the body of the Divinity Transformation Sword Cultivator, who had been dead for ten thousand years. It was somewhat similar to the black energy surrounding the giant crater.

However, it was much fainter and was being suppressed by some kind of power, circulating within Hek Feng’s body, unable to cause any greater effect.

Outer Celestial Demons made people’s faces pale at their mere mention. Besides their immense strength, their most feared trait was their ability to corrupt.

Anyone eroded by their Demonic Qi would become a mindless puppet, knowing only to follow the Outer Celestial Demons and kill.

Even the Ancient Demons of the Heavenly Demon Realm were like amateurs meeting a master when compared to Outer Celestial Demons in the art of bewitching hearts and converting people into Demons.

“Po Jun, shouldn’t we start searching for the Sword Sect’s inheritance? You’ll have plenty of opportunities to mourn your ancestor in the future. This place isn’t exactly suitable for it.”

A green light emanated from Jumeng Star Monarch’s hands, and his pacing feet betrayed his unease.

The Demon-Extinguishing Treasure he wore was crystal clear, and it had no problem dealing with ordinary Demons.

But when it came to Outer Celestial Demons, he had no confidence at all.

“Alright. I will lay Ancestor Hek Feng to rest later.”

Po Jun Star Monarch thought for a moment, then conjured a gentle, giant palm of energy that pushed Hek Feng’s corpse back several dozen feet.

The Stele beside the corpse was now fully revealed to everyone. It was a weathered slab, steeped in the aura of ages past.

The front of the Stele was carved with five dragons and five phoenixes, intertwined and ascending as if about to fly off the surface and soar into the sky.

On the back was a dark, formless Sword Light, flickering in and out of existence—at times vanishing completely, at others shining with dazzling brilliance.

This Stele was like a living thing.

It stood to reason that any stele a Divinity Transformation Cultivator would protect even in death could not be ordinary.

“The Sword Stele! This is the Cave Profound Sword Stele, the Sacred Object in the hearts of all Sword Sect Disciples… Every True Disciple who wishes to obtain the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture must do so through this Sword Stele!”

Po Jun Star Monarch was overcome with emotion. The Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture was the supreme Cultivation Technique of the Taibai Sword Sect; even the most favored Hidden Vein could not obtain this inheritance.

And now, the Cave Profound Sword Stele, which only a handful of the most outstanding disciples from each generation of the Taibai Sword Sect could ever see, had appeared before them, completely unconcealed.

The breathing of every Star Lord grew ragged. The very name ‘Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture’ was an irresistible temptation for any Sword Cultivator.

Much like the style of Sword Cultivators themselves, it promised an unstoppable cultivation speed, unrivaled Heaven-Defying Battle Power, and an unlimited number of Lifebound Flying Swords.

More importantly, the Divinity Transformation Great Powers who had advanced by cultivating this technique in just a few thousand years had looked down upon the entire Cultivation Realm.

Not to mention, there was the only Divinity Transformation Cultivator in the entire Near Ancient era who had successfully ascended by force, without relying on an Ascension Platform.

After his Ascension, he had even sent down a Sword Talisman, accomplishing an unprecedented feat.

It seemed the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture was a flawless Sword Cultivation Technique. Even without the ‘Sword Cultivator’ restriction, few cultivation techniques in the entire Cultivation Realm could compare to it.

Every other Top-Tier Cultivation Technique had some weakness; none were as comprehensive.

Before the Moral Sect, the Taibai Sword Sect’s heritage and seniority were no different from that of a stumbling toddler.

Yet, at its zenith, its ability to suppress the Moral Sect—a sect that had stood firm at the very peak for hundreds of thousands of years—was inextricably linked to the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture.

In terms of its speed of ascension and the height of its peak, the Taibai Sword Sect was unique in the history of the Cultivation Realm.

Bai Zichen’s gaze grew fervent. The Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture was exactly what he needed right now.

If he couldn’t find a Top-Tier Cultivation Technique, he would have had to settle for second best and choose one of the three Divinity Transformation Techniques inherited by the Star Palace.

Stagnating for so long at the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Realm without any progress was unforgivable to him.

The delay had already made him feel as if he had wasted far too much time.

“What must we do to receive the inheritance of the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture?”

With the Great Dao at stake, Bai Zichen no longer kept a low profile and took the initiative to ask.

However, this Cave Profound Sword Stele gave him a strange feeling.

It wasn’t a warning from his Spiritual Sense about some hidden danger within the Sword Stele, but rather a sense of disharmony between its front and back sides.

The Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes on the front were supposed to be legendary Divine Beasts, but no matter how he thought about it, they had nothing to do with a Sword Scripture. He didn’t understand why they would appear on the two faces of the Sword Stele.

Speaking of which, the origin of the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture had always been a mystery.

The Taibai Sword Sect had risen like a comet. Naturally, countless admirers and enemies had studied the life of its most powerful founding ancestor, the Taibai Sword Monarch.

In all these studies, the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture was a topic that could never be avoided.

No one knew how this Cultivation Technique came to be. There were generally two theories: that it was a gift from the heavens, or that it was the result of a personal epiphany.

But aside from its most fanatical proponents, not even those within the Taibai Sword Sect believed their ancestor had created the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture.

The notes of the Star River Sword Monarch recorded that the Sword Scripture had no beginning and no end. It had appeared abruptly, and he suspected it was a technique bestowed by an Immortal.

With no process of inference or creation, the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture had simply appeared before the world, perfect from the very beginning.

But how could a new Cultivation Technique be flawless in its initial, unrefined state?

The few Top-Tier Cultivation Techniques created in the Near Ancient era all had long and complex histories of evolution.

Every technique that allowed one to cultivate to the Divinity Transformation Realm required thousands of years and several generations of refinement and fine-tuning; it was impossible for one to be created from nothing.

Moreover, once a Cultivation Technique of this level was cultivated by someone even once, it could not remain unknown. It would inevitably leave a deep mark on the River of Time.

Therefore, the theory that the Sword Scripture was a heavenly gift was the more popular one in the Cultivation Realm.

“Touch it with your hand and connect your spirit to it. As long as you meet the requirements, a Sword Seed will be planted in your Dantian.”

Po Jun Star Monarch made no attempt to hide anything, nor did he take the opportunity to make any demands, frankly stating his position.

“The Sword Stele’s inheritance has no limit on the number of recipients. We’ll receive it together. Ziwei and I won’t use our special privileges here.”

“Agreed.”

The Supreme Sword Scripture was right before them, and since Po Jun Star Monarch wasn’t trying to cause trouble, no one was going to get hung up on minor details.

Five palms pressed against the Stele simultaneously. At Po Jun Star Monarch’s command, the Star Lords all acted at once, causing the Cave Profound Stele to tremble violently.

Five streams of True Essence belonging to Nascent Soul Sword Cultivators vied with one another, each trying to claim a larger share within the Cave Profound Sword Stele.

Suddenly, one of the streams of True Essence vanished.

It wasn’t withdrawn; rather, a True Dragon leaped out and swallowed that mass of True Essence.

Looking at Po Jun Star Monarch, his eyes were vacant, his spirit wandering beyond the heavens. He had already connected with the Sword Stele.

As expected of a disciple from the Taibai Sword Sect’s Hidden Vein, his advantage from having inside information about the Sword-Cleansing Grotto Heaven was immense.

If not for that great battle which had shattered the Sword-Cleansing Grotto Heaven into thousands of fragments and even completely destroyed the Sword-Cleansing Pool, Po Jun Star Monarch’s advantage would have been even greater.

Bai Zichen grew anxious. If he failed to obtain the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture, his future cultivation would be severely affected.

He calmed his mind and tried repeatedly to connect with the inky, formless Sword Light on the back of the Sword Stele.

But every attempt ended in failure. It wasn’t that his method was wrong or that his aptitude was insufficient; the Stele had simply shut its doors to him.

‘Strange. The Sword Stele is like a stubborn rock, with no channel for communication… And what’s more, I can sense a trace of Demon Power hidden within it—a Demon Power of an extremely high nature.’

Bai Zichen had, after all, seen the Naihe Sect’s Inheritance Stele back in his Qi Refining days, so he was no stranger to similar methods of inheritance.

The Taibai Sword Sect had merely used a Divine Object, the Cave Profound Sword Stele, to pass down its most important Fundamental Great Method. The Naihe Sect, on the other hand, had fused its entire daoist lineage—including but not limited to Cultivation Techniques, Divine Techniques, Secret Techniques, and the Hundred Skills of Cultivation—into a single Inheritance Stele.

Even if all the Naihe Sect’s cultivators were wiped out, as long as the Inheritance Stele remained, they could rise from the ashes.

He tried again and again without any success, and couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of impatience.

‘No wonder Po Jun Star Monarch didn’t set any other conditions. He laid a trap here. It’s impossible for outsiders to obtain the inheritance of the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture.’

The Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes showed no reaction, their swirling speed gradually slowing down.

It wasn’t just Bai Zichen; the other three Star Lords had also failed to achieve anything, and anxious looks appeared on their faces.

Just as he was about to try another method to communicate with the Cave Profound Sword Stele, an Ancient Book lying within his personal realm began to flip its pages on its own, though there was no wind.

It resembled gold and jade, each page as thin as a cicada’s wing, rustling as it turned.

As the pages flipped faster and faster, eventually becoming a blur, a wisp of aura was shed from it.

Beneath a boundless dark night, a brilliant Sword Light arose, illuminating the horizon.

The Sword Stele, which had been like a stubborn rock showing nothing but dead silence and darkness, finally established a connection with him.

He traveled through countless fragmented worlds and saw a free-spirited and unrestrained Sword Cultivator.

‘The True Understanding of Sword Dao has taken effect, recognizing me as an heir to the Sword Sect…’

This Ancient Book was left behind by the Star River Sword Monarch. Aside from not containing the Cave Profound Godslaying Sword Scripture, it recorded nearly the entire essence of his lifelong Sword Dao.

Po Jun Star Monarch’s ability to link his spirit with the Cave Profound Sword Stele was undoubtedly due to his status as a disciple of the Taibai Sword Sect’s Hidden Vein.

And since the Star River Sword Monarch was one of the top three figures in the Taibai Sword Sect back then, his successor was equivalent to a Saint Heir, whose authority within the Sect would only be higher.

The Sword Cultivator in the inherited vision was over ten feet tall and powerfully built, with a pair of vertical, crimson-gold pupils that were utterly captivating.

In his hand was a Flying Sword, with which he was demonstrating an extremely basic form of Swordsmanship.

Suddenly, the sky darkened. A ball of fire flew in from Outer Heaven, quickly growing from a black speck the size of a rice grain to a mountain tens of thousands of feet high, and then to a star that blotted out the sky.

It was a celestial body from an unknown origin that had passed through the Gang Wind layer and was heading straight for the land.

If it were to truly strike the earth, the casualties wouldn’t be in the millions or tens of millions, but the entire world would be destroyed.

The Sword Cultivator drew his sword and pointed it at the sky. A white rainbow shot through the sun. The world-ending celestial body was split in two, then four, and soon into over a thousand fragments.

It was like a meteor shower, some pieces gouging out massive craters, others striking the water and raising tsunamis, and still others sparking long-lasting great fires.

Then, a shimmering golden Divine General appeared. He activated a Forbidden Technique and moved ten great mountains to block all paths of entry and exit.

The Sword Cultivator drew his sword again. With a CLANG, a golden helmet fell to the ground, leaving only a headless Divine General clad in Golden Armor.

Fresh blood gushed from the wound. He took three steps, then collapsed and died.