Chapter 119: Chu Huaixu’s Sword Intent

Sword Intent represented a sword cultivator’s comprehension of the Way of the Sword, having reached a certain level.

For these cultivation powerhouses, it was not considered something particularly rare for disciples within the sect to comprehend Sword Intent.

But to manifest Sword Intent at the First Realm—this was indeed almost unheard of in the world.

Yet, Dao Gate had a history stretching back over a thousand years. Heaven-defying geniuses, as common as carp crossing the river, had appeared before, so there were still precedents.

For example, had not Han Shuangjiang, by relying on a secret realm, comprehended the formidable Reincarnation Sword Intent?

But the problem lay in the fact that Chu Huaixu had already attained Sword Heart Clarity!

Sword Heart was the advanced state born from Sword Intent.

Xiang Yan opened his mouth and asked: “Seventh Junior Sister, are you certain? Do you mean that Chu Huaixu now possesses Sword Heart Clarity, yet he can still comprehend a new Sword Intent?”

“Pro… probably.” The thin Daoist nun still spoke sparingly, as always.

At her words, everyone’s hearts trembled.

All could imagine—one day, if he entered the realm of a Major Cultivator, how terrifying his combat strength would be!

Upon hearing this, Li Chunsong immediately began rubbing his hands on the spot, faster and faster.

His gambling addiction flared up—utterly uncontrollable!

“Everyone!” he shouted loudly.

“What do you all think? Between Chu Huaixu, who has comprehended Sword Intent, and Xu Ziqing, who wields the Dao Ancestor’s Sword—which of them is stronger, which is weaker?” He began laying the groundwork.

“When the Eastern Continent Grand Competition arrives, why don’t we… place a wager?” said the hopeless gambler.

At this, everyone really did start analyzing the matter seriously.

“It should be Xu Ziqing.” Zhao Shuqin reasoned.

With their level of cultivation, they could naturally perceive things through divine sense.

Though only the first of the nine restrictions on the Bronze Sword had been released, that power, for cultivators of the First Realm, was absolute suppression.

Even if Chu Huaixu had comprehended Sword Intent, he still could not bridge the gulf between them.

At best, he might manage to exchange some blows, but the result would likely be defeat.

There was no helping it—the sword’s rank was simply far too exalted.

“What about you all?” Li Chunsong’s face flushed, his breathing growing quick and heavy.

Enforcement Elder Lu Pan gave a cold snort: “Sixth Junior Brother, isn’t it far too early for this?”

“Ah, Senior Brother, but it’s precisely because we bet early that there’ll be variables—that’s what makes it exciting.” The Benevolent Gambling King gave a fawning smile.

Spurred on by him, the others began placing their bets one after another.

Apart from Li Chunsong, only Chu Yinyin placed blind trust in Chu Huaixu. She did not care about evidence—her support was pure and unconditional!

As for the Daoist nun sitting on the massive stone, she never took part in such matters.

The Benevolent Gambling King thought for a moment, but still chose to go against the majority.

“So many times now, Chu Huaixu has never made me lose!”

“I’ll bet on him again!” he declared loudly.

The night deepened gradually.

Xu Ziqing did not return to the bamboo hut.

Chu Huaixu hung his dirty clothes outside Little Xu’s door, then returned to his own room.

Though the Black-Gold Robe did not need washing, he was not so shameless as to wear only a single outer robe.

Little Xu’s functions had only been slightly optimized. The chores still had to be done.

After sitting down upon the meditation cushion, Chu Huaixu first retrieved a batch of pills from the Medicinal Cauldron.

He began channeling his spiritual energy into 【Dao Birth One】, feeding it.

The artifact spirit kept crying out in hunger, but he simply ignored it.

“Even if I feed you several times a day, you’re never full. What can I do?” he muttered helplessly.

After placing ten Qi-Gathering Pills into the medicine bottle, Chu Huaixu opened his Character Panel.

By now, his proficiency in low-level pill refining was nearly maxed out.

Though the Medicinal Cauldron refined the pills by itself, proficiency still rose accordingly.

It was as if he had been exploiting a cheat.

Of course, since 【Dao Birth One】 was so heaven-defying, even maxing out proficiency was not of much significance. After all, Chu Huaixu would never personally do the work.

The only use was that, when he occasionally needed to show others, he could, without relying on the Medicinal Cauldron, refine pills with his own genuine skill.

After closing the panel, he opened the forum.

His forum function was still inactive. The homepage still lacked the large banner for the closed beta announcement.

“Not many days left.” He thought to himself.

Three days slipped by in a flash.

In those three days, Han Shuangjiang had broken through another Heaven.

At her pace, she might well have raised her cultivation to the First Realm Great Perfection by the time of the Eastern Continent Grand Competition.

As for Xu Ziqing, he still had not returned home—likely remaining in the inner sect.

“I’ll be going down the mountain tomorrow. There are some matters I need to handle.” Chu Huaixu said during a meal to the Big Ice Block.

“Alright.” With her cold and aloof nature, she naturally did not ask further.

Only, with the house suddenly left to her alone, she found it somewhat unfamiliar.

The next day, having been tormented by the First Master all night, Chu Huaixu went down the mountain early.

According to his memory, he arrived at the nearest city to Dao Gate, a place named Dao City.

Clearly, this city bore its name because it lay beside Dao Gate.

“This is one of the locations for Borrowed Sword’s closed beta.” He thought to himself.

Today was the very day of the closed beta.

Chu Huaixu entered the city and began wandering aimlessly.

Dao City was bustling and prosperous, its streets thronged with people.

“Foolish players are easy to spot—they stick out in any crowd.” He thought.

Just how outrageous could players get?

When first descending, some players, just to test the game’s boundaries, would actually drop their pants right then and there…

Aside from that, one should not expect players to walk properly.

Now, even if one did not know movement techniques, they would still run about blindly, leaping here and there. Once they learned them, they would absolutely dart east and west without restraint.

This was just like many years ago, when people played online games—if the jump key wasn’t pressed a few times, the body would feel unbearably uncomfortable.

Yet, Chu Huaixu wandered around Dao City for a full hour and did not see a single anomaly!

The only thing he encountered was a pickpocket trying to steal a money pouch. Chu Huaixu deliberately walked by and bumped him hard with his shoulder.

This left his mood somewhat peculiar.

Although the signs before had already given him faint suspicions, he still could not help wandering more, looking more.

Chu Huaixu needed an answer.

Even if, deep down, he already knew that answer.

As the sun set, Chu Huaixu found a restaurant.

He sat by the window, watching the streets in the glow of the evening sun.

Today, Dao City should have been thrown into small-scale chaos because of a group of strange people.

But until now, it remained peaceful and quiet.

Chu Huaixu ate the restaurant’s signature dishes, his feelings complicated.

In the end, all the countless thoughts in his heart turned into one sentence: "It’s still not as tasty as what the Big Ice Block cooks."

He quickly cleared away all the food, then set off back toward Dao Gate.

In the setting sun, his shadow grew longer and longer.

Amid the crowd, he walked on, always by himself.

From this day on, he had become the only one within 《Borrowed Sword》.

By the time Chu Huaixu returned to Medicine Mountain, night had already fallen.

Han Shuangjiang was cultivating in meditation inside her own room.

When he entered the house, he found Little Xu still had not returned home.

"He can’t still be unconscious, right？" he thought.

Because of the journey, his shoes were somewhat dirty.

Chu Huaixu took them off and tossed them at Little Xu’s door.

Back on the meditation cushion, seated cross-legged, he fell into a long daze.

It was hard to put into words what he felt.

It was as if there was a… sense of detachment?

Chu Huaixu remained lost in thought like that.

Until, in a brief lapse of consciousness, he “awoke” again—only to find himself once more within that blank space.

Before him, as always, dense fog suddenly welled up.

Through the mist, he could vaguely see the woman holding a sword.

Her sword-holding posture was beautiful. As usual, Chu Huaixu admired it for a moment.

Of course, he still went through the motions, bowing respectfully: "First Master."

In the past, after bowing, he would simply stand there idly, waiting to be “slaughtered.”

But today was different.

The thirty-day countdown had reached its final day.

And besides, today he was feeling a little complicated.

At this moment, Chu Huaixu thought no further.

He simply said suddenly: "First Master, though I know my cultivation is utterly insignificant before you, today when you draw your sword, I also wish to try drawing mine."

The figure in the fog gave no response.

Chu Huaixu still could not tell even now—could she perceive his words? ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel✶

Or was this figure before him actually devoid of any intelligence, merely the embodiment of the Sword Domain?

But he no longer cared.

Today, he simply wanted to try—he wanted to swing a sword!

Even if, as a Swordless One, he did not even have a sword in hand.

Before long, the woman in the mist moved.

Her movements were not fast, for she always set her stance before each strike.

Sometimes, it was a thrust.

Sometimes, it was a slash.

Sometimes, it was a lift.....

She only ever executed the most basic moves.

Today, it seemed to return once again to the very first… thrust!

Chu Huaixu knew just how fast she truly was, so this time, he acted first.

This was his first active attack within this Sword Domain!

He used his finger as a sword, likewise thrusting forward.

A sword-light flashed. In an instant, he was engulfed, reduced to ashes.

And so, again and again, his will quickly grew muddled, his mind like mush.

As usual, Shen Man killed him forty times in one night.

Yet today, for some reason, on the final strike, Chu Huaixu’s consciousness suddenly cleared.

The woman in the mist actually took a few steps forward.

As she moved, the fog also shifted, enveloping her.

"Perhaps… the mist itself is part of her Sword Domain？" Chu Huaixu thought as clarity returned.

Soon, the two of them were only about a meter apart.

This thin Daoist nun raised her sword again.

But this time, the sword moved very slowly—so slow that Chu Huaixu seemed able to see every detail!

It felt as though the flow of time itself had slowed!

Meanwhile, the sword qi at his fingertip moved as always, at its usual speed.

This woman named Shen Man still stood in the fog.

But the sword in her hand emerged from it for the first time!

Chu Huaixu saw a sword extend out from the mist.

"It’s actually a wooden sword！"

The sword qi at his fingertip clashed against the wooden sword.

Though he knew full well he would once again face utterly real death—

Chu Huaixu’s heart was inexplicably calm.

As though training had already erased the body’s instinctive fear!

He felt no fear at all.

In the next instant, the fog before him receded backward.

To be precise, everything he saw began… rewinding?

The entire thirty days replayed in reverse, faster and faster!

『Boom一一！

He felt as though his head was about to explode.

Chu Huaixu’s eyes snapped open. A mysterious aura spread from him, surging into the heavens!

In the bamboo hut next door, even the Zhegutian placed upon Han Shuangjiang’s desk quivered violently!

In his ears, a system notification sounded.

！Congratulations! You have completed the Trial Mission "【You have comprehended Sword Intent —— Fearless.】"

Chu Huaixu had long wondered—what was his trait, what kind of Sword Intent would he manifest?

Now, he had the answer.

《Sword Refining Art》 had made him unafraid of pain.

《Dao Canon》 had made him unafraid of injury.

Thirty days of Sword Domain trials had made him unafraid of death.

But today was special, after all.

Chu Huaixu gazed blankly at the roof.

"Not afraid of pain, not afraid of injury, not afraid of death… isn’t that just…."

He paused briefly, then spoke two words in his heart:

"Player！"