"This is… Senior Brother’s carved words?"
In front of the Gentleman’s Monument, Xu Ziqing, whose eyes were bloodshot, stared at the crooked words on the stone tablet, his very soul trembling.
His personal will seemed to be stirred and uplifted.
"A gentleman uses things, but is not used by things！" The youth silently recited this phrase again and again in his heart.
Amid endless pain and torment, he even let out waves of roars, shouting it aloud.
As if this was a spiritual pillar, supporting his unyielding struggle!
The Bronze Sword floated in the air, its Sword Spirit already split in two.
Half of it entered Xu Ziqing’s Spirit Embryo Secret Store, while the other half still remained within the sword.
At the foot of the mountain, Xiang Yan and the others immediately understood.
"The Spirit Embryo Secret Store is the most mysterious part of the human body, the foundation of cultivation.""Xu Ziqing’s Spirit Embryo Attribute is being altered by this sword！"
Simply put, the Bronze Sword was trying to mold its Sword Attendant into its own likeness.
Yet, for some reason, changes kept occurring.
At the hilt, the golden halo grew ever more dazzling.
The obscure runes within also began to shine piercingly.
In Xu Ziqing’s right palm, the exact same scene unfolded.
Chu Huaixu could not help but ask aloud: "Sect Master, Elders, what is this？"
Even standing at the mountain’s base, he felt a force spreading outward.
Its rank was extremely high, even faintly suppressing the Black Small Sword within his Sea of Consciousness.
"That is the Restriction left by the Dao Ancestor." Chu Yinyin, ever the blabbermouth, immediately answered.
Enforcement Elder Lu Pan at once turned his head and glared at her.
"The Restriction left by the Dao Ancestor？" Chu Huaixu murmured inwardly.
"This Restriction actually split in two, with one part on the sword and the other in Xu Ziqing’s hand？"
He felt that he was beginning to understand.
This was the insurance the Dao Ancestor left for Xu Ziqing!
Otherwise, with the malevolence of this sword, bringing it down the mountain would absolutely bring calamity upon the world!
"But why is this sword competing for control over his body？" Chu Huaixu’s confusion deepened.
Yet, having read countless novels, watched movies and anime—
And having played all sorts of games—
Based on his knowledge of some of the plotlines in 《Borrowed Sword》, a suspicion quickly arose in his heart.
"Damn, every time Xiao Xu erupts at the last moment holding this sword, could it be… that it was always the sword fighting in his place？" Chu Huaixu was shaken.
The one showing off incredible might was not Xu Ziqing at all, but him being possessed by the sword?
The more Chu Huaixu thought, the more likely it seemed.
After climbing the mountain last time, he had already found it strange—
This sword was sinister, arrogant, bloodthirsty.
Why would Xu Ziqing be able to control it? Why would it willingly recognize Xiao Xu as its master, becoming his Life-bound Spirit Sword?
Now, Chu Huaixu had his answer.
"It was completely the opposite—it wanted to enslave Xiao Xu！"
And thus, a new question arose.
If every time Xu Ziqing erupted, it was actually the sword “代打” in his stead, then looking at him now, writhing like a zombie atop the mountain—how could he possibly fight?
"Could it be that Xiao Xu must willingly surrender control of his body？" Chu Huaixu wondered.
While he was lost in thought, the Dao Gate’s higher-ups began secretly transmitting their voices to each other.
Li Chunsong said: "Truly strange. What’s happening now is completely unlike what the Dao Ancestor described."
"If Xu Ziqing had truly become the Sword Attendant chosen by this sword, then it should be able to control him."
"Though the Restriction upon it remains, limiting its strength, it should not be like this."
Sect Master Xiang Yan nodded. On his face, where even his sparse eyebrows barely grew, a strange expression surfaced as he transmitted:
"The Dao Ancestor’s Restriction is incomparably strong. The Sword Attendant is essentially a key. As the Sword Attendant grows stronger, the more seals he can unlock."
"Once the Sword Spirit possesses him, it is equivalent to entering the state of 【Human and Sword as One】. Only, the sword takes the lead. The larger the gap opened in the Restriction, the greater the power unleashed."
"The Restriction in his right palm is linked to that on the Bronze Sword."
"This allows everything to remain within controllable bounds."
"Although he is only at the First Realm, his ‘key’ having only opened the first lock, it should not appear like this."
"In his current state, even wielding the sword, he cannot unleash its full might！"
Everyone exchanged glances, a single thought shared in their hearts: "How could this be？"
Zhao Shuqin narrowed his eyes and spoke: "The Dao Ancestor placed nine Restrictions upon the Bronze Sword, equal to nine locks."
"Now, the first lock has been opened. A portion of the sword’s power is unsealed, and a portion of the Sword Spirit’s power as well."
"By reason, this power should completely crush Xu Ziqing."
"Because if it cannot achieve one hundred percent absolute suppression, the Sword Spirit cannot control his body."
"Even if Xu Ziqing were willing to be controlled, it still would not work！"
"For his latent will would resist regardless. This is instinct, human nature—he must be utterly suppressed by the Sword Spirit."
"By reason, the Dao Ancestor, with divine foresight, would not make such a blunder."
"As it seems now, could it be that this Sword Attendant… is unexpectedly strong？"
"Stronger than what the Dao Ancestor anticipated？"
Everyone understood what he meant.
This was the only explanation!
At this moment, the youth on the mountain—his overall strength had exceeded expectations.
So much so that when the first lock was opened, such a contradictory scene appeared.
If events had proceeded according to plan, it should have been a delicate balance.
In this balance, the Sword Spirit—still sealed by eight Restrictions—could only exert a very small portion of its power.
After the Sword Attendant paid some price, he could break free from the Sword Spirit’s absolute suppression, then rely on the Restriction to seize back control of his body.
But now, this delicate balance was broken.
The Sword Spirit’s suppression over him might have reached as high as eighty or ninety percent, but it was not absolute!
As long as it was not one hundred percent, a scene like the present one would occur.
"So now it’s like this—the sword cannot control him, and he, even less so, cannot control the sword." Nangong Yue crossed her arms over her chest, her tone heavy.
"In this way, however, he is actually safer."
"The Sword Attendant need not pay any price, but can rely on the Restriction in his palm to forcibly snatch back control over his body."
But then—what about the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth, what about the Origin Spirit Realm?
As things stood, Xu Ziqing’s power when using the sword was greatly diminished.
A shadow hung over the hearts of Xiang Yan and the others, for it seemed that they had all messed things up.
Only Chu Yinyin, with her innately unrestrained nature, voiced her own view at this moment.
"I know where the problem lies！" she said.
Everyone looked toward her.
Chu Yinyin, in a matter-of-fact tone, transmitted: "The reason is simple! Because Xu Ziqing was never the Heaven’s Mandated One spoken of by the Dao Ancestor! He was never the Sword Attendant chosen by the Dao Ancestor！"
"So no matter how divinely farsighted the Dao Ancestor was, he could not have calculated this correctly."
"The Heaven’s Mandated One is Chu Huaixu！"
At the foot of Hidden Spirit Mountain, a breeze passed.
Chu Yinyin lifted her head proudly, looking smug.
With an expression as though she had seen through everything, she continued transmitting to everyone:
"The Dao Ancestor absolutely could not be wrong. His arrangements are flawless."
"And Chu Huaixu being the Heaven’s Mandated One is beyond all doubt."
"Unless Little Martial Uncle was unreliable and found the wrong person."
"In that case, it must be because this sword was stirring trouble！"
"Who knows what method it used, but it actually went against the Dao Ancestor’s original plan！"
The more Chu Yinyin spoke, the clearer she felt her reasoning was.
Yes—there was only one truth.
The Dao Ancestor was not wrong, Little Martial Uncle was not wrong, we were not wrong… the problem lay with the Evil Sword!
"Though you all forbid me to say it, I believe you think the same as I do—that this sword is nothing but an Evil Sword！"
"Every time we climbed the mountain, you all felt its posture and bearing yourselves."
"How could this be the Sword of Salvation? If it truly broke free of its seals and acted freely, I suspect it would want to slaughter and devour every last person under heaven！"
"Therefore, the problem must be with the Evil Sword. It must have found some loophole, choosing Xu Ziqing instead of Chu Huaixu, disrupting all of the Dao Ancestor’s arrangements."
"Perhaps, this youth and this sword are not compatible at all! Chu Huaixu is the one truly suited for it！"
Hearing her words, everyone… actually felt there was some truth?
Very quickly, they began to accept it, agreeing that the problem lay with the Evil Sword.
There was no helping it—that was its reputation!
This sword gave everyone too terrible an impression…
The malevolence it carried was far too great.
Just as Little Junior Sister said, if not for the Dao Ancestor’s seal, this sword would certainly slaughter all living beings under heaven.
As for us…
How could there be any problem with us?
Before Chu Huaixu arrived at Hidden Spirit Mountain, we had done almost nothing, entirely according to Little Martial Uncle’s orders!
"But the current situation is indeed somewhat awkward," Xiang Yan said helplessly.
"The Savior described by the Dao Ancestor had Sword Heart Clarity, even comprehended the 《Dao Canon》, yet had no sword in hand, and was a Swordless One."
"This Xu Ziqing became the Sword Attendant, but could not bring forth the sword’s full power."
"If the two of them could be combined as one, how good would that be. The issue of the Origin Spirit Realm could surely be resolved perfectly." Xiang Yan sighed. "It’s just a pity, the Origin Spirit Realm can only be entered by one."
As they conversed through sound transmission, atop the mountain peak, the Restriction in Xu Ziqing’s right palm and the Restriction upon the Bronze Sword had already fully taken shape.
Those golden halos and runes all merged into his body, leaving a pattern upon his palm.
The Dark Bluish-Black Small Sword within his Spirit Embryo was immediately suppressed.
Xu Ziqing once again regained complete control over his body.
He stared at the Gentleman’s Monument before him, muttering again: "A gentleman uses things, but is not used by things."
"I suppose… I managed to do it, right？"
Then, utterly exhausted, he fell backward, completely fainting away.