Borrowed Sword

Chapter 152 : "I Am the Swordless One!"

Chapter 152: "I Am the Swordless One!"

ㄴ Geng Tianhe was half-lying on the ground, his elbow propping him up slightly, lifting his upper body.

— Chu Huaixu’s sword scabbard lightly pressed against his shoulder, signaling him not to rise and that there was no need to continue the fight.

— It was clear to see the other’s condition had already worsened to the extreme.

— Not only was he seriously injured, but his aura was also in complete disarray, and the risk of Qi deviation had greatly increased.

— Chu Huaixu truly feared that with one careless move, he would shatter the opponent’s Dao heart and plunge him into madness.

— This was the Eastern Continent Grand Competition, not a life-and-death battle.

— Moreover, the opponent had come to ask for a duel with sincerity, and Chu Huaixu knew the limits well.

— Below the platform, the crowd stood dumbfounded.

— Who would’ve thought that hidden within that ancient, unassuming sword scabbard were seven overwhelmingly domineering sword auras!

— When Geng Tianhe had drawn his sword earlier, many had already felt like they saw a towering tidal wave.

— But those seven sword auras had still shattered everything.

— From the beginning of the competition till now, Chu Huaixu had not sustained a single injury.

— Yet every one of his opponents had ended up the same way.

— Lang Yue and the others had already become dazed from watching.

— They had all been defeated by Mortal Martial Arts and once regarded it as a humiliation.

— But now, seeing the seven cascading sword auras pouring out, they felt they had deserved to lose to the 【Eight Wastelands Wandering Dragon】.

— "To be defeated by sword auras like these... am I even worthy?" Lang Yue, Shen Miaoyun, and the others thought.

— Among the Dao Gate crowd, many gazed at Chu Huaixu’s back, and for some reason, someone came to mind.

— It was said that person had also held only a sword scabbard, defeated countless foes, and never once lost in his lifetime.

— The only difference was that the Dao Ancestor borrowed swords to use, while Chu Huaixu had never wielded one.

— These Dao Gate disciples, seeing the 【Ding Fengbo】 he held, didn’t dare to associate it with the Dao Ancestor’s Sword Scabbard.

— After all, most people’s imaginations were severely limited.

— Right now, they only felt an overwhelming surge of inspiration.

— "A Sword Sect prodigy has been defeated by our Dao Gate sword cultivator!"

— "And Junior Brother Chu didn’t even use a sword!"

— "Looks like the future of Xuanhuang Sword Destiny belongs to our Dao Gate!"

▶ On the high platform, Mei Chuxue and Situ Cheng were not particularly surprised.

— No matter how mystical the Dao Ancestor’s Sword Scabbard was, it wouldn’t shock them too much.

— Besides, at the First Realm, one couldn’t unleash the full might of high-grade magical treasures.

— It was likely that as his realm increased, he’d reveal even more miracles.

— Situ Cheng sighed lightly and said, "Geng Tianhe took an extreme path. Pity that even in combat, he failed to grasp Sword Intent."

— Teng Lingyi nodded. "Mainly because all his swords were suppressed. No idea how Chu Huaixu managed that."

— If a sword cultivator’s heart wasn’t aligned with their sword, how could they take that final step?

— Mei Chuxue also offered her thoughts. "Fortunately, that final strike of his let his Sword Spirit feel his desperation. There was a glimpse of Great River Sword Intent."

— The three exchanged glances, their faces tinged with disappointment.

— Up till now, the top seeds from the Three Great Sects had all been eliminated.

— Though Teng Lingyi and Mei Chuxue had hoped Geng Tianhe would lose so that the Sword Sect would also join their ranks,

— Watching him fall so completely still evoked a sense of sorrow.

ㄴ At this moment, Teng Lingyi, known as a 【Cultivation Method Grandmaster】, could no longer suppress his curiosity.

— He was extremely curious about what cultivation method Chu Huaixu practiced.

— Watching him compete again today, his focus was quite different from the others.

— He had been estimating the total amount of Spiritual Energy in Chu Huaixu’s body.

— If not for Jiang Zhi blocking his probe, he could have simply used his divine sense to scan and found the answer—no need to make rough guesses like this.

— "This brat clearly still has energy left in reserve."

— "But just his previous expenditure of Spiritual Energy was already terrifying."

— "Especially with techniques like True Gang—domineering to the extreme, their destructive power is immense, but the drain is equally massive."

— "What kind of cultivation method allows him to dual-train sword and body while storing such boundless Spiritual Energy?"

— Such a heaven-defying cultivation method shouldn’t have escaped his ears.

— He looked toward Xiang Yan and the others and asked, "Sect Master Xiang, and fellow Daoists of the Dao Gate, I’m truly curious. Could you tell me what cultivation method Chu Huaixu practices?"

— Everyone turned their gaze to Xiang Yan, as though waiting for the sect master’s decision.

— Seeing the reaction of the Dao Gate’s high-level members, Teng Lingyi became even more convinced that this youth’s cultivation method was extraordinary.

— And indeed—such power at First Realm Seventh Heaven had to come from a supreme method.

— Xiang Yan smiled and made his decision. "Since Fellow Daoist Teng is so curious, why not ask him yourself? We won’t speak for him."

— Back when they first gathered at Ask-Dao Peak’s main hall, the leaders from the Three Great Sects had bragged incessantly.

— Geng Tianhe mastered the 《Sword Canon》, Kui Muquan cultivated the supreme heart method of Spring and Autumn Mountain, Zhao Xinghan trained in the first volume of the 《Luo Heaven Dao Art》...

— Each of the Three Great Sects had rare, comprehensive cultivation methods that allowed cultivation all the way to the Ninth Realm, and each realm’s grade met Heaven-rank standards.

— These methods formed the foundation of their sects.

— Every generation of Sword Sovereigns in the Sword Sect had almost always trained in the 《Sword Canon》.

— Only a rare few practiced other methods.

— Hence, 《Sword Canon》 and 《Luo Heaven Dao Art》 were renowned throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.

— Over the millennia, these techniques had produced countless peerless experts.

— But the Dao Gate’s situation was another story entirely.

— The Three Great Sects often mocked them: "The Dao Ancestor’s inherited cultivation method has been around for over a thousand years, and no one’s ever mastered it!"

— "Everyone who tries ends up mediocre."

— So then, Fellow Daoist Teng, ask him now—ask the one who just brought honor to our Dao Gate. Let him answer loudly himself!

— Teng Lingyi nodded. The Grandmaster of Cultivation Methods finally posed his question.

— "Chu Huaixu, this old man sees your cultivation method is unique—dual training of sword and body. Could you tell me what it is?"

— "I won’t let you answer for nothing. I’ll let you choose one of the Second Realm methods I created. How’s that?"

— At his level, of course, he had to maintain his prestige.

— Since he couldn’t resist his curiosity and had to publicly question a junior, it was only right to offer a gift in return.

— Upon hearing this, Chu Huaixu’s first reaction was to glance at his sect master.

— Only after seeing Xiang Yan nod did he raise the sword scabbard and respond loudly.

『The cultivation method I practice is the 《Dao Canon》 left by the Dao Ancestor!』

— That single sentence shook the entire Martial Arena like thunderclaps from a clear sky, setting the atmosphere ablaze.

...

...

— "The 《Dao Canon》?"

— "Chu Huaixu actually practices the 《Dao Canon》?"

— Everyone in the Dao Gate knew how unusual this cultivation method was.

— No one would dare train in it unless they were especially headstrong.

— Even people from other sects had heard the tales.

— It was absurd—a cultivation method left by the great Dao Ancestor, yet full of pitfalls with nothing seemingly special. Even Dao Gate disciples dismissed it as: balanced but unremarkable.

— But now, look at Chu Huaixu. Balanced and unremarkable, my ass!

— A thousand-year mystery of the Xuanhuang Realm suddenly seemed to be answered.

— The 《Dao Canon》... turned out to be a method that trained both internally and externally!

— Teng Lingyi, upon hearing this, was struck like by lightning.

— Never had he imagined that the boy trained in the Dao Ancestor’s divine method!

— And how had he produced such different results from everyone else?

— Could it be that everyone else had practiced it wrong?

— The Dao Gate disciples were even more dumbfounded.

— "Is that what the 《Dao Canon》 is like?"

— "Why would he choose it? That’s such a huge risk!"

— "Just his courage and daring alone... we couldn’t even dream of matching it."

— Everyone looked at Chu Huaixu differently now.

— As if they were looking at the Dao Ancestor’s legacy successor.

— A thousand years—an entire millennium.

— Had someone finally mastered the 《Dao Canon》?

— Everyone felt as if they had received an answer, or at least, a reasonable explanation:

— ーーNo wonder Chu Huaixu was so powerful!

— It was strange. Simply because it was related to the Dao Ancestor, no matter how heaven-defying Chu Huaixu was, everything suddenly seemed justified.

— The scene boiled over, and everyone began heated discussions.

— Even the major cultivators on the high platform weren’t exceptions.

— Situ Cheng and Mei Chuxue’s gazes were locked onto the sword scabbard in Chu Huaixu’s hand.

— "He’s mastered the 《Dao Canon》 and obtained the Dao Ancestor’s life-bound item?" they wondered.

— Where this youth would end up in the future... they dared not even speculate.

— A terrifying thought crept into their minds:

— "Could the Xuanhuang Realm be seeing the rise of a second Dao Ancestor?"

— The Dao Gate elders were extremely pleased by the crowd’s reaction.

— Of course, Xiang Yan still made a mental note that he’d need to address the disciples later.

— For it was clear—after seeing Chu Huaixu shine so brightly, how many disciples would rashly choose the 《Dao Canon》 during their breakthroughs?

— "It’s not something to be chosen lightly..." he thought.

— Just the fact that only one person had succeeded in a thousand years... spoke volumes.

It wasn’t something just anyone could cultivate.

“Don’t end up ruining your own future, only to regret it later……”

Actually, up until now, everyone had only just come to understand that 《Dao Canon》 was a method that trained both body and spirit.

As for how exactly Chu Huaixu had managed to learn it—there was still no definite answer. Everyone could only make guesses.

For instance, perhaps it required prior Body Training, and that one had to temper the body to an extraordinary, heaven-defying degree like him.

But a guess, in the end, was still only a guess.

After all, he was an exception—a coincidence of fortune.

Moreover, Chu Huaixu himself was one of a kind. In the process of Body Training, he had even refined a Sword Spirit……

Even Xu Ziqing, that Sword Attendant who also practiced 《Sword Refining Art》, hadn’t achieved such a feat.

In truth, even if one were to ask Chu Huaixu himself, he wouldn’t be able to give a clear answer either.

He had relied on the System to level up.

The System was the greatest variable of all!

Whether others could cultivate 《Dao Canon》—how the hell would he know that?

Of course, if someone truly could learn it, Chu Huaixu possessed the openness and magnanimity to welcome it!

He didn’t believe that others mastering it would make them stronger than him.

Perhaps this was also the influence of the Fearless Sword Intent—“You may learn it; I will not fear.”

And by the side of the platform, the one whose scalp tingled the most—was none other than Niu Yuanshan!

Old Niu felt as if his mind was about to explode.

“I, a man of the 【Organization】, have mastered the Dao Gate’s 《Dao Canon》!”

“Hahahaha! Chu Huaixu has mastered the 《Dao Canon》!”

“For a thousand years, not a single soul of the Dao Gate comprehended it—yet a spy of my Moon Country has done it! Hahahahaha!”

Niu Yuanshan could barely contain his emotions—he was practically ecstatic to madness.

“The orthodox inheritance of the righteous Eastern Continent… does that not now belong to us of the Western Continent’s Moon Country?”

This was beyond great merit—this was monumental achievement!

Since the founding of the 【Organization】, no one had ever accomplished such a world-shaking feat!

Meanwhile, on the platform, Geng Tianhe—who was cultivating 《Sword Canon》—looked dazed, almost possessed, muttering to himself without pause:

“Chu Huaixu is cultivating 《Dao Canon》?”

“He has learned the Dao Ancestor’s cultivation art?”

In contrast, Situ Cheng and the others, who knew more of the truth, had calmed down.

He no longer blamed Geng Tianhe at all—in fact, he thought the boy’s defeat was not unjust.

That man was not only the Dao Ancestor’s Sword Scabbard, but had also mastered the Dao Ancestor’s cultivation art—how could you possibly win?

These three cultivation powerhouses finally understood why, even though Xu Ziqing had become a 【Sword Attendant】, there were still people among their ranks betting on Chu Huaixu’s victory.

“Perhaps calling it madness was not entirely wrong……” they thought.

After receiving the answer, Teng Lingyi couldn’t just ignore it—he had to say a few words in return.

Because the high platform was far from the arena, he had to circulate his Spiritual Energy to speak.

His voice carried clearly to everyone present.

“To think, after a thousand years, someone could cultivate the 《Dao Canon》 to such a level.”

“You have resolved all of this old man’s doubts.”

“No wonder the Spiritual Energy in your body is so vigorous—far beyond others of your realm.”

Hearing this praise from such an Eighth Realm grand cultivator, Lang Yue, Shen Miaoyun, and the others were more excited than Chu Huaixu himself.

While Chu Huaixu remained calm and composed, they were already flushed with excitement.

For no other reason than this—the worth of being defeated by him was only increasing!

“So what if I was defeated in one move? He’s cultivating the 《Dao Canon》!”

“No wonder my Desire Illusion Realm had no effect—because he’s cultivating the 《Dao Canon》!”

The Dao Ancestor’s legend had long been mythologized over the past thousand years.

To the point that Chu Huaixu himself was beginning to take on a mythic air.

On the arena, after muttering to himself for a long time, Geng Tianhe finally raised his head.

With grace, he clasped his fists toward Chu Huaixu and said, “Congratulations, Brother Chu, for mastering the 《Dao Canon》 left behind by the Dao Ancestor.”

“I, Geng Tianhe, admit defeat wholeheartedly!”

“It is only a pity that, despite my utmost effort, I still could not make Brother Chu draw his sword.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his face twisted slightly—he seemed on the verge of Qi Deviation once again.

Chu Huaixu looked at him and sighed softly.

He knew all too well—Geng Tianhe had simply imagined him to be too powerful, thinking himself unworthy to make him unsheath his sword.

What’s more, Chu Huaixu knew another truth: his identity as the 【Swordless One】 could not be hidden forever.

One day, the world would know—he had never had a sword at all.

“Forget it, forget it,” Chu Huaixu said inwardly.

Holding his Sword Scabbard, he lifted his pitch-black eyes and fixed his gaze on Geng Tianhe. His tone sank:

“My sword—you have already seen it.”

Having said that, he turned and left the stage, leaving Geng Tianhe standing there in a daze.

At that moment, he was utterly disheveled, blood at the corner of his mouth, his body severely wounded, and his right arm completely severed.

His aura was chaotic to the extreme—at risk of Qi Deviation at any time. Once he stepped down, he would need to return to seclusion immediately.

Yet even now, his expression kept changing.

Chu Huaixu’s words seemed half-understood, half-mysterious to him.

Before the eyes of all, he stood alone at the center of the arena, like a madman, endlessly repeating that phrase.

“My sword—you have already seen it.”

“My sword—you have already seen it……”

Down below, Chu Huaixu watched him and felt momentarily stunned.

He secretly cursed to himself.

“He didn’t misunderstand that, did he? Surely he’s not imagining something else?”

Judging by the current situation, Chu Huaixu suspected that might well be the case.

On the high platform, even Situ Cheng couldn’t help but stand up.

Because the Sword Sect prodigy on stage—his aura was growing more and more erratic!

If this continued, who knew what might happen?

The worst part was, Situ Cheng didn’t dare to intervene recklessly, for fear of making it worse.

He had no mind to ponder Chu Huaixu’s cryptic words; his full attention was on Geng Tianhe.

Teng Lingyi and Mei Chuxue, on the other hand, were slowly coming to a realization.

“So that’s how it is! So that’s how it is!”

“How strange! How utterly strange!”

The shocks this young man had given them were simply too many to count.

A mere cultivator of the First Realm—so extraordinary?

No wonder he sometimes felt like a drawn sword!

On the arena, Geng Tianhe suddenly burst into laughter.

“I have seen it—yes! I have seen it! Hahahaha!”

“So that’s how it is! So that’s how it is!”

“Thank you, Brother Chu, for your guidance! I, Geng Tianhe, was indeed deluded—truly deluded!”

He spoke loudly, oblivious to all others.

Seeing this, Situ Cheng, who had been monitoring his aura, couldn’t help but utter a surprised “Hm?”

Immediately afterward, he waved his hand, placing a Restriction around Geng Tianhe to isolate him from all external interference.

Xiang Yan and the others seated nearby exchanged astonished looks—glancing from Geng Tianhe to Chu Huaixu and back.

At the center of the arena stood the young sword cultivator, his right arm hanging limply.

His expression still shifted, yet his turbulent aura began to change—still fierce, but now like a rushing river.

Though his hair was disheveled, even messier than before, those bloodshot eyes grew ever brighter—ever brighter!

Until, finally, an indescribably profound aura began to emanate from Geng Tianhe’s body.

【Xuanli 1990, Autumn. The Sword Sect prodigy Geng Tianhe, upon Chu Huaixu’s guidance, entered the realm of Sword Intent with but a single phrase.】

......