164: Inheritance

"one heart sword?"

Zhou Xiuyuan was startled by the ancient voice and subconsciously reached for his waist. A familiar sensation returned, and the one heart sword was once again in his hand.

Without time to check anything else, Zhou Xiuyuan focused his gaze forward. Before him stood a colossal snow-capped mountain, soaring straight into the heavens.

"Snow mountain..."

"Could the voice just now have come from this snow mountain?"

Zhou Xiuyuan looked slightly puzzled.

"Are you looking for this Old Ancestor?"

Just as Zhou Xiuyuan was bowing to the snow mountain, the ancient voice sounded again from behind him.

Hearing this, Zhou Xiuyuan quickly turned around.

Before his eyes, a three-inch long sword-shaped illusory figure floated leisurely in the air, watching him.

"Greetings, Senior!"

Zhou Xiuyuan bowed. Although he didn't understand what kind of existence this was, it was always better to be polite, even if it wasn't a person.

"Poor, truly poor. It's utterly a mess."

The sword-shaped illusory figure circled Zhou Xiuyuan, who was bowing, a few times, its tone tinged with a hint of disappointment.

"Who taught you the Visualization Technique? It's simply misleading people!"

"You almost ruined a good seed."

The sword-shaped illusory figure cursed aloud.

"Visualization Technique..."

"Senior, Junior has no Master and has been fumbling around on my own. If there's anything incorrect, please guide me."

Zhou Xiuyuan was startled. Had he been on the wrong path all this time?

"Has the Dao of the Sword in later generations declined to this extent?"

Hearing Zhou Xiuyuan's reply, the sword-shaped illusory figure fell silent for a long time.

From the moment Zhou Xiuyuan and the two others entered this Legacy land, it had been silently observing.

All three had good talent and the Cultivation Techniques they cultivated were not too bad. They should be Genius Disciples from powerful factions.

But even a Genius Disciple like Zhou Xiuyuan, with such high talent in the Dao of the Sword and a background, didn't have a Master. This essentially confirmed that the Dao of the Sword in later generations had probably withered away completely.

"That you could cultivate to this point by yourself without a Master hasn't entirely wasted your talent."

"It's just that without a systematic Legacy, it will be difficult for you to advance further in the future."

The sword-shaped illusory figure sighed with emotion. What a good seed he was.

Zhou Xiuyuan's Heart-Nature tightened. It was precisely for this reason that he had made up his mind to agree to Shen Xuanzhao's suggestion to explore this place.

Judging from the sword illusory figure's tone, he had come to the right place.

Just as Zhou Xiuyuan was about to ask the sword illusory figure for guidance, something came to mind, and he bowed to the sword illusory figure again.

"Senior, my two friends, are they alright?"

"Hehe~"

The sword illusory figure chuckled. With a thought, two white bubbles flew out from the snow mountain and remained suspended in the air.

Inside each bubble, a figure slept soundly. They were precisely Shen Xuanzhao and Yun Qingsi.

Zhou Xiuyuan looked up. Although the two were asleep, their vitality was stable, and there was no danger to their lives.

Besides the sleeping figures, various scenes flashed within the bubbles like a revolving lantern.

In the scene, Yun Qingsi, holding a wooden sword, was engaging in a somewhat clumsy sword technique with an illusory figure. Yun Qingsi was no match, retreating steadily, and muttering curses:

"Stupid Senior Brother, bad Senior Brother, why aren't you coming to save me? Just wait until I get back and tell Master. I'll make Master give you a good beating..."

Zhou Xiuyuan glanced at it and nodded. If she could still curse, she should be fine.

In the other bubble's scene, Shen Xuanzhao's eyes were vacant, just like Zhou Xiuyuan's earlier. He stumbled along, unable to find a way out, or an end to his journey.

"This little girl's talent in the Dao of the Sword is a bit lacking, but her Heart-Nature is good."

"As for this boy, his talent in the Dao of the Sword is good, but still slightly inferior to yours."

The sword illusory figure descended and came before Zhou Xiuyuan, commenting on the two in the bubbles.

"Senior, can you release them?"

Zhou Xiuyuan asked the sword illusory figure beside him.

"No hurry, let them stay a while longer."

The sword illusory figure swayed gently.

Zhou Xiuyuan nodded.

The sword illusory figure moved, and the two bubbles flew back into the snow mountain.

"Junior, do you know who this Old Ancestor is?"

After the bubbles disappeared, the sword illusory figure suddenly rose in stature. The three-inch illusory figure gradually elongated and expanded in Zhou Xiuyuan's eyes, like a pillar supporting the heavens. An invisible, immense Aura impacted Zhou Xiuyuan's mind.

Zhou Xiuyuan was agitated by this Aura, his mind unstable, but relying on the Sword Heart he had just condensed, he barely managed to hold on.

"Junior does not know."

Zhou Xiuyuan spoke with difficulty.

"This Old Ancestor is the founder of the Great Snow Mountain Sword Sect, Sword Venerable Xue..."

"Venerable?"

Zhou Xiuyuan was utterly shocked. A Venerable was an honorific title for a Soul Transformation Stage Grand Cultivator, also known as a Domain Lord.

"Cough~"

Seeing Zhou Xiuyuan's reaction, the massive sword illusory figure secretly nodded.

"This Old Ancestor is Sword Venerable Xue's personal sword, the Sword Spirit of the great snow mountain sword!"

Then, its tone changed, and it added another sentence.

"Hoo~"

Zhou Xiuyuan let out a sigh of relief. The strongest Old Ancestor in the Zhou Family was only at the Golden Core Stage. If this sword illusory figure were truly a Soul Transformation Stage Grand Cultivator, he truly wouldn't know what to do.

"Junior, this Old Ancestor asks you, are you willing to inherit the Dao of the Sword of my Great Snow Mountain Sword Sect?"

The sword illusory figure's voice was like a grand bell, stirring up turbulent waves in Zhou Xiuyuan's Heart-Nature, its tone solemn and grave.

"Junior is willing!"

Zhou Xiuyuan's eyes lit up, and he replied respectfully.

Such a good thing, of course, it's best to agree first.

"Good!"

"From today onwards, you are the sole Successor of my Great Snow Mountain Sword Sect..."

At this, the sword illusory figure's tone was somewhat wistful.

"I hope you can spread the Dao of the Sword of my sect and carry on the will of the Seniors."

"Junior will not fail Senior's trust."

Zhou Xiuyuan replied solemnly. When entrusted by others, one should be loyal to their task.

The sword illusory figure was satisfied and once again transformed into a three-inch small sword, feeling a sense of relief.

It had waited here for countless years, just to find someone who could bear the Legacy of the Sword Sect.

In the past years, Cultivators had also come here, but none had been able to pass the trials set by the Venerable back then, and naturally could not inherit the Legacy of the Great Snow Mountain Sword Sect.

If Zhou Xiuyuan and the two others failed again this time, it was feared that the Sword Sect's Legacy would truly perish.

"Come!"

The ancient voice of the sword illusory figure murmured.

In the distance, the colossal snow mountain that soared into the heavens began to rumble. Light flickered and was reborn, coldness permeated and then receded.

A moment later.

The snow mountain disappeared, leaving only a tattered three-foot long sword floating silently in the air.

And two bubbles bobbed below the tattered long sword.

The sword illusory figure's mind moved.

The tattered long sword flew over, and the sword illusory figure merged into the body of the tattered long sword.

"This is the treasure of my Great Snow Mountain Sword Sect, Sword Venerable Xue's personal sword, the great snow mountain sword!"

The tattered long sword swayed, and the ancient voice emanated from within it.

Zhou Xiuyuan was only surprised for a moment before his expression returned to normal.

"Now, I will impart to you my sect's Visualization Technique."

A speck of flowing light flew out from the tattered long sword and entered Zhou Xiuyuan's mind.

"Great Snow Mountain Visualization Technique..."

Zhou Xiuyuan perceived the contents within the flowing light and softly spoke aloud.