305: Chapter 305 A Fated Person

However, at that very moment, the longsword of another projection stabbed fiercely into his back!

Pfft!

Lin Jingyu coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood, his entire body staggering forward a few steps. He gritted his teeth, spun around abruptly, and slashed his longsword out again, striking fiercely toward that final projection!

That projection similarly thrust its sword out, colliding boisterously with his longsword!

Two wild currents of Sword Qi rampaged frantically, tearing the surrounding air into fragments!

Finally, the projection's longsword shattered with a bang, and its figure slowly dissipated. Meanwhile, Lin Jingyu knelt on one knee, gasping heavily for air, the wound on his back dripping with blood, a shocking sight to behold.

Yaoguang hurriedly ran over to treat his injuries. As she performed the healing, she couldn't help but complain, "You people, every single one of you is so desperate. Do you really think you're made of iron?"

Lin Jingyu grinned, revealing teeth stained with blood, and said, "The path of the sword is inherently a point of no return. If one doesn't risk their life, how can they reach the absolute peak?"

The crowd fell silent upon hearing this. In the gaze they directed toward Lin Jingyu, there was an added trace of admiration.

Gao Feng walked slowly to the center of the nine stone tablets, looking up at the nine Sword Dao stone tablets that towered into the clouds, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

In half a day, both he and Lin Jingyu had each comprehended a sword technique. But there were seven tablets remaining, with seven types of Sword Dao waiting for them to meditate upon. And every single sword technique required a life-and-death struggle against a Sword Dao projection, just like today.

This would be a long and arduous Cultivation process.

He turned around, looking at his teammates behind him who were exhausted yet full of excitement, and said in a heavy voice, "Everyone is tired today. Rest where you are first to recover your Spiritual Power. Starting tomorrow, we will continue to comprehend the remaining stone tablets."

Everyone nodded one after another, each sitting cross-legged to begin regulating their breathing and recovering.

Gao Feng, however, remained standing in the center of those nine stone tablets, his gaze slowly scanning from the first to the ninth. Meteorite Sky-Breaking Sword, Star Fall Heaven Sword, Life Star Sword, Heaven Breaking Nine Swords, Star River Inverted Sword, Immovable Star Sword, Star Demon-Suppressing Sword, Void Destruction Sword...

Nine types of Sword Dao, nine completely different true intents of the Sword Dao.

If they could comprehend them all, their strength would surely undergo a qualitative leap.

And the passage to the second floor would also boom open when the nine swords resonated together.

Gao Feng clenched his fists, a light of unprecedented determination burning in his eyes.

No matter how difficult the road ahead was, he would lead his team forward, one step at a time.

The next morning, everyone woke from their meditation, their spirits restored to full vitality.

The starlight on the first floor was still brilliant, and those nine Sword Dao stone tablets stood quietly, emitting an eternal aura. After yesterday's fierce battle, Gao Feng and Lin Jingyu had both successfully comprehended their first sword techniques, but the remaining seven tablets were still waiting for their destined ones.

Gao Feng stood up, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces. Luo Li, Chu Lan, Su Ning, Tianxin, Yaoguang, Lin Yue, and the newly recovered Lin Jingyu—the eyes of every person burned with high-spirited fighting intent.

"Yesterday, Lin Jingyu and I each understood a sword; today, everyone continues," Gao Feng said solemnly. "There's no need to rush. We will comprehend these nine stone tablets one by one; we will eventually take them all down."

The crowd nodded and walked toward their chosen stone tablets.

Luo Li, however, stood in place, her gaze falling upon the third stone tablet, not looking away for a long time.

Recorded on that tablet was the 'Life Star Sword,' which Yaoguang had already chosen to begin comprehending yesterday. But what Luo Li noticed was the line of ancient text at the very bottom of the tablet, as small as ants.

Those characters were hidden among the dense sword scars; if one didn't observe carefully, they wouldn't notice them at all. They emitted a faint golden glow, completely different from the other text on the stone tablet.

Luo Li's heart stirred, and she walked forward slowly to take a closer look.

"Melody Sword Art..."

She softly whispered those four words, and a strange brilliance immediately flashed through her eyes. She read that line of text carefully and discovered that this was actually an ancient secret technique that integrated melodies into swordplay. The sound follows the sword, using sound to disturb the enemy and the sword to kill the enemy—the Fusion of sound and sword, possessing infinite power.

She had practiced musical Spells since childhood, and her comprehension of melody far exceeded that of ordinary people. Seeing this Melody Sword Art now, she felt as if it were destiny, creating a mysterious resonance between her and this stone tablet.

"Sister Luo Li, aren't you going to comprehend the other stone tablets?" Yaoguang asked curiously, seeing her standing in a daze before the tablet she had chosen.

Luo Li shook her head gently and said, "Although you chose this stone tablet, this Melody Sword Art is a sword technique that truly fits me. I want to try and see if I can comprehend it."

Hearing this, Yaoguang hurriedly made way and smiled, "Then Sister, please go ahead and comprehend it. I'll go look at the stone tablet next to it."

Luo Li nodded gratefully and then sat cross-legged before the third stone tablet. She reached out her slender jade hand and pressed it gently against the tablet. The stone tablet immediately burst forth with soft starlight, slowly pulling her consciousness into it.

In the next moment, Luo Li found herself in a vast starry sky.

Surrounding her were endless stars, and beneath her feet was a void of darkness. Directly in front of her, a woman with a slender figure stood quietly. The woman wore ancient clothing, her face elegant and refined, holding a pale golden longsword, her entire being emitting an ethereal and otherworldly temperament.

"In countless years, you are the first person to notice that line of small characters."

That ancient female Sword Cultivator spoke slowly, her voice like a clear mountain spring, crisp and pleasant, yet carrying a faint trace of melancholy.

Luo Li was slightly startled, then bowed and performed a salute, saying, "Junior Luo Li greets Senior."

The female Sword Cultivator waved her hand gently and said, "No need for formalities. Being able to notice that line of small characters shows you have an affinity with melody. That Melody Sword Art was created by me back then. Unfortunately, this sword technique is too niche; one must be proficient in both melody and the Sword Dao to Cultivate it, so no one has ever been able to truly inherit it."

She looked Luo Li up and down, a look of satisfaction flashing in her eyes, and said, "There is a very pure melodic aura on your body. It seems you are that destined person."

Luo Li was delighted and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Senior, for your fulfillment."

The female Sword Cultivator shook her head and said, "Don't be in a hurry to thank me. To obtain my Legacy, you must first pass my test. Strike, let me see exactly how much weight you carry."

As soon as she finished speaking, that pale golden longsword in her hand was unsheathed!

A clear and resonant sword cry instantly echoed through the entire starry sky. That sword cry contained a strange power that disturbed the mind, making Luo Li's consciousness tremble!

Luo Li did not dare to be careless. She hurriedly took out the flowing sound zither, sat cross-legged, and her slender jade fingers gently plucked the strings.

Ting—!

A crisp zither note sounded, colliding boisterously with that sword cry! Two sound waves clashed fiercely in the Void Realm, actually evolving into a strange musical movement that no one had ever heard before!

A look of appreciation flashed in the female Sword Cultivator's eyes. She gave the longsword in her hand a gentle shake, and her entire person instantly transformed into a pale golden sword light, piercing toward Luo Li with extreme speed!

That sword strike seemed simple, yet it contained infinite variations. Wherever the longsword passed, strange sounds actually rang out in the Void Realm. Those sounds were sometimes like a lover's whisper, sometimes like a vengeful ghost's wail, sometimes like ten thousand horses galloping, and sometimes like a lone goose's mournful cry, making one's mind dazed and hard to control.

Luo Li felt her consciousness become dazed for a split second under the interference of that sound. By the time she snapped out of it, that pale golden longsword had already pierced to the front of her brow!

At the critical moment, Luo Li's body instinctively leaned back, narrowly avoiding the sword strike. Simultaneously, her fingers plucked the zither strings violently, and a zither note full of killing intent instantly erupted, transforming into invisible sound blades that slashed fiercely toward the female Sword Cultivator!

The female Sword Cultivator gave a light chuckle and waved the longsword in her hand gently. Those invisible sound blades, which were enough to split mountains and crack stones, were shattered by her sword, turning into bits of starlight that dissipated into the Void Realm.

"Using melody as a sword—the idea is not bad, but unfortunately, the power is insufficient," the female Sword Cultivator commented. "The true Melody Sword Art is not about using melody to imitate sword techniques, but about integrating melody and sword techniques into one. The sword is the sound, and the sound is the sword."

She struck with her sword again. This time, every sword thrust from the longsword in her hand was accompanied by a different sound. Those sounds merged perfectly with the sword moves. When the sword moves were fierce, the sound was like the beating of war drums; when the sword moves were gentle, the sound was like a spring breeze brushing the face; when the sword moves were swift, the sound was like a meteor piercing the sky; when the sword moves were slow, the sound was like flowing stream water.

Luo Li watched as if intoxicated, her comprehension of the Melody Sword Art rising rapidly at this moment.

She closed her eyes, no longer deliberately looking at the female Sword Cultivator's sword moves, but instead using her heart to listen to the sounds produced by each sword strike. In her ears, those sounds gradually transformed into a complete musical movement, with beginnings, transitions, climaxes, and conclusions; with high-spirited passion and gentle melodies.

So that's how it is!

She abruptly opened her eyes, which sparkled with the light of realization. Her fingers gently plucked the flowing sound zither. This time, she no longer played any offensive sound blades, but instead played a musical movement that perfectly matched the female Sword Cultivator's sword sounds.

The zither sound and the sword sound merged perfectly at this moment, actually evolving into a brand-new, never-before-heard melody. In that melody, there was both the softness of the zither and the sharpness of the sword. The two intertwined and complemented each other, transforming into a true heavenly sound.

The female Sword Cultivator's figure suddenly froze, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

"You... you actually..."

Before she could finish her sentence, that brand-new melody had already enveloped her entire being.

Under the shroud of this melody, her sword moves began to become sluggish, her sword sounds began to become chaotic, and her originally flawless Melody Sword Art was actually completely countered by this new melody, making it difficult to exert its proper power.

"Breaking sound with sound, controlling rhythm with rhythm. Good, good, good!"

The female Sword Cultivator said 'good' three times in a row, her eyes full of relief and praise. She swung the longsword in her hand violently, shattering all the melody that enveloped her, and then her figure flashed, piercing toward Luo Li again!