22: King of Withered Glory

"To be able to make the eighth crystal turn purple-black, doesn't that mean he is a Prodigy on the same level as Guo Huai and Chen Yanran?" one person exclaimed.

"What powerful Sword Intent." Not far away, Su Jiansheng's gaze shot over, Battle Intent appearing in his eyes, as threads of Ruthless Sword Intent emanated from his body.

Guo Huai frowned and glanced in Li Jiangchen's direction.

Only Chen Yanran remained completely indifferent.

"Heh heh, I didn't expect such an interesting young fellow to appear in this assessment." Yue Tuyao looked through the Spiritual Mirror, and just as he was about to pick up a grape and put it in his mouth, he suddenly stopped: "Wait, was that flash of Sword Intent just now the Immortal Sword Intent?"

His expression turned serious. In his mind, a towering figure wielding a sword appeared, full of Battle Intent, who had once suppressed the Demons of the heavens with a single sword strike.

At this moment, Li Jiangchen had arrived in front of a statue. The statue wore a long sword at its waist, its face was weathered, and it actually emitted a unique Sword Intent fluctuation. Its aura sometimes surged like an erupting volcano, and sometimes dropped low like a piece of dead wood.

In front of the statue stood a stone tablet engraved with text.

"The Withered and Flourishing Sword King. In the 36th year of Kaiyuan of the Great Shang Dynasty, he infiltrated the Outer Heavens alone, slaying the Demon King Azure Ox Python, shaking the world with his might.

In the 75th year of Kaiyuan of the Great Shang Dynasty, he traveled to Cangzhou on the frontier. At that time, Demons were besieging the city, and he slew the invading Demon King Nether Serpent with a single sword strike, forcing the horde of Demons to retreat... In the 586th year of Kaiyuan of the Great Shang Dynasty, the Demon Saint from the Outer Heavens invaded. Over a hundred Demon Slaying Generals struggled together to resist, but to protect them, the Withered and Flourishing Sword King desperately fought his way out, covering the retreat alone, and was killed by the Demon Saint at the age of 836."

The text was solemn and chilling. As Li Jiangchen read every word, it was as if he saw a lonely, proud figure standing atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, surrounded by demon souls beneath his sword.

"In over five hundred years, he slew thirty-six Demon Kings of the same rank. Clearly, the Withered and Flourishing Sword King was an extremely powerful existence even among Guanshen Realm Martial Artists of the same rank.

Had he not died in the end, perhaps he would have had hope of stepping into the Martial Saint Realm." Li Jiangchen sighed inwardly and bowed respectfully to the statue.

Such a figure was worthy of his respect.

It is precisely because the Human Race possesses such righteous individuals that they have survived the heavy pressure of the Demons until today.

After the bow, Li Jiangchen chose a White Jade Prayer Mat in the front row and sat down. He caught a whiff of a woman's fragrance; it was Chen Yanran.

The twelve statues represented different directions of Martial Arts, and Chen Yanran, possessing the Spiritual Perception Sword Body, naturally chose the statue of the Withered and Flourishing Sword King.

Seemingly sensing Li Jiangchen's arrival, the previously silent Chen Yanran suddenly spoke: "Senior Withered and Flourishing Sword King possessed astonishing Innate talent, ranking in the first echelon of those closest to the Martial Saint Realm.

Back then, to save the common people of the world, he spent years infiltrating the Demon heartlands alone to slay Demon Kings, until he finally met his end.

I, Chen Yanran, am wholeheartedly dedicated to inheriting the Senior's Legacy of Demon slaying and guarding Qingzhou for my grandfather, and I do not wish to marry.

You had best dispel any notions you might have as soon as possible."

"Huh?" Li Jiangchen was slightly taken aback.

Dispel notions?

What notions.

He glanced at the exquisitely beautiful woman in front of him, only finding her somewhat strange. Whether she married or not was none of his business.

He immediately sat upright on the White Jade Prayer Mat and began to close his eyes and meditate.

Gradually, he felt a cool aura rising from the White Jade Prayer Mat, penetrating his mind, making his thoughts much more active than usual.

'Is this the effect of enhancing Comprehension Ability...'

An hour later, the Testing Crystal Pillar ended, and everyone selected a prayer mat in front of a statue one by one.

The twelve statues glowed faintly. Li Jiangchen only felt a ray of light covering him, and his consciousness seemed to be pulled away. The surroundings became empty, leaving only the statue of the Withered and Flourishing Sword King.

Text appeared in the Void Realm, revealing an Xiantian Realm sword techniqueSolitary Peak.

"In one hour, use this sword technique to defeat the phantom or persist for the duration of one stick of incense."

A voice came from the Void Realm.

"One hour for Comprehension, and I can only use the corresponding sword technique..." Li Jiangchen had a thought, and his panel appeared.

At this time, most entries under the Martial Arts and Dao Arts sections had turned gray, and recalling the sword technique Moves in his mind also resulted in Chaos; they were clearly blocked by this place.

Now, only Movement Techniques remained usable.

However, since the panel could be opened, he could consume Demon.

Li Jiangchen closed his eyes and began to comprehend.

[One hour later, you have comprehended the Solitary Peak Sword Technique to Major Achievement. You are not satisfied and continue to comprehend.]

[One year later, you have comprehended the Solitary Peak Sword Technique to Perfection.]

[...Twenty years later, you have comprehended the Solitary Peak Sword Technique to Transcendent.]

Li Jiangchen opened his eyes. He had spent thirty years comprehending by consuming Demon, but only a few breaths of time had passed outside.

"Come on."

With a thought, a stick of incense lit up in the Void Realm, and a phantom figure gradually appeared, taking the exact form of the Withered and Flourishing Sword King.

The Withered and Flourishing Sword King drew the sword from his waist with one hand, and the sword tip suddenly thrust out, transforming into eight Sword Lights, instantly blocking twelve escape routes around Li Jiangchen.

Solitary Peak Point Kill!

The single sword thrust carried the momentum of a lonely, absolute peak. A Martial Artist with an unsteady mind would surely be defeated by this strike.

The moment the Sword Light approached, Li Jiangchen stomped his foot, his body splitting into nine shadows, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

Immediately, he extended one finger, which transformed into nine points of Sword Light and stabbed forward.

It was also the Solitary Peak Point Kill Move.

However, his Sword Light had one more point than the Move displayed by the Withered and Flourishing Sword King phantom.

Boom—

Sparks erupted in the Void Realm. A thread of Sword Qi was seen piercing the phantom's chest, leaving a hole the size of a bowl, and then the phantom slowly dissipated.

"Did this Withered and Flourishing Sword King phantom only display the sword technique at the Perfection stage..."

Since Li Jiangchen had cultivated the Solitary Peak Sword Technique to Transcendent, he naturally saw the Realm level of this sword technique.

To defeat the phantom or persist for the duration of one stick of incense, most people had a good chance if they comprehended the sword technique to Major Achievement, or even Minor Achievement combined with a superb Movement Technique.

Soon, a second sword technique appeared in the Void Realm.

Xiantian Sword Technique—Star Point.

Li Jiangchen once again consumed Demon, spending twenty years comprehending the Star Point Sword Technique, and subsequently defeated the phantom after a brief exchange.

The third Xiantian Sword Technique—Emerald Mountain.

The fourth Xiantian Sword Technique—Autumn Water... The seventh Xiantian Sword Technique—Proud Chill.

Li Jiangchen spent a total of one hundred and forty years worth of Demon, comprehending all of them to Transcendent.

"Wait, these seven sword techniques are interconnected and hold hidden meaning..." Li Jiangchen realized that these seven sword techniques seemed to be disassembled parts of a higher-level sword technique.

Even without using the panel's Fusion function, they could be combined into a single sword Move.

At this moment, the Withered and Flourishing Sword King phantom reappeared.

However, this time the phantom's eyes were spirited, unlike its previous rigidity, and it actually fled into the statue before him.

The next moment, the stone skin of the statue crumbled and peeled away, revealing a true body, surrounded by swirling Sword Intent.

The Withered and Flourishing Sword Intent fluctuation of life and death, which he had sensed earlier, was now exceptionally clear.

"After many years, someone has finally comprehended this Withered and Flourishing Sword Technique," the Sword King statue spoke. "Hm? Immortal Sword Intent, marvelous.

It's rare that I take a fancy to someone, and yet he is also the Successor of the Immortal Sword King.

Haha, this is perfect for a satisfying battle."

Outside, the Withered and Flourishing Sword King stone statue trembled, and a vast Sword Intent fluctuation swept across the entire area.

"Hm? The Withered and Flourishing Sword King's Sword Intent has awakened? Could it be that girl Chen Yanran?" Yue Tuyao's eyes widened.

These twelve stone statues serve as both an assessment and a Legacy.

Among them, the Withered and Flourishing Sword King's assessment is the most difficult, requiring one to cultivate all seven Xiantian Realm sword techniques to Perfection.

Only then can the Sword Intent be activated to condense a Martial Dao True Body.

After all, a person's death is like a lamp extinguishing. Although the Sword Intent remains, it is ultimately water without a source, and will eventually vanish as time passes.

At this moment, the Withered and Flourishing Sword King's remaining Sword Intent was completely activated.