73: Sword Master's Legacy

It was desolate and ancient, carrying a sense of arrogance that had survived ten thousand tribulations without being extinguished, and... a hint of relief, as if it had finally found a kindred spirit.

The moment Ye Chen's finger touched the broken bronze sword, the violent torrent of dozens of mixed Sword Intent that had been chasing him relentlessly encountered an invisible monarch. It froze abruptly in mid-air, then let out a wail of unwillingness, shattered with a boom, and transformed back into countless scattered Sword Intent, returning to their respective broken swords.

The entire clamorous Sword Tomb fell into deathly silence at this moment. Only the rusty, broken bronze sword in Ye Chen's hand emitted a faint, yet ancient fluctuation that seemed capable of stabilizing the Universe.

Ye Chen stared blankly at the broken sword in his hand. He could feel an indescribable, vast stream of information, like a sea of smoke, surging wildly along the hilt and into his Sea of Consciousness!

It was not specific Cultivation Technique chants, nor was it Martial Skill Moves, but a kind of "Intent," a kind of "Reason," and a kind of exposition and realization of the essence of the "Dao" of the sword!

"The sword is the blade of the heart. Its sharpness is unparalleled and can sever all things, yet that which is too rigid is easily broken."

"Nirvana is the phenomenon of the end. It annihilates everything and returns it to nothingness, yet nothingness is also the beginning."

"My Dao begins with Nirvana, but does not end with Nirvana. It is to build after breaking, to be born from the extreme of death, to condense an undying sword heart amidst the return to nothingness of the Myriad Realms, and to wield the authority of ending and rebirth..."

The grand consciousness echoed in Ye Chen's Sea of Consciousness like a great bell. He seemed to see fragments of scenes: a blurred figure wielding a sword, traversing the heavens and the Myriad Realms. Wherever the sword light passed, stars fell, worlds collapsed, and all things returned to nothingness! But at the end of that destruction, it was not eternal silence; instead, a faint yet incredibly tenacious spark of "life" quietly sprouted from the absolute "nothingness"!

That was... the Legacy consciousness of the Nirvana Sword Venerable?!

This seemingly unremarkable broken bronze sword was actually a strand of the Legacy mark left behind by this ancient powerhouse?!

A stormy sea surged in Ye Chen's heart. The Myriad Realms Sword Canon he Cultivated originated from the Nirvana Sword Venerable, but a Cultivation Technique is ultimately a dead thing. What was surging into his Sea of Consciousness now was this supreme existence's core realization and spiritual imprint of his own sword Dao!

He instantly understood the future path of his "Nirvana Devouring" Sword Intent. Nirvana was not the end, and Devouring was not the goal. The true core was that sliver of "rebirth" nurtured after that ultimate destruction and plunder! It was the supreme authority to destroy all Laws and then reshape the order!

His previous direction was correct, but his perspective was too small! His Devouring was still stuck at the level of plundering energy to strengthen himself, while the true Nirvana Sword Dao should pursue the devouring of Laws and the reshaping of order!

"Hum..." The broken bronze sword in his hand vibrated gently. The rust covering the blade began to flake off in pieces, revealing a sword body beneath that was as dark as the night sky, yet faintly flowing with the luster of Chaos. Although it was still a broken sword, the aura it emitted was completely different, carrying a reserved majesty that was enough to make ten thousand swords submit.

As the rust fell away, Ye Chen felt a close connection established between himself and the broken sword, as if they were connected by flesh and blood and fused in Soul. It was no longer an external object, but a part of the extension of his sword Dao, a partner and token for his future practice of the Nirvana Sword Dao!

"From now on, I shall call you 'Return to Nothingness'." Ye Chen gently stroked the blade, feeling a hint of joy and approval transmitted from the sword spirit.

He sat down cross-legged, right in the center of the silent Sword Tomb of ten thousand swords, and began to fully digest and absorb this vast Legacy consciousness.

Time seemed to have lost its meaning.

Around Ye Chen, the dark golden Nirvana Devouring Sword Intent emerged on its own. It was no longer as domineering and plundering as before, but had become deeper and more reserved. The dark golden core light became increasingly pure, and the dark red devouring patterns entwined around it no longer appeared evil; instead, they were like black holes in the Universe, carrying an ancient Dao rhyme of devouring everything and evolving Chaos. Tiny specks of starlight, representing different sword Dao concepts, slowly rotated around the core like newborn star vortices.

His cultivation, as naturally as water flowing into a channel, quietly broke through the barrier and stepped into the Kaiyuan Realm Sixth Level! Moreover, his Foundation was incredibly solid, his spiritual energy was pure and condensed, and it carried a hint of the true meaning of Nirvana and rebirth.

I do not know how much time passed, but Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes had become deeper, as if they contained the endless starry sky and the mysteries of the return to nothingness. Although his cultivation had only increased by one level, his understanding of the entire sword Dao and his control over his own power had undergone earth-shattering changes.

He stood up, holding the "Return to Nothingness" broken sword, and his gaze swept over the silent Sword Tomb around him.

He could clearly "see" the Sword Intent remaining on each broken sword. They were no longer chaotic and disorderly interference, but rather like ancient characters waiting to be deciphered, expounding different supreme truths of the sword Dao. This cage of Sword Intent that had once suppressed him now, in his eyes, had become a treasure trove containing endless knowledge!

"Many thanks to you Seniors for your gifts." Ye Chen bowed solemnly to the countless broken swords.

He could feel that the wills left behind by the owners of these broken swords had already recognized him the moment the Legacy of the Nirvana Sword Venerable appeared, and they had actively restrained their hostility, even faintly opening up the sword Dao realizations they contained to him.

He was not greedy and chose a few remaining Sword Intents that were slightly complementary to his own or could bring inspiration, carefully sensing and verifying them with his mind.

When he raised his head again, his understanding of the sword Dao had deepened by another layer. He felt that any random sword strike he made now would have power and mystery far exceeding that before he entered the Secret Realm.

"It is time to leave here." Ye Chen cast his gaze outside the Sword Tomb, toward the gray sky, "The assassins of the Dark Hall, and that hidden 'carrier'... it is time to put an end to this."

He held the "Return to Nothingness" broken sword and walked out with steady steps. Wherever he passed, those broken swords trembled slightly, as if seeing him off, or as if expressing submission.

When he was about to walk out of the range of the Sword Tomb, his footsteps paused slightly, and he turned to look at a shadow to his side and behind him.

"You have followed me for so long, do you not plan to come out and meet me?"

His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable penetrating power.

The shadow twisted, and the blurred figure of the assassin from before slowly emerged. Only now, the aura around him was even more unstable, and his eyes, as he looked at Ye Chen—especially at the "Return to Nothingness" broken sword in his hand—were filled with unbelievable shock and... a hint of fear.

"You... you actually obtained 'Its' recognition?!" The assassin's voice was incredibly dry, carrying intense fluctuations, "This is impossible! For ten thousand years, no one has been able to trigger the 'Moment of Nirvana'!"

"Moment of Nirvana?" Ye Chen raised his eyebrows slightly, catching this key term.

The assassin seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn and shut his mouth abruptly, the murderous intent in his eyes surging again! He knew that he must not let this youth leave the Secret Realm with the Legacy! Otherwise, it would be a devastating blow to the Dark Hall's plan!

"You must die!" The assassin let out a low roar and no longer hid. His figure turned into a bolt of pitch-black lightning. His dagger condensed his life's cultivation, carrying a resolute will of destruction, and stabbed straight at Ye Chen's heart! This strike was far beyond any previous one!

Facing this life-risking strike, Ye Chen's eyes were calm and waveless. He slowly raised the "Return to Nothingness" broken sword. The movement seemed slow, yet it seemed to fit some kind of supreme truth of heaven and earth.

He did not use any fancy Moves, but simply, straightforwardly, stabbed forward.

The tip of the "Return to Nothingness" broken sword landed precisely on the tip of the assassin's dagger.

There was no loud noise, no energy explosion.

Time seemed to have frozen at this moment.

The next moment, the assassin's dagger, which had condensed all his power, started from the tip, like a weathered sand sculpture, silently turning into fly ash and spreading rapidly upward! Then followed his arm, his body...

The assassin's eyes were filled with extreme fear and bewilderment. He opened his mouth but could not make any sound. He could only watch helplessly as his body returned to nothingness before that seemingly broken sword.

In the blink of an eye, a Kaiyuan Realm Seventh Level elite assassin of the Dark Hall had completely disappeared from this world, not even leaving a speck of dust behind.

Ye Chen slowly sheathed his sword. The "Return to Nothingness" broken sword remained dark and dull, as if the scene of annihilation just now had nothing to do with it.

He did not even look at the place where the assassin had disappeared; his gaze seemed to penetrate the layers of space in the Secret Realm and landed in an unknown distance.

"Moment of Nirvana... Dark Hall, what exactly are you plotting?"

Muttering to himself, Ye Chen took a step and his figure disappeared at the edge of the Sword Tomb.

The journey in the Secret Realm was far from over. The real storm might have just begun to brew.