After Zhang Yong and Su Ming left the Second Prince's meeting, a heavy silence fell between them.
Su Ming was the first to break the silence, his voice carrying a hint of concern: "Zhang Yong, do you think your decision not to take sides was correct? After all, he called me his brother-in-law and doesn't seem that bad. At least not as bad as the First or Third Prince."
Zhang Yong stopped in his tracks, then turned toward Su Ming and flicked his forehead hard. "Su Ming, when will you stop being so reckless!"
Su Ming held his aching forehead, grumbling: "But the Second Prince seems sincere..."
Zhang Yong sighed. "That's why I'm worried about you. Listen, no matter how kind a person seems, they cannot help you without expecting something in return. Even if he called you his brother-in-law, do you think he truly cares about that? He was trying to win you over."
A look of confusion appeared on Su Ming's face. "What do I have to do with this?"
Zhang Yong held his forehead. "Simply because he knows you're a fool. You're skilled in martial arts, not politics. He would have pulled you into the conflict, and that would have been only to force me to intervene and take the Second Prince's side. With your current behavior, the success rate of that is high!"
Su Ming looked at Zhang Yong, his eyes reflecting growing understanding with each word. "You mean... the First Prince isn't the only danger?"
"Exactly," Zhang Yong nodded, his gaze sharp. "The waters in the imperial palace are very deep, and its waves are raging. Falling into this swamp now would endanger not only you and me, but could bring disaster upon the entire sect."
Su Ming held his chin, thinking. "I really don't understand any of this."
Zhang Yong walked ahead, both arms behind his back. "That's why it's easy to manipulate you. So let me give you some advice. First, before you agree to anything, think about what the other party stands to gain. Think about the risks and what you will gain, and never give your loyalty to anyone. Remember that."
Su Ming nodded his head. He already felt extremely immature.
Zhang Yong patted his shoulder gently. "Don't worry. You are my brother. I won't let you suffer alone. In fact, if you can't follow my advice, all you have to do is do nothing. Then you won't be manipulated so easily."
Su Ming looked at Zhang Yong, a glint of gratitude and trust in his eyes. "I understand... thank you, brother."
Zhang Yong smiled a faint smile. "No need for thanks. Let's return to the others now. They might have started to worry about us."
Su Ming nodded in agreement and followed Zhang Yong through the temple's bustling corridors, where the lantern lights began to glow as night approached, painting the ground with a soft light.
...
After half a month, Su Ming had fully stabilized his Sword Will stage and could now freely maintain the Golden Twilight Sword.
As for Big Brother Wang Fei, he had benefited from practicing the Poison and Medicine Paths and broke through to the third rank of the Ancestor realm. The same went for Liu Yan, who reached the second rank, while her mastery of talismans reached the fifth level.
As for Liu Yin, since her rapid breakthroughs in the last battle, she had been diligently working to deepen and strengthen her foundation, while simultaneously attending Sound Path lessons.
As for Zhang Yong at this time...
Zhang Yong entered his room and closed the door behind him, then sat on the bed. "Alright, today is the last chance. The event will end soon. And to have a chance at the opportunity in Wu Rushian's memory, I must create my Sword Intent now."
Sword Intent, although the technique used must be powerful, was not a strict requirement.
Even with similar names, it didn't matter, as it ultimately comes down to the user themselves and the type of enlightenment they achieved to form it.
More importantly, the technique must be an extension of the person's will. In Zhang Yong's case, in the Sword Path life, his will was to surpass his brother.
Finding a technique to achieve that meaning was difficult. There was no one to create a technique for a personal goal, so Zhang Yong decided to forge his own sword technique.
Fortunately for Zhang Yong, there was some synchronization between him and his Sword Path self in this regard, where he turned the enemy into the heaven and created a skill to destroy the heaven
Therefore, as long as Zhang Yong focused on that feeling, he could easily create his own Sword Intent.
So the real foundation was not really the technique, but the meaning of the sword that the person used to build their Sword Path.
"Cutting oneself..." he whispered to himself, reminding himself of the true essence of his sword path.
Zhang Yong closed his eyes, bringing his palms together to form a circle in front of his Dantian.
Then a gentle wind began to surround him, and suddenly a sword pattern appeared on his chest, precisely above the location of the middle Dantian in the body.
In an instant, he allowed the wind to carry his consciousness, and without his will, he found himself in a strange place. There were sword-like shadows. If the shadows of the Spear River numbered in the millions, this place numbered in the billions.
He had now entered the Sword River.
The swords were countless, gleaming with a cold light emanating from their sharp edges, stretching infinitely in every direction.
The air was heavy with the dew of battle and the desire to fight, each sword carrying a strong will and an undying passion for the Sword Path.
Zhang Yong closed his eyes and allowed his senses to spread. Soon, he allowed his consciousness to be pulled before alighting on a water-like surface. "Alright, let's do this. My past life had a fifth-level Sword Intent. It's time to surpass my past life!"
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to maintain calm amidst the storm of sword wills.
He began to move. Each step he took in this spiritual space required immense concentration. But for Zhang Yong, even if not literally, he had devoted more than three hundred years to the Sword Path, so in terms of experience, no one surpassed him.
"Cutting oneself..." Zhang Yong repeated these words like a mantra, focusing on the true meaning behind his Sword Path.
He quickly passed the first level, but as he entered the second level, the challenge became harder.
At the third level, Zhang Yong encountered real resistance for the first time, as the swords began to resonate and release their auras toward him, creating pressure.
At the fourth level, he began to feel tired. The spiritual pressure was immense, and his consciousness began to waver.
"I reached the fifth level in my past life..." he told himself, motivating himself. "This time, I must surpass that!"
As he entered the fifth level, he felt as if he was returning home. Here, the swords were familiar, carrying the same pattern and understanding he had in his past life.
At this moment, he had to transcend this zone.
With great effort, he passed the fifth level and reached the sixth. Here, everything was different. The swords at this level carried wills so strong they felt like living beings.
Some radiated light, others were dark and gloomy, and some were angry and destructive.
This was the transition from Sword Intent to Sword Will and then Sword Spirit.
Sword Intent represented the person, and Will was its manifestation in reality, transforming will into tangible form. It was an evolution of the Sword Intent stage. As for the Sword Spirit stage, that was giving a characteristic to that spirit.
For Zhang Yong, his foundational sword technique was the Heaven-Smashing Sword, and his will was cutting himself.
It was not about destruction, but about breaking free from the constraints of the past and pushing your limits to reach new horizons.
After much effort, he reached the boundary of the sixth rank, and was about to reach the seventh, but...
An invisible force made him unable to move forward. He stopped in his tracks.
The pressure was immense, as if an entire mountain was trying to crush him. He couldn't advance even an inch. This was not just a test of power, but a test of understanding. True understanding of his Sword Path.
"Cutting oneself..." Zhang Yong whispered again as if enchanted, but this time, he began to doubt.
Was the meaning he understood superficial? Was the focus on "cutting" rather than "self"?
He closed his eyes, ignoring the overwhelming pressure around him. He focused inward, on his own journey
It was not just about surpassing his past or breaking his limitations
It was about understanding
Understanding that the "self" he sought to cut was not his enemy, but the foundation
Cutting the illusions of weakness and limitations was not for destruction, but for liberation and reaching his true essence.
Suddenly, he felt lightness. The pressure that had been crushing him began to recede. He was no longer trying to push back the opposing force, but accepted it. He understood that this force was not an obstacle, but a mirror reflecting his level of understanding.
When he opened his eyes again, Zhang Yong saw a person before him waiting.
The River Guardian?!
Zhang Yong immediately welcomed him. "Esteemed River Guardian, it is an honor to meet you."
The other muttered: "It's been a long time since someone recognized me so easily. I sense Spear Intent and Bow Intent. Did you actually meet the guardians of one of those two rivers?"
Zhang Yong clasped his fists, smiling. "To answer the venerable one's question, yes, I met the Spear River Guardian."
The figure held his chin. "For an incomplete world, manifesting two talents, not bad, not bad."
Zhang Yong raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "Who is this person?"
"Of course, I cannot say that. But there is a close relationship between you two. I was surprised by him. It has been hundreds of thousands of years since someone penetrated to the ninth level of Sword Intent."
These words made Zhang Yong think of someone.
Su Ming!
That bastard had actually hidden the fact that he had reached ninth-level Sword Intent!
Zhang Yong didn't think further and continued moving forward. "So, sir, I will proceed forward."
However, the figure stood before Zhang Yong and stopped him. "I'm afraid I cannot allow this to happen."
Zhang Yong raised his eyebrows, not understanding why he was stopped. "Sir? Is there a problem?"
The guardian shook his head, but his eyes carried a serious look. "Levels seven and above, the power of will there is immense. It can crush your consciousness. Additionally, even if you achieve high-level Sword Intent, due to your talent, you will not be able to create Sword Will."
Zhang Yong smiled, but his red eyes did not reflect any surrender. "I understand your concerns, Guardian. But the Sword Path does not recognize the limits imposed by others, even if my talent is limited."
The guardian shook his head with slight sadness. "You don't understand. What you call the Sword Will stage does not belong to the Sword Path, but to the Heart Path. It relies on the Essence of the Heart. Therefore, each person has their own enlightenment and their own method of Sword Will."
Zhang Yong looked in confusion and was surprised to hear that. "Essence of the Heart?"
The guardian held his forehead. "I advise you here. That other talented person was different. Do you know what his Essence of the Heart was? It was 'the sun that rises for a new day,' which supported the Light property. But what about you? Do you know what your Essence of the Heart is? It is the burning floating tree!" The guardian pointed to Zhang Yong's heart and transmitted his vision to him.
At that moment, Zhang Yong looked at his Essence of the Heart, which the guardian had revealed to him.
It was a tree with roots embedded in a rock in the middle of a sea, leafless, with burnt branches pierced by hundreds of iron pieces.
Zhang Yong stared at the essence before losing himself in it.
"Do you understand now? That tree does not hold a single law but multiple. And one cannot acquire more than one will. If you try to acquire a will despite this, your Essence of the Heart will collapse and you will die."
"Thank you for your warning, Guardian," Zhang Yong said in a hoarse voice, bowing with respect. "You have saved me from disaster."
The guardian nodded his head. "Good that you understand. But there is a way for you to become stronger."
Zhang Yong looked with determination. "Please enlighten me."
"Abandon the Sword Path," the guardian said in a decisive tone. "If you do so, I will grant you power equal to Sword Will. What do you think?"
Zhang Yong's eyes widened. Abandon everything? Just like that?
But at that moment, Zhang Yong was deeply contemplating his Essence of the Heart.
What did the Essence of the Heart symbolize?
It symbolized a person's heart, that is, their personality.
The iron pieces piercing the tree symbolized self-harm.
The stones the tree was attached to symbolized his guilt.
The burnt branches symbolized the burning of his mind and madness.
The vast sea symbolized a journey without direction toward the unknown.
But if Zhang Yong focused, he could observe that these were his five elements.
That was himself.
But in the end...
Trees do not grow only with time.
The soil must be rich in minerals. It must absorb water. Branches and leaves must grow.
People can see a fully grown tree, but they cannot see the tree as it grows.
And that wasn't all. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow.
In winter, the leaves fall to grow new ones.
Colors spread in spring.
And green leaves appear in summer!
Each year, the tree grows and becomes larger.
It grows larger and larger, and the rings increase with the years.
By what right did this guardian tell him to abandon the Sword Path?
Suddenly, Zhang Yong let out a sarcastic laugh devoid of any respect.
"I'm truly a fool."
"...!" The guardian was surprised for a moment.
"Perhaps if I didn't know the truth, I might have believed it," Zhang Yong's laughter gradually calmed, and he placed his hands on his hips before his gaze returned to the guardian. This time, there was a cold smile on his face.
"The Rivers of Dao all originate from the River of Fate. And as someone hated by fate, why would you help me?" Zhang Yong wiped his face gently. "I've been manipulated by two ancient entities before. I won't allow myself to be manipulated again."
The guardian's expression suddenly changed. It was no longer that calm, wise being. His eyes now gleamed like steel, and the space around them began to waver as if spacetime itself was about to tear. "Ah, is it the knowledge you obtained from the 'memory'? Truly interesting..."
Zhang Yong had no time to respond. He felt an overwhelming force pressing on his consciousness, as if an entire mountain was crushing him. But this time, he did not retreat. He understood now: this "guardian" was merely another servant of fate, its mission to prevent anyone who might threaten the order it had established.
"If fate wants to stand in my way, let it try!" Zhang Yong shouted from the depths of his soul. He leaped and broke through to the seventh level with his Desolate Soul.
"What...?" the guardian whispered, and for the first time, a look of genuine surprise appeared on his features.
Zhang Yong did not need a traditional Sword Will. He finally understood that his desire was freedom. Freedom from fate and the freedom to grow as he wished, even after the most destructive fires.
The burnt branches in his heart were not weaknesses, but testimonies to his resilience.
With this new insight, Zhang Yong broke through the seventh level with astonishing ease.
BOOM!
Zhang Yong opened his eyes again and smiled. "Hehe, let that guardian go to hell. I obtained seventh-level Sword Intent, and that's enough. Too bad I didn't get my poem."
The poem was the true manifestation of the intent. Just as poems express emotions and sensations, this quality affected the intent, and through it, the intent could advance further in level.
He rose from his bed and felt his soul become lighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked at the room's window, where the light of dawn had begun to creep in, heralding the start of a new day.
"It's time to join the others," Zhang Yong whispered to himself as he opened the door.
Outside, Su Ming and the other brothers were waiting with eager anticipation. As soon as they saw him, they rushed toward him.
"Finally! You took a long time!" Su Ming said, but he suddenly stopped when he saw the change in Zhang Yong. "What... what happened to you? You seem different."
Zhang Yong smiled. "I made some progress. Don't worry, everything is fine."
"Now that the Dao Discussion Assembly is over, what do we do next?" Liu Yan asked.
Zhang Yong looked toward the horizon, where the sun was rising with a crimson hue. "As for me, I will continue my training journey. You can return to the sect if—"
Wang Fei interrupted him quietly: "We won't return without you. We've all decided to continue the journey with you."
Liu Yan waved her hand. "It would be boring anyway if we returned to the sect. So why not travel for a while and gain some experience?"
Zhang Yong smiled, a warm glint showing behind his red eyes. "Alright then. Forward."
Under the pink morning sky, the group set off once more, leaving behind the Buddhist temple's towers, which gradually disappeared into the mist.