At the back mountain of Qingxu Temple, on the edge of the cliff.
Tang Xiaoqi stood motionless like a pine, the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand slanted toward the ground. The mountain wind howled, stirring the loose hair on his forehead, yet could not disperse the steadfast resolve firmly set between his brows.
Several days had passed since the purification source's transformation. The newborn power within his body had stabilized, nourishing his meridians and spirit like spring water. However, he did not immerse himself in this gain. Instead, his gaze turned toward another crucial gain from that brutal battle-his father Xu Zhan's final moment, the pure 'Guardian Sword Intent' he had implanted into the Crimson Flame Sword.
That was not a complete sword technique inheritance. It was more like a seed, an imprint, containing Xu Zhan's lifetime comprehension of the two words 'guardian,' and that deepest, most heavy love and responsibility toward family and homeland-love that had never truly perished even as his soul was tormented in the demonic swamp.
Xiaoqi closed his eyes, his divine sense sinking into the Crimson Flame Sword.
Within the sword, the righteous and powerful force from the secret realm's Inheritance Hall still existed, like the sword's bones and blood. But at this moment, at the depths of this force, a more restrained, heavier, as if bearing the weight of mountains, golden light was quietly coiling. That was the guardian sword intent his father left behind.
It was not as fierce and flamboyant as the Crimson Flame Sword's own power, but instead carried a tranquility and sorrow of having experienced great hardship. The moment of contact, Xiaoqi seemed to again see his father's final, resolute yet relieved gaze, and feel that regretless conviction willing to burn everything for his survival.
"Guardian..."
Xiaoqi pondered these two words repeatedly in his heart.
Once, he thought guardianship meant becoming stronger-strong enough to personally kill enemies and avenge Xu Lan Manor, the master, and all lives lost to demonic cultivators. This thought supported him as he climbed out of the ruins, persevered at Qingxu Temple.
Later, he thought guardianship meant having strength to protect the Third Sister, Senior Brother, Second Brother nearby, to protect Qingxu Temple, this sect that gave him warmth and belonging. This belief made him reckless in the secret realm, fighting fearlessly in the defensive battle.
Until he personally witnessed his father's final choice.
That was not merely protection; it was a sacrifice, a passing down of the hope of 'life' to the next generation without reservation. Guardianship was not merely to oppose external 'destruction.' Its core was to uphold the internally worth cherishing 'existence'-life, belief, friendship, inheritance.
Revenge was power, protection was power, but sacrifice and inheritance were the 'Dao,' transcending power itself.
At the same time, the purification source within his dantian that had completed its transformation seemed to sense the fluctuation in his thoughts. The blue-green energy imbued with the Dao rhythm of 'guardian' and 'rebirth' began to spontaneously, gently flow out-not rushing to the four limbs and hundred vessels, but thread by thread, converging into his right arm holding the sword, seeping into meridians, and finally, producing a strange intersection with the two forces within the Crimson Flame Sword.
The blazing crimson flame sword force, the sorrowful and heavy guardian sword intent, the gentle yet powerful purification source containing rebirth.
Three completely different, even slightly conflicting in nature, forces, under the guidance of Xiaoqi's unwavering 'guardian' original intention, began to slowly, with difficulty, fuse.
"Hiss-"
The Crimson Flame Sword's body trembled slightly, emitting a low hum. The originally blazing red light on the sword blade began to draw inward, the color becoming more profound, like solidified magma. And at the core of that profound red, a point of pure golden light gradually brightened-that was the essence of the guardian sword intent. Outside the golden light, a layer of almost invisible blue-green light halo was faintly entwined-that was the 'rebirth' aura endowed by the purification source.
This process was extremely painful. The merging of three forces was like opening a new battlefield in his right arm's meridians. Tearing pain came in waves; fine sweat appeared at his temples. But he clenched his teeth, his gaze unshaken.
His spirit was completely immersed in the comprehension of 'guardian.'
He remembered his carefree childhood at Xu Lan Manor-that was the beauty needing guardianship.
He remembered the blood and fire of that night of annihilation-that was the pain of guardianship being torn.
He remembered his master's stern care at Qingxu Temple, the awkward care from senior brothers and sisters-that was the continuation of guardianship.
He remembered fighting side by side with companions in the secret realm, remembered removing toxins for fellow disciples-that was the practice of guardianship.
Finally, it fixed on his father's gaze before dissipation-that gaze carrying guilt, reluctance to part, and boundless hope.
All the images, all the emotions, all the comprehensions gathered, compressed, refined at this moment!
"Boom!"
Something in his mind seemed to explode, or like some constraint was broken.
The three forces raging and conflicting in his right arm meridians suddenly found a perfect balance point. They were no longer merely fused, but blended like water and milk, transforming into a brand-new, more refined, more powerful force, and one tightly connected to his spirit!
This torrent swept back along the meridians, not returning to the dantian, but rushing straight toward his spiritual sea at the brow!
In an instant, Xiaoqi's 'vision' changed.
He still had his eyes closed, yet he 'saw' every texture of the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand, felt the powerful yet obedient newborn force within the sword. He could even 'hear' the sword's breath, feel its 'joy.'
And at the center of his spiritual sea, a bright light shone forth.
That was not mere light. Its shape was like a small sword embryo. The entire body presented a dark gold base color, yet the core burned with eternally unextinguished crimson flames, and outside the flames, blue-green glow flowed endlessly.
The sword embryo slowly rotated, emitting a unique artistic conception-indestructible, burning away evil, yet also nurturing life.
The Crimson Flame Sword Heart!
This was the sword heart uniquely his-Tang Xiaoqi-refined from fusing the Crimson Flame Sword's righteous blaze, his father's guardian sword intent's heavy sorrow, his own purification source's rebirth Dao rhythm, and his complete comprehension of the 'Dao of Guardianship.'
With the sword heart's initial formation, his entire person's temperament also subtly changed. The previous sorrow and heaviness had not disappeared, but were internalized into a more steadfast power. His gaze was sharper, yet also carried a clarity seeing through the essence of things.
He slowly raised the Crimson Flame Sword, without deliberately operating any sword technique, just following his heart's direction, and gently thrust forward.
"Hum-"
Without earth-shaking momentum, the air before the sword tip let out an unbearable groan. A condensed, substantial sword energy, its color dark gold with crimson flowing light, shot out, instantly crossing several zhang, striking a huge rock on the opposite cliff wall.
There was no explosion, no debris flying.
Where the sword energy struck the rock, a fist-sized hole appeared instantly. The hole's edges were smooth as a mirror, presenting a glassy appearance that had been melted at extreme high temperature then rapidly cooled. Yet the rock around the hole showed not the slightest crack.
Ultimate condensation! Ultimate penetration! Ultimate control!
The power of this sword far exceeded any sword technique he had ever used, yet the spiritual energy consumed was even less. Because this sword was not driven by brute force, but was sent out by the 'Sword Heart' directly guiding heaven and earth's spiritual energy and his own power-a strike most in accord with the 'Dao.'
Xiaoqi sheathed his sword, stood still, let out a long breath. That breath carried a trace of scalding sword intent.
He lowered his head, looking at the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand. The sword body was dark red, with golden-blue light flowing within, as if possessing life.
"Father, do you see it?" he whispered. "Your sword intent has not disappeared. It lives in my heart, in my sword, and has been given new life."
"From now on, my sword exists not for killing, but for guardianship."
"To guard everything I cherish."
The mountain wind still blew, brushing past the young man's upright figure. He stood at the cliff's edge, sword in hand, sword heart in chest, gazing across the clouds toward that still unknown yet must-be-stepped-forward future.
With the Crimson Flame Sword Heart newly condensed, the path of the sword Dao was from now on completely different.