I Have A Sword

Chapter 688: Demonic Nature

Chapter 688: Demonic Nature

The journal of the First God!

The elderly lady turned to fix her gaze upon Shen Wu. "You're Shen Wu, the one who left the God Clan?"

Shen Wu nodded in confirmation and a silent pause lingered between them.

Finally, the elderly lady spoke, "When do we strike?"

A faint smile graced Shen Wu's lips. "Madam Chu, wait for my signal."

"Very well."

Without further words, Shen Wu departed, accompanied by Shen Xue.

Shortly after their departure, a young man in white robes appeared beside Madam Chu. Casting a curious glance at Shen Wu and Shen Xue as they left in the distance, he inquired, "Grandmother, is the First God’s journal truly invaluable?"

Madam Chu nodded knowingly. "Within those pages lie the secrets of transcending ninety percent divinity. But that's not all; it contains the methods of cultivation for each realm..."

Her eyes betrayed a hint of complexity as she continued, "In his time, the First God was hailed as the pinnacle of the Divine Dao Realm. His methods of divine cultivation differed from ours and those of the Primordial Spirit Land; they were a path unto themselves."

The young man in white robes furrowed his brow in concern. "The God Clan is formidable, yet they seek allies outside to eliminate this young man. He must be extraordinary."

Madam Chu nodded thoughtfully, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. "Not bad, you inferred that."

"Grandmother, then..."

"We will observe, but intervention may not be necessary, understood?"

"So, we'll assess the situation first. If the young man proves formidable and the God Clan stands no chance, we'll refrain from action. But if victory seems possible for the God Clan, we'll intervene, adding to their success?"

"Precisely."

The young man hesitated, contemplating his words.

Madam Chu said, "Do not concern yourself with matters of pride. Our Chu Palace has thrived for years under the watchful eye of the Primordial Spirit Land, not through pride, but through adaptability, humility, and strategic retreats. Understand?"

The young man fell silent, absorbing her words.

"Pride will come naturally when strength is attained."

"Understood."

Madam Chu cast her gaze skyward, a flicker of defiance in her eyes.

Once equals with the Primordial Spirit Land, Chu Palace now merely survived here, forced to play a subordinate role. Hence, she couldn't afford to let slip any opportunity for the Chu Palace's resurgence.

Seizing The First God's journal presented just such an opportunity for Chu Palace.

...

Upon returning to the Zhen Clan with Zhen Tian, Ye Guan retreated to the tiny pagoda. Within the hour, his fleshy body had fully recovered.

Ye Guan closed his eyes in contemplation.

Even though his Sword Dao had divinity, facing a Divine Dao Realm opponent with seventy percent divinity proved futile. Not even his bloodline could bridge the gap.

I am not strong enough. Shaking his head to clear away the frustration, Ye Guan tried to keep a cool headed mind. There was no point in dwelling on inadequacies.

With that realization, Ye Guan's mind gradually settled. Anger and frustration wouldn't empower him, acknowledging reality would.

"Master Pagoda, lend me your aid," he murmured. He wanted to study the special spacetime Plain Skirt Aunt left behind and use it to forge a unique sword technique.

Thankfully, the spacetime realm welcomed his exploration. Facilitated by Master Pagoda, his research efforts went well and soon, Ye Guan found himself seamlessly merging with the peculiar spacetime.

This spacetime realm offered a unique experience and Ye Guan could sense that the biggest contrast between this spacetime and the outside world was the difference in the speed of time passing.

An idea sprang to mind: What if my sword can integrate with this spacetime

Without hesitation, he tried to blend the two. However, his expression swiftly darkened as his body turned ethereal. His heart jumped and he quickly stopped the attempt.

"The gap between your strength and this spacetime is too big,” Master Pagoda admitted.

Ye Guan fell silent, his expression betraying his disappointment . Indeed, the spacetime realm’s power exceeded his current capabilities. Had its intentions been hostile, his actions just now might have proved fatal. If I accidentally killed myself, what would Plain Skirt Aunt and Father think...

"You may need to increase your strength before attempting to master this spacetime realm," Master Pagoda advised.

"No need."

"What do you mean?"

"While I may not be able to merge with it, I can absorb its unique spacetime energy," Ye Guan explained. Just now, he had carefully sensed the spacetime energy here.

Ye Guan sat down and healed himself and after that, he absorbed the realm's spacetime energy. But the moment the energy entered his body, a furrow formed on his brow. His body struggled to contain the influx of power. Left with no choice, he channeled the remaining spacetime energy into Invincible Sword Intent.

Success! Joy lit up Ye Guan's face, but it soon gave way to concern as his Invincible Sword Intent began to waver under the strain.

Ye Guan was somewhat shocked because he found that this special spacetime energy was so terrifying that even his Invincible Sword Intent couldn't bear too much. But after the shock, Ye Guan was ecstatic because he realized that the spacetime here was a huge treasure trove for him, endless and inexhaustible.

Ye Guan made an effort to calm his emotions. Though this spacetime realm held immense potential, his current strength couldn't handle too much. The special spacetime energy was overwhelming, perhaps only the Qingxuan Sword and the Path Sword could withstand its force.

After a brief moment, Ye Guan began to slowly absorb the spacetime energy. When the Sword Intent in his hand reached its limit, he abruptly ceased. Eyeing the sword in his hand cautiously, he wondered what its potential was.

Ye Guan left the tiny pagoda and arrived in the starry skies. With a tentative swing of his sword, nothing happened. He stood there, perplexed. Nothing happened whatsoever? Ye Guan's expression twisted with confusion as he scrutinized his sword and the silent surroundings.

His expression darkened. How could this be? Just as he prepared to try again –

Shwing!

The entire spacetime area around him was obliterated and he was left in a void.

"Spacetime suppression, a temporal delay,” Little Pagoda explained.

Ye Guan's voice was heavy. "Are you saying... my strike is delayed due to the difference in temporal flow between the spacetime realm and the outside world?"

"Yes, precisely," Master Pagoda affirmed.

Ye Guan fell silent. Delayed strikes? How can I use this in combat? But then again, perhaps I can use this to catch opponents off guard.

Unlike his previous techniques, this strike's delayed effect left even him unaware of its timing, it was completely unpredictable.

Furthermore, its power was devastating. The entire spacetime around him was destroyed. It was powerful yet mysterious and it left no traces of its existence.

Grinning at the revelation, Ye Guan's excitement grew.

Little Pagoda’s voice cut through his happiness, "This isn't innovation, it's transposition."

Ye Guan chuckled. Indeed, it was. He was moving the spacetime energy from within the tiny pagoda to the outside world. "Master Pagoda, progress must be gradual. I can’t master this spacetime energy yet. I'll take it step by step."

"Indeed," the Little Pagoda agreed.

In the days that followed, Ye Guan continued his training. He sought to understand the extent of the temporal delay and master the timing to avoid awkward situations—like his death preceding his sword's strike or losing the element of surprise by striking too early. If he could manage it, the potential was boundless, and Ye Guan couldn't contain his excitement.

With each practice session, he delved deeper into the spacetime realm’s intricacies. Moreover, he began to explore additional techniques like striking a second time with a another sword and then a third...

His sword intent could store the spacetime energy and he could store it beforehand. After all, there was no limit to how much sword intent he could muster and he could store plenty before hand.

A peculiar sight emerged during Ye Guan's practice sessions within this starry skies —a sword would occasionally fly out without any apparent action from him.

A new sword technique.

A new approach to combat.

Suddenly, Master Pagoda’s voice broke the silence, "Your fighting style...”

He sighed softly, a hint of complexity in his voice "I can't help but feel... your path in Sword Dao is veering towards the sinister. It is not divinity nor mortality... more like demonic.”

...