At that moment, Shuo Feng seemed to have fully mastered the Heavenly Wonder [Sword]. From beginning to end, there were no signs of it going out of control.
However, unlike now, back then, when facing Su Xiaomei’s relentless attacks, Shuo Feng had only defended, never once taking the initiative to attack.
“A streak of white light reflected all of the enemy’s attacks back at them. In fact, the counterattack was even several times stronger than the original strike.”
“The characteristics are exactly the same as a wooden sword. It just can’t take the initiative to attack…”
Li Fan seemed to have figured out why Shuo Feng had never been able to completely control [Sword].
After pondering for a moment, he thought that since Shuo Feng would eventually have to comprehend it himself, he might as well offer him a helping hand.
He then fixed his gaze on the wooden sword in Shuo Feng’s hand and furrowed his brows slightly:
“Logically speaking, with your unparalleled talent, even if it were the legendary Wonder of Heaven, it shouldn’t be something that is difficult to control.”
Shuo Feng agreed and nodded. “I, too, am puzzled by this.”
“I have a theory. I don’t know if it’s correct.”
“Oh? Please share it,” Shuo Feng responded politely, though he did not believe Li Fan would say anything truly insightful.
“A sword is a weapon of slaughter. Ancient sword cultivators were capable of taking a person’s head from a thousand miles away; a single strike could break ten thousand techniques. The essence of the sword manifests in the world in various forms—gold, jade, stone—but why, of all things, is this [Sword] a wooden sword?”
Li Fan posed this question, and Shuo Feng immediately furrowed his brows, his expression turning serious.
“I once heard that in the ancient sects of sword cultivators, disciples would only use wooden swords in friendly sparring matches where victory or defeat was not the goal. Therefore…”
Li Fan paused for a moment and then spoke in a solemn tone:
“I believe that [Sword] is the pinnacle of all swordsmanship. As the saying goes, ‘extremity begets reversal.’ Every trait of a mundane sword has been completely inverted in the Heavenly Wonder [Sword].”
“Slaughter becomes non-slaughter. Seeking defeat is victory. Not attacking is triumph. Motionlessness is invincibility!”
Li Fan’s words were like a great bell ringing in Shuo Feng’s ears, or a bolt of lightning under a clear sky. He was stunned.
A strange glimmer flashed in his eyes as he re-examined the wooden sword in his hands, seemingly entering a profound and mysterious state.
He stood there like a stone statue, murmuring something under his breath.
“It seems he was just one step away from enlightenment. Now that I have pointed it out, he has instantly comprehended it,” Li Fan thought to himself as he quietly activated his Black Bird Divine Ability to observe Shuo Feng’s fate.
A towering pillar of purple qi shot into the sky, spiraling like a dragon tornado, coalescing without dissipating. This was a sign of supreme destiny, only slightly weaker than Xu Ke’s.
The pillar of fortune was so resilient that even Han Yi’s Fortune Absorption Domain, formed by his transformation into a statue, could not affect it.
“Well, of course. Without great destiny, how could one be born into such a favorable position? What countless cultivators struggle for their entire lives to obtain, he has never lacked since birth,” Li Fan sighed as he observed Shuo Feng’s astonishing and heaven-defying fortune.
“In this Xuanhuang Realm, it is rare for two Dao Integration Immortal Sages to choose to have a child together,” he mused, recalling the rumors about Shuo Feng and his mother.
It was said that after Immortal Sage Fei Xue realized she had no hope of attaining Longevity Immortality, she decided to place her hopes in her offspring. To produce the most exceptional descendant, she chose the oldest yet most effective method—a martial contest for a spouse.
She declared that any Dao Integration cultivator who could defeat her in combat would be qualified to become her Dao companion. Given the rarity of Dao Integration cultivators—each one a one-in-ten-million genius—the combination of their bloodlines, along with the full support of both parents’ resources, might produce another Longevity Immortal.
When the news broke, the entire world was shaken. Countless cultivators, eager to witness a grand battle among Dao Integration cultivators, gathered to watch. However, the outcome was a major disappointment.
Few responded to the challenge, and nearly a year passed before a single Dao Integration cultivator stepped forward to challenge Fei Xue. He ultimately failed.
It was then that the broader community of cultivators realized:
Dao Integration cultivators are incredibly rare across the Xuanhuang Realm. Those who have reached this stage have exceptionally high ambitions. Unless faced with extraordinary circumstances, they would never so easily abandon their pursuit of Longevity Immortality, their ultimate goal.
Furthermore, while Fei Xue’s combat strength was only average among Dao Integration cultivators, she was extremely skilled in artifact refinement. With her formidable arsenal of defensive treasures, defeating her was easier said than done. Without absolute confidence, any challenger would simply be seeking humiliation.
Thus, due to these various factors, Fei Xue’s martial contest for a spouse fell into an extremely awkward and quiet state.
Just when everyone thought this matter would gradually fade into obscurity, an event that shocked the world once again occurred—
Fei Xue was suddenly pregnant!
And apart from herself, no one knew who the father was!
She refused to speak on the matter and officially declared the contest null and void.
From that moment on, she devoted herself entirely to nurturing the child in her womb—Shuo Feng.
There was no doubt that the one who had managed to make Immortal Sage Fei Xue conceive in complete secrecy must have been a terrifyingly powerful Dao Integration cultivator. That much was certain.
As for why he chose to conceal his identity, that remained a mystery.
“Not only does he have a Dao Integration mother, but he also has a father hiding in the shadows, keeping his true identity a secret…”
“No wonder Shuo Feng is so confident. The world may be vast, but he can go anywhere he pleases.”
As Li Fan was lost in thought, Shuo Feng slowly emerged from his enlightenment.
A faint joy surfaced on his face, but after taking a deep breath, his expression gradually calmed.
The hands gripping the wooden sword no longer trembled. As a mysterious aura descended and locked onto him—
The Heavenly Wonder [Sword] transformed into a gentle white light and gradually merged into his body.
In an instant, Shuo Feng’s presence completely changed.
His sharpness was entirely withdrawn.
From being as sharp as an unsheathed blade, he now appeared utterly ordinary.
Even the towering purple fortune pillar above his head gradually faded under Li Fan’s gaze, eventually turning into an unremarkable white mist—so subtle that, if one didn’t look closely, it could easily be overlooked.
Shuo Feng turned his gaze toward Li Fan. Li Fan withdrew his Black Bird Divine Ability and cupped his hands.
“Congratulations, Daoist friend, for returning to your true nature and achieving supreme mastery!”
“Supreme mastery? That’s an overstatement. However…”
Shuo Feng made a refined gesture of invitation.
“I would like to ask you to test my sword!”
Li Fan naturally understood his intention.
With a flick of his fingers, several blue water swords flew toward Shuo Feng.
Shuo Feng stood with his hands behind his back, neither dodging nor blocking.
Just as the water swords were about to strike him—
A streak of white light flashed.
The water swords completely reversed direction.