Old madman? The figure standing before Wu Yuan was cloaked in tattered robes that had clearly not seen water or soap in ages. The man had wild, unkempt hair and a knotted beard that reached down to his chest. His physical appearance was equally ugly, and calling him Old Madman was not a misnomer in the slightest.
“Junior Li Xia greets Senior,” Wu Yuan bowed respectfully, not daring to underestimate the old man.
This was one of the sect’s nine treasure lands, protected by various measures without any security lapses for eons. Yet here stood this old man, having breached its defenses without so much as an alarm going off.
What level of cultivation did he possess? Void Refiner phase? Divided Soul phase? Or perhaps even more formidable? Wu Yuan dared not hazard a guess.
The old man’s appearance and manner of dressing held little weight in Wu Yuan’s eyes. He knew that many immortal cultivators of considerable age paid little heed to such matters.
Just as Wu Yuan traveled through the Middle Land in the past, some powerful immortal cultivators might also decide to cultivate their worldly hearts in the mundane world, assuming guises in various lowly positions. They might pose as beggars, boatmen, woodcutters, or even tavern waiters for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, fully immersing themselves in their chosen roles.
“Hehe, you’re a polite kid,” the unkempt old man chuckled. “But as I’ve said, call me Old Madman.”
“Junior dares not,” Wu Yuan replied respectfully.
“You dare not?” The unkempt old man fixed him with a piercing stare. “I said to call me Old Madman, so call me Old Madman.”
Wu Yuan paused. This black-robed old man did seem to border on lunacy.
“You refuse?” The unkempt old man’s eyes betrayed a hint of displeasure.
“Old Madman,” Wu Yuan cautiously addressed him.
“That’s more like it,” the unkempt old man cackled. “Since our paths have crossed, it must be fate. How about inviting this old madman to take a seat?”
“Please, have a seat,” Wu Yuan offered, relinquishing his place on the jade platform.
Even after observing him, the old man was a complete mystery to Wu Yuan.
“Forget it, let’s both stand,” the unkempt old man waved, causing the floating jade platform to glide to the edge of the space.
Wu Yuan’s eyelid twitched.
Though the jade platform appeared to float freely in the air, it was actually anchored in place by the array surrounding the Star Origin Soil. It was supposed to be immovable!
Who was this strange unkempt old man, and what was his purpose here?
“I know you have questions,” the old man grinned, revealing two rows of yellowed teeth. “I won’t leave you hanging. I was drawn here because you obtained the Great Eldritch’s inheritance.”
Wu Yuan was taken aback.
“Don’t be surprised, did you think the sect was unaware that Star Origin Soil placed here holds an inheritance?” The unkempt old man chuckled. “Teachings may be easily obtained, but the mental imprint of the inheritance is actually Dao resonance left by the original owner. It diminishes each time the inheritance is imparted. Thus, the sect naturally values it highly.”
Wu Yuan’s eyes widened in realization.
The sect had known all along about the Great Eldritch’s inheritance held within the Star Origin Soil.
However, Wu Yuan felt a sense of reassurance from the old man’s words, and understood that he was likely a super powerhouse of the sect.
“I sense the aura of a sword cultivator about you,” the unkempt old man observed. “Show me your strongest sword art.”
His strongest sword art? Coupled with the old man’s previous words, Wu Yuan had an inkling of the reason behind his visit.
“Senior, thank you for your instruct…” Wu Yuan began.
“No, call me Old Madman,” the unkempt old man’s expression turned serious.
“Understood,” Wu Yuan agreed, “Then, Old Madman, please guide me.”
Swoosh! Three flying swords materialized before Wu Yuan and swiftly assembled into a small sword array.
“There’s no need to worry about injuring me or restraining your power,” the unkempt old man assured.
With a nod, Wu Yuan gave a mental command.
Swish! The sword array transformed into a slender divine sword, the third step of the Dark Earth Sword Array – The Sword Within Reach.
The divine sword moved gracefully, devoid of essentia or mana. It looked like a falling star, seemingly subdued, but the power it exhibited upon impact was immense.
As it sliced through the sky, it left a lingering sword scar in its wake.
Swish! Swish! The divine sword split into three, circling around Wu Yuan.
“Senior, what do you think?” Wu Yuan inquired in a low voice.
“So it’s the ‘Dark Earth Sword Array’. I haven’t seen it for some time,” the old man chuckled. “At your age, being able to display the third step is indeed impressive.”
Wu Yuan felt rather proud.
Even Amethyst Cradle cultivators might not be able to display the third step of the Dark Earth Sword Array.
“However, this technique is nowhere near your strongest. It barely touches half of your Dao comprehension,” the old man observed.
“What? I haven’t even tapped into half of my Dao comprehension?” Wu Yuan was astonished.
On the path of immortal cultivation, the Dao was the foundation, while techniques were the application.
To reach greater heights, one must deepen their comprehension of the Dao, but only through proper application could one unleash the full potential of the power it contained.
“Since you can contemplate the Star Origin Soil, it means you have reached a high level of comprehension. So why do you still follow the sword codex so rigidly?” The unkempt old man shook his head, “The moves in the sword codex merely contain the profundity of the Land. It does not mean you are restricted to utilizing the Land’s profundity in its execution.”
Wu Yuan was left speechless.
“You must understand that what you are currently contemplating is the Celestial Body Dao, which also originates from the Great Dao of Earth’s Essence. [1] As they share the same origins, the two are fundamentally the same,” the unkempt old man explained. “If you can use the Land’s profundity to exhibit the Dark Earth Sword Array, why can’t you use the Celestial Body Dao to unleash the same array?”
A bitter smile formed on Wu Yuan’s face.
Techniques are merely applications of the Dao. Be it sword arrays, alchemy, talismans, or the like, they were just vessels. This principle was understood by all, yet actualizing it was a daunting task, far easier said than done.
“Li Xia, observe closely,” the old man suddenly instructed. “I shall demonstrate a single sword strike. How much you comprehend from this strike depends entirely on your own capabilities.”
Without delay, the old man extended his finger, pointing to the air. Sword lights materialized out of nothingness, initially simple lines, yet swiftly merging together.
This? Wu Yuan looked on with intense focus.
Whoosh! The sword lights fused, forming a needle-like beam that tore through the sky. It looked like a meteorite crashing to the ground, or a shooting star streaking across the sky, embodying the might of a celestial body’s explosion—unpredictable and boundless.
The sword of Celestial Bodies embodies the movement of celestial bodies. Wu Yuan marveled, utterly captivated.
Though both displayed the third step of the Dark Earth Sword Array, the sword art exhibited by the old man far surpassed Wu Yuan’s.
The profoundness of the Dao contained within each sword light may seem shallow, but its collective display actually yields such unbelievable power. Wu Yuan realized in awe.
Comparing the old man’s swordplay to his own was like comparing the brilliance of the moon to the glow of a firefly.
After more than ten breaths, the sword lights dissipated, bringing Wu Yuan back to reality. The old man stood beside him, a grin on his face.
“Thank you for your guidance, Senior,” Wu Yuan bowed sincerely, deeply impressed by the old man.
It was a remarkable sword art.
While the Celestial Body Law Codex guided Wu Yuan in understanding the Celestial Body Dao via the Great Eldrich’s Dao resonance, it was incredibly complex, resembling a vague outline too profound to fully grasp.
Wu Yuan had only just begun to scratch the surface, yet already had many questions.
The old man’s sword demonstration, on the other hand, was a visual explanation of the concepts for a novice, as though breaking each step down for Wu Yuan to comprehend more easily.
The more deeply one comprehends the Dao, the greater one’s mastery over techniques, naturally enabling one to grow stronger.
Likewise, continuous exploration of sword arts inadvertently leads to many insights, enhancing one’s comprehension of the Dao. Wu Yuan realized.
The Dao was the theory, technique was the application. Both were essential, for only together could one tread the true path of immortal cultivation.
“Focus on understanding this sword strike in conjunction with the sword codex,” the unkempt old man instructed solemnly. “Return to the Star Origin Soil in a month’s time. If your cultivation progresses well, I will demonstrate more techniques.”
“But if your progress falls below expectations, there will be no second chance.”
“I will give my all,” vowed Wu Yuan earnestly.
He understood that the old man intended to mentor him for an extended period. Yet the identity of this figure remained a mystery.
Wu Yuan surmised that he was at least an Earth Immortal, or perhaps even a Tribulation High Immortal within the sect. Regardless, this was a rare opportunity not to be wasted.
“Right, since you are contemplating the Celestial Body Dao, go learn the ‘Star Ruins Sword Codex’. Since you possess sufficient lifebound flying swords, you will be able to execute sword arts from both codices simultaneously,” instructed the old man.
“Yes,” Wu Yuan dutifully committed the ‘Star Ruins Sword Codex’ to memory.
With that, the unkempt old man disappeared, and the jade platform at the far end of the space returned to its original position.
He came and left without a trace. Wu Yuan had no idea how the dirty old man in black robes had left, just as he hadn’t noticed how he had come.
I wonder which senior from the sect it was. Wu Yuan pondered.
One thing was certain – the old man harbored no malice, even going to great lengths to impart his wisdom. That single sword strike alone was worth dedicating a good amount of time to contemplate.
I’ll return to the grotto and come back in a month. Wu Yuan was filled with eager anticipation and a burning fighting spirit.
He knew that he needed to push himself and show sufficient improvement if he wanted to continue receiving guidance from the mysterious senior.
With that, Wu Yuan left.
Having received the teachings of the Celestial Body Law Codex, Wu Yuan could study directly from the Dao resonance left by the Great Eldritch Kua Fu. It was far more effective than contemplating the nine treasure lands.
Using the teleportation array, Wu Yuan swiftly returned to his residence.
“Heir,” Lu Zhu and a large group of Golden Core cultivators flew over to greet him as he arrived.
“You may attend to your duties. No one is to disturb me,” commanded Wu Yuan before entering the meditation chamber without delay.
As he cultivated, he separated a thread of consciousness, which entered the Dragon Star Immortal Realm and made its way to the Daoist Scripture Tower within Mirage Dragon City.
There, he swiftly located the information he sought.
The initial and middle segments of the ‘Dark Earth Sword Codex’ cost three million dragon crystals in total.
The ‘Star Ruins Sword Codex’ cost one million dragon crystals for the initial segment, ten million dragon crystals for the middle segment, and 50 million for the final segment.
How exorbitant! Wu Yuan’s eyes widened as he looked at the cost. The prices far exceeded his estimations, and it was far more expensive than the Dark Earth Sword Codex.
But after doing a quick check, he learned that this was the number one sword codex among the dozen or so sword codices in the sect.
After a brief moment, Wu Yuan came to a decision.
“I wish to redeem the initial and middle segments of the ‘Dark Earth Sword Codex’, as well as the initial segment of the ‘Star Ruins Sword Codex’,” he declared.
1. Author uses Earth Dao, Great Dao of Earth, and Great Dao of Earth’s Essence interchangeably. ☜