NOVPUB
Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Sword Heart Realm! Xuanyuan Sect
Feeling the surging power within his body, Luo Cheng was incredulous.
The power of ten thousand pounds is a watershed for martial artists.
A Fourth Layer Transcendence Realm martial artist, after peeling and washing the marrow and refining the marrow like frost, possesses the strength of nine bulls and two tigers—calculating it, only about fourteen thousand five hundred pounds of force.
Now, Luo Cheng could freely swing the Meteor Sword, no longer experiencing the previous sluggishness.
Luo Cheng estimated that his strength was at least close to fourteen or fifteen thousand pounds!
In other words, despite just breaking through to the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm, his strength already rivaled that of a Fourth Layer martial artist!
"Just breaking through to the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm shouldn’t increase strength this much."
Luo Cheng muttered to himself.
Typically, when martial artists advance to the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm, their strength increases by only two to three thousand pounds.
Before his breakthrough, Luo Cheng’s strength was close to eight thousand pounds; now, it surged by seven thousand pounds—almost doubling!
Puzzled, Luo Cheng closed his eyes and examined himself internally.
In the vortex of his Dantian, the Dragon Energy had undergone another transformation.
The Dragon Energy had grown a head, resembling a small snake, swimming back and forth.
"The Dragon Energy has grown a head—this is the first transformation of Dragon Energy! The True Dragon Technique has broken through to the First Level!"
Seeing the change in his Dragon Energy, Luo Cheng felt relieved.
No wonder his strength had surged so much—it turned out that the True Dragon Technique had also made a breakthrough.
"Just breaking through the First Level of True Dragon Technique has given me the strength of ten thousand pounds!"
Luo Cheng exclaimed in astonishment.
Only at the First Level of the True Dragon Technique, it was already so domineering—it was hard to imagine how wondrous the complete All Heavens Dragon Control Technique could be.
"Haha, everyone says I awakened a Wasted Martial Soul and that as my cultivation progresses, I’ll gradually become ordinary. But who could know that this is just the beginning of my rise?"
A smile appeared on Luo Cheng’s face, his blood boiling with excitement.
With the All Heavens Dragon Control Technique in his cultivation, the Nine-colored Scales could not only refine spiritual medicine but also purge impurities in elixir pills, drastically reducing the side effects of consuming them!
It was foreseeable that his progress would only accelerate, surpassing everyone!
Those who were waiting to see him fail were destined to be disappointed!
Taking a deep breath, Luo Cheng stepped out of the room and onto the deck.
Outside, the sky was faintly bright as the warship had already been sailing for a day.
On the deck, there were only a few scattered individuals.
Everyone was preparing for the Xuanyuan Sect’s examination trial.
Luo Cheng had just reached the middle of the deck.
Suddenly.
Roar!
A terrifying roar erupted.
On the vast river, a towering wave suddenly soared into the sky.
Within the wave, one could faintly see a massive shadow, clawing toward the warship.
Whoosh!
The warship merely trembled slightly, slicing through the massive wave effortlessly.
As for that enormous shadow, it was directly torn into pieces by the sharp bow, causing a torrential rain of blood and flesh to fall, as if a bloodstorm had descended.
"How terrifying! That looked like the Blackwater Python, a Four-star Demon Beast! It was instantly ripped apart!"
"Too frightening, we should go below deck quickly."
Nearby, two young men who also saw the scene were left stunned, not daring to linger on the deck anymore, and hurriedly fled into the cabin.
Luo Cheng was also somewhat shaken.
A Four-star Demon Beast, comparable to a strong Awakening Vein Realm cultivator, was obliterated directly—it was unimaginable how sturdy this warship must be!
After calming his mind, Luo Cheng moved to the bow of the ship.
Ahead, a thin, azure light shield covered the body of the ship, instantly tearing and isolating the turbulent currents.
Through the shield, the boundless river stretched endlessly. The morning sunlight scattered thousands of rays of golden brilliance, cloaking the river in golden splendor, majestic and vast.
"The world is truly vast! One day, I will traverse all of these mountains and waters!"
Luo Cheng stood at the bow, gazing at the endless, rapidly retreating rivers. His entire being seemed to merge with the ship, riding the wind and breaking the waves, a grand ambition rising in his heart.
"Ride the wind and wield the sword, free and unrestrained across the heavens and earth!"
Luo Cheng softly recited, his eyes radiating sharp brilliance.
At this moment, his mind was incredibly clear.
All of heaven and earth seemed to leave only him and his sword!
"Oh, the Sword Heart Realm! You broke through here unexpectedly."
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
Luo Cheng opened his eyes abruptly, his aura quickly retracting as he turned to look.
Nearby, a burly youth had approached unnoticed.
The youth had messy short hair, wearing only a beast-hide short tunic. His muscular body resembled a coiled dragon, radiating wild energy. At the moment, he was staring at Luo Cheng with great interest, like a beast eyeing its prey.
Noticing Luo Cheng’s gaze, the youth grinned widely:
"Haha, my name is Tuoba Lie. I didn’t expect you to be about my age yet already reach the Sword Heart Realm! If my grand-ancestor knew, he’d definitely want to take you as his disciple."
"Sword Heart Realm?"
Luo Cheng frowned slightly.
He did feel a change within, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different.
This wasn’t unusual—he had only been cultivating the Sword Dao for a month or two and wasn’t familiar with many concepts.
"You don’t know? Truly, I don’t know how you managed to comprehend the Sword Heart Realm."
Tuoba Lie gave Luo Cheng a peculiar look, then explained, "The realms of Sword Dao consist of several major levels. The most basic is Sword Skills—merely imitating and practicing sword techniques."
"The second major level is Sword Heart, which is your current state."
"In this realm, the martial artist establishes their Sword Dao, a spirit within their techniques. It is typically the culmination of years immersed in Sword Dao, allowing one to easily defeat others of the same level."
Tuoba Lie sized Luo Cheng up with a grin and said, "Although you’re only in the early stage of Sword Heart Realm, it’s still commendable. Looks like choosing the Xuanyuan Sect was the right call—it won’t be boring!"
Luo Cheng simply smiled, uncertain whether Tuoba Lie was praising him or himself.
However, he found Tuoba Lie’s straightforwardness rather pleasing.
"My name is Luo Cheng. Are you also a swordsman?"
"My grand-ancestor wants me to practice swordsmanship. But alas, I’m not interested—I put more trust in these!"
Tuoba Lie waved his fists, then shook his head, saying, "Unfortunately, your cultivation is too low to withstand a few of my punches."
Seeing that the other had already advanced to the Fourth Layer of Transcendence Realm, Luo Cheng smiled, "Maybe for others, but not for me!"
Tuoba Lie was briefly stunned, then burst into laughter, "You’ve got guts! I like that!"
After another two hours of sailing, the ship abruptly left the Luoyan River and entered a tributary.
Not long afterwards, a scenic vista came into Luo Cheng’s view.
Mountain ranges stretched endlessly before him, surrounded by rivers. Some mountains lay like fierce tigers; others appeared as soaring dragons. Mist curled amidst the vibrant clouds, with spiraling radiant energy and spiritual beasts flying, exuding a unique celestial charm!
Tuoba Lie said, "These sects really know how to pick their locations! I heard the Luoxia Sect is situated on a small island, perpetually veiled in multicolored clouds, and it possesses the Five-colored Origin Spring! Bathing in the spring water has numerous wonderful benefits!"
Saying this, Tuoba Lie leaned close to Luo Cheng’s ear, chuckling cheekily:
"They say the women there have skin so soft you could pinch water out of them. If we get the chance, let’s go and take a look!"
Ugh! Ugh!
Initially, Luo Cheng had been awestruck by the picturesque scenery, but Tuoba Lie’s comments quickly extinguished his enthusiasm.
Soon, the warship came to a halt before a gorge.
Swoosh!
The mist split open as several figures descended from the mountains and rivers.
Leading them was an elder clad in a robe, his entire body emitting radiant energy, his eyes as piercing as lightning.
"Elder Chen Xuan, all disciples participating in the Linjiang City trials have been brought. A total of ten thousand five hundred and thirty-seven people!"
The elder in black stationed at the bow reported respectfully.
"Hmm."
Elder Chen Xuan nodded slightly, swept his gaze over the crowd, and announced in a clear voice:
"I will oversee this entrance trial. Those with recommendation letters or awakened advanced Martial Souls may disembark first!"
