Chapter 60: Comprehending the Sword of Heaven and Earth, Visitors from the Outer Deep Space?

Not only did he reach the ninety-ninth step, but in a short time, he directly comprehended the Sword Stele’s legacy. It must be noted that many others had yet to even begin. They first needed to adapt. Yet Lu Yuan had already succeeded, taking only a few minutes from start to finish.

Ice Fairy, the Northern Emperor, the Asura, Zhu Qingyu, and the others were all utterly shaken. Was the gap in comprehension truly so vast? Even Chunyang and Huikong kept shaking their heads. Especially recalling their earlier conversation, both felt deeply embarrassed. Compared to Lu Yuan’s current performance, everything they had achieved seemed dull and insignificant.

“The legacy contained in the ninety-ninth Sword Stele must be the strongest,” Dean Chen said, growing excited after a brief moment of shock. He had originally hoped for someone to reach the thirtieth level, but who could have expected such a surprise? Comprehending the legacy of the ninety-ninth Sword Stele—what heights could that reach?

The others felt the same; it was a complete and unexpected delight. Lu Yuan’s remarkable comprehension was a boon not only for himself but potentially also for Sundan Academy, should the legacy be shared. Now that he had grasped the strongest legacy directly, what greater surprise could there be?

“Everyone,” Dean Zheng spoke as he observed the group’s reactions. He felt extremely guilty but knew he could no longer conceal the truth. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I previously promised Mr. Lu that any legacy he comprehends here on Ancient Shu Mountain does not need to be handed over to Sundan Academy.” His voice was barely above a whisper, almost only audible to himself. Who could have foreseen such an outcome? Dean Zheng was almost in tears.

Upon hearing this, the others were stunned. Then, eyes wide, they exclaimed in unison, “What?” The four deans practically shouted the word.

At the peak of Sword Mountain, before the ninety-ninth Sword Stele, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged, eyes closed. Unlike the strange phenomena outside, a different scene unfolded in his mind. Heaven and earth were a hazy gray, undifferentiated, with no end in sight. A small golden figure, representing the innate spirit and the god of wisdom, sat beneath an ancient Bodhi tree. Above, a sword formed of countless energies stretched across the sky and earth, its length impossible to measure.

The powerful sword intent it radiated raged endlessly, terrifying and overwhelming, as if it could suppress all living things. It was utterly unique. Its mere appearance set the world trembling. This sword was the legacy of the ninety-ninth Sword Stele on Ancient Shu Sword Mountain—nameless, wordless, containing only the essence of a single strike.

Ordinary people would not be able to glean anything from it. But as the golden figure’s aura continually interacted with the gigantic energy sword, and as the Bodhi tree radiated an ethereal glow accompanied by the chanting of the Buddha, everything seemed to become clear.

“There are no specific moves, no set techniques—only that indomitable will?” As Lu Yuan contemplated, he gradually began to understand its meaning. The divine art of the sword first requires understanding what a sword is. There is no need to be constrained by forms. Once the sword itself is understood, once that will is grasped, anything—grass, wood, all things under heaven—can become the sword in one’s hand.

No wonder the Da Luo Sword Embryo is suited to this divine art; its strength grows not by absorbing rare divine materials, but by gradually becoming more powerful through experience.

Slowly, Lu Yuan comprehended. In Daoist explanation, Da Luo refers to the universe itself—eternal, indestructible, unchanging through all tribulations. And this sword was much the same: with its strike, heaven and earth were subdued, all beings silenced.

Thus, the divine sword art of the ninety-ninth Sword Stele bore a simple name: Heaven and Earth as One Sword.

“So, I understand now.” Lu Yuan opened his eyes, divine light flashing in their depths. At the same time, as he fully grasped the Heaven and Earth as One Sword, the entire Sword Mountain trembled, and all previous phenomena vanished, everything returning to normal. The Sword Stele before him appeared as ordinary as ever, nothing remarkable about it.

Lu Yuan simply smiled at this, rising slowly to his feet. The legacy of Ancient Shu Sword Mountain truly lived up to its reputation. Yet one question lingered in his heart—who had left behind these ninety-nine Sword Steles?

Even with changes in the world, they could not have appeared from thin air; they must have been created at some point. Perhaps there truly had been a group of legendary sword immortals atop Ancient Shu Mountain, leaving their legacy behind. Yet the histories recorded nothing of this. Like the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, some secrets must have been sealed away, never to be uncovered. Lu Yuan did not dwell on this further, turning away. Having comprehended the strongest sword legacy of Ancient Shu Mountain, he saw no reason to remain. He made his way downward.

There were still ninety-eight Sword Steles, each with its own legacy. Unfortunately, since one only had the chance every three years, there was little point in lingering. In Lu Yuan’s mind, only the top three were worth comprehending; the rest could wait—there would be other opportunities.

With swift strides, he descended a hundred meters in an instant, soon reaching Chunyang, the young celestial master, and Huikong, the monk. Both were momentarily stunned, then nodded in greeting, fully convinced by his ability.

Further down were Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and the rest, whose gazes toward Lu Yuan had changed drastically, as if beholding some kind of monster. It was one thing for him to possess unparalleled strength as one of the Five Supremes, but to have such unfathomable comprehension as well? Truly, comparisons are odious.

The other Awakened thought the same. At this moment, everyone agreed—the Human Sovereign would become the strongest among the Five, surpassing even the Winged Sky God, and his name would soon echo throughout the world. Unlike the rest of them, still struggling to comprehend the Sword Stele legacies.

Before long, Lu Yuan reached the base of Sword Mountain and crossed to the open area, where the five deans of Sundan Academy immediately surrounded him, their expressions strange and full of awe as they scrutinized him. His performance had been simply too astonishing. Yet, mindful of their status, they quickly regained composure.

Dean Chen, after a brief moment of thought, spoke first, “First of all, congratulations, Mr. Lu, on successfully comprehending the Sword Stele legacy. Dean Zheng has already explained the matter to us; you need not hand over that legacy to Sundan Academy. You alone may decide how it is handled. I guarantee that no one will challenge you on this point.” As he spoke, his heart ached—it was, after all, the strongest legacy of Ancient Shu Mountain.

The other deans shot sharp looks at Dean Zheng. But since the promise had already been made, what could they do—go back on their word? That would be beneath both Sundan Academy and themselves.

Thus, before Lu Yuan descended, the five deans had already agreed among themselves: rather than quibble over this, it was better to make a good connection. Anyone could see that Lu Yuan’s future was limitless; he was destined to become a great power. Establishing a positive relationship was already a very good result for the academy. As for the strongest legacy, though it was a pity, none of them asked for it.

“Thank you,” Lu Yuan said, fully aware of what they were thinking. Sundan Academy had shown great vision—unlike a group such as Wu Zhou Corporation, who would never have done the same. For Dean Zheng and the others to permit him entry to Ancient Shu Mountain without any demands was already a favor, and Lu Yuan would remember this.

“Mr. Lu, where are you headed next?” Dean Zheng now stepped forward. With the legacies comprehended, he wished to know what Lu Yuan’s plans were, in hopes of furthering their association.

“I’ll return to Chang’an for now,” Lu Yuan replied after a moment’s thought. With matters at Ancient Shu Mountain settled, he had to visit the Qin Mountains as his next step.

“Great, we have a plane—you can join us,” Dean Zheng said, delighted to have achieved his purpose. He added that they would wait for Zhu Qingyu and the Northern Emperor as well, since they were still comprehending their legacies. Lu Yuan did not mind, as it would not take long. After exchanging a few words with the deans, he stepped aside and closed his eyes to rest. Heaven and Earth as One Sword was profound beyond measure; it required time to fully grasp.

“Old Zheng, let the students from the academies return to Chang’an with you for now,” Dean Chen suggested. “Headquarters predicts that Chang’an is likely to face a beast tide soon. You and Commander Xu must prepare thoroughly. We’ll assist as well.” Sending students there was also a way to strengthen Chang’an’s defenses.

“Yes, I understand,” Dean Zheng responded gravely, knowing the importance. The other four supercities had all endured beast tides, and now it was Chang’an’s turn. He even suspected the beasts coordinated their attacks; regardless, they must be prepared, or great casualties would result. The exotic beasts were humanity’s true enemies.

The group fell silent, waiting in place.

With Lu Yuan’s descent, the others were no longer affected and resumed their attempts at the Sword Stele legacies. As previously noted, reaching the summit was one thing—comprehending the legacy was quite another. Most left disappointed, having gained nothing. Yet figures like the Northern Emperor and Ice Fairy succeeded within a few hours. The legacies varied: breathing techniques, visualization methods, divine arts, even ancient martial techniques lost to China—almost everything was represented, not limited to one type.

Seeing this, the five deans finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least this opening of Ancient Shu Mountain had not been fruitless. In the future, continued access would attract more Awakened. In this new era, those gaining supernatural power were multiplying rapidly; the academy’s strategy was to rely on numbers—for there would always be harvests in the end.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the distance, focusing his mind. He had already fully comprehended the divine art, Heaven and Earth as One Sword, and with his extraordinary talent, his understanding deepened further. He could be sure it was a supreme sword art, no less than the Jade Emperor’s Heavenly Thunder Law or the Buddha’s Palm World—perhaps even surpassing them in offensive power. The sword’s essence was slaughter, one of the strongest means of attack.

Yet Lu Yuan did not devote all his attention to this; from time to time, he observed the progress of others. As expected, Zhu Qingyu’s bloodline and talent were both exceptional. The legacy she comprehended was an excellent visualization technique, and with Sundan Academy’s support, she might surpass Ice Fairy and the others. This was normal; it was still the early days of the new era. The so-called Top Hundred and Five Supremes were titles made by enthusiasts. As time passed, truly powerful talents would gradually emerge, transforming overnight.

Suddenly, Lu Yuan’s phone rang. Glancing at it, he was slightly surprised. It was Chen Song—what could he want? After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Yuan answered, “Hello?”

“Is this Lu? It’s Chen Song.” The voice on the other end was as familiar as before, getting straight to the point: “Sorry to bother you, but I have something important I think you should know.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it,” Lu Yuan replied with a smile.

“It’s about that small cauldron from my family,” Chen Song began to explain. Apparently, just last night, a woman around seventeen or eighteen years old had shown up at his house. She wore ancient clothing, not modern attire, and was extremely beautiful—even more so than Zhou Yunqiong. She immediately asked for the green heirloom cauldron, but Chen Song didn’t know her and she refused to reveal her identity.

“And then?” Lu Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, suspecting something but needing confirmation.

“I told her the cauldron was lost long ago and I couldn’t find it—I didn’t mention it was given to you.” Chen Song said he sensed the woman was up to no good and feared trouble, so he made up a lie, not mentioning Lu Yuan’s name—showing great loyalty. He also warned Lu Yuan that the woman was strange, possibly an Awakened, and urged him to be careful.

“I see,” Lu Yuan replied, his tone growing heavier.

“Yeah.” Chen Song hesitated, then asked, “Lu, are you really the Human Sovereign, one of the Five Supremes?” News of the five most powerful Awakened had spread wildly online, and he’d seen it. But given changes in Lu Yuan’s appearance and bearing, he wasn’t sure. This call was partly to warn him, partly to find out.

As an ordinary person, Chen Song was naturally curious about the Awakened—especially if a classmate might be among the Five Supremes.

Lu Yuan did not answer, only saying, “Chen Song, are you still in Hucheng?”

“Yes, these days, who dares go out? My father needs care, too.”

“If you don’t have any problems with daily life, go back to your hometown. I remember it’s within the jurisdiction of a supercity—you’ll be safer there.” Lu Yuan made the suggestion. He recalled that there were a few rare herbs in Chen Song’s hometown; while they wouldn’t turn someone into an Awakened, they could greatly strengthen the body. In his previous life, Chen Song had used them to cure his father completely—he was just speeding things up this time.

Of course, what Chen Song did was up to him. Since he hadn’t revealed Lu Yuan’s involvement with the cauldron, Lu Yuan reciprocated with this advice.

“Alright, I understand.” Chen Song didn’t ask further, but was now even more certain: Lu Yuan and Zhou Yunqiong likely had both become Awakened, and Lu Yuan was probably the Human Sovereign among the Five Supremes.

“I can’t believe someone from the depths of outer space has come so soon…” Lu Yuan murmured to himself, eyes growing grave as he ended the call.

(End of chapter)