Hu Qingshi admitted that Meng Fan had the potential to become a pillar of Shu Mountain in the future.
But the title of Sword Saint was too heavy!
The Shu Mountain Sword Saint was not a position, nor was it a realm.
Only those Shu Mountain sword cultivators who had truly transcended in the Sword Dao had the hope of being bestowed with the title of Shu Mountain Sword Saint.
Shu Mountain had not produced a Sword Saint in over three hundred years.
Even the current Sect Master of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, Lin Jinghong, who was exceptionally talented and ranked among the top ten experts in the world, could not claim the title.
Not even the Clan Master of the Ghost King Sect, Li Fanchen, was his match, nor could he force out Lin Jinghong’s strongest sword strike.
Yet, even so, Lin Jinghong was unworthy of the title of Shu Mountain Sword Saint!
The title of Shu Mountain Sword Saint was a legend of its own.
If someone like Sword Emperor Du Gu Wujie had been part of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, he might have had the hope of being crowned as the Shu Mountain Sword Saint.
Unfortunately, he was not from Shu Mountain.
The title of Sword Emperor was impressive, but it still fell short of the Sword Saint.
The reputation of the Shu Mountain Sword Saint was truly timeless and resounding!
Seeing Hu Qingshi’s disbelief, Elder Lin couldn’t be bothered to argue and casually remarked, “Shu Mountain Sword Sect hasn’t produced a Sword Saint in centuries. It’s about time for one to emerge.”
Hu Qingshi agreed, or rather, he hoped for it.
If Shu Mountain could produce another Sword Saint, the Shu Mountain Sword Sect could lead the Righteous Path and completely overshadow the Limitless Sword Sect and the Kunlun Sword Sect.
As a member of Shu Mountain, he indeed hoped to see that day.
“I’m heading back to the Sword Pavilion. Keep an eye on this kid for me,” Elder Lin said to Hu Qingshi.
Seeing that Meng Fan had already begun to comprehend the Sword God Stele, he didn’t waste any more time staying there.
Hu Qingshi laughed, “Don’t worry, not a hair on his head will be harmed under my watch.”
Although Meng Fan was not his disciple, he couldn’t help but pay attention to and care for such an outstanding junior of Shu Mountain.
Meanwhile, Meng Fan was completely immersed in the ocean of Sword Dao, oblivious to the outside world.
Though the Sword God Stele contained only one Primordial Great Way of the Sword, it was all-encompassing.
Everything Meng Fan had learned related to sword techniques could be perfected and advanced through the Sword God Stele.
Sword techniques, Sword Qi, Sword Intent, Sword Momentum…
These were areas where Meng Fan had already achieved mastery, especially in the three sword techniques: Myriad Swords Art, Heavenly Sword, and One Sword Opens the Azure Sky. His comprehension was profound.
He had recently gained insights into Heavenly Sword and One Sword Opens the Azure Sky while observing Lin Jinghong and Lin Fanchen’s sword techniques in the Demon Locking Tower through Sword Dao Transcendence.
This was not systematic learning but rather a partial comprehension, so there was a significant gap between his understanding and the true Heavenly Sword and One Sword Opens the Azure Sky.
However, while comprehending the Sword God Stele, Meng Fan began to perfect these two sword techniques.
Or rather, the Primordial Great Way of the Sword was perfecting these techniques, as Meng Fan did not have the capability to do so himself.
Soon, these two sword techniques were perfected.
Of course, this “soon” was in Meng Fan’s perception.
In reality, a day and a night had already passed.
A day and a night were nothing, extremely brief in fact.
But in the context of comprehending the Sword God Stele, this time was incredibly precious and incomparable.
In this day and night, Meng Fan not only perfected the Heavenly Sword and One Sword Opens the Azure Sky but also cultivated them to the level of Sword Momentum.
Under normal circumstances, even with Sword Dao Transcendence, Meng Fan couldn’t have achieved this.
It could be said that the Sword God Stele was like a cheat code for Meng Fan.
Then Meng Fan took the time to elevate the third sword of Myriad Swords Returning to me, Heaven and Earth Are Heartless, to the level of Sword Momentum.
This wasn’t difficult since he had created this sword technique himself.
With these “trivial matters” settled, Meng Fan could now fully focus on absorbing the Primordial Great Way of the Sword from the Sword God Stele.
The Great Way of the Sword!
This was not a sword technique, nor a level or realm of the Sword Dao.
The Great Way of the Sword was the essence of the path of sword cultivation, or rather, its ultimate limit.
The word “Dao” encompassed everything, mysterious and profound.
Righteous Path.
Demonic Path.
Monster Path.
Ghost Path.
Immortal Path.
Heavenly Path.
Dao, Dao, Dao, the Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao…
If one could fully comprehend and cultivate a Great Way, they would transcend the category of “human.”
For Meng Fan, this was still a distant goal.
But there was no doubt that Meng Fan had already set foot on this path and begun his journey.
Most cultivators spend their entire lives without touching this threshold.
Even someone of Elder Lin’s caliber had not reached it.
Perhaps only someone like Lin Jinghong had truly embarked on this path.
But even Lin Jinghong was just at the entry level, far from fully mastering the Great Way.
In this sense, Meng Fan was already comparable to Sect Master Lin Jinghong, as he too had embarked on this path.
However, this comparison was a bit of a stretch.
***
Meng Fan’s hands were pressed against the Sword God Stele, unmoving, maintaining this posture for ten days and nights.
During this time, those who occasionally came to comprehend the Sword God Stele were surprised to see Meng Fan.
Every time they came, Meng Fan was comprehending, and when they left, he was still comprehending.
But most people only stayed for a short while, usually an hour at most, just to get a taste.
Only a few could comprehend for two hours, and the maximum was five hours, but even then, they didn’t gain much.
So, while people were amazed by Meng Fan, no one could imagine that he had been comprehending for ten days and nights!
The only one who knew was Hu Qingshi!
As the guardian of the Sword God Temple, he had been observing Meng Fan for the entire ten days and nights.
He wanted to see if Meng Fan was pretending.
But during these ten days and nights, Meng Fan had been in a state of comprehension, not faking it.
Honestly, Hu Qingshi was astonished by Meng Fan!
Although he had known that Meng Fan planned to comprehend for ten days and nights, preparing to do so and actually achieving it were worlds apart.
He had thought Meng Fan would last two days and nights at most before exhausting his comprehension and leaving early.
Of course, this wasn’t underestimating Meng Fan.
Even comprehending for two days and nights would make him an extraordinary talent, unmatched by others!
“Could this kid be the reincarnation of a Sword Immortal?”
After ten days and nights, Hu Qingshi, confirming that Meng Fan had been in a state of comprehension the entire time, echoed Elder Lin’s earlier sentiment.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan