Chapter 37

These stone steles are engraved with rune patterns, but the traces are very faint, and one would not notice them without careful observation.

"This is..." Lin Xuan carefully examined them but found that he did not recognize these runes at all.

"This should be ancient script, which is probably not commonly seen nowadays," Old Drunkard suddenly spoke up.

"Uncle Drunkard, you know ancient script?" Lin Xuan was surprised, "You're not from ancient times, are you?"

Old Drunkard did not answer Lin Xuan's question but said in a solemn voice, "Script is just a means; the true essence lies in the spiritual intentions. Try to sense them carefully."

Hearing Old Drunkard's words, Lin Xuan put away his smile and earnestly tried to perceive the information left on the stele.

Suddenly, a chilling coldness emanated from the stele, permeating the entire area.

Lin Xuan felt his soul tremble, as if a weak ant was about to kneel before a supreme ruler. In the next moment, the surroundings changed drastically, revealing endless seas of blood and mountains of corpses, a thousand-foot-long dragon bone, a hundred-foot-tall human skeleton, and a giant roaring to the sky...

It was as if he had been transported to ancient times.

"Ah!"

Lin Xuan's body trembled, and he retreated with a pale face.

"It's an illusion, it must be an illusion!" Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

"What did you see?" Old Drunkard asked.

"Endless seas of blood and vast fields of bones," Lin Xuan said, still shaken.

"Alas, no matter how powerful you are, you will ultimately end up as a pile of bones," Old Drunkard said with a hint of sadness.

"These should all be supreme beings, why did they all die?" Lin Xuan was puzzled.

Inside the mysterious small sword, Old Drunkard sat lazily under a withered tree, holding a red wine gourd, his black hair fluttering like a celestial being, but his eyes were filled with a sense of沧桑 (cang桑, meaning沧桑, which can be translated as '沧桑' or 'weathered').

"Who in this world can live forever? It's just self-deception," Old Drunkard's voice was somewhat melancholic.

Lin Xuan moved to another stele and placed his hand on it again.

This time, there was no illusion. He was not discouraged and continued to touch the steles. Finally, on the seventh one, he felt a sense of weathered history again.

A towering figure, like a god or demon, with an indiscernible face, was battling a group of demons with wings on their backs and a single horn on their heads. These demons wielded blood-red spears, stirring up the wind and clouds, surging towards the god-like man.

The man swung his sword once, and the entire void seemed to be split into countless pieces. All the demons were cut in half by this single sword stroke.

"Ah!"

Lin Xuan withdrew from the illusion, silent. The sword stroke he had just seen was too震撼 (zhènhàn, meaning '震撼' or 'stunning'). He felt that this was true swordsmanship.

He sensed something special in that sword stroke, but he could not pinpoint what it was.

"Hmm, this sword intent..." Inside the mysterious small sword, Old Drunkard showed a surprised expression, "Xuanzi, touch that stele again, remember to relax your mind and do not resist!"

Lin Xuan followed his advice. The next moment, he felt a boom in his head, and the surroundings changed drastically.

On the weathered earth, countless terrifying cracks crisscrossed. The sky was like shattered glass, split into black gaps, behind which was endless darkness.

Millions of demons were cut in half, and four mysterious figures in black armor slowly approached the tall man in the center.

These four figures were terrifying; with each step, a black hole was left in the void, and eventually, the entire sky collapsed. The tall man still stood proudly, his body glowing like an invincible immortal king.

Yes, invincible. The tall man only swung his sword once, not even paying attention to the four terrifying figures. With one sword stroke, everything in the world became blurry.

Lin Xuan kept retreating, seemingly unable to withstand the sword intent. Inside the mysterious small sword, Old Drunkard had a solemn expression, his eyes reflecting the stars, constantly evolving the sword stroke he had just seen.

After a long time, everything returned to calm.

Lin Xuan regained his clarity. Although he did not break through, he felt his strength had increased significantly, a feeling that was hard to describe.

"Is this sword intent?" Lin Xuan couldn't think of a better way to describe it.

"Yes, it is sword intent," Old Drunkard returned to his usual self, "Xuanzi, you have good luck to encounter such sword intent. Grasp it well and do not waste this opportunity."

A hint of excitement appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes. It was indeed sword intent, far superior to Jiang Yulong's sword momentum. If he could grasp the sword intent, his future achievements would be boundless.

Since Lin Xuan couldn't leave for now, he drew his steel sword and began to practice the second level of the Thundering Sword Technique. Each level of the Thundering Sword Technique has a sword skill, such as the first level's Unity Sword, and the second level has a skill called Thunder God's Wrath.

Actually, the hardest part of the Thundering Sword Technique is the first level, as it requires controlling that power. Once a martial artist masters it, the subsequent levels become much easier.

Lin Xuan wielded his long sword, swift as thunder. Perhaps influenced by what he had just experienced, he felt his sword movements were much smoother than before. When he tried to mimic the god-like man, the power of his long sword increased.

This change made him extremely happy, so he decided to experience it again. However, when he placed his hand on the stele, nothing happened.

"Don't waste your time. This sword intent is not complete, and it has already been imprinted in your mind," Old Drunkard explained.

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and recalled, and indeed, he could see the tall man's sword stroke again. He recalled it over and over, and finally, all the sword techniques disappeared, leaving only the tall man.

At this moment, Lin Xuan felt only one thing: invincible!

"The belief of invincibility..." Lin Xuan murmured, "With a sword in hand, I am invincible; without a sword, I am still invincible!"

"I didn't expect you to grasp this," Old Drunkard smiled, "The sword techniques and moves are secondary; the most important thing is to have an invincible heart."

"An invincible heart." Lin Xuan's eyes gradually sparkled. He didn't know yet how much this experience would affect his future.

The concept of intent is profound and mysterious. Some people can instantly understand it, while others may never grasp it in their entire lives. Lin Xuan had gained something, but he couldn't fully understand it. However, as he grew, this seed of invincibility would eventually sprout in his heart.

Like water flowing into a channel, the second level of the Thundering Sword Technique was completed, everything seemed so natural. Lin Xuan's cultivation was still at the fourth stage of the Condensing Meridians, but his strength had almost doubled.

"It's time to break through," Lin Xuan put away his long sword. After the recent series of battles, his fifth spiritual meridian had already loosened, and he could break through at any time.