The Transmigrator's Cultivation - Chapter 419

Gradually, when the light on the Sword Pagoda reached the thirty-sixth level, it finally stopped.

In the next moment, a figure was abruptly ejected from the tower, landing on the ground and retreating three steps before steadying themselves.

This was the person who had just attempted to challenge the tower—an austere-looking middle-aged sword cultivator. His clothing was mostly intact, and he held a long sword in his hand, radiating a sharp sword aura. His entire demeanor was imposing, as though he hadn’t fully freed himself from a certain state of mind.

Xu Ziqing noticed that the sword cultivators in front of the Sword Spirit Wall were still immersed in their own comprehension, so he said, “Since we’re here, we might as well give it a try.”

Although Tu Jin was a demonic cultivator, he merely gave a light snort and said, “Then go ahead.”

Yin Xiu and Xun Liang also added, “Daoist Yun, please go first.”

Since the three of them had relied on the good fortune of this pair to arrive here, they naturally would not compete for the first chance to challenge the tower.

Xu Ziqing felt slightly relieved. Now that they had reached this point, it was a blessing that everyone was getting along harmoniously.

Indeed, the discerning eyes of their elders had not chosen arrogant, shallow, or hypocritical people to share the Sword God Token.

Afterward, he looked toward his own elder brother.

Yun Lie said nothing more. His figure flickered and appeared in front of the Sword Pagoda.

The guardian of the tower, who had his eyes closed, stirred and opened them slightly. “Are you here to challenge the tower?”

Yun Lie replied, “Yes.”

The guardian continued, “One hundred divine stones or one hundred high-grade spirit stones.”

Without a change in expression, Yun Lie waved his sleeve, and a dazzling array of spirit stones floated before him, their spiritual energy so intense it made the surrounding space seem more alive.

The guardian saw this and with a sweep of his sleeve, collected all the spirit stones, then stepped aside. “Go in.” He then closed his eyes once again, saying no more.

Yun Lie raised his eyes to the Sword Pagoda, then steadily stepped inside.

At the same time, not only Xu Ziqing but the other three also turned their gazes to the corner of the first level of the tower, where the light would appear. None of them could take their eyes off it.

In their hearts, they couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of anticipation.

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Yun Lie stepped into the Sword Pagoda, and with his first step, he found himself inside a chamber.

In front of him was complete darkness, but three breaths later, the room became brightly lit. Yun Lie mentally noted that those three breaths must be the time given for sword cultivators to prepare after entering the tower.

Now, onto the main challenge.

As expected, once the room lit up, Yun Lie realized there was no one else present. The floor and walls were pristine, almost mirror-like, just like the Sword Spirit Wall outside.

Facing this mirrored surface, a figure gradually appeared.

Without a doubt, the figure looked exactly like Yun Lie, not only in appearance and aura but even in its swordsmanship presence—they were identical.

Then, suddenly, the figure burst out from the mirror!

It rushed toward him!

In its hand was a black-gold longsword!

Yun Lie’s eyes grew cold, and as he prepared to summon his sword intent, a sudden expansion occurred in his sea of consciousness, as if something broke through his forehead and surged out!

The sensation… it was very similar to when his divine soul or primordial spirit left his body in the past.

Yun Lie’s consciousness seemed both fully awake and distant, as if he was watching everything from high above.

He could perceive everything within the chamber clearly in his sea of consciousness, like observing his internal world. He could even see that what had burst from his forehead was a black-gold ball of light, which transformed into an identical phantom of himself the moment it touched the ground, wielding the same black-gold longsword, facing off against the mirrored figure!

At the edge of the chamber, however, sat the physical Yun Lie, dressed in white robes, cross-legged with his eyes closed, appearing to be in deep meditation.

It seemed as if Yun Lie’s true self was watching two “Yun Lies” battle each other.

At that moment, Yun Lie suddenly realized: this was his sword soul leaving his body.

While his true consciousness could control the sword soul, it remained tethered to his physical body, observing the battle unfold.

Though it seemed like he had split into two, there was no real separation.

With this new understanding, the sword soul became more agile in its battle against the phantom. It no longer relied mostly on instinct as it had before, making the phantom appear clumsy by comparison.

Yun Lie himself was also aware that it felt as though he was personally battling the phantom—every move was guided by his own intent.

All the insights he had gained in swordsmanship flowed out smoothly like a rushing stream.

At this moment, Yun Lie’s sword flicked, and the phantom before him was split in half.

Immediately after, the sword soul was swiftly pulled back into his forehead, and his body felt light as he ascended to the second level of the tower.

As soon as he entered, he sensed his sword soul preparing to separate once again. Three breaths later, another figure stepped out of the mirror-like wall. This figure, however, was much stronger than the previous one, its aura far sharper.

Yun Lie remained composed. His sword soul left his body once more and faced the new opponent head-on.

In an instant, they were locked in combat once again!

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Outside the Sword Pagoda, Xu Ziqing watched the glowing light at the edges of the tower levels with some nervousness.

—It didn’t take long before the light on the first level lingered for only four or five breaths before moving up to the second level. After a few more breaths, it rose to the third level. This process repeated continuously until the tenth level, none of which took longer than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

At the eleventh level, there was a slight pause. But it was only for a brief moment before the light continued to the twelfth level.

At this point, the three sword cultivators, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke.

Yin Xiu remarked, “He has already completed the first refinement of his sword soul.”

Xun Liang’s expression was solemn. “Truly remarkable for someone so young.”

Even Tu Jin, who rarely spoke, added, “Let’s see how far he goes.”

As they spoke, the light had already moved from the twelfth to the thirteenth level.

In the twelfth level, Yun Lie took about one quarter of an hour.

The thirteenth level was no different, and he proceeded similarly through the fourteenth and fifteenth levels, all the way up to the twenty-first, each taking approximately the same amount of time.

Finally, at the twenty-second level, the light stopped moving, and before anyone realized it, half an hour had passed.

Xu Ziqing knew that before he formed his Nascent Soul, his shixiong had already achieved the first refinement of his sword soul. Over the next twenty-plus years, he had steadily improved through continuous practice. Later, during the Sword Conference, he sparred with Jiwen Jing and many other sword cultivators, gaining insights into areas he previously lacked. His understanding of the sword path deepened, and even his sword domain became more refined. His sword soul was naturally tempered through these revelations, growing stronger over time. However, merely relying on these experiences to break through further would require an opportunity. Now, with the Sword God Token guiding him to the Sword Pagoda, could this be the very opportunity he needed?

Thus, Xu Ziqing was not at all worried about the first eleven levels—his shixiong would surely pass them smoothly. From the twelfth level onward, he focused even more intently… until they reached this significant checkpoint at the twenty-second level. It was no surprise his shixiong had paused for so long—he must have been putting in his full effort.

But what exactly had he faced?

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Yun Lie’s sword soul unleashed a burst of black and gold light, transforming into countless thin threads that wove through the entire chamber.

These threads coiled around him, formed by his sword intent.

By logic, since his sword intent had already been refined into his primordial spirit, splitting it like this should no longer result in just sword intent. However, with his sword soul manifesting outside his body, he was able to employ such techniques.

—In truth, Yun Lie’s sword soul had not yet fully achieved this capability.

But this situation offered him a glimpse of a potential path forward: one day, even while his sword soul resided within his body, it could wield many of these abilities.

Opposite Yun Lie stood two figures.

Indeed, ever since entering the twelfth level, the mirror reflections had divided into two, each identical in sword cultivation level.

For Yun Lie, this naturally doubled the pressure.

Under this intensified pressure, Yun Lie unleashed his full mastery of the sword, his killing intent almost becoming tangible. His black-gold sword gathered and dispersed in his hand, surrounding him with an impenetrable defense, flowing like water—seamless and continuous, yet crashing like angry waves.

Effortlessly, he shattered the attackers to pieces!

Unexpectedly, in this chamber, aside from using the sword soul, no other combat techniques could be employed.

His usual domain, the Sword Domain Small Universe, could not be summoned.

His internal true essence seemed limitless; as long as he had a breath left, he could withstand countless attacks.

Through the sword soul, Yun Lie practiced many sword techniques as if refining every sword skill he had ever learned, deepening his understanding of them. He even displayed certain sword cultivation realms he had never practiced before, which upon reflection, were techniques he had once witnessed in sparring sessions or learned from others. Now, all of these had become part of his own arsenal.

His movements grew increasingly skilled, yet they also seemed to blur into one another… Many sword techniques melded into a single whole, as if countless fragments of iron were being hammered together to form a solid block, which would then be further forged into a sword through endless tempering.

With each swing of his sword in the twenty-second level, Yun Lie constantly shifted his techniques… time flowed like water.

But at the same time, his sword soul seemed to become clearer.

…Even if only by a thread, it truly became clearer.

Yun Lie felt no exhaustion; his insights into the sword path converged into a powerful stream, solidifying the foundation of his swordsmanship and strengthening his sword soul.

More and more understanding flowed into his sword soul, making his sword heart ever more transparent. Meanwhile, the two reflections facing him began to dim.

It was as if… as he grew stronger, they weakened.

Yun Lie was progressing—steadily, continuously.

Such incredible comprehension, combined with his deepening understanding of the sword, sharpened him further.

Finally, the thin threads in the air transformed into two slender swords, one on the left and one on the right, descending from above.

They pierced through the heads of the two reflections!

The reflections disappeared, and Yun Lie’s sword soul turned into black light, re-entering his body. In an instant, his physical form vanished, advancing into the twenty-third level.

This time, in the chamber, there were now three reflections waiting to battle him.

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The longer Xu Ziqing waited, the more anxious he became.

An entire hour had passed, and yet the light from the twenty-second level still shone brightly.

Would his Shixiong be able to break through successfully?

Though he knew Yun Lie possessed remarkable talent and had accumulated his strength to perfection, the prolonged battle inside could not help but make him deeply concerned. Every moment felt agonizingly slow.

The other three sword cultivators also stared at the Sword Pagoda, their expressions equally grave.

Despite their feelings of rivalry, they acknowledged Yun Lie’s profound level of sword cultivation. His progress within the tower was not only a testament to his own abilities but also critical to their understanding of the tower’s challenges and whether their own sword paths could be similarly tempered and transcended.

As their minds churned with anticipation and countless thoughts, Xu Ziqing calmed himself by circulating his energy.

Then, suddenly, the twenty-third level lit up!

Xu Ziqing’s heart leaped with joy. This was…

This was proof that his Shixiong had successfully broken through, reaching the second refinement of the sword soul!

The others exhaled, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their chests. They saw the light on the twenty-third level linger for nearly half an hour before it flickered and finally went out.

At that very moment, a figure dressed in white flew out of the tower and landed in front of Xu Ziqing.

It was Yun Lie.

Xu Ziqing immediately stepped forward, examining his Shixiong closely.

The other three cultivators quickly followed.

Yun Lie appeared calm and refreshed, looking exactly the same as when he had entered the tower. Even his expression hadn’t changed much.

However, Xu Ziqing could detect a slight weariness in his Shixiong—unsurprising, given the effort he must have expended during his trials.

The three sword cultivators hesitated for a moment before one of them, Xun Liang, finally spoke up and asked, “Daoist Yun, what was it like inside the Sword Pagoda?”

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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