The Great Elder's popularity was clearly several tiers above Daoist Buyu's. When he advanced to the Tribulation Transcendence stage, the entire Dao Seeking Sect celebrated in jubilation.
Only after three days did the jubilant festivities gradually subside.
"So this is the legendary Chengying Sword." Daoist Buyu caressed the Chengying Sword, unable to put it down. His good disciple truly had skill. Back then in the Sword Treasury, he had also sought to win the Chengying Sword's recognition, but alas, it had ended in failure, forcing him to settle for a second-tier spirit sword.
And Lu Yang's Green Blade Sword, which possessed its own miniature world, also made him quite envious.
Daoist Buyu's spirit sword was no ordinary item either; it was a growth-type spirit treasure that could continuously advance in rank as his cultivation increased, growing alongside him. In fact, so long as he was willing to spare the materials, it was not impossible for it to step into the "immortal" rank.
"I heard that before Liu Ningxuan had even reached the half-immortal stage, his sword had already attained the immortal sword tier. Truly remarkable." Daoist Buyu felt a touch of regret. Having heard that Liu Ningxuan had just died at the Sword Tower, he had lost his chance to exchange blows with this legend of the Sword Dao.
Then again, now that the Sword Tower Supreme had been resurrected, he could have a contest with the Sword Tower Supreme instead.
Certainly not right now, of course. His cultivation was not sufficient, nor was the quality of his sword. He still needed to become stronger.
"I heard that during the Grand Sword Inquiry Ceremony, you unleashed the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin?"
"Mm."
Daoist Buyu looked at Lu Yang with satisfaction. He hadn't expected that Lu Yang would already learn this move before he even taught it.
"Come, perform it once and let me see."
Lu Yang unfurled his embryonic Sword Dao domain. Countless Green Blade Swords sprouted from the earth and the sky, grim and stern like purgatory.
He raised the real Green Blade Sword. The Green Blade Swords planted in the ground and hanging from the sky broke free, merging into the true Green Blade Sword as its sword momentum surged by over three feet!
"An embryonic Sword Dao domain and the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin? Come, strike me with a sword." Daoist Buyu's eyes lit up, eager to experience its might.
Lu Yang did not hesitate. With a loud shout, a great dragon of sword qi roared forth, then suddenly shifted back into the form of the true Green Blade Sword, slashing down toward Daoist Buyu!
Neither hurried nor slow, Daoist Buyu extended two fingers and lightly pinched the blade of the Green Blade Sword. The sword, which had seemed to bare fangs and brandish claws, suddenly ceased its clamor, unable to press down even a fraction of an inch further!
"It really is the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin. Seems you learned it when you watched me perform it back then. However, the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin that I performed took a shortcut." Daoist Buyu remembered that he had only performed the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin once before Lu Yang, back when he fought against the Emotionless Cult.
To grasp seventy or eighty percent of it after seeing it just once—he truly was an extraordinary genius of the Sword Dao.
"A shortcut?"
"Sit down, and I'll explain it to you slowly." Atop Tianmen Peak, only Lu Yang and Daoist Buyu were present.
Yun Mengmeng and Gan Tian had no interest in the Sword Dao. Gan Tian had found a scenic spot with picturesque mountains and clear waters to play her zither, while Yun Mengmeng had wrapped up snacks bought from the cafeteria in a bundle, listening to Gan Tian's playing while sprawled over a large boulder in the river, munching on pastries.
The cafeteria's pastries could double as lethal weapons, but Yun Mengmeng was no pushover either; the jaws of a Tribulation Transcendence expert possessed staggering power, so eating cafeteria pastries was no different to her than eating ordinary snacks.
As for Yun Zhi, she claimed to have no interest in the Sword Dao and had also gone to the riverside to listen to the zither.
"I heard that when you sparred with Mingtai, it turned into an exchange of sword qi toward the end. You clashed dozens of times without either gaining the upper hand, until finally you used the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin to claim victory.
"This reflects an issue. Every time you and Mingtai unleashed sword qi, it was at the limit—but that was the limit of the sword qi condensing into tangible form, not your own personal limit. If it had been your limit, you should have been exhausted after releasing sword qi just once.
"The Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin you performed took the Green Blade Swords formed from sword qi, turned them back into sword qi, and drew them back. Doing so elevated the limit of the sword qi."
Lu Yang understood what his master meant. In other words, his Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin had boosted his explosive burst of power.
Then Daoist Buyu changed the subject: "However, that is not the true essence of the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin.
"The Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin concentrates the power of different swords into a single blade, thereby unleashing might that transcends the limit."
Lu Yang recalled when the Sword Tower Supreme fought the Corpse of Ying Tian, where he had merged all the spirit swords in the Sword Treasury into the Hanguang Sword—that was precisely the situation his master described.
"Come, Master will teach you how to comprehend the true essence of the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin.
"First, the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin requires you to resonate with other swords. The version you executed before was missing this very step, which is why I said it was a shortcut.
"Then, taking the Green Blade Sword as the core, you make the resonant hums of the other swords gradually align with the Green Blade Sword...
"Ideally, the resonance should occur right when the Green Blade Sword's momentum reaches its peak...
"..."
Daoist Buyu described it simply. Had it been someone else—say, the Immortal Fairy—they would surely have been utterly confused. But to Lu Yang's ears, it was very easy to grasp what he meant.
Lu Yang's eyes sparkled. He deduced the technique repeatedly in his mind, pondering the true intent of the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin again and again.
"I'll give it a try."
Lu Yang took out the Chengying Sword and the Seven Stars Sword Set in succession, drawing deeply envious looks from Daoist Buyu.
Lu Yang stood firm. Ripples rippled across the grass beneath his feet as if sliced by sword qi. The Chengying Sword and the Seven Stars Sword Set trembled continuously until their frequency aligned with that of the Green Blade Sword, flying into the Green Blade Sword one by one and merging as one.
"Ha!"
Lu Yang struck another slash toward Daoist Buyu. Sword qi poured forth like a cascading waterfall, surging ten thousand li in a single plunge. A flash of silver light flickered, only to be caught between Daoist Buyu's two fingers once more.
"Good!" Daoist Buyu laughed heartily. He hadn't expected that with just a few pointers, Lu Yang would grasp the true essence of the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin!
With a flick of his wrist, he sent Lu Yang and the Green Blade Sword flying back. At the same time, he hid his right hand behind his back, rubbing his index and middle fingers together repeatedly.
The power of this strike had exceeded his imagination.
Lu Yang tumbled twice before steadying himself on his feet, as the Chengying Sword and the Seven Stars Sword Set tumbled out onto the ground.
Daoist Buyu strode forward with a broad smile. "Well done! With diligent practice, you will surely master the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin... Xiao Lu?"
Daoist Buyu noticed Lu Yang spacing out where he stood, staring down at the eight swords scattered on the ground, lost in thought.
After a moment, Lu Yang snapped back to his senses and asked, "Master, isn't executing this Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin a bit too ostentatious?"
Daoist Buyu nodded. The spectacle of the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin was grand and dashing—especially when myriad swords resonated and trembled before taking their places in sequence. It was indeed quite showy, which was why it was deeply adored by sword cultivators.
Then Lu Yang asked again, "But if the technique is so ostentatious, doesn't that mean your opponent knows you're about to unleash the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin, giving them time to react?"
"That is indeed a flaw in the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin." It could allow an opponent to dodge or charge up a counterattack.
An idea gradually surfaced in Lu Yang's mind. "Then what if I hide the Chengying Sword and the Seven Stars Sword Set inside the Green Blade Sword's miniature world? When I unleash the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin, the nine swords merge into one, but nothing shows from the outside. Wouldn't that mean the opponent has no idea I'm using the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin, leaving them completely off guard?"
Daoist Buyu did not respond. Instead, he silently patted Lu Yang on the shoulder.
"Remember: in the future, tell others you figured this move out on your own. It has nothing to do with Master."
Chapter 1007