"Since your sword moves possess such power, you must already have a preliminary understanding of the Sword Dao. If you want to understand and comprehend the Sword Dao better, you must grasp its true essence."
"The so-called Sword Dao is the supreme truth of the Great Dao contained within the sword."
"As for what that supreme truth contained within the sword actually is, we will discuss that in a moment."
"Have you ever wondered why your spiritual root is called a Sword Spiritual Root? Since there are Sword Spiritual Roots, are there Saber Spiritual Roots, Spear Spiritual Roots, Staff Spiritual Roots, or to put it simply, Weapon Spiritual Roots?"
Lu Yang shook his head. He had never really considered this question; he simply found practicing the sword natural and effortless, as though he were born with an affinity for it.
"A Sword Spiritual Root is a mutation of the Metal Spiritual Root. The defining traits of a Metal Spiritual Root are controlling minerals and possessing immense offensive power. A Sword Spiritual Root, on the other hand, discards the trait of controlling minerals and mutates its offensive aspect to the absolute extreme."
"Having a Sword Spiritual Root does not mean you were born with an affinity for swords. It means you possess the most powerful means of attack, and the most powerful means of attack is a weapon—the finest vessel among weapons being the sword."
"Only by using a sword can you push the characteristics of your spiritual root to their very limit."
Lu Yang asked, somewhat puzzled, "But when I cast spells, their power is roughly the same as when I use a sword."
If a Sword Spiritual Root pushed offensive power to the limit, then the Sword Dao should be his strongest asset.
Daoist Buyu observed Lu Yang's puzzled expression and pondered for a moment. "That confirms an old saying."
"What old saying?"
"Geniuses defy reason."
"All experience is summarized by our predecessors, but predecessors haven't seen everything either. For instance, they never saw someone like you."
"Besides, to say the Sword Spiritual Root is the absolute strongest isn't entirely true either. Look at the Four Ancient Celestials—did any of them use swords? If the Sword Spiritual Root were truly the strongest, how come no one with it ever became a celestial?"
Lu Yang thought to himself that there actually had been one who might have become a celestial; it was just that he was too good at Man and Sword as One and snuffed himself out on the path to immortality.
To be called a 'formidable rival' by the Immortal Fairy while still at the Tribulation Transcendence stage spoke volumes about how powerful he was.
The previous person the fairy had called a formidable rival was the peerless genius who had turned Words as Law into a passive technique.
Moreover, it wasn't true that no celestials used swords. Immortal Kirin often wielded a sword, and Lu Yang's Dark Moon Sword had been reforged from Immortal Kirin's own sword.
"Comprehending the Sword Dao requires a clear purpose. Xiao Yang, let me ask you: why are you comprehending the Sword Dao?"
Confronted with this question, Lu Yang fell silent for a long time. Ever since he began cultivating, ever since he first took up a sword, he had never considered what his purpose was.
He had merely gone with the flow, cultivating aimlessly.
He slowly closed his eyes, as if submerging into an ocean of memories, recalling everything that had happened since he began his cultivation:
Entering the sect for the first time, making many friends—though they often conned and swindled one another, it was all playful banter among companions. Whenever he ran into difficulties and asked senior brothers and sisters for help, they were always glad to lend a hand and answer his questions. Eldest Senior Sister had personally taught him and laid a solid foundation for his cultivation. Though Eldest Senior Sister was a woman of few words, Lu Yang could always feel her care and concern for him...
Lu Yang opened his eyes and looked straight into Daoist Buyu's gaze, his eyes resolute as he spoke the answer from his heart:
"I comprehend the Sword Dao to protect!"
He wanted to protect all these wonderful things!
Daoist Buyu smacked Lu Yang over the head.
"Protect, my foot! Who needs you to protect them—me, or Xiaoyun?"
Lu Yang: "..."
When he thought about it, that was actually true. Meng Jingzhou and the others were all peerless geniuses. His senior brothers and sisters possessed remarkable skills and were stronger than him; whenever he ventured outside, he relied on them to back him up, not to mention Eldest Senior Sister.
And as for Master, his enemies were not opponents Lu Yang could possibly handle. Did any of them need his protection?
"Always daydreaming about nonsense. Everything I just said was wasted on you! The sword is the most offensive of all weapons. The purpose of comprehending the Sword Dao is, naturally, to pursue the pinnacle of offense!"
Lu Yang nodded meekly, admitting that he had overthought things.
"A sword cultivator must be pure! The purer your pursuit, the better your comprehension of the Sword Dao!"
"As the saying goes, 'A single sword breaks ten thousand techniques'—that is precisely a hint at how one should comprehend the Sword Dao!"
"And that Break Formula of yours—why is it the most powerful among all your formulas? Isn't it precisely because 'break' embodies the pursuit of the Sword Dao!"
Recalling his process of comprehending the Sword Dao, Lu Yang realized it was indeed true. Back when he pondered the Sword Dao, he hadn't thought about anything else; he had only thought about how to use the Sword Dao to become stronger.
Instead, that had unexpectedly aligned with the supreme method of comprehending the Sword Dao.
Calling it unexpected wasn't entirely fair; Lu Yang had somewhat anticipated it. This could be seen from the Immortal Fairy's reaction. When he was comprehending the Sword Dao, the Immortal Fairy had never pointed out any errors or corrected his approach, which proved his actions were correct.
What Lu Yang didn't know was that while he had been listening attentively, the Immortal Fairy was also listening intently inside his spiritual space, nodding repeatedly and gaining a great deal.
*So that's what the Sword Dao is all about,* the Immortal Fairy realized in sudden enlightenment. In ancient times, sword cultivators were extremely rare; aside from Zither Sword Venerable, she had never interacted with any others.
The Immortal Fairy felt having a cheat code was truly wonderful. Ever since her resurrection, she had spent all day resting and idling about, yet following her cheat code allowed her to witness all sorts of fascinating sights across the modern cultivation world. Not only could the cheat code run errands for her, but more importantly, whenever he obtained an opportunity, she could share in that fortunate encounter alongside him.
It was truly a win-win.
Enlightened by his master's guidance, Lu Yang experienced a sudden burst of clarity. His past cultivation had felt as though veiled beneath a thin cloth, but today Daoist Buyu had stripped it away with a single yank, leaving his mind instantly bright and clear.
He sat cross-legged, attempting to comprehend the Sword Dao according to the method Daoist Buyu had taught him.
*Pursue the pinnacle of offense...*
Sensing the aura of the Sword Dao rippling from Lu Yang as he meditated, Daoist Buyu gave a slight nod. This youngest disciple's capacity for comprehending the Sword Dao was truly astounding.
In that case, it was time for him to leave.
He had only stopped by the sect to visit home on his travels. His cultivation path lay out in the mortal realm. Now that he had imparted the most essential core of the Sword Dao to Lu Yang, this visit could be considered a complete success.
With a flick of his whisk, he strolled out of the sect.
The very instant he stepped outside the sect gates, he saw countless marriage-proposal processions blocking the mountain gate. The moment the processions spotted Daoist Buyu, strange, excited smiles crept onto their faces.
"The intel was right! The bastard really did return to the Dao Seeking Sect!"
"Old Scoundrel Buyu, you're finally out!"
The hairs on Daoist Buyu's body stood on end. Immediately after, an overwhelming barrage of attacks came crashing down on his head.
"Bodhi Alms Palm!" A colossal emerald palm descended from the heavens, larger than a mountain and of immeasurable weight.
"Heavenly Demon Disintegration Great Art!" A cultivator surrounded by swirling black qi surged with explosive momentum and ferocious fighting spirit.
"Hundred Solutions of All Weapons!"
"Creation Qiankun Formation!"
"Thunder Demise!"
*Boom— Boom— Boom—*
A relentless storm of dazzling attacks struck, shaking the earth, rattling the mountains, and causing the very void to tremble.
Daoist Buyu silently retreated back into the sect.
There was no pressing hurry to head out into the mortal realm to cultivate, after all.
Chapter 512