All the images on that stone wall vanished completely. All the light and shadow coalesced into a single streak of sword light that suddenly slashed forth!
Then, it seemed as if this entire world had transformed into a blazing furnace of hell, erupting into a furious conflagration.
Wherever the sword light pointed, it appeared capable of burning away everything.
Although Zong Shou was outside the stone wall, and fully aware that this display was a welcome, he still felt an intense heat rising within his own body, as if he, too, were about to spontaneously combust.
His brow twitched instinctively, his heart filled with ineffable joy.
The prior depiction of the fierce battle against the Divine Realm expert showed the practical combat effectiveness of this sword technique.
And the sword arc and the star-traces of the sword formula detailed the method of executing this sword technique.
As for what was happening now, it was the Elder Longying demonstrating the martial intent that accompanied this sword art!
Furthermore, this display was not merely at the level of 'Intent'; this single strike had already mastered the essence of 'Essence' (Po), offering a glimpse into 'Spirit' (Hun).
The so-called martial intent, in a sense, was akin to spiritual techniques. Both involved comprehending the essential nature and fundamental rules of all things, which the martial artist then manifested using their own mental will, spirit, and True Qi.
At the level of 'Intent,' one had merely grasped the true meaning of a certain law or phenomenon.
But upon reaching the ranks of Sword Essence (Jian Po) and Sword Spirit (Jian Hun), the sword in hand gained sentience—it possessed its own 'Essence' and its own 'Spirit'!
And this was the very first time Zong Shou had witnessed someone executing a Sword Essence-level martial intent.
It was vastly superior to the half-baked Sword Essence and Sword Spirit he had painstakingly deduced in the Divine Emperor Game.
That environment was, after all, merely a virtual illusion; no matter how realistic, many nuances could not be truly conveyed.
This—this was the true imprint of a Martial Saint! This journey was absolutely worthwhile!
After this strike, the vision on the wall reverted to the previous scene of the battle against the figure cloaked in black.
Zong Shou hastily withdrew his concentration. He wasn't even sure if he could endure another round of demonstration.
Given his current physical state, it wouldn't take long before he collapsed completely.
When Zong Shou recovered his senses, he saw Jin Buhui and Zhao Yanran, the three of them, all sporting complexions of pale gold and purple, sitting rigidly with their eyes closed, recuperating.
Zong Shou couldn't help but chuckle. Despite having the weakest cultivation, he had managed to hold out the longest. Not daring to delay, he quickly swallowed a Rank Six Injury Pill and then took out the flask of pond water he had collected earlier, taking several sips.
The excruciating pain in his soul immediately felt significantly cooled, and it began to recover rapidly.
Zong Shou’s brow lifted. This pond water seemed exceptionally effective for healing injuries to the soul.
Could it be that Elder Longying had left this specifically for those entering from the lower levels, like himself?
For the next two hours, Zong Shou dared not waste a single moment. As soon as his injuries recovered slightly, he would refocus his gaze on the images displayed on the stone wall.
Three times in a row, he felt the sword techniques becoming increasingly refined. And the scenes before his eyes grew even more vivid.
A powerful urge grew within him, a craving to execute this very sword strike himself.
The Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword comprised nine sections, corresponding to the Nine True Dragon Sword Formulas.
Elder Longying had not forcefully melded all nine sword arts together, but rather integrated them into a single crucible.
Instead, he utilized the strengths of one to compensate for the weaknesses of another, significantly enhancing the might of every single True Dragon Sword Formula!
Each sword art also contained nine sword moves. The first eight moves did not stray far from the framework of the original True Dragon Sword Formulas. Only the final move truly achieved complete integration.
Especially the eighty-first strike, the Sword of Ninety-Nine Returning to One, whose power was surely the most formidable!
And Zong Shou, in fact, had previously only grasped one or two moves from the Platinum Dragon Sword section of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword.
Now, the stone wall before him was demonstrating the practice and execution methods of the Vast Flame Dragon Sword.
When this sword was thrust out, it would manifest as a vast, blazing dragon; within a hundred feet, the area would become a hell of fire, leaving no place for others to survive.
Zong Shou was engrossed in watching when a jumble of noise reached his ears.
"I’ve always heard people talk about how miraculous this Martial Saint Imprint is. Seeing it today, I realize those words were not exaggerated!"
Frowning slightly, Zong Shou turned toward the source of the voice. He saw the two Celestial Rank experts who had been here earlier. One of them sighed deeply, "This enlightenment before this wall today is worth ten years of quiet contemplation for me. It’s a pity this True Dragon Sword Formula is incomplete, and this Seventh Grade Legendary Martial Art is slightly inferior, making it unsuitable as a foundation. Otherwise, this sword art alone could have propelled me into the Martial Venerable realm!"
The other laughed upon hearing this, "Brother Wei, why are you so unsatisfied? Although this sword formula cannot be practiced, simply by comprehending Martial Saint Longying’s martial experience and his exposition on the levels of sword intent, both of us can achieve considerable progress—"
Zong Shou’s heart sank slightly upon hearing this. As expected, the same Martial Saint Imprint appeared differently in the eyes of different individuals.
In the eyes of these Celestial Rank experts, they saw only a Seventh Grade True Dragon Sword Formula.
In his eyes, however, this was an indispensable part of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword.
Not just the level of sword intent, but it had almost completely displayed the two realms of martial intent—'Essence' and 'Spirit'—before him.
The two men spoke while circulating their energy to heal, exhibiting their composure clearly, without needing meditation or sitting still.
Evidently, the shadow on the stone wall imposed minimal pressure on these two Celestial Rank Martial Venerables.
Jin Buhui initially paid them no mind, but gradually grew impatient. Annoyed by their presence distracting him, he simply turned around and glared angrily at the two Celestial Rank Martial Venerables, "Since you’ve finished watching, hurry up and leave! Don't loiter here and be an eyesore, you're irritating!"
Hearing this, the two did not become enraged. The older one, who appeared to be around thirty, glanced at Jin Buhui and even let out a soft chuckle, "It's you, Jin Buhui! I haven't even settled the score with you for selling me those defective Rank Eight Spirit Essences last time. And now you dare to scold me. Fine, I won't bother arguing with you—"
With that, the two departed together, disappearing from sight shortly thereafter.
Zong Shou watched for only another half an hour before rising to his feet and walking toward the entrance of this stone chamber.
Zhao Yanran happened to wake up from her deep contemplation just then and was momentarily stunned. She asked, "Where are you going?"
The moment the question left her lips, she felt foolish. She could guess why Zong Shou was leaving just by thinking about it.
Indeed, Zong Shou replied lightly, "I’ve seen enough here. I’m going to check out the other chambers."
In truth, there were still many aspects he hadn't fully grasped; some details remained fuzzy. However, since the Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword had nine sections, there should be nine such stone chambers.
Yet, he currently had less than seven days left, which was not much time.
The imprint in this chamber could be forcefully memorized. If he delayed too long here, he might miss out on the other locations.
Hearing this, Zhao Yanran’s eyes flickered, and she stood up, saying, "I’ll accompany you. While the Vast Flame Dragon Sword is excellent, it doesn't suit my temperament—"
She primarily cultivated Ice elemental True Power. This Vast Flame Dragon Sword was not only unsuitable, but its vast, righteous intent was the complete opposite of her own devious cunning.
Xuan Yunlan’s delicate eyebrows knitted together, and she also stood up. Jin Buhui sighed as well.
"This sword formula isn't bad; it aligns particularly well with the tenets of my Vast Profound Sect. It’s a pity that gold and fire are incompatible. If I were to practice this sword art, I might never attain the Immortal Dao in this lifetime!" He too showed no lingering attachment.
Exiting the stone chamber, they found themselves in a broad, circular hall. There were ten doors lining the perimeter, presumably leading to the nine stone chambers and the inner gate where those twenty Rank Seven experts had entered.
However, Zong Shou's first focus was drawn to the luminous screen situated directly in the center of this 'main hall' opposite them.
On one side, a dragon shadow was vividly engraved. It possessed five claws, its body covered in swirling mist. Its head and torso were raised high, exuding immense majesty. But for some inexplicable reason, the moment Zong Shou laid eyes on this screen, he felt a strange sensation—that the dragon depicted on this luminous screen was incomplete.
Yet, its head, body, and tail were all present and accounted for. The lines and patterns were intricately drawn, animated to the point where it seemed it could come alive at any moment.
"Brother Jin, what is this?"
Zong Shou asked with a frown. In terms of familiarity with the Dragon Gate, Jin Buhui, with his sect's nearly ten-thousand-year history, was far superior to him.
As expected, Jin Buhui smiled and replied, "Do you think this luminous screen holds some mystery? The earliest predecessors of our sect also harbored such suspicions. Some even suspected it was the grand outline of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword. For that, they wasted half a day sitting motionless before this screen, ultimately gaining nothing. It took several generations to confirm that this thing was merely an ordinary luminous screen—they were thoroughly fooled. Subsequently, every time the sect selected individuals to enter and comprehend, they specifically warned them not to be too clever and waste time here. Yet every year, some people refuse to believe it and insist on studying it, and invariably, they learn nothing from it."
Zhao Yanran and Xuan Yunlan both pursed their lips and smiled, clearly having heard this story before.
Despite these warnings, the four of them still stood before the stone screen, gazing at it intently.
Human psychology is strange. Just because others failed did not mean they would fare the same.
A moment later, Xuan Yunlan exclaimed in surprise, "There really is something odd. A moment ago, I felt as if my presence was about to be sucked into this image. But when I looked closely again, I couldn't find anything—"
Zhao Yanran and Jin Buhui exchanged glances, both detecting the unusual change in the other’s expression. They thought to themselves, no wonder their predecessors were tricked. Elder Yinglong was too insidious.
Zong Shou’s expression shifted, finally ending in a soft laugh.
The true diagram on that luminous screen was the grand outline of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword. If he wasn't mistaken, it should be the only method to comprehend the Ninety-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword in this upper level of the inner gate—following the same rule as the lower level. One must fully comprehend all nine True Dragon Sword Formulas before the true meaning within could be revealed.
—However, this diagram inside was indeed incomplete!
As his thoughts raced, Zong Shou suddenly heard another surprised exclamation, "Zong Shou? Zhao Yanran? What are you two doing here?"
Turning his head, he saw Long Ruo.