Volume One: The Misty Cloud Immortal Palace Arc Chapter 121: The Void-Slaying Sword Art

Chapter 121: The Void-Slicing Sword Art

"It’s you, Senior!" Zhou Hao exclaimed, looking at the figure before him with pleasant surprise.

The figure was a middle-aged man dressed in a white cloak. He carried himself with a dignified, scholarly air. It was none other than the previous owner of the yellow-skinned gourd—the Immortal Dantu Lang!

"I thought you had completely vanished from this world? How are you..." Zhou Hao asked, puzzled.

"This is a projection I left behind specifically for the successor of the gourd. It possesses no real power; you can think of me as a messenger. My mission is to tell you the highest secret of this gourd!" Dantu Lang replied with a smile.

"Are you saying... you only truly acknowledge me now? The trial for the successor only ended just now?" Zhou Hao asked, unable to believe it.

"Indeed!" Dantu Lang nodded.

"I @%&, you can't be serious! Go to hell, you old rascal, you're truly wicked! You’ve been playing with me this whole time, putting hundreds of safety measures in place just to find a successor!" Zhou Hao wanted to devour the elegant Immortal before him.

"Young man, do you have any idea how immense the origins of this gourd are? If you weren't the true successor, how could I rest easy handing it over to you?" Dantu Lang said.

"Fine, then answer me this: if I hadn't seen through that illusory space just now, what would have happened to me?" Zhou Hao asked.

"Nothing much. You simply wouldn't have seen me, and you would have been unable to learn the Void-Slicing Sword Art inscribed within the gourd," Dantu Lang said, shrugging indifferently.

"Really? I wouldn't have been sealed in the gourd forever, nor killed by the sword energy inside?" Zhou Hao was surprised.

"Of course not. Since I had already designated you as the successor, why would the gourd kill its own master? Only those who enter without being the master are instantly killed by the sword art. Didn't I tell you that before?" Dantu Lang chuckled.

Zhou Hao muttered to himself, "The hell you did!"

"But that’s still not right. Even if I am the successor, why didn't you feel comfortable telling me all the secrets earlier?" Zhou Hao asked again.

"Young man, if I told you everything, what would be the point of a trial? This is a hurdle you had to overcome yourself. You should know that many previous owners never broke through the illusions to see the true interior of the gourd, and naturally, they could never learn this legendary Void-Slicing Sword Art. They lived mediocre lives, unable to unleash the true power of the gourd even while holding it in their hands!" Dantu Lang sighed.

"Enough idle chatter, my time is running out. Since you have arrived here and seen the sword art on the inner walls, you have the duty and obligation to cultivate it to the highest level! I know your objective; crossing the barrier set by an Immortal-level expert isn't too difficult, especially since this array was laid by an Immortal in the early stages of their cultivation. Although your cultivation is low, if you utilize the gourd itself, there is a very high chance you can pass through the barrier!"

"Void-Slicing Sword Art? What an overbearing name—it can even slice through the void!" Zhou Hao scanned his surroundings. The golden, sword-like symbols flickering on the inner walls of the gourd evolved into a terrifying, heaven-shaking sword intent as they entered his eyes.

"Young man, you must practice this sword art diligently. It will benefit you for a lifetime. At the same time, keep it secret. Because of its fame, if some ancient monsters set their sights on your gourd, you will be in big trouble. My fall was not as simple as just a decisive battle with Luo Tianyi; you will understand in the future. This world is extremely cruel, far dirtier than the mortal realm you come from. Once people possess greater power, their desires grow even greater!" Dantu Lang looked at the young, naive boy and couldn't help but think of his own youth.

***

Zhou Hao nodded silently, four words echoing in his mind: "Greed knows no bounds!"

"But come to think of it, perhaps this is the path every expert must walk. Without darkness, one cannot forge a true powerhouse, right?" Zhou Hao smiled.

"Good luck. I am leaving. You are the new owner of this Void-Slicing Gourd. I hope you will be its final master—its true master!" Dantu Lang waved, bidding farewell to Zhou Hao.

Zhou Hao waved back, nodding slightly as he watched the Immortal-level expert, who had been both teacher and friend, fade into nothingness.

"Void-Slicing Sword Art, are you ready?"

As the dense array of golden swords filled his vision, Zhou Hao sat cross-legged, using his finger as a blade, and began to contemplate the sword art. Unknowingly, his body and mind became infused with sword intent; he himself seemed to transform into a peerless, sharp immortal sword, embodying the essence of slicing through the void.

Outside the gourd, the others—the Turtle, Yu Nan, and Huohuo—seemed to be growing impatient.

"It’s been so long. Nothing bad happened, right?" the Turtle asked.

"What do you mean by that? Wasn't it you who told Zhou Hao to go in? Weren't you the one encouraging him to enter the gourd just a moment ago?" Huohuo asked.

The Turtle shrank back and said timidly, "I... of course I had to encourage him! I want him to pick the Purple Gold Vermilion Fruit for me. Otherwise, how can I cultivate and advance? I'm different from you all. I belong to the Divine Immortal Spirit race; as long as I keep consuming treasures and various manifestations of creation, I can improve my cultivation. Why would I need to practice hard?"

"What? You stinky turtle, so you were just trying to reap the rewards without effort, trying to get your hands on the Vermilion Fruit! Fine, today I won't just peel your shell, I'll skin you alive!" Huohuo, enraged, chased the turtle around, raining blows upon him.

"Wife, help! Murder—no, turtle-slaughter!" The turtle transformed into a streak of black light, dodging the pursuit and screaming for help, with Huohuo in hot pursuit.

"Sister Huohuo, don't hold back on my account. Beat him to death; his skin is just itching for a thrashing!" Qingqing ignored her useless husband entirely.

"This is so fun, let me join in too!" Xiao Shanshan laughed, eager to jump into the fray.

The two young girls chased the turtle back and forth. With nowhere to run, the turtle was eventually given a sound thrashing.

Time passed quickly, and night fell, yet Zhou Hao had not emerged from the gourd.

Yu Nan sat cross-legged on the peak of Mount Yunmiao, cultivating silently while remaining vigilant of her surroundings, especially the yellow gourd in the air. Ever since she was locked in the pill prison, the formerly hot-tempered young lady had begun to change. Especially after Zhou Hao clearly stated that their relationship was merely that of fellow disciples and friends, her personality shifted further; she became gentle and quiet, no longer the Yu Nan she once was.

Beside her, Huohuo and Xiao Shanshan were chattering incessantly. They seemed to have hit it off, sharing endless secrets. Neither of them had much interest in cultivation, but they were deeply concerned with fun things.

"Hey, have you ever eaten a Vermilion Fruit? What does it taste like?" Huohuo asked, her eyes sparkling as she rubbed her fair hands.

Xiao Shanshan, who looked two years older than Huohuo, laughed and said, "Not only have I eaten them, I’ve had Vermilion Fruit skewers! If you're talking about those, they are truly a delicacy of the Immortal Realm!"

"Wow, that's amazing! What are Vermilion Fruit skewers like? I haven't even seen a Vermilion Fruit yet. I must eat my fill of them in the future!" The stars in Huohuo’s eyes grew brighter.

"Hehe, these skewers are made by stringing seven fruits on a stick, then pouring a thick layer of honey over them. One bite and you wouldn't believe how sweet it is! But that’s not even the best way to eat them..." Xiao Shanshan teased.

"Tell me, tell me! What's the best way? I'll have to try it later. Just listening to you makes me drool; I want to eat it right now!" Huohuo’s delicate face was filled with longing.

"Haha, that would be iced Vermilion Fruit skewers! The method is to pour honey over the fruit and then freeze it. You eat it once the honey hardens. But remember, you have to get the freezing right—not too hard, not too thin. You must freeze it until the ice covers every fruit, keeping the fruit, honey, and ice in a crystal-clear state, then bite into it immediately. The triple sensation of icy, sweet, and soft will make it feel like your mouth is soaring into the clouds..." Xiao Shanshan reminisced, using words to describe a taste that could only be experienced, not explained.

Huohuo listened, her desire growing even more intense. She was a true little foodie!

Meanwhile, the Turtle was pitiful, weak, and helpless. His head had been beaten into a pig's head, and a burnt smell wafted from his tail—the result of him retracting into his shell while Xiao Shanshan held him and Huohuo burned his tail, forcing him to poke his head out. It was a miserable sight.

"You two demons... you'll face retribution! Wuwuwu..." The turtle wept, helpless to do anything else.

As for the Turtle’s wife, the Green Snake, she was as focused on cultivation as Yu Nan. She sat on the mountain peak, drawing in the essence of heaven and earth. For a thousand miles, birds and beasts fell silent, and storms gathered. Thunder and lightning intertwined as if a peerless, ferocious beast had been unleashed, and the purple energy on the mountain was swallowed by her alone.

Then, the Green Snake flew into the sky, exhaling wind and mist, displaying the true nature of a great demon. Clouds shifted, rain poured down, and it was a long time before everything returned to normal.

At that very moment, Zhou Hao, inside the gourd, hit a bottleneck in his cultivation of the Void-Slicing Sword Art.

He was in agony, his hands covering his eyes as he rolled and twitched on the ground. He felt as if his eyes were being pierced by ten thousand needles, the pain so intense it felt like death itself. Not only that, his entire body felt as if it were being pierced by millions of sharp immortal swords. He couldn't even scream, for every part of him had been struck—his throat severed, his vocal cords shredded. This pain gave him the surreal sensation of living through two lifetimes.

If his body had been a complete sword before, he was now a broken blade, shattered into thousands of fragments.

Ten thousand swords piercing the body—it was like being carved alive!

Zhou Hao had undoubtedly fallen into the most terrifying, desperate state. If he failed, he would surely lose his life, dying miserably amidst the vast sword intent triggered by the Void-Slicing Sword Art.