Volume One: The Misty Immortal Palace Chapter 123: Epiphany of Sword Intent

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Chapter 123: Epiphany of Sword Intent

Inside the yellow gourd.

Unlike Zhou Hao, Huahuo had not fallen under any illusion. The moment she entered, she saw Zhou Hao lying inside, his status unknown. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she stood frozen in shock. Although Zhou Hao bore no physical wounds, his aura was incredibly faint, and his consciousness seemed on the verge of dissipating. As a celestial plant with a fire-attribute essence, Huahuo was hyper-sensitive to ambient temperature. She could feel that Zhou Hao’s body was nearly ice-cold, indistinguishable from that of a corpse.

She stepped to his side, gently cradling his upper body. Looking at his delicate, pale face with eyes tightly shut, her jade-like fingers clenched into fists.

"You liar! You promised to take me out to see the world. I sacrificed my lifelong cultivation for you, and Sister Su Qing even gave her life for you. How could you just die like this? Zhou Hao, wake up! Wake up!"

Huahuo shook the boy in her arms, screaming almost hysterically, hoping he would open his eyes, but it was all in vain.

Zhou Hao was standing on the edge of life and death. He could no longer withstand the sword intent of the Void-Slicing Sword Technique. His consciousness had been swept up and shredded by the intent, facing the catastrophe of complete collapse. If the final sliver of his persistent will failed to endure the onslaught of the sword intent, he would surely die.

"What should I do? What on earth should I do? Someone tell me! How can I save Zhou Hao? He cannot die; I need him to live!" Huahuo held him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Wait, the turtle said we share a spiritual connection. Since I was able to enter the gourd so easily, it means you aren't dead yet. Our consciousnesses can connect. I must communicate with your consciousness; I need you to tell me how to save you." Huahuo slowly stopped crying; she was going to attempt a spiritual communion with Zhou Hao.

In the past, Huahuo had used her life-bound fire to quench Zhou Hao’s soul and heal his body, binding her life-bound fire to him. This was the reason for their spiritual connection.

Huahuo pressed her smooth forehead against Zhou Hao’s. She closed her eyes, intending to reach out to his fading consciousness with her heart.

At that moment, Huahuo cast aside all distracting thoughts, emptying herself until she reached a state of clarity. In a daze, her spirit seemed to enter a strange realm.

Before her, everything was hazy. She heard the sound of the air being sliced, followed by countless sword energies flying out from the mist. The sound she heard was caused by these very blades.

As her consciousness drifted closer to the haze, she suddenly received an intense personal will—a desire to survive—and this will felt incredibly familiar.

"I cannot die yet. I must grow stronger. I must ascend to the pinnacle of the Immortal Path. Before I fulfill my ideals, I absolutely cannot die!"

The intensity of this will was such that even if a mountain were to collapse before him, he would not blink, his expression remaining unchanged.

"Zhou Hao! I’ve found you."

Huahuo was overjoyed. It appeared that Zhou Hao’s consciousness was trapped within that hazy place, locked away by supreme sword intent that was constantly whittling away his mind. Yet, he was stubbornly resisting with his unyielding will, forcing his consciousness to hold together.

Only now did Huahuo realize the immense trial and suffering Zhou Hao was facing. This was the cruelty of the non-immortal, a punishment of the spirit, the very border between heaven and hell.

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The Void-Slicing Sword Technique was ranked among the four great sword techniques of the Immortal Realm precisely because of its inhumane and cruel tempering of sword intent. It used supreme sword intent to grind one’s own will, forcing one to struggle in agony and comprehend the sword intent between life and death.

Since ancient times, there had been countless successors to the gourd, yet not a single one had ever brought the technique to perfection. This was because the tempering of one's character was far too harsh; no one could endure until the end.

In other words, to practice the Void-Slicing Sword Technique, the first and most crucial requirement was a heart as firm as a rock, an unyielding character. Otherwise, one would only have their consciousness erased by the sword intent, leaving behind a hollow shell—no different from a corpse.

As thousands of sword illusions flew from the hazy void, Huahuo’s arrival drew the intent’s wrath. Her consciousness did not belong there; naturally, it was being expelled. Or perhaps, because she was spiritually linked to Zhou Hao, she was treated with the same hostility.

Zhou Hao had come here specifically to practice the technique and comprehend the intent, but how could Huahuo endure the devastation of such intent? If she was not careful, her consciousness would shatter, and she would die instantly.

With no other choice, Huahuo attempted to flee. Facing the torrent of sword intent, which surged like a raging river, she knew she had no chance of escape, but waiting meant certain death.

This was a spiritual space, a world of consciousness. Huahuo fled for her life as the torrent of intent behind her blotted out the sky, ready to swallow her at any moment. Such a terrifying formation was worthy of the reputation of the four great sword techniques. Zhou Hao, meanwhile, was facing an ocean-like tempering, which was dismantling his mental strength and attacking his will over and over again.

It was foreseeable that Zhou Hao’s chances of a comeback were slim. Relying solely on the will to survive would not lead to an epiphany of sword intent. The final shred of consciousness protected by his will would eventually dissipate, leading to a true end.

"If I cannot save you, and I cannot watch you die, then let me die with you!" Huahuo circled around and, without hesitation, plunged into the hazy void—the ocean of sword intent.

Heart-wrenching pain tore through her entire being. Huahuo felt as though her consciousness had been sliced into thousands of pieces. This hazy place was filled with supreme sword intent, gathered into a sea that rose and fell, annihilating all consciousness within.

In the midst of this sea, Huahuo finally saw Zhou Hao’s consciousness. It was a figure, faint and translucent, appearing extremely limp and powerless. His limbs were pierced and suspended by sword energy, his head buried deep, his face hidden.

Huahuo suppressed the urge to weep and shouted with all her might at the figure: "Zhou Hao, it’s me, Huahuo! Listen to me, wake up! We are all waiting for you to grasp the sword intent. We know it’s hard, but we believe you can succeed! You are the master of the gourd, so you don’t need to be afraid. Bravely conquer the sword intent!"

"Zhou Hao, the sword intent is not invincible. It can destroy your consciousness, but it cannot erase your will! As long as you face it with a firm will and suppress it, you will surely break free."

"Zhou Hao, you can do it. Believe in yourself!"

"Zhou Hao, you absolutely cannot lose! You promised to take me to see the outside world. If you die, who am I supposed to hold accountable?"

...

The hazy void shook like never before. Each of Huahuo’s words stirred up thousand-foot waves. The ocean of sword intent trembled violently, the vast intent rolling and colliding like a tsunami.

Simultaneously, these words reached the depths of Zhou Hao’s heart, to the very last remnant of his consciousness. There, a powerful will began to emerge—not a desire to survive, but a desire to question the sword!

Question: What is the sword intent that stands at the pinnacle of the world?

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This will fell like divine lightning from the nine heavens, subduing all demons and ghosts, and like the rising sun, shattering the darkness over mountains and rivers!

In an instant, the ocean of sword intent froze, losing its arrogant "wildness." The once-translucent figure instantly restored into a golden, radiant spiritual body. With a single finger pointed, a brilliant beam of white light shot out, piercing through the sea of sword intent.

With a thunderous boom, the entire vast ocean of sword intent collapsed and vanished from the spiritual world, leaving behind only two figures—one golden and one red.

"Thank you, Huahuo!" Zhou Hao embraced her.

"Zhou Hao, you... you... did you comprehend the sword intent?" Everything had ended so suddenly that Huahuo didn't know what to say.

"Huahuo, without you, I could never have comprehended this crucial sword intent. You truly are the benefactor of my life! Hahahaha..." Zhou Hao held her thin shoulders, looking at her exquisite, flawless face and laughing heartily.

"That’s great! I knew you could do it. I didn't misjudge you. It’s a good thing you succeeded; otherwise, I really would have died with you. Do you know? I was so scared I cried several times!" Huahuo wept with excitement, her voice filled with tears.

Seeing this, Zhou Hao gently wiped the tears from her eyes, stroked her head, and said, "I heard everything you said. Without your encouragement, I might never have been able to emerge from that state. I’m sorry you had to risk your life; I would rather have died myself than have you put your life in danger to wake me up!"

Feeling the warmth of Zhou Hao’s hand, Huahuo felt an inexplicable sense of comfort. She looked up at him and said earnestly, "I was just afraid that if you died, you would renege on your promise to take me to the outside world. Hmph, don't even think about it! You can’t go back on your word!"

Watching Huahuo’s serious expression, Zhou Hao nodded. "Yes, this is my promise to you, and it will never change. Once things are settled here, I will take you to roam the Immortal Realm and see the splendor of the world."

Hearing this, Huahuo beamed with joy. Her eyes curved into little crescent moons, and two small dimples appeared on her cheeks—she was incredibly cute!

Inside the gourd, the two consciousnesses returned to their bodies. As they opened their eyes, they found themselves still head-to-head, gazing at each other with radiant smiles.

"Huahuo, wait for me a little longer. Now that I have grasped the sword intent, I must strike while the iron is hot and learn the technique to traverse the barrier."

"Mhm, I’ll watch you practice. Once you’re done, we’ll head out together."

"Good!"