World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 120: Ziwei Sword!

Early in the morning, just after finishing his meditation, Qing Yanzi received a message from his beloved disciple.

Wang Sheng: Master, are you awake yet?

He had barely replied "Awake" to him when Wang Sheng called him. The moment he picked up, his disciple started rattling off a string of words that made him frown deeply.

—Master! Standing at Ziwei and commanding the Seven Stars—this is what the Seven-Star Sword Formation truly is, isn't it? I was ignorant. It took me so long to fully grasp the deeper sword intent hidden within the Seven-Star Sword Formation. Only now do I understand why this formation is worthy of being called a one-man formation!

—I haven't yet perfected the Reversed Seven-Star Formation, but its power has already grown tremendously, and the variations between each sword move have multiplied dozens of times. From being trapped within the formation itself, I now feel as though the formation is under my feet, surrounding me. Only in this way can my sword intent truly follow my will instead of relying on fixed sword techniques.

—It feels like... I have unknowingly completed my Seven-Star Sword Intent. I swear, I'm not being arrogant. I'm just... incredibly happy. Anyway, did I get it right, Master?

—Senior Sister seems to still be cultivating, considering she hasn't replied to me yet.

"Uh... the Seven-Star Sword Formation could be reversed?"

—Yes... that's right.

Qing Yanzi kept his calm as he began running simulations in his mind, trying to piece it together. To his surprise, he felt as if a long-closed door had slightly opened, even though he had only practiced the sword formation in his younger years.

"Ahem. I had originally planned to let you accumulate more experience before offering further guidance. I didn't expect you to comprehend all this on your own. Not bad. Not bad at all."

Qing Yanzi quietly sighed. He could sense that his disciple was truly overjoyed—such was the delight that followed true cultivation insight. It was something every cultivator would naturally experience. If cultivation brought only endless dry comprehension without joy, it would slowly extinguish a person's spirit.

Qing Yanzi encouraged Wang Sheng a few more times, telling him to settle his emotions quickly. He warned him that there would always be others more powerful, and that stronger sword arts existed beyond his own. He reminded him never to let pride lead him into recklessness.

After hanging up, Qing Yanzi stood in silence for a while, retracing the reversed version of the Seven-Star Sword Formation that Wang Sheng had described. He carefully examined each aspect of the formation.

This can no longer be called the Seven-Star Sword Formation.

Wang Sheng had come up with the name Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation himself, and the formation now no longer focused solely on the shifting positions of the Seven Stars. It bore little resemblance to Wudang's traditional Seven-Star Sword Technique.

It was as if the immortal who had created the original Seven-Star Sword Formation had deliberately hidden the true formation within an outer shell.

Using the Seven Stars to attack Ziwei already made it as strong as a first-rate sword technique. However, using Ziwei to command the Seven Stars put it in an entirely different league.

"Was this sword formation really created by one of our sect's forefathers, built atop the foundation of Wudang's Seven-Star Sword Formation? Why do I feel like the grandmaster has completely misled me..." Qing Yanzi murmured to himself.

Suddenly recalling something, he reached into his own Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch and pulled out a box covered in bronze rust.

After tapping lightly on the box, he paused in thought. He then scattered a few strands of green light, sealing off all the entrances and exits of the room.

"I originally planned to open this treasure of our sect only after Little Sheng and Little Xuan formed their Golden Cores." He pressed a finger to the center of the bronze box. "However, it seems now is the time to see what our forefathers truly left behind."

A wisp of pale-golden true essence seeped from his fingertip. The box trembled faintly, and he heard mechanisms unlocking within.

Moments later, golden light and green glow filled the entire room. Qing Yanzi let out a soft, surprised exclamation, then took the three objects inside the box.

A jade pendant, a jade talisman, and a severed finger that looked like it had been carved from ice.

"What is this?"

Confused, Qing Yanzi frowned and fell into deep thought. He used his sect's cultivation technique and infused each item with enchanted power one by one.

The severed finger gave off a faint pressure, and the jade pendant did nothing. The jade talisman shimmered faintly, and from within came a voice, speaking in an ancient tongue unknown to the present day.

"Does my bloodline... still have a worthy successor?"

***

In the Shu Sword Sect's rear mountain, on a clearing by a cliff.

A lone figure leaped and weaved. Several sword phantasms revolved steadily around him.

His techniques still had many imperfections, and his transitions were still rough, yet his sword moves had already caught the attention of several young disciples passing nearby. They couldn't help but stop and watch.

Soon after, he sheathed his sword and stood still in contemplation. He posed with his longsword a few times, arranging a few simple stances. Then, he began stringing them together and pushing through another round of training, quickly discovering new variations.

Wang Sheng had taken his master's words to heart. He knew that this sudden insight of his was only a small step on the long path of the Dao of the Sword—it was far from any real accomplishment. He would have to wait until the day he ascended as an immortal before he could feel joy.

He was taking the last step to perfecting his Seven-Star Sword Intent, and he was treading it with unwavering steadiness. Moreover, he had already grasped the true essence of the Seven-Star Sword Formation: the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation. All that remained was to fully internalize this entirely new formation and understand the variations within. After that, his Seven-Star Sword Intent would be truly perfect.

His sword intent no longer seemed fitting to be called the Seven-Star Sword Intent. If one wished to command the sword formation from the position of Ziwei, it would make more sense to call it the Ziwei Sword Intent. However, Wang Sheng found the term "Ziwei" a bit too vulgar. He wasn't trying to become some Sword Sovereign or Sword Emperor.

He imagined a future where he had achieved mastery in the Dao and made an appearance alongside his master and senior sister. An onlooker would shout, "Look! It's Daoist Master Bu Yan!"

Another would call out, "Look! The Quiet Fairy, Bu Yu, is here too!"

Then suddenly, someone would jarringly exclaim, "Ah! The Sword Emperor, Fei Yu, is here as well!"

Wang Sheng smirked at the thought. "Daoist Master" still sounded better to him.

From now on, he decided to refer to the new sword formation as the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation. He had already grown used to the name anyway.

He continued practicing the sword formation from dawn until noon without pause. As his sword techniques became smoother, he felt the primal qi of heaven and earth constantly rushing toward him. His primal qi absorption while going through the formation was only slightly slower than when he meditated with the Primal-Qi Gatherer on.

Perhaps due to the effects of the Meridian-Tempering Pill, he felt that his meridians had expanded noticeably compared to the previous day. As he refined the sword formation, a stream of true essence, both forceful and flexible, flowed continuously through his meridians, further widening and swiftly reinforcing them.

This was a good development, and Wang Sheng saw no reason to interfere.

Little by little, he sank into the joy of honing the sword formation. The "sword maniac" who had once practiced in silence atop the Wudang Mountains was now lost in the Dao of the Sword at the Shu Sword Sect's rear mountain.

The starry sea guided the Big Dipper, and Ziwei smiled upon the heavens.

Wang Sheng had no idea how profound the sword formation he was currently refining appeared to others.

The sword sect disciples who happened to pass by and stop to watch felt it most keenly. They had watched as Wang Sheng carefully explored and tested each move of his sword techniques.

In the beginning, they could still grasp some insights from it. However, after an hour or two, Wang Sheng's movements had become completely smooth. His techniques connected flawlessly, leaving behind only streaks of sword phantasms. All the onlookers could do was sigh in amazement.

In the Seven-Star Sword Formation, all its sword phantasms were released to attack a single point, with the practitioner moving according to the positions of the seven stars.

In the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation, it scattered sword phantasms in all directions in the shortest time possible. The techniques followed the arrangement of the seven stars.

It could have seemed like a mere inversion of the original formation, but its power and intricacy were on an entirely different level.

By noon, countless sword phantasms had swallowed Wang Sheng. Most of them turned into a sea of starlight, and from time to time, sword phantasms arranged like the Big Dipper would shoot toward the cliffside, releasing waves of piercing sword cries.

Eventually, the surrounding starlight and sword phantasms faded away, and Wang Sheng once again stood in silence with his eyes tightly shut. In deep contemplation, he sensed that his sword intent was on the brink of perfection. He only had that final bit left to complete...

What was he still missing?

"A sword is a weapon."

Yuan Pu Zhenren's words rumbled through his mind like thunder, and Wang Sheng suddenly found his direction.

A sword was a weapon. No matter how refined a sword technique or sword formation was, its purpose would always be to kill, trap, and defeat the enemy. From that perspective, what was the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation still lacking?

Oh, that's it! It lacks focus!

Every move scattered sword phantasms in all directions. This allowed him to handle situations where he was outnumbered, but it would be difficult to unleash the formation's full potential in single combat.

Although the original Seven-Star Sword Formation could be used in single combat, the transition between the two formations would never be seamless and would inevitably leave openings. If he ignored the original Seven-Star Sword Formation and used only the reversed version as a foundation, what would he do in a duel, assuming he were the formation's creator?

Its power had to converge at one point, just like in the original Seven-Star Sword Formation.

What about the sword techniques of the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation, then?

Wang Sheng resumed his training. After a few moves, he seemingly grasped something, but his movements became more uncertain and hesitant.

He spent nearly half a day in this state of uncertainty. Shu Sword Sect disciples and Daoist masters quietly gathered at the cliffside, yet Wang Sheng remained unaware, lost in the final, elusive gap within his sword intent.

The phrase most difficult to achieve in this world was "true perfection." After comprehending the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation, Wang Sheng's Seven-Star Sword Intent reached completion.

However, completion did not mean perfection. There were still traces of imperfection. If Wang Sheng pursued the ultimate form of sword intent along the path, those subtle flaws could become the very thing that would lead to his failure.

In a daze, he suddenly sped up, then slowed down again a few minutes later. It was obvious to all watching that Wang Sheng had fallen into a difficult bottleneck.

Just then, a sharp cry echoed from across the cliff. The voice carried a profound Dao Rhythm, striking Wang Sheng's ears like a great bell and drum.

"One Sword of Heaven and Earth!"

One Sword of Heaven and Earth... One single sword!

Wang Sheng's eyes flashed. He unleashed the reversed formation once more. His movements grew faster, the sword cries sharper and more urgent.

The cries then suddenly stopped, and all the sword phantasms in the sky rushed toward a single point. They overlapped and fused repeatedly.

If the Ziwei user drew his sword, it would take only one strike to destroy all things!

A radiant sweep of sword radiance illuminated the cliffside.

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶