"Pardon me for forgetting my composure …"
After which, Jian Qinsheng reverted back to his usual self. He turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan once more, and the more he looked at him, the more satisfied he felt. "The move you executed earlier is the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, right?"
Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. "What's that? I've never heard of it before! "
"You've never heard of it before?"
Jian Qinsheng frowned. "That sword art is the one that I just practiced. It was created by my ancestor, the Third Sanctum Head, Jian Liushui. It has been passed down to me for many generations, and it has been passed down in the Sanctum of Sages for many generations. The sword art that you executed earlier is extremely similar to that of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship, so how could it possibly be different?"
Even though the Flowing Water Swordsmanship was created by his ancestor, it was not passed down through his lineage. There were quite a few students in the Sanctum of Sages who practiced it as well.
He had thought that even if Zhang Xuan was not a member of the Zhang clan, he would have at least obtained the crux of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship through a fortuitous encounter examination. That was how he had been able to reach such a height in such a short period of time. Who could have thought that the other party had not even heard of the Flowing Water Swordsmanship before?
"The sword art that I executed earlier is a sword art that I created myself. It's completely different from the sword art that you just spoke of!"
Realizing that Jian Qinsheng was referring to the sword art that he had just practiced, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a smile.
Given how ridiculously wrong that sword art was, it was impossible for him to learn it without even taking a look at it … How could that be possible?
"Created yourself?" Jian Qinsheng widened his eyes in shock. "That is a sword art that you created?"
Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
They were in the Sanctum of Sages, the pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent. If they were to investigate the headquarters of the Mingshi Tang Guild and find that there was no such person, it would only bring them more trouble. Thus, they might as well claim that he had created the sword art.
Having comprehended Sword Quintessence, one could already be considered a grandmaster swordsman. Creating a few sword arts was nothing to be proud of.
"This …" Jian Qinsheng was still in a state of disbelief. "Can you demonstrate the swordsmanship that you have just created to me once more?"
"Of course!"
Nodding, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist, and a surge of sword qi shot out from his fingertip. With a flick of his wrist, a cold gleam flickered in the air, threatening to tear the air apart.
His swordsmanship was very simple. There was nothing fancy about it, but it carried a sharpness that made it hard for others to dodge. It seemed that as long as one came into contact with it, one would be struck by it.
The speed of the sword move was the same as before. It was very slow, but it contained an irresistible momentum.
Resisting the sword technique was like resisting the Heavenly Dao.
"It really isn't the Flowing Water Swordsmanship …"
Jian Qinsheng muttered to himself in a daze.
He had thought that Zhang Xuan had cultivated the sword art of his ancestor, but from the looks of it, the intent behind the two sword arts were completely different.
Furthermore, even though the other party's swordsmanship only consisted of a single move, it encompassed countless transformations, making it even more profound than the Flowing Water Swordsmanship of his ancestor.
It was just that its prowess was significantly inferior. Most likely, it was only a low-tier sword art that did not exceed middle-tier Saint realm.
"Considering how Zhang Shi was able to create such a powerful sword technique and reach the level of Sword Quintessence, it's unlikely that he's here to learn the sword technique!"
Jian Qinsheng tossed aside his dejected emotions and looked at Zhang Xuan once more.
The other party was able to comprehend Sword Quintessence, and he was even able to create such a powerful sword art. It was hard for him to believe that Jian Qinsheng would come here to learn from him.
"I do have a favor to ask of you. I heard that you have collected many sword art manuals here. May I take a look at them?"
Zhang Xuan revealed the reason for his visit.
"Look at the books? It's not that I can't do that, but … "
Jian Qinsheng hesitated for a moment before continuing. "The Compendium of Swords here was built by Ancestor Liu Shui, and it harnesses his Sword Intent. Only those who have obtained his acknowledgement are allowed to enter. This is the standard that I've been using to recruit disciples over the years, and my goal is to ensure that they are able to enter the Compendium of Swords. "
"Obtain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent?"
Zhang Xuan frowned. He had heard Shui QianRou mention this before.
He had thought that Jian Qinsheng was the one who had set the rules, but it seemed like that wasn't the case.
"That's right. Ancestor Liu Shui's strength far exceeds mine, reaching the pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent. The Sword Intent that he left behind is so powerful that even I am unable to break the rules! "
Jian Qinsheng said with a bitter smile.
Everyone said that he was an inflexible person who cherished his own swordsmanship, and that he didn't share his profound swordsmanship with others, resulting in his current plight. But in truth, he was the only one who knew that these rules were set by his ancestor. As a junior, there was no way he could change them.
"If you wish to enter the Compendium of Swords, you either have the Sanctum Head Token or obtain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent. There's no third method. If you really wish to take a look, why don't you give it a try? Perhaps, you might be able to obtain the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent and enter the Compendium of Swords. "
"Give it a try?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
Even though he had the Sanctum Head Token, his true strength was only at Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, and his master teacher rank was only at Seven Star. Neither of these factors fulfilled the conditions required to decipher the seal.
If he were to take it out at this moment, it would be extremely troublesome for him.
This was not in line with his low-profile personality.
Since that was the case, he might as well give it a try. Perhaps, with the unique Heaven's Path Divine Art and Heaven's Path Sword Art, he might be able to clear the Compendium of Swords easily.
"Follow me."
Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed, Jian Qinsheng nodded.
Since the young man before him wasn't a member of the Zhang Clan and possessed incredible talent, he was more than willing to lend him a hand. However, it was a pity that he couldn't break the rules, so there was nothing he could do about it.
Zhang Xuan followed closely behind Jian Qinsheng. Shui Qianrou, Senior Xie, and the others also followed suit.
The fact that they were able to enter the Compendium of Swords meant that they had all cleared the examination. At this moment, they were curious to see if the young man before them was able to do the same as them.
Not too long later, they arrived at a spacious room. At the very center of the room was a massive 'Sword' character. It was written in an imposing manner, and it felt as if it would pierce through the heavens.
It bore some resemblance to the one in the Sword Lagoon, but at the same time, it harnessed a different conception.
Beneath the 'Sword' character, there were all kinds of notes inscribed on the wall. With just a look, it was apparent that they had been around for countless years. Most likely, they were the insights and experiences of the predecessors.
"This character was left behind by Ancestor Liu Shui back then. As long as one is able to get within five meters of the character without being attacked, it means that one has received the acknowledgement of the Sword Intent," Jian Qinsheng explained.
"That's right." Zhang Xuan nodded.
Once one's Sword Intent reached a certain level, it would be able to automatically protect its wielder. The character on the wall harnessed the will of the Sword Intent that Ancestor Liu Shui had left behind throughout his life, so it was natural that it wielded extraordinary might. If one's comprehension of the Sword Intent went against it, one would be attacked directly.
It was not that the Sword Intent did not allow for any other moves, but it was a self-defense mechanism of the Sword Intent.
"Let me give it a try."
Knowing that he would have to find a way to get close to the character, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before slowly making his way over.
The massive character before him felt as if a massive sun was looming over him, exerting immense pressure on him. Even his Primordial Spirit felt as if it was burning.
Could it be that the Sword Intent that I have cultivated really doesn't conform to the character?
It was just a guess that he had made previously, but before he could even get close, he could already feel the immense pressure weighing down on him.
This was troublesome.
He had no intention of sneaking into the library of the Sanctum of Sages to steal a book.
Putting aside whether the Sanctum of Sages had the strength to do so, even if they did, they would not dare to do so casually.
After all, if they were to do so, it would put him in an awkward position when his identity as the sanctum head was made public.
Sigh, fame and fortune were truly the bane of one's life!
Being the sanctum head was not as enjoyable as he thought it would be.
Back when he was still penniless, he could do whatever he wanted without any restraints.
If only he were just an ordinary student, he would be able to do as he pleased!
With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan continued walking forward. The further he walked, the greater the pressure he felt. It felt as if there was a sword hanging above his head, ready to strike at any moment.
The Sword Intent in his body also sensed the threat, and it began to stir restlessly, ready to face the sword head-on.
"Will he be able to pass the test?"
Shui Qianrou asked worriedly as she watched the young man advance step by step.
"I'm afraid that it'll be difficult …"
Jian Qinsheng shook his head.
Through his observation, he could tell that the young man had already chosen his own path, and it was completely different from the Flowing Water Swordsmanship of his founder. As such, it was unlikely that he would be able to gain the sanctum head's acknowledgement.
Wuuuuuu!
As he spoke, the 'Sword' character on the wall suddenly jolted, and a brilliant burst of sword qi shot right toward Zhang Xuan.
"Sigh!"
Knowing that he had failed to gain the sanctum head's acknowledgement, Jian Qinsheng shook his head and raised his hand.
A powerful might burst forth from his fingertip, and it deflected the burst of sword qi from the 'Sword' character.
"Come back!"
"Yes!"
Knowing that the result was out, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head and return to the crowd.
"It seems like you haven't obtained the recognition of the Sword Quintessence yet. I'm afraid that I can't open the Compendium of Sword Quintessence for you …"
Jian Qinsheng replied apologetically.
Zhang Xuan felt helpless.
He thought that he would be able to fuse the Heaven's Path Sword Art with the Heaven's Path Sword Art, but from the looks of it now, he had underestimated it.
"Is there any way to gain recognition?" He couldn't help but ask.
"While there's only a single Way of Swordsmanship, there are many different kinds of Sword Quintessences. The one that our founder comprehended was one, the one that the head of the Zhang family comprehended was another, and the one that the Old Sword Maestro comprehended back then was another as well. Other than comprehending other Sword Quintessences, there's also the Sword Quintessence that Ancestor Flowing Water has comprehended. Otherwise, there's no way he could have possibly comprehended the Sword Quintessence in your body! "
Jian Qinsheng smiled bitterly.
All roads lead to Rome. If one were to view the path of swordsmanship as the destination and the Sword Quintessence as the path, there were bound to be many paths that one could take.
It was just like a question. There were many ways to solve it, and in the end, the answer could be obtained.
Different Sword Quintessences harnessed different energies, so how could one possibly gain recognition?
"You mean to say that as long as one cultivates the Sword Quintessence inscribed on the 'Sword' character and comprehends it, one will be able to gain recognition?" Zhang Xuan asked.
"That's right!"
Jian Qinsheng nodded. "However, there's no need to even think about it. Just comprehending a single Sword Quintessence would already take one a lifetime of effort, let alone comprehending a second Sword Quintessence. There have been countless geniuses in the Sanctum of Sages, but no one has ever succeeded in comprehending it.
"Is it really that difficult?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. He glanced at the words beneath the 'Sword' character and slowly closed his eyes.
"Indeed. The difficulty of comprehending it is truly unimaginable! I've read some books regarding our founder, and it's said that after Ancestor Flowing Water comprehended this Sword Quintessence, he attempted to comprehend other Sword Quintessences as well, but in the end, his cultivation nearly went berserk … "
Sighing deeply, Jian Qinsheng turned to the young man not too far away. He was just about to apologize to the young man and have him leave when he suddenly heard a loud explosion.
A surge of Sword Quintessence burst forth from the young man's glabella, and the 'Sword' character seemed to have sensed something, causing it to tremble intensely in excitement. Creak! Creak! Creak! Creak!
"The Sword Quintessence that our founder comprehended?" Jian Qinsheng narrowed his eyes in astonishment.
(Welcome to the Library of Heaven's Path Summer Event. It'll be held on the 11th of July at 8pm. There will be autographed books and T-shirts for free. For more details, please follow Laoya's official account and search for 'Sweeping the World' on WeChat.)
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