Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 55: Heritage

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Heritage

Within Sword Valley, the disciples of Li Mountain turned their gazes toward the sword in Li Fan’s hand.

Mo Yang had also noticed it; he recognized that sword.

The story behind this sword was well-known among the disciples of Li Mountain. Many disciples had previously tried to inquire about the sword, but all had failed.

Li Fan had acquired this sword.

*Was it because Senior Jian Yi found similarities in their experiences?*

*Perhaps so.*

*Now that fate has brought them together, let’s see what opportunities await that young man.*

"Let’s go." Mo Yang and the others departed, leaving only Wu Tong behind to guard the area.

*If it’s just about the sword itself, then where’s the significance?*

Ye Qinghuang opened her eyes; her beautiful face was graced with a subtle smile.

This was the beginning of the Sword Inquiry!

As soon as Li Fan obtained Jian Yi’s sword, he felt an inexplicable pull from Sword Valley—as if someone were summoning him.

With a thought, he responded to the summons. The same sensation reappeared; his consciousness was drawn into the sword’s inner world.

Within the sword’s world, a mountain appeared ahead of him. Atop the mountain, an elder sat, his eyes fixed upon Li Fan.

"Junior Li Fan of Li Mountain greets the senior," said Li Fan, bowing respectfully to the elder.

*These swords were imbued with life; how had such a feat been accomplished?*

"This is the Sword Soul," the elder replied, seeming to understand Li Fan’s thoughts.

"Sword Soul?"

"In the world of Sword Cultivators, a sword merges with the soul. Even if a person dies, as long as the sword remains, so does the Sword Soul," the elder explained.

Li Fan nodded; the methods of Great Sword Cultivators were naturally beyond his current comprehension.

"At the Mid Stage of God Refinement, having fortified the soul, how many swords can you control?" the elder asked.

"Junior does not know," Li Fan answered. He hadn’t yet attempted it.

"You’ve inherited Jian Yi’s Sword Dao. What are its characteristics?" the elder queried.

"Speed," Li Fan replied. Jian Yi had no elaborate sword techniques—only one sword. In the instant the sword was drawn, it reached its peak.

"He lived a long life, thanks to his luck," the elder remarked. "But relying on a single sword—if it fails to kill the enemy, how is that any different from waiting to die?"

Li Fan didn’t respond; he didn’t have the right to critique a predecessor’s Sword Dao.

*This elder likely practiced a different Sword Dao and thus disdained Jian Yi’s approach.*

*However, Jian Yi’s natural talent in swordsmanship was ordinary. For him, dedicating himself to perfecting a single sword allowed him to reach the limits of his ability.*

"Pursuing death through swordsmanship—how stubborn, how conventional. Just as conventional as everyone else," the elder lamented. "Sword Cultivators can wield Flying Swords to kill enemies. Speed alone isn’t enough; every sword must be fast."

The elder waved his hand, and suddenly numerous swords appeared before Li Fan. He commanded, "Control these swords and kill me."

Li Fan focused his mind, and one sword rose, shooting toward the elder. The elder tilted his head slightly, effortlessly dodging it. "Slow. You can only control one sword?" he asked.

A second sword rose, launching forward.

Again, the elder easily evaded it, not even bothering to move his feet.

"Pathetic. Is this how Jian Yi chose his heir?" the elder grumbled.

Li Fan directed both swords to simultaneously turn and attack the elder again.

"Still too slow. Is this the extent of your skill?" The elder dodged Li Fan’s Flying Sword attacks with casual ease.

"With such mediocre ability, you dare come here to inquire about the sword?"

The elder appeared somewhat lazy. Just then, the two swords suddenly accelerated, intertwining as they lunged toward the elder.

The elder’s expression shifted slightly. He sidestepped, positioning himself between the two swords.

Yet at that moment, all the swords lying on the ground suddenly surged upward, sealing off every direction and stabbing forth like a rain of blades.

"Hmm?"

The elder hesitated briefly, shifting his body with incredible speed as the swords whistled past him.

*"This boy..."* he began to think but quickly realized he was cornered, with no escape from the swords that had locked him in.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the elder caused all the swords to crash to the ground.

"You little brat, hiding your skill just to plot against me?" the elder glared at Li Fan, his voice filled with anger.

"Senior instructed me to kill you. With my modest talent, I had no choice but to employ some strategy," Li Fan responded. "I humbly seek your forgiveness."

The elder glared at him but said, "Though decent, it’s still too slow, and the power is lacking. You need to make every sword achieve the speed and intensity of Jian Yi’s sword." He added, "One question: did you just succeed in your inquiry?"

"Barely, I suppose?" Li Fan asked, still unsure.

"Let’s call it close enough," the elder said dismissively. "I’ve waited long enough over these years—I might as well let you have it, you cheeky brat."

"Oh, thank you, senior!" Li Fan beamed with a radiant smile.

*It seemed his luck wasn’t bad after all; he had succeeded.*

*Having completed the inquiries with two swords, perhaps Senior Sister wouldn’t be disappointed?* He pondered. *Although she had often praised his natural talent, maybe she was just trying to comfort him.*

*After all, even the youngest of the junior brothers had already reached the status of a Great Sword Cultivator within the Five Realms. Senior Sister’s strength was surely even greater.*

"Enough." The elder shifted to a more casual tone. "I’ll pass on my Sword Dao to you. Practice diligently—don’t let me down."

"Junior will give his utmost," Li Fan promised, bowing deeply.

In the next instant, the space seemed to transform into a sword, directly merging into his mind. Suddenly, countless memory fragments flooded his consciousness.

The first image he saw was of Jian Yi himself.

"Senior Jian Yi?" Li Fan was slightly perplexed. *Wasn’t this supposed to be the elder’s memory?*

In the visions, Jian Yi was traveling across the land, exorcising demons in a remote village. He killed a demon and saved a boy whose parents had been eaten by the creature.

Jian Yi prepared to leave, but the boy followed him.

Jian Yi tried to drive him away, but the boy persisted.

Jian Yi even considered abandoning him entirely, yet the boy kept chasing after him. Ultimately, Jian Yi turned back and took the boy under his wing, teaching him the way of the sword.

Jian Yi discovered the boy had a remarkable aptitude for the Sword Dao.

However, he could only teach him one sword technique. As the boy grew, Jian Yi intended to send him to Li Mountain. Yet, Jian Yi himself remained outside the mountain.

Upon learning the reason, the boy chose not to join Li Mountain. He began to roam the world on his own.

Through countless trials, he grew stronger. He merged Jian Yi’s Sword Dao with his own insights, ultimately creating his own sword technique.

When Jian Yi perished, the boy had become a renowned swordsman. On the foundation of Jian Yi’s swordsmanship, he created the Nine Swords.

The name of these swords: Li Hen.

Years later, the boy had become an old man.

He carried his sword and ascended Li Mountain.

Jian Yi’s disciple, inquiring about the sword within Li Mountain!

Atop Li Mountain, with the Nine Swords of Li Hen, he battled at the peak of Li Mountain.

The story ended here. Jian Yi had never returned to Li Mountain in his lifetime; only after his death did he return to Sword Valley.

His disciple, carrying his master’s regrets, sought to inquire about the sword within Li Mountain, vindicating his master’s legacy.

*This was the essence of the Sword Cultivator spirit.*

Apart from those memories, Li Fan inherited the elder’s sword technique—the Nine Swords of Li Hen.

This sword technique, derived from Jian Yi’s swordsmanship, ascended to an even higher realm. The disciple had surpassed his master, carrying out the sword inquiry on behalf of his teacher at Li Mountain.

*Thus, Senior Jian Yi must now have no regrets.*

Li Fan also understood why, after receiving Jian Yi’s sword inquiry inheritance, the elder had summoned him.

The Sword Dao of master and disciple now rested in his hands.

"Thank you, senior. I will do my utmost to honor your Sword Dao," Li Fan said earnestly.

From the stone wall, a sword flew over, landing behind Li Fan.

In that moment, Li Fan had two swords behind him.

Many within Sword Valley looked toward Li Fan—he had unexpectedly inherited the legacy of two Li Mountain predecessors within a short time.

Clearly, his Sword Dao talent was extraordinary.

They turned their gaze toward other directions.

Lu Yuan had four swords behind her, marking her inheritance of sword techniques from four predecessors.

Xie Can had two swords behind him.

Lin Zhao, who had been defeated by Li Fan earlier, had only one sword behind him.

Thus, Li Fan’s sword inquiry had already surpassed most of the Li Mountain disciples.

However, the further someone went in the sword inquiry, the more difficult it became. The predecessors grew increasingly reserved about passing down their legacies, hoping to preserve them for future generations.

Only those with extraordinary talent would earn the favor of the Li Mountain predecessors and receive their inheritance.

Li Fan had inherited two swords from master and disciple—a direct lineage. He gained Jian Yi’s legacy first, followed by the legacy of his student.

The others speculated how many swords Li Fan would ultimately inquire about.

Yet Li Fan did not proceed with further inquiries; instead, he immersed himself in understanding the insights of the two predecessors.

Jian Yi’s sword was singular and sought hope in despair. Each strike was a death blow, pursuing the pinnacle of speed and aiming for instant fatality.

This sword transcended swordsmanship; it was a sword created purely from intention—it was Jian Yi’s Sword Dao.

Because it consisted of only one strike, Li Fan named it "One Slash."

The Nine Swords of Li Hen, following the lineage of Jian Yi’s sword technique, appeared in Li Fan’s mind as nine swords poised against the heavens.

The sword technique could be wielded by hand or controlled by intention.

The Li Hen Sword Technique evolved from Jian Yi’s Sword Dao. The first sword unleashed immense explosive force.

Every subsequent sword incorporated the momentum of the previous strikes, growing stronger with each successive attack. However, the difficulty of executing the swords increased proportionally.

This technique demanded immense focus and willpower—even controlling a single sword strain one’s nerves. How much greater must the burden be to wield all nine?

At its pinnacle, when all nine swords were unleashed, Li Fan could envision nothing but Sword Aura flowing between heaven and earth, sword intent permeating the skies—transcending nine swords into countless blades.

Nine is the ultimate number.

*Feeling the sword aura within his mind, Li Fan wondered how many realms he would need to reach to master the elder’s Sword Dao and successfully wield the Nine Swords of Li Hen.*

*"First, I’ll focus on comprehending Senior Jian Yi’s Sword Intent and perfecting this One Slash,"* Li Fan resolved to himself, closing his eyes to practice and reflect.

Atop Sword Valley, Ye Qinghuang noticed the Sword Intent flowing around Li Fan and understood he was practicing swordsmanship.

Ye Qinghuang still hadn’t departed—she remained there to guard him.

A day later, at the peak of Li Mountain, inside Sword Peak’s main hall.

Many people had gathered when a figure entered the hall, bowed, and reported, "All the Court forces are on their way. Within a few days, they will arrive at Li Mountain."

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.

"Judging by the looks of it, there will be no shortage of those seeking to exploit our crisis," Gu Qingyang said. "If we lose this battle on Sword Mountain, the future will rest in the hands of the disciples. Mo Yang, make arrangements to send the Li Mountain disciples away. Leave the green hills behind."

"Understood, Martial Uncle," Mo Yang replied with a nod.

"How are things progressing in Sword Valley?" Gu Qingyang asked.

"The predecessors are bestowing their swords, searching for inheritors. Lu Yuan has already inquired about four swords—the most among the Li Mountain disciples so far," Mo Yang answered.

"What about that boy?" Gu Qingyang asked.

"He has inquired about two swords," Mo Yang replied.

"Promising talent," Gu Qingyang nodded in approval. "Has there been any movement on that sword wall?"

Mo Yang shook his head.

"It depends on his fortune now," Gu Qingyang sighed. His junior brother’s gamble was indeed too risky.

If it were Wen Ruyu, the elders wouldn’t hesitate.

But he had chosen to bet on a boy with a demon inside him.

*Li Mountain wasn’t ready to take that chance.*

*Everything would be decided by the predecessors, by destiny.*