Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 56 What is a Sword Cultivator

Chapter 56: Chapter 56 What is a Sword Cultivator

Li Fan woke from his cultivation. As he opened his eyes, there seemed to be flashes of Sword Aura within them.

He spent a day meticulously contemplating the Sword Dao of two predecessors.

The swords of the two predecessors were exceptionally profound. After days of cultivation, he had only scratched the surface. To fully master them, he would need to enhance his cultivation—clearly, the Refining Realm was insufficient.

But even so, he vaguely felt a change within himself.

The Old Blind Man had said that only after he reached Sword Valley could he truly call himself a Sword Cultivator.

Glancing around once more, he noticed four swords behind Lu Yuan, strikingly conspicuous.

He naturally understood that this meant Lu Yuan had achieved four Sword Inquiries.

The thousand-year legacy of Li Mountain had produced many Great Sword Cultivators. However, given the sheer number of disciples over the generations, achieving four Sword Inquiries single-handedly highlighted Lu Yuan’s outstanding talent in the Sword Dao.

Yet, there was another reason behind this—due to the crisis Li Mountain faced, the ancestors of Sword Valley and Li Mountain were actively seeking heirs for their legacies.

Even some older Li Mountain disciples who had been here before succeeded in reattempting Sword Inquiries anew.

Li Fan closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to enter Sword Valley once more; this time, no sword initiated contact with him.

Li Fan did not let this dishearten him. He sensed the presence of the swords in Sword Valley and actively attempted to communicate with them, yet he still failed to unlock the Sword Gate.

He continued his efforts and refused to give up.

Behind him, Ye Qinghuang opened her beautiful eyes and raised her eyebrows slightly in response.

But at that very moment, Li Fan succeeded in unlocking the Sword Gate and entered the world within the sword.

Ye Qinghuang then closed her eyes again.

Inside the sword’s world, Li Fan saw a white-haired figure sitting quietly on the edge of a cliff, back turned, gazing out at the sea of clouds.

"Future generation of Li Mountain, Li Fan greets the senior," Li Fan bowed respectfully.

The figure did not respond and continued to sit silently. Li Fan remained standing there, patiently awaiting acknowledgment.

After an indeterminate amount of time passed, the figure finally spoke, "He chose you."

Li Fan looked at the person, unsure of the meaning behind these words.

At this moment, the figure turned their gaze toward him—it was an elder, casually letting his long, white hair drape over his shoulders. His demeanor exuded an extraordinary aura, bearing traces of divine elegance.

"Li Fan?" the elder asked.

"Yes," Li Fan replied.

The elder scrutinized him with his gaze.

"Do you know what is most important for a Sword Cultivator?" the elder asked.

"The Sword Seed?" Li Fan answered.

"The Sword Seed is akin to the Dharma Form for a Qi Cultivator—it enhances a Sword Cultivator’s offensive capabilities and is the soul of a Sword Cultivator. But it is not the most important," the elder replied.

"Swordsmanship?" Li Fan asked again.

The elder shook his head once more.

"Then what is it?" Li Fan asked.

"It is the ’spirit’ of the person who cultivates the sword," the elder said, looking at him. "If you lack this ’spirit,’ then you cannot be called a true Sword Cultivator."

"Cowards lack the ability to wield a sword, the indecisive lack the ability to wield a sword, those overly kind-hearted lack the ability to wield a sword, and the timid who fear death lack the ability to wield a sword..." The elder stared at Li Fan and began, "The sword is a blade of slaughter. When the sword is in your hand, you must be fearless, dauntless, devoid of distractions, devoid of self, without sentiment, without loyalty, without kings, without fathers, without laws, and without heaven!"

"When the sword is in your hand, regardless of who your opponent is, no matter how high their cultivation, how prestigious their status, you must forget everything else. All that matters is your sword."

"This is the ’spirit’ of a Sword Cultivator."

*Li Fan felt deeply moved. What a domineering perspective on Sword Cultivation! This was an aura he had not experienced from the previous two predecessors.*

*With the sword in hand, all that exists between heaven and earth is the sword in one’s grasp.*

"Without this spirit, you have no right to cultivate my Sword Dao," said the elder, his voice suddenly becoming calm. "Now, pick up your sword—and kill me."

A sword appeared in Li Fan’s hand.

He grasped the sword, with Sword Aura circulating around him, and suddenly charged forward, his sword striking like thunder, stabbing toward the elder.

The elder’s eyes widened as he glanced at Li Fan. In that instant, a terrifying Sword Dao barrier emerged and swept through like a storm, immediately halting Li Fan’s sword—he could not gain an inch.

"Is this your sword? I told you to kill me, yet your sword holds no killing intent?" the elder rebuked coldly.

Li Fan had no answer. This elder was a predecessor from Li Mountain; naturally, his sword lacked the element of killing intent.

"What did I just tell you earlier?" the elder’s voice grew icy. "Who are the people closest to you? If I were to kill them all now, how would you react?"

Li Fan glared at the elder. His Sword Intent became more intense, with strands of Sword Aura winding around his body. It pierced through the barrier, inch by inch, advancing further.

"Who taught you the sword? Was your master a fool? A sword technique without Sword Intent?" the elder continued in icy disdain. "When the sword is in your hand, if you cannot achieve selflessness, then what right do you have to wield a sword?"

"Don’t insult my master," the young man said angrily. In his gaze was a flicker of wrath—though he and his martial siblings occasionally called their master an Old Blind Man, they would never tolerate others defaming their master.

"Boom..."

A surge of Sword Aura erupted from his body—his brow radiating brilliant sword light, Sword Aura enveloping his form, as if his very body had transformed into a sword. He forced himself forward one more step, as his sword pierced outwards inch by inch.

"Forget about sword techniques and tricks. When you hold the sword, you are the sword. Either you kill your enemy, or you die," the elder said. "Your sword is still too weak—you are unworthy of being a Sword Cultivator. So, you may as well die."

As his words fell, another terrifying wave of Sword Intent descended, engulfing everything. It felt as though the Sword Intent would tear Li Fan into shreds. Death was so close; his fear became suffocating.

*Would he die here?* *If he died, what would happen to his elder martial sister? What about the Old Blind Man? And his senior martial siblings?*

"Kill!"

*A singular thought flashed through Li Fan’s mind—a relentless desire to kill.*

But still, he could not take even half a step forward.

"Killing intent alone is not enough. You must remember: you are a Sword Cultivator. You are a sword," the elder said.

"I am a sword." Li Fan attempted to forget himself. He entered an extraordinary state of mind—his whole body seemed to merge with his Sword Intent, his physical form growing lighter. It was as though he had become a pure sword, radiating an even more powerful Sword Intent.

At that moment, he disregarded the immense Sword Dao pressure weighing down upon him, ignored his fear, and abandoned all self-awareness. There was only the sword.

A flash of sword light tore through space. With a dull sound, the sword pierced into the elder’s chest.

The elder did not look at the wound in his chest; instead, he focused on Li Fan. The youth stood before him, his body exuding Sword Intent—his very eyes seemed to flow with sword energy, giving him the appearance of a true sword.

Man and sword as one—a high level of comprehension indeed.

The elder glanced into the distance, at the rolling Qing Mountain ranges.

"I will teach you my Sword Dao," the white-haired elder said slowly.

"No need," Li Fan replied.

"No need?" The white-haired elder frowned as he turned to look at Li Fan.

"I will cultivate other Sword Daos," Li Fan said, turning to leave.

"You have personality," the white-haired elder remarked, "But why?"

"I will not learn from someone who disrespects my master," Li Fan responded.

The white-haired elder paused at his words and then sneered, "Your master would not dare speak to me in this way."

Li Fan felt puzzled. From what the elder said, it seemed he knew the Old Blind Man?

"Look closely at who I am," the white-haired elder said. As his words fell, Li Fan suddenly felt his consciousness inundated with a flood of memories.

In those memories, Li Fan saw the elder as a Great Sword Cultivator from Li Mountain, aged and seeking a successor to pass down his Sword Dao.

One memory showed several disciples kneeling on the ground, performing the ceremonious rites of accepting him as their teacher.

Among them was one youth, elegant and refined. Upon seeing him, Li Fan felt an unusual surge of emotion inside.

This elegant and refined youth bore a striking resemblance to the Old Blind Man.

Could it be...?

He continued observing these scenes—he saw the elder show exceptional care for this youth, often offering him personalized instruction. The youth displayed extraordinary talent, youthful arrogance, and rapid progress in Sword Dao cultivation.

During a trial of swords at Li Mountain Sword Peak, none could defeat him.

As the youth grew into an adult, his talent in Sword Dao only became more pronounced, leading the elder to desire to pass his legacy onto him. But it was during this time that the two had a falling out.

The grown youth wanted to leave Li Mountain.

"The ways of the world are such that courts and noble families are entangled in complex, self-serving interests—inevitably corrupt. If you desire to venture into society under the name of Li Mountain, slaying demons and ridding the land of monsters, I have no objection. But to join the court?"

"Master, today’s world is led by an emperor with great ambitions, one determined to purge the court of corruption and eliminate all demons and monsters in Da Li. The Da Li World is vast—how many monsters can we, as Li Mountain, slay by ourselves? Only the court has the capability to save the common people. I wish to join the court and assist this enlightened ruler. As for your legacy, it can be passed on to my junior apprentice."

"Naïve idealism." The elder grew angry, and the two argued fiercely. The youth insisted on descending the mountain; in the end, the elder did not stop him.

However, the youth’s fellow junior apprentice tried to intervene—the two clashed but failed to prevent his senior from leaving Li Mountain.

Later, the scene shifted. The elder appeared older, visibly drained of vitality, sitting alone atop a mountain peak.

At that moment, the junior apprentice approached, kneeling before the elder. He was none other than Wu Tong from Sword Valley.

"What is it?" the elder asked.

"Master, my senior apprentice is in danger. I beseech you, in the name of the bond between teacher and student, to intercede," Wu Tong said, his head bowed.

"You plead on his behalf?" The elder looked at Wu Tong.

The junior apprentice knelt deeply and replied, "My senior apprentice cared for me since childhood. Though he has committed grave errors, he is still my senior. For his mistakes, I am willing to bear punishment—even to have my cultivation abolished—if Master would lend his aid."

Gazing at his youngest apprentice, the elder sighed deeply.

He lifted his head, and the next moment, an unparalleled aura of Sword Intent surged forth. Li Fan watched as the elder’s Primordial Spirit left his body and transformed into an ethereal figure.

This ethereal form resembled a sword unsheathed, piercing the heavens as it traversed mountains, crossed oceans, and spanned lands. Wherever it went, Sword Aura erupted.

A grand and imposing city rose into view. The elder’s Sword of the Primordial Spirit arrived. With a thunderous declaration, he said, "Who dares touch my disciple?"

As the words fell, the Sword of the Primordial Spirit descended from the heavens, piercing into the most magnificent area of the city.

On the ground below, an immense and terrifying array activated, aiming to engulf the heavens. True Dragon shadows soared into the sky, alongside peerless Divine Weapons, all charging toward the Primordial Spirit.

The elder’s Primordial Spirit continued its descent, shredding all obstacles in its path—it slaughtered True Dragons, severed Divine Weapons, and pierced into the grand city. In an instant, the majestic palaces crumbled into ruin.

Amidst the rubble, Li Fan saw one figure with blood streaming from his blinded eyes. His heart suddenly trembled.

*Master!*

"How dare you." A domineering voice rang out, and an overwhelming figure carrying the power of the grand array charged at the elder’s Primordial Spirit, finally halting its advance—though severely wounded in the process. Below, the city collapsed further into devastation.

The elder’s Primordial Spirit landed, bringing the injured and blinded man back.

Upon returning to Li Mountain, the elder was spent—there was barely a flicker of life left in him.

Before him, the blind master and his martial sibling knelt, refusing to rise.

The elder passed away.

Li Mountain lost an unparalleled Great Sword Cultivator.