Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 57 Sword Inquiry Leaves Li Mountain

Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Sword Inquiry Leaves Li Mountain

Li Fan awakened from the vision. The white-haired elder still sat there with his back to him, just as solitary as he had been on the mountaintop in the vision.

Li Fan knelt on the ground and bowed his head. "Disciple Li Fan greets Master Patriarch."

At this moment, how could he still not understand? The elder before him was none other than the Old Blind Man’s master.

*A Primordial Spirit transforming into a sword, leaving Li Mountain, entering the Da Li Imperial City to retrieve the Old Blind Man—what kind of grandeur was this? Even a Sword Immortal could not surpass it.*

The elder, whose life was already near its end, had paid the price of his own final culmination to bring back the Old Blind Man.

Li Mountain, Sword Cultivators.

"Will you still learn?" the elder asked.

"I will." Li Fan bowed his head again, then looked up at the elder’s back with respect and awe.

*In this world, probably only he had the right to reprimand the Old Blind Man. If he did so, it was as it should be; even if the Old Blind Man were here, he too could only kneel and endure the scolding.*

"He himself is stubborn. The disciples he takes on are like him—one nearly destroyed Sword Valley, the other refuses to learn my Sword Dao," the elder said.

Li Fan: "..."

He dared not speak.

"In this world, swordsmanship takes many forms. A Sword Cultivator may derive sword techniques based on their understanding of Sword Dao. Today, I will transmit to you the Heavenly Nine Declines. It is not a sword technique but a method of using the sword," the elder said. "Did you remember the things I taught you previously?"

"I did," Li Fan nodded.

"Martial artists have martial intent. Sword Cultivators have Sword Intent. You have already touched upon Sword Intent. The next step is achieving unity between man and sword, entering the Realm of Sword Dao Celestial. Only upon entering that realm can you utilize the Heavenly Human Nine Declines Technique. If employed, each sword stroke you unleash will be the pinnacle of Sword Cultivation—Sword Intent, willpower, courage—all concentrated into one strike. Without comprehension of Sword Intent and an indomitable will, one cannot practice this technique. Once this sword technique is unleashed, there is no turning back. You must continually surpass your own limits. Each sword that follows must surpass the previous peak until the Sword Cultivator exhausts their Spirit. Some can only manage one sword. The exceptionally gifted can strike three. At my peak, I could strike nine, thus naming it the Heavenly Nine Declines."

"Of course, you may find yourself deteriorating after just one sword. In the future, if you have the aptitude to unleash a tenth sword or an eleventh, you can also rename it accordingly."

"Additionally, you can incorporate this into any sword technique or sword maneuver."

"Yes, Master Patriarch." Li Fan nodded respectfully.

"Then let’s begin." The elder spoke faintly, still facing away from Li Fan. But from his body, a shadow emerged and advanced toward Li Fan. The shadow resembled a Divine Weapon, carrying an overwhelming Sword Intent as it approached him.

"This is..." Li Fan’s heart trembled. *This was the very sword stroke he had seen in the memory before—the Master Patriarch’s final sword strike in life.*

The Master Patriarch was letting him experience the Heavenly Nine Declines.

A second shadow emerged from the elder’s figure, more forceful in Sword Aura.

Then came a third shadow, a fourth... When the ninth shadow appeared, the Sword Aura pierced through the heavens, as if the very fabric of this sword-filled world would be torn apart.

The Nine Swords united, merging into Li Fan’s body, overlapping with his presence.

"Tell him, I’ve forgiven him."

The elder’s voice echoed in Li Fan’s mind. Then, he saw the white-haired figure gradually grow faint, dissolving into countless specks of light that scattered into the heavens and earth.

Li Fan felt deeply moved within. ’Him,’ naturally, referred to the Master.

He calmed his mind and meditated on the Sword Dao passed down by the Master Patriarch.

This time, Li Fan remained in deep contemplation for three whole days.

After three days, Sword Intent flowed from Li Fan’s body. Sitting on a large rock, an invisible Sword Dao current formed around him, a sight that drew astonished gazes from many nearby.

At that moment, even in his cultivation state, Li Fan appeared as if he had transformed into a sword. Man and sword were one.

Moreover, his Sword Intent grew increasingly potent, scaling new heights.

Even the Broken Swords within Sword Valley began to shudder and resonate, as if they had come alive, restlessly clamoring.

"What’s going on?" The crowd’s hearts quaked as they turned their gazes toward Li Fan. Was it his Sword Dao cultivation that was stirring the swords to such unrest?

"What kind of Sword Dao inheritance is this?" the onlookers wondered to themselves.

Some who had sharper insight recognized that Li Fan had entered a profound state of Sword Dao—a realm of unity between man and sword.

This Sword Dao inheritance appeared to be anything but ordinary.

Elsewhere, Lu Yuan, who was in the midst of her own practice, was startled awake. Seeing the bizarre phenomena in Sword Valley, her beautiful eyes flashed with a trace of surprise before she turned her gaze toward Li Fan.

At this moment, Li Fan had achieved the Sword Inquiry of Three—a feat that surpassed the majority of people.

In this place, only she had achieved the Sword Inquiry of Five. Besides her, it was only Xie Can, who, like Li Fan, had reached the Sword Inquiry of Three.

Just then, Li Fan opened his eyes. In his pupils, sharp swords seemed to exist.

"This is the Realm of Sword Dao Celestial," Li Fan thought to himself before his flowing Sword Intent gradually receded.

The Heavenly Nine Declines required, first and foremost, entry into the Realm of Sword Dao Celestial, where Spirit, Essence, and Mind unified, man and sword became one, and one lost oneself, leaving only the sword’s existence.

This was also what the Master Patriarch had pursued in Sword Dao. Only by entering the Realm of Sword Dao Celestial could one wield the Heavenly Human Nine Declines Technique. If deployed, each sword stroke would be a peak sword strike. With every sword stroke, the body would weaken from its peak into decline. To strike more swords, one needed to constantly battle their own will.

It had taken Li Fan a full three days to step into the Realm of Sword Dao Celestial.

As Li Fan cultivated in Sword Valley—

Li Mountain Village remained as peaceful and tranquil as ever.

At this moment, several figures arrived at the village entrance.

A group of five: an elder and a middle-aged man bringing up the rear, while ahead of them walked a young man in his thirties, accompanied by two teenagers.

The elder, with white hair, was evidently advanced in age.

The two teenagers, by contrast, were exceedingly young, appearing just fifteen or sixteen. One looked gentle and scholarly, with a touch of youthful innocence. The other, dressed in golden finery, emanated an air of sharpness.

"Tai E, this is Li Mountain," the elder remarked, glancing at the mountain range ahead as though greeting an old acquaintance.

"This is Li Mountain." The scholarly-looking teenager looked up as well, his eyes showing some reverence.

"Tai E, Li Mountain is the Sword Dao Sacred Land of the world. You must maintain a heart of reverence," the elder instructed.

"Disciple understands," the teenager replied respectfully.

His master had always told him that Li Mountain was considered one of Da Li Swordsmanship’s highest peaks, just as their sect was. Yet, although Li Mountain had been gradually declining in recent years and rumors suggested its impending downfall, his master still regarded it with reverence. A Sword such as that of Li Mountain was deserving of respect, and he dared not show irreverence.

"Isn’t the greatest in Da Li Swordsmanship our Lingxiao Pavilion?" the golden-robed teenager countered.

"Zili, for a thousand years, Li Mountain Sword Dao has been the first. It’s only in recent years that it’s begun to weaken," replied the elder.

The youth named Zili nodded, though a hint of arrogance lingered in his eyes.

The group ventured further into the village, where butcher Lu Gang was chopping meat. His daughter, Xiao Ya, sat nearby. When she saw the youth named Tai E, Xiao Ya was momentarily stunned and thought to herself, *What a handsome young man. He’s only slightly less dashing than Brother Xiao Fan.*

The butcher’s knife suddenly stopped as he looked up at the group. The elder, appearing like an ordinary man, gave him a small, courteous nod.

The youth followed his cue, bowing respectfully to him. Given that this was Li Mountain, even the villagers were likely of uncommon origins, and so he treated them with respect.

Butcher Lu Gang’s gaze froze, his expression becoming uncharacteristically stern. The hand gripping his knife trembled faintly, betraying a hint of instability.

As the group passed him by, Lu Gang felt as though he were soaked to the skin.

*Li Mountain is in trouble,* he thought to himself. In his decades in the village, he had seen many people, including influential figures from Li Mountain itself.

However, this was the first time he’d felt such overwhelming pressure.

Although the elder had merely brushed past him, Lu Gang sensed a terrifying Sword Intent hidden deep within him.

Li Mountain had drawn the attention of a top Great Sword Cultivator.

Fully aware of Li Mountain’s precarious situation, he couldn’t help but speculate—were they here to stir up trouble?

The group continued through the village. Wherever they passed, villagers regarded them with curiosity. As they observed the polite demeanor of Tai E, who bowed in greeting to everyone he encountered, they found themselves feeling somewhat conflicted. Such a courteous youth highlighted the pettiness of their own latent ill will.

The young man continued onward, drawn by the sound of recitation. A scholar emerged from a hut, book in hand. The elder looked at this scholar, clearly understanding his identity.

This scholar must be that person’s disciple.

The scholar gazed warmly at the group, holding a book in his right hand and carrying it behind him. He then bowed and said, "Mu Changqing greets the elder."

The elder nodded in return and instructed, "Tai E, Zili, pay your respects to Mr. Mu."

The teenagers promptly bowed at the instruction. "Junior Jiang Tai E greets Mr. Mu," said Tai E.

Mu Changqing glanced at the young man, thinking, *What a remarkable youth; he brings to mind my junior martial brother.*

"What brings the elder here?" Mu Changqing asked, his voice amiable and free of hostility, exuding the measured air of a scholar.

Not far from him, the water buffalo stood motionless since the moment the group arrived, its large eyes fixed unwaveringly on the five visitors.

"They’ve long admired the Li Mountain Sword, and so I’ve brought them to see it," the elder explained, his own demeanor equally devoid of hostility.

Mu Changqing’s gaze lingered on the teenager for a moment before he lightly nodded.

"Elder, please proceed. I will not detain you further," Mu Changqing said, stepping to the side to allow passage.

"Thank you," the elder replied before leading his group past. As they walked by the water buffalo, the elder cast it a fleeting glance.

The group pressed on, heading deeper into Li Mountain. Soon, they found themselves at the base of the main peak, where their presence had already been detected. Many gazes turned toward the five as Sword Cultivators hovered around them, their Sword Intent surging, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

The elder no longer seemed as tranquil as before. A faint yet oppressive Sword Dao presence now emanated from him, making those around him feel a palpable sense of danger.

The group continued their ascent, walking through the air as if it were solid ground. With each step, they drew closer to the summit of the sword peak.

Before them, at the edge of the peak, several figures appeared above the sea of clouds. Each figure brimmed with Sword Intent as they watched the advancing group.

As the five came closer, poised to set foot on the peak, the Sword Intent surrounding the figures at the forefront flared as they prepared to intervene.

"Let them pass."

A voice rang out from the direction of the grand hall behind them. Those ready to strike immediately withdrew their Sword Intent and stepped aside.

The group passed between them and ascended the summit of Li Mountain, heading straight toward the grand hall.

Reaching the expansive plaza before the ancient, majestic hall, the youth raised his head to peer at the structure ahead. Li Mountain—they had arrived.

The elder lifted his gaze toward the grand hall and announced, "Lingxiao Pavilion requests a Sword Inquiry at Li Mountain."

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