AGM 469 – Seven Annihilations Swordplay
Qin Wentian stared at the person walking away, he involuntarily called out, “Why doesn’t the swords slay you?”
“I am a sword, why would the swords slay me?” That person softly replied, his words causing a look of contemplation to flash upon Qin Wentian’s countenance.
I am a sword, why would the swords slay me?
He is a sword?
Qin Wentian stood in his original spot, not daring to move a muscle.
The sword intent permeated the air, locking down on him. As long as he moved, the swords would definitely slay him. Needless to say, such a feeling felt extremely threatening, but also exceedingly marvellous in a sense. He could clearly feel each and every sword that existed in the sword forest.
But even so, what did he had to do to walk through this place?
Closing his eyes, Qin Wentian drew in a deep breath, trying to settle the chaotic rumblings of his heart. He knew that he had to maintain a cool head if he were to have any chance of cracking the riddle.
If his mind was muddled, that equates to death.
The Vermilion Bird had already asked him if he was willing to risk death back then before he made his choice. Since he had already chosen this path, he shouldn’t feel fear. Only by moving forward would he be able to live.
There were no other choices available, he had to have the courage and conviction to advance forward relentlessly.
“I am a sword, I am a sword…” Qin Wentian murmured, the words of the other party resounded in his mind. This phrase which he uttered seemed to be the key of solving the riddle.
If he was a sword, merging together, being one with the Sword Forest, the countless swords hovering wouldn’t target him.
Abruptly, an immense, overpowering sword intent gushed forth from Qin Wentian’s body, he was trying to forcibly merge his sword intent with the sword intent exuded from the Sword Forest in the air.
But in that very instant, he suddenly sensed that the killing intent of the hovering swords intensified as though they could shoot through space any moment and kill him. Qin Wentian’s expression turned heavy and instantly retracted his sword intent.
This method was wrong.
If the key of solving this riddle was so simple, it wouldn’t be termed as the hardest pathway among the paths of the ancient emperors’ inheritances.
In the first dimension, it was a test of his combat strength. In the second dimension, what they wanted to test, was his comprehension.
If he wanted to exit the Sword Forest, he had to become one with the sword. It was the same principle the snowman had utilised in the dimension before this – he could fused together with the snow, completely being one with it, concealing all traces of his presence. The man who walked out of the Sword Forest earlier also exuded this kind of aura. The feeling he gave others were like he himself, was a sword.
However, the countless swords in the air are all pointing towards him right now, how could Qin Wentian be able to quietly comprehend the meaning of one with the sword?
Qin Wentian drew in another mouthful of deep breath, wanting to calm his heart down completely. He stood with his hands crossed behind his back and silently looking at those floating swords that were swaying in the wind.
The sword was sharp and straight. It’s intrinsic quality was sweeping everything that stood before it.
“Observing the sword to know the sword.” Qin Wentian silently mused. He stood there erected, as straight as a sword and silently gazed intently at the hovering swords., observing everything about the sword.
A harmonious sword melody emitted from Qin Wentian, as though he wanted to resonate the same note as the hovering swords.
Numerous days later, the sword melody from Qin Wentian continued unabated. The countless swords were still pointing right at him, the killing intent still permeated the air. However, Qin Wentian had a strange feeling. It seemed as though the killing intent had lessened by a little. Although the decrease was pathetic, it was at least a form of improvement.
“Copying the sword to comprehend the sword.” Qin Wentian silently stated in his heart. He was imagining himself to be a sword standing erected in this forest of swords, sharing the same will and intent as each and every sword here.
The swords keens, so did he, the swords sleep, so did he.
Within the Sword Forest, there were actually climatic changes. A great bout of rain flooded down, the hovering swords still remained motionless, pointing at Qin Wentian. As the rain splattered on his body, Qin Wentian had no reaction at all. The sword keen emitting from him continued unabated, he was still trying to merge as one with the surrounding swords.
The rain got heavier and heavier, soaking him thoroughly. Yet he stood there erected, resembling an embedded sword as a fearsome sword intent gushed out from him to brush the rain water apart.
The sword keening from the Sword Forest got increasingly louder. Similarly, the sword keen from Qin Wentian also reached a frequency similar to them.
Finally, the rain ceased. The sword keening still resounded but right now, Qin Wentian discovered that the killing intent of the hovering swords that was directed at him, had diminished a little more.
This caused Qin Wentian to feel joy in his heart. It seems that the path he had chosen was right. Only when the killing intent of the swords dissipates completely would he be able to continue on his path.
Time flowed by, Qin Wentian learnt about the sword by observing it, progressing well in his attempt to be one with the sword. He wanted to comprehend the realm of what the man said earlier, ‘I am a sword, why would they slay me?”
Within the Sword Forest, a cold wind kicked up, gusting past his body. Qin Wentian was still immersed in that special state where he had forgotten everything, even himself. Right now, he was a sword, a sword in the Sword Forest.
Three months passed, Qin Wentian stood there silently with his eyes closed. Right now, he began exuding the aura of an actual sword, emitting a keen together with the other swords, swaying together with them in the wind, while also ‘breathing’ sword intent in and out.
Outside the Sword Forest, a figure stood there, silently contemplating Qin Wentian asa sharpness gleamed in his eyes. This young man was extraordinary, his comprehension was on an insane level. Maybe, he would be able to exit this place using only just three years of time.
Another half a year passed, Qin Wentian right now was as though he had transformed completely into a sword, blending in with the other swords in the Sword Forest. The floating swords no pointed at him, and the sword might in the area was many times less oppressive compared to before.
A smile appeared on his face, Qin Wentian lifted his foot and stepped out, whistling through the air like a flying sword. However the instant he stepped out, a terrifying killing intent gushed out right at him as the sword might in the area intensified abruptly. Qin Wentian’s countenance paled, his heart pounded violently with the cold taste of defeat as he quickly retracted his foot. What was wrong?
Using sincerity as his approach, tempering the state of his heart as a sword for half a year. Was his path wrong?
The Sword Forest still didn’t want to acknowledge him, he still couldn’t exit this place.
“Was I wrong? In that case, how can I walk out from this Sword Forest?” Qin Wentian silently questioned himself.
He chose the hardest path, how should he clear this trial? If he really couldn’t pass this place, could it be that he would be stuck here for all eternity?
Thinking of here, Qin Wentian’s heart involuntarily started to get chaotic.
Half a year, he used a total of half a year worth of time only to find out that he was wrong. He had always treasured time, unwilling to waste it. But now, after half a year, he just couldn’t accept the fact that he hadn’t improved at all compared to the beginning. He still could move, not even a single step.
For a total of three days, Qin Wentian was lost in his thoughts. He started to loathe those floating swords pointed right at him, and wanted nothing more than to blast them all into smithereens. However, as thoughts like these flashed through his mind, the killing intent that exuded from the Sword Forest got even stronger.
As the sound of his voice faded, he closed his eyes once more, abandoning the thoughts of anger and vengeance in his heart. Gradually, that oppressive killing intent vanished once more.
Upon feeling that oppressive killing intent, Qin Wentian’s heart trembled slightly. It was as though he understood something. He mumbled in his heart, “To think that as swords, all of your perceptions would be this acute to the extent of even knowing friend from foe, able to tell evil from kindness. It seems that I was truly mistaken earlier.”
“With sincerity as my approach, if my heart is truly aligned with the sword, I would naturally be able to become one with the Sword Forest. My earlier path isn’t completely wrong.”
This time around, he used only a month of time to return to the previous state of stillness before he attempted to move. However Qin Wentian understood that this was still not enough. He needed to truly forget everything. Forget his name, forget his identity, even forgetting his existence as a human.
One with the sword, nothing without it.
Time flowed by, Qin Wentian continued standing there, in the midst of forgetting everything. He forgotten who he was, forgotten the fact that he had to become one with the sword. But somehow, mysterious changes were occurring, he himself became more and more like a real sword without him trying.
A light wind gusted lightly, in the Sword Forest now, there were no humans. There were only swords.
Right now, Qin Wentian abruptly had a very strange feeling. It felt that the surroundings were all a part of his body, the floating swords, as well as the entirety of the Sword Forest.
Finally at long last, a grin played on Qin Wentian’s lips. He opened his eyes and took a step forward.
The force of this step was gentle, yet it was filled with the unbendable heaviness of his confidence.
With him taking that step forward, it felt as though the entire Sword Forest was taking the step together with him.
Qin Wentian knew that his understanding and comprehension of the sword had reached a whole new realm. He also understood that only upon stepping into this realm would one be able to exit the Sword Forest.
Not only could he exit this place, he could even control the Sword Forest if he so desires.
Stretching his hand out, Qin Wentian caressed one of the floating swords. As it felt his touch, the sword began vibrating gently, as a humming sound filled the air.
“Sadly, in a real battle, there wouldn’t be so many powerful swords lying around for me to control them.” Qin Wentian stated as he sighed. After that, he waved his hands and instantly, the entire swords in the Sword Forest zoomed towards him, hovering in the air while exuding an overwhelming sword might that seemed as though it wanted to devour everything.
The Sword Forest disappeared. What appeared next, was a gigantic ancient sword that was floating above Qin Wentian. And at this moment, the figure from before stepped out once more, there was a strange glow of fascination in his eyes as he stared at Qin Wentian.
“Not even a year has passed. I didn’t think that you would be able to comprehend this state so fast.” The eyes of that figure was filled with admiration. Qin Wentian’s comprehension abilities has even shocked him.
Qin Wentian had a bitter smile on his face, he added in a low voice, “I didn’t expect it too. However, this is only the second trial and I’m already stuck here for a year. I wonder if I continued upwards, how long would the third trial take me.”
That figure had a smile that didn’t seemed to be a smile on his face as he added, “Do you know that in this span of one year, not only did your Mandate of Swords underwent a break through, you had even already comprehended the principles of an extremely terrifying sword art. Are you still unsatisfied?”
Qin Wentian naturally understood what the other party was talking about. His second level of insight of the Mandate of Swords, Sword Melody, had already broken through from the Advanced Boundary to the Transformation Boundary. He was just one more stage away from reaching Perfection.
Also, he also understood that by being able to walk out of the Sword Forest, he had already comprehended an extremely tyrannical sword art.
“What is the name of this sword art?” Qin Wentian asked.
“Although you’ve comprehended the principles, what you’ve gained insight into, is merely the tip of the iceberg. Come let me bestow this innate technique to you.” That figure laughed and with a wave of his hand, an ancient manual flew towards Qin Wentian. Qin Wentian caught hold of it, the fluctuations of sword might could be felt emanating forth from the seven bold and golden-colored letterings engraved on the cover of the manual – Seven Annihilations Swordplay.
“You have my thanks.” Qin Wentian bowed in gratitude.
“No need for any thanks, you have already passed two of the trials. However, the next trial that you will be facing isn’t going to be so easy. If you can pass it, it means that you will only be a single step away from success.” That figure smiled as his silhouette started to disperse, before vanishing completely.
This entire dimension started shaking again. And in the blink of an eye, yet another flight of stairs could be seen where the figure was before, allowing Qin Wentian to ascend to the next dimension.
If he passed the next trial, he would only be a single step away from success.
Although this path didn’t have many trials, each trial was incredibly difficult; to the point where it was insane to even attempt one. An example of this was the sword forest, if he had given into the rage and anger he felt, it would have been very difficult to gain comprehension and exit the Sword forest. He might even be trapped for many years, to the point where he might develop impatience and attempt to break out of the Sword Forest by force which left only one road for him, the road to death.