Sword of Eternity

The statue of flesh and blood—now fully alive—stood before Jian Bu, its presence overwhelming. The air around them seemed to thicken, charged with an ancient, oppressive energy. The golden-sheen monkeys, the white-furred guardians, and even the luminous mushrooms seemed to bow in reverence to the figure. Jian Bu, though inwardly shaken, maintained his composure.

"Will you become my disciple, Jian Bu?" the ancestor asked, his voice resonating with a power that echoed through the cave.

Jian Bu took a deep breath, his mind racing. This was no ordinary opportunity—this was the luck of a lifetime. The ancestor before him was no random figure; he was a legend, a name whispered in the annals of the Jian Clan for generations. Refusing would be foolish, but accepting without understanding the consequences could be equally dangerous.

"I accept!" Jian Bu said with a steady voice. He then bowed to the ancestor's statue nine times to complete the master-disciple ceremony.

The ancestor's eyes gleamed with approval. "You are direct, just as I was in my youth. Very well. I will answer some of your questions, but know this: time is short. My presence here is but a fragment of my true self, sustained by the bloodline energy you've awakened. Once I impart my knowledge, my remnant soul will dissipate."

Jian Bu nodded. "Ancestor, what was the reason all the hegemon organizations abandoned this continent?"

The ancestor's expression darkened. "It's too early for you to know. Do you have any other questions?"

Jian Bu then asked, "What level of cultivation do I need to have to learn the secrets of what happened back then?"

The ancestor smiled. "The realm beyond Nascent Soul!"

The ancestor's expression turned serious, and he said, "I will now impart the main clan's core techniques."

The ancestor touched Jian Bu's glabella, and a white light shone from his fingers.

When the light faded, Jian Bu found himself standing in a vast, empty plain. The ancestor was gone, but his voice echoed in Jian Bu's mind.

"The first technique I will teach you is the White Tiger's Roar. It is not merely a sound—it is a manifestation of your will, your bloodline, and your Qi. Our clan's guardian beast is the Divine Beast White Tiger, so many of our clan's techniques are derived from this legendary beast. When mastered, this technique can shatter mountains and crush the spirits of your enemies. It uses Slaughter Intent, which you have yet to grasp. But if you master this technique, there is a chance for you to also learn the Slaughter Intent. To wield it, you must first understand the essence of the tiger."

Jian Bu closed his eyes, focusing on the energy within him. He imagined himself as a tiger—proud, fierce, and unyielding. He envisioned himself as a general on the battlefield, cleaving through lives left and right. This was the essence of the tiger. He felt his Qi surge, his muscles tense, and his senses sharpen. An illusory red aura appeared around Jian Bu's body.

The ancestor's face showed shock. "This kid's potential..." he murmured. That's right—Jian Bu had taken the first step toward learning Slaughter Intent. Whether he would fully grasp it remained to be seen.

"Now, roar!" the ancestor's voice commanded.

Jian Bu opened his mouth and let out a deafening roar. The sound was unlike anything he had ever produced—a primal, earth-shaking bellow that reverberated through the imaginary battlefield. The ground beneath him cracked, and the air around him distorted. For a moment, he felt like a true tiger.

But the moment passed, and Jian Bu collapsed to his knees, exhausted. The technique had drained him completely.

"Good," the ancestor's voice said. "But you are not yet ready to wield it in battle. Practice, refine, and master it. Only then will you be able to use it without consequence. It seems you've also unconsciously grasped Slaughter Intent. You're not yet able to use it, but this is the first step toward fully grasping it. You should try to comprehend it later."

The next technique was the Sword of Eternity—a sword art that transcended time and space. "This is my personal sword technique," the ancestor explained. "Our clan's bloodline has the chance to awaken lights inside our Dantian. These lights represent different Dao's. I was able to awaken two lights, which represented the Dao of Time and the Dao of Space. I have already seen the lights inside your body, and I can feel the resonance with two of them. You also have the fortunate opportunity to grasp these two Dao's in the future. You've probably realized, but it's too early for you to come into contact with them. That's because a cultivator can only learn laws when they reach the Nascent Soul realm. If someone tries to go against this, they would defy the general order of things, which will invoke Heaven's fury. A backlash is the lightest consequence—you could end up crippled or even dead! There are some who defied fate and mastered laws in the Golden Core realm, but those are heaven-defying monsters. Laws are the minor versions of the Grand Dao's, everyone starts learning laws in the Nascent Soul Realm but their advanced form the Grand Dao is grasped in the future realms. I can tell that you've recently acquired your level of cultivation, and you're not yet comfortable with it. When you fully grasp the Golden Core realm, you can attempt to learn these laws again. You might be wondering why you would want to learn laws early despite the heavy risks. The answer is simple: a cultivator who learns laws in the Golden Core realm not only can easily surmount realms but, when they pass the Nascent Soul Tribulation, they will become an invincible expert. The Golden Core realm is the realm of accumulation. You want your Golden Core to gather so much foundation that it can't hold it in anymore and explodes. Whether you can reach Nascent Soul or not depends on how strong the explosion from your Golden Core is and whether you can pass the tribulation.."

The ancestor took control of Jian Bu's hands and lightly practiced the moves of the technique, each stroke precise and deliberate. "These are all the moves from my Sword of Eternity. Try to comprehend their profundity whenever you can. Even though you can't use the lights inside your body just yet, this technique is still superior to the Dao Sword Art and is a very powerful trump card."

"The Sword of Eternity is not just a technique; it is an extension of your will," the ancestor explained. "Techniques past a certain level have a level of spirituality. Whether you can awaken it depends on how much you comprehend the technique. When you reach the level of 'one man, one technique,' you will be able to break the limits of the technique. That's when you will have to create your own moves to advance the technique. When wielded correctly, this technique can cut through anything—even the fabric of reality. But beware! Its power comes at a steep cost. Each strike drains your life force! You can replenish your life force through heavenly treasures or advancing your realm. If you manage to learn the Law of Life, you will also be able to increase your lifespan and negate this technique's negative effects. Completely mastering the Law of Time will also remove the negative effect, but cultivators who master the Law of Time are exceedingly rare."