Chapter 135: The Absolute Shadow Heart Method (Part 1)

  It's actually "Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship".

  Having discovered this problem, Xuan Tian's heart couldn't help but feel some excitement.

  If it's really the "Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship", then the sword intent in this valley, and the secret in this cave, are probably closely related to the first assassin of the Divine Blade Dynasty a hundred years ago, 'One Sword to End Life' Zhu Wuying.

  Xuantian has grasped the "Absolute Shadow Sword Technique", but without the "Absolute Shadow Mind Method", he can't reach a high level of mastery.

  If this place is really related to Zhu Wuying, then the lost "Absolute Shadow Heart Method" may possibly appear here.

  A thought flashed through his mind, and a look of joy appeared on Xuán Tiān's face. His interest in the cave ahead grew even stronger.

  Xuantian continued forward, against the direction of the reversed flow of the 4th stage sword intent spreading out, step by step, slowly advancing.

  Every few steps forward, a sword edge would suddenly appear in front of him, and the moves changed, all within the six sword moves of the "Absolute Shadow Sword Technique".

  The sword edge that came from the front, whatever move, Xuantian would respond with whatever move.

  Heart-stopping style against heart-stopping style, throat-piercing style against throat-piercing style, eyebrow-piercing style against eyebrow-piercing style, waist-cutting style against waist-cutting style, headless style against headless style, body-splitting style against body-splitting style.

  Regardless of the sword's edge that comes from the front, whether it is true or false, Xuantian will use all his strength to respond to the substantial attack of the real sword's edge, and at the same time, he will guard his mind and spirit carefully, firming up his will, to defend against the illusory attack of the fake sword's edge.

  Under the dual defense of body and will, Xuan Tian's application of 'Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship' and his willpower have both been tempered to an even greater extent.

  Step by step, moving forward slowly.

  The further forward you go, the greater the obstructive power of the sword intent in front of you, and the shorter the interval between the sword's attacks.

  However, no matter how great the difficulty is, it cannot stop Xuantian's determination to explore the truth. Even if he advances only half a step at a time, Xuantian slowly moves forward.

  An hour later, Xuantian moved forward again, walking more than a thousand steps, and finally, the cave came to an end. A huge dome with a diameter of nearly thirty meters appeared before his eyes.

  A loud rumble, suddenly, a huge explosion sounded from behind, the pressure of the sword intent that Xuan Tian was subjected to disappeared in an instant.

  Turning back, he saw that the cave behind him had been sealed off by a stone gate.

  Xuan Tian didn't have a big reaction to this, the feeling of being trapped in the belly of the mountain. He had already experienced it in the tomb chamber of 'Jiuxian Old Man'.

  Xuān Tiān knew that in a place like this, there would always be a way out.

  He didn't bother with the sealed cave behind him, and instead turned his head back to examine the environment of this cavern.

  Shadowless Heart Method!

  Xuān Tiān's gaze first fell on the wall opposite him. In an instant, a dazzling light flashed out.

  On the wall opposite Xuantian, there were many inscriptions. About a thousand words or so, at the very top, four characters stood out the most - "Absolute Shadow Heart Method".

  Although Xuan Tian had expected the 'Absolute Shadow Heart Method', when he actually saw it appear before his eyes, his heart still couldn't help but beat faster.

  Xuantian's understanding and cultivation of the 'Absolute Shadow Sword Technique' had reached a bottleneck. Without profound attainments, the technique's effectiveness was extremely limited, making it difficult to be of use against opponents above the sixth level of the Pre-Heavenly realm.

  However, if there is the "Absolute Shadow Heart Method", it would be different. With the heart method, using Xuan Tian's extraordinary insight into the sword path, he can cultivate the "Absolute Shadow Sword Method" to the realm of great completion, and even reach the same level as Zhu Wuying, the creator of this technique.

  Although excited about the 'Absolute Shadow Heart Method', Xuan Tian's gaze did not linger on it, but instead quickly scanned the entire cave hall environment.

  On the opposite wall of the 'Absolute Shadow Heart Method', there are some murals, the people in the paintings hold long swords and are casting sword moves, the moves they are casting are exactly the moves of the 'Absolute Shadow Sword Method'.

  Xuantian's gaze roughly swept over and landed on the last sword move 'Extinguishing God Style'.

  Like the "Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship" manual in the Tianjian Sect's Martial Pavilion, this "God-destroying Style" also has no illustrations, but it adds a line of text to describe: True and false, real and unreal, true with false, unreal with real, hard to distinguish between true and false, unpredictable reality and unreality. This move is formless, wherever the mind points.

  Recalling the "Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship" six sword styles' true and false, real and fake attacks in the mountain cave, Xuan Tian had an epiphany. Indeed, it was impossible to defend against, with its elusive reality making it hard to discern. Xuan Tian and the other five swordsmen who entered this place were all caught off guard. If not for Xuan Tian's extraordinary encounter, he would probably have ended up like the previous five swordsmen, falling in the mountain cave and turning into a pile of white bones after more than ten years.

  "This 'Destroying God Style' is between true and false, virtual and real, and should have extremely high requirements for the sword intent. After cultivating the 'Absolute Shadow Heart Method', you can ponder it again."

  Xuantian's eyes shifted away from the wall where the technique was inscribed and looked elsewhere.

  On the left side of Xuántiān, at the end of the cave hall, there is a stone platform with a skull sitting on it. The skull is extremely worn out, covered in dust and cobwebs, seemingly having existed for a very long time, at least over a hundred years.

  "Could it be that this is the corpse of 'One Sword to End Life' Zhu Wuying? A hundred years ago, he was a legendary figure in the Divine Knife Dynasty. It's said that even Earth-stage experts fell under his sword. But after a hundred years, only a pile of bones remains."

  Xuān Tiān quietly gazed at the wreckage, took a few steps forward, and arrived about ten meters away from the wreckage.

  On this wall, there are also many words carved, but they are not any kung fu skills or martial arts techniques, but rather some casual phrases.

  "All I see is written above: 'I have spent my whole life studying the way of assassination and formation, regarding top masters in the Pre-Heavenly realm as ants, and even strong newcomers to the Earthly realm as souls that will perish under my sword. Alas, the way of assassination and formation is but a side path, and I have wasted a great deal of time on it, neglecting my cultivation, and stopping at the tenth level of the Pre-Heavenly realm for my whole life, unable to set foot in the Earthly realm of strong masters. This is indeed the greatest regret of this life!'"

  "My lifetime achievement is the creation of the top-grade sword technique 'Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship' that can defeat anyone in the pre-heavenly realm. Unfortunately, once I use the 'Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship', it takes lives, pierces hearts and throats, cuts waists and splits bodies, too bloody and ruthless. As a result, my whole life has been plagued by killing karma, whether deserved or not, every time I strike with my sword, there are no survivors left behind. It wasn't until late in my years that I realized the weight of my killing karma, and spent the rest of my life in solitude on the Yin Wind Mountains."

  "'Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship' is too bloody and ruthless, not suitable for spreading throughout the world. I only passed on the sword moves, without leaving behind the mental method. However, 'Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship' is my life's work, if it were to disappear with me, I would be unwilling in heart. Especially, I have carved the 'Absolute Shadow Mental Method' into this cave. If there are any sword guests who can come out alive from the 'Sword Intent Fills the Sky Array', proving that you have a fate with 'Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship', then the 'Absolute Shadow Mental Method' will belong to you."

  "The Way of Array, vast and profound, I, who consider myself a genius, have spent my entire life studying it, yet I haven't been able to reach a deep level of mastery. It wasn't until late in life that I finally gained some insight and created the 'Sword Intent Expanding Heaven Array' and the 'Six Swords Absolute Killing Array'. The 'Sword Intent Expanding Heaven Array' can only be entered, not exited, while the 'Six Swords Absolute Killing Array' can only be exited, not entered."

  "If later generations have the opportunity to enter this place, obtain the 'Absolute Shadow Heart Method' and 'Absolute Shadow Sword Method' inheritance, proving that they have passed the 'Sword Intent Fills the Sky Array', they can comprehend the 'Absolute Shadow Sword Method' here. After cultivating the 'Absolute Shadow Sword Method' to the small accomplishment realm, there is a 50% chance of passing the 'Six Swords Absolute Kill Array'. If one can understand the second level of sword intent, there is an 80% chance. Cultivating the 'Absolute Shadow Sword Method' to the great accomplishment realm guarantees passage through the 'Six Swords Absolute Kill Array'."

  "The Six Swords of Absolute Slaughter Formation" is extremely powerful, and only those who are not strong in the earthly realm cannot break it. If you fail to charge through the formation, there is only one path to death. In the future, if someone with a predestined fate appears, don't blame me for being too ruthless. Since you have obtained my "Absolute Shadow Swordsmanship" legacy, you must cultivate it into something substantial. In the future, when walking in the world of martial arts, don't tarnish the reputation of my "One Sword to End Life". If your cultivation is unsuccessful, it's better to accompany me in eternal slumber here, rather than going out and losing face.

  "In the future, if you are still young and vigorous, I advise you to focus on cultivating your skills wholeheartedly. Don't waste your thoughts on other trivial matters. Only then can you soar higher and walk further in the path of martial arts, with the hope of standing at the pinnacle of martial arts, gazing out at the vast land of China. Otherwise, you will be stuck in a corner, looking up at the sky from the bottom of a well, unable to enter the realm of true mastery. This is the regret of my life. I hope that when you grow old, you won't have any regrets... - Zhu Wuying!"

  Zhu Wuying's later years were indeed filled with much emotion, and many words were carved onto the walls.

  "The only way to avenge is to cultivate diligently, the higher my achievement in martial arts, the more hope I have to avenge. Although being an alchemist is a noble profession, no matter how noble an alchemist is, they must serve the sect. Without the sect as backing, special identity cannot bring noble status, but instead will bring disaster. Only when one becomes their own backing, can they be truly invincible. One's own strength is the most important."

  After reading Zhu Wu Ying's words, Xuan Tian deeply agreed in his heart.

  The direction where Zhu Wu Ying's remains were, apart from the inscriptions on the wall, there was nothing else. After finishing reading the inscriptions, Xuan Tian turned his head and his gaze fell in the last direction of the cave hall.

  There was a stone gate there, the stone gate was half closed, and the door was not fully closed. On the side were written five big words - Six Swords Absolute Killing Formation.

  It was likely that the half-hidden stone gate was the exit of this cave, and after the stone gate, it was the "Six Swords Absolute Killing Formation" mentioned by Zhu Wuying. From the name of this formation and Zhu Wuying's description, this "Six Swords Absolute Killing Formation" seemed to be a very formidable formation.

  Xuantian was clueless about the Way of Array Formation, but as a member of a second-grade aristocratic family, he naturally knew its ferocity.

  The heavens and earth have momentum, formations, either using human power or the power of objects, borrowing the great momentum of the heavens and earth, can produce a huge effect.

  The array method with the power of objects is relatively rare. The items required for the formation are all extraordinary and difficult to collect, and it's also very complicated and troublesome.

  More common is the use of human power to set up arrays, and almost all major sects have array inheritance, such as sword arrays, knife arrays, stick arrays, gun arrays, etc.