A month passed.
Yun Ze spent the entire month studying the techniques, sword arts, and cultivation methods displayed by those figures.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion.
After the second immortal jade was unsealed, Yun Ze felt his cultivation speed had significantly increased, and he became more sensitive to the spiritual energy in the world. In just one month, he reached the middle stage of Qi Refining sixth level!
Previously, when circulating his Qi, he could only sense spiritual energy of water, fire, and wood. However, since the second immortal jade was unsealed, he could faintly sense the presence of a fourth type of spiritual energy.
This spiritual energy was exceptionally sharp, very much like... metal!
But he only had spiritual roots of water, fire, and wood, didn't he?
Could it be...
The unsealing of the immortal jade had granted him a new spiritual root attribute!?
Did this mean he would now have a four-attribute, Yellow-grade, mid-tier spiritual root!
While Yun Ze's heart was filled with joy, he dared not publicize this matter.
This was an extra spiritual root attribute appearing out of nowhere!
If others knew, they would inevitably suspect he possessed some divine artifact.
Regardless of the reason for this change, no one must know about it!
He needed to find an opportunity to test his spiritual roots again without any member of the Guiwu Sword Sect knowing!
Besides the changes in his spiritual roots and cultivation level.
Yun Ze discovered another issue this past month...
One of the figures in his mind had already been eliminated.
On the fifteenth day of observing the figure demonstrating the Lingyun Sword Art, Yun Ze could stably unleash nine sword shadows in different directions with varying strengths.
This was the sign of the Lingyun Sword Art reaching great accomplishment!
As soon as the Lingyun Sword Art reached great accomplishment, the figure demonstrating the sword art disappeared from his mind.
Yun Ze counted carefully.
There were still twenty-three figures remaining in his mind, including derivative sword arts of the Water Sword Art—the Water Cloud Art and the Tortoise Martial Art.
This meant that as long as he cultivated the techniques or sword arts represented by these twenty-three figures to great accomplishment, these figures would disappear?
But... these sword arts seemed to be the most basic Qi Refining stage sword arts.
If they only recorded the existence of these things, how could they contend with the Destiny Blood?
Yun Ze was perplexed, feeling that the mystery of the golden seed should be far more than this.
During the remaining half of the month, Yun Ze focused on mastering the Water Cloud Art and the Tortoise Martial Art. Although he didn't reach great accomplishment like with the Lingyun Sword Art, he did achieve minor accomplishment.
The Water Sword Art itself was derived from the Water Cloud Art. After achieving minor accomplishment in the Water Cloud Art, Yun Ze could already condense water swords with his Qi Refining sixth-level cultivation!
Although the strength of these water swords was far from that of spirit swords, they were comparable to ordinary mortal swords.
With Yun Ze's current Qi Sea capacity, he could condense six water swords to operate the Lingyun Sword Art simultaneously. This meant he could unleash a maximum of fifty-four sword energies at once!
And during this month, he had completely digested the sword energies absorbed from Xiao Shu. With his current sword cultivation, each sword energy could kill an ordinary Qi Refining eighth-level expert!
If he were to completely deplete the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea, he could at least take down a Qi Refining ninth-level cultivator with him!
Of course, this was only for ordinary Qi Refining ninth-level cultivators.
The prodigies who could enter the Foundation Establishment Realm and dared to do so naturally could not be judged by common standards.
He must not be arrogant and must remain cautious!
It was not until the thirty-first day that a knocking sound was heard from outside the cave dwelling.
"Who?"
"Little friend, how has your cultivation been?"
It was the Sect Master!
Yun Ze quickly got up, holding the black sword, and went to meet him.
The moment he stepped out of the formation, he offered the black sword with both hands: "Sect Master, it returns to its owner."
"Heh, no rush, no rush!"
Although Zu Changdao said so, he still took the black sword immediately and placed a hand on Yun Ze's shoulder: "Oh, Qi Refining sixth-level middle stage? Not slow progress. Have you encountered any difficulties in your cultivation recently?"
"There haven't been any difficulties, just some unclear issues."
In terms of swordsmanship, Yun Ze already had the best teacher in his mind, but he still had some areas he didn't understand regarding cultivation.
"Oh?"
Zu Changdao walked into the cave dwelling, saying, "Come, let's chat inside. Ask me anything you're unsure about."
"Thank you, Sect Master." Yun Ze smiled and followed.
The two entered the cave dwelling, and Yun Ze asked many questions about cultivation.
For example, what were the Five Energies of the Innate? Did the spiritual energy absorbed from heaven and earth only have spiritual root attributes, or did it contain all five elements? If the Qi Sea was wide enough, could more Qi vortexes be condensed? Could one reach Qi Refining tenth-level or higher, and so on.
Zu Changdao patiently answered all these questions one by one.
However, later on, when Yun Ze asked a question, Zu Changdao paused for a moment.
"Sect Master, when I study sword techniques, a figure always appears in my mind to demonstrate the sword technique for me. But when I practice other cultivation methods, like the Tortoise Martial Art, this doesn't happen. Why is that?"
"You... what did you say!?"
Zu Changdao was stunned.
He had searched all possible places where Senior Brother Xiao might be for the past month, but found no clues.
He knew Senior Brother Xiao was deliberately avoiding him, so he stopped searching.
However, even without knowing the whereabouts of that person, as the contemporary Sect Master of the Guiwu Sword Sect, he should know why this Burning World Sword Intent appeared in this Qi Refining stage boy!
Just when he thought both questions would remain unanswered, a surprise appeared before him!
A figure? Demonstrating?
This was clearly a sword dao inheritance!
Senior Brother Xiao had passed on his lifetime of sword dao insights to this boy! Along with the Burning World Sword Intent!
As long as this boy wasn't foolish and had even a sliver of talent in sword dao, he could enter the Dao Condensation realm!
But why did Senior Brother Xiao do this!?
Zu Changdao couldn't understand at all. He raised his hand and scratched his head, pulling off two hairs forcefully.
"Sect Master?" Yun Ze found it strange and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Zu Changdao replied, and regaining his senses, continued, "A figure, you say? This figure has only one origin, and that is inheritance.
Many great daos can be inherited. If it is for sword cultivation, it is a sword dao inheritance.
When a sword cultivator passes on their insights to another, if it is a Dao Condensation realm inheritance, it will be as you described, allowing you to see his insights when he practiced the same sword technique.
If I'm not mistaken, this should be Senior Brother Xiao's inheritance to you, right?"
"Brother Xiao?"
Yun Ze knew nothing about this. He had always thought he was a peerless genius, but he didn't expect the origin of this figure to be related to Brother Xiao.
He couldn't help but give a wry smile.
It seemed that although his aptitude was poor, his luck was indeed quite good.
But if one figure was a Dao Condensation realm inheritance, what realm would twenty-four figures continuously demonstrating represent?
"It should be."
Yun Ze replied and then asked, "Sect Master, you said that Dao Condensation realm inheritances can only flash by. What about higher-level inheritances? Are there any wondrous aspects?"
"If it's an inheritance from someone who has just entered the Dao Attainment realm, they will choose a sword art or cultivation method as the basis for inheritance, continuously demonstrating it in the mind until the inheritor cultivates it to great accomplishment."
Zu Changdao found nothing unusual and continued, "The closer one is to the Dao Return realm, the more such foundational inheritances there will be.
If the one who founded the sect had left behind an inheritance, then all the sword arts and cultivation methods within the entire sect would become the basis for inheritance!
Such an inheritance that carries an entire lineage would no longer be called inheritance, but rather a Seed!
The Sword Dao is the Sword Seed!"
"Sword... Seed?"
Yun Ze seemed to know what the seed in his body was!
But why would this Sword Seed appear on the second immortal jade?
Could it be... that the person who left the immortal jade to the Yun family was the immortal who founded the Guiwu Sword Sect?
"Yes."
Zu Changdao replied, gave a wry smile, and shook his head, "Unfortunately, other sword sects outside the Xuanyuan realm have Sword Seed inheritances, but our Guiwu Sword Sect's Sword Seed only exists in legends."
"Ah? Why is that?" Yun Ze quickly asked.
"Because no one has seen it."
Zu Changdao said as a matter of course, "I am the Sect Master, and I don't have any news about the Sword Seed, so this thing definitely doesn't exist!
Either the one who founded the Guiwu Sword Sect didn't have time to leave behind a Sword Seed, or... it was lost long ago."
"Yes..."
Yun Ze didn't know what to say and could only sigh in agreement, "That's truly a pity."
Fortunately, fortunately!
Fortunately, he didn't directly ask what the golden seed in his Qi Sea was. If Zu Changdao found out, wouldn't he skin him alive!
"If this Sword Seed were truly stolen by some scoundrel, I would chase them through all nine heavens to retrieve it! To fulfill the inheritance of our Guiwu Sword Sect!"
Zu Changdao sighed with emotion, then turned to look at Yun Ze, "Oh, right, little Yun, I heard that your Qi Sea contains two sword energies, which always cause turbulence in your Qi Sea."
"How about I take a look for you?"