Su Xi, although sensing something was amiss, showed no outward signs of it. Instead, she pretended to survey her surroundings.
Knowing her eyesight was poor, she secretly activated the supercomputer within her body, scanning everything nearby to pinpoint the source of the problem.
The supercomputer finished its scan quickly, making it appear as though Su Xi had only paused for a moment.
Having accomplished this, Su Xi continued her ascent up the mountain as if nothing had happened.
Soon, she reached the third level platform.
The third level platform was slightly smaller than the second, but the number of treasure swords gathered around it was also less. Despite the reduced number of swords, the oppressive feeling in the air was even more intense.
It felt as though she was experiencing oxygen deprivation, making it impossible to breathe freely.
The moment Su Xi's foot stepped onto the third level platform, a barrage of lethal energy descended upon her.
Fierce sword energy raged uncontrollably.
Her clothes were swiftly shredded into countless fragments by the sharp sword energy, a silent warning that if she took another step forward, she would never be able to leave.
Su Xi understood the warning from the treasure swords but felt no apprehension. She slowly withdrew her foot and began to draw the sword from her body, her gaze filled with resolute determination.
The Heart of the Sword was not merely for her own tempering.
Since the Meteor God Sword had already matured as a weapon, it should learn to deal with immediate problems on its own and not rely on her for everything.
With this thought, Su Xi threw out the Meteor God Sword in her hand.
The moment it left her hand, the Meteor God Sword unhesitatingly flew towards the treasure swords surrounding the third level, adopting an air of kingly disdain.
As the Meteor God Sword entered the space of these swords, those swords also flew out from the ground, coiling around the Meteor God Sword.
These swords were kings within their domain and absolutely refused to be commanded by others. Therefore, upon the Meteor God Sword's appearance, they naturally had to contend for it.
Clang, clang, clang.
With a series of sounds, the Meteor God Sword, single-handedly, became entangled with hundreds and thousands of treasure swords.
Amidst the fierce collisions, piercing noises erupted.
Occasionally, swords would snap, emitting mournful cries.
After a final lament, the broken swords fell back to their original places, their blades instantly losing their luster.
Watching the Meteor God Sword clash with the surrounding treasure swords, Su Xi made no further moves and began walking towards the high platform.
Since these treasure swords were being dealt with by the Meteor God Sword, she was no longer in danger and had time to attend to her own matters.
After all, she wanted to improve her comprehension of swordsmanship, and some things could not be neglected. The sword energy emanating from these treasure swords was enough to help her enhance her strength.
Su Xi reached the center of the high platform, and instantly, sword intents from all directions surged towards her.
Each sword carried countless past experiences and, naturally, its own sword intent. At this moment, each sword intent began to display its prowess, attempting to erode her.
For a time, so many sword intents swept in, rushing towards Su Xi with frenzy.
Had her mental fortitude been even slightly weaker, her mind would have undoubtedly been shattered.
Fortunately, Su Xi's mind was already filled with the presence of heavenly talismans. Though the sword intents were immense and powerful, they were unable to hinder her.
Since nothing around her could affect Su Xi, she calmly settled down, feeling each sword intent and learning how to wield a sword.
Qiao Er, hidden nearby, watched Su Xi enter a state of meditation with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
She had previously undergone the tempering of the Sword Cave but, lacking the cultivation of the orthodox Shushan sect, could not even pass the third level, let alone comprehend boundless sword intent.
"This woman truly has some skill," Qiao Er praised genuinely, her estimation of Su Xi rising considerably.
However, even as she admired Su Xi, it did not mean she did not intend to eliminate her.
She would unhesitatingly carry out any command from Daoist Master Mengxu. Moreover, killing Su Xi was not a difficult task.
The reason she had not acted yet was to wait for the perfect moment to strike with a single, decisive blow.
Utilizing the techniques she mastered, she had already killed many individuals stronger than herself, so she naturally understood what constituted the best timing.
She knew that comprehending so much sword intent could enhance one's understanding of the sword path, but it would also leave them in a state of temporary weakness. At that point, Su Xi, defenseless, would be her opportune moment.
Xu Shan, sensing that Su Xi had stepped onto the third level and triggered the sword intents, showed a flicker of change on his previously indifferent face, his expression shifting several times.
Was this truly a martial arts prodigy?
Su Xi, without Shushan cultivation, could comprehend sword intent and was not destroyed by it.
If he had not witnessed it firsthand, he would never have believed it.
For a moment, his mind struggled to process it.
"Could she be the one from the legends?" Xu Shan murmured, doing nothing else but quietly observing the unfolding events, eager to ascertain if his guess was correct.
The reason he had remained on the mountain for so many years was to wait for a particular person.
Although he had initially held a low opinion of Su Xi, he now felt that she was precisely the person he had been waiting for.
Su Xi, unaware that her every move was being closely watched, felt as though she were being choked, unable to cough or swallow.
Each strand of sword intent was formidable, and when thousands of sword energies converged, they increased exponentially. The countless sword energies gathered, instantly unleashing immense potential.
While Su Xi was not affected by the sword energy, she could not digest the fierce sword intents so quickly. In a mere instant, she felt extremely uncomfortable.
This discomfort instantly made her feel unable to breathe.
"Puff!"
A suffocating sensation caused her to spit out a mouthful of blood.
As Su Xi spat out the blood, she instantly returned from her meditative state, her eyes wide with shock. Had she not awakened then, she would never have woken again.
Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Su Xi looked up at the Meteor God Sword above her head, wondering about its status.
So much time had passed; there should be a result by now.
Above, the Meteor God Sword was locked in combat with the other flying swords. After the previous battle, some swords had already been completely shattered.
Only a few swords remained locked in a struggle with the Meteor God Sword, but the fight had entered its climax, and a resolution was imminent.
"Wail~"
Soon, the remaining flying swords emitted a mournful cry and began to break inch by inch, turning into scrap metal and falling to the ground.
Seeing this, Su Xi immediately stepped forward to collect them.
To ordinary people, these were merely scrap metals, but to her, they were excellent materials. With these, she might even be able to refine more valuable items.
The previous flying swords lacked sufficient power and their materials were not good enough; collecting them was merely gathering worthless junk. However, these flying swords were now of sufficient quality and quantity for collection.
Good things should not be missed.
Wastefulness was a grave crime.
Qiao Er, watching Su Xi collect what appeared to be junk, had a string of question marks appear above her forehead.
What was this person doing?
She found herself utterly unable to comprehend many of Su Xi's actions.
Her curiosity about Su Xi grew stronger and stronger.
Who was Su Xi, that she would do these things?
Since Qiao Er had gained awareness, she had always stayed by Daoist Master Mengxu's side. She understood little of many things. In her heart, whatever Daoist Master Mengxu said was correct.
However, while she was obedient to Daoist Master Mengxu, it did not mean she lacked curiosity about the world around her.
Especially since Su Xi's actions far surpassed those of others, it made her even more intrigued.
Su Xi, unconcerned with how she was perceived, was busy collecting the treasure swords on the mountain.
These treasure swords were rare encounters that occurred once in a hundred years, and she absolutely could not miss them. Daoist Master Mengxu had treated her so poorly; she would not leave him anything.
Leaving nothing behind for an enemy was a principle she had learned since childhood.
Su Xi collected the flying swords into her supercomputer and then immediately began refining them based on their different attributes. Good things had to be made her own immediately.
Otherwise, she would just be holding a pile of scrap metal, capable of nothing.
She was not a scrap metal dealer; holding it served no purpose.
Qiao Er, watching Su Xi progress to the sixth level high platform using such methods, knew she could wait no longer.
The Sword Cave had only nine levels. If Su Xi reached the very top, who knew what kind of problems might arise.
She did not want to know and could not wait any longer.
Su Xi looked at the flying swords before her, her heart preparing once again to feel the boundless sword intent.
The higher she went, the more surging the sword intent became.
Therefore, the more powerful the sword intent she could perceive, the greater her harvest would be.
Through her experiences during this period, she felt her control over sword intent becoming increasingly proficient. In some unseen way, a new sense seemed to have emerged.
If she encountered a similar situation to before, she would no longer be at a loss for a solution.
Simultaneously, while sensing the sword intent, Su Xi did not stop there. She opened her supercomputer, also sensing the fluctuations of external energies.
With the recording function of the supercomputer, even if she missed something, the computer could accurately record these sword intents.
Through the calculations of the supercomputer, she might even make new discoveries.
Just as Su Xi was about to begin comprehending the sword intent, she suddenly sensed a killing intent erupting from behind her.
Sensing the change behind her, Su Xi gave a cold laugh. This person had been following her for so long; had they finally lost their patience?
However, despite sensing the anomaly behind her, Su Xi remained outwardly composed.
The fact that this person could follow her for so long and evade the supercomputer's scan clearly indicated their considerable strength.
If they were to attack now, even if she could defeat them, she might not be able to catch them.
Su Xi did not want someone lurking around her, so since the opportunity presented itself, she prepared to make a decisive move and eliminate all those who posed a threat to her.
Qiao Er, unaware that she had been discovered, watched Su Xi enter a state of calm once more and stealthily crept towards her.
She had used this method of killing countless times, and it was now second nature.