The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

"If you can't even withstand three moves, how can you enter the Kunlun Secret Realm?"

Just then, Su Wen suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a chilling sword intent.

Without saying a word, he drew his sword and thrust it straight at Dai Yongde's face.

"interesting."

Dai Yongde lightly twirled his bamboo staff, deflecting the sword's edge.

"The first move."

Su Wen changed his move extremely quickly, his sword strikes were like a rainbow, aiming straight for Dai Yongde's throat.

Dai Yongde neither dodged nor avoided; his bamboo staff struck first, landing on Su Wen's wrist.

"The second move."

Sweat beaded on Su Wen's forehead. Suddenly, he abandoned his sword and used his palm, unleashing a burst of spiritual energy.

Dai Yongde finally smiled, drew a circle with his bamboo staff, and returned all his spiritual power.

"The third move!"

Su Wen was struck by his own spiritual power and sent flying backward.

"Barely getting by."

With a flick of his bamboo staff, Dai Yongde sent Su Wen into the entrance of the blessed land.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Han stood up, a silver spear appearing in his hand at some point.

Without saying a word, he thrust his gun out like a dragon, aiming straight for Dai Yongde's chest.

"Good marksmanship!"

Dai Yongde praised it, and the bamboo staff clashed with the silver spear, sparks flying everywhere.

Wang Han's spear thrusts were relentless, and two moves had already been exchanged in the blink of an eye.

On his third move, he suddenly changed tactics, bending the spear shaft like a bow and striking Dai Yongde's face.

Dai Yongde looked surprised, blocked with his bamboo cane, and took a half step back using the force.

"Indeed, you are the first person to make this old man back down."

Wang Han stood with his gun sheathed, his breathing steady.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior."

With a wave of his sleeve, Dai Yongde caused Wang Han's figure to vanish from the spot.

"Let's go directly to the entrance of the Kunlun Secret Realm and wait there."

Just as Wang Han's figure disappeared, Jiang Chuan slowly opened his eyes in the corner of the square.

His movements were slow, as if he had just awakened from a thousand-year slumber.

Unlike the other disciples, his eyes lacked any sharp edge; instead, they were calm and serene.

Dai Yongde walked up to him and asked with great interest.

"What did you realize?"

Jiang Chuan looked up, his eyes clear and unfathomable.

"The principle of balance".

"Elder Dai, please enlighten me."

Jiang Chuan slowly drew circles with both hands in front of his chest.

As he moved, a perfectly round Tai Chi symbol appeared in the air, its black and white colors flowing endlessly, emitting a faint halo.

Dai Yongde looked surprised, then smiled.

"Good lad, you've actually managed to condense the essence of Tai Chi to such an extent."

Before he finished speaking, his right palm struck Jiang Chuan's chest with lightning speed.

"boom!"

The Tai Chi symbol vibrated violently, and Jiang Chuan felt an immense force surge through him, causing him to involuntarily slide backward a distance of ten feet.

The blue bricks beneath his feet crumbled inch by inch, and his arms went numb, yet he still stubbornly maintained the Tai Chi pattern.

"Such a fierce first move."

Jiang Chuan was secretly alarmed, and fine beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

He quickly adjusted his breathing, and his hands moved as if plucking an invisible string, causing the yin-yang fish pattern to rotate and straighten the sunken tai chi symbol.

Dai Yongde did not pursue them, but stroked his beard and nodded.

"That's interesting. But the next move won't be so simple."

He gently raised his right hand, palm down, and pressed it lightly.

The seemingly casual movement caused the Tai Chi pattern in front of Jiang Chuan to suddenly distort—yin and yang were reversed, and black and white were reversed!

"not good!"

Jiang Chuan felt his internal energy instantly become disordered, the cold moon and the golden ocean in the sea of ​​bitterness surged at the same time, and the three-leafed green lotus swayed violently.

The Tai Chi symbol fluctuated violently, almost slipping out of his control.

"Hold on!"

Dai Yongde's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

"Feel the natural flow of Yin and Yang, don't resist it, go with the flow!"

Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.

He closed his eyes, no longer using his eyes to see, but using his heart to feel the ever-changing nature of yin and yang.

Gradually, he grasped a certain rhythm—when yin reaches its extreme, yang arises; when yang reaches its extreme, yin begins to rise.

"I see."

Jiang Chuan's hand movements suddenly became gentle, no longer forcibly controlling them, but guiding the changes in the Tai Chi pattern like flowing water.

His body regained its balance, and although he was still retreating, he was no longer in a sorry state.

The disciples of the immortal sects watching from the sidelines gasped in surprise.

"My God, he actually managed to hold his ground despite Elder Dai's Yin-Yang reversal!"

"Who is this Jiang Chuan? He's even stronger than Wang Han, who cleared the level last month!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, Senior Brother Wang is over there."

A glint flashed in Dai Yongde's eyes, and he suddenly withdrew his palm and retreated.

"You handled the second move well."

Jiang Chuan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Dai Yongde already clasping his hands together in front of his chest.

A more solid Xuanqing Taiji diagram appeared in his palm, radiating a chilling pressure.

"Watch closely for the third move!"

The Tai Chi diagram flew out with a roar, and Jiang Chuan was hit head-on before he could even react.

His hastily assembled defenses shattered like a rag doll, and he was struck dumb, his mind reeling. The scene before him was fragmented, as if he had fallen into a temporal turbulence.

"Jiang Chuan!"

Su Wen exclaimed and was about to step forward, but was pulled back by Zhang Baoyi beside her.

"Do not impulse!"

Zhang Baoyi said in a low voice.

"Elder Dai won't really hurt him; he's transferring his power!"

Su Wen was skeptical, but then he saw Dai Yongde's lips move slightly, clearly indicating that he was transmitting his voice in secret.

"Don't resist."

Dai Yongde's voice rang out directly in Jiang Chuan's mind.

"This Tai Chi diagram contains the insights I've gained over a century of study; feel it with your heart."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan suppressed his agonizing disorientation and completely relaxed his resistance.

Strangely, the originally violent power of the Tai Chi diagram suddenly became gentle, like a spring breeze caressing his limbs and bones.

"This is."

Jiang Chuan felt as if his soul had merged with the Tai Chi diagram, and he could clearly feel every change in Yin and Yang.

He instinctively activated his secret technique, causing the Five Elements Sword Intent within his body to tremble slightly, but it was suppressed in time.

"From the boundless comes the ultimate, from the ultimate comes the two polarities."

Jiang Chuan silently recited in his heart, his consciousness sinking into a mysterious state.

The radiance of the Tai Chi diagram permeated every inch of his flesh and blood, even influencing the strange phenomena in the Sea of ​​Bitterness.

Above the Bitter Sea, the cold moon, symbolizing pure Yin, gradually warmed; below, in the golden ocean, ripples of deep blue appeared.

The three-leafed blue lotus swayed gently, emanating a chaotic Daoist charm that subtly resonated with the Tai Chi diagram.

"Almost there."

Jiang Chuan felt that he had touched a certain threshold, but it was like being separated by a thin veil, and he could never truly break through it.

He was not impatient, but continued to immerse himself in the enlightenment, letting the power of the Tai Chi diagram transform his body and soul.

Outside the arena, Dai Yongde stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Jiang Chuan, who was wrapped in a cocoon by the Tai Chi diagram, with an inscrutable expression.

The other disciples were already stunned, and whispers of discussion rose and fell among them.

"It's been three days already, I hope Senior Brother Jiang is alright."

"What do you know? This is a great opportunity! Elder Dai is clearly passing on his skills."

"I heard that Wang Han was only wrapped up for a day and a half back then."

Three days later, seven disciples passed the test in the square and were sent to the blessed land of immortals by Dai Yongde.

As they left, they couldn't help but look at the ever-thickening Tai Chi cocoon in the center of the arena, their eyes filled with envy.

Jiang Chuan, trapped in his cocoon, was completely unaware of the outside world.

He felt as if he were floating in the primordial universe, witnessing the entire process of the differentiation of Yin and Yang and the birth of the Five Elements.

The strange phenomena in the Sea of ​​Bitterness were also quietly changing—the cold moon and the golden sea were no longer clearly distinct, but began to merge; the chaotic aura of the three-leafed blue lotus was becoming increasingly intense.

Yin and Yang are mutually dependent, and the Five Elements generate each other.

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Jiang Chuan.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and though he was inside a cocoon, he seemed to see through the essence of all things. His right hand unconsciously stretched forward. The square was silent.

The pure, flawless cocoon slowly cracked open, like the first flower bud blooming in spring.

Jiang Chuan stepped out from the middle, his body radiating Daoist energy, his robes fluttering even without wind.

His eyes were slightly closed, as if he were savoring the insights he had just gained, and the golden line between his brows was faintly visible.

"How is this possible?"

A disciple of the immortal sect stared wide-eyed.

"He not only withstood Elder Dai's third move, but his cultivation also seems to have improved!"

"The Daoist essence contained within that cocoon is the purest I have ever seen."

The other person murmured, his eyes filled with envy.

Dai Yongde stood on the high platform, his white beard flowing, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle force enveloped Jiang Chuan.

"Go on, little one."

Dai Yongde's voice rang in Jiang Chuan's ears.

"I look forward to your transformation in three months."

Jiang Chuan felt a blur before his eyes, and the surrounding space twisted and changed.

When he stepped onto solid ground again, the rich spiritual energy that rushed towards him made every pore on his body relax.

"This is."

Before us lies a picturesque landscape of mountains and clear waters, while in the distance stand four towering stone pillars, their ancient and weathered forms adding to the scene.

The stone pillars are covered with the marks of time, yet they exude a chilling aura of power.

"The Four Extreme Grottoes".

An old voice suddenly sounded.

Jiang Chuan suddenly turned around and saw Dai Yongde's illusory divine image floating in mid-air with a smile on his face.

"Elder."

Jiang Chuan bowed respectfully.

"No need to be polite."

Dai Yongde's illusory figure waved his hand.

"This place is one of the few blessed lands of the Heavenly Rank in our Cloud Sea Immortal Sect. It is divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. This Four Extremes Grotto-Heaven is the first rank of Heavenly Rank."

Jiang Chuan was shocked. Even among top-tier forces like the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect, the Heavenly Cave Heaven was extremely rare.

Dai Yongde continued.

"The four stone pillars correspond to the four top secret techniques of the immortal sect—attack, defense, technique, and Dao. In the past thirty years, only five people have passed the trials to come here."

"May I ask, Elder, who are those five?"

Jiang Chuan couldn't help but ask.

"Yun Wanggui, Lu Chen, Luoyang, Zhao Xin."

Dai Yongde paused.

"And you, Jiang Chuan."

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly.

These four are now renowned figures throughout the land, especially Yun Wanggui, who is hailed as the closest to a sword immortal in the last hundred years.

"Chunyangzi has high hopes for you."

Dai Yongde said meaningfully.

"The North needs a sword immortal."

"Sword Immortal?"

Jiang Chuan's heart skipped a beat.

"In one era, there is only one sword immortal."

Dai Yongde said solemnly.

"To bear the destiny of all sword cultivators in the world, one must possess great perseverance and great fortune."

As he spoke, he tossed a jade bottle to Jiang Chuan.

"The Bigu Pills are enough for three months. Remember, once the time is up, regardless of your gains, you will be teleported out. If you leave midway, it will be considered a forfeit."

Jiang Chuan gripped the jade bottle tightly and nodded solemnly.

Dai Yongde's illusory image gradually dissipated.

"Take care of yourself."

Once the phantom had completely disappeared, Jiang Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and turned his gaze to the four towering stone pillars.

He wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he sat cross-legged, regulated his breathing for a moment, and only after his mind was completely calm did he get up and walk towards the nearest stone pillar.

The first stone pillar is entirely black, with its surface covered in intricate runes.

Jiang Chuan only glanced at it before feeling a stinging pain in his eyes. The runes seemed to come alive, transforming into thousands of sword energies that pierced his mind.

"The ultimate attack"

Jiang Chuan muttered to himself and quickly looked away.

The second stone pillar is yellowish-brown, and its surface is decorated with a beautiful landscape painting.

Jiang Chuan stared for a moment, and had the illusion of being there, as if he were facing a thousand troops and remained unmoved.

"To the utmost in defense."

The third stone pillar is as green as jade, and on it is a cliff carving of a person dancing with a sword.

The sword moves seemed simple, but they contained endless variations. Jiang Chuan felt dizzy after watching just one move.

"The ultimate technique."

Finally, Jiang Chuan arrived at the fourth stone pillar.

This stone pillar is the most ordinary, grayish-white, with a smooth, mirror-like surface and no carvings.

"strangeness."

Jiang Chuan frowned and reached out to touch the surface of the stone pillar.

The instant his fingertips touched the stone pillar, nine ancient characters suddenly appeared—

"When facing a battle, all must line up and march forward."

Jiang Chuan uttered these nine words in a low voice, which echoed in the empty cave.

As he recited, the carvings on the stone pillar began to glow faintly with golden light, like a sleeping dragon being awakened.

"This is the nine-syllable mantra of the Six Jia Secret Invocation."

A clear, cold female voice came from behind. Jiang Chuan turned around abruptly and saw that Jian Lingyao was standing three feet behind him.

She was still dressed in white, her features exquisite, but her eyes were deeper than ever before, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

"Senior Yao."

Jiang Chuan bowed respectfully, his eyes filled with surprise.

"You mean this is the Six Jia Secret Incantation?"

Sword Spirit Yao nodded slightly, her sleeves fluttering, causing the golden light on the stone pillar to intensify.

These nine words of mantra share a similar essence with the natal characters cultivated by Confucian sages, both achieving the state where words become law.

"Your birth character?"

Jiang Chuan frowned in thought.

“I once heard my master mention that a great Confucian scholar could prove his Dao with a single word. Could this be the meaning of that?”

Sword Spirit Yao's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint smile.

Not bad. But…

She paused, her gaze becoming meaningful.

Do you know how many characters Tao Hongjing was born with?

Jiang Chuan shook his head, but his heart was beating faster than usual.

Tao Hongjing's name is widely known in the cultivation world, but few people know his specific deeds.

"nine."

"Sword Spirit Yao said softly."

"The same number as the nine-character mantra. If he hadn't damaged his foundation in the Great Dao to save your senior brothers back then, his killing power would have been..."

Her eyes held a look of reminiscence.

"Perhaps not weaker than Chunyangzi."

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly, and his chest felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

He never imagined that he would have such a connection with that legendary senior.

Just as he was about to ask further, he saw that Jian Lingyao's gaze had already fallen on the Demon Prison Sword at his waist.

"This sword"

Sword Spirit Yao's voice suddenly turned cold.

"This is not good for you."

Jiang Chuan instinctively pressed his hand on the sword hilt, feeling the cold touch of the blade.

Why do you say that, senior?

It is eroding your resolve.

Sword Spirit Yao took a step forward, her body surging with sword energy.

“You had murderous intent during that time in Longhai County.”

Jiang Chuan's breath hitched as images from that day flashed through his mind—blood, screams, and the uncontrollable rage he felt when he swung his sword.

He thought no one knew, but little did he know that the sword spirit had seen everything. (End of Chapter)