Chapter 62: Chapter 61: Transformation!
Su Changqing’s actions drew curious glances from everyone present, and they began to discuss in hushed voices.
"The Young Master hasn’t cultivated the sword, but his innate talent isn’t bad. Isn’t one ten-thousandth a bit too little?"
"It’s not little at all. The ancestral sword intent within the Sword Sun is so vast that even one ten-thousandth can lay a solid Sword Dao foundation."
"Hahaha, let’s keep a light heart! Maybe the Young Master will swallow the entire Sword Sun!"
"What a joke! What kind of physique could withstand so much ancestral sword intent without bursting apart?"
The crowd chatted casually, not paying much attention to the notion of swallowing the entire Sword Sun.
That was, after all, the concentrated ancestral sword intent of the entire ancient sword sect, nurtured for countless years.
Such immense sword intent would be unbearable even for a Sacred Body in the Sword Dao.
At this moment, an elder from the Su family chuckled and said:
"It’s not entirely impossible."
"Ancestral sword intent, at its core, is about nurturing the body with pure sword intent to forge a Sword Dao physique."
"As long as the Young Master can control the flow of ancestral sword intent, consciously nurturing every part of his body, he could merge a vast amount of ancestral sword intent."
"Especially since the Young Master hasn’t started cultivating yet, his body remains mortal, which is the best state for absorbing ancestral sword intent."
Hearing this, the crowd chuckled and shook their heads.
Ancestral sword intent is indeed a rare treasure, but it’s incredibly difficult to absorb endlessly.
A skilled Sword Cultivator will develop their own unique sword intent internally.
Additionally, their body and bones will gradually be subtly influenced over time as they practice sword cultivation.
This influence causes a resistance between ancestral sword intent and internal sword intent, significantly impacting their fusion.
However, a skilled Sword Cultivator can control ancestral sword intent deliberately to enhance their bones and sword intent, and thus reap considerable benefits.
But it’s different for those who haven’t practiced sword cultivation.
They haven’t cultivated the sword, so their body and bones can seamlessly integrate the ancestral sword intent for optimal effect.
But this integration is unconscious, relying only on the strength of their bones to determine how much ancestral sword intent they can absorb.
For those who’ve never practiced sword cultivation, how can they control the sword intent?
They cannot control the integration of sword intent, and so they can only passively receive the infusion of sword intent until their bodies are saturated, then gradually absorb it.
Herein lies a paradox between the two.
Sword Cultivators will have antibody-like resistance in their internal sword intent, setting a limit.
Those who don’t practice sword have no limit, but they cannot control ancestral sword intent, and their bones determine fusion extent.
Overall, under a large amount of ancestral sword intent, both will experience explosive growth, but it’s difficult for them to leap directly to the pinnacle with limitless growth.
Thus, as Su Changqing currently merges with ancestral sword intent, the question is: to what extent can his innate bones allow for fusion?
"Although he cannot manipulate sword intent, if his will is strong enough, he can slightly control its direction."
"Didn’t Changqing follow Scholar Xian and study for two years? His mental discipline should far surpass ordinary mortals, right?"
At this moment, a Su family expert spoke up.
The crowd’s eyes lit up at this, all turning to look at Su Wenlin.
Among these people, the one who would most understand Su Changqing must be Su Wenlin who had lived with him for nearly two decades.
"I left shortly after Changqing started his apprenticeship, so I’m not very clear,"
Su Wenlin mused for a moment before saying, "I’ve noticed, though, that Changqing hasn’t absorbed the aura of righteousness, so his aptitude for scholarly Dao doesn’t seem strong."
The crowd sighed and shook their heads, showing regret.
If that’s the case, then the absorption effect this time might be greatly diminished.
But on the side, Su Zian’s expression turned strange.
Changqing lacks scholarly Dao aptitude?
If he hadn’t seen Changqing outperform everyone in literary competition at the academy, he might have believed it.
All four divine arts of the immortals lead to Dao, and he subdued the prodigy of literary Dao, Ling Si, without breaking a sweat.
If that’s lacking scholarly Dao aptitude, then no one in the world deserves to study.
"It seems that Changqing’s gains this time might exceed my expectations."
Su Zian looked down at Su Changqing, his eyes filling with anticipation.
...
Beneath the Sword Sun.
Su Changqing sat cross-legged under its brilliant light, not knowing what to do next.
"How do I absorb this?"
He looked curious. Having never cultivated and possessing no cultivation technique, was he just supposed to sit idly?
Just as Su Changqing pondered, the ancestral Sword Sun, having condensed for countless years above, seemed to have found a breakthrough.
Wrist-thick streams of ancestral sword intent flowed down from the Sword Sun like water, directly merging into Su Changqing’s body.
In an instant, a tingling sensation, originating from the depth of his soul, spread throughout his body.
Su Changqing’s body was like a shriveled sponge, each cell greedily absorbing the incoming ancestral sword intent.
The warm sensation was like an infant floating in the mother’s womb, absorbing the omnipresent nourishing nutrients.
He began to glow from inside out.
Under the incessant flow of ancestral sword intent, his bones, flesh, and internal organs gradually became crystalline.
As time passed, the vast ancestral sword intent, flowing like a stream, was wholly absorbed by Su Changqing.
As the second night fell, a sudden feeling of fullness emerged from within him.
The continuous stream of ancestral sword intent also began to slow down and thin.
In the skies above.
Su Wenlin looked at the nearly unchanged Sword Sun and nodded.
"Slightly more than one-ten-thousandth, as expected."
Those around him smiled and said, "That’s plenty. Such a wash in vast ancestral sword intent will greatly enhance the Young Master’s Sword Dao potential."
Nobody felt surprised, as it was within expectations.
However, at this time, two people were closely watching Su Changqing below.
"Being able to delve into all four divine arts of the immortals within two years, this should not be your limit," Su Zian murmured softly.
"With a mortal body able to condense two Celestial Tier Sword Techniques as innate secret arts, it’s far more than just one-ten-thousandth of the ancestral sword intent!"
In the shadows, Butler Fu smiled with immense confidence in Su Changqing.
Su Changqing is not a Sword Cultivator because he has never practiced sword techniques and heart techniques, nor has he spawned sword intent.
But Su Changqing is a Sword Cultivator because he has condensed formidable innate secret arts!
The absorption of ancestral sword intent has limits for both Sword Cultivators and non-Sword Cultivators alike.
But Su Changqing has none!
He is outside both categories, the only one in countless years, a Sword Cultivator who, without heart techniques, condenses ’Dao’ through mere ’technique’!
"Is this the protector you acknowledge?"
Beside him, Chu Feng glanced at Butler Fu and spoke calmly.
He hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary about Su Changqing.
"Hahaha, this is indeed the protector I acknowledge!"
Butler Fu laughed boldly, pointing to Su Changqing below, "Keep your eyes wide open, this is just the beginning!"
...
Beneath the Sword Sun.
Su Changqing opened his hazy eyes, feeling the fullness emerging from within.
The sensation was like having eaten to a full stomach but not digesting.
A vast amount of ancestral sword intent had accumulated within, awaiting refinement or gradual fusion by its master.
In other words, the fullness was due to sword intent accumulating on the superficial layers of his body, yet it hadn’t thoroughly penetrated into its deeper parts.
"I’ve had enough..."
Su Changqing lowered his gaze to his hands, murmuring softly,
"Would directly integrating into every inch of bones, skin, and even the cellular particles within my body allow for greater absorption?"
With this thought, he lifted his gaze to the still immense Sword Sun above, feeling its vast sword intent.
Su Changqing closed his eyes slightly, and as he attempted to willfully merge with the ancestral sword intent, two Sword Seals on his brow began to radiate faint light.
The ancestral sword intent, normally difficult to control or even sense, united with him in an instant, as easily as moving an arm.
"Come!"
With a soft call from his heart, the next moment...
Boom!
The immense Sword Sun suddenly erupted with radiant light, its overwhelming sword intent surging in all directions!
Visibly, the ancestral sword intent falling from the Sword Sun expanded from the original meandering stream to a grand cascade plunging down!