Chapter 148: An Epiphany Reveals the Dao Fruit Realm; Sword Intent Spontaneously Generates the Crimson Heart and Mountains and Rivers [Requesting Monthly Votes]
The pitch of the dark night began to soften, and a faint, shimmering light gradually emerged in the eastern horizon, illuminating the entire mortal realm and bringing a touch of radiance amidst the gloom.
An Le's figure sped forward as the innate spiritual energy within his dantian Qi sea was summoned and continuously surged forth. Gathering around his entire body, it formed a peculiar phantom of a divine stag.
The Ancient Demonic Five-Beast Scripture was derived from An Le's comprehension of the *Five-Beast Body-Refining Technique* through the successive generations of Martial Supremacies inscribed upon the Martial Supremacy Stone. This marked a leap in the cultivation grade, transitioning from a mere technique to a true scripture.
The various ancient demonic phantoms integrated within it were all the intrinsic impressions of ancient demons retained in the memories of those past Martial Supremacies. For instance, the ancient demonic tiger, the mountain-like fierce bear, the ferocious demonic ape, and so forth—all of these were ancient demons that the Martial Supremacies had once battled or even slain.
The divine stag phantom was no different. Manifested from an ancient deer demon proficient in speed, its movement resembled a unique type of footwork.
Among the Five Ancient Demonic Beasts, the stag form was the one An Le had least mastered and practiced, because he rarely needed to rely on footwork to escape. Consequently, movement had always been his weak point.
Back in Lin'an Prefecture, the perimeter was small, and there was no occasion to use the stag-form footwork. Later, after leaving Lin'an and returning from the northern frontier, he had never dared to display any fancy footwork out of fear of exposing his tracks, relying entirely on his physical body of the Fifth Realm of Body Refining to escort Zhao Huangting all the way through the desolate forests.
Now that An Le had returned south of the Canglang River and was in pursuit of the Second Prince Zhao Pei, he no longer had any restrictions whatsoever. He could safely unleash his vital blood, circulate his mind, and execute his footwork.
In the dark night, sparkling lights seemed to converge around An Le, forming a luminous phantom of a divine stag. As An Le ran, he moved like a divine stag leaping through the air—silent, yet exceedingly swift, as if treading upon the wind.
Moreover, this speed was growing faster and faster!
For a cultivator, footwork was naturally of paramount importance; whether for escaping or combat, movement held an extraordinary status. A cultivator who mastered extremely high-grade footwork could easily and effortlessly slaughter an opponent clumsy in movement.
Every pore of An Le's body was exhaling and inhaling innate spiritual energy. The innate spiritual energy gathered like a lake in his dantian acted as an unlimited fuel tank for an engine, allowing it to detonate endlessly and enabling An Le to run at full speed.
The scenery around him flashed past continuously. With his eyes closed, An Le's mental awareness within his heart sword quietly spread out, covering his entire body. This allowed him to maintain a clear perception of his surroundings even while moving at high speed.
Throughout this process, the operation of the [Eternal Prodigy] Dao fruit greatly enhanced An Le's comprehension ability. His mastery of the stag form in the *Ancient Demonic Five-Beast Scripture* grew increasingly proficient, eventually forming his own unique understanding.
An Le's speed grew faster and faster; a single leap of the divine stag spanned several丈, as light and agile as an elf of the mortal realm.
Second Prince Zhao Pei's cultivation was indeed formidable. Being at the peak of the Fifth Realm just like An Le, he was only a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the Sixth Realm. Therefore, in terms of speed, Zhao Pei was not inferior to An Le. Since this wasn't a fight to the death, but merely an escape, Zhao Pei wouldn't actually be at too great of a disadvantage.
However, as An Le's comprehension of the stag form deepened, his speed surged, and amidst the flashing lights and darting shadows, the distance between him and Zhao Pei gradually closed.
Zhao Pei had bolted far ahead of An Le initially, but his mind still sensed the fluctuations of vital blood coming from behind. That familiar fluctuation let Zhao Pei know that the person in pursuit was none other than An Le!
The Second Prince Zhao Pei was gripped by shock, which instantly morphed into terror and fury. He had never imagined that An Le would actually hunt him down to the bitter end!
The breath he had just exhaled in relief was sucked right back in, and his escaping speed abruptly increased!
Yet, what shocked Zhao Pei even more was that his accelerated escape still failed to widen the gap between them!
The distance between the two remained locked within a hundred miles.
An Le, transformed into an ancient divine stag, flashed like light and leaped gracefully, hanging tightly just a hundred miles behind him.
The Second Prince Zhao Pei felt as though An Le was a sword suspended above his crown, threatening to pierce his skull and harvest his life at any moment!
The relentless pressure and suffocating breathlessness turned the Second Prince Zhao Pei's eyes bloodred as he let out an angry, prolonged roar while running!
"An Le!"
"You push people too far!"
He felt the oppressive bullying of An Le and his own utter wretchedness!
Listening to the Second Prince Zhao Pei's roar, An Le, who was immersed in his comprehension of the stag form, raised his eyelids slightly and said indifferently, "There are over a thousand miles from here to Lin'an. If you can escape into Lin'an, I naturally will not kill you. If you cannot, I will kill you."
An Le's voice was transmitted through the power of his heart sword, flowing straight into the Second Prince Zhao Pei's ears.
Zhao Pei's eyes narrowed, and his inner fury flared even hotter as he felt insulted by An Le!
In An Le's eyes, was killing him, Zhao Pei, a certainty?
Li Qingchuan, a Ninth Realm expert, had become An Le's Dao slave; An Le could easily have ordered Li Qingchuan to capture him. But An Le did not do so—he didn't even deign to let a Ninth Realm expert capture him, genuinely believing he had Zhao Pei firmly in the palm of his hand!
Since birth and throughout his cultivation journey, when had the Second Prince Zhao Pei ever experienced such humiliation?
Furi exploded in his heart. Yet, having already fought An Le, he knew he was no match for him. The Lesser Saint Token had already shattered once; if he died again, he would not be able to resurrect using it!
Therefore, he could only turn his grief and indignation into strength and flee with all his might! He had to prevent An Le from catching up to him!
Zhao Pei slid two talismans obtained from the Celestial Master Mansion out of his sleeve—known as the Divine Mobility Talismans. Igniting them, clouds and mist seemed to rise beneath his feet, and his running speed grew even more frantic.
An Le raised an eyebrow, looking at Zhao Pei, whose speed had suddenly spiked by a large margin. While slightly surprised, he didn't mind it in the least.
He continued to pursue him using the stag form while continuing his comprehension of the ancient demonic five beasts.
However, alongside his comprehension and pursuit, An Le began to ponder another matter.
That was what the emperor who had slumbered for ten years had said to him right before waking up in the northern nomadic capital of Yuan Meng...
...
"A sword, held horizontally, is considered 'One'."
"The 'One' of forging ahead without turning back."
"The 'One' of stunning the world with a single sound."
"The 'One' of unifying the empire."
"Having beheld this 'One', one's sharpness becomes matchless, capable of breaking through everything."
...
These were the First Emperor's exact words, representing an understanding of the Dao of the sword.
At that time in the Yuan Meng capital, An Le had been unable to calm his mind enough to comprehend the pointers given to him by this peerless existence, mainly due to the surrounding environment and various factors that prevented him from achieving inner peace.
Things were different now. Pursuing Zhao Pei was, to An Le, an optional affair—if he caught him, he would kill him; if not, so be it.
An Le would never let such a trivial matter agitate his state of mind.
Since Zhao Huangting had bought some time with a hundred-year-old purple-Qi golden lotus gifted by the Old Celestial Master, An Le's state of mind grew even more tranquil, leaving him with the leisure to ponder the Dao of the sword mentioned by the First Emperor.
"A sword, held horizontally, is considered One."
An Le murmured to himself.
In his mind, he involuntarily recalled the scene when the First Emperor's will awakened, looked upon the mountains and rivers of the mortal realm, and delivered that sword strike against the Yuan Meng Emperor.
Simple—to the absolute extreme of simplicity. Yet, it possessed an incomparably formidable power. With a single sword stroke delivered, even someone as strong as the Yuan Meng Emperor found it hard to withstand the sword Qi and was injured by it!
What kind of sword was that?
It was utterly undefendable and hard to resist, as if the sole purpose of the sword's existence was to harvest lives in the most direct and simple manner.
The "One" of a fatal strike upon a single encounter.
The "One" of simplicity.
As An Le pondered this Dao of the sword, he concurrently sorted through his own swordsmanship and sword techniques. Possessing the Divine-Connecting Sword Body, he had comprehended far too many sword techniques.
From Zhao Huangting, he had learned the Three Ci-Pai Swords; furthermore, there was the sword technique *Approaching Sword Qi* comprehended from the Lesser Saint Token, as well as the future sword Qi obtained from the precipice, and so on.
These sword techniques and sword Qi were all exceedingly powerful, but with one catch: none of them belonged to An Le's own Dao of the sword.
Perhaps aided by the Divine-Connecting Sword Body, he was able to swiftly master these sword techniques and Qi, but this also meant that An Le's sword lacked anything of his own.
The Dao of the sword taught by the First Emperor was the "One" of simplicity.
What was simplicity?
An Le began to review the sword techniques he had mastered. The Three Ci-Pai Swords displayed gorgeous sword moves through swordsmanship skills, while *Approaching Sword Qi* integrated mental methods to treat all things in heaven and earth as a sword.
As for the future sword Qi, it was even more profound and arcane. Currently still entwined around the Green Mountain, An Le had not fully comprehended it, though he could manage to display a faint trace of its fur, which offered little benefit in combat.
An Le reflected upon himself, yet he had not realized any sword moves of his own.
*Approaching Sword Qi* was imparted by the Saint Master, while the Three Ci-Pai Swords were comprehended by Zhao Huangting after walking and measuring the world on foot.
Then what was An Le's sword?
In the midst of running while transformed into the divine stag, An Le closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
Within his mind, his own Dao of the sword seemed to be projecting itself.
The First Emperor's sword was a simple sword...
Yet An Le naturally ought to have a Dao of his own; what was his Dao?
With this thought, An Le suddenly felt a powerful suction force pulling his mind into a peculiar space.
The surroundings appeared in shades of gray and white.
His figure drifted amidst the boundless gray-white expanse; his blood-stained white robes fluttered noisily, and his hair drifted like sea grass, as if he had sunk to the bottom of a sword pool lake.
Shortly after, An Le saw golden glowing orbs, dazzling and eye-catching like little suns.
An Le was stunned. He could clearly feel that these golden glowing orbs...
Were actually the years Dao fruits he had condensed up to this day!
The Dao Fruit Space?!
[Eternal Prodigy], [Divine-Connecting Sword Body], [Fearless Heart], [Grand Qi Attraction], [Five-Tune Melody Massacre], [Blood Bodhisattva], [Battle Puppet]...
The Dao fruits had always existed, but this was the first time An Le had truly perceived them.
Among them, there was also a Dao fruit emanating a noble purple glow, accompanied by a brilliant golden intent, swirling in purple and gold!
That was the [Emperor] Dao fruit.
These Dao fruits circled and hovered around An Le, making him experience an extremely wondrous state.
He seemed to have become the center of heaven and earth, causing these Dao fruits to revolve around him.
Suddenly, the [Emperor] Dao fruit flickered slightly, driving the [Eternal Prodigy] and [Divine-Connecting Sword Body] to flicker along with it.
An Le felt as though his mind had become much clearer in a single instant.
Before his eyes, scenes of time presented themselves—that was his own passage of time...
In the sword-casting workshop of the Sword Pool Palace, swinging a thousand-pound heavy hammer to beat the sword embryo, forging the sword blank, and casting the imagery of the Returning Swallow...
The Earth Immortal fire surged, his entire body drenched in sweat, with only a single thought in his eyes: hammer it!
Simple, direct—just hammer it!
Hammering away all impurities, hammering away all complexities, hammering away all trivial details down to the last scrap!
Leaving behind only the purest sword blank!
This was his own version of simplicity.
He did not know what simplicity the First Emperor had comprehended, but An Le's simplicity... was precisely this.
At this moment, An Le's eyes shone brilliantly.
It was as if he had swung a massive hammer, beginning to pound the swordsmanship and techniques he had learned. The soaring Earth Immortal fire, carrying an ultimate, blazing heat, burned away everything, and coupled with the swinging of the massive hammer, all dregs were cast aside!
Faintly, An Le delivered a single sword strike. Within the sword swept a blazing, scorching will akin to burning the entire world. Contained within this stroke was an intent—the sword intent belonging to An Le!
There was none of the dazzling splendor of the Three Ci-Pai Swords, nor the complexity of *Approaching Sword Qi* merging with the primordial spirit, and certainly none of the profound mystery of the future sword Qi.
What remained was simply the act of swinging a hammer to forge a sword.
With blazing fire burning, a single red heart was forged.
...
...
Above the night sky, starlight was dim.
Su Muzhe flew forward at high speed with Zhao Huangting, while Wan Jieliu lagged a step behind them, traveling alongside Li Qingchuan.
Naturally, Wan Jieliu was unwilling to insert himself between Su Muzhe and Zhao Huangting. Not only would he have to swallow dog food, but it would also breed extra grievance—after all, he was a man who had once admired Su Muzhe.
Because Li Qingchuan had become An Le's Dao slave, he was considered one of their own and thus followed by their side.
This resulted in Wan Jieliu and Li Qingchuan traveling together. The two individuals who had been fighting to the death just a moment ago were now... actually acting like traveling companions and friends.
The ties of fate in this world were truly wondrous indeed.
"Eh? An Le's speed... why has it suddenly slowed down so much?"
Suddenly, in midair, Su Muzhe noticed that An Le, who had been steadily increasing his travel speed due to comprehending the stag form down below, had suddenly slowed down considerably.
He had created a massive gap directly between himself and Zhao Pei, who was using the Divine Mobility Talisman.
Wan Jieliu and Li Qingchuan also looked over at the same time.
"Could it be that he's holding back?"
Li Qingchuan murmured.
Thinking of this, Li Qingchuan couldn't help muttering internally. Seen in this light, this new master of his still possessed a great sense of propriety. Although he shouted about chopping off Zhao Pei's head and offering it as a gift to the Zhao family's Son of Heaven once he caught him, his actions showed a keen sense of measure.
This was for the best. If he really chopped off Zhao Pei's head, Li Qingchuan could hardly imagine what kind of storm they would face upon arriving in Lin'an Prefecture.
Zhao Huangting narrowed his eyes, a strange look flashing deep within them.
He looked at Su Muzhe and said, "Didn't you feel it?"
Hearing this, Su Muzhe paused blankly for a moment, then raised her slender, fair finger and tapped it between her eyebrows.
Within the Niwan Palace, the sword instruments inside the sword Qi palace... were all vibrating at this exact moment, as if being stirred by an intangible intent.
Just as the ducks are the first to know when the spring river water warms up, sword instruments were always the first to perceive when a true Dao of the sword intent was revealed.
"Sword intent... For a sword cultivator, comprehending a sword intent of their own is of paramount importance."
"That is the foundation for stepping onto the true Dao of the sword."
Zhao Huangting said softly.
"However, sword intent is a very peculiar power. A thousand sword cultivators possess a thousand different sword intents; even if comprehended very similarly, there are differences."
"I don't know what kind of sword intent An Le has comprehended, but I am very glad that he has managed to forge a sword intent of his own."
A gratified smile hung on Zhao Huangting's face.
The birth of sword intent meant that An Le was stepping step by step toward becoming a mature sword wielder.
Su Muzhe looked over once more and indeed sensed a piercing sharpness emanating from the slowing An Le.
It was as if a ball of fire had suddenly exploded, its burning and blazing heat scorching even her mental awareness.
Amidst that blistering heat, a sword—so simple it lacked any adornment—was fiercely smashed down!
"What kind of sword intent is this?"
Su Muzhe took a deep breath.
"It feels somewhat like the First Emperor's sword strike—extreme simplicity. Yet, it isn't quite the simplicity of the First Emperor's sword; it contains An Le's own understanding."
Zhao Huangting had personally witnessed the sword strike delivered against the Yuan Meng Emperor when the First Emperor's will revived in the northern frontier, hence his explanation.
"However, An Le's sword intent... seems to be more than just one!"
Zhao Huangting's gaze flickered with a trace of astonishment.
...
...
An Le was still lost in deep thought, his entire person seemingly plunged into a unique state of sudden enlightenment.
The starlight, gradually blurring under the radiance of the eastern fish-belly-white glow, sprinkled down upon him as An Le transformed into the divine stag and galloped.
Yet his mind was situated within that peculiar space.
He had comprehended his own sword intent—burning like fierce fire, the "One" that incinerated everything, the "One" of utter simplicity, the "One" of a single red heart.
Yet, apart from extreme simplicity, An Le had another realization, which was...
The complexity that stood in opposition to simplicity.
A scroll seemed to slowly unfold within An Le's mind. It was the scene of Zhao Huangting bringing him all the way north, viewing the mountains and rivers of the northern frontier—city after city, mountain after mountain, river after river...
Sitting atop the sword Qi, overlooking the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers of the mortal realm, it was breathtakingly beautiful.
The sword in his hand rose gently, as if transforming into a wolf-hair brush, the sword intent acting as ink, the void as paper, painting a magnificent landscape with sword Qi!
This was not simplicity, but complexity. A painting could never be described as simple; every stroke of composition, every application of ink, every deep thought given to blank spaces... all harbored profound contemplation.
Thrusting, parrying, splitting, wiping, hacking, hanging, collapsing, flicking...
All kinds of fundamental sword moves were like the brushwork techniques applied onto a scroll, intertwining to form a complex landscape painting.
He had once forged the Returning Swallow shirtless, hence he could deliver a sword with a red heart.
He had once traveled north to view ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, hence he could wield his sword to paint the landscape.
Simplicity and complexity stood opposed, yet they did not interfere with one another!
Within the sword, it could be as simple as a red heart.
It could equally be as complex as containing mountains and rivers!
At this moment, two distinct sword intents sprouted within An Le's heart!
His Clear-Bright Sword Body was like colored glass; sword Qi circulated through his meridians, and sword intent gestated from his chest.
Although the current sword intent was still quite crude and required An Le to continue comprehending, nurturing, and strengthening it...
The foundation was laid, and it would inevitably grow into a towering tree over time.
Because of this, An Le also comprehended his own sword intent, and even his own swordsmanship...
"Red Heart."
"Landscapes."
...
...
The Second Prince Zhao Pei sensed the distance between himself and An Le growing ever wider, and a smile involuntarily curved the corner of his lips.
When An Le's figure completely slipped out of his sensory range, he even felt a strong impulse to look up and laugh out loud.
An Le, nothing more than this!
What a load of empty boasts about killing him the moment he caught up!
When it came to combat, he, Zhao Pei, was indeed inferior to An Le. But after all, both were at the peak of the Fifth Realm, and he, Zhao Pei, had the assistance of the Divine Mobility Talisman. In terms of speed, what right did An Le have to be so arrogant?!
However, Zhao Pei did not let down his guard; he still ran with all his might. The innate vital blood within his body rolled, surging out from his dantian and rushing into his legs, making his galloping figure grow even faster.
He was like a gust of wind sweeping across the official road, rustling the leaves of the trees on both sides and scattering the wild flowers by the roadside into flurries of petals!
As the eastern fish-belly-white grew increasingly bright, the stars in the sky nearly vanished without a trace, and even the lunar wheel gradually blurred its silhouette.
The Second Prince Zhao Pei finally caught sight of a magnificent city from the edge of the horizon.
The early spring morning in the south was shrouded in mist.
Lin'an seemed to sit atop the smoke and clouds, resembling an immortal palace resting upon the firmament!
A flash of joyful brilliance flickered in the Second Prince Zhao Pei's eyes!
He had finally laid eyes on Lin'an! The sense of threat hanging constantly over his head by An Le could finally be shaken off!
However, the moment Lin'an City sprang into his view, Zhao Pei's heart suddenly tightened.
Because he discovered that An Le, who had previously vanished from his mental perception, had appeared once more.
A hundred miles behind him, An Le walked with his hands behind his back, leaping with the agility of a divine stag.
With every step he trod, mountains and rivers galloped past!
An Le's hair fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes. Within his pupils, sword intent swirled—his left eye held the red heart, his right eye held the landscapes.
Grasping his own Dao of the sword left An Le feeling refreshed and at ease.
The operation of the Ancient Demonic Five-Beast Scripture seemed to have grown even smoother.
The ancient demonic five beasts and sword intent were originally unrelated, but with the comprehension of sword intent, An Le's Divine-Connecting Sword Body truly awakened; every drop of blood and every hair seemed to contain sword intent.
Consequently, the body-refining practice of the ancient demonic five beasts also became imbued with the aura of sword intent!
At this moment, the *Ancient Demonic Five-Beast Scripture* underwent yet another transformation!
The Red Heart sword intent was forged by hammering with a blazing fire, casting away complexity and seeking only simplicity!
The ancient demonic phantom of the stag form was, at this moment, seemingly replaced by sword Qi, transforming the demonic phantom into one forged of sword Qi!
The stag form merged into a simple and direct sword-art footwork!
Discarding all complexity, it retained only the ultimate, simple agility and speed!
The divine stag chirped, wild grass fluttered!
With every stride An Le took, a wave of sword Qi washed over him, washing him anew and boosting the stag's speed by a notch.
Another wave of sword Qi washed over him, and the stag's speed surged by yet another notch!
In the end, between heaven and earth, the divine stag moved like light, and the hundred-mile distance separating him from the Second Prince Zhao Pei closed within just a few breaths!
The Second Prince Zhao Pei perceived the rapidly approaching An Le, and every hair on his body stood on end. That immense pressure made his lungs feel as though they were about to explode with every breath he drew!
"An Le!"
Zhao Pei stared at An Le, who had transformed into a sword-Qi divine stag and was hot on his heels, his eyes contracting.
Impossible!
How could he... be this fast?!
Zhao Pei did not hesitate to ignite another Divine Mobility Talisman. Yet this time, the Divine Mobility Talisman failed; no matter how much he accelerated, he could no longer widen the gap between himself and An Le!
At this moment, An Le seemed to be pursuing absolute speed!
An inexplicable sense of terror welled up within the Second Prince Zhao Pei's heart.
He recalled what An Le had said: as long as he caught up, he would kill him!
He turned his head to look...
And saw An Le—his white robes stained with blood, every strand of his hair brimming with sword intent—resembling a peerless sword immortal, having already...
Risen shoulder-to-shoulder with him!
(End of chapter)