Chapter 131: The Old Man in the Painting

you've been in Jiusheng Mountain for several days now. Have you decided who to take as your master" the Nine Star Dao Master asked again.Before Su Xin could shake his head, a sense of unease began to...Sixth Sacred Mountain, inside the cave dwelling at its peak.

"Master of the Mountain, Su Xin has already entered the Hongtian Realm. Jiu Yan respectfully stood there."

"Understood." The Sixth Mountain Lord nodded slightly. "Go now."

Nine Rock left, but the Sixth Mountain Master, who had been sitting there all along, opened his eyes. His gaze pierced through all obstacles and looked directly at the ancient tower where Hong Tianjie was located.

"Possessing legendary bloodline talent from the start, having undergone the triple trials within the library pavilion, accumulating vast knowledge of swordsmanship, and coupled with the inspiration gained from this comprehension in the Hongtian Realm...I hope that young one can, as I expect, take that step."

The Sixth Mountain Lord murmured to himself for a moment, then quickly withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again.

……

Within that ancient tower, a world of its own existed.

Su Xin and nine others, after arriving in the Hongtian Realm, saw a huge, ancient scroll suspended in mid-air before them.

This scroll has yet to be opened.

While around the scroll, in different directions, there were nine small platforms used for contemplation, with restrictions permeating them. Remember the URL

Su Xin and the nine others each chose to enter a platform and sat down.

As soon as all nine were seated and ready, *whoosh*! The entire Hongtian Realm trembled suddenly. Then, the scroll that had been floating in the void before them began to slowly unfold.

A powerful and ancient aura also gradually spread out.

This is an ancient painting.

The painting depicts an elderly man in a rain cloak and straw hat, sitting on a large rock and fishing.

At first glance, the painting seems ordinary. However, as nine people on the platform carefully examine it, the old man in the painting comes alive.

Nine individuals on the platform, each with their unique gaze, fixated upon the old man depicted in the painting. Yet, what each person saw was distinct and different from the others.

Su Xin, also concentrated and attentively looking.

This look... Boom boom boom~~~~ Consciousness is naturally drawn in.

Soon, Su Xin found himself under a starry sky. Before him stood a towering mountain peak. At the highest point of the peak, where a giant stone jutted forward, an old man in a raincoat and a wide-brimmed hat sat there, casually swinging his fishing rod.

The fishing rod was cast out, creating faint ripples in the night sky, as if it were angling for millions of stars.

The old man's swaying movement of the fishing rod, and the trajectory of the rod as it swept through the air, left Su Xin completely stunned.

"Just like that" Su Xin widened his eyes.

The old man casually flicked his fishing rod, but in his eyes, every flick and swing held boundless mystery.

Ming Ming was simply flicking his fishing rod, not performing any swordsmanship, yet Su Xin felt countless sword intents within each cast and retrieve.

The scene shifted, still under that same night sky. The old man once again cast his fishing rod, with the exact same movements, even the trajectory of the bamboo pole's swing was identical. Yet, when Su Xin looked on further, what he saw and felt was utterly different.

Su Xin was completely shocked.

On that small platform, sitting cross-legged and with his eyes closed, Su Xin showed no change in expression. However, his right hand had slowly risen, his index finger extended, acting as a sword, mimicking the fishing rod in the old man's hands.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Su Xin learned from the old man's movements and waved his right hand again and again.

At the beginning, his movements were stiff and clumsy, not at all like the effortless grace of the old master in the painting, let alone the profound mystery it held.

However, as he swung his right hand again and again, his movements began to coordinate, becoming more casual.

And perhaps because his accumulation of swordsmanship skills was simply too vast, too boundless, the endless sword intent he felt in the movements of that old man in the painting began to gradually emerge as his right hand swung.

His repeated gestures, using his fingers as swords, gradually revealed a profound mystery within each strike.

……

Outside the ancient tower, the bald elder Hongyun Saint stood at the top of the void, his eyes overlooking everything that happened in the Heavenly Realm.

As expected, among these five levels of Nirvana, Youxin Wang's talent still surpasses others. He has been enlightened during his contemplation and started to advance towards that step. Hongyun Saint Monarch smiled.

This batch of eight five-step Nirvana entering the Hongtian Realm, in terms of cultivation each one has reached the peak of the five steps.

But in terms of strength, there is still a noticeable gap, and their talents are also different.

The Ghost Heart King he is talking about now, was the strongest among the eight who had reached the Fifth Step Nirvana Realm.

What he said about "that step" doesn't refer to transcendence, but rather after cultivating to the peak of the fifth step, one's strength would see a significant leap forward, reaching a level far surpassing that of the Fifth Step Nirvana.

As for transcendence... a state of nirvana, one who wishes to transcend needs boundless accumulation and it is not something achieved overnight or simply through a single moment of enlightenment.

“Of this batch of five-step peak cultivators entering the Hongtian Realm, Youxin Wang is undoubtedly the one with the greatest potential for improvement. He very well might take that next step. As for the others, although they have all gained something, it's still difficult for them to truly take that next step,” Hongyun Saint Monarch sighed softly.

At this time, he also noticed Su Xin's figure, who was also comprehending the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.

"That little guy..."

Hongyun Saint Lord, through the tower, could clearly see Su Xin on that small platform within the Hongtian Realm, waving his right hand repeatedly. As his right hand moved, there was also an extraordinary mystery accompanying it.

"He actually made some gains"

This was something the Scarlet Cloud Saint Lord hadn't expected.

Because of the predestined circumstances in the Heavenly Realm of Hongtian, generally speaking, only those with strength reaching a certain level, that is, those who have achieved the five-step Nirvana realm, are qualified to contemplate it.

And for martial artists whose strength is below the Five Steps Nirvana, even if they come to the Hongtian Realm and see the opportunities depicted in the scroll of the Hongtian Realm, most will not be able to comprehend anything from it.

When Su Xin first entered the Hongtian Realm, those few cultivators at the Fifth Nirvana Stage looked at him with strange expressions. They all felt that Su Xin, a mere Void-Breaking Stage cultivator, came to the Hongtian Realm so early to comprehend the Dao, but he wouldn't be able to comprehend anything, it was a waste of opportunity.

Many people feel this way.

Including the Red Cloud Saint Lord, who also held this view. However, Su Xin's entry into the Hongtian Realm was personally arranged by the Sixth Mountain Master, and no one dared to disobey.

In his heart, the Red Cloud Saint Lord found this somewhat incomprehensible.

And now…

A little one from the Broken Void Realm, in his contemplation within the Hongtian Realm, actually gained something. Not bad at all. Red Cloud Saint Sovereign smiled faintly and didn't mind it much.

Within the heavens, Su Xin continued to swing his right hand as always.

His consciousness was still immersed under that night sky, watching the old man wave his bamboo pole again and again, he also followed the old man's movements, waving his sword repeatedly.

His idea was simple: to follow the old man's movements and constantly perfect the sword in his hand.

He had undergone triple trials in the Scripture Pavilion before, and his accumulated experience in swordsmanship was truly vast and profound.

It's not just about swordsmanship; it even involves knowledge and theory.

That's why he could see the subtle art in the old man wielding his bamboo pole, even understanding it more deeply and clearly than the eight other masters of the Five Step Nirvana who were also practicing within the Heavenly Realm.

Every time he swings his sword, he uses the old man's bamboo pole as a reference, constantly striving to improve. With each swing, his swordsmanship becomes increasingly refined.

While he was perfecting this sword technique, without him even realizing it, a mysterious force within his body had quietly begun to coalesce.

This force is unique and ethereal.

But it formed inside Sue's body.

Not only is it formed, but it has already taken root completely.

Just like a seed enters the soil, takes root, and gradually sprouts.

……

Mount Jiusheng.

Of those nine towering, cloud-piercing peaks, on the summit of one such majestic giant.

Inside a humble stone pavilion, a black-robed elder and a white-robed elder sat on either side of a stone table, playing chess.

This game, they have been playing for months now, but until this very day, the outcome remains undecided.

“I heard that not long ago, your disciple teamed up with someone in the Demon Abyss Secret Realm and tricked the prized disciple of the Purple Abyss Palace Master from the Heavenly God Palace. This ultimately led to the disciple's death. The Purple Abyss Palace Master is furious and has declared that your disciple must pay for their blood debt with blood.”

"That old geezer Zi Chen, his teaching is subpar. He's all about recklessness and chaos, but he can be quite cunning in that regard. His own disciples are weak, venturing into dangerous places like the Demonic Abyss, it's only natural for them to fall. You can't blame others for their shortcomings!"

"That's how it is, but you should still remind your disciple to be careful."

Speaking of the Demon Abyss Secret Realm, Gu Yun, it's been a long time since you and I went there to explore, hasn't it

“The Abyssal Secret Realm, that's one of the three major secret realms. Even just the outermost perimeter requires those who have transcended to be eligible to explore it. And you have to be extremely careful, even slightly careless, and you could meet your end. Although our two can barely venture into the inner layers, it's incredibly dangerous there…”

Two elderly men, one in black and one in white, were playing chess while casually chatting about various topics.

Just then…

"Huh"

Both of their expressions changed, and their eyes involuntarily turned towards the direction where Hong Tianjie was.

That was...

Although they were still a considerable distance away, and the Heavenly Realm was a world unto itself, the two of them sensed the strange power that had suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Realm at once.

They looked at each other, and in the next moment their figures vanished simultaneously.

Outside the ancient tower, Hongyun Saint stood there as before, taking in everything that happened within the Heavenly Realm of Abundance. But he didn't feel anything different, only that the nine people who were meditating inside, each one, including Su Xin whose cultivation was only at the Void Breaking realm, had made some gains on their journey of comprehension.

Suddenly, two figures appeared out of thin air in front of the tower.

Seeing the arrival of someone, Hongyun Saint Lord was instantly taken aback.

"Seen the Third Mountain Lord, the Fifth Mountain Lord!"

Hong Yun Sheng Jun respectfully bowed, but his heart was filled with shock.

The two towering peaks of Jiusheng Mountain, so aloof and transcendent, how did they end up in the Hongtian realm today

The third mountain master, and the fifth mountain bamboo, ignored the Red Cloud Saint Lord instead, their gazes turned towards the Hongtian Realm within. And very quickly, they focused on a platform where Su Xin was constantly wielding his sword.

They could sense clearly that a strange power had gradually formed within Su Xin's body and taken root completely.

"This..."

"There's no mistake, it's Kenshin, it's the prototype of Kenshin!!"

"A nobody from the Void Realm, actually managed to condense a nascent sword heart This is impossible!!"

The Third Mountain Master and the Fifth Mountain Master were completely stunned!

……he peak of Step One, the momentum released when his spiritual power surged was absolutely no weaker than that of an average Second Step Nirvana Realm cultivator. And as his spear in his hand burst for...