12dz 78. Sensing
78. Sensing
Lin Mo stood in the circular stone chamber, feeling the ever-flowing, increasingly refined internal energy within his body, and the sword heart deep within his soul, forged and tempered through countless trials. He slightly adjusted his breathing, beginning to sort through the various fragments of sword intent he had absorbed and comprehended in the sword energy corridor. Although he had not yet fully integrated them, he could already feel a significant improvement in his swordsmanship.
He looked up at the cold, clear light in the center of the stone chamber, and beyond that, at the deep, mysterious passage that led to an unknown destination. The aura emanating from there was even more ancient and mysterious, and there was a faint, strange sense of calling, as if something was waiting for him deep within.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Mo stepped through the cold, luminous aura. The aura touched his body, bringing a touch of coolness, but it was not offensive at all. Instead, it invigorated his spirit, which was slightly tired from continuously fighting against the sword energy.
Passing through the halo of light, the view suddenly opened up before my eyes.
He was no longer in a narrow passage or stone chamber, but in an unimaginably vast underground space. This space was boundless, with no ceiling in sight, only a deep darkness that seemed to connect with the endless night sky. And beneath this darkness lay an endless... graveyard of swords.
Countless swords of different shapes and materials, some stuck at an angle, some lying horizontally, some broken, some intact, are densely scattered across this vast land. Some are rusted, as if they have endured thousands of years; some still gleam with a cold light, sharp and menacing; some are entwined with vines, blending into the earth; and some are covered by dust, only their outlines showing.
The air was thick with an intense sword intent, surpassing even the sword energy corridor outside. But the sword intent here was no longer chaotic and violent; instead, it possessed a serene, solemn, and even somewhat melancholic aura. It was as if countless powerful figures, once renowned for their prowess, lay buried here, their will and strength ultimately returning to the swords in their hands, buried together in this place.
Lin Mo strolled among them, his steps light, as if afraid to disturb this slumbering place. He could sense that each sword had once had an extraordinary master, each carrying a story, whether glorious or tragic. Though their sword intent had faded, the lingering resonance still allowed one to glimpse their former glory.
He released his spiritual power, which spread outwards like ripples, attempting to perceive the mysteries of this sword tomb and to find the existence that attracted him from the darkness.
His mental energy swept over the ancient swords, and the feedback was complex and varied. Some sword intents were as fiery as fire, some as cold as frost, some as heavy as mountains, some as light as the wind, some were full of killing intent, and some contained the thought of protection... These residual sword intents echoed in his heart like whispers.
However, while these sword intents were powerful, they did not resonate with him from the depths of his soul. They were more like unclaimed legacies, waiting for a destined person, but that "destiny" did not seem to point to Lin Mo.
He continued deeper into the sword tomb. The deeper he went, the fewer swords remained stuck in the ground, but the aura emanating from each one became increasingly astonishing. Some swords even formed unique force fields around them, distorting light and blocking detection, clearly indicating that their grade and spirituality far surpassed those on the outer edges.
Suddenly, Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat without warning!
An indescribable sense of excitement welled up from the depths of his soul, as if a long-dormant part of him had been quietly awakened. At the same time, the internal energy within him, which had become even purer and sharper after being tempered in the Sword Qi Corridor, began to circulate uncontrollably at an accelerated pace, emitting a faint hum.
It's here! This is the feeling!
Lin Mo immediately stopped, held his breath, and concentrated all his mental energy, probing in the direction from which the tremor came.
It was deep within the Sword Tomb, in a seemingly inconspicuous corner. There was no force field, no dazzling light, only a longsword, dark in color and with an ancient design, stuck diagonally in a relatively empty patch of ground. The blade was covered with fine, natural patterns resembling star trails, and an inconspicuous gray stone was inlaid in the hilt. The hilt was made of some unknown dark wood, its grip worn smooth by repeated handling.
It stood there quietly, seemingly blending into the surrounding darkness. If it weren't for the intense soul resonance, Lin Mo would have almost ignored its existence.
But this seemingly ordinary ancient sword made Lin Mo's heart beat faster and his blood flow more quickly. A sense of closeness and familiarity, originating from his bloodline and the depths of his soul, welled up within him, as if this sword had always been a part of his body, only separated for far too long.
He found himself walking toward the ancient sword.
As the distance closed, the feeling of soul resonance grew stronger. He could even clearly "hear" from within the ancient sword an extremely faint sigh, seemingly transcending countless ages... or perhaps... a call?
At the same time, extremely blurry and fragmented images began to flash through his mind. They were not memories of his present life, nor were they completely clear memories of his past life, but rather a more ancient and ethereal imprint.
He seemed to see a chaotic, undeveloped void, the trajectory of the birth and annihilation of stars, and a sword light of indescribable color piercing through eternal silence... These images flashed by, impossible to capture, yet they left an indelible shock in his heart.
When he finally stood before the dark, ancient sword, the resonance reached its peak. He extended his right hand, slowly, with an irrepressible excitement, and grasped the dark wooden hilt.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the hilt of the sword—
"Buzz!"
A clear, resonant sword cry, not from the material world but directly echoing deep within his soul, suddenly erupted!
The scene before my eyes instantly distorted and changed!
He found himself no longer in the dimly lit Sword Tomb, but standing beneath an endless starry sky. Beneath his feet lay nothingness, and above him, the glittering Milky Way. And in the deepest part of that starry sky, a point of spiritual light rapidly expanded from afar, eventually transforming into a blurry phantom exuding an aura of vast antiquity.
The phantom was indistinct in form, but one could sense an incomparably pure and powerful spiritual will. It seemed to have slumbered for billions of years, and was now slowly awakening from its deepest dream because of Lin Mo's arrival.
A vast and ancient flow of information, accompanying the awakening of the illusory figure, began to attempt to connect with Lin Mo's soul. This flow of information contained joy, confusion, exploration, and a sense of peace as if finding a home.
Sword Spirit!
The sword spirit of this ancient Taixu sword is awakening and actively resonating with his soul!
Lin Mo focused all his attention, releasing his soul defenses, and tried to accept and understand the consciousness from the ancient sword spirit. He felt as if his soul was enveloped in a warm halo, and a feeling of perfect harmony and unity was slowly but firmly forming.
He knew the most crucial moment was approaching. Whether he could truly obtain this divine weapon, which was connected to his very being, depended on this one move. He had to guide the newly awakened, still bewildered sword spirit to complete the final ritual of recognizing it as his master.