Seeking the Flying Sword Path

Cultivation knew no time. As Qin Yun focused on writing the Misty Rain Sword Dao, 126 years passed in a blink of an eye.

Those 126 years… were his most leisurely days. Every day, he would accompany his wife for a stroll, advise Meng Huan, Qin Yiyi, Qin Yuluo, his nine-tailed fox disciple, Qing Shuang, and others. Although he was giving pointers on the surface, he was constantly pondering over the profundity of the Misty Rain Sword Dao in his mind. In the evening, he would write the Misty Rain Sword Dao manual alone in his study.

These days were extremely rare for the Qin family and Qin Yun’s disciples.

“Tian Huang, you are really a blockhead. You still can’t understand?” Qin Yun bellowed in frustration.

“Master, calm down. Calm down,” a stout man with thick brows said with a flattering smile. “I’m a little stupid. Give me some time to think about it and I’ll definitely figure it out.”

Tian Huang was one of the three disciples he had taken in when he established the Misty Rain Sword Gallery in a tiny Southern Nation in the Heavenly realm. He had also left three Sword Dao heritage for his three disciples and instructed them to seek him out when they cultivated to the sixth firmament Skyimmortal realm. But to date… only Tian Huang, who appeared to be the most simple and honest, had been the first to reach the sixth firmament Skyimmortal realm.

At this realm, he easily learned of the illustrious Mt. Lightning Roar in the Heavenly realm. Tian Huang was shocked when he learned that his master was Sword Immortal Qin.

Sword Immortal Qin had swept through countless fiends of the Three Realms with his strength alone.

He was undoubtedly the strongest sword immortal in the Three Realms!

“Among the three of you, I thought most highly of Jin Yu. I never expected that you would break through first while they remained stuck in the third firmament,” said Qin Yun. “I’ve been teaching you a lot more these days, so I have been increasingly demanding on you. There’s no need to be anxious. Remember what I teach you and slowly take it in and figure it out.”

“Yes, Master,” replied Tian Huang obediently.

“For the next few centuries, I’ll be entering seclusion and wouldn’t have to time to teach you any more,” said Qin Yun.

“Seclusion for a few centuries?” Tian Huang was taken aback.

He obviously knew that his master was an Itinerant Immortal and that he had about slightly more than six centuries to his twelfth Itinerant Immortal tribulation.

If he entered seclusion for a few centuries, wouldn’t’ it mean that he would be transcending the tribulations once he exited seclusion?

“What should have been taught to you has been taught. I’m just unsure if I still have the chance to teach Jin Yu and Fan Yong.” Qin Yun said as he turned to leave.

“Master, you will definitely have a chance,” said Tian Huang immediately. He had been under Qin Yun’s tutelage from the age of six. He treated his master as his father, so he naturally did not wish for his master to die from a failed tribulation.

…

In the days before Qin Yun entered seclusion, he taught Qin Yiyi, Meng Huan, Qin Yuluo, and Qing Shuang a lot. After all, he feared he might no longer have the time to teach them before his tribulation.

“Brother Yun, you should enter seclusion. Why are you spending so much time and effort to teach them?” Yi Xiao could not help but ask. “Just leave the cultivation manual for them. Your cultivation is of utmost importance.”

“How can the self-enlightenment from a manual compare with a master’s teachings?” Qin Yun said. “Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out a Great Dao for the Dao of Yin Yang, so I have no way of teaching Qing Shuang a path that can lead to the Golden Immortal Great Dao.”

A long time ago, Qin Yun had already reached the Skyimmortal bottleneck of the Dao of Yin Yang. But now, he still remained stuck at the bottleneck. Qin Yun had taught quite a number of sword arts from the Yin Yang Dao to his female disciple Qing Shuang, and many of them had a might that barely reached the Golden Immortal realm. However, it ultimately failed to become a Great Dao sword art as his Yin Yang Dao had failed to reach the level of a Great Dao.

“You have already done very well. Many masters don’t put in that much effort,” Yi Xiao said.

“Xiaoxiao, I can’t predict how long I’ll take for the coming seclusion.” Qin Yun looked at his wife. “After all, once I enter a state of epiphany, I won’t be able to keep track of time. I might even exit seclusion just before the tribulation.”

“Your seclusive cultivation is most important.” Yi Xiao was filled with worry.

The appointed time was approaching.

Could Brother Yun transcend… the final Itinerant Immortal tribulation?

“I’ll leave everything to you.” Qin Yun hugged his wife gently as Yi Xiao hugged him back.

After a long while…

Qin Yun let go of his wife and turned to enter a chamber.

The door to the chamber closed.

Yi Xiao stood outside the door watching while Qin Yun had already sat cross-legged inside the chamber.

…

The 126 years he spent organizing and writing the Misty Rain Sword Dao manual made Qin Yun completely review everything he knew. He even gained an understanding of the direction he should take for his Sword Dao. If he had long periods for cultivation, he could take it slow. However, he did not have much time left.

“Spirit Enlightening Fruit.”

Qin Yun stretched out his hand as a translucent fruit floated above his palm. It had a lustrous swirl around it and the fruit’s flesh could be seen clearly.

This was Spirit Enlightening Fruit… the most precious divine fruit even in the legends of the spatial tide. Countless other-universe cultivators were crazy over it.

“Time to begin.” Qin Yun opened his mouth and gobbled the fruit whole. The flesh melted away in his mouth as a strange sweetness and sourness emanated in his mouth. A formless energy surged at his Essence Soul.

Qin Yun only felt his spirits jolted.

It was even more miraculous than cultivating in his master’s Myriad Dharma Pool. Qin Yun only felt that his Essence Soul had entered a special state.

And at that moment, all his thoughts from the past 126 years rapidly came together and formed new ideas! With these thoughts arising, he came to new levels of understanding!

The state of epiphany.

That was a flash of brilliance that would happen after years of accumulation, allowing one to figure out all kinds of profound mysteries.

The Spirit Enlightening Fruit was indeed a heaven-defying item.

How was it heaven-defying?

For instance, beneath the Chaos Heavenly Dao, the cultivation of an avatar would result in damaging the main body.

As for splitting the Essence Soul into two? That was damaging one’s Essence Soul foundations to obtain a second life.

As for the Mental Demon lineage, they had many avatars, but their overall strength was shared. An avatar could be strong, but in turn, another avatar would be weak. Yet, this was already means that countless cultivators in the Three Realms envied.

However, the Chaos Origins Fruit was able to break the rules of the Chaos Heavenly Dao. It could cultivate an equally powerful avatar without damaging the actual body.

That was heaven-defying!

The Spirit Enlightening Fruit was the same. The state of epiphany was only obtained by chance. One typically had an epiphany once certain fortuitous conditions aligned. Furthermore, the stronger one was, the chances of entering a state of epiphany decreased. Most perfected Great Dao existences and even the most powerful half-step Heavenly Dao realm existences did not even have epiphanies. Just raising their strength a little was extremely difficult.

Yet, the Spirit Enlightening Fruit could forcefully make one enter a state of epiphany. It was no wonder Hou Yi, Kong Xuan, and Goumang all wanted it. It was the fruit they desired the most among the three.

Later, it was only because Hou Yi and Qin Yun had done the most that they each obtained one.

…

Qin Yun sat cross-legged in his chamber as insights came flooding to him. His Misty Rain Sword Dao kept producing new insights which he fused into it.

Many sword arts surfaced in his mind.

Finally, his insights caused a qualitative change as a brand new sword art surfaced in his mind. This sword art was extremely pointed. A three-inch-sword could kill every enemy, extremely unyielding and indomitably sharp. With it, one was invincible.

“The Dao of Supreme Yang.”

He felt somewhat delighted as he figured out a pinnacle Great Dao of Supreme Yang.

However, his various insights continued organizing themselves as Qin Yun completely immersed himself in his state of epiphany.

Years passed as Qin Yun remained in his state of epiphany in seclusion…

In a blink of an eye, five centuries had passed.