Seeing his resolute expression, Qin Feifan stopped trying to persuade him. Perhaps this was his fate. If he could not become Dugu Qiubai's disciple and learn the true meaning of swordsmanship, he might as well just die and be done with it.

After all, even someone like him who doesn't practice swordsmanship was amazed by Dugu Qiubai's swordsmanship, let alone Zhang Yiming, who has devoted his life to swordsmanship!

With a sigh, he left the place. He had already done more than enough by bringing Zhang Yiming here, and Dugu Qiubai's visit was also out of respect for his master, Dugu Sword Saint Yin Ruozhuo, and Baiyue.

Zhang Yiming knelt for seven days and seven nights. By this time, he was not only extremely thirsty, but also had no feeling in his lower body. Only because of his powerful cultivation did he not faint.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, and soon a torrential downpour began, soaking him to the bone. He thanked the heavens for giving him a few more days of life.

Three days passed amidst the wind and rain, and he was now teetering on the brink of collapse. Fortunately, the heavy rain had turned the ground into a muddy mess, and the mud had now covered his thighs, preventing him from falling.

Seven more days passed, and Zhang Yiming was already in a daze, his lips were cracked, he had no feeling in his body, and his life force was gradually fading away.

He couldn't remember how long he had been kneeling, but he knew he was about to die, and even if he had entered the sect now, he would still be a cripple.

He felt no resentment, only a sense of relief. From the moment he saw Dugu Qiubai wielding a sword, he understood that he was still far from the true essence of swordsmanship.

If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening!

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt that he had become very light.

Looking down, a gaunt figure was kneeling on the ground, with empty eyes, festering skin, and tattered clothes, clearly long dead.

"Why does this person look so familiar?"

As he was pondering, he suddenly awoke with a start. Wasn't this himself? Only the person on the ground was extremely thin and barely resembled a human anymore.

"Am I dead? Is my soul going to the underworld?"

"Very well. I have no relatives or friends, and nothing to hold me back in this world. My only regret is that I did not become a disciple of a senior and thus could not grasp the true essence of swordsmanship."

In his soul state, Zhang Yiming seemed to have seen through many things, and death might be a kind of liberation.

"To kneel and die outside my bamboo grove is not the behavior of a gentleman."

Zhang Yiming suddenly turned around and saw Dugu Qiubai standing in the void looking at him.

"Senior, can you see me?"

"Of course, but your threat of suicide only made me despise you even more. In my eyes, your behavior is too childish and selfish."

Zhang Yiming, in his soul form, quickly knelt down and said in a pained voice, "Senior, I am used to being alone and am not good at socializing. I do not understand human relationships and have no achievements in my life. Even my most proud swordsmanship is so laughable. I have seen the true meaning of the sword here with you, senior. I have no way to repay you but to die. I am only sorry to have defiled your place of cultivation. I will repay you in the next life!"

"Hmm, that's quite right. Here's a sword essence for you to study for a while. Consider it a perfect ending to your life."

Dugu Qiubai spread his right hand, and a small, snow-white sword appeared in his hand, flying towards Zhang Yiming.

Before Zhang Yiming could react, the sword had already pierced his brow. His soul trembled, and he felt dizzy, as if he were in the universe!

The abstract scenery around him changed rapidly, making him dizzy.

But he wasn't stupid. He tried to concentrate and control his body, but it was all in vain. Suddenly, he saw a streak of light fly past him, but he couldn't tell which way was which, so it was too difficult to catch it.

"That's the aura of a sword!"

Having never let go of his sword his entire life, he quickly noticed what was in the flowing light.

However, he failed to catch the stream of light several times. As he turned his body, Zhang Yiming forced himself to calm down. Through his mental perception, although the surrounding things had not changed, his connection with the stream of light was getting stronger and stronger!

After a long while, Zhang Yiming seemed to understand something.

"So that's how it is. I was wrong before. I only regarded the sword as a cold weapon, but I didn't know that the sword also has a life. All things in the world have a spirit. It is not that I wield the sword, nor that the sword wields me, but that the two are integrated, and that is what makes a sword cultivator."

Zhang Yiming realized that he was extremely talented in swordsmanship, but the swordsmanship tradition in this world had hindered and misled him. Otherwise, his achievements would have been limitless!

"Come here."

He closed his eyes and called out softly, and the streak of light flashed past and hovered above his brow.

Zhang Yiming looked over and saw that the snow-white sword had separated into something the size of a grain of rice. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an even smaller sword core.

The sword heart entered his body, and the scene around him suddenly changed into a huge void, with figures dancing with swords everywhere, but each figure was just making simple movements.

Stabbing, picking, washing, chopping, cutting, flicking, pointing, striking, etc.

But Zhang Yiming observed carefully and quickly realized the method. He could perform every movement, but the effect was completely different from that of the figures.

This involves techniques for generating power at the joints and muscles of the sword, as well as the sword-holding posture, making the sword strike faster and more stable!

He studied in this way for an unknown amount of time in his soul state, only to feel his soul growing weaker and weaker until he finally withdrew from this strange space.

When he woke up again, he was still outside the bamboo forest. Dugu Qiubai had already disappeared. Zhang Yiming couldn't help but bow to the bamboo forest and express his gratitude.

"Thank you for enlightening me, senior. I have no way to repay you in this life. I wish to be your servant in the next life."

After saying this, he bowed three more times and quietly awaited death.

However, a sword heart the size of a grain of rice suddenly appeared between his eyebrows, flashing with dazzling light.

The light enveloped his body, and Zhang Yiming was astonished. Was it going to pulverize his body into dust? To leave him without a complete corpse?

However, something even more terrifying happened. Under the light, his body turned red, and his ulcerated skin fell off, with new skin growing back. His emaciated body became visibly fuller, but his clothes disappeared completely as the energy flowed.

"Resurrection?"

As soon as he finished speaking, an immense force pulled him towards his body and quickly entered it.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already in a bamboo forest, and sitting in front of him was Dugu Qiubai.

"You are fortunate to have comprehended the sword heart and been reborn. Today I take you as my disciple. The path of martial arts is full of challenges and difficulties, but also full of opportunities and growth. I hope you will stay true to yourself, seek common ground while reserving differences, and carry forward the way of the sword."

Zhang Yiming knew he had a great opportunity. He had never heard of anyone who knew how to bring the dead back to life, so he was even more excited.

"Thank you for taking me in, Master!"