"Sword energy?"
Xiao Xuan was puzzled.
"Yes. "
The Qin beast nodded.
"good. "
Xiao Xuan responded, and the Vermilion Bird Sword Intent surged from his fingertips, condensing into a fiery red chess piece that landed on the star position.
Seeing this, Qin Shou smiled slightly, and his Feathered Sword Intent condensed into a white piece, which then fell to the ground.
Snap!
Soon, more than a dozen chess pieces were placed on the chessboard.
Under the peach tree, petals fluttered in the air.
Time flows slowly in the stillness...
The master and apprentice, one dressed in red and the other in white, each with a white piece and a red piece, went back and forth, placing pieces and making moves, enjoying themselves immensely.
A person's sword intent is limited because their mental strength is limited.
Qin Shou wanted to use this chessboard to hone Xiao Xuan's sword intent and bring about a transformation for him.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed. Xiao Xuan remained calm and composed, and Qin Shou, seeing this, continued to place his pieces without haste.
"Heaven and earth form a square and a circle, the chessboard is confined to its own realm."
"Master, are you trying to use this chessboard to hone my sword intent?"
Xiao Xuan was indeed intelligent and quickly grasped Qin Shou's intentions.
Seeing this, Qin Shou didn't deny it and laughed, "Yes."
"Oh, then Master, you must be confident you can defeat me before my sword energy runs out."
"Hehe, don't worry. No one knows a student better than their teacher. In terms of chess skills, you can't beat your teacher."
"Hahaha, Master, you've always been so confident. Today, your disciple will dare to thwart your plans a little."
Snap!
As a fiery red chess piece was placed, a phantom of a Vermilion Bird seemed to appear and disappear on the chessboard, its wings spread, and flames swept across half of the chessboard.
Seeing this, Qin Shou shook his head again, "I told you, no one knows a disciple better than their master."
Snap!
A white piece fell, and a torrent of snow-white sword energy flowed forth, instantly digesting half of the "land" map that Xiao Xuan had spread out.
Seeing this, Xiao Xuan was not discouraged and continued to fight Qin Beast to the death.
Soon, several hours had passed, and the two players' chess game seemed to have no clear winner.
Xiao Xuan's sword energy gradually weakened from its initial intensity, while Qin Shou's sword energy remained vibrant, gentle, and restrained.
On the chessboard, Xiao Xuan always played the role of an emperor who expanded his territory, commanding his many generals to charge into battle and expand his domain, while Qin Shou seemed to play the role of an old man who guarded the land, using all kinds of inclusive changes to drive away the enemy.
Tick-tock!
After a long while, beads of sweat began to appear on Xiao Xuan's forehead, dripping onto the chessboard and instantly being torn apart into nothingness by the sword energy on the chessboard.
At this moment, he was much weaker, but his eyes were still very serious, and his deep pupils were filled with determination and calmness.
Snap!
His chess pieces remained steady, but with each unsuccessful attempt, his expression gradually became extremely solemn, and the speed at which he placed the pieces slowed down, no longer as sharp and fast as at the beginning.
At this moment, his entire being was immersed in the chessboard and in the intricate sword energy.
As the setting sun gradually faded in the west, the pitch-black night climbed into the sky.
The vast sea of clouds above Dengxian Tower appears both empty and lonely.
A sun and moon condensed on the Qin beast's shoulder, hanging on the branches of the flowering tree above, reflecting the sword-qi-filled chessboard below.
Time slipped by slowly, one day, two days, three days.
The game between the master and apprentice remained undecided.
At this moment, Xiao Xuan's hands, which were playing chess, began to tremble slightly. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat, but he seemed oblivious to it. His brows were furrowed, and he was caught in one struggle and conflict after another.
Xiao Xuan's chess skills are extraordinary, and can be said to be in no way inferior to Qin Shou. Unfortunately, Qin Shou is now a being who has comprehended the laws of order. His brain's computing capacity far surpasses that of Xiao Xuan in the Nascent Soul stage, and his sword intent is also stronger, constantly influencing Xiao Xuan's spirit.
Seeing that his disciple was on the verge of exhaustion, Qin Shou deliberately slowed down his moves, dragging out the time to wear down Xiao Xuan's spirit.
The end of the limit is the breakthrough.
Snap!
After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Xuan suddenly placed a piece, and flames shot up from the chessboard. A giant Vermilion Bird soared into the sky, and a bright hoofbeat resounded in all directions.
"His Majesty's sword intent has broken through again!"
At this moment, atop the Star-Picking Tower in the imperial city, the tower's master gazed at the strange phenomenon on the Ascension Tower and murmured to himself.
"Phew~"
Beneath the peach tree, Xiao Xuan awoke from the mist, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
"I possess a sword-wielding heart, long locked away by worldly cares; now, the dust has settled, and its light shines forth, illuminating countless mountains and rivers!"
Xiao Xuan chuckled softly, a small, fiery red Vermilion Bird perched on his shoulder.
He has broken through to the realm of sword intent manifesting in form.
"Good, very good."
Qin Shou smiled and nodded. The Chosen One truly lives up to his name. His comprehension is so high that anyone would be confused, except for those who are overpowered.
In a sense, comprehending the realm of sword intent manifesting is equivalent to stepping into the realm of the Sword Emperor in the Dao of Swords.
However, Xiao Xuan's current realm has not yet reached the Void Realm, which is comparable to the Sword Emperor, and it is precisely because of this that his talent is so great.
Afterwards, Xiao Xuan steadied his sword intent, and the master and disciple stood under the peach tree, gazing at the sea of clouds together, with petals fluttering down behind them.
"Siwu, what are your plans next?"
Qin Shou asked.
Xiao Xuan laughed and said, "Of course, it's about expanding our territory and continuing our struggle!"
Qin Shou frowned. "You have avenged your family and country, and restored your kingdom as you wished. Are you still not satisfied?"
"Master, personal and national vendettas are things I must pursue, but they are not my life's goal."
"So what are your life goals?"
"I will establish an eternal imperial empire, I will be the king of this world, and I will make this era, and every era to come, remember the name of Xiao Xuan!"
Looking at his spirited disciple, Qin Shou suddenly sighed and said, "Wouldn't it be better to quietly seek immortality? Compared to immortality, all things in this world are ultimately just an empty dream."
The sands of time may not accommodate an ambitious king, but they can leave behind someone who lives on by conforming to the passage of time.
"Haha, Master, I want to be an emperor, and I want immortality too!"
Xiao Xuan laughed heartily.
Qin Shou sighed, "Human strength has its limits."
Xiao Xuan, however, remained unconvinced. "Master," he said, "I believe that human effort can achieve anything, and I also believe that my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."
"Moreover, a man who does not aspire to great things is wasting his life."
"And I, Xiao Xuan, have only sought a prosperous and invincible life in this lifetime. Even if I ultimately cannot achieve immortality, I will forge my own path to immortality. At the very least, I will live this life without regrets."
"Yeah? "
Qin Beast murmured something.
On his arrival, he saw a landscape devastated, littered with corpses, and plagued by constant warfare.
"The rise and expansion of a dynasty is inevitably built upon countless corpses."
Qin Shou sighed softly.
Xiao Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Master, this is a chaotic world, and might makes right is the only truth."
Moreover, even if I, Xiao Xuan, did not exist in this world, there would be others.
Death is not temporary, but eternal.
Perhaps, only when a completely new, unified order emerges in the world will people in this era be better off.
"Perhaps...."
Qin Shou gazed at the sea of clouds and murmured something, then stopped.
"You may go now."
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