An Incomplete Sword
853 Words
The path was sloped downwards and the marble floor had droplets of time mist which made the floor wet and slippery.
Time is a river so it replicates water which means that if care is not taken, he could slip and slide down the mountain, probably sustaining an injury in the process.
This is the path he sought for, but this path was dangerous. One wrong move and he is done for. He swallowed– hard.
Yao took a deep breath, and a few seconds later, he crossed the boundary.
The moment he separated himself from the enclosure that hid the mountain top, Yao knew that he could not afford to go back again. Not because he did not want to go back, but because it was now impossible.
Another defensive mechanism.
He took his first step and then the second. From there, he carefully descended from the sloped mountain range. And on each side, Yao could clearly see beneath the mountain. He also saw a massive river that pooled beneath this range.
He breathed in and out.
White mist followed his exhalation. He breathed in and out three times— mist followed his exhalations.
A split second later, a terrifying sense of danger overwhelmed his six senses.
He turned towards the top of the enclosure that hid within the mountain.
He hurriedly turned towards his path and right about then, his pupils shrank rapidly.
His third eyes rapidly spun within his inner world and spirit energy manifested from his fingers, creating a majestic shield.
Then,
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Ripples and shockwaves spread out dramatically and the impact cracked the overcast sky above his head, shocking Yao and pushing him backwards.
The shield he had created into a solid form, quickly returned back to its original spirit form and Yao watched a sword qi approach.
This same sword qi had used its spirit form to overturn and c***k the sky.
This was the true power of the Soul of Swords.
Yao shook his head and tried to meditate upon the sword. He had used the Soul of Swords to pass his first Heavenly Spirit Tribulation, showing how terrifying it was, incomplete.
Now, what Yao is seeing is simply the other fragment that would complement the other type he had in his possession.
He watched the sword qi approach him at terrifying speed and when it crossed the void, his third eye spun rapidly, causing a cosmic sword to materialise in the void.
This cosmic sword took partial form then, it merged with Yao's incomplete soul of sword.
Yao realized that he needed to transmute the physical thing into its spirit form and he was not able to achieve that yet. So, he cheated his way by creating a cosmic sword. This cosmic sword possessed spiritual energy and its ephemeral texture. So all he needed to do is— merge the cosmic sword with his incomplete soul of sword.
Then his eyes grew cold as he watched this same sword fizzle through the void and the moment it closed the distance, Yao already had his own counter ready.
All these took a split second and two swords collided. A deafening thunderclap tore through the sky like a fragile glass and the shockwaves it produced were exaggerated.
Yao had almost slipped off the mountain slope. It was hard to maintain balance and attack at the same time, atop a narrow mountain range.
This was terribly risky.
Yao watched the sword qi turn into mist and his own spirit energy absorbed what was left of the sword qi.
Yao blinked, surprised that his spirit sea could absorb the essence of a technique. But if he was to ask a question now, it would be, why his spirit sea was absorbing these essences.
Yao did not understand the kind of cultivation he carried. But when he thinks more about it, he realizes that every cultivator possesses one cheat or the other. It could either be a turbid treasure, a mirebound artefact or ancient resources.
Some might possess exceptional cultivation talent— like he does. Some of them, it could be their fate, either leading them somewhere or dragging them back.
But Yao knows that there's a reason behind every talent which includes his own.
He exhaled again— froze for a moment when he felt a chill. Then he realised that breathing in and out could trigger dangers from the river of time.
There was mist drifting through the space and once inhaled, the danger can only be curbed by not exhaling out the already inhaled mist.
A cultivator could hold their breath for a very long time and it wouldn't affect them so Yao didn't mind not breathing.
He turned towards the path down and took a step, but he actually slipped.
Yao blinked, before the momentum of his body pulled him downwards.
The marble floor cracked and became rock particles or probably stone granules. Yao continued to slide down.
He didn't scream, he didn't breathe. He only looked for a way to stop the movement, directing himself not to fall over, into the vast sea of time.
- Writer
