Chapter 1534: The Initial Heart as the Sword
"Consort Chang died? And at your hands?"
Khai Hoàng's heart skipped a beat as he looked at Tần Mục in surprise. After a moment, he said, "After you mastered the Tribulation Sword, your strength has greatly increased. The blade may be sharp, but the one wielding it must not neglect their cultivation. Over-reliance on sharp weapons will cause you to lose your motivation to advance."
Tần Mục took out the Executioner's Platform and said, "My cultivation has never lagged behind. In fact, I am stronger than ever before! I can now compete with the Heavenly Venerables on equal footing! Khai Hoàng, at my age back then, what level of cultivation did you have? There's no need to worry about me."
Khai Hoàng thought for a moment. At Tần Mục's age, he had been merely a minor deity, far from Tần Mục's current achievements.
He supposed that his expectations for Tần Mục were too high, which was why he worried about him falling astray.
On the Executioner's Platform, the power of the two divine blades had recovered considerably, but they had yet to return to their peak state.
The two blood-fiend divine blades could be seen entangled on the platform, their power astonishing—capable of severing the primordial spirit, severing the physical body, and severing the Dao heart!
"These two divine blades seem weaker than before, not matching their might during the battle at Huyền Đô."
Khai Hoàng examined them and said with confusion, "Their power is too shallow now. They probably cannot help me attain the Dao. I am too strong; the Executioner's Platform cannot put enough pressure on me."
Tần Mục raised an eyebrow. The power of the two divine blades on the Executioner's Platform was terrifying—even without being at full strength, one touch meant death, one graze meant doom—yet Khai Hoàng still complained their power was too shallow.
"A blade is only as good as the one who wields it. With the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades sitting idle without anyone to drive them, of course they seem too weak to you."
Tần Mục's eyes gleamed. "Moreover, what you need isn't pressure, but to comprehend the Dao heart and Dao realm within the Executioner's Platform. How about this—I will control these two divine blades myself to give you a hand. What do you think?"
Khai Hoàng's sword-like brows lifted slightly, and he smiled. "Fine. But I worry your skill isn't enough to command these two divine blades."
Tần Mục twisted his waist, rolled his neck, and stretched his body, laughing. "During the battle at Huyền Đô, I held these divine blades and cut down more than one Heavenly Venerable! Back then I didn't truly control the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades. Now that I have them in hand, I'm more worried about you. After all, you're old, while I'm still in my prime."
Khai Hoàng laughed. "What do gods and demons know of old or young? Heavenly Venerable Mục is joking."
"Heavenly Venerable Tần is too kind."
Tần Mục raised his hand in invitation and said, "In that case, Heavenly Venerable Tần, shall we ascend the platform?"
Khai Hoàng gripped the sheath of the Carefree Sword in his left hand and slowly ascended the platform.
Tần Mục's body rose into the air, floating above the Executioner's Platform, positioned between the two Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades. The two divine blades were like twin blood-fiend dragons, circling him with howling winds.
He narrowed his eyes and raised his palm. The blood-fiend dragons swam past his palm, their rough, sharp reverse scales scraping against his skin.
Blood flowed from his palm, yet the two blood-fiend evil dragons seemed utterly docile.
Over these past days, he had refined the Executioner's Platform, and along with it, the two Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades. He could now command the divine blades with perfect ease.
Below, Khai Hoàng resisted the baleful aura of the blades, climbing step by step toward the platform.
Around him, there seemed to be layer upon layer of invisible sword Dao domains. The blade light of the Executioner's Platform flickered, and wherever it invaded his domain, sword light clashed against blade light with ringing collisions.
To Tần Mục, the Executioner's Platform had only thirty steps. But to Khai Hoàng, it had thirty-five.
Such was the peculiar nature of the Executioner's Platform—the higher one's Dao realm cultivation, the more steps the platform had, and the more powerful the divine blades upon it!
Finally, Khai Hoàng took his thirty-fifth step and set foot upon the Executioner's Platform!
Back then, Tần Mục, the Butcher, and other blade Dao masters had joined forces to ascend the platform, drawing their divine blades and ultimate techniques early on. But Khai Hoàng had climbed all thirty-five levels of the Executioner's Platform without ever drawing his sword.
Whoosh—
The heads of the two Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades paused briefly, then plunged downward.
Tần Mục's gaze fell upon Khai Hoàng, searching for his openings, letting the two divine blades attack on their own.
On the platform, Khai Hoàng moved as if strolling through a garden, drawing his sword and waving it casually, driving back the two Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades time and again.
His sword Dao was too strong. Using the Executioner's Platform to temper his sword Dao proved difficult, because the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades could hardly wound him.
His Dao heart was also too strong. A Dao heart so powerful rendered the Executioner's Platform—which severed and tempered the Dao heart—useless to him.
At his level of strength, it was indeed difficult to advance further.
This was precisely why he had wanted to ascend the Executioner's Platform during the battle at Huyền Đô.
He was too strong. To attain the Dao, he needed a tremendous trial. Consort Chang was a Heavenly Venerable who controlled the Executioner's Platform and the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades—she could stimulate his potential and latent power, helping him attain the Dao!
But now, the power of the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades had been greatly diminished, no longer able to put pressure on him!
Suddenly, the sky-covering blood-red blade light vanished without a trace. The two divine blades soared upward, and Khai Hoàng couldn't help but look up.
Above him was a clear blue sky, devoid of any clouds, so transparent he could almost see the stars beyond the heavens.
Khai Hoàng narrowed his eyes. He saw Tần Mục carrying the two divine blades, spinning as he shot into the sky, growing farther and farther from the Executioner's Platform. Soon, Tần Mục was as small as a tiny ant.
Khai Hoàng raised his head, gazing across the distance at Tần Mục. Tần Mục continued to recede until he reached the outer heavens of the Carefree Realm, where he finally stopped.
Khai Hoàng raised an eyebrow, then with a whoosh, sheathed the Carefree Sword. He shook his right hand, flexing his fingers, before gripping the sword hilt again, poised and ready.
Out in the heavens, Tần Mục gripped the blood-fiend Spirit-Severing Blade and gave it a powerful shake. The two divine blades merged into one.
The blade was entirely blood-red, with a dragon's head as the pommel, dragon fins as the edge, and dragon bone as the spine, carrying the unmatched baleful aura forged from slaying the Heavenly Duke!
Tần Mục gripped the blade, crouched, gathered his strength, and suddenly grinned. The next moment, he took a single step!
At that instant, it seemed a meteor had appeared above the Carefree Realm. The meteor broke through the sky and entered the atmosphere of the Carefree Realm. At first dim, it grew brighter and brighter as it fell.
The light was blood-red, casting the entire Carefree Realm in a crimson glow. By the end, it was like a vast ocean of blood!
At the same time, the entire Executioner's Platform blazed with light. All its natural Dao patterns lit up at once. Suddenly, blood light surged like a tide, madly rushing upward!
Blade light and blood light merged into one. Khai Hoàng looked up but could no longer tell where the blade light ended and the blood light began!
Suddenly, a blade wound appeared on Khai Hoàng's face. The Spirit-Severing Mystic Blade had not yet arrived, yet a cut had already opened on his skin!
And from the wound on his face, blood was flowing upward! The qi and blood within his body churned, surging toward the wound!
"Truly the number one murderous weapon under heaven!"
Khai Hoàng couldn't help but grow excited. He fiercely drew his sword. Sword light merged with his blood, his sword Dao infusing each droplet of blood that flew upward.
Suddenly, several crisp ringing sounds came. The instant his blood collided with the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blade, the sword Dao hidden within the blood erupted!
Khai Hoàng's eyes lit up. He finally saw the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blade within the ocean of blood!
The Carefree Sword met the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blade within the crimson tide. His sword Dao burst forth in that single strike, and in an instant, thirty-five layers of heavenly sword domains emerged within the blood light!
Boom!
The sea of blood above the Executioner's Platform exploded. Frenzied blade light and sword light tangled together. In the blink of an eye, Khai Hoàng was drenched in blood, covered in wounds everywhere!
This was not Tần Mục's personal power alone, but the power of the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades combined with the Executioner's Platform.
The Executioner's Platform was extremely marvelous. Standing upon it, however many layers of Dao realm one had, the platform would manifest that many layers of Dao realm. Tần Mục's own blade Dao realm was only at twenty-six layers. Even working with the Butcher and others, they could only raise the blade Dao to thirty layers—certainly not enough to wound Khai Hoàng.
But by borrowing the Executioner's Platform, he could unleash a Dao realm of thirty-five layers!
This was the strength of the Executioner's Platform, and also the strength of Khai Hoàng.
Without Khai Hoàng—a being with a thirty-five-layer Dao realm—standing upon the platform, Tần Mục could never have commanded the power of a thirty-five-layer Dao realm!
Combined with the might of the Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades, he had already wounded Khai Hoàng!
It was the first time Khai Hoàng had encountered such ferocious attacks. The overwhelming blade light gave him a sense of being impossible to defend against. Not only that, the terrible blade light seeped through every opening, cutting into his physical body again and again, cutting into his primordial spirit!
Even his Dao heart was invaded by the blade light, riddled with holes!
The Spirit-Severing Mystic Blades, combined with the Executioner's Platform, and with Tần Mục—a formidable blade Dao master—wielding them, Khai Hoàng was actually forced onto the defensive!
He saw Tần Mục within the blood light. The Mystic Blade split into two, then merged back into one, its length shifting, now near, now far, like a violent wind, like thunder, like a torrential storm—so fast it was unimaginable, so fast it was inconceivable!
Tần Mục attacked him from every angle. Even his Dao realm could not withstand it. His sword domain was split open again and again by the two divine blades!
Though the wounds to his physical body and primordial spirit were severe, even heavier were the blade scars falling upon his Dao heart.
The Spirit-Severing Mystic Blade's repeated attacks were like repeated interrogations, rebuking his Dao heart, condemning his deeds, making him doubt himself, deny himself!
This kind of attack was unprecedented for him. He did not know how to defend against it.
For the first time, he hesitated. He wavered.
His unbreakable Dao heart grew weak in that moment. It was as if he saw his own deeds throughout his life within the blood light—his failures, the consequences of his decisions when the Khai Hoàng Tribulation erupted.
He saw himself, during the Khai Hoàng Tribulation, leading the most powerful forces of the Khai Hoàng Heavenly Court to take refuge in the Carefree Realm. He saw that after they left, the people under the Khai Hoàng Heavenly Court's protection were displaced, families torn apart. He saw countless living souls slaughtered cruelly at the hands of the Heavenly Court's gods and demons!
He saw those lives he had promised to protect, facing suffering and helplessness amid natural disasters and man-made calamities. He saw them wailing to heaven, yet his promise was never fulfilled.
He saw his old subordinates fall into despair, one by one turning to stone statues.
He saw the Khai Hoàng Era become the Great Ruin. He saw the tragic deaths of the Heavenly Craftsman Divine Clan. He saw the disappointment of the Woodcutter Sage. He saw the First Ancestor Human Emperor leading the remnants of the Khai Hoàng Era through hardship and struggle, seeking survival everywhere.
He saw the First Ancestor Human Emperor, ultimately consumed by guilt, turn into a stone statue above Tiểu Ngọc Kinh, refusing to awaken.
This was Khai Hoàng's sin, yet it was the First Ancestor Human Emperor who bore it.
Khai Hoàng's Dao heart wavered.
Tần Mục's blade light made him waver. He could not live his life without guilt, and Tần Mục, using the mysteries of the Executioner's Platform, struck at the guilt within his Dao heart!
Shing!
A blood-stained blade light descended. Khai Hoàng raised his sword to block, but was pressed down onto his knees. The Spirit-Severing Mystic Blade pressed against the Carefree Sword, and the Carefree Sword pierced into his shoulder.
Kneeling on the ground, he felt as though he had returned to the past, to the moment he first gripped a sword.
Through the haze, he saw his master—an obscure swordsman. When he had knelt and begged his master to teach him swordsmanship, the old swordsman's voice rang out in his Dao heart: "Tần Nghiệp, why do you wish to learn the sword?"
In the mud, a young child raised his head, his eyes filled with determination: "I learn the sword to protect those who suffer injustice and hardship just like me!"
"I learn the sword to gain the power to level the injustices of the world and protect the common people!"
"I learn the sword to use it as a plow, carving riverbeds so floods no longer rage, so the gods above dare not send down calamities. I learn the sword to use it as a weapon, to vanquish fierce beasts, to eliminate demons and monsters, to establish order for the gods, and to return a peaceful world to the people!"
...
"Can you do it?"
"I can!"
The old swordsman pressed his sword upon the child's shoulder and smiled gently: "Tần Nghiệp, never forget—this is your initial heart. Everything you do in the future must never betray your initial heart."
Within the blood light, the blood-soaked Khai Hoàng looked up at the two blood-fiend evil dragons descending upon him. The dragons' eyes seemed to mock his deeds over the years, mocking how he had long forgotten what his initial heart was!
Khai Hoàng wept, tears of blood streaming from his eyes.
Crack.
The Carefree Sword in his hand suddenly shattered, turning to dust.
The sword that had accompanied him through countless battles had broken—broken completely, cleanly.
Yet in his hand, there was still a sword, blazing with light!
His sword Dao no longer had carefree. Only the initial heart remained.
The initial heart as the sword.