Chapter 282 - 168: Demon King Passing Through, Shock of an Old Acquaintance

Chapter 282: Chapter 168: Demon King Passing Through, Shock of an Old Acquaintance

The prospect of paying their respects to the Eldest Senior Brother stirred far more excitement in them than meeting the Elders.

In that moment, Li Qingyi found herself imagining the Eldest Senior Brother’s demeanor. Surely, anyone who could be named the Eldest Senior Brother of the Holy Sect had to be a figure of peerless elegance and talent.

Meanwhile, inside Jiang Hao’s bedchambers, he wasn’t actually in secluded cultivation.

In truth, his "secluded cultivation" wasn’t a traditional retreat; rather, he was practicing martial arts inside the Martial Arts Cultivation Chamber.

"Slaying Immortal Sword Technique?"

Jiang Hao’s breathing quickened as he reviewed the martial arts reward he had obtained at the top of the Holy Ladder, which was now fully imprinted in his mind.

It wasn’t until he returned to the Beardless Sect that he realized a restriction had been placed on this martial art. Only the genius who had personally earned it could cultivate it. If anyone attempted to extract it from his mind or covet it, the technique would be instantly obliterated by those very restrictions.

Clearly, such a profound failsafe had been implemented by the supreme being who had left behind the Holy Ladder. Its purpose was undoubtedly to protect the rewarded genius. Otherwise, the moment such a martial art was revealed, even a Saint Venerable would likely attempt to seize it.

However, what shocked Jiang Hao the most was the terrifying nature of the technique itself.

Slaying Immortal Sword Technique. What an audacious claim. Just the word "Immortal" alone made Jiang Hao feel as if he had been struck by lightning.

Immortals! Did the Immortal Dao truly exist in this world? This was the ultimate answer the entire Cultivation Realm had been tirelessly pursuing until now.

Of course, these profound mysteries were not for Jiang Hao to ponder at the moment. Right now, his only concern was figuring out how to master this martial art.

Just as Master Beardless had said, this was a truly terrifying martial art. Its terrifying aspect lay in the fact that it had no set grade. In other words, its rank and power would evolve alongside the cultivator’s own cultivation base.

"A Sword Technique that upgrades automatically... I’ve never heard of or seen such a thing," he murmured.

Yet, that wasn’t even the most frightening part. The truly terrifying realization was that Jiang Hao had spent three full days and nights just to memorize the first volume of the Slaying Immortal Sword Technique.

This Sword Technique had to be read using both Soul Power and mental energy, draining him to an unimaginable degree.

After finally finishing the first volume, he had picked up his sword to begin practicing. To his dismay, he discovered that executing even a single sword stance while simultaneously circulating the Heart Technique was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

He had spent over ten hours inside the Cultivation Chamber, yet he still couldn’t complete the very first sword stance. It was like trying to lift a massive weight with a single hand—reaching the apex was so excruciatingly difficult that progress could only be made inch by inch.

However, his intuition told him that once this Sword Technique was successfully mastered, its devastating might would far exceed his imagination. After several consecutive days of fumbling, Jiang Hao had finally managed to grasp a sliver of the underlying concept.

The Slaying Immortal Sword Technique prioritized "comprehension," followed by "refinement," and only then, "cultivation."

Just as Jiang Hao was internally reviewing the Sword Technique, a voice called out.

"Eldest Senior Brother, another group of traveling disciples has returned to the Beardless Sect and come to pay their respects. Would you be willing to meet them? The Sect Leader said that if you do not wish to see them, they can simply bow outside and head back down the peak."

Recognizing Jiang Huaiyu’s voice and having hit a bottleneck in his training anyway, Jiang Hao decided he might as well take a break. After a brief moment of thought, he replied, "Have them wait in the side hall. I’ll be there shortly."

"Understood." Jiang Huaiyu replied from outside the door, his rapid footsteps soon fading into the distance.

A short while later, in the side hall of Great Ming Peak, Li Qingyi and the others, alongside three Elders, waited patiently. Ling’Er, Qing’Er, and a few other attendants stood to the side, serving tea.

Then, at a certain moment, a voice rang out.

"The Eldest Senior Brother has arrived!"

Jiang Huaiyu’s announcement echoed from outside the door, serving as a prompt for everyone present. All eyes immediately turned toward the entrance.

A figure in pristine white robes slowly approached with a leisurely, unhurried gait, his hazy silhouette gradually coming into sharp focus. It was an exceptionally young man. He had delicate, handsome features and a strikingly graceful presence. He exuded an ethereal, elusive aura, making him seem almost unreal.

It wasn’t until he stepped into the side hall that this illusion of unfathomable mystique lessened slightly.

However, as he drew near, Li Qingyi finally caught a clear look at the face of the white-robed young man. The nervousness that had filled her beautiful eyes was suddenly replaced by a rising tide of profound shock and absolute disbelief.