Seven Annihilations Swordplay

Seven Annihilations Swordplay

Qin Wentian watched as the figure walked away, and he couldn't help but call out, "Why don't the swords attack you?"

The departing figure turned back, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I am a sword, my friend. Why would the swords slay me?" His words left Qin Wentian in deep contemplation.

"I am a sword, why would the swords slay me?" Qin Wentian repeated to himself. The idea that this person was, in fact, a sword kept echoing in his mind.

Frozen in place, Qin Wentian dared not make a move. The pervasive sword intent enveloped him entirely. Any movement, and those swords would surely strike him down. It was an incredibly threatening but oddly captivating sensation. He could sense the presence of each individual sword in the forest.

However, he still had no clue how to navigate this perilous place.

Closing his eyes, Qin Wentian took a deep breath, attempting to calm the chaotic turmoil in his heart. He knew that he needed a clear mind to solve this puzzle. If his thoughts remained muddled, it could lead to his demise.

The Vermilion Bird had asked him if he was willing to risk death when he chose this path. Now, he couldn't afford to be afraid. Only by moving forward could he hope to survive.

He had no other options; he needed the courage to press on.

"I am a sword, I am a sword," Qin Wentian repeated, trying to embody the concept the other person had mentioned. It seemed like the key to solving this riddle.

If he could become one with the swords, merging his essence with the Sword Forest, the hovering blades would no longer target him.

Suddenly, a surge of potent sword intent emanated from Qin Wentian, as he attempted to forcibly synchronize his own sword intent with that of the forest. But at that moment, he felt the swords' killing intent intensify, as though they could pierce through space at any instant to strike him down. Qin Wentian's face darkened, and he swiftly withdrew his sword intent.

He had been on the wrong track.

If the solution were as straightforward as merging his intent with the forest's, it wouldn't be considered the most challenging path among the ancient emperors' legacies.

In the first dimension, the test had been about his combat prowess. In this second dimension, it was a test of comprehension.

To leave the Sword Forest, he needed to become one with the sword. It was akin to what the snowman had done in the previous dimension, merging seamlessly with the snow, concealing every trace of his existence. The figure who had walked out of the Sword Forest earlier had exuded the same aura. He seemed like a living sword.

But with all the blades in the air currently pointed at him, how could Qin Wentian possibly find the calm needed to understand the essence of becoming one with the sword?

Qin Wentian inhaled deeply, attempting to calm his racing heart. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, silently observing the floating swords swaying in the wind.

Each sword was sharp and unyielding, embodying an inherent quality of sweeping away all that lay before it.

"Understanding the sword by becoming the sword," Qin Wentian pondered silently. He stood there, his posture as straight as a sword, gazing intensely at the hovering blades, scrutinizing every detail.

A harmonious sword melody emanated from Qin Wentian, as if he aimed to strike the same chord as the hovering swords.

Days turned into weeks, but Qin Wentian's sword melody persisted. The countless blades still pointed at him, their murderous intent lingering in the air. However, Qin Wentian had a peculiar sensation. It was as if the intensity of their murderous intent had slightly diminished. Though the decrease was minimal, it marked a form of progress.

"Emulating the sword to fathom the sword," Qin Wentian silently repeated to himself. He visualized himself as a sword, standing tall amidst the forest of blades, sharing the same purpose and intent as each sword present.

The swords sang their keening tune, and so did he. When the swords seemed at rest, he matched their stillness.

In the Sword Forest, the weather shifted. Rain poured down, but the hovering swords remained unmoved, still trained on Qin Wentian. He felt the rain drenching his body but made no reaction. His sword keening persisted, as he continued to merge his essence with the surrounding blades.

As the rain grew heavier, completely soaking him, he stood firm like an embedded sword. His fierce sword intent swept aside the raindrops.

The keening of the swords in the Sword Forest grew louder. Simultaneously, Qin Wentian sensed that the murderous intent directed at him had lessened once more.

Joy welled up within him. It seemed that he was on the right path. Only when the swords' murderous intent vanished entirely could he proceed.

Time flowed on, and Qin Wentian learned about the sword by observing it. He was making strides in becoming one with the sword. He aspired to grasp the meaning behind the man's words: "I am a sword, why would they slay me?"

In the Sword Forest, a chilly breeze swept through, brushing past Qin Wentian's body. He remained deeply absorbed in his unique state of mind, having forgotten everything, even himself. At this moment, he was simply a sword, a sword within the Sword Forest.

Three months passed. Qin Wentian stood still, his eyes closed. His sword aura had fully transformed into that of an actual blade, resonating with the others in the wind and breathing sword intent in harmony.

Outside the Sword Forest, a figure observed Qin Wentian, eyes sharp with anticipation. This young man possessed an extraordinary level of comprehension. Perhaps he would be able to complete this trial in just three years.

Another half-year elapsed, and Qin Wentian had fully merged with the swords, becoming one with the forest. The floating blades no longer pointed at him, and the oppressive sword aura had significantly diminished.

With a smile on his face, Qin Wentian lifted his foot, stepping forward like a flying sword. However, the moment he took that step, a horrifying killing intent surged toward him, and the surrounding sword aura intensified abruptly. Qin Wentian's face paled, and he hastily retracted his foot. What had gone wrong?

He had approached the challenge with sincerity, honing his heart's state as a sword for half a year. Had he chosen the wrong path?

The Sword Forest still didn't accept him. He couldn't leave this place.

"Was I wrong? If so, how can I find my way out of this Sword Forest?" Qin Wentian questioned himself silently. He had chosen the most challenging path, but how could he overcome this trial? If he couldn't succeed here, would he be trapped for eternity?

As he thought about it, Qin Wentian's heart grew chaotic.

Half a year had passed, and he had wasted all that time realizing he was on the wrong track. He was someone who valued every moment, unwilling to squander it. Yet now, after half a year, he couldn't accept the fact that he had made no progress compared to when he started. He was still unable to take a single step forward.

For three days, Qin Wentian remained lost in thought. He began to resent the floating swords pointed menacingly at him, yearning to shatter them all. But as thoughts of anger and vengeance crossed his mind, the killing intent from the Sword Forest intensified.

As the sound of his inner turmoil faded, he once again closed his eyes, dismissing thoughts of anger and revenge. Slowly, the oppressive killing intent began to dissipate.

Sensing this menacing killing intent, Qin Wentian's heart trembled slightly. It was as if he had grasped something. Inwardly, he mumbled, "As swords, you all possess such acute perception, able to distinguish friend from foe and recognize good from evil. It seems that I was truly mistaken earlier."

"With sincerity as my approach, if my heart truly aligns with the sword, I'll naturally become one with the Sword Forest. My previous path wasn't completely wrong."

This time, he spent only a month in a state of absolute stillness before attempting to move again. But Qin Wentian knew that it still wasn't enough. He had to forget everything entirely: his name, his identity, even his existence as a human.

One with the sword, nothing without it.

Time passed, and Qin Wentian continued to stand there, immersed in forgetting. He lost all sense of self and gradually became more and more like an actual sword without consciously trying.

A gentle breeze rustled through the Sword Forest, which was now devoid of humans. There were only swords.

Suddenly, Qin Wentian had a peculiar sensation. It was as if the surroundings had become a part of him, the floating swords, and the entire Sword Forest.

At long last, a smile crept across Qin Wentian's lips. He opened his eyes and took a step forward.

The force of that step was gentle, yet brimming with unwavering confidence.

As he moved forward, it felt as though the entire Sword Forest moved with him.

Qin Wentian knew that his understanding and mastery of the sword had reached an entirely new level. He also realized that only by entering this realm could one leave the Sword Forest.

Not only could he exit, but he could also command the Sword Forest at will.

He extended his hand and gently caressed one of the floating swords. Upon his touch, the sword began to vibrate, emitting a soft humming sound.

"Unfortunately, in a real battle, I won't have such an abundance of powerful swords at my disposal," Qin Wentian remarked with a sigh. Then, with a wave of his hand, all the swords in the Sword Forest converged toward him, hovering in the air and exuding an overwhelming sword aura that seemed ready to consume everything.

The Sword Forest vanished, replaced by a colossal ancient sword hovering above Qin Wentian. Once again, the enigmatic figure from before stepped out, his eyes filled with fascination as he gazed at Qin Wentian.

"Barely a year has passed, and I didn't expect you to grasp this state so swiftly," the figure remarked, his admiration evident. Qin Wentian's ability to comprehend had even astonished him.

Qin Wentian forced a wry smile and responded in a low voice, "I didn't expect it either. However, this is only the second trial, and I've already spent a year here. I wonder how long the third trial will take me if I continue upward."

The figure wore a smile that seemed more like a smirk as he added, "Do you know that in this one year, not only has your Mandate of Swords undergone a breakthrough, but you've also comprehended the principles of an extremely formidable sword art? Are you still unsatisfied?"

Qin Wentian naturally understood what the figure was getting at. His second level of insight into the Mandate of Swords, the Sword Melody, had already progressed from the Advanced Boundary to the Transformation Boundary. He was just one step away from reaching Perfection.

Furthermore, he also realized that by being able to emerge from the Sword Forest, he had already comprehended an incredibly potent sword technique.

"What is the name of this sword art?" Qin Wentian inquired.

"Although you've grasped the principles, what you've delved into is just the tip of the iceberg. Allow me to bestow this innate technique upon you." The figure chuckled, and with a flick of his hand, an ancient manual soared toward Qin Wentian. He caught it, sensing the powerful sword aura radiating from the seven bold, golden letters engraved on the manual's cover—Seven Annihilations Swordplay.

"You have my gratitude," Qin Wentian said with a bow.

"No need for thanks. You've already conquered two of the trials. However, the next challenge you face won't be so simple. If you can overcome it, you'll be just one step away from success," the figure said with a smile as his form began to dissipate, eventually vanishing completely.

The entire dimension trembled once more. In the blink of an eye, a new set of stairs appeared where the figure had stood, inviting Qin Wentian to ascend to the next level.

Passing the next trial would bring him just one step away from success.

While this path had few trials, each one was incredibly difficult, to the point of being nearly impossible. Take the Sword Forest, for instance. If Qin Wentian had succumbed to anger and frustration, he would have struggled to gain comprehension and escape its confines. He might have been trapped for years, eventually growing impatient and attempting to force his way out, leading only to one outcome—death.