Page 425

At this moment, Xi Luo was in the training ground called "Crimson Path." However, he was not using the "Hero Sword," but instead wielded an ordinary heavy iron sword, facing four magically conjured ninth-tier top-level magical beasts, the "Flame-Scaled Horned Serpents." These four giant serpents, each dozens of meters long and wreathed in green flames, were nearly as powerful as super magical beasts when combined. Although Xi Luo had already broken through to the Sword Emperor level, his time in this realm was still short. Even with the help of the "Saint Ice Thorn Aura," he could only retreat step by step, being knocked down repeatedly.

Finally, after a fierce collision, one of the "Flame-Scaled Horned Serpents" was severed by Xi Luo, but he was also severely injured by the counterattack, unable to get up. Princess Elena of the Red Jade Royal Family, who was controlling the magic array, quickly shut down the array. The light in the space dimmed, and the magical beasts and their corpses suddenly disappeared, as if they were mere illusions. Even the injuries on Xi Luo's body seemed to vanish.

Princess Elena, three years older than Xi Luo, had once been fierce and bold when she confronted Chen Xuanfeng. However, whether it was time that changed her or the different person she was facing, this beautiful woman with the strength of a fifth-tier Sword Master and a noble status now appeared gentle and serene.

She gently helped the fallen Xi Luo up and asked with a hint of reproach, "Why are you pushing yourself so hard? You should know that ninth-tier top-level magical beasts are the limit of a Sword Emperor's strength. Even if you try your hardest, without a good weapon, you can't possibly take on four 'Flame-Scaled Horned Serpents' at once. This kind of training only brings you suffering."

Xi Luo had gradually recovered by now. In fact, the injuries sustained in the magical illusion only affected his mental realm and had no impact on his physical body. The reason he couldn't get up was merely due to the exhaustion from repeatedly pushing his limits.

He struggled free from Elena's support and stood up unsteadily, saying in a low voice, "That person... once, with the strength of a Sword Master, cut a super magical beast-level magical elemental dragon in half, without using an epic-level weapon. That's why he could unleash an attack comparable to the 'Supreme Dragon Saint' with the strength of a Sword Emperor. If I keep relying on divine weapons, I will only fail again and again... I... can't afford to fail anymore... for the sake of those who sacrificed themselves."

Xi Luo was referring to the time when Chen Xuanfeng was accidentally caught in the "Dragon Soul Space" of the "Dragon Slayer Tyrant Sword" during a mission to the Sacred Dragon Mountain and was forced into a bloody battle with the "Phantom Dragon Soul." At that time, Chen Xuanfeng had used the forcibly comprehended "One Sword to Sever Heaven and Earth" to split the dragon soul in half. If the dragon soul hadn't been immortal, Chen Xuanfeng's lifelong companion, the three-headed wolf "Ice Wind," wouldn't have self-destructed.

Xi Luo still vividly remembered that incident. He didn't know that Chen Xuanfeng, in addition to his aura, possessed top-tier martial arts from another world. Although their destructive power was not as great as aura, they had profound uses that the martial arts of this world lacked. However, his evaluation of Chen Xuanfeng was not wrong. Chen Xuanfeng was a strong individual capable of fighting above his level. If Xi Luo continued to chase his mentor in terms of strength, repeated failures would be almost inevitable.

Therefore, he had to hone himself in every aspect to shorten the gap between himself and that werewolf in the coming war.

Seeing this not-yet-adult boy cast a few mental-boosting divine spells on himself and prepare to activate the magic array again, Elena bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Actually, this kind of training will only widen the gap between you and that werewolf. He has already found his path, while you are still searching. By the time you reach his current level, he will have already far surpassed you."

Xi Luo's figure paused, and he finally said somewhat dejectedly, "Then what should I do? I'm not the 'Ancestor of Sword Saints' or a genius like Griffith."

Not to mention the Ancestor of Sword Saints, if he had Griffith's talent for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, combined with the "Hero Sword" and those unique techniques, he should be able to match his teacher, right?

"Go to the East!" Elena suddenly said. "Since you can't catch up to him through your own understanding, find a way to surpass him. If it's about fighting above your level, nothing is more suitable than the 'Star Chess Sword' of the Moonlight Tower at Nameless Lake."

"Are you joking?" Xi Luo was slightly taken aback by this.

Elena knew what Xi Luo was puzzled about and continued, "You must be wondering because you've heard that the 'Star Chess Sword' is never taught to outsiders, let alone men, right? Actually, you don't know that in the records of our Red Jade Royal Family, there is another way to possibly inherit the 'Star Chess Sword.'"

Seeing Xi Luo finally show a serious expression, Elena smiled bitterly and continued, "According to the secret records of the royal family, although every disciple of the Moonlight Tower practices the 'Star Chess Sword,' only the most talented and capable disciple in each generation is qualified to master the 'Heavenly Sword—Nameless,' inherit the title of 'Moon Maiden,' and pass down the most orthodox and original secrets. Others, even though they learn the same techniques, without the profound imprints of the 'Ancestor of Sword Saints' in the 'Nameless Sword' for reference and correction, the final results are naturally completely different. To ensure that each generation's 'Moon Maiden' truly masters the essence of the 'Nameless Sword,' they imitate the example of the 'Ancestor of Sword Saints' Leinster and the first 'Moon Maiden' by selecting an exceptionally powerful swordsman from among the young masters of the time to also learn the 'Star Chess Sword,' thereby inspiring and competing with the 'Moon Maiden' to achieve her power. Such a male swordsman would eventually become the only guest elder of the Moonlight Tower, known as the 'Tempering Sword Elder.' Although not every 'Tempering Sword Elder' masters the 'Star Chess Sword,' the benefits they gain from it are astonishing. For example, the last generation's 'Tempering Sword Elder' eventually became the guardian Sword Saint of the Yellow Dragon Empire, known as the 'Mystic Jade Sword Saint' Bing Qinglie."

"You mean..."

"This generation's 'Moon Maiden' is also the inheritor of the 'Mystic Jade Sword Saint's' holy sigil, known as the 'Maiden Knight.' Because she inherited the holy sigil at a young age, she has not yet chosen her 'Tempering Sword Elder.' After she broke through to the Saint Realm, ordinary Sword Emperors were no longer sufficient to be her training partners. Moreover, the other inheritors of holy sigils are all guardians of their respective countries, and their martial arts are incompatible with the 'Star Chess Sword' (the 'Death Knight' of the Viking Empire, although using the 'Frostmourne Sword,' is not considered a sword in the martial arts concept of the Yellow Dragon Empire). Even considering the stance of the Yellow Dragon Empire, such secrets cannot be easily spread. But you are different. You are a swordsman with strength close to the Saint Realm, and the Holy Light Temple has already lost its holy sigil and most of its territory, posing no threat to the Yellow Dragon Empire. Plus, with your Yellow Dragon bloodline, if you compete for the position of 'Tempering Sword Elder,' your chances of success are very high."