The Transmigrator's Cultivation

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 297: Return to Origin

The fruit split in half, like a gourd being cleaved open. Its outer shell was extremely tough, akin to a coconut’s, and it separated neatly into two halves. From within, a mysterious substance suddenly overflowed, milky white and incomparably crystalline.

Yun Lie immediately absorbed this milky white substance, vanishing into the crack in his brow. In that instant, the Small Universe—already filled with numerous solid swords—began to sparkle with radiant light! The light was as brilliant as stars, yet as fine as grains of sand.

Xu Ziqing widened his eyes, watching as the milky white substance shattered into star-like fragments. As the light flickered, it formed what seemed to be a star map.

…No, this wasn’t a star map; it likely represented some hidden set of rules in operation.

Xu Ziqing had a sudden realization and threw the storage tool holding the Sword Dao fruits toward Yun Lie.

Yun Lie remained expressionless. He raised his hand and took out another Sword Dao fruit, repeating the same process. Soon, he split open a third, a fourth, showing no hesitation. As he continuously absorbed the mysterious essence, the starlight within the Small Universe grew more and more abundant. Gradually, the traces formed by the starlight became clearer. But it still wasn’t enough, so Yun Lie split open a fifth Sword Dao fruit.

At this point, a faint trace of white seemed to emerge from the outer edges of his pitch-black eyes. The stubborn demonic intent within him had finally begun to crack under the influence of both his own will and the Sword Dao fruits. From here on, it would be much easier.

Xu Ziqing, who had been closely watching Yun Lie, naturally noticed this as well.

Shixiong’s demonic intent is truly fading…

He had long been aware that while his Shixiong’s behavior and demeanor hadn’t changed significantly after falling into demonic cultivation, there was a noticeable combination of unwavering resolve and underlying frenzy in his every action.

Back then, it felt as though if his Shixiong wasn’t constantly followed, he might do something earth-shattering at any moment, which left people feeling uneasy. But now, as Yun Lie’s demonic intent gradually faded, the changes brought about by his fall into demonhood were also disappearing.

It seemed as if his emotions were freezing over once more.

Xu Ziqing slowly calmed his breathing. At this moment, all he hoped for was that his Shixiong could harness the power of this sword-shaped tree’s nine-layered branches and ultimately transform into an immortal-demon hybrid body!

Yun Lie’s actions were not slow either. He had been solitary and cold since childhood, but his character was upright, and his Dao heart was firm.

Every decision he made was the result of deep thought, and once he set his mind to something, no one could sway him.

This was one of the most precious qualities of a sword cultivator—unbending like a sword, with a clear and steadfast sword heart.

Xu Ziqing had harvested eight Sword Dao fruits for him, and here, Yun Lie used them all without hesitation.

Before long, Yun Lie had absorbed the sixth and seventh Sword Dao fruits as well.

The blackness in his eyes was fading even faster now.

When the seventh Sword Dao fruit had fully become part of the mysterious trajectory, Yun Lie’s eyes had returned to looking no different from an ordinary person’s.

If there was any difference, it was only that his pupils had become even deeper, like an abyss with no end in sight.

They were akin to the darkest night sky.

At that moment, the results of the countless “nectar” that had fallen earlier also became more apparent.

The simple robes Yun Lie wore had long been swelling to an extreme under the pressure of his own sword intent, and finally, as his aura intensified, they exploded with a loud “bang”! Countless fragments of white cloth shot out in all directions, but Yun Lie remained completely still, seated as firm as a mountain. His body, however, was no longer the same as before.

With his robes gone, Xu Ziqing could now see clearly what had been hidden from view.

Yun Lie’s body, honed through daily sword practice, had long become like copper and iron, indestructible.

His physique was not particularly burly, but it was finely toned, every muscle adhering perfectly to his frame without a hint of excess. Moreover, over the years, his body had been tempered by the Five Elements’ fierce winds and the energy of Geng Metal, making him incredibly strong, beyond description. It was likely that even those cultivators who focused solely on refining their physical bodies could rarely match him. However, at this moment, Yun Lie’s body appeared strange.

On his steel-like form, black energy surged constantly through the muscles on the left side of his body, while on the right side, a radiant golden energy flowed. The two forces occupied separate halves, but they did not coexist peacefully. Instead, they appeared to detest each other and were fiercely battling.

As Yun Lie’s sword intent rose, the “star map” released by the Sword Dao fruits within his Small Universe began to rotate slowly, following a certain trajectory.

At this moment, its outline became clearer, as if it was approaching a particular shape.

And that shape seemed to faintly have a core.

The “star map” rotated faster and faster, and as if in response, the two energies within Yun Lie’s body clashed even more violently.

Beneath Yun Lie’s skin, energy surged so strongly that it caused his muscles to bulge, forming protrusions that looked as if two living beings were constantly biting and tearing at each other, locked in a life-or-death struggle!

Xu Ziqing saw clearly that this was the battle between “immortal” and “demon.”

The “immortal” represented the energy brought by Shixiong’s sword realm and the Sword Dao fruits, while the “demon” was his demonic intent, as well as the power of temptation from the Seven Emotions Demonic Flower.

If both sides could fight to a stalemate, his Shixiong could use his sword intent to subdue them both; if his sword realm surpassed them, he could dominate his body with his spirit. Either way, it would benefit his Shixiong, allowing him to form an immortal-demon body. But if he was careless and let the demonic side win… then demonic intent would again control Shixiong and would never return to his true self. His personality would undergo a drastic change!

However, Yun Lie’s sword path did not differentiate between right and wrong. As long as his heart remained steadfast, he should be able to control the demonic intent.

And Xu Ziqing firmly believed that his Shixiong would not fail here!

Finally, Yun Lie touched the last Sword Dao fruit, absorbing the milky white essence within!

In an instant, the golden energy surged explosively, almost immediately sweeping over to the left side and enveloping the black energy entirely.

At that moment, the two forces eroded each other while fighting fiercely, but gradually, they also began to merge.

As more “nectar” fell, the golden energy around Yun Lie became increasingly intense, and his body grew even stronger and more resilient under this struggle!

Inside the Small Universe, the “star map” tightened further, ultimately forming an inverted starry river, its shape resembling a beautiful vortex. Every part of its trajectory was smooth and perfect, as though it were the most natural thing in existence, with no flaw or imperfection.

Within the vortex, a terrifying power was brewing. With each pulse of the vortex, like the beating of a heart, it seemed as if life was being nurtured.

Xu Ziqing’s focus deepened.

Suddenly, the vortex abruptly contracted!

It was as if an invisible force expanded rapidly, threatening to shatter the void within the Small Universe.

This soundless explosion only occurred within the Small Universe, but it erupted with a force akin to a detonation!

At the same time, the two opposing energies collided violently!

On Yun Lie’s cold face, a faint trace of emotion appeared.

Pain.

The eruption of power brought with it unbearable pain as if his body were being completely reshaped!

The black and golden energies suddenly fragmented into tiny particles, rapidly filling the gaps between each other. In no time, they began devouring one another. Almost instantly, the two forces fused into one, turning into a deep black-gold hue.

Within the vortex, explosive power expanded suddenly, and a massive shadow appeared.

In just a few breaths, that shadow condensed into a solid form—a giant sword.

It was a manifestation of sword intent, now black and gold in color.

It looked ancient and majestic.

Undoubtedly, in this Small Universe prototype, this black-gold giant sword was the manifestation of Yun Lie’s consciousness, as well as his sword intent.

It would now be the ruler of the Small Universe prototype!

At this moment, Yun Lie’s body finally returned to its normal state.

He was still as tough and powerful as before, but there was no longer any conflict of forces within him.

His physical body had become even more refined. However, he didn’t get up but instead closed his eyes to continue absorbing the “nectar,” tempering his Small Universe prototype.

Xu Ziqing realized that his Shixiong had successfully refined an immortal-demon body! Taking a deep breath, he chose not to disturb Yun Lie and instead focused intently on collecting more of the “nectar.”

About an hour passed before Yun Lie opened his eyes again.

At this moment, his long black hair flowed without wind, and the subtle pressure surrounding him had grown even stronger than before!

When Yun Lie opened his eyes, the Small Universe prototype transformed into a streak of black light and merged into the crevice between his brows.

At the same time, the overwhelming aura akin to a landslide or tidal wave gradually dissipated.

Yun Lie then retracted his divine presence entirely, hiding the faint aura that had previously leaked out. He now looked like an ordinary sword cultivator. Were it not for the sharp, icy air in his demeanor, no one would sense how terrifying his Sword Dao realm had become!

Yun Lie then stood up, casually lifting his arm as he donned a simple robe.

Xu Ziqing, momentarily stunned by his Shixiong’s aura, hadn’t had time to look away before Yun Lie had already finished dressing. He suddenly realized his face was slightly warm, but he quickly regained his composure and stood up as well. “Shixiong, how are you feeling?”

Yun Lie nodded slightly. “I’ve achieved the immortal-demon body.” He paused, then called softly, “Ziqing.”

Xu Ziqing froze, his emotions a complex swirl. His Shixiong had remembered him, which meant… Yun Lie had truly returned to his true self.

Yun Lie said nothing further, only raising his eyes slightly. With a glance, he noticed the canopy above them was still dripping with “nectar.” He pulled out a gourd-like object, and with a flash of light in his eyes, he sent his sword intent, piercing upward. A flick of his sleeve, and it was as if the canopy had been punctured. The “nectar” turned into a steady stream, all of it being sucked into the gourd.

Xu Ziqing was momentarily startled, and only then did he realize that his body had become incredibly light. The binding in his dantian seemed to be gradually loosening…

Before he could think further, Yun Lie had already collected all the “nectar.” Only a few occasional drops now fell. He then turned and said, “Let’s go,” before walking past Xu Ziqing.

Xu Ziqing felt Yun Lie’s sleeve brush against him, and in his expression, there was a faint trace of melancholy.

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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