Three hundred years... to reach the Golden Immortal Realm? Star Deity Wenqu really doesn't treat me like a person at all. What does he think I am, some sort of breakthrough machine?

After finishing his dual cultivation with his senior sister, Wang Sheng flew to the top of the palace and considered how he could raise his realm as quickly as possible.

God Slaying.

This was the name Xu Zhongliang had given the plan. It had several layers of meaning and corresponded to the multiple goals that they had to achieve.

First, they had to cut away his title of sacred spirit, which had been deified since the Ancient Era. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Afterward, Wang Sheng had to kill a Taiyi Golden Immortal in full view of others, preferably a well-known expert from a major force in the Immortal Saint Realm. That would ensure it had enough impact.

However, the most important goal was to make all the forces and powerful inhabitants of the Immortal Saint Realm believe that Wang Sheng had truly fallen, and that the sacred spirit had truly perished.

If the news were simply spread, no one would believe it. Very few would be convinced as well if Wang Sheng merely staged a death under the protection of Wang Shan and the others.

The people with him were all extremely shrewd. After all, those who had survived to this point couldn't possibly be easy to fool.

Wang Sheng had to make this act real and convincing. Even if it meant paying a price and taking risks, as long as he survived in the end and the Immortal Saint Realm stopped paying attention to him, they'd have achieved the best outcome.

Xu Zhongliang had already arranged how the plan would be carried out, the steps involved, and how manpower and resources would be used. Wang Sheng's task right now was simply to cultivate.

Qinghua would soon depart. Since he controlled the Great Dao of Death, he could come and go freely even if strong opponents surrounded him. Having him draw away part of the Immortal Saint Realm's attention was their best course of action.

They had also decided not to use the reserves in the Small Immortal Realm for now. Instead, they would save them for when the real operation began.

"Golden Immortal..."

Wang Sheng looked at the sword in his hand, then stood up and did a set of the Pure Yang Sword Song. Pure Yang Immortal Power flowed rapidly through him, slowly deepening his cultivation.

However, he still improved far too slowly.

Half a day later, Wang Sheng grew a little tired from practicing. He stood quietly with his sword in hand.

Mu Wanxuan meditated inside the palace, recovering the primal qi she had expended earlier to save the former Heavenly Court immortals. Their dual cultivation technique alone could not replenish such losses.

Yin and yang had to be balanced. This was the principle of heaven and earth.

Standing still, Wang Sheng breathed steadily as he tried to see if he could gain sudden enlightenment. Soon, he could not help but smile at himself.

Opportunities for enlightenment could not be forced. Trying to pretend he was on the verge of one was simply laughable.

Wang Sheng murmured to himself, "Let's take it slow."

He closed his eyes, sensed the flow of heaven and earth, and gradually spread his immortal perception across the entire planet.

***

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The planet gradually became peaceful again, and the former Heavenly Court immortals they had rescued entered seclusion to cultivate.

Qinghua had already left quietly, but he left the palace and Mu Wanxuan behind.

As long as the palace remained here, he would be able to sense it if the planet was under attack. Since he could use his divine ability to tear through space and return at any time, no one had to worry about Wang Sheng's safety.

However, it did delay Mu Wanxuan's progress in gathering her fragmented true spirit.

Every time Wang Sheng thought about how he had cultivated to this point yet still could not give his senior sister a safe environment to read her manga, he could not help but feel helpless inside.

On this day, Xu Zhongliang took the initiative to summon him to the beach. Since Mu Wanxuan was still cultivating, Wang Sheng took Spiritless and flew over without her.

"Senior, you were looking for me?"

Xu Zhongliang smiled. "Mm. I have not finished preparing the Dao traces that His Imperial Majesty had left for you yet, but I can still guide you in your cultivation without any issues. After all, I am the founding forefather of the Shu Sword Sect."

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up. He held his sword and made a respectful salute. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior!"

"There is no need for such formality. I should be the one saluting you," Xu Zhongliang said. With a casual gesture, he gathered sand into a sword. "Come. Spar with me without using the Sword-Controlling Art."

"Alright," Wang Sheng replied as he focused.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his condition, and lifted Spiritless, which shone with immortal light. Right after, he opened with a fierce technique from the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art.

Xu Zhongliang smiled at the sight. The sand sword in his hand looked soft and weak, yet it was imbued with a completely different level of profundity. He met Wang Sheng's strength with speed, his techniques appearing scattered and unstructured.

Wang Sheng pressed forward with several rapid attacks, but Xu Zhongliang blocked each one with the sand sword.

Infused with Wang Sheng's immortal power, Spiritless became a sharp divine weapon. Nevertheless, it could not damage the sand sword in the slightest.

Wang Sheng rarely engaged his opponents at close range like this. Most of the time, he attacked from hundreds of zhang away using sword radiance, sword energy, or the Sword-Controlling Art. At close range, the outcome of the battle was often decided in an instant.

Sparring with Xu Zhongliang now reminded him of the days before he became an immortal, when his cultivation was not yet deep. He gathered force into his sword and countered every move.

To allow Wang Sheng to fully showcase his skills, Xu Zhongliang subtly exerted just enough strength to match him whenever their swords met.

After more than a dozen exchanges, the sword intent within Wang Sheng was completely ignited. His attacks grew faster and faster. The sword phantasms in his hand turned into a field of starlight, enveloping his opponent.

The Star Deity felt quite pleased. Wang Sheng's comprehension of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art had exceeded his expectations.

Within the field of endless starlight, Wang Sheng's sharp and unyielding attacks came in relentless waves. At times, they streaked like meteors or crashed down like comets. At other moments, they erupted like a sun bursting apart or surged like a flowing galaxy.

His sword techniques were also imbued with the Pure Yang Sword Intent and the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent, earning repeated praise from the Star Deity.

This was the result of his recent training with Jingwu and his other mentors.

Wang Sheng's progress in the Dao of the Sword had always come from steady practice and comprehension.

"Alright, that is enough for now!" Xu Zhongliang exclaimed.

Wang Sheng returned to his senses, as if waking from a dream. He withdrew his sword, stepped back, and stood quietly on the beach.

Only then did he notice several gazes focused on him. Turning his head, he saw more than a dozen of Wang Shan's subordinates in the nearby forest, along with former Heavenly Court gods, Wu Tianshou, and several other experts who had come with him. The small white tiger, who was blessed with overwhelming fortune, was also with them.

As if no one else was present, Xu Zhongliang commented, "You have more than ten flying swords within you. Show me your Sword-Controlling Art."

The founding forefather of the Shu Sword Sect snapped his fingers. Nine flying swords formed from the surrounding sand.

Wang Sheng did not dare to be careless. Nine points of light appeared across his body as he summoned nine flying swords of his own.

Five of the Flying Clouds had been nurtured with treasures from Spiritual Dawnlight. The other four were slightly inferior in quality, but they were still high-grade immortal treasures.

With his right hand, Wang Sheng angled his longsword toward the ground. He then formed a sword finger with his left hand and quickly drew a series of sword signs.

Xu Zhongliang narrowed his eyes and smiled. Using the same gesture, he drew identical sword signs. However, the nine sand swords around him moved even faster than Wang Sheng's flying swords.

Mm?

Quickly noticing the differences, Wang Sheng felt a trace of surprise.

He could clearly sense that the immortal power Xu Zhongliang used to control his swords was no different from his own. Moreover, the Star Deity had formed his sand swords on the spot, while Wang Sheng had nurtured his flying swords over time with his life essence.

The speed of a flying sword often determined its power. It was also a sign of how well it could be controlled.

Why are my carefully nurtured swords slower than the sand swords he casually formed? Could this be... some flaw left behind by the creator—ahem. Perhaps there are other explanations.

With curiosity stirring within him, he pointed forward. The nine flying swords formed the Nine Heavenly Palace Offense Formation as they shot toward Xu Zhongliang.

Smiling faintly, the Star Deity pointed as well. His nine swords assumed the same formation and met Wang Sheng's attack head-on.

The swords' clashes rang through the air. Sword radiance cut across the beach, and streams of sword energy scattered in all directions.

The eighteen flying swords engaged each other as though invisible figures with extraordinary footwork were battling across the shore. Both sword formations shattered, their mirrored techniques making the scene even more dazzling.

After a short while, a thin layer of sweat formed on Wang Sheng's forehead. He was starting to feel the strain.

Even without the Star Deity adding more immortal power, the sand swords were growing stronger with each exchange.

Gradually, Wang Sheng's nine flying swords were forced into a defensive position. He constantly moved his left hand as he tried to change tactics, but the sand swords thwarted each attempt.

Before long, Xu Zhongliang noticed that Wang Sheng had sensed the gap between their Sword-Controlling Arts. He raised his left hand slightly, and the nine sand swords suddenly surged forward, breaking through Wang Sheng's defense and rushing straight toward him.

Xu Zhongliang naturally had no intention of harming him. The sand swords shattered at once, their force dispersing as they turned into grains of sand that scattered across Wang Sheng.

The onlookers all had thoughtful expressions.

Wang Sheng scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. He had always been quite confident in his Sword-Controlling Art.

Then again, I'm facing the founding father of the Shu Sword Sect. I don't have to be too hard on myself.

Xu Zhongliang smiled. "Did you sense it?"

Wang Sheng nodded slowly. "I did."

"What was it, then?"

"Mm..." Wang Sheng hesitated, unable to put it into words. In the end, he said, "The difference in Sword-Nurturing Technique."

The Star Deity burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"

With his hands behind his back, he walked forward and gestured for Wang Sheng to follow.

"Let's walk while we talk. Since this is my personal technique, others should not overhear this."

The audience was quick on the uptake. They bowed before dispersing.

Xu Zhongliang opened his left hand, and grains of sand gathered to form a flying sword. "I developed this Sword-Nurturing Technique over the past tens of thousands of years."

With a slight shake of his palm, the sand scattered away, leaving behind a transparent flying sword.

"That's..."

"A sword soul." Xu Zhongliang sighed softly. "It is the final piece of the Sword-Controlling Art. Since I had not completed it back then, I could not pass it on to my disciples. Otherwise, more of them might have survived."

Wang Sheng fell silent. He stared at the sword soul, unable to fully understand it yet. However, he knew that since Xu Zhongliang had revealed it, he intended to teach it to him.

Thinking of the power that the sand swords had shown earlier, and comparing it with the sharpness of his Flying Clouds, Wang Sheng felt a growing sense of anticipation.