Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!-Chapter 719 - 718: Opening Heaven Requires Closure
Zhang Xiaoqing slowed her steps, enlightening Zhang Ziyu about Sword Dao along the way. "Opening Heaven, which is Manoeuvre, involves opening and closing, Yin and Yang, stillness and motion. As the name implies, the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship slashes Gods above and Demon Gods below. Different from the Human Emperor Swordsmanship, the Opening Heaven Sword is not about sheer masculinity. Rather, this Sword Dao is righteous and majestic, capable of slashing all things in the world in a single thought."
"At the birth of the Sword Immortal, with an enlightenment that resonated with the heavens, he condensed his spirit awareness and created the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship..."
"Seeing the suffering of all beings, the Sword Immortal wielded the Opening Heaven Sword to slay Gods, initiating the era of the Human Clan."
"The physique of the Human Clan is the one most compatible with the Heavenly Dao among all creatures. Hence... cultivating Yuan with a hundred energies, and lastly, the Manoeuvre Sword Dao... This is the beginning, as well as the end," she said earnestly.
Zhang Ziyu stood by, only half understanding. Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoqing stopped and asked, "Do you understand?"
Zhang Ziyu remained silent.
Obviously, he couldn’t comprehend these matters. The Sword Dao theory of the Zhang Family’s foremost young talent had already surpassed many, yet she was not a Sword Immortal’s Successor, nor had she touched that level of Sword Dao. Still, she was able to articulate its principles. Seeing him silent, Zhang Xiaoqing understood and then turned to Chen Pingping. "Do you understand?"
Chen Pingping shook his head. "Not quite."
"Oh?" Zhang Xiaoqing inquired further. "How do you not quite understand?"
Chen Pingping thought for a moment, then said, "Since it is the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship, it is defined by ’opening’ and ’maneuvering.’ There is no inherent concept of ’closing’ or ’shutting’ in its fundamental nature. Therefore, my understanding of the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship is that it is relentless."
Hearing these objections, Zhang Xiaoqing was somewhat surprised. The Sword Dao of the Sword Immortal Heritage indeed did not mention closing. Opening Heaven was about just that—advancing without end, emphasizing a certain momentum. And yet, her earlier description of the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship had included the notion of closing.
She looked at Chen Pingping with some approval. "Your understanding is correct, and that is why the Sword Immortal chose Zhang Ziyu."
Both were astonished. Wasn’t it supposed to be an accident? Was there actually a story behind this?
Zhang Xiaoqing continued, "Opening Heaven involves far more than just opening. If there is only one direction, without understanding the way of closing, then... the Sword Dao of the Sword Immortal will never be complete. On the contrary, if one understands how to close, to converge, to be humble, then the title of the foremost Sword Dao of the Human Clan truly fits. This is why the Sword Immortal chose Zhang Ziyu. It might seem like an accident on the surface, but in fact, it’s not!"
Both opened their mouths wide in disbelief.
"I once met the Sword Immortal, and he said my Sword Heart was too strong, unsuitable for the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship. I asked... why is a strong Sword Heart unsuitable?"
"The Sword Immortal answered, ’Because it lacks the understanding of closing.’"
"I was not satisfied and waited for several years, until the Sword Immortal finally gave an answer: all things in the world are composed of Yin and Yang, Manoeuvre, high and low, fat and thin, beautiful and ugly, a piece of heaven, a piece of earth..."
"He also said that the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship is relentless but too overpowering, resulting in the Sword Dao always being incomplete, hence the need for closing," Zhang Xiaoqing recalled.
She spoke very calmly. Although she did not receive recognition from the Sword Immortal back then, she did receive his guidance. Her powerful Sword Heart, while not blooming as she desired, still retained its sharpness. As the Sword Immortal explained, ’The rigid is easily broken.’
She had an epiphany. After leaving Tiger Land, she went into seclusion for several years. Her realm advanced by leaps and bounds, and then she began wandering the lands of Huangzhou, rapidly uncovering another aspect of closing. It was not until this calamity descended that she returned here. Upon seeing Zhang Ziyu, she knew the Sword Immortal’s choice was correct. She did not understand closing, despite restraining herself for so many years, but Zhang Ziyu did...
Listening to this, Zhang Ziyu couldn’t help but get excited. "Are you saying I’m not an accident?"
Zhang Xiaoqing replied, "Indeed, you are not."
"Then? Am I a Sword Immortal’s Successor now?"
"You are!"
"Can I display the Opening Heaven Sword Intent?"
"It’s up to you. Perhaps you’ve already had an enlightenment but don’t realize it, or maybe you’re still in a muddled state. You need more time, or perhaps more experience," Zhang Xiaoqing said, looking at him.
In that instant, the confidence of the Son of the Fate Energy returned. He was not a waste. The Sword Immortal’s choice to have him inherit the Sword Dao was not an act of desperation. With this in mind, he couldn’t help but let out a long howl.
In another instant, he quickly calmed down, and for some reason, his mindset underwent a profound change at that moment. He saw a shadow standing in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness. He also saw a colossal Sword Body standing in the depths of his Dantian. The shadow was enshrouded in layers of mist, obscuring its features, but upon careful feeling, one could sense the powerful oppression emanating from within it. It was like a God looking down upon all beings. The Sword Body was the same. Immense Sword Intent wrapped around it, condensed and unyielding, as if with just a command from Zhang Ziyu, this terrifying Sword Intent would burst forth and slash towards the heavens.
Was that the Opening Heaven Sword Intent? He held his breath, his eyes wide open, as he observed in silence.
He didn’t know how long had passed... A towering figure stepped out from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, and at that moment, the Sword Body from his Dantian also flew towards it. The figure quietly looked at Zhang Ziyu. Its voice, slightly deep and hoarse, said, "Opening and closing, Manoeuvre, Yin and Yang..."
HUM!
A Sword Slash was executed. The sword shadow rapidly expanded, spreading from a few feet, to hundreds of feet, then thousands of feet, and even... hundreds of thousands of feet, filling that small world.
An opening...
As the figure manipulated its hands, the sun and moon lost their luster, and heaven and earth reversed.
A closing...
In an instant, the world that seemed about to shatter suddenly recovered. The sword in the figure’s hand seemed to be an awakened artifact, effortlessly controlling heaven and earth.
Then, the figure executed the second sword strike.
One Yin...
The rich Power of Death seemed to break open the earth, gushing out from its deepest depths.
One Yang...
And all things came to life again.
But what was strange was that the Sword Dao of Yin and Yang didn’t disappear but coexisted. Half the sky was black, and the other half was white, creating a stark contrast.
Zhang Ziyu was shocked.
Is this... the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship? To command the clouds and rain at will... this is truly it! To think that one could control the world with Sword Dao... Holy crap! That’s so damn awesome!
His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
When the Sword Dao finally dissipated, peace returned to the space, and the shadow veiled in mist gradually became clear. It was none other than Zhang Ziyu himself. He was dumbfounded. In an instant, the Sword Dao that the shadow had executed seemed to become his own memory. It left an indelible brand on his mind.
Zhang Ziyu was so shocked he was speechless. It seemed he’d just comprehended the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship. Wasn’t that too easy? But what he didn’t know was that his ’spirit’ was comprehending it at all times.
He didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt like a moment, yet also like a long epoch...
Zhang Ziyu slowly came to his senses. His eyes were bleary as he struggled to see the world clearly... He saw Chen Pingping and Zhang Xiaoqing, as well as the mountains and rivers of the land not far away. This was indeed no dream; it was real—he had comprehended the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship.
He exclaimed excitedly, "I’ve done it, Sister, Ping! AAAH! I’ve comprehended it! WAHHH... I’ve actually comprehended the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship!"
Zhang Xiaoqing and Chen Pingping: "???"
"Do you know? I’ve comprehended the Opening Heaven Swordsmanship!" Zhang Ziyu continued excitedly, dancing with joy. "I’ll show it to you."
However... when he executed a Sword Slash, it was utterly ordinary. The memories from moments before were like a dream; now that he was awake, everything had shattered. His Sword Dao was as mediocre as ever. Zhang Ziyu was bewildered.
Zhang Xiaoqing sighed, "Let’s go."
Chen Pingping nodded.
"Hey, hey, hey... wait a second! I really did comprehend it just now!" Zhang Ziyu wailed from behind them. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Not long after, they finally reached Shepherd City. However, looking from a distance, the situation seemed off. Those three were too quiet.
Zhang Xiaoqing whispered, "It’s your turn."
Zhang Ziyu panicked. "Aren’t you two going?"
Zhang Xiaoqing said, "I have more important things to do." With those words, she promptly left.
Zhang Ziyu looked at Chen Pingping with a pleading face. But the latter was expressionless.
Seeing this, Zhang Ziyu felt his composure shatter.
