Chapter 1567: Swordmark
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Twelve hours? I doubt he'd be human if he managed that. Out of all the super swordsmen that have tried, only one has ever managed to last twelve hours. And that person isn't much weaker than Six Paths. Do you really think Han Sen stands a chance?" Furnace Emperor wore a wry smile.
"But we need someone that accomplished. Otherwise, how can we be happy with our selection of Xu Mi's teacher?" Fire Empress said with certainty.
Furnace Emperor merely shook his head and did not speak. Powerful elites such as that wouldn't teach others, he believed. He thought Han Sen was fine, as he had the strength and had learned Six Paths' Heartsword. He would be a fine choice for Xu Mi's teacher.
But Furnace Emperor wouldn't do anything Fire Empress did not approve of, so the decision was ultimately up to her.
Han Sen was unmoving while he battled Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind.
The swordmind was like a grinding wheel, but it couldn't diminish Han Sen's mind. Instead, it felt more like a smithy's grindstone. The hard edges swept by Han Sen, making him sharper as time went on.
If Han Sen's swordmind was comparable to steel, the grinding process was making it sparkle like a well-cut jewel. Time passed, and after six hours—seeing he was doing fine—Xu Mi looked ecstatically happy.
Furnace Emperor had to give another compliment, and he said, "This kid is not bad! Xu Mi's got taste. With such a strong will and sword skills, Xu Mi is bound to learn a thing or two by accepting this guy as his teacher."
Fire Empress, seeing Han Sen performing without trouble or anything, found herself half-convinced, actually. But she still showed refrain and said, "We've only reached the halfway point. It's still too early for us to say anything."
Another two hours passed. Furnace Emperor was very convinced by this point, and he said, "This kid still hasn't moved at all! His will is stern. Finding another person like this would be difficult."
Fire Empress was more convinced, as well, but she quietly said, "There are still four hours to go. Let's see if he can make it first."
Another two hours passed and Han Sen hadn't moved at all, just like he hadn't the past ten hours.
Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress were in shock. Even now, Han Sen wasn't showing signs of moving. It almost looked as if he wasn't affected by the swordmind. They now thought Han Sen could safely make it to the twelve-hour mark.
"My son has a good eye. Finding a teacher like this will be of a great boon and benefit for him." Every time Furnace Emperor spoke about Han Sen, his tone was different. He had passed from simple observation to agreement, and now he was full of admiration. He had changed his views a lot.
Fire Empress didn't look so arrogant now, either. She watched the stream in shock, and she said, "This human is indeed different. He is qualified to be Xu Mi's teacher."
The two emperors thought Han Sen could easily make it to twelve hours, and their opinions of him began to become the same.
More time elapsed, and after twelve hours passed, Xu Mi couldn't help but blurt out compliments. "Teacher, you are super special! Across all these years, only one person has ever made it twelve hours against the swordmind. You are the second one to achieve this."
Han Sen didn't hear what he said, though. His focus rested solely on the swordmind. The swordmind was grinding against his will, and all that time, Han Sen's own swordmind had been growing stronger.
But after a while, Han Sen started to believe there was something wrong with the swordmind. He couldn't grind his own swordmind anymore, and Han Sen walked towards the swordmark without realizing it. He wanted to get closer to it, so he could get a stronger feel for it.
"What is he doing?" Fire Empress watched Han Sen approach the mark.
Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind always appeared tame, but things were vastly different when Han Sen got nearer. Holy Sword Emperor had swung his sword and left the mountain with his swordmind. And it had lasted ever since his departure.
This swordmind was extreme.
The closer to the swordmark you got, the more intensely you could feel Holy Sword Emperor's will. It was the faith he had used to break the dimension. It was an everlasting swordmind.
Back then, many elites came to watch Holy Sword Emperor ascend. Many of them wished to claim the mountain for themselves afterwards, but in the end, it was Furnace Emperor who owned it. And that was because normal folk wouldn't dare touch the mountain, and they could not move it as he could.
Inside the swordmind, it did not matter whether or not you were an emperor that focused purely on sword skills; if you simply touched the swordmark, you would be attacked by the will required for Breaking Through the Vacuum. Your will would be heavily damaged.
The reason the elites weren't able to take the swordmarked mountain was because only Furnace Emperor met the teleportation requirement via Furnace Shelter. He teleported Furnace Shelter around the base of the mountain. Then, he was able to take it away with him.
Now Han Sen had been grinding against the swordmind for twelve hours, his own will had proven far too effective. It had not broken, and so he dared to venture closer to the swordmark. This was way too shocking for Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress.
"This young man's will is strong. It's like the best elite in existence." Furnace Emperor spoke with a look of seriousness.
Fire Empress didn't say anything, but the way she looked at Han Sen said it all. There was no more disdain, just surprise.
Han Sen approached the swordmark and felt the swordmind become stronger. His swordmind got even sharper, and his will became stronger. He was one hundred meters away from the swordmark when he slowed down. But every step was so sure, there was no hesitation accompanying a single one.
Han Sen's entire body looked as if it had become a sharp sword. It was as if he was breaking the water as he advanced towards the cleft.
Finally, Han Sen stepped onto the mountain and touched the mark.
Boom!
The endless swordmind came at Han Sen like the ceaseless discharge of an infinite river. It was like putting Han Sen's swordmind into a river of time to remain washed forevermore.
Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress' faces changed. They did not expect Han Sen to approach the mountain and use his hand to physically touch the swordmark.
That mark had been left behind by an elite that was halfway through the process of becoming a god. He was ascending to the Fifth Sanctuary when this happened, and even an emperor's will would be damaged if they touched it.
Han Sen's will was strong, but there was a chance even he would be damaged by touching it. If he did it poorly, his will would be broken and never return.
"Oh no!" Furnace Emperor's stomach fell. He was very satisfied with Han Sen's skill, and it'd be a shame if the human was destroyed right there. It wasn't easy for Xu Mi to find such an accomplished teacher.
Fire Empress sighed. She agreed Han Sen had enough power, but she never thought he'd be reckless enough to go and touch the mark. That was sure to hurt.
Fire Empress merely hoped he wouldn't be damaged too badly to teach Xu Mi.
Chapter 1568: Broken Swordmind
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The endless swordmind kept rushing against Han Sen's will, and even Han Sen found it difficult to withstand. He felt as if he was falling into an abyss, where hope and lifeforces were gone forever.
If others were in his shoes, their wills would have broken. They would have given up. But Han Sen did not know what giving up meant. Beneath that pressure, his mind was still as hard as brushed steel, and he clung to the small amount of faith he had.
At a time like this, success was not achieved through strength. It wasn't about talent, either. It was all determined by a person's personality and the prior experiences that had shaped them.
If their personalities were weak, it did not matter how refined their skills were; their will would crumble. This was even true for super elites.
Even with a mind that was really strong, it was difficult to survive this sort of force.
Han Sen was a person with a mighty will, and he had adopted the stubborn personality that defined his parents. But even so, beneath the pressure of the swordmind, his grip and will were starting to lessen.
Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress saw Han Sen's expression change, and they broke out in a cold sweat. They knew this was bad news. Han Sen might not be able to withstand the constant force much longer, and his swordmind and will could soon buckle and break.
Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress teleported to the garden. They planned to pull Han Sen out of the swordmark. But before they could try, Han Sen's swordmind surged like an erupting volcano.
The force charged out from Han Sen's swordmind to suppress the swordmind of the very mountain itself.
"How is this possible?" Fire Empress and Furnace Emperor were frozen in shock. They could not believe what their eyes were witnessing.
A human that did not even look super-class had a swordmind capable of suppressing Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind. They felt as if the world was changing right below their feet. They froze in place, unsure of exactly what they were doing.
Xu Mi was very excited at this point, and he said, "Teacher's swordmind is so powerful! I don't think I could find anyone with a stronger swordmind than his. Not even Six Paths Emperor could keep up with this performance."
Han Sen felt terrible, though. When his swordmind almost broke, the sleeping Black Crystal Armor suddenly unleashed an additional portion of will directly into his swordmind to bolster it.
It was then that Han Sen's swordmind erupted like mad, without any control. It allowed him to brush away Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind. He was even able to suppress the swordmind of the entire mountain.
But the will that came from the Black Crystal Armor was too strong, and when it entered Han Sen's swordmind, he was almost unable to accept it all.
Fortunately, Han Sen had a strong personality and will. He made the best decision he could in the short amount of time he had to decide. He used his swordmind to reinforce that will.
Although it was hard, primarily due to the fact that Han Sen's swordmind was weak and the boosting will was strong, Han Sen's own will was strong, too. The boosting will was going accept him, so it was able to assimilate with Han Sen's swordmind and allow a seamless increase in strength.
When that additional will refined itself inside Han Sen's swordmind, it became stronger.
Boom!
Beneath the powerful impact of the swordmind, the mountain was sundered. It was cut in half and flung wide open. Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind was fading, and all that remained was Han Sen's.
Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress felt their mouths drop. But they didn't say anything, they just froze as if they had become petrified.
Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind had been broken by Han Sen. It was difficult to believe.
Luo Yu, Luo Hui, Luo Li, and Jia Shidao had been waiting in the plaza for two days. But Han Sen had yet to return.
Luo Hui complained, "Han Sen is too arrogant! We are his elders, so why would he just leave us here?"
"This is not Godslayer Shelter, and it's not his territory either. He can't control anything here. Just wait a little longer," Luo Li said.
"Yeah, we're lucky we're still breathing. Just wait a while," Jia Shidao said.
Luo Yu started to say something, but before he could, the gates swung open. The two White Beasts stepped to either side as someone came out.
"Is he finally coming out?" The group of them had a look. It was indeed Han Sen who came striding out.
Luo Li wanted to shout Han Sen's name, but she closed her mouth when she saw the people around him. Luo Yu and Luo Hui's faces changed.
The people who walked out alongside Han Sen were Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress. They stood beside him, with Xu Mi trailing them from behind.
"Teacher Han, please teach Xu Mi well. Hit him if you need to. Treat and think of him as you would your own child," Fire Empress said.
"Yes, Teacher Han. Let us know if there is anything you need. We will try to accommodate your needs in whatever way we can." Furnace Emperor spoke with earnest passion.
Luo Li, Luo Yu, and Luo Hui were frozen in shock. They couldn't believe what their eyes were telling them.
Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress were top-tier spirits of the Fourth God's Sanctuary, and yet, they were being friendly and very respectful to Han Sen.
It was hard to imagine how a human could get the likes of Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress to treat them that way. Not even Luo Haitang could accomplish that.
"Don't worry; I will teach him. But how much he learns depends on his talent and his effort," Han Sen said.
"You are right, Teacher Han. If Xu Mi can only learn a small bit from you, you can consider us satisfied," Furnace Emperor said.
Fire Empress said, "It is up to Xu Mi how much he can learn from you. Even if he only learns a small amount from you, it is good enough for him."
...
Jia Shidao and the others were all frozen. The two powerful spirits didn't sound like emperors at all. Not as the humans had imagined. They looked like proper parents that were simply trying to snipe a good teacher for their kid.
"Is he really that strong?" Luo Li was confused.
She knew Han Sen was strong, but she found it hard to believe he was that strong. Even emperors were talking to him nicely. She hoped her own child might one day be able to study underneath his wing.
Luo Hui and Luo Yu's brains were just empty. They could muster no reaction.
When they walked out of Furnace Shelter with Han Sen, they still felt as if they were in a dream and none of it was real.