Just as Lu Yang and Sky-Shrouding were harboring ulterior motives against each other, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits had already been summoned, riding a streak of light to the Extreme Heaven Cliff of the Sword Pavilion.
As a critical area of the Sword Pavilion, the Extreme Heaven Cliff was relatively special.
At first glance, this place was just a cliff located on the highest peak of the Sword Pavilion, overlooking Jiangnan. However, in reality, the space here was disordered.
Every Sword Pavilion Perfected Lord had a Extreme Heaven Cliff belonging to themselves.
For example, when Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon came to the Extreme Heaven Cliff, what he saw was [Perfected Lord Chengtian Zhengde], because they both came from the Ye family, connected by karma.
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits was different.
At this moment, he arrived at the Extreme Heaven Cliff, and what entered his view was a refined middle-aged man pressing a sword and playing a zither. The zither sound was clear and melodious.
It was Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao!
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits dared not speak, standing obediently at the edge of the cliff waiting silently. Only after a long time did the melodious zither sound gradually cease.
Only then did Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao turn to look at him:
"You've come."
Before his voice fell, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits stepped forward without hesitation to salute, saying loudly: "Subduing-Spirits greets the Perfected Lord. May the Perfected Lord's immortal life be boundless, and Dao equal to heaven."
"Dispense with ceremony, rise."
[Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao] raised his hand with a smile, continuing: "How is it? Do you have a chance of success in seeking [Sword Edge Gold]?"
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits revealed a difficult expression upon hearing this, then said cautiously: "Replying to the Perfected Lord, my divine abilities are now perfect, only lacking the final step."
Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao's smile remained unchanged: "So there is no chance of success?"
"Perfected Lord... sees clearly."
"Tell me about it." Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao was not angry upon hearing this, just sighing and saying: "Which step are you stuck on? Let me take a look for you."
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits was overjoyed upon hearing this.
"Many thanks to the Perfected Lord. Mainly stuck on... the golden core ritual!"
The golden core ritual of [Sword Edge Gold] was quite special. Not in the past, nor in the present, but in the future. It required the cultivator to use their life-bound divine ability to sense the future and sever all futures where they failed to seek the Golden Core. As long as this was done and the ritual was perfected, seeking the Golden Core would naturally succeed.
But the problem lay exactly here.
"Perfected Lord sees clearly. Disciple has already found ways to sever almost all failed futures, only lacking the final future which has not been severed, yet I dare not take action for a long time."
Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao frowned tightly: "Why?"
"Because... the last future is also a failure! If cut, I will have no future of seeking golden core. This disciple really dares not take such a risk."
"The last one is also a failure?"
Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao's frown deepened, seemingly falling into deep thought. Only after a long time did he raise his head, saying faintly: "You seek golden core right now."
"Eh?" Perfected One Subduing-Spirits was stunned.
"No need to cut the future. Just use that failed future to seek golden core."
Hearing this, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits was even more puzzled. But his reaction was fast; without seeking explanation, he started flying up his Blessed Land without another word.
He believed in Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao.
The Perfected Lord won't harm me; he invested heavily in me!
In an instant, infinite golden light erupted from Perfected One Subduing-Spirits' body, reflecting a future scene within, overlapping with Perfected One Subduing-Spirits' figure.
Immediately after, everything seemed like a replay of the scene.
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits flew up his Blessed Land, [Sword Edge Gold] sensed out, but finally failed inexplicably, fell, and Perfected One Subduing-Spirits' body began to disintegrate—
Boom!
The next second, all scenes shattered like glazed glass, collapsing and disintegrating. Perfected One Subduing-Spirits came back to his senses, finding himself standing intact on the Extreme Heaven Cliff.
And on the knees of Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao directly in front, lay an unsheathed precious sword overflowing with flowing light. Tidal sword Qi floated on the sword body like flowing water, strands and wisps revealed in minute detail. Perfected One Subduing-Spirits looked at it, seeming to see endless future scenes.
"This is... [Eternal Sword]?"
As a direct descendant of the Sword Pavilion, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits naturally heard of this supreme treasure suppressing the Sword Pavilion. Immediately without another word, he performed a grand salute and bowed solemnly again: "Many thanks to the Perfected Lord for saving my life!"
Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao]shook his head: "Although the [Eternal Sword] has vast divine abilities, you are too weak, so it can only be used on you once."
"Using it a second time, your soul will fly and scatter."
Speaking of this, Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao's tone was emotional: "This sword was bestowed by the ancestor before ascending to the [Paramita]. It is the peak of the ancestor's swordsmanship."
"There are a total of twelve hundred dharma precepts within, refined to perfection long ago. It is the strongest swordsmanship achieving the [Marvelous Dao Heavenly Immortal Twelve Hundred Dignified Great Precepts]. Its a pity that cultivators of your generation no longer know... Back then, if not for this sword, I might not have necessarily attain the Great Perfected Lord position of Late Golden Core."
"As for you..."
Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao's voice paused slightly, then continued: "I already have a clue. Your problem lies not in yourself, but in external objects."
"External objects?" Perfected One Subduing-Spirits looked puzzled.
"Correct. To be precise, it lies within the [Sword Dao]."
Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao sighed.
"Back then, the Ancestor wished to open the Sword Dao. He once expended immense spiritual power, using Sword Edge Gold to extract a future."
"That future was one in which the Sword Dao was definitively attained."
"For many years, the wondrous power of Sword Edge Gold has been used to anchor that future, unable to be withdrawn, like a sword sealed within its sheath, making it difficult for its divine wonders to manifest again."
"Under such circumstances, unless the Sword Dao is truly attained and that future is formally fixed, Sword Edge Gold will remain in its sheath. It must continue sustaining the future where the Sword Dao is definitively attained."
"Only when the Sword Dao truly emerges can Sword Edge Gold break free."
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits finally understood.
"Perfected Lord means if I want to seek golden core and ascend to the throne, I must wait for Senior Brother Vanquishing-Demon to void attain the [Sword Dao] first. Only after he succeeds will I have the opportunity to seek golden core?"
"And as long as Senior Brother Vanquishing-Demon doesn't die for a day, doesn't sacrifice his body for void attainment..."
"Even if my divine abilities are perfect, or even go a step further in the future, reaching the extreme of Foundation Establishment, I still cannot seek golden core? I cant attain the position of Perfected Lord?"
Speaking of this, Perfected One Subduing-Spirits' expression became twisted visibly.
However, Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao didn't care at all, nodding frankly: "Correct."
Immediately after, he waved his big hand: "Alright, you can go down. Since the opportunity hasn't arrived, settling down more is also good. Do not slack off in cultivation."
"Rest assured, I will arrange Vanquishing-Demon's matters."
"...Disciple accepts the order."
Perfected One Subduing-Spirits left with a hundred kinds of melancholy. After all, no one wanted their golden core path to be inexplicably blocked by an outsider acting as a stumbling block.
However, being distracted by this, he didn't notice.
Just on his way leaving the Extreme Heaven Cliff and returning to his cave dwelling for seclusion, a stream of flowing light left his consciousness sea silently, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.