"So in other words, the Sword Pavilion's assessment is actually used to screen cultivators capable of Awakening?"
After realizing this, Su Ming felt a chill crawl down his spine. He could not understand how such a thing was even possible.
[Shocked by this truth, you asked how they were able to identify Awakeners with such precision.]
[The white-haired elder smiled and began to explain.]
"The assessment of my Sword Pavilion can only be passed by those who have comprehended the embryonic form of Sword Intent!"
"Only by comprehending the embryonic form of Sword Intent during the Qi Refining stage does one have the chance to grasp true Sword Intent before breaking through to Foundation Establishment, and thus suppress the Bizarre Insects."
[Hearing this, you were deeply shaken. You had never expected Sword Intent to be able to suppress Bizarre Insects.]
"Then Pavilion Master, why are you not worried that I was already eaten by a Bizarre Insect and cultivated Sword Intent afterward?"
[You voiced the doubt in your heart, but the Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion only laughed and answered.]
"You may not know this yet, but although Bizarre Insects can parasitize humans, they are fundamentally incapable of cultivating Sword Intent!"
"Although we do not know the reason behind this, ever since the ancient era, every single being who has cultivated Sword Intent without exception has been human."
[After hearing this explanation, another question immediately surfaced in your mind.]
"If Bizarre Insects cannot cultivate Sword Intent, then they should know that anyone who can cultivate it is human. Why do they not come after you?"
[The Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion was not at all surprised by this question.]
"It seems you do not know very much about Bizarre Insects."
[At this, you nodded heavily.]
[Most of what you knew about Bizarre Insects had come from Ye Chuxue, and even she had only learned part of the truth through her Taiyin Body.]
[The Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion began explaining things to you one by one.]
"These bizarre creatures known as Bizarre Insects may seize human bodies, but after doing so, they become the very person whose body they took based on the host's memories."
"In other words, a Bizarre Insect may eat you, but it will still become a new you, continuing to cultivate according to your personality."
"They only reveal the will that belongs to the Bizarre Insect when they ascend, or when they discover human cultivators above Foundation Establishment and want to devour us."
"As for Sword Intent, since Bizarre Insects cannot cultivate it, they simply assume that the talent of the body they occupy is insufficient. They do not suspect that the problem lies with themselves."
After reading the Sword Pavilion Master's explanation, Su Ming's understanding of Bizarre Insects was overturned once again.
"No wonder those Core Formation cultivators still lived just like normal humans. No wonder no one in this world knew the truth..."
Su Ming sighed. The disguising ability of those Bizarre Insects truly was monstrously powerful.
[After telling you some information about Bizarre Insects, the Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion asked whether you wanted to join the Sword Pavilion.]
[After thinking for a moment, you agreed to join the Sword Pavilion!]
[The Pavilion Master told you that there were currently eight disciples in the Sword Pavilion. Including you, there would be nine.]
[You had already thought the Sword Pavilion had very few people, but you had not expected it to be this few!]
[Among the eight disciples, the one with the lowest cultivation was already at Nascent Soul Great Perfection, and that person was Lin Tian, who had just brought you here.]
[Soon, Lin Tian brought you to a grass hut.]
"Ninth Junior Brother, this will be your residence from now on! If there is anything you do not understand in cultivation, just ask us."
[After arranging your place to stay, Lin Tian was about to turn and leave when you called out to him and asked eagerly.]
"Eighth Senior Brother! I want to know, do I still need to go to the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm to break through to Nascent Soul?"
"The Pavilion Master did not tell you?"
[Lin Tian scratched his head as he looked at you, and you shook your head, indicating that the Pavilion Master had not explained these matters.]
[Lin Tian pulled you down to sit and slowly began speaking.]
"Under normal circumstances, as long as you cultivate Sword Intent, you can suppress the Bizarre Insects when breaking through to Foundation Establishment."
"Once your Sword Intent reaches Major Accomplishment, you can try breaking through to Core Formation!"
"But if you want to break through to Nascent Soul, then at the very least you must cultivate your Sword Intent to its limit and reach the realm of Sword Heart Clarity."
"As for breaking through to the Deity Transformation realm afterward, you need to cultivate to the realm of Unity of Man and Sword. Beyond that, the Pavilion Master said you must rely on ancient ruins such as the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm in order to break through."
"At that level, the Bizarre Insects within your body will already be unimaginably powerful. Even if you are not making a breakthrough, as long as you are injured or expend too much spiritual power, you can still be devoured."
[After hearing Lin Tian's explanation, you stood there in a daze.]
[Lin Tian knew that it would be hard for you to digest so many secrets in such a short time, so he quietly left your grass hut alone.]
[After hearing all these hidden truths, you finally understood why Wan Yemo had stayed in the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm for so long.]
[After reaching a high enough realm, every time you made a move, you were giving the Bizarre Insects another chance to counterattack. Only in the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm could you recover by relying on pure Spiritual Energy.]
[Recovering in the outside world would only allow the Bizarre Insects to devour your primordial spirit while you were in secluded cultivation.]
[In the third year, through the Taixu Sword Art, you successfully cultivated your Taixu Sword Intent to Major Accomplishment.]
[Feeling the Sword Intent coming from you, Lin Tian's eyes were filled with disbelief.]
[He looked at you as if he were looking at a monster.]
"Little Junior Brother, your talent is simply too monstrous. You actually cultivated your Sword Intent to Major Accomplishment in just two years!"
"You should know that back then, Eldest Senior Sister took at least three years to cultivate her Sword Intent to Major Accomplishment."
[You knew that all of this was thanks to the Sword Dao Supreme talent.]
[At the same time, you inwardly marveled at just how powerful Sword Dao Supreme truly was.]
[In the fifth year, you successfully cultivated your Sword Intent to the limit and broke through into the realm of Sword Heart Clarity.]
[You told Lin Tian the news and asked him to help you prepare the materials needed for your breakthrough to Nascent Soul.]
[Having already grown used to your freakish talent in the Sword Dao, Lin Tian did not say much and simply began gathering the materials for you.]
[Three months later, you successfully refined the pill needed for the breakthrough.]
[In the sixth year, you successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul stage!]
[Not long after your breakthrough, that familiar sinister aura attacked you once again.]
[What surprised you was that this time, the Bizarre Insect was no longer as weak as it had been at Foundation Establishment. It now possessed strength equivalent to Nascent Soul as well.]
[You did not dare be careless and mobilized Taixu Sword Intent to suppress it.]
[This became a prolonged battle. Only after continuously suppressing it with Taixu Sword Intent for an entire month did you finally force the Bizarre Insect down completely.]
[In the outside world, you did not dare use Spiritual Energy lightly, because you knew that doing so would only replenish the Bizarre Insect's energy.]
[The moment Lin Tian sensed that you had broken through to Nascent Soul, he immediately rushed into your grass hut to congratulate you.]
"Little Junior Brother! Congratulations on successfully breaking through to Nascent Soul!"
"Oh right, Fifth Senior Sister is coming back next month!"
"Fifth Senior Sister?" Hearing that Fifth Senior Sister was returning, you froze slightly.
...