Chapter 52: Enlightenment on Snow Mountain
Night fell like a black cloak over the land.
Once again, Li Shuang stepped into the Inheritance Space. A spark of anticipation danced in her eyes. Su Mu had promised that on this entry he would share with her the first form of the Heartless Sword Art. She longed to witness the legendary technique—the very foundation upon which the sect’s founding ancestor had built his path.
But as soon as she entered, Li Shuang was startled. The endless white void she once knew was replaced by a biting cold. She stood on the peak of Snow Mountain, a sight so familiar that it left her momentarily dazed.
Then, Su Mu’s calm voice broke the silence in the frigid air. “This scene has been drawn from the depths of your memory. Li Shuang, it was here that you faced your greatest trial, and through that intense emotion, you stepped onto the path of the Emotionless Dao. Today, you shall take your first step into the Heartless Sword Art.”
“This place marks both your awakening and your rebirth. It is most fitting. You possess the Ice Spiritual Root, and this land of ice and snow is where your cultivation is destined to flourish.”
Li Shuang nodded in quiet acceptance. Her heart was at peace. The Grand Supreme Emotionless Art flowed steadily through her meridians. Though the world around her was frozen, a gentle warmth glowed within her dantian. [Had I not embraced the Grand Supreme Emotionless Art, I would still be haunted by the pain of this place.]
Now, she felt only calm. The memories were still vivid:
Here, she had battled Snow Monsters to protect Ye Zhao Zhao.
Here, she had stood alone, delaying the enemy so others might flee.
Here, she had sent a desperate message to the one she trusted most—only to be betrayed and left bleeding, barely clinging to life.
Here, the Sword Spirit she had nurtured with her own hands turned against her, nearly ending her life.
The pain should have been unbearable, but the fierce emotions of that time had faded into distant echoes. She remembered only that it was on this mountain that the Heaven and Earth Furnace emerged, and that here she was granted a second life. This was her ending—and her beginning!
The Inheritance Space could draw out her memories and recreate Snow Mountain in every detail. Such a mysterious power filled her with awe. Li Shuang even suspected that her Master, who had guarded the Inheritance Jade Slip for years, had never fully understood its secrets.
After all, in a thousand years, only she had walked the path of the Emotionless Dao. Only she had truly unlocked the mysteries of this space.
“I shall teach you the Heartless Sword Art here,” Su Mu said with a faint smile.
Every cultivator of the Emotionless Dao had a place of enlightenment. For Li Shuang, it was here. Five days would be enough for her transformation.
Su Mu raised his hand, and suddenly, the empty Snow Mountain teemed with Snow Monsters. In his grasp, a sword materialized. Li Shuang’s eyes sharpened. Before, Su Mu had wielded an iron sword. But now, he held a wooden sword. Logically, an iron blade should be sharper than wood. The last time they met, he had suppressed his Sword Dao cultivation to a level below the Sword Domain, using an iron blade. But now, she could feel the aura of the Sword Domain emanating from him—a glimpse of his true strength. And yet, he chose a wooden sword. Could it be that the Great Dao was found in simplicity? [I must keep this thought to myself.]
A flicker of appreciation passed in Su Mu’s eyes. Li Shuang truly had a natural talent for the Sword Dao. Without guidance, she had already begun to sense its essence. Such a disciple was every master’s dream.
The Snow Monsters surged forward like a raging tide. Su Mu stepped up, his wooden sword held high. His voice, light yet filled with deep meaning, reached her ears:
“Li Shuang, watch closely.
The Grand Supreme Emotionless Art is not without feeling.
The path of supreme detachment is not free of desire.”
As Su Mu hummed softly, his wooden sword shone with an unexpected sharpness. One by one, the Snow Monsters fell before him.
“To forget emotions is not to be heartless, but to forget oneself. Look at Snow Mountain—each snowflake, every gust of wind, carries its own force. Only by casting aside the self can one merge with heaven and earth, moving as one with the Dao.”
In that moment, Su Mu seemed to vanish into the mist. He became the snow. He became the wind. He became Snow Mountain itself.
Li Shuang was entranced. Never had she seen swordplay so profound. Su Mu’s movements were free and fluid, beyond rigid forms or fixed theories of the Sword Dao. He was directly embracing the Dao! His technique, though only in its beginning, was already a path to enlightenment—the Emotionless Sword Art. It was truly a terrifying power.
“The mortal’s beginning is but an illusion; the spirit’s clarity makes the body light. Cast aside the pain of the world, and step into the void beyond,” Su Mu chanted softly. With each word, another Snow Monster crumbled into nothingness.
When his verse was complete, every Snow Monster had vanished. Su Mu sheathed his sword, his breath calm like still water. “Li Shuang, do you understand now?”
After a moment of reflection, Li Shuang nodded. “The Emotionless Sword Art… does it have no fixed forms?”
A spark of admiration shone in Su Mu’s eyes as he replied quietly, “Throughout the ages, many have walked the path of the Emotionless Dao, each creating their own unique sword art from the enlightenment found in their darkest trials. You have already begun your journey, and within you, your own Emotionless Sword Art is taking shape. But without the proper foundation, your understanding cannot yet be refined into true technique.”
“Now, I will give you the basics. Meditate upon them here on Snow Mountain. The Emotionless Sword Art is a gateway to the Dao. With your current strength, you must be able to grasp its first form.”
Li Shuang bowed her head in solemn acceptance. “Sit in meditation,” Su Mu instructed.
Li Shuang folded her legs and closed her eyes. Su Mu began reciting a guiding verse, his voice soft as the falling snow: “Focus your mind, anchor your spirit; the past emerges within your sight. Gather the essence at the mystic gate, transform it into breath…”
In the silence, Li Shuang absorbed every word. The doctrine was more than a method for wielding a sword; it was an art of sensing the natural order and, from that deep understanding, forging one’s own path in the Emotionless Sword Dao.
The Founding Ancestor had his own Sword Dao. And she… what was her Sword Dao?
Images of the past filled her mind. In her childhood, her father had mysteriously vanished the day her mother gave birth to her. Her mother, alone, had raised her and turned the Heaven and Earth Furnace into a jade carving that she wore always. As a child, she fought hard to survive in a harsh world. Then, a stranger named True Immortal Ling Xu extended a helping hand—a kindness she would never forget.
After that, fifteen years of relentless pursuit and ten years of bitter despair followed. All these trials had become the bedrock of her soul, clearing her mind and hardening her Dao-heart.
To transcend emotions was not to erase them. To be human was to feel. If one cut off all emotions, what remained of humanity? Every noble sentiment had nurtured her growth, and every dark emotion would no longer stain her pure heart.
Snowflakes drifted down silently, soon blanketing Li Shuang in a thick, white shroud. Yet she remained unmoving, as if rooted to the very essence of Snow Mountain.
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