I was once a disciple of the Boundless Sword Sect, trained in the Boundless Sword Technique. I had a natural gift for the sword—what others needed months to master, I could grasp in mere days.
Our eldest senior brother was in his thirties, an honest and kind man. He often looked after me, and I was deeply grateful for that. I loved our sect. I loved my fellow disciples, especially the youngest junior sister—pure, cheerful, and lovely. I adored the way her smile revealed twin dimples, the way her large eyes sparkled when she practiced swordsmanship beside me.
One day, I stumbled upon a hidden flaw in the Boundless Sword Technique. It was a crucial weakness, one that had gone unnoticed for thousands of years. I wasn't sure if I should tell the sect master—after all, this technique had been passed down for generations without anyone ever finding a flaw.
I confided in only one person: my junior sister. Besides my pursuit of swordsmanship, she was the only other thing I truly cared about.
Then came that stormy night, lightning and thunder crashing across the sky. I heard her scream. Alarmed and frantic, I rushed into her room—only to be met with a scene that made my blood run cold. Her clothes were torn, blood stained the sheets, and her eyes were wide, empty of light. She had been violated.
Who could have done such a thing? I was shocked, enraged, heartbroken. I swore vengeance on the beast who hurt her.
Then, the others arrived.
The sect master and senior brother stormed in. One look at the scene, and their gazes turned on me with fury and disgust.
"Chi Shang!" the sect master roared, his white beard trembling with rage. "We treated you well—and this is how you repay us? You animal!"
Smack!
A heavy slap landed on my face. My senior brother drew his sword and pointed it at me. "I always knew you had feelings for junior sister. But to do this... in the dead of night? You're no better than a beast!"
"No! Senior brother, I swear—it wasn't me!" I dropped to my knees, overwhelmed.
"Then why were you found in her room, disheveled?"
"And only you knew how to break through the seventh level of the Boundless Sword Technique!" he snarled. "She was strong—how else could she have been overpowered?"
Boom.
My mind went blank. I had only ever told her about the flaw—how could he know? I was stunned.
"Junior sister! Tell us! Who did this to you?" he cried, rushing to her side.
She was my last hope. I could feel the hatred and contempt from everyone around me. All I wanted was for her to say the truth—that it wasn't me.
"Chi Shang... Chi Shang..." she murmured faintly, clutching the blanket tightly, her eyes still vacant.
The sect master exploded in fury. "You bastard! I'll cut you down!"
He struck with Nine Heavens Thunderclap, the deadliest move in our sect's arsenal.
But I couldn't die—not yet. I had to prove my innocence, find the truth, and avenge my junior sister. I ran, escaping like a beaten dog. I thought I could find refuge at home—but when I arrived, I heard the dreadful news.
My entire family had been executed. All our wealth confiscated.
Later, I heard that my junior sister had married my senior brother. I couldn't describe what I felt. But slowly, everything began to make sense. It had all been a conspiracy. My family's downfall was no coincidence. She had never been assaulted. She had always loved senior brother. She only got close to me because of the sect master's orders. Every time she smiled at me... she was thinking of him.
Disillusioned, I realized how ugly human nature could be. At first, I wanted to uncover the truth and return to the sect to apologize—but eventually, I let go. I no longer sought revenge. I no longer held on to her. If they truly loved each other, then so be it.
Freed from my attachment to her, I was finally able to focus solely on the path of the sword. I wandered across the land, and during this time, I kept hearing one name—Fengyun Wuji.
He rose like a comet, dazzling the martial world. He challenged swordmasters everywhere and defeated many revered elders. What amazed me most was that all his techniques were self-created—he had no master.
Just as I was preparing to find him and ask to be his student, he vanished. Rumor had it he was defeated by a legendary Sword Demon and disappeared without a trace.
I was deeply disappointed. I resumed my wandering. One stormy night, I sought shelter in an abandoned temple. There, I met a middle-aged swordsman. We lit a fire, shared food, and talked—two swordsmen meeting by fate. His understanding of swordsmanship left me in awe. I had always considered myself a prodigy, able to unravel the Boundless Sword Technique—but he had already broken it long ago. He even drew a clear diagram of the flaw on the ground, his method so clean and elegant.
We talked until dawn. As we parted, he hesitated briefly, then took out a book from his robe.
"Take this. It might help you," he said. Then, he vanished. I never even saw how he disappeared.
I opened the book and saw four words: Heaven-Slaying Heart Sutra.
Later, rumors spread that Fengyun Wuji had returned and once again challenged the Sword Demon. This time, he won. The invincible Sword Demon was finally defeated.
Afterward, he vanished once more—this time, becoming a legend.
Decades passed. I avenged my family and fought my way into the imperial palace. I killed the tyrant emperor on his throne. By then, Fengyun Wuji's name had reached untouchable heights. He was called the Wind God, and the martial historian Bai Xiaosheng dubbed him the Sword God, a title the entire martial world agreed upon.
I don't know much about him—how strong he truly was or all the things he did. But I know this: he had become a god. Some say he rode his sword through the sky and ascended in broad daylight. Others say he died. No one really knows.
Then came another rumor: before his ascension, the Sword God left behind a secret manual. That rumor sparked a bloody struggle that engulfed the martial world for more than twenty years.
No one could stop it. Not even me.
Eventually, I learned the name of that manual—Heaven-Slaying Heart Sutra.
Only then did I realize—that man I met in the ruined temple... was Fengyun Wuji himself.
By then, twenty years had passed.
The bloodshed had scarred the martial world deeply. Out of guilt, I made the contents of the Heaven-Slaying Heart Sutra public, so that anyone could learn from it.
In the decades that followed, the martial world flourished. New sects emerged, many proclaiming themselves as the True Lineage of the Sword God. Each claimed their interpretation of the Sutra was the authentic one. It sparked another century-long debate.
People understand differently—so their paths naturally diverge. Even though they argued, it only made the martial world stronger. So I never stepped forward to correct them. After all, the Sword God never accepted disciples. If he had one... it was only me.
Or so I believe.
One day, I felt a pull—something calling to me from beyond.
That's when I knew: ascending by sword was no myth. My master had truly ascended.
Under a clear sky, I found a tall, quiet mountain. No one would disturb me there.
As expected, I ascended. With the Heaven-Slaying Heart Sutra perfected to the twelfth level, even tribulation lightning couldn't touch me. In the final moment of my flight, I saw Bai Xiaosheng seated cross-legged on a distant peak, furiously writing.
From far away, I saw his lips move.
And I understood.
"I was there when your master ascended, too."
I smiled, looking toward the sky. The portal grew closer.
Master, I'm coming to find you...