Baby with Daoist Monarch System

But every stab carried an indescribable certainty.

As if this sword strike was the conclusion.

For dead things, it was a complete disintegration.

For the action itself, was it Perfection after countless repetitions, reaching the pinnacle?

Around him, no one laughed at him anymore.

The new young butchers just looked curiously at this strange old man, listening to the older butchers narrate his "legend"—a madman who spent his whole life killing pigs with a sword.

Finally, one day.

Old Zhang did not appear at the slaughterhouse anymore.

People began to discuss.

"Old Zhang didn’t come today? That’s unusual!"

"Did you hear? Last night, he passed away at home."

"Passed away? Well, that’s a relief. His life was quite twisted."

"Yeah, had perfectly good butcher knives but insisted on using that broken sword."

"Dying is maybe for the best; I heard his family was long gone, left all alone."

The discussions carried notes of mundane sighs and incomprehension.

Yet Xu Ran’s consciousness, at that moment, tightened abruptly!

He sensed a formless and intangible, yet incredibly clear, thought emerging from the void!

This thought was neither soul nor vitality; it was like a pure intent of "conclusion" forged by old Zhang’s life, from countless stabs at dead things!

Buzz—

In Xu Ran’s Sea of Spirit, the locked golden ocean suddenly stirred with subtle yet distinctly clear ripples!

The silhouette of the rusted iron sword, at this moment, seemed to come alive!

It was still rusty, still unremarkable, but the aura it emitted suddenly became incredibly sharp, incredibly annihilating!

This wasn’t the sharpness of slaughter, but an annihilation that severs all causes and concludes everything!

Stabbing dead things

This sword strike wasn’t incapable of taking life.

Instead, it pursued "death" itself!

The final state where all things return to annihilation!

Old Zhang had spent a lifetime using what seemed the most foolish and meaningless way to hone what turned out to be an almost "Dao-like" ultimate concept!

He had no Spiritual Qi, no talent, no legacy, not even a proper goal.

He solely relied on an almost instinctive obsession, repeating a simple action, day after day, year after year, millions, even billions of times!

In the end, upon "dead things," he comprehended the true meaning of "death"!

If this sword was unleashed, perhaps it couldn’t split mountains and rivers, couldn’t shatter the void.

But maybe it could sever a person’s vitality, casting them directly into the state of "death"!

Maybe it could sever a connection of cause, rendering it utterly "annihilated"!

This was an incredibly bizarre yet incredibly powerful force!

Xu Ran’s Heart Spirit was struck with an unprecedented impact!

He remembered Master’s brother’s pained expression, recalling the Origin Realm’s Spiritual Qi pillar that was wasted just reviving a corpse temporarily.

At that moment, what Master and brothers saw was "waste."

But now, Xu Ran vaguely felt a different insight.

Perhaps that pillar of light’s purpose wasn’t "resurrection," but held some unknown secret related to "death" on that corpse?

Or perhaps the corpse itself represented some ultimate "conclusion"?

The first pillar of light from the Spiritual Qi Recovery in the Origin Realm, containing life force akin to creation, yet choosing "death," was inherently paradoxical and enigmatic!

And this old Zhang’s trial now, this rusted sword that only stabbed dead things, seemed to be unveiling a corner of this fog for Xu Ran!

"So, Sword Dao isn’t just about slaughter and protection."

"Obsession could be this pure, this terrifying."

"Death, indeed, could be a Dao, a Power."

Xu Ran murmured to himself, his eyes flashing with enlightened brilliance.

In the Sea of Spirit, although the glow of the rusted iron sword silhouette was restrained, it emitted an aura that caused the nearby wooden sword silhouette to tremble slightly.

That represented the Dao rhythm of "conclusion" and "annihilation"!

Just then, the surrounding scene started to blur, the slaughterhouse’s bloody scent waned, and the voices of discussion vanished into thin air.

Yu Kong’s voice, slightly appreciative yet somewhat toying, echoed once more:

"Not bad, not bad. Even among the mundane, there is a great Dao. Clinging to one obsession, one can pass through the nether. This sword, named ’Annihilation Stab,’ though in embryonic form, has already grasped its true essence. Seems like you’ve gained a unique perspective from it."

The bald Yu Kong’s figure reformed in front of Xu Ran, with a faint, elusive smile on his face.

"Have you thoroughly comprehended this second sword?"

Xu Ran took a deep breath, pressed down the surging emotions in his heart, and slightly bowed to Yu Kong: "This disciple has gleaned some insights."

He did not claim to fully understand, because he knew, the "Annihilation Stab" condensed by old Zhang over a lifetime, its depth couldn’t be entirely fathomed by mere observation.

But he indeed garnered much insight about "sword," about "Dao," about "life and death," gaining a brand-new understanding.

Especially, this intent of "annihilation" seemed to subtly touch something sealed deep within his Sea of Spirit, below the Nine-Layered Giant Tower.

Yu Kong nodded, appearing quite satisfied with Xu Ran’s response.

"Sword Dao is manifold; not only the flamboyant path is correct. Concealed in the sheath, hidden in the mundane, even lurking within deathly silence, can nurture astounding power."

He paused, his gaze turned profound, as if piercing through Xu Ran’s inner thoughts.

"Your Sea of Spirit, sealed by supreme power, seems to obstruct the way forward. Yet a seal is also a guardian, also a grindstone. When you can truly understand the ’intent’ contained in these ’swords,’ perhaps, it will be the moment you break the seal."

Xu Ran felt a stir in his heart.

Break the seal!

These simple words were like a bolt of lightning, exploding in his heart!

He always thought the trials of the Nine-Layered Giant Tower were merely to temper his will and sword skill, but he hadn’t imagined that the trials themselves were closely related to the sealing of his Sea of Spirit!

Yu Kong noticed the excitement in Xu Ran’s eyes, gave a slight smile, and said no more, merely pointing forward.

The circular formation of eleven iron swords originally surrounding Xu Ran had silently transformed into twelve.

The twelfth one was that rusted, seemingly about to break at any moment, yet imbued with the intent of "annihilation" iron sword.

At this moment, this circle of twelve iron swords circulated with light, seemingly brewing something.

"You’ve passed the second trial." Yu Kong’s voice was calm yet carried an irrefutable authority, "Prepare yourself for the trial of the third sword."

As soon as the words fell!

The circular formation of twelve iron swords accelerated swiftly in rotation, emitting a piercing hum!

Among them, a brand new iron sword, shimmering with a sharp cold light, its blade covered in intricate patterns, brimming with fierce slaughter aura, suddenly lit up!

This sword was starkly different from the previously gentle wooden sword and the deathly rusted iron sword!

It was full of aggression!

Full of battle intent!

Swish!

This iron sword exuding slaughter aura transformed into a stream of light, instantly shooting towards Xu Ran’s brow!

The speed was faster than any instance before!

Xu Ran’s pupils contracted sharply!

He could feel, within this sword strike, was a ferocity akin to a Corpse Mountain Blood Sea!

Contained the clash akin to golden armor and horses!

Contained the resolve of fight to the death!

No time to hesitate!

Almost instinctively, Xu Ran’s Heart Spirit descended into the Sea of Spirit!

The golden ocean was still sealed by chains.

But at this moment, with the approach of the outer slaughter sword, deep within the ocean, it seemed something was triggered!

A will filled equally with battle intent, filled with indomitability, filled with a yearning to fight, faintly emerged from the ocean’s depth!

Boom!

The intent of the slaughter iron sword, like the most ferocious flood, surged into Xu Ran’s Sea of Spirit!

This time, it did not merely quietly coalesce.

It was like a fierce beast waking from slumber, with endless killing intent, aiming to unleash a torrential blood wave within Xu Ran’s Sea of Spirit!

The golden ocean instantly boiled!