The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 277: Chapter 277 Skill [Sword Body]_1

”Perhaps...”

The All-Encompassing Sword Canon, like the Supreme Clarity Sword Technique, is swordplay. So, naturally, the gains are the greatest! As for the Sword Control Spirit Technique, it included various secret methods and insights. The more one comprehended the Sword Path, the more thorough one’s understanding became. However, as it did not contain specific sword moves or styles, the gains were only average. As for the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Formation, it was half Sword Path and half Array Path, so the smallest gain was understandable.

While contemplating the changes brought about by the enhancement of his many cultivation methods, Shen Mo also pondered deeply.

But soon, his mind was entirely drawn to the Skill (Sword Body).

Since comprehending the Sword Body, it seemed as if a deep imprint had been carved into his flesh and soul. He needed no instruction; he naturally understood the meaning of the Sword Body Skill!

Essentially, it was like the Spirit Storage Rat’s Hiding Skill, the Ghost Bride’s Glare Skill, and the Gold Piercing Ghost’s skill of spitting out gold and silver ingots.

The Sword Body was neither a physique, nor magic, nor martial arts. It was, rather, an innately powerful talent!

The Spirit Storage Rat’s Hiding Skill allowed it to ignore the prohibitions of formations, enabling it to come and go freely. It did not need to consume its Demon Fiend power, and the Ghost Bride and Gold Piercing Ghost were the same; when displaying their Skills, they did not need to stimulate any ghostly Qi.

Shen Mo’s Sword Body, however, was acquired after his swordplay reached a godlike level! It was considered a passive yet powerful talent.

With this Skill, he could quickly master any magic or cultivation method involving the Sword Path. Additionally, when he executed swordplay martial arts of the same level and mastery, his power would be 30% stronger than that of an average person.

What excited Shen Mo even more was that this Sword Body Skill seemed to be engraved in his bloodline. If, in the future, he and Zhao Lingyin had descendants, there would be a 50% chance that their children would acquire this powerful talent. Even without cultivation Talent, if they only practiced mortal swordplay, they could reach heights that ordinary people would find hard to attain!

In the cultivation world, aside from cultivation Talent—which had a very small probability of being inherited by descendants—other aspects such as cultivation methods, proficiency in elixirs and talismans, physique, and constitution could not be inherited. For example, if a certain family was proficient in the Path of Alchemy, that was because their bloodline granted the people of such a family many traits that made them suited for alchemy. This was in addition to family teachings and the nurturing influence of their heritage. If one of the family members, through continuous diligent study and arduous cultivation, successfully advanced to become a Grade V Alchemist, his descendants would, at most, possess the talent of an ordinary clan member. Even if a thousand descendants were born, perhaps not a single one would be able to replicate the achievement of becoming a Grade V Alchemist!

But an Innate Divine Ability was different! If Shen Mo had ten children, approximately five would inherit his Sword Body Skill. It was quite similar to the Skill inheritance among the most outstanding demonic beasts, like the Spirit Storage Rat! If Zhao Lingyin also possessed the Sword Body Skill, then their descendants would have a 100% chance of inheriting this talent.

Thinking about it this way, it’s somewhat similar to the genetic factors from my previous life! Shen Mo thought.

In his understanding, cultivation towards immortality was the pursuit of a transformation in the very level of life itself! Once one diverged from the mundane, it would consequently influence every minute particle of one’s flesh and blood, including the vital essence responsible for reproduction.

But, in essence, most cultivators were still mortal. Only a few faint, extraordinary traits were engraved into their physical bodies and souls. Thus, when they bore descendants, there was a certain probability that these offspring would have a higher starting point than others. Moreover, the higher the Cultivation Realm, the deeper the level of one’s transformation away from the mundane... and the greater the probability of passing on this extraordinary heritage!

At the same time, this presented some difficulties. Many cultivators, constrained by their cultivation methods and physiques, underwent transformations in different directions. For example, Zhao Lingyin possessed the Green Wood Spirit Body! In the future, as her cultivation deepened, her extraordinary qualities would increasingly tend towards that of a Green Wood Immortal Body. As for Shen Mo himself, a portion of his current extraordinary qualities would lean towards the Sword Body. As their cultivation transformed them, making them increasingly non-human, this difference in traits would continue to expand.

Under such circumstances, their chances of conceiving offspring would become incredibly slim.

In my understanding, this might be a unique form of reproductive isolation in the cultivation world!

Once one cultivated to the Spirit Sea Realm or beyond, this problem would become prominent. The old powerhouses of the Golden Core Realm in the Red Flame Country’s cultivation world seemed to have remarkably few offspring. The children of Spirit Sea Realm experts who founded wealthy immortal clans were often born when their parents’ cultivation was not yet high. Conversely, after stepping into the Spirit Sea Realm, they rarely had more offspring!

I’m still far from the Spirit Sea Realm, so I don’t need to worry about having children for now. Besides, we cultivators pursue eternal life. There’s no need to view descendants as a mere continuation of our own lives, burdened with carrying on our aspirations and ideals! However, it would still be good to pass on this extraordinary heritage. Perhaps my children with Lingyin could be Green Wood Spirit Bodies with a talent for the Sword Path...

Thinking of this, Shen Mo couldn’t help but smile. Currently, he hadn’t even formed a Dao companion bond with Zhao Lingyin, yet he was already imagining having children with her. That was a bit too presumptuous!

If one cultivates the Supreme Clarity Sword Technique to the Epic realm, it can trigger the phenomenon of Godlike Swordplay! I wonder if other magic and combat techniques, cultivated to such a realm... could also trigger a unique effect similar to Godlike Swordplay and allow one to derive Innate Divine Abilities?

After some thought, Shen Mo felt this possibility was very high. Most swordmasters were extremely devoted to the sword. Only then could they, like him, cultivate a particular swordplay to the Epic realm. Relatively speaking, the celestial phenomenon of Godlike Swordplay would be somewhat more common than others. But there were also cultivators who trained other magic or martial arts to unfathomable levels. These would also create celestial omens! It’s just that records of such events by various powers, which were then widely circulated, were relatively few.

In that case, I could try to cultivate the Heavenly Origin Technique to Perfection. See if I can achieve a Godlike Immortal Law and comprehend other Skills? If so, some low-class cultivation methods could still serve a purpose... to pave my path to a godlike state and help me comprehend Skills! But for now, I must test the effects the Sword Body Skill has on me.

「The next moment.」

Shen Mo stepped out of his cultivation room. By this time, the vision of boundless sword radiances and the trembling of swords had already faded.

Shen Mo took out the Thunderstroke Sword, stepped onto its body, and transformed into a streak of light, rushing into the sky.

WHOOSH!

As the strong wind howled past his ears, Shen Mo delightedly noticed that his sword-riding speed had increased by another thirty percent. Without using the Violent Speed method, his escape speed was already comparable to that of a peak Qi Gathering Realm cultivator. If he were to use the Violent Speed method, then for a short period, not even early-stage Spirit Sea Realm cultivators would be able to catch him.

Several dozen breaths later, Shen Mo reached a mountain range outside Hongye City. He did not stop but continued deeper into the mountains. Only when he had flown deep into the uninhabited mountains did he find a peak Class II demonic beast.

It was an Evil Python, concealed within a muddy swamp and a dark pool.

My luck is pretty good; I’ll use you to test my sword!