Cliff Jensen stood deep within the Sword Tomb, the True Martial Sword gripped firmly in his right hand.
Though the sword no longer trembled violently as it did moments ago, he could still feel a pulse of spiritual resistance running through its hilt. Without the Supreme Sword Sense Manual active within his body, Cliff suspected the sword would've rejected his grip and flown off on its own.
"It's just a weapon… and yet, it feels so alive," Cliff murmured in awe.
He knew that in the Human Alliance's universe, only planet-tier warships infused with bio-sentience could rival such presence. And yet this sword—ancient, rusted, and crude in appearance—exuded a mystique that felt almost divine.
But in the end, the sword yielded. It stopped struggling. Quieted. Accepted him.
Cliff finally turned around.
There, not far behind him, stood the three strongest figures of Dragonspire Palace: Elder Caden, Elder Pine, and the plump Elder Wendell—all three of them masters of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
Their expressions were complex—a mixture of joy, reverence, and disbelief as they gazed not at Cliff, but at the True Martial Sword in his hands.
Cliff lowered his gaze and quickly bowed. "Elders, forgive me. I—"
"There's no need," Elder Caden stepped forward, his voice solemn. He gently helped Cliff rise. "From this moment forward, you are no longer just a disciple. You are the chosen successor of True Martial. You are… the future Heavenly Master of our palace."
Cliff's heart skipped a beat.
---
Following the Sword Tomb ceremony, Cliff was not sent back to the Taoist dorms on the mountainside.
Instead, he and four others—each of whom had drawn swords once wielded by past Heavenly Masters—were escorted to a special compound atop the peak. Their new quarters overlooked the entire mountain range.
Qing, Cliff's faithful companion, stuck to his side as usual. The thin, bright-eyed boy was still jittery with excitement.
"Brother Cliff," he whispered, "What do you think the Elders want with us?"
"Nothing bad," Cliff replied with a chuckle. "It's an opportunity. And we should treat it that way."
Through his discussions with Elder Caden, Cliff already knew their purpose. The five of them had been identified as seeds—individuals with the potential to become future pillars of the sect.
And Cliff, having claimed the True Martial Sword, had been unofficially declared the next Heavenly Master.
A position untouched for five hundred years.
That title wasn't merely honorary. The Heavenly Master was the only being capable of transcending the Celestial Phenomenon Realm.
Cliff had studied this world's power structure carefully. While Celestial Phenomenon represented the peak of known cultivation, there were rumors of a higher state—but few could ever glimpse it.
Even Cliff, blessed with Heaven-Defying Comprehension, had estimated it would take him decades to attempt the next step.
And yet, somehow, every Heavenly Master before him had succeeded in that climb.
"How?" Cliff had wondered. "Do they all possess Heaven-Defying Comprehension too?"
Obviously not.
That meant something else—some tool, some secret—must have aided them.
Cliff stared at the sword now laid before him.
"This blade must hold that secret."
He placed his hand gently on the hilt, channeling a stream of his true power into the ancient metal.
BOOM.
The world shifted.
---
He found himself suspended in a cosmic void—black, silent, endless.
To his left: a blazing inferno of solar fire, the essence of Yang.
To his right: a moonlit abyss radiating stillness, the essence of Yin.
Together, they pulsed—alive, vast, eternal.
> [Your comprehension is heaven-defying. By observing the raw essence of Yin and Yang, you deepen your understanding of the Supreme Duality.]
> [You have awakened insights into the Yin-Yang Path.]
> [You comprehend the cosmic dance of balance.]
Insight after insight poured into Cliff's mind. It was like drowning in stars—each flash of light was knowledge ancient and immense.
He lost all sense of time.
---
When he opened his eyes again, he was still in his quarters. The sword remained before him, now dim and silent.
But Cliff was changed.
"I understand now," he whispered.
The True Martial Sword wasn't merely a relic—it was a divine key. A vessel housing the living essence of Yin and Yang. Every Heavenly Master had used it to understand the realms beyond.
That's how they transcended.
"And I will do the same."
But Cliff wasn't content with mastering only one path.
Where others would choose either Yin or Yang, Cliff was determined to master both.
"If I succeed… I won't just step beyond Celestial Phenomenon. I'll rewrite what lies above it."
It would take time—he estimated at least ten years, double the effort compared to pursuing only one aspect.
But it would be worth it.
He also came to a realization:
His original breakthrough to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm had been flawed.
It had drawn heavily on his foundations from the Martial Dao world—solid, yes, but not optimal for growth beyond this realm.
"I need to rebuild. Reforge my core through Yin or Yang, then combine both to ascend."
Fortunately, with his comprehension ability, he didn't need to abandon his cultivation. He devised a conversion method—turning his current True Qi into Yin or Yang Essence, then merging them slowly.
It would still cost him months, perhaps even a year of progress.
But it was better than starting over.
"Was there really a True Martial Emperor?" he thought, running a hand along the ancient blade. "If so… he must have been an existence beyond comprehension."
---
The next morning.
Cliff stood with the other four selected disciples at the mountain summit.
Elder Caden addressed them with quiet pride.
"You five are our future," he began, but his eyes fell longest on Cliff.
"Especially you," they seemed to say.
"Today," the master continued, "you will enter a place only a handful have ever stepped foot in… The True Martial Daozang."
Even Qing, usually calm, trembled with excitement.
"The Daozang is where the Heavenly Masters of our past meditated, trained, and left behind their complete path to ascension. Their cultivation notes. Their reflections."
"There is no greater inheritance within our sect."
The four boys beamed, their faces shining with youthful awe.
But Cliff remained still, expression calm.
He already held the sword that pierced realms.
Now he would enter the library
that held the minds of the men who wielded it.
---