One Thought of Ignorance

Su Ye looked at Xue Mingzhao with utter bewilderment. He instinctively wanted to object—his talent was mediocre, so how could he possibly deserve such an opportunity? Only his junior sister was truly worthy of inheriting this legacy.

Yet, when his junior sister spoke just now, her expression was completely open and there was not a hint of insincerity in her tone. She was not merely being polite or making a polite refusal; she genuinely intended to hand this opportunity over to him on a silver platter.

From childhood to adulthood, everyone had declared him to be a useless failure: his natural talent was ordinary, he lacked diligence in his cultivation, and he spent his days idling around. Holding the title of Young Sect Master was nothing more than occupying a seat for nothing; no one had ever thought highly of him like this.

And now, this junior sister, whom he had only known for a month, did not even blink before giving him the legacy of the number one master of the Sword Dao from ten thousand years ago.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say, “Junior Sister, stop fooling around, this is the Nameless Sword Venerable,” but his throat felt as though it were blocked by something, and he could not make a single sound.

Looking at Xue Mingzhao’s serious face, the Nameless Sword Venerable let out a frustrated laugh. “Do you think this old man’s legacy is some cheap cabbage sold by the roadside, to be given to whoever wants to learn it?”

Xue Mingzhao remained unfazed, her tone as sincere as could be. “Senior, it is precisely because your legacy is so precious that it cannot be given away carelessly. I have no desire to learn it. Even if you teach me, I will not practice it, which would only waste this ancient opportunity for nothing. It would be better to give it to someone who truly needs it. My senior brother has practiced the sword since childhood and is single-mindedly devoted to the Dao. He is worthy of this legacy.”

Xue Mingzhao was speaking entirely from the heart.

She truly had no interest in swords. Hacking people with a sword was nowhere near as satisfying as drawing talismans. Throwing a single supreme-grade Sky-Blasting Talisman could blow an entire mountaintop to pieces, and she wouldn't even have to engage in close-quarters combat.

The Nameless Sword Venerable glared at her, his beard twitching. “Little girl, do you have any idea how many people wanted to take this old man as their master back then? The line could have stretched all the way from the Tianyan Continent to the Hanhai Continent!”

“I’m not learning it,” Xue Mingzhao replied with a smile.

In his ten thousand years of life, this was the first time the Nameless Sword Venerable had been rejected three times to his face.

He whipped his sleeve in a fit of rage, causing his translucent phantom to tremble violently. “If you won’t learn, then leave at once! At worst, this old man will simply wait for the next destined person!”

Xue Mingzhao unhurriedly scanned the stone chamber, which was hidden in the deepest part of the cave and could only be found by crossing a lake, squeezing through a dense forest, and blasting open a false stone wall.

Her tone was filled with genuine pity. “Senior, you chose such an incredibly remote place back then just for some peace and quiet. If the two of us hadn't stumbled in by chance, it might have been another ten thousand years before anyone ever found this place. Since you are unwilling to give the legacy to my senior brother, the two of us shall take our leave now.”

With that, she grabbed Su Ye and turned to leave.

Su Ye shot her a look: That's the Nameless Sword Venerable. Are we really leaving?

Xue Mingzhao winked back: Trust me.

Su Ye’s heart pounded like a trapped rabbit, but he had absolute faith in his junior sister's decision, so he followed her toward the passage.

Watching the two of them walk away without even looking back, the Nameless Sword Venerable was so furious that his phantom actually solidified slightly.

“Wait!”

The corners of Xue Mingzhao’s mouth curved upward, and she secretly gave Su Ye a victory sign: Got him!

If she hadn't read the original book, she wouldn't have dared to be so audacious. In the original book, after helping Shen Chaoyue refine her spiritual root, this ancient powerhouse’s remnant soul had dissipated on the spot.

This phantom could not hold out for much longer; he did not have another ten thousand years to wait for a destined successor.

She was betting that the Nameless Sword Venerable could not afford to wait, and that he could not bear to let his lifetime of Sword Dao legacy die with him.

“I have never seen such obnoxious brats!” The Nameless Sword Venerable pointed a finger sharply at Su Ye, his tone dripping with distaste. “You, what is your name?”

Su Ye’s face was a mask of disbelief. The Nameless Sword Venerable... had actually agreed!

He hurriedly bowed in respect, his voice trembling uncontrollably. “Disciple... Su Ye!”

The Nameless Sword Venerable swept his gaze up and down over him—mid-grade gold and fire spiritual roots, and at the third level of Foundation Establishment.

With a brilliant gem right before him, the more he looked at Su Ye, the more dissatisfied he became.

After waiting ten thousand years, he had only managed to wait for two people. One had supreme talent but refused to accept it no matter what, while the other was willing, but his talent was far inferior to the young girl's.

Yet, he had no more time. He did not want his lifelong companion, the Budu Sword, to remain trapped here with him, buried forever in the dark.

“So be it, so be it.” The Nameless Sword Venerable turned to Su Ye. His voice was slightly deeper than before, carrying a new weight of solemnity. “Young friend, are you willing to take this old man as your master?”

Su Ye froze, instinctively looking at Xue Mingzhao.

Xue Mingzhao nodded vigorously at him, her eyes showing no reluctance whatsoever, only urgency and encouragement.

He took a deep breath, lifted his robes, and knelt properly before the jade platform, kowtowing deeply three times. “Disciple Su Ye pays respects to Master!”

The Nameless Sword Venerable nodded slightly and pressed a finger against Su Ye’s forehead.

A sharp sword intent poured through his fingertip into Su Ye's sea of consciousness, and countless sword forms, mental cultivation methods, and sword intents exploded in his mind.

Su Ye closed his eyes as a faint light swirled between his brows. It was a long while before he opened them again, a faint shadow of a sword fleetingly passing through his eyes.

“This is the One Thought of Ignorance Sword Art. It uses the heart as the sword, where formlessness triumphs over form.”

As the Nameless Sword Venerable spoke, he raised his hand. A sword flew out from the pile of rubble in the corner of the stone chamber, landing steadily in Su Ye’s palm.

The sword was long and narrow, its body pitch-black like deep ink. Its blade concealed its sharp edge, and the surface was covered in ancient, obscure runes.

The moment he held it, a heavy weight filled his palm. Merely gripping it allowed him to feel the sharp sword intent that had settled within the blade over countless ages.

“This sword is named Budu, and it has accompanied me my entire life. It ferries neither the common people nor oneself, but only the true heart. Today, I hand it over to you as well.”

Su Ye held the sword with both hands, pressing his forehead against the blade. His voice was solemn. “Your disciple will surely not fail Master's trust.”

The scene should have been solemn and grave, but Xue Mingzhao suddenly spoke up, breaking the atmosphere. “Senior, did you not leave behind any spiritual tools, magic treasures, spirit stones, or other treasures for your newly accepted disciple?”

The Nameless Sword Venerable’s sentimental feelings instantly caught in his throat. He said crossly, “Beneath the bones on the jade platform lies my storage ring from when I was alive. Inside—”

Before he could finish, Xue Mingzhao had already taken three steps in two and circled behind the jade platform. She retrieved an ancient storage ring from beneath the skeletal remains and slipped it onto her finger, her face instantly lighting up with joy. “Senior Brother, you get the legacy, and I get the treasure. It’s a perfect match.”

She circulated her divine sense to peer inside, but was firmly blocked by a barrier. She immediately looked at the Sword Venerable in confusion. “Sword Venerable, why can’t I open this storage ring?”

The Nameless Sword Venerable cast a cool glance at her. “This old man left a divine sense restriction. How could a mere Qi Condensation cultivator like you possibly touch it?”

Xue Mingzhao’s face fell. “But if we can’t open it, none of the things inside will be of any use to us.”

The Nameless Sword Venerable looked at Su Ye. After a brief silence, a spiritual light flickered at his fingertip as he placed a new imprint on the ring. “This seal requires you to break through to the Golden Core realm before it will unlock on its own. Consider it a bit of encouragement from this old man.”

Xue Mingzhao patted her chest and guaranteed, “Please rest assured, Sword Venerable! From now on, I will definitely keep a close eye on my senior brother and urge him to cultivate diligently. We'll strive to have him break through to the Golden Core realm by the end of the year!”

The Nameless Sword Venerable let out a soft sigh. A mid-grade spiritual root... it will be difficult.

He looked up at Su Ye, his expression growing slightly more serious. After hesitating again and again, he slowly spoke, “I shall bestow upon you one more opportunity. However, I do not know if you have the courage to accept it.”

Xue Mingzhao’s ears immediately perked up.

Here it was—the female lead's major opportunity from the original book!