OP Sister Chapter 531: What Is Your Path?

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As Gram delivered a sermon, the two sword egos attacked.

One rushed to my left, the other to my right.

I leaped into the air, swinging my sword from above. However, they deflected my sword energy attack, causing it to explode.

BOOOM!

“Why do you wield a sword?”

“Do you seek fame?”

“Do you seek glory?”

“Do you seek excitement?”

“Are you wielding it to hurt others or to protect yourself?”

“What is the blade to you, Anna?”

As he bombarded me with questions, I gritted my teeth, managing to slash one of the sword egos, only for it to split into two more.

“Damn it! I have to destroy their spirit core, huh?”

Spirit cores inside Egos existed, tiny concentrations of energy that kept them running.

Once broken, they dissipated.

But when they exploded or something else happened, they also dissipated.

However, Gram did something unusual and used his power to shield their spirit cores slightly.

Now, instead of vanishing, they divided!

Against my will, I was forced to keep fighting and fighting.

I avoided sword attacks, leaping out of danger.

But even then, my body became covered with bleeding wounds.

Fortunately, my Immortal Cultivator Body regenerated wounds quickly, though my clothes were now red, drenched in my blood.

At some point…

After an hour of fighting, I grew exhausted.

Gram sealed my ability to use magic and other skills.

He wanted me to rely solely on the sword.

So I swung my blade, moving, evading, and relentlessly fighting for my life against…

Over seventy sword egos.

They were too many!

This was absurd.

“Gram? Gram, stop this!”

“Ponder the sword, Anna! You’re almost there!”

“This is ridiculous! You damn crazy old man!”

“Enough! You think about too many useless things. Clear your mind, Anna… Take this seriously for once!”

“…!”

Those last words resonated deeply within my mind.

Gram wasn’t mocking or toying with me.

He seemed genuinely… concerned.

He was worried about me.

“Pour your mind, soul, and heart into the blade, Anna. Forget doubt, forget paranoia, step forward, and swing your sword freely… seek your path to freedom!”

“My path to freedom…!”

As I moved instinctively, evading attacks and slashing at the egos, I saw… something.

A glimpse of light, a pale, almost gray light.

It wasn’t colorful like the power of the heart of love or myriad self-arts.

No, it was a distinct force.

“There it is! Chase that spark, Anna! Don’t give up! Hurry, chase it!”

“Gram?!”

“Stop hesitating and do it!”

“…Yes!”

Fine.

I would chase that spark, whatever it meant.

I would do it!

“HAAAAH!”

With a loud roar, I swung my blade forward.

My Sword Aura coalesced with my dragon mana, creating a thick, wall-like slashing attack of sword energy.

SLAAASH!

The attack sliced through dozens of sword egos at once.

I stopped thinking and just acted.

While advancing, I saw it.

A strange spark.

Was I dreaming?

The closer I tried to get, the farther it moved.

Chase it…

I cannot, it’s fading.

Is this some kind of enlightenment—no, don’t think!

Just do it.

I controlled my breathing.

My energies gathered and spread out.

My aura suddenly became enveloped in sharp sword energy armor.

The sword egos attacking me were sliced apart and exploded, unable to create more clones.

At the same time, I chased the spark.

And then…

I swung my sword at it.

And slashed it.

It was so far, yet so close.

I cut it with all my might.

“HAAAAH!”

SLASH!

A single slash split the forest ahead, and the earth trembled.

A distant mountain split instantly, collapsing.

The severed spark turned into light, flowing into my body.

It nourished my Sword Heart.

I felt… lighter, and more attuned to the blade I held.

“Gram… Huh?”

Before I realized it, all the sword egos had vanished.

“Wait, I’m sure there were more left.”

“Well done, Anna! I knew you could do it!”

“Eh?”

“What you caught was an Enlightenment toward the Path you were creating. Finally, we’re getting somewhere!”

“Woah…!”

Gram’s spirit form hugged me joyfully.

“Okay, thanks… You’re really happy.”

“I am, Anna! As a sword, nothing makes me happier than seeing my master begin to understand the Sword Path.”

“The Sword Path…”

“Now answer me.”

He gazed at me with his glowing red eyes.

“Why do you wield a sword?”

“To protect my loved ones…”

“And?”

“To save my world from imminent destruction and… the legacy of Earth.”

“That’s not all. Part of walking the Sword Path is being a little selfish. Have pride, Anna. You’re strong.”

“And I want to grow stronger, challenge powerful beings, and… walk the Sword Path to seek freedom.”

“Good. Your resolve is set. Now look at your sword. What do you see?”

“…?!”

When I looked at the blade in my hands, I saw countless images appearing and vanishing—memories of my life, battles of life and death, my victories and defeats.

As this energy flowed, it was cold and white, not quite like ice… more like the chill of steel.

“This is your Sword Soul Heart Aura. Well done.”

“Sword Soul Heart Aura?!”

“It’s the condensation of your Sword Path and Resolve. It melds your Consciousness with your Sword to create a power beyond mere swordsmanship. This is your path. You’ve truly become a Sword Master now. From now on, you will wield that blade to forge a road toward your personal concept of freedom and righteousness.”

“I see… I understand a bit more now. Thank you.”

I sighed in relief, sitting on the grassland.

I looked at the mess I had made in my mother’s beautiful fragment of her Inner Realm.

As I gazed at my sword and hand, I felt something deeper resonating within me.

While reflecting on what I had destroyed, I instinctively knew what to do.

Wielding my sword, I will repair what I destroyed.

“Reverse Slash…”

“Anna…? That’s…!”

Gram’s eyes widened as I swung my blade forward.

But in reverse. Instead of sword energy emanating from my body, I fed the world with my sword energy, and it returned as a wave of light.

FLAAASH!

Instead of causing harm, I restored the land.

“…Hahah.”

I laughed softly.

It still looked slightly damaged. I could only restore half of that mountain.

But it was something.

“I see… Your Sword Path… It involves Repairing the Past, doesn’t it? And… Rewriting the Future.”

“…Yes, that’s exactly right.”

“The power of Time…”

“Wait, that was Time?”

“Anna, didn’t you realize? For a moment, you split time.”

“…?!”

I looked at my trembling hands, shocked.

“No, rather, it was a small illusion. You’re not there yet.”

“Ehhh, then why hype me up?”

“Hmph! Don’t get too cocky. You’ve still got a long way to go! How about fighting a hundred sword egos now?”

“No way! I need to take a bath and change clothes.”

As I walked away, I noticed the golden cicada above my head was awake.

“Goldie, how are you?”

“…”

It seemed oddly calm this time, not biting me.

Instead, it gazed at what I had done.

Its eyes gleamed mysteriously for a moment.

Goldie…

You’re not just a mindless insect, are you?

There’s a reason the Heavenly Golden Dragon Emperor lent him to me.

The Supreme Creator of the Universe where the worlds of Murim exist wouldn’t give me something of Goldie’s caliber without purpose.

Maybe he glimpsed something in me and made a gamble?

I should speak with him again if the opportunity arises.

For now…

“Let’s go back home.”

Returning home, I saw system notifications.

[Congratulations, you have successfully evolved your sword Gram and permanently linked with him through a Sword Soul Heart Fusion Ritual.]

[Your Swordsmanship Level has elevated to the Rank of Sword Master.]

[You have developed the {Dragon Sword Soul Heart}, replacing your Dragon Heart.]

[Your Linked Sword, Gram, has become part of your Physique, Soul, Spirit Body, and Cosmic Heart.]

[Through your veins now flows the liquid, molten metal of Gram, further strengthening your endurance and power.]

[However, as this reflects his endurance and power, no bonus stats are earned.]

[You have developed the Martial Art: {Dragon Sword Soul Heart Art - Path of Freedom: Tier 1}]

[Your [Ethereal Dragon Heart (B): Lv1] Skill has been destroyed.]

“Well damn, you destroyed my skill, Gram.”

“Hmph, you didn’t need that thing anyway!” Gram said. “The Dragon Sword Soul Heart Breathing Method will generate more Dragon Mana than a Dragon Heart.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, the best part is that the more Dragon Hearts or Dragon Materials I consume, the greater your output will become without needing to create more dragon hearts,” he said. “And it will all merge into your Sword Energy.”

“Huh… Not bad. It’s an upgrade.”

By breathing technique, does he mean the method I’m performing automatically? It seems that the moment I learned that martial art, this technique activated within my body.

I feel it—my body rapidly synthesizing and strengthening with Dragon Mana, refining even stronger Sword Energy.

When I returned to the temple, I had to explain things briefly to everyone. The commotion had awakened a few of them.

After a bath and breakfast, we departed. Henrietta’s car brought us back to Stronghold City, where we were greeted by her guild members, the Chairman of the Association, Scarlet, Sara, and the other three Guild Masters: Cliff, Annette, and Hasan.

They welcomed us with a grand banquet in the Association Building, where we celebrated the destruction of Vulcanus, the dragon that lived in the wastelands and posed a constant threat.

We shared details of his origins, powers, and domain. News of this spread quickly across the country and several cities in the USA.

After the lively banquet, at night, when everyone was asleep—even my brother, who had a few too many drinks of Murim wine I shared that could actually get him drunk—I stepped out through the window and leaped into the sky.

I stealthily pierced the city barrier and flew higher into the heavens, ensuring I wasn’t detected by nearby wyverns or the massive swarm of bug monsters I had seen earlier.

“Anna, where are you going?”

Sepa quickly noticed my unusual behavior.

“We’re going to space.”

“…?!”

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