Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1419 Sword

"rustle…"

The evening breeze rustled through the forest, and the mountains were so quiet that only the sound of rustling could be heard. When Li Ximing landed on the outside of the mountain, the sword-like peaks were deserted. He had to ask several times before a middle-aged man came out to greet him.

The man, dressed in a dark blue robe, looked quite disheveled, with tears welling in his eyes, and said:

"It's Master Zhaojing... Please!"

Li Ximing exhaled, descended on the wind, and heard Master Gu say:

"General Yang has just left."

Li Ximing's heart skipped a beat, and he stopped in his tracks, saying:

"I've come at the wrong time..."

"It's alright."

Gu Pang said in a low voice:
"Your treasures are precious, Master. Since you've come, you should take them back yourself to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. Please!"

Li Ximing had no choice but to bite the bullet and land with the other person. He saw that the mountaintop was empty and filled with the same dimness as the setting sun. He consciously withdrew the light of the sky and silently stopped.

Cheng Jiuwen was standing under the tree.

He faced the dark pine tree, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun, falling on the stone table behind him, before climbing the steps of the Sword Gate's Supreme Magnificent Hall.

In the dim light, one could vaguely see a sword resting on a dark-colored plate on the table.

A sword with pear blossom patterns.

Li Ximing stopped. He moved his lips, wanting to say something, but then he saw the Baosui Pine, which was also rustling in the wind, and ultimately did not speak, waiting quietly on the mountain.

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Jiuwen stiffly moved her feet, turned her head, revealing a face whose tears had dried, shook her head somewhat awkwardly, and said:

"I've made a fool of myself in front of Zhaojing."

Cheng Jiuwen was actually quite old. Back then, he had intentionally allowed the internal divisions within the Sword Sect, which gave him a bad reputation. Later, he learned about the hardships involved and did his best in the war, which is how he gradually became acquainted with the Li family.

Having learned the whole story from Liu Changdie, Li Ximing now viewed the person before him with utter complexity:

My condolences...

Cheng Jiuwen had already poured himself a drink and gently pushed a jade box over.

Li Ximing looked down and saw that the box was filled with golden energy; it was the talisman he had brought back.

Cheng Jiuwen said calmly:
"Thank you for your kindness, Master, but the Sword Immortal did not take this talisman with him."

In that instant, Li Ximing seemed to realize something and suddenly fell silent, while Cheng Jiuwen did not hesitate at all and said:

"General Yang just came by—he shared many secrets, and I'd like to share some with you as well."

He turned his head slightly, turned the cup towards the tall pine tree in the cold wind, and smiled:

"This one is a high-ranking cultivator from the Golden Feather Sect, whose Daoist name is Tianjiao. Why Tianjiao? It is because a great figure of the True Monarch level calculated that when he came into power, it was precisely the time when the Tian generation in their Daoist lineage entered the world."

The pine tree remains silent, swaying gently in the wind.

Cheng Jiu asked with a smile:
"What Sword Sect? They're nothing but dogs under Jin Yu's command!"

Li Ximing felt a chill run down his spine. He had initially had a good impression of this senior figure, and although things were complicated, he understood that the old man was also in a difficult situation, and it shouldn't have come to this. He stood up and hurriedly advised:

"Senior Cheng! Senior Cheng...why do this..."

Cheng Jiuwen sneered and pushed his hand away, saying:
"Why bother? I'd like to ask you the same question!"

The resounding remark silenced the mountain for a moment.

Li Ximing now understood that Cheng Jiuwen knew a great deal, and he was even less inclined to offer any further advice. Cheng Jiuwen, however, did not expect any answer at all. He touched his sword and said coldly:

"Now that the Shu region has been pacified, I will lead my people back to Shu."

Li Ximing felt a bitter taste in his mouth and turned to look at Gu Pang, but the man just stood there with his head down, not saying a word.

The Master Zhaojing was horrified, realizing that the Sword Gate before him was already extremely torn apart and on the verge of collapse.

Even though he himself was deeply saddened when he first heard the news, he still had to take a step forward and whisper words of comfort:
"My retainer witnessed the great battle between the two lords. Jin Yi's lord once said that if the Sword Immortal could defeat him, he could kill him. He pointed his sword at Dui Jin, and the Sword Immortal fought to the death..."

He paused for a moment, then said:
"The traditions of our ancestors should never be lightly abandoned or disgraced. Even if our predecessors were filled with immense grief, they must remember that the Sword Immortal still had old grudges to settle... Before his death, he entrusted my guest with the task of avenging the Great Desire Path..."

Gu Pang, who was standing to the side, suddenly knelt down without saying a word.

Cheng Jiuwen sighed softly, as if realizing something. He turned his head and said wearily:

"The immortal has come in a hurry, presumably with some inside information to tell me. Now I know what I should know, and I also know what I shouldn't know... The mountain is full of ugliness, so I will not keep the immortal here."

Li Ximing was speechless, but he knew he shouldn't stay there any longer. He nodded slightly, offered his condolences, turned and rode the light to the heavens. After taking only two steps, he couldn't help but turn back and say:

"The true master must always prioritize the orthodox tradition!"

Yet Cheng Jiuwen remained standing in the dark shadows.

His eyes were tightly closed, his head bowed low, and the wind made his robes cling to his body, swaying like the surrounding pine branches, as if he had melted into a pine tree on the mountaintop.

Li Ximing glanced at it only once before stepping into the void, heading towards the East Sea, his heart heavy with sorrow.
"This is a great calamity for the Sword Sect... If it's not handled properly, the loss will be far more than just the loss of a Grand Master! But I'm just an outsider; even listening in would be disrespectful. How can I possibly interfere and say anything more!"

A sense of gloom settled over him. He raised his eyebrows and stepped into the dark East China Sea. Night had fallen, and shadowy figures loomed on the surging waves, as if someone was killing and robbing someone. The sea was shrouded in blood.

Seeing the suffering of the Sword Sect, Li Ximing was reminded of the suffering of the Xiao family, how powerful this behemoth had been in his childhood, and how his family had secretly feared it. Now, everything had been reversed.

'The Xiao family nowadays are terrified of me.'

Yet his own glory was ultimately dim and without foundation. He rode the light, traversing the void. The minor cultivators on the sea, like ants, were also killing people. Such things were commonplace in the East Sea. This powerful cultivator watched the corpses sink into the sea and wearily thought to himself:
"When will this end?!"

……

Towering mountains rise, and heading southeast from Tanshan, you'll find a slightly open area, a rare plain covered in lush vegetation. In the center of the plain, you'll find a large pond.

This pool is not small, spanning several mountains. It looks like a lake that has been transformed. It is made of white stone, and although the bottom of the pool is uneven, it is mostly polished smooth. You can vaguely see a few fishing boats floating on the surface of the water.

On the water's surface, bursts of sunlight flickered, as this tranquil and peaceful paradise welcomed an uninvited guest.

Li Zhouwei emerged on the wind and stopped here. After examining the place carefully, he couldn't help but frown and ask:

"This is Xunyang Pool?"

The warrior beside him, riding on lightning, bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, that is indeed it!"

He sighed deeply and said:

"This place... has a history. It's been called this name since ancient times. No matter who takes this land, they never change the name... It's said to be a treasure land. In ancient times, it was even used to worship high-ranking cultivators. Even today, it seems that in the eyes of the adults, a true master once wanted to come here to establish a sect, but he was driven away..."

"Back then, I was here too..."

This general, unusually hesitant and conflicted, said:

"I came here with Qingji Fang back then because a sword immortal was born here and killed the local prefect, saying it was to avenge his father. He had just become a supernatural being, so he sent me down from the sky to suppress him."

He gave a wry smile and said:
"Qingji had murderous intent, but I saw him as a rare young genius, so I spared him. Little did I know that I was meddling. Behind him stood the sword immortal from Duoling, who took him to the south to cultivate."

He paused, then shook his head and said:

"This young man is none other than the current Master Xuanzhou... I've heard that Qingji Fang's death was also closely related to him."

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised. This Master Xu had actually visited him in Chengdu long ago, but at that time he was busy digesting what he had learned and appeasing the generals, so he left early and ultimately failed to meet him.

He quickly turned his gaze back to the large lake in front of him, frowning slightly.

Li Zhouwei's doubts stemmed from a simple reason—everything before him seemed too ordinary, not at all like a treasure trove.

If it were a cultivator from another region, upon seeing this rare large pond, he might find some enjoyment in the scenery. However, Li Zhouwei was born on a large lake and had long been accustomed to it. No matter how beautiful the pond in front of him was, could it compare to his own large lake?

'The area is quite large, and if that immortal sword can conceal itself, it will be even harder to find.'

He descended on a beam of light, landing by the lake. He lowered his gaze, his spiritual awareness subtly surging and connecting:

[Investigate the Ghost!]
A cool, refreshing feeling washed over him. He slightly furrowed his brows, and his domineering, unstoppable gaze swept across the entire lake, taking in all the colors. Only then did he pause slightly, lower his head, and vaguely sense a faint threat from the earth.

He said softly:

"Wait for me here."

Shangguan Mi nodded in agreement, and Li Zhouwei then raised his hand and made a slight pinching motion with his fingers.

【The Mysterious Walking Technique】!
This walking method had long been taught to him by Li Ximing. Li Zhouwei had glanced at it and found it to be quite difficult—to be precise, it was easy to learn but difficult to master.

However, given his supernatural abilities, even without focused cultivation, he could still try to use some unorthodox techniques such as earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of escape technique) and 藏藏 (藏藏 is a type of concealment technique).

After performing a few hand seals, his figure instantly transformed into a chaotic, hazy, yellowish light, merging into the ground, as if freely traversing the earth, moving forward without any hindrance!
The earth governs the fate of all things, and its depths are immeasurable. All those with supernatural powers know that the bottom of the earth is the Netherworld, but there is no Great Void in the depths. The deeper one goes, the more solid it becomes, like iron and stone, so it is impossible to explore. The great calamity of heaven and earth in the past caused the entire world to shrink considerably. However, when the sky collapsed and the earth rose, the thickness of the earth actually increased, making it even more difficult to walk.

With this special method of burrowing underground, the hazy yellow light entered the ground as if it were a fish in water, like an earth element cultivator, moving invisibly through the soil and rocks. After an unknown amount of time, it suddenly went dark!
The black-robed youth slowly emerged, looked at the pitch-black darkness around him, and slowly exhaled.

Those golden eyes were lost in the darkness, looking around at the darkness that stretched into the distance—a huge rift, with darkness extending endlessly above and below, varying in width from left to right, the widest part being tens of feet wide, and the narrowest part less than a fist's width.

He slowly moved forward, and opposite the undulating rocks was an extremely smooth blue stone wall. Its material was unknown, but it stretched infinitely in all directions. Li Zhouwei raised his hand and approached the stone wall, but stopped an inch away.

A strange look appeared in his eyes. He slowly turned his hand over, revealing a dense array of tiny, insect-like wounds on his palm.

"sword…"

He murmured:

【Cha You】continued to extend, allowing his vision to penetrate the rocks on the left and right, spreading infinitely along the smooth stone wall, chasing it all the way to the ends of the earth, before slowly returning and making him close his eyes.

This is a stone wall that resembles a monument.

From top to bottom, it is 999 zhang high and 81 zhang thick, as if condensed in a terrifying sword intent—this sword intent is so astonishing that even a great master like him dares not touch it lightly.

Li Zhouwei's physical body is probably comparable only to the legendary "Shen Kui" cultivator and the top-tier Maha in the Purple Mansion. This means that most cultivators in this world would be in mortal danger just by standing here!

He knew this object was extraordinary. After examining it closely for a few moments, he resumed using his earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a technique for escaping underground) and ascended upwards along the stone wall to the top. Suddenly, he felt as if his face was being cut by knives, and he sighed inwardly:

'The arrival of the Immortal Sword here back then wasn't without reason, and its sudden leap and slaying of that True Immortal Guan Xue must have been due to sensing this stone wall beneath the Xunyang Pool!'

'This is probably related to the ancient sword path; if I continue forward, I will surely suffer the consequences!'

He stopped here, but pressed Cha You, closed his eyes and concentrated, seemingly trying to comprehend the sword intent, but in reality, his vision had already penetrated deep into it, exploring left and right.

There were pavilions and towers on this stone wall, all made of bluestone, full of ancient charm. Everything was empty. Li Zhouwei carefully observed the interior and made a judgment in his mind.

'In ancient times, this stone wall must have stood above Xunyang Pool. Perhaps something happened, causing it to be swallowed by the earth, sinking all the way down to this underground…'

His curiosity grew, and his gaze traveled upwards along the stone steps. He wondered if it was an illusion, but his vision seemed a little blurry. When he reached the highest stone platform, he finally saw a standing green stele.

There are faint, mysterious characters above.

Li Zhouwei looked closely, but it was only a few lines:

Louling Ziguan Ordinary Path

Taiyan Huayang No. 1 Small Palace
His vision was becoming increasingly blurry, and a sense of unease crept into his heart. He continued reading and discovered another sentence below:
Breaking through the green blade and slicing through the sun and moon

Heaven fears I've only half-concealed my abilities.

After reading it, he felt a chill run down his spine. At times, the sword was half-drawn, causing the heavens and earth to shake and the sun and moon to shatter; at other times, the longsword was drawn, causing seven stars to fall and immortals and demons to grieve. Countless drops of blood and tears were shed before he slowly regained his composure and saw the four characters at the end:
Qingxuan, Qin Geng.