Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1421 Jade Body
Such a spiritual sword must possess countless wonders and supernatural powers, yet this sword immortal showed no reluctance, only reverence, offering it with both hands without the slightest hesitation.

But the King of Wei merely gazed at him and said calmly:

"This sword is indeed the most precious treasure of the True Man Donghua. Since you want to return it, first return his lineage, and only then return his clan. But on what basis do you think... that I, the Li of Mingyang, am the Li of Ningguo?"

Xuan Zhou raised his hand, but did not lower the sword. Instead, he said respectfully:
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but my sect is located outside the Xuan realm, without any established order or rules. My master, the Sword Immortal of the Tomb-Slaying Sect, is a disciple of the True Man Fan Miao of Qi Ze. My grandmaster was originally a cultivator from overseas. My ancestor cultivated in the Miao Yin Overseas Mountain and was named Yu Feiqing. He was a disciple of [Shang Miao Hong Wai Fei Jun]!"

Li Zhouwei then narrowed his eyes slightly and said:
"So it's a lineage from outside Hong!"

The "Flying Lord of the Outer World" mentioned by the other party is none other than Wu Che, a wandering immortal, and the master of Li Hengqing, the ancestor of the Ning Li clan!
He had only heard that this Tomb-Slaying Sword Immortal was a rogue cultivator, but he had never heard that he was actually a member of that rogue immortal's lineage. No wonder he mistook his family for Ning Li.

However, Li Zhouwei still didn't have much trust in him—firstly, the other party's experience was too bizarre, and secondly, the identity of Ning Li from the Wangyue Li clan was questionable.

'It seems that much of this wandering immortal's old lineage still exists in the world, yet he has never had any contact with the lake, which is not how he treats the descendants of the Flying Lord... When my uncle went to the prefecture, the presence of that Venerable Master Zunxian was more of a precaution, providing another excuse to establish a connection...'

But now that he has appeared, he is about to offer up such a treasure. The treasure is so captivating, how could Li Zhouwei not be suspicious?

He then said:
"In that case, does the Sword Immortal know the Venerable Master Zunxian?"

This Venerable Zunxian is a descendant of Yu Feiqing, so he should naturally know him, and it's even highly likely that he learned of him from there. Xuan Zhou nodded and said:
"Master Yu is also a fellow disciple, and we meet every year..."

Li Zhouwei then raised his eyebrows and said:

"Ning Li is said to be so valuable that a drop of blood can make a laurel, but Wangyue Li bears no resemblance whatsoever. How did the real person determine this? If it truly is Ning Li…"

He turned his eyes and said quietly:

"Why didn't you acknowledge us sooner? Why wait until now, when the truth is already out in the open, for us to meet again?"

This King of Wei possessed immense power and authority. Although his tone contained no blame, his mere two sentences were enough to exert an invisible pressure that permeated the air. Xuan Zhou could only reply:

"Wangyue Li is undoubtedly from Ning Li, but he is too far away. However, in this day and age, he is the closest blood relative we can find... In fact, Ning Kingdom has been intermarrying for many years, and the Xi and Xiao families also have Ning Li blood to some extent, they just don't have the surname Li. When my lineage learned of the Li family, it had already turned to Mingyang, so it was inconvenient to disturb them..."

He pushed the sword towards him again and said solemnly:

“The King of Wei is right. First, we must return the orthodox tradition to the clan. Now, by returning this sword to the Li family, we are returning both the orthodox tradition and the clan!”

His words made his meaning even clearer: this successor of the Flying Monarch lineage and disciple of the Sword Immortal was convinced that there was a powerful backer on the lake, and that this backer was related to Li Jiangqun!
The King of Wei fell silent for a moment.

Li Zhouwei had long been aware of the suspicions that the cultivators on the lake were suspicious of his background. Even the various demands for Yin-related items seemed to point to the power behind him. Whether he responded or not, he would face difficulties.

The King of Wei chuckled and said:
"I dare not claim to be a lineage. If I truly possessed such a lineage, my family would not be without a single Taiyin Zifu to this day. As for the matter of the lineage, I can inquire with the fox clan on behalf of the Sword Immortal. However… how could True Person Xuanzhou be willing to part with such a celestial sword?"

The sword immortal simply shook his head and smiled:

"King Wei is right. There is probably only one sword like the Xue Li in the world."

"But the Taiyin Sword is beyond my control. Back then, when I was poor and destitute, I gathered the ivy in the cold water, and our hearts were connected. That's how I gained its favor. Now, I am full of vigor and have Geng metal in my body. The ivy is no longer of my use. I can't even draw the sword now!"

Li Zhouwei's heart stirred slightly, and he raised his hand, gently gripped the hilt of the sword, and slowly drew it out.

With a soft sound, the sword light flashed like flowing water, and the immortal sword was already unsheathed.

This sword is three feet and five fen long, slightly shorter than the swords popular today, but not excessively wide. It reveals a deep blue blade with faint patterns on it. It doesn't have any earth-shattering sword aura, but it has its own extraordinary quality.

Li Zhouwei turned the sword over and pressed it between two fingers, feeling a bone-chilling cold—this sword was pure, so pure that it had no remarkable mystical qualities, only indescribable sharpness, the complete opposite of the Great Snow Sword of Jiangnan.

Only by carefully sensing it can one perceive the faint Yin energy emanating from the sword.

It seemed that by this point, both sides had confirmed something. Xuan Zhou smiled and said:

“A friend advised me to keep this sword, to hold it and connect with it, which would be a great opportunity. But I cultivate the way of the sword, not the sword cultivates me. How can I let my feelings be tied to the sword’s likes and dislikes? This is the sword of Master Donghua. He avenged me, but now our ties are severed, and I should go find my own sword.”

Only after the immortal sword was taken from him did he have the chance to draw the sword from his waist. Gone was the previous respect; instead, there was a natural, unadulterated fondness. He gently drew the now-wider sword, revealing its gleaming golden blade, and smiled:

"This is [Chu Quan], which I forged myself. Compared to [Xili], it is nothing but a clay sculpture, just as I am nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog compared to Master Donghua. But in the end, this is still my sword..."

Li Zhouwei stared at him for a moment, then, as if lost in thought, sheathed the [Ficus pumila] sword in his hand and said:
"In that case, I will accept it."

Regardless of the relationship between the Li family and Li Jiangqun, in terms of value, the [Xili] is enough to surpass any of the Li family's spiritual treasures. It can also help Li Jiangchun to understand a more profound swordsmanship. From the perspective of the lineage, this is an item belonging to Li Jiangqun that is closely related to the heavens. In any case, Li Zhouwei still has to take this item back.

"Thank you, King Wei!"

The swordsman Xuanzhou quickly bowed and said:
"Our sect has been cultivating in Qize for hundreds of years. Even after the King of Wei took Shu, our master still guarded Qize and resisted the demonic path. He has shown kindness to Ning and Li, and has saved the people. If he is of any use, please send him to Qize!"

Although the Sword Immortal who seized the tomb did not come in person, his goodwill had been politely conveyed. Li Zhouwei nodded, and Xuan Zhou, without any hesitation, bowed and took his leave.

Li Zhouwei watched him leave, pondering to himself:

'For him, it might actually be a good thing if I take this sword…'

Only then did he lower his head, look at the sword in his palm, close his eyes slightly, and gradually immerse himself in it with his spiritual sense. After a while, he opened his eyes and revealed an unusual expression.

He raised his hand and gently blew on the sword.

In an instant, a bluish light spread across the sword, and it transformed into a fingertip-sized green leaf, drifting down onto his sleeve. It became an inconspicuous mark on his dark robes. Li Zhouwei raised his sleeve and glanced at it, finding nothing unusual, and couldn't help but nod inwardly.

'It's truly a wonderful treasure!'

Shangguan Mi stood to the side with his head slightly bowed until the King of Wei shook his hand and said:

"Let's go back!"

……

The abyss was dark and gloomy.

An endless darkness permeated the narrow crevice between the rocks. The surroundings were eerily quiet, without even the sound of a drop of water. An invisible sword intent permeated the area, making the place devoid of any life.

Within the high stone platform, all was shrouded in darkness. A green stele stood atop the stone wall, its mysterious golden characters shimmering. The white-robed immortal stood barefoot on the ground, his eyes slightly narrowed, gazing intently at everything before him.

He raised his hand, gripped his robe, and traced the characters over each one until he finished copying the four characters. Only then did he lower his head and stare blankly at those four characters.

[Qingxuan, Qin Geng]

For some reason, an overwhelming sense of loneliness swept over him, a loneliness even stronger than sitting alone in the mirror for a hundred years, like a tidal wave that knocked him down in front of the monument.

Before me lay a dark and empty attic.

He lowered his head slightly, gazing intently ahead as if lost in thought. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly raised his head, his mind filled with an extremely familiar feeling, yet also a complete blank.

He thought to himself:

“I’m sure I recognize him.”

That intense sense of familiarity and warmth was genuine; even the unrestrained and bold handwriting seemed as if it had just appeared yesterday. Lu Jiangxian's heart finally fluttered.
"That's right, I must be a member of Qingxuan... and I'm extremely familiar with this Sword Ancestor..."

Back then, Tang Xie of the Lingbao Daoist lineage came to the cave and told him about the Eastern Lord. He had already gained some understanding of it. Now, this familiar handwriting was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly making him certain.

'It's so familiar!'

Suddenly, he seemed to fall into that old dream again, the words "Zhengshi" still vivid in his mind's eye, and he finally became certain:

'In my past life, I was at least a second-generation disciple of Qingxuan, and most likely one of the immortal lords who entered the Zhengshi Gate... Qingxuan...'

The Dao of Qingxuan, apart from the Demon Ancestor who possessed all three mysteries, now only two resounds: [Changtang] and [Changjing].

These two paths represent Donghua and Gonghua respectively. Adding Chang Geng now, and Dongjun, whom we learned about earlier, could these four paths correspond to the four small houses we saw in the temple back then?

'If so, then the portrait I saw in the temple was of the Azure Mystic Lord, so it's not surprising that I felt a sense of familiarity with him…'

Of course, he has even more terrifying and noble speculations, but he currently lacks a crucial piece of evidence…

But he racked his brains and couldn't remember anything. Unwilling to immerse himself in the immense loneliness, he raised his eyebrows, forcibly shifted his gaze from the blue monument, and slowly exhaled.

When he looked back, his pupils finally showed their usual calmness.

'Green Stele…'

This stele is extremely extraordinary. Rather than an ordinary stele, it is more like the mark of enlightenment left by the Immortal Lord Chang Geng who proved the Dao of the Sword. If he did not have this supreme level of divine sense, and if this place did not have a strange sense of tolerance towards him, he would never have been able to see this place!
This is the second forbidden area he has discovered in this realm that even Dao Embryos dare not step into, and it is even more terrifying than that immortal array!
This one is a true nemesis. Even the Golden Crow's transformation into Xuan Guang could be resisted, but if it were a sword that spanned thousands of years, who would dare say they could escape unscathed before becoming an Immortal Lord!

Lu Jiangxian secretly judged:
Even that immortal of the setting sun wouldn't dare to act recklessly before this monument unless he took the final step!

He carefully studied and copied it, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. He sighed inwardly and pondered:
"There are such people in this world! Forget about severing the Wood Virtue, with such ability... merely severing the Wood Virtue is far too modest!"

But his intense curiosity made him stop there. He took a few more glances, then stepped around the stone tablet and continued forward.

Behind the stone tablet, the intense sword intent had solidified into a tangible form, spreading like a thin mist in the darkness. In this area, which even Cha Youdu could hardly detect, the blackness was faintly visible within the pale white light.

Lu Jiangxian stood still, gazing silently.

This place should be where the Sword Ancestor cultivated back then. Standing behind the monument, the faint white sword intent should be the result of the Sword Immortal's enlightenment back then!
'While it can't compare to the green stele spontaneously responding to sword intent, it's still terrifying. Even a True Monarch-level figure who manages to bypass the stele and reach this place will feel as if they have a thorn in their side!'

Within the thick white mist of sword intent, a person was sitting cross-legged.

Lu Jiangxian's eyes gradually filled with shock.

This person was quite tall, with a blank face, wearing a white robe with flowing patterns, and an ancient-style hair ornament. He sat cross-legged properly, without any superfluous decorations on his body, except for a sword placed on his lap.

The sword is entirely white, with a blend of solid and ethereal forms. Faint colors flow across its surface, creating a beautiful, unfolding scroll in the hazy white light.

The moment it came into view, it was as if Lu Jiangxian saw a sun as white as jade. Even when he touched it with his divine sense, he was startled by the blinding white light. The powerful aura on its body seemed to burst out and shatter everything around it!
'Here, I sit cross-legged and meditate…'

'This person cannot be a Purple Mansion cultivator, nor even a Divine Pill cultivator; he must be a True Lord!'

In that instant, he stopped abruptly, cautiously looking at the person in front of him. After a moment of looking down, he seemed to have a sudden realization, and then he took a step forward, slowly raised his hand, and gently placed it on the person's shoulder.

Lu Jiangxian's eyes flickered—as if she were both delighted and relieved.

To be precise, this is not a single person.

This is a corpse.

Or rather...

This is a True Lord's Dharma Body formed from the convergence of golden essence.

Simply by sitting there without any conscious effort, a Dao Wheel appeared behind him, and various white streams of light emerged from his sides, sometimes appearing and disappearing, sometimes ethereal like living things, like snow, like jade, like silk, like pearls, shimmering with thousands of light colors.

Lu Jiangxian slowly took a step back, staring in shock at the man sitting cross-legged in front of him. The disbelief in his eyes seemed to overflow. He looked at the white light changing in front of him, and two words flashed through his mind.

『玉真』.

This was originally a True Lord of the Jade True Path!

Lu Jiangxian stood there motionless, a rare sight indeed.

Who is He?

Why did he pass away here? Was he suppressed here, or did he attain enlightenment here?

'The path of Jade Truth has already been proven by the Supreme Primordial Lord; what is His/Her current position?'