I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 706 Four Swords United
Neither Qingxu Daoist nor Chi Jinyu said anything; or rather, whether they believed it or not, this was their last chance.

Gu Yuanqing could have easily killed them all with a single sword strike, but since he was willing to give them this opportunity, they were willing to gamble.

If you lose the bet, you'll just end up with nothing, which isn't much different from what you have now.

If you win the gamble, there is hope!
For the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, this was the last straw he could grasp.

He formed a hand seal, and the sword-like eye between his brows transformed into a long sword that flew out.

Gu Yuanqing raised his hand and grabbed the longsword. The sword was pitch black, gleaming with a faint light, and its light had an eerie quality that made it hard to look away once you saw it.

If you look closely, you might vaguely feel that this sword is not a physical object, but rather a constantly surging and changing misty aura.

Sometimes it condenses like black jade, sometimes it disperses like mist and haze, refracting thousands of mysterious and strange colors under the light, dazzling and mesmerizing people, and drawing their minds involuntarily into that chaos.

The blade itself has no fixed shape; its edges are blurred and uncertain between reality and illusion, as if it could merge into the air at any moment.

This is the true form of the Heavenly Demon Sword. Gu Yuanqing has heard of this long sword for hundreds of years.

Legend has it that this sword was forged from the body of a celestial demon, making it inherently malevolent. It once stirred up a great deal of bloodshed in the cultivation world. When Zhang Xuanlin of the Lingxu Sect heard that the Celestial Demon Sword had appeared, he changed his mind and was willing to teach Gu Yuanqing the Heavenly Human Technique and return to his sect immediately. This shows the weight this sword holds in the hearts of cultivators in the cultivation world.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master looked at the sword in Gu Yuanqing's hand with a complicated expression, but it eventually turned into relief.

Looking back on his life, although the Heavenly Demon Sword allowed him to reach heights he could never have otherwise attained, if he could truly relive his life, he would rather have never obtained the sword.

He picked up the Three Tribulations Crossing Lamp, and the figures of Qingxu Daoist and Chi Jinyu both disappeared.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master handed the lamp to Gu Yuanqing with both hands and said in a deep voice, "Mountain Lord Gu, please keep this lamp safe for me!"

Gu Yuanqing calmly accepted it, put it into his storage bag, and then said, "Let's go, I'll see you out of Qingping Cave!"

When the Heavenly Demon Sword Master handed over the Heavenly Demon Sword, he also lost the qualification to return directly to the Spirit Realm from Qingping Cave.

"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist!" said Qiu Weifeng, the Heavenly Demon Sword Master.

Gu Yuanqing led the Heavenly Demon Sword Master into the Heavenly Demon Sword Domain, and the Heavenly Demon Sword Master's gaze quickly fell on a figure in the Sword Domain.

This person was naturally Gu Yuanqing, a mere clone yet possessing the power to overwhelm the heavens.

Moreover, the aura of the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao on this clone has already taken shape, and it is even purer than the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao aura he himself cultivated.

His cultivation came from the Heavenly Demon Sword, as well as from the lineage of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Although these lineages were derived from the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao, many of them leaned towards the evil path. It wasn't until he obtained the Heavenly Demon Sword and saw the true lineage within it that he was able to correct the wrongs.

But by then he was already a Celestial cultivator, his foundation was already established, and even with all the hard work, he could not make up for it all.

In contrast, Gu Yuanqing received orthodox training from the very beginning of his cultivation, so they are naturally not comparable.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master withdrew his gaze without saying a word. That's life; there's no such thing as fairness.

In a short while, we arrived at the exit.

With the Heavenly Demon Sword in hand, Gu Yuanqing slashed through the air, and a large gate appeared.

"Go!"

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master clasped his hands in a fist salute, said nothing, and turned to leave.

……

Inside that hidden valley cave in the spirit realm.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master emerged from the stone wall.

The radiance of the runes on the entire stone wall dissipated, and finally all the spirituality of the runes vanished, leaving the entire stone wall smooth.

From then on, it lost the power to connect with Qingping Cave.

Feng Jiu Niang was meditating and cultivating to the side. She was overjoyed to see the Heavenly Demon Sword Master come out, but when she saw his gray hair, she was immediately shocked.

"Sword Master!"

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master said calmly, "I'm fine. Ninth Sister, go and make preparations. At most a year from now, I will prepare to leave the Spirit Realm."

"Leave the Spirit Realm? My Lord, are you planning to return to the Cultivation Realm? Right now, the teleportation arrays leading to the Cultivation Realm are heavily guarded. It won't be that easy to go down there," Feng Jiu Niang said.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master glanced at Feng Jiu Niang.

Feng Jiu Niang's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly lowered her head and said, "Your subordinate understands, I will go and make the arrangements immediately!"

"Go!" said the Heavenly Demon Sword Master.

Feng Jiuniang stepped back, but before leaving, she couldn't help but glance at the Heavenly Demon Sword Master without leaving a trace.

She was also a Yin-Yang cultivator and a slave of the Heavenly Demon Sword. She could vaguely sense the aura of the Heavenly Demon Sword, which was no longer with its master.

Did the Lord win or lose the battle for Qingping Cave? She dared not ask.

……

They watched as the Heavenly Demon Sword Master left, and then watched as the gate formed by the runes slowly closed.

Whether the Heavenly Demon Sword Master would come as promised, Gu Yuanqing didn't know, and in fact, he didn't care too much.

If you brought the second volume of the Heavenly Dao Scripture, that would be best; if you didn't, there's really no loss.

Receiving the Qingping Dao Palace and its legacy was a significant gain for him.

Along the way, he has a very clear understanding of the path to immortality. To put it bluntly, even with just the Demon Subduing Sword Dao, he can still step into the path of immortality.

Gu Yuanqing, of course, would not be content with this.

The Undying of Chaos is not only a leap in the level of life, but also a deeper integration of oneself with the Great Dao, and the foundation for one's future path to immortality!

The Celestial-Human hierarchy is divided into Celestial Transformation, Yin and Yang, and Chaotic Heaven. In fact, each level and each stage is a process of shedding the mortal body and achieving the immortal body. Only by perfecting each stage can one have the opportunity to go further.

Why is it that among all the cultivators in the world, there are countless people who have opportunities and resources, yet so many of them ultimately stop and fall under the heavenly tribulation?

To put it bluntly, their path has flaws. These flaws accumulate and eventually become unsustainable, preventing them from moving forward. In that case, their path will be severed!

Gu Yuanqing's body returned to the top of the Dao Palace.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and sensed the other three clones cultivating in their respective sword domains. Then he raised his gaze and focused it back on the Celestial Star Array in the sky. As for Qingping Dao Palace itself, having obtained the other three swords, he already possessed the qualifications to open it, but he was in no hurry.

He has already received the inheritance he was entitled to; what remains will likely be mostly troublesome matters.

For example, the people in the painting!
I don't want to fight the person in the painting for now. I'll wait until the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao, the Sealing Demon Sword Dao, and the Demon-Slaying Sword Dao are all perfected, and the four swords are combined into one to cultivate the true Zhou Tian Zhen Jie Four Phases Sword!
Within the North Spring Cave.

The primordial energy within the cave disappeared.

Li Chengyi knew that his father had stopped attacking. He walked a little closer and saw that his father had a smile and a sense of contentment on his face. Then he quickly came to his side.

"Father, is the matter resolved?" Li Chengyi asked.

"It's mostly resolved, but there are still some troublesome matters to deal with later." Gu Yuanqing's aura began to dissipate, and the power belonging to Beiquan Cave Heaven began to return to the cave heaven. He was somewhat tired after the great battle, and his true essence also seemed a bit empty. This feeling made Gu Yuanqing a little uncomfortable.

This battle was arguably even more intense than the previous one against Mu Tianheng.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, Qingxu Daoist, and Chi Jinyu are only at the Shattered Heaven Realm at most. They cultivate the Great Dao of the cultivation world, and are no less capable than ordinary Chaotic Undying cultivators in the Linglong Realm.

With the added challenge of the figure in the painting whose strength was immeasurable, Gu Yuanqing could be said to have used almost all his power to achieve a seemingly easy victory.

He was distracted by countless things, and while fighting, he also had to refine various artifacts, which took a great toll on his mental energy.

Only when I completely relaxed did I begin to feel something.

"Are you alright?" Li Chengyi quickly took a few steps forward and helped his father up. It was the first time he had ever seen his father like this, which showed how fierce the battle had been.

Gu Yuanqing waved his hand and smiled, "It's alright, nothing serious, I'm just a little tired, not to the point where I need your help."

The father and son sat down in a nearby pavilion.

Li Chengyi busied himself preparing tea and pouring water for a short while, doing everything personally without using any magic.

Gu Yuanqing took a sip of tea and smiled, "Your skills seem to have improved quite a bit; the heat is just right."

"Father, you flatter me. In my spare time from cultivation, I enjoy tea and chess, so I have some knowledge of them." Li Chengyi replied with a smile, and then asked, "Father, I didn't dare to disturb you before. What kind of opponent did you encounter in Qingping Cave Heaven that made you so upset?"

When Gu Yuanqing opened the cave heaven this time, Li Chengyi was also prepared to contribute. He was now at the third tribulation of the Heavenly Transformation and was considered a master in the cultivation world.

He stood atop the side peak, constantly observing his surroundings and controlling the grand formation within Qian Yuan Island. He was thinking that perhaps the opening of the cave would attract extraordinary phenomena and draw other cultivators to the area.

If that's the case, he will step in to stop them. He might not be able to stop a true master, but he is confident that he now has the ability to help his father avoid some trouble.

Unfortunately, no one came from outside from beginning to end; only the mountain-carrying tortoise occasionally turned its head to look.

"Indeed, experts have arrived. The Heavenly Demon Sword Master, the Demon-Slaying Sword Master, and the Demon-Sealing Sword Master have all come, and all three can be considered to be of Huntian strength. However, with just these three, there is no need for such trouble. The real trouble lies within the Qingping Dao Palace..." Gu Yuanqing briefly recounted the events. As his son's cultivation level increased, he no longer concealed these matters.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengyi's expression tightened slightly, and he said, "According to Father, this Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array should be used to suppress this painting. In that case, there has always been a hidden danger within the Qingping Dao Palace, and we don't know when it might erupt!"

Gu Yuanqing nodded and said, "If my prediction is correct, the people I encountered when I went up the mountain were the successive palace masters of Qingping Dao Palace. The marks left by these people not only left behind their inheritance but also suppressed the people in the painting. As for the so-called immortal destiny, it may be true. The Heavenly Dao Scripture should have come from it. However, to truly obtain the so-called immortal destiny, one must face the people in the painting head-on, which is too risky."

“Father, you must be extra careful,” Li Chengyi said.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "I don't plan to open the Dao Palace for the time being. The reason why the power of the person in the painting was able to break out of the palace before was because I and the other three sword masters were fighting each other in the Zhou Tian Star Array. Now that all four swords are in my hands and the array is stable, it will not be so easy for the power of the person in the painting to come out again."

The father and son then talked for a long time.

Gu Yuanqing continued, “Qingping Cave Heaven is vast and rich in spiritual energy, making it a sacred place for cultivation. The Dao Palace’s lineage leads directly to the path of immortality. Cheng Yi, please make arrangements for me to send disciples to cultivate there once I have fully refined the Dao Palace. As your father, I should also leave behind someone to inherit its legacy.”

"Yes, the child knows."

Gu Yuanqing nodded slightly and said, "The path of the sword is unparalleled in killing and is a superior method for protecting one's path. You may practice it in the future."

Li Chengyi withdrew.

Gu Yuanqing then entered a state of contemplation, nourishing his spirit and soul.

Inside Qingping Cave.

The four clones each have their own responsibilities.

Three comprehend the Way of the Sword, while one comprehends the Great Array of the Celestial Stars.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Path, the Demon Sealing Sword Path, and the Demon Slaying Sword Path are all superior techniques, sufficient to sustain a cultivator until they reach the Undying Realm of Chaos.

The reason why the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, Chi Jinyu, and Qingxu Daoist ultimately stopped at the Shattered Heaven Realm was simply because they were originally divided into three, and from the source, they always had flaws. They used wonderful methods to avoid the flaws in their Dao Heart and became Chaotic Heaven cultivators, but this also cut off their path to the Dao, and there was no possibility of them advancing any further.

This is why they were determined to find the first volume of the Heavenly Dao Scripture, hoping to obtain a wonderful method from it that would allow them to unite their three bodies and pursue the path to immortality.

Gu Yuanqing's comprehension and aptitude were still considered excellent even after leaving Beiquan Cave Heaven. In addition, his cultivation level and the sword inheritance from the Heavenly Sword Elder made his cultivation quite smooth.

However, the path of swordsmanship is the condensation of one's own will, which requires time to hone.

Time just passed by little by little.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. The three clones had mastered the swordsmanship and ascended the Sword Peak, comprehending the sword technique left behind by the Heavenly Sword Elder in the stele.

Gu Yuanqing then withdrew his clones one after another, merging all the insights gained from the clones with his main body.

The true Four Symbols Sword of Zhou Tian Zhen Jie requires the mastery of four swords, and then the complete integration of the meaning of the rotation of the stars in the Zhou Tian constellations. Even with a lineage, this step is not easy.

In the eighth year, Gu Yuanqing retrieved all his clones, leaving only the Demon-Subduing Sword in the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array of Qingping Cave for positioning purposes.

Inside the North Spring Cave.

Gu Yuanqing sat cross-legged atop the mountain, and the illusory image of Beiquan Mountain appeared. Around it, wisps of sword energy transformed into the shape of stars, vaguely resembling the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array of Qingping Dao Palace.

Four sword intents hovered at the four positions of the great formation.

With a thought, the great formation was put into operation, and the entire formation merged with the illusory image of Beiquan Mountain.

The four auras, led by the Demon-Subduing Sword, gradually began to merge under its command.

A new aura gradually emerged. At first, this aura was not stable enough. Sometimes it showed the unpredictable nature of the Heavenly Demon Sword, as if it were between reality and illusion. Sometimes it showed the toughness and stability of the Demon Suppressing Sword. Sometimes it showed the sharpness of the Demon-Subduing Sword. Occasionally it showed the moderate and stable nature of the Demon-Subduing Sword.

But gradually all of these things disappeared, becoming faint and indistinct, yet full of vitality.

As if returning to simplicity and concealing its sharpness, the Four Symbols Sword Dao of Zhou Tian Zhen Jie has finally achieved minor success!

(End of this chapter)