Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 505 The old banquet at Yuntai has changed with frost and snow, a single thought of male and female questions the heart of the sword (Sorry, it's too hot and I'm feeling a bit unwell).
Above the drifting clouds, beneath the azure sky.

The surrounding clouds sometimes surged like snow waves, and sometimes turned into flowing rainbows. Cranes cried out and emerged from the clouds, their tail feathers trailing shimmering light.

This is the place where Lord Lu Cheng and his old fellow disciples gathered.

Years have passed, hundreds of years have gone by in the blink of an eye.

The former newly promoted disciples of the Earth Immortal Realm, when they reunite now, are separated by an insurmountable chasm of cultivation levels.

After Lu Cheng sat high on the main jade table, his aura was completely concealed. He did not deliberately show the majesty of a Nascent Soul Divine Lord, but he had already made all the cultivators present submit to him, like stars surrounding the moon.

On the jade table, the spirit wine flowed from the pot and poured into the cup, where it condensed and did not disperse, transforming into a fine nectar, exuding a unique fragrance that blended the essence of the thousand-year-old lingzhi mushroom and the moon's essence.

Those who served on either side were all pure spirits of plants and trees, moving silently, dressed only in flowers, trees, clouds and mist.

Seated beside the table, Wan Shuang'er, dressed in a plain white palace gown, still possessed that aloof and frost-like temperament, only her eyes and brows had lost some of the liveliness of her youth, and gained more of the refinement that comes with the passage of time.

Duan Tianyan wore a dark gold robe with crimson flame patterns. His eyebrows were sharp as knives, and his fire element magic was pure and complete, having reached the Nascent Soul stage. However, the way he twirled the cup with his fingertips when he sat down still revealed a subtle restraint.

Mo Xuan was taciturn, dressed in black with mysterious patterns, and sat as still as a mountain, like ancient ink in a deep pool.

Shang Qingyu sat below Wan Shuang'er, her beauty even more radiant than before. Her emerald green dress made her look like a rare orchid in a secluded valley. Her beautiful eyes lingered on Lu Cheng, filled with undisguised awe and curiosity.

This Lord Lu's rise to power was incredibly rapid. Back then, my cousin was just grasping at straws in desperation, trying anything unexpected. Who could have imagined that this...

His management of Black Mountain Workshop was masterful, making it incredibly wealthy. He concealed himself in the mists of the South China Sea, and his sword crushed all rivals.

You entered Huangyun Prefecture, becoming a high-ranking official in charge of a region, suppressing foreign tribes, opening trade routes, developing government affairs, and supporting the people. It can only be said that these ascended cultivators are indeed all capable individuals, capable of what ordinary people cannot.

“Junior Brother Xiao… what a pity!” At this moment, Lu Cheng was catching up with Wan Shuang’er, who sighed softly.

"Junior Brother Xiao swallowed the 'Nine Tribulations Transformation Yang Pill' in his quest for a breakthrough in magical power. Who could have imagined that he would encounter the pill's poison, which had only a 10% chance of erupting? In the end, his Dao heart was flawed, which led to the burning of his meridians and his failure at the last moment."

"In the end, a few of us went to send him off, and he died a tragic death. At that time, Aunt Xiao, an elderly woman who had lost her son, fainted several times from crying."

The atmosphere at the banquet suddenly froze.

Duan Tianyan put down his wine cup, a flash of fiery red light in his eyes, which then turned into deep sorrow: "Xiao Ming has always been stubborn. That pill was too powerful; it could not be refined without great perseverance and a strong foundation. In the end, it backfired on him."

Back then, Lu Cheng was on good terms with Wan Shuang'er, Duan Tianyan, Xiao Ming, Mo Xuan, Shang Qingyu, and others. Unexpectedly, after only a few hundred years, one of them is missing.

Lu Cheng remained calm and composed, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of his cup before he raised it and poured spiritual wine in a distant toast. He then said indifferently, "A cultivator's path to enlightenment requires opportunity, temperament, and foundation; none can be lacking. Senior Brother Xiao is also a talented individual; this is fate, and there's no need to delve into it further."

The group changed the subject, regaining some of the initial liveliness. Mo Xuan, unusually, spoke up about several recent events in the sect. Shang Qingyu responded with gentle laughter, like a spring breeze thawing the ice.

Soon, at the edge of the cloud platform, a thin cloud, guided by the wondrous Dharma, unfurled and coiled, condensing into an illusory preaching platform.

The figure of the gray-robed old man (still the same Tianyan Pavilion cultivator from Feiyun Peak hundreds of years ago) slowly materialized on the cloud platform, holding a black gavel.

"Snapped!"

A clear, crisp sound rang out.

"In the eastern part of Xuanqing Domain, there is a great immortal cultivation clan called the Gu Clan. Its founding ancestor, Gu Hanshan, dominated his era and established a ten-thousand-year foundation with the 'Canglang Dividing Sea Sword'. His clan was always bustling with activity and shone brightly."

His son inherited his father's will and worked steadily and surely. Although he was slightly inferior to his father, he still ensured the safety of the family. However, when the third head of the family, Gu Mingyu, was born, auspicious omens filled the sky. He was exceptionally talented and was showered with love and affection from a young age.

However, this young master was obsessed with treasure hunting and pleasure-seeking, indulging in excessive pleasures, associating with纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats), and treating the family's wealth as his own private treasury, taking whatever he wanted.

When he finally succeeded to the position of family head, he realized that his foundation was weak when he encountered external enemies. With powerful enemies pressing in, Gu Mingyu rushed into battle, but his opponent saw through his weakness and pierced his heart with a sword. The Gu family's great formation collapsed, and the ten-thousand-year foundation was like a sandcastle on the shore, which was swept away by a big wave and collapsed in an instant.

This is exactly:
The sword's aura cleaves the clouds, its eternal fame extinguished in a single blaze.

Jade trees stand by the abyss, greedily enjoying the moonlit night; golden spears and rusty pillows are drunk in the spring palace.

Before the flames of calamity could be heard burning the imperial palace, the dancers still sang their songs as they entered the battle.

The waves crashing against the sandy city ultimately become an illusion; the lingering regret of Hanshan fills the east of the river!
Gu Hanshan, a hero of his time, never truly understood what he should pass on to his descendants.

After a brief pause, the gavel struck again, and the old man continued his sermon:
"In the same era, almost parallel to the decline of the Gu family, there was another seemingly opposite story. On the edge of the Blackwater Marsh, there was a small, insignificant cultivation family called the Wang family, whose patriarch was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage. The family's only son, Wang Shi, had mixed spiritual roots, making cultivation difficult. The family only had one incomplete set of the 'Thick Earth Qi-Inducing Technique,' and resources were scarce."

However, Wang Shi was extremely determined and knew that his family was in dire straits. He never cared about his own inferior qualifications and lack of resources.

He pondered the incomplete manual countless times, and while hunting monsters and collecting spiritual herbs in the swamp, he teetered on the brink of life and death countless times. Relying on his own tenacity and keen understanding of the subtle spiritual changes between life and death, he deduced and completed the technique on his own, and even comprehended some of the principles of 'hiding one's strength in the thick earth'.

He started accumulating essence from the lowest-level 'Stone Armored Lizard' demon core, taking one step at a time. When his family was in decline and his father was seriously injured and died, he used his late Foundation Establishment cultivation, combined with his self-comprehended 'Hidden Edge Sword Intent', to protect the foundation of his family. In the difficult years that followed, he led the devastated Wang family to regain its footing in the Blackwater Marsh and cultivated to the Golden Core realm.

This is exactly:
Trapped in mud and afflicted by broken veins, he honed his sword amidst countless deaths in the marshland.

Stone armor covered in frost, imbued with the essence of Dharma; demon core tempered in fire, mending the heavens with scripture.

Concealing one's sharpness does not mean being buried by the yellow sand; embracing simplicity will ultimately bring forth the jade cauldron.

"Don't say that those from humble backgrounds lack ambition; a mound of earth can give rise to a dragon's destiny." After the two stories of cultivating immortality were told, silence fell over the cloud platform. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting dappled light and shadow on the jade table at the banquet.

Duan Tianyan tapped his knuckles on the jade table, his voice low and deep: "The story of Tianyan Pavilion is never empty talk. The Gu family's downfall was not due to external enemies, but to internal problems. With a weak foundation and a lax mind, even mountains of spirit stones and seas of immortal jade, and profound Daoist techniques, are ultimately just illusions. Once they collapse, it's hard to recover." Duan Tianyan seemed to be moved, his words carrying a deeper meaning. He was probably referring more to himself, as the Duan family had also been feeling somewhat shaky in recent years.

Wan Shuang'er's eyes were clear and sharp, focusing more on the Wang family's rise to power: "Wang Shi was able to rise from humble beginnings because his will was as strong as iron and his foundation as solid as a rock. He had no extraordinary talent or heaven-defying luck, but the two words 'perseverance' and 'sincerity' were unbreakable. Isn't this a warning to us seekers of the Dao? Being born into a prestigious family may give us a high starting point, but it is also easier to be blinded by these things and lose that sense of awe as if walking on thin ice and the heart of hard work and perseverance."

Her gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Lu Cheng: "Isn't the Divine Lord's journey a perfect embodiment of the word 'constant sincerity'?"

“We are old friends, so there’s no need for such words; it would make our relationship seem distant.” Lu Cheng didn’t refuse, and without saying more, he simply picked up his jade cup and took a small sip of the fine wine. The liquid in the cup rippled slightly, reflecting his deep, calm eyes.

The ultimate goal of Taoist cultivation is to transcend emotions, but the key is not forgetting or having emotions, but rather the detachment that comes after experiencing all things and transcending emotions.

After a period of somber reflection, the atmosphere at the banquet returned to harmony, and more exquisite delicacies and wines were served.

After several rounds of drinks, the topic inevitably circled back to the recent event that had captivated the hearts of the Taiqing Sect and many surrounding people—the Immortal Pool Sword Battle!
This is a grand gathering for human cultivators, open only to young cultivators under three thousand years old from the Earth Immortal Realm, with the possibility of ascension cultivators extending their lifespan to five thousand years.

After all, the spiritual environment and the development of Daoist methods in the mortal realm are far inferior to those in the immortal realm. Many primordial spirit cultivators have cultivated for two lifetimes and are already more than five thousand years old when they ascend to the upper realm.

Therefore, Mo Xuan broke the silence first: "Senior Brother Lu, everyone is discussing the 'Immortal Pool Sword Battle' right now. The quota has been decided, and Senior Uncle Xuanzhenzi... has nominated you as the representative of our sect."

These words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, drew everyone's attention.

Upon hearing this, Duan Tianyan put down his chopsticks, looked at Lu Cheng, and said with a complex expression mixed with a rare sincerity: "Senior Brother Lu, in my opinion, this matter is extremely dangerous! In the seventy-two continents of the Earthly Immortal Realm and the nine sects and thirty-six factions of the Human Race, for tens of thousands of years, our Taiqing Sect has suffered more defeats than victories in the Immortal Pool Sword Competition, and it has been difficult to achieve a good ranking..."

The Taiqing Sect excels in Daoist theory, and its distinctive feature is its high level of Daoist cultivation. It is adept at taking a strategic and long-term view and is less likely to encounter cultivation bottlenecks than other sects. The higher the cultivation level, the less time is required compared to other sects.

The Immortal Pool Sword Battle strictly limits the age of cultivators; even ascended cultivators cannot exceed five thousand years old, and this is not yet the middle or late stage of the Taiqing Sect cultivators' power.

Duan Tianyan paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts: "With your current cultivation level, foundation, and management skills, Senior Brother Lu, you can steadily cultivate within the Taiqing Sect, leveraging sect resources and receiving guidance from seniors like Uncle Yu Ding. Achieving the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and even glimpsing the Void Return realm, is merely a matter of time. A bright path lies ahead! Why go to that 'Immortal Pool' and compete with the immortals? As far as I know, many of the nine sects and thirty-six factions of the human race have done some rather unseemly things for the sake of their sect's reputation, bestowing magical treasures, secret techniques, and even pills that destroy one's foundation, despite repeated prohibitions."

After Duan Tianyan, Wan Shuang'er, Mo Xuan, Shang Qingyu and others also spoke up to advise him. They naturally knew that Daoist Lu Cheng was skilled in sword fighting and magic combat, but the Immortal Pool Sword Fighting was arguably the highest level of competition among human Nascent Soul cultivators. If Lu Cheng represented the Taiqing Sect and went there, he would only bring shame to himself and the sect if he made a mistake.

"Moreover, let alone losing. Even if you win, senior brother, and you really win the title of champion of the Immortal Pool Sword Fighting, you will become a direct descendant of Master Xuanzhenzi's lineage. In the long run, it may not be a good thing."

After Wan Shuang'er, another sentence was added.

Master Xuanzhenzi's cultivation path leans more towards empirical verification, while the foundation of the entire Taiqing Sect is based on Daoist theory. In the past, the Daoist theory lineage was powerful and could accommodate the empirical verification lineage, but the current situation has forced these two lineages to subtly compete with each other.

What Jade Cauldron Mystic Lord was most worried about was that Lu Cheng would be drawn into this conflict.

Lu Cheng listened, his face showing neither joy nor anger.

The atmosphere froze for a moment, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the eaves on the platform.

Everyone was simply offering advice from their own perspectives; whether Lu Cheng listened or not was ultimately his own business. At the end of the banquet, Wan Shuang'er and Duan Tianyan each brought up their "family matters."

"Senior Brother Lu, Huangyun Prefecture has been managed by you for a hundred years, and it is now at its peak." Wan Shuang'er said with a faint smile, subtly changing the subject:
"My sister's clan has a few good-for-nothing younger members. They have decent character, but they lack experience. I've heard that the Divine Lord's Mansion has opened up many trade routes, which are the best way to temper one's character. I wonder if we could arrange for one or two to go there, so that they can be trained? They don't need to hold high positions; miscellaneous tasks will suffice."

Duan Tianyan chimed in, having been sent by his elders, "Indeed. My Duan family also has a few lads who are progressing slowly under the protection of their families. If they could see the world in Huangyun Prefecture, a place where everything thrives, and pick up some practical skills, it would be a blessing for them. I would appreciate it if Senior Brother Lu would do me a favor."

Duan Tianyan's plea wasn't anything to be ashamed of; back when Lu Cheng went to Fulongyuan to select Dao soldiers, they and their ilk had helped him out in small ways.

Duan Tianyan knew Lu Cheng's temperament; once he asked, nothing was impossible. Speaking of which, Junior Sister Wan was cunning, even using his influence to achieve her goal.

Lu Cheng lowered his eyelids slightly and nodded almost without hesitation, saying, "It's a small matter. The manor has its own procedures. Just have them come."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Wan Shuang'er and Duan Tianyan bowed in greeting at the same time, which revived the atmosphere at the table.

Shang Qingyu's beautiful eyes sparkled, a smile playing on her lips. She quickly picked up the pot and poured Lu Cheng another cup of immortal wine. The crystal-clear liquid fell into the cup, creating a misty, rosy vapor.

"Do you think that if I were to actually participate in this Immortal Pool Sword Competition and win the championship, and then ask my senior uncle Xuanzhenzi for another true Daoist scripture, would he agree?"

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the passing of delicacies, ethereal music drifted through the air. As the atmosphere grew lively once more, and everyone became slightly tipsy and their minds began to relax, Lu Cheng suddenly uttered this question.

"As far as I know, if Senior Brother can come out on top and ascend to the position of champion... Master Xuanzhenzi will likely make an exception for him!"

"My uncle, Elder Wansong, once served under Master Xuanzhenzi. I overheard him praising Senior Brother's unparalleled talent, and he also sighed, saying that while our sect has a vast collection of scriptures, the most suitable supreme sword technique for Senior Brother's cultivation lineage is the 'Male and Female Demon Refining Sword Scripture,' which is profound and mysterious, integrating Yin and Yang into one, and transforming male and female into one furnace, which can perfectly benefit Senior Brother's cultivation! However, this scripture is not to be passed on lightly unless it is personally transmitted or for great merit! If you can win the championship in this Immortal Pool Sword Competition, perhaps... that would be a great merit enough to make an exception!"

Wan Shuang'er was already quite drunk at this moment, and answered directly.

After the banquet, Duan Tianyan and the others got up to take their leave, and before leaving, they repeatedly instructed the younger generation to take up their posts in Huangyun Prefecture.

Lu Cheng, who was in charge of trade between the two worlds, didn't care about the few cultivators who came to gain experience, and nodded in agreement to each of them.

Huangyun Prefecture's trade volume has been increasing year by year in recent years. As long as a few idle positions are arranged in the relevant departments, there is no fear that it will not accumulate some merit after a hundred years.
At least it will look good on the list of achievements.

"The Male and Female Demon-Refining Sword Manual? I had originally planned to follow my master's wishes, to keep a low profile, and to focus on cultivation. But if it's for this sword manual, I'll fight for it even if there's only a one or two out of ten chance!"

(End of this chapter)