Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 608 Ten Thousand Cultivators Traverse the Path to Immortality, One Sword Slays the Nine Netherworlds (Seeking Rewards and Subscriptions!)

The matter of rectifying the atmosphere of sects is something that various sects and clans in the Earthly Immortal Realm have heard of from time to time, so it is not a new thing. However, the rectification has reached the point where even a Mahayana Dao Lord like Dao Lord Minghe has been arrested and suppressed. This is unprecedented in the entire Earthly Immortal Realm for tens of thousands of years.

Cultivation is divided into nine realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Primordial Spirit, Returning to Emptiness, Body Integration, and Mahayana. These are collectively known as the Nine Gates of Seeking the Dao.

Once a cultivator reaches the Mahayana realm, they are only one step away from ascending to the heavens.

In any force within the Earthly Immortal Realm, he was an absolute high-ranking figure. To be treated with such contempt was seen by many high-level cultivators as tantamount to self-destruction.

Therefore, all the sects and factions of the human race and the giants of the spirit realm initially looked down on the Taiqing Immortal Sect from their high places, with scrutiny and ridicule. Some said that Lu Cheng was young and impetuous, and his foundation was shallow. He did such a cruel thing and would surely suffer a backlash. Others mocked that the Taiqing Sect's ten-thousand-year foundation would be destroyed by this sect leader.

However, as time went by, this invisible storm swept across the human realm of the Earthly Immortal Realm at a speed even faster than Lu Cheng's defeat of the various Mahayana cultivators of the Western Extremes and his sword's annihilation of his enemies, and even affected the spirit races of all directions:

After so many years, finally a high-level cultivator is willing to reason and uphold the law, and stand up for the lower-level cultivators and give them justice.

Therefore, among the numerous low- and mid-level cultivators, the matter of the Taiqing Sect leader rectifying the sect's atmosphere was no longer met with ridicule and mockery, but rather with shock, astonishment, and then an indescribable longing and excitement.

In this world, there are ultimately more low- to mid-level cultivators.

Those cultivators from humble backgrounds, low-level cultivators, and even some frustrated mid-level cultivators who had been oppressed by powerful clans, monopolized by aristocratic families, and bound by injustice, upon hearing this news, had their rebellious blood, frozen by reality, thawed and reignited once more.

It was as if a hole had been torn in the dark night, letting in the piercing light of dawn!
All the heroes of the world gather in Taiqing.

This is not just a slogan, but a mighty torrent surging across the vast lands and rivers of the Immortal Realm.

The reason why cultivators around the world are concerned is not just because of this one thing, but because Daoist Lu Cheng has been unswervingly perfecting and practicing the sect's laws and regulations for thousands of years.

Of course, there are shortcomings and imperfections, but among the nine sects and thirty-six schools, only this one is willing to reason and make corrections.

Shangqing, Tiandu Peak.

A solitary peak, towering ten thousand feet high, pierces through the layer of gale-force winds, while the sea of ​​clouds churns and boils, with celestial palaces and jade pavilions suspended above the clouds, creating a magnificent spectacle.

At this moment, the most famous "Questioning Platform" in the center of Tiandu Peak, covering an area of ​​a hundred feet, is shrouded by a barrier that is as solid as a physical object.

Today is the annual True Transmission Grand Competition of the Shangqing Sect, held once every twenty years. The eight final winners will ascend to the highest heavens, enter the True Transmission Palace, and enjoy the boundless resources of renowned masters imparting their teachings.

On the dueling platform, one person stands alone.

The Taoist robe was elegant and the figure was upright; it was Chen Guanhai, an inner disciple.

He held an ancient longsword, its blade unstained by blood, yet exuding a chilling aura born of countless battles.

Twenty years of arduous training since his youth have led him to this point in his swordsmanship, during which he has defeated seven opponents, all of whom are outstanding members of the Shangqing Inner Sect.

With his final sword strike, he shattered the "Star River Reversal" technique that Li Mubai, known as the "Little Sword Master," was so proud of. The aftershocks of his unparalleled sword energy even carved a deep sword mark on the solid Xuan Gang Rock arena.

There was a moment of deathly silence in the audience, followed by a roar.

Countless eyes were focused on him, filled with fervor, envy, jealousy, and awe... On the elders' platform, several white-haired Shangqing elders nodded slightly, their eyes revealing approval.

"Brother, brother! He won! My brother won again!"

Chen Guanhai walked onto the arena holding his longsword upside down, and his younger sister, Chen Fenglan, cheered and threw herself into her brother's arms. Her face was flushed, and she was even more excited than Chen Guanhai.

If they win just one more game, it will be a miracle for these brother and sister to change their fate!

Late at night, the lights in the simple wooden cabin where we were temporarily staying were dim.

My younger sister, Chen Fenglan, is already asleep, her breathing even.

Rice is expensive in Shangqing. With the money that the brother and sister have, they cannot afford to live in a place with a spiritual vein and beautiful scenery. The charcoal lamps in the house are a gift from the landlord recently because Chen Guanhai has won a series of victories in the True Inheritance Competition.

"Ho, ho, ho..." As night fell, the sound of sharpening swords filled the air. Chen Guanhai sat by the well, continuously drawing buckets of water and pouring them onto the whetstone, vigorously sharpening the iron sword in his hand.

His fingertips gently brushed across the cool spine of the sword, producing a deep and steady hum, polishing the blade again and again, and also polishing the indomitable spirit in his heart.

Just then, a faint light flashed in the distance.

A figure carrying a lantern quietly entered. Chen Guanhai suddenly looked up and saw that it was Zhao Yuanchen, the scion of a noble family who would compete with him for the last true disciple position the next day.

He wore a polite smile and behaved with impeccable manners, showing no sign of hostility.

"Junior Brother Chen, please forgive me for disturbing you so late at night."

"Senior Brother Zhao, you're too polite," Chen Guanhai said, but immediately stood up and gripped his long sword tightly.

His gaze swept over the servants beside Zhao Yuanchen, each of whom possessed profound magical power, far surpassing his own.

Although this is at the foot of Shangqing Mountain, and there is no possibility of murder or killing at night, we still cannot be completely careless.

Zhao Yuanchen keenly noticed Chen Guanhai's nervousness, smiled slightly, and spoke in a gentle voice, getting straight to the point:
“Junior Brother Chen’s swordsmanship is superb and I admire it very much. However, judging from your aura, it seems that your internal injuries have accumulated quite heavily from the repeated sword fights. If you fight again tomorrow, even if you can hurt me, it will also greatly damage your foundation. It would be a loss for you.”

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Zhao, but what is the purpose of your visit so late at night?" Chen Guanhai asked, his guard still high.

"Tomorrow's battle is a chance to defy fate for you, Junior Brother; but for Yuan Chen, it's just a formality. To be honest, Elder Sun of the sect has already set his sights on me. The position of true disciple this year will ultimately fall into my hands, regardless of victory or defeat. However, I don't want to make a fool of myself in front of my future master." Zhao Yuan Chen flicked his sleeve, and a bulging storage bag landed silently on the stone table in front of Chen Guan Hai.

The bag was slightly open, revealing a considerable number of high-grade spirit stones that shimmered with light and exuded spiritual energy, especially for Chen Guanhai.

“Junior brother, why don’t you give way a little and save face for both of us? I will also help you in the future, so that Junior Brother Chen and your sister can find a smooth path. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?” Zhao Yuanchen spoke calmly, with the superiority and confidence unique to scions of a noble family. After saying this, he turned and left.

Chen Guanhai shifted his gaze from the bag of glaring spirit stones to the wooden house behind him. His younger sister, who had been fast asleep, had woken up and was staring blankly at the spirit stones on the stone table. These were the spirit stones she had earned by constantly rubbing her hands on various fabrics every day while practicing Immortal Weaving, creating more blisters than an average person could eat rice.

"Brother, let's not take his spirit stones." Chen Fenglan realized what was happening and reluctantly looked away from her brother's gaze, saying this.

Chen Guanhai remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward, calmly put away the bag of spirit stones, and then walked over to embrace his younger sister, who had suffered hardships with him since childhood.

"Yes, why not? I only know that my sister can't suffer with me anymore. Besides, I really don't have the confidence to defeat this person. Zhao Yuanchen comes from a prestigious family, and the techniques he cultivates and the magic weapons he wields are far beyond what I can compare to. Rather than risking a one or two out of ten chance of winning for the sake of pride, I'd rather back down with dignity."

"But, brother, if you cannot become a true disciple of Shangqing, what will your future path be like..."

“If the Shangqing Sect won’t keep me, I can go to the Taiqing Sect. The Taiqing Sect’s leader, Master Lu Cheng, is impartial and fair. In order to uphold the sect’s laws, he can even imprison and suppress a Mahayana Daoist for ten thousand years.”

These spirit stones are enough for us to go to the Taiqing Sect. As long as the Taiqing Sect strictly abides by its rules and regulations, and as you know, with my efforts and abilities, why should I worry about not getting ahead?
"Once I become a true disciple of the Taiqing lineage, I will settle things with Zhao Yuanchen a thousand years from now!"

"Hmm, speaking of which, you should thank our Senior Brother Zhao back then!" Chen Fenglan said excitedly, her face flushed, after realizing what had happened.

"Hahaha, that's exactly right."

If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. The world is vast and the heavens are high, so this immortal realm can't be completely dark.

The Palace of Myriad Manifestations, the River of Oblivion in the Nine Netherworlds.

This place was once a perilous site where the Hall of Myriad Manifestations exiled criminals to temper their minds. However, in the last thousand years, with the significant increase in the number of vengeful spirits in the River of Oblivion, this latter function has been disabled.

The dark and deep River of Oblivion flows silently, its surface perpetually shrouded in the bone-corroding and soul-destroying aura of the Netherworld, while countless withered bones and wronged souls lie buried at its bottom.

The two sides are sheer, dark cliffs, as if carved by a knife and axe, with strangely shaped rocks that look like ghosts.

A blood-stained figure was struggling to climb the almost vertical cliff face along the slippery, cold stone wall.

Each movement aggravated dozens of deep, bone-revealing wounds all over his body, dark red scabs mixed with fresh blood, leaving intermittent marks on the jagged rocks. His name was Liu Hanzhou, formerly an outer sect steward of the Myriad Manifestations Palace. His insistence on investigating an old sect case angered the grandson of a powerful elder within the palace. In the end, not only was he stripped of his post, but his family was also implicated, and he himself was cast into the River of Oblivion.

But no one expected that he would actually crawl out of the River of Oblivion after thirty years. Although he was emaciated and looked like a ghost.

Below, the black waters of the River of Oblivion churned, and the faint howls of wronged souls could be heard.

Liu Hanzhou crawled out of the place little by little, and after catching his breath, he headed east. At this moment, his mind was filled with darkness; besides the fire of hatred, he didn't know where to go.

Three years later, in the border region of Taiqing Mountain, a hazy streak of light flew close to the ground. Liu Hanzhou, who was originally like a ghost, had finally grown some flesh after escaping the River of Oblivion. At this moment, he was fleeing towards the Taiqing Sect.

In this vast world, the spirit realm is boundless, yet it seems that only the Taiqing Sect can uphold justice for those who died unjustly.

Behind and diagonally above him, three figures shrouded in eerie ghostly energy relentlessly pursued him like a persistent, invasive disease.

The leader was a young man in fine clothes, with a handsome face but eyes as sinister as a venomous snake. He was none other than the elder's grandson, Li Wujiu. He leisurely stood on the back of a ferocious bone eagle, toying with a soul bead in his hand that twisted and howled in agony.

"Liu Hanzhou, why fight like a cornered beast?" Li Wujiu's voice, filled with the cruel pleasure of a cat toying with a mouse, echoed in the dark canyon.

"A few lowly servants' lives are nothing to you, are they? Hand over the jade slip in your hand that records the transaction photos of the 'Ghost Market'. Considering your past service to the palace, I will grant you a quick death and leave your remnant soul in my 'Dark Soul Banner'. Consider it a stroke of good fortune for you."

Liu Hanzhou, who was flying away, suddenly turned around, his bloodshot eyes blazing with deep-seated hatred:
“Li Wujiu. You treat human life like dirt, using the blood essence of your fellow disciples to refine your techniques, and trading the souls of your own kind with those of other races. This is intolerable. Even if I have to give up my life, I will make sure that jade slip appears where it is meant to be. Myriad phenomena? Heh, a den of filth and filth, a hellish realm. Such a sect is better off not existing.”

"Stubborn fool!" Li Wujiu's face darkened, his killing intent fully revealed: "Kill him. Extract his soul and refine his spirit!"

Two black-robed guards with chilling auras attacked simultaneously. One of them flicked his finger, and three emerald-green "Corrosive Heart and Bone-Eating Nails" shot straight for Liu Hanzhou's back with a mournful howl.

The other person then conjured a pale white soul-summoning banner. The banner trembled, and countless gray-white vengeful spirit arms reached out, flying and grabbing at Liu Hanzhou's primordial spirit.

With no way to avoid it, a hint of despair flashed in Liu Hanzhou's eyes, but it was instantly replaced by an even more intense madness. His pale face quickly turned crimson, as if he had burned his life essence for a final counterattack.

"Even if I die, it doesn't matter, as long as that jade slip is delivered to the Taiqing Sect and into the hands of True Person Lu!"

At this critical moment.

"Humph!"

A cold snort suddenly pierced through the wailing and ghostly howls in the valley, clearly resounding deep within the souls of everyone present.

Cold and majestic, carrying a chilling aura as if judging all ghosts.

The next instant, the light in the entire canyon suddenly dimmed, as if it had been seized by an invisible hand. A condensed, dark gray sword light, silent and still, slashed down from the top of the cliff.

The sword light was not vast, but it carried the power of magic swords that could freeze the soul and sever the yin and yang.

laugh!laugh!laugh!
The three emerald green poison nails were instantly deflected by the sword light, their surfaces quickly covered with a layer of deathly gray frost.

The countless vengeful arms that reached out were like ice and snow thrown into scalding lava, emitting a piercing sizzle as they melted away inch by inch, howling in agony. The spiritual light on the soul-summoning banner suddenly dimmed, and the banner surface was actually torn open by the invisible sword intent, leaving small but irreparable gaps.

The sword light, its momentum undiminished, grazed past the bone-carved head beneath Li Wujiu's feet, leaving him in utter horror.

Click!

The bone carving's ferocious head, harder than iron, was smoothly sliced ​​off like rotten wood. The massive skeleton crashed downwards.

Li Wujiu hovered awkwardly in the air, his face deathly pale, all traces of his previous arrogance gone. His gaze was fixed on the distorted void from which the sword light had originated, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Taiqing Sect... Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall, Youming Xuanjun (Refining Void)?"

The void rippled like water, and a figure shrouded in a gray-black cloak slowly emerged.

The cloak was wide, obscuring his face, with only his eyes peeking out from the shadows, deep and unfathomable like an ancient, icy pool, devoid of any emotion.

He wasn't holding a sword, but the sword intent that had just sliced ​​through everything clearly lingered around him, cutting through the surrounding space.

"The Myriad Manifestations Palace, what a grand display of power! Since you dare to come to my Taiqing Sect's territory to kill people, get out!" The Netherworld Daoist's voice was like two pieces of ice rubbing together, icy and chilling.

As the last word "Get lost" was uttered, an invisible sound wave, carrying a malevolent aura, crashed violently into the protective spiritual light of Li Wujiu and the other two.

The three of them felt as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer. They all groaned in unison, their bodies unsteady, and they were forced to retreat repeatedly, their blood churning.

Li Wujiu's eyes were filled with a mixture of resentment and fear as he stared intently at the Netherworld Daoist and Liu Hanzhou, who was being lifted up by his invisible aura and was already unconscious. Finally, he stamped his foot fiercely: "Fine! Well done, Master of the Taiqing Law Enforcement Hall. I will remember today's favor. Let's go!"

He dared not utter another word, and with his two guards, he transformed into three eerie streaks of light, disappearing hastily into the depths of the River of Oblivion.

The Netherworld Daoist didn't even glance in the direction they disappeared; his gaze fell on Liu Hanzhou's blood-stained robes, where the outline of a jade pendant was faintly visible. The corner of his mouth beneath his cloak seemed to twitch extremely slightly, as if in a cold laugh, or perhaps as a confirmation.

Then a gray shadow swept up Liu Hanzhou and silently disappeared into the shadows of the cliff, as if it had never existed.

A vast expanse of purple mist stretches for thirty thousand miles, while a thousand strands of auspicious clouds lock the cloud-capped peaks!
Outside the gate of the Taiqing Immortal Sect.

Since the news spread that the Taiqing Sect had opened its gates to recruit disciples, the number of cultivators gathered there has snowballed to an alarming degree in just a few months.

In the past, the Taiqing Sect had recruited many disciples, but never to this extent.

As far as the eye can see, the crowds are like a sea, starting from the ancient archway at the foot of the mountain, which stands tall and hundreds of feet high and is inscribed with the two characters "Taiqing". They stretch upwards along the three thousand steps of the "Wen Dao Yun Ti" (Steps for Asking the Way in the Clouds) and all the way to the Yingxiantai (Welcoming Immortals Terrace) halfway up the mountain, which is shrouded in clouds and mist.

These three thousand stone steps, neither gold nor jade, each step faintly shimmered with a pale blue spiritual light. Stepping upon them had a subtle effect of calming the mind and cleansing away worldly thoughts. At this moment, these cloud-like steps were densely packed with figures!
Daoist Lu Cheng, accompanied by the Xiao sisters, Yu Hong and Yu Xue, stood atop the Taiqing Peak of the Floating Mountain, looking down upon the surrounding landscape. He couldn't help but chuckle and say:
"All the world's best talents are now in my grasp."

"They're just a bunch of Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, it's not as exaggerated as you make it out to be," Xiao Yuxue said with a laugh, trying to shut him up.

However, she also knew in her heart that her husband's efforts over the past thousand years to rectify the family's conduct and establish the first orthodox sect were already beginning to show results.

Although what is currently being collected consists mostly of minor cultivators with low cultivation levels, only in this way can the entire sect select the best of the best, choosing those with outstanding talent, comprehension, and temperament to achieve enlightenment. As long as the sect's legal system remains sound and the selection and training are carried out effectively, these individuals will gradually enhance the sect's foundation and make the sect increasingly powerful.

Among the crowd below, an old monk with white hair and beard and a weathered face stood out.

His aura was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and it already showed signs of decline, clearly indicating that his lifespan was nearing its end. However, in his cloudy old eyes burned a heart-stopping flame, a flame of unwavering devotion to the Great Dao, a protest against injustice, and the most humble yet fervent yearning for the promise of "relying solely on oneself" made by the Taiqing New Government!

He reached the middle of the cloud steps, where his strength was clearly failing, and he swayed, about to tumble down the steep stone steps.

A middle-aged monk, also dressed in shabby clothes, quickly caught him and helped him up.

"Old man, be careful!"

The old cultivator, having caught his breath, looked at the middle-aged cultivator with his cloudy eyes. He grinned, revealing a set of broken, yellow teeth, and his voice, though hoarse, carried strength: "It's alright, it's alright! In my entire life, I've wasted a hundred years in the infighting of minor sects, unable to even obtain a proper Core Formation elixir! I thought... cough cough... I thought I would rot in the mud with this belly full of resentment! It was Heaven that spared me! It was True Person Lu who gave me one last chance to ascend to heaven!"

"Even if I have to crawl, I will crawl to the top today! I will climb over these three thousand steps! Even if I die, I will die on these Cloud-Seeking Steps! Let all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens see, let those high and mighty cultivators see, that even a poor cultivator has a heart that yearns for the Dao! And also has... a path to heaven!"

At the end of the cloud-like steps, on the edge of the enormous welcoming platform shrouded in a faint glow, dozens of cultivators dressed in the robes of Taiqing core disciples stood solemnly.

The leader was Zhang Zhaodi, dressed in an elegant Taoist robe, her figure upright like a lotus flower. Her former playfulness had faded, replaced by a calm and dignified air. Behind her, the core disciples gazed at the vast crowd below, listened to the shouts that soared to the heavens, and felt the emotions and expectations contained within. Even those with firm resolve were moved, their hearts surging with pride and a heavy sense of responsibility as disciples of the Taiqing Sect.

The Taiqing Sect didn't offer much; it only provided a sliver of opportunity and the word "fairness." Yet, even these mere words were enough to motivate countless cultivators from the lower classes to follow one after another, without complaint or regret.

This is because the Dao resides in the Great Purity.

From that day onward, the Taiqing Sect gradually solidified its position as the number one orthodox sect among the human race.

(End of this chapter)