The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 268 The Emperor's Sword (4k)

Du Yuan and the man in black walked slowly along the mountain path.

This time, they didn't go to the stone bridge over the Qingni River, but instead headed to another place. The former was too far, while the latter happened to be on the way.

The two were heading to a valley.

As soon as Du Yuan stepped firmly into the moss-covered crevice, his eyes were suddenly drawn to something: even as an outsider who knew nothing about feng shui, he could tell that the mountain's terrain was extraordinary and breathtaking.

The chaotic mountains that rose abruptly from the plains and twisted and turned have been cleaved open by a giant axe here, and behind the opening is a valley shaped like a gourd!

They were facing the bottom of this "gourd" at that moment.

The man in black also spoke at this moment, his voice carrying a hint of admiration:

"What a wonderful layout that gathers and retains vital energy! If the great era had not yet arrived, this place would surely have given birth to a hidden dragon!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Du Yuan saw the hot wind blowing from the plains suddenly become gentle after passing through the mouth of the gourd; when it blew in front of them, it made them feel refreshed and comfortable.

Upon closer inspection, he could even glimpse a hint of the mysterious within the gentle breeze.

“Previously, you used the classics of the sages to suppress the evil forces, but the righteous energy has never stopped, wave after wave,” the man in black nodded repeatedly and looked at Du Yuan and said, “The evil forces have been suppressed, and these things that were originally extraordinary and waiting for the great world to arrive have taken advantage of this opportunity to change ahead of time.”

The word "opportunity" has never been just about people, but also about things.

When the time is right, it can transform into a dragon.

Curious, Du Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Do you understand feng shui?"

The man in black waved his hand and replied with a smile, "You jest. I'm just a swordsman, how would I know about these things? It's just that I've been cultivating for many years, so naturally I know a bit more about other things."

Du Yuan also smiled and said:

"I'm not afraid to admit it, but I always felt that feng shui was just a skill left by our ancestors for future generations to make a living."

"After all, once this framework is established, whether you make a living by telling people feng shui or take a shortcut by searching for dragon veins and dividing gold, it's all up to them."

"But later I realized that maybe I was wrong."

The man in black chuckled:

"That was probably a long time ago."

He crushed that demonic sword with a single palm strike. The man in black robes knew that even at his peak, wielding the 'Spring Breeze', he would likely still be unable to defeat it.

Moreover, this person was among those who secluded themselves from the world early on, severing ties with karma.

Therefore, he was definitely not a prodigy like Li Shiyi.

By any measure, he should be an old guy like him. He might even be several generations older than him.

When such a person embarks on cultivation and realizes something is amiss, heaven knows how long ago that was.

After thinking about it for a moment, the man in black couldn't help but think to himself, "Maybe I wasn't even born yet at that time!"
Du Yuan also laughed.

Yes, just recently.

As the two exchanged a smile, an aged voice suddenly broke in:

"Hehe, I didn't expect you two little kids to have such good eyesight!"

The two turned around at the same time and saw an old man in a blue robe standing behind them, leaning on a cane.

With white hair and a youthful face, and full of energy, most ordinary people would probably say upon seeing such a person – could he be a master?

After the old man started, he walked over to the two of them and, gazing at the mouth of the gourd, continued speaking to himself:

“Look at the mountains and fields on both sides, the peaks are dark green, yet their majesty remains undiminished.”

As he spoke, he pointed to the mountains on the left and said:

"This mountain to the left is covered with black pines, and when the pines rustle and surge, they resemble the undulating scales of a dragon. This place alone is enough to bury a king!"

"But the mountain peak on its right side is shaped like a crouching white tiger. This not only creates the appearance of a coiled dragon and a crouching tiger!"

The old man turned back to look at the two of them and smiled:

"Do you know what has elevated the atmosphere here to an even higher level?"

Du Yuan was genuinely curious, so she cupped her hands and asked:
"Please enlighten me, sir!"

The man in black didn't speak, but simply stood aside and watched quietly.

He's nothing more than a shallow, vulgar person showing off. He has no interest in arguing with a braggart like that.

As cultivators, the distinction between elders and juniors is not based on appearance.

First you have to look at their cultivation level, then their age, and only lastly, their appearance.

Thinking of this, even the man in black couldn't help but chuckle to himself:
'This person would never have guessed that he, who looks the oldest, is actually the youngest here.'

The old man became even more smug and said:
"Oh my, the most wonderful thing is that a layer of pale golden mica has grown on the cliff face at the mouth of the gourd. When the sun sets, it shines with golden light, like an elixir entering the gourd!"

"This is precisely the elusive and highly sought-after 'Heavenly Gate opens, Earthly Gate closes' in the grand scheme of Feng Shui!"

"If I were the emperor, hehe, I would definitely set up a furnace here to refine elixirs in order to achieve immortality!"

Of the three, Du Yuan, who was thought to be the oldest but was actually the youngest, nodded and said:
"I see, I see. Thank you for your guidance, sir!"

Seeing that Du Yuan was so understanding, the old man was happy to continue:
"Young man, there is much more you don't know. The secrets here are far more than just this."

The old man then pointed to the gentle slope at the bottom of the valley, which was covered with fine white sand, and said:
"Where is this stream winding around the bright hall, this jade belt encircling the waist? Coupled with being under the great influence, it is the most precious of all. Let alone burying a noble person here, even burying a beggar here would bring blessings for generations to come!"

Du Yuan followed her gaze and saw a clear spring seeping through the white sand, winding in a crescent shape along the terrain. It truly resembled a jade belt around the waist.

Then, the old man pointed to the upper half of the gourd near the dragon's head and said:
"The most amazing thing is this place. It looks unremarkable at first glance, just taking advantage of its location within a treasure gourd. But in my opinion, this is the most remarkable place!"

Du Yuan simply treated this as a clever story, finding it novel. The man in black, however, slowly frowned, then scrutinized the old man before him with intense scrutiny.

This old man looked like an ordinary person. His previous words were fine, after all, among the three religions and the hundred schools of thought, not only were each planning to survive the calamity, but they also used great means to preserve their respective lineages for future generations to prevent them from being lost.

In this light, it's not surprising that the old man could see through these appearances.

The problem is that the further he goes on, the more he gets to the heart of the matter—it is the very sword that fell here back then and single-handedly supported the power of this place!

This layer is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people! Even cultivators with weaker cultivation levels might not be able to perceive it.

So, did I misjudge twice today?
Unbeknownst to him, the man in black had already been secretly comparing Du Yuan and the old man in his line of sight.

As for Du Yuan, he could barely recognize that she was a remarkable cultivator. Although this was mostly due to the continuous flow of righteous energy, he could at least clearly see that "Du Yuan is a cultivator".

But he didn't notice anything unusual about the old man at all!

Is it that my eyesight is deteriorating, or is there another reason? Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard Du Yuan ask the old man:

"May I ask if you could elaborate a bit, sir?"

At that moment, the man in black suddenly understood.

That's it! This person's cultivation level is probably above mine. Since he calls the other person "old gentleman," he is obviously implying to me that this person is indeed the most senior among the three of us!

Upon thinking of this, the previously nonchalant man in black straightened his back, but then realized it was inappropriate and bowed slightly.

Seeing the man in black looking like this, the old man chuckled and stroked his beard.

He loves this feeling!

Then he pointed towards the mouth of the gourd and said, "There, there's a sword! A celestial sword that fell from the sky!"

The man in black twitched his brow—he actually knew!
Du Yuan nodded in agreement. The sword was truly well hidden. Neither when he first arrived at Guanshui Tower nor until the moment he uttered the words "Amitabha" did he realize that a sword was hidden there.

It wasn't until he assumed the identity of a Taoist priest that he was astonished to discover that there was actually a celestial sword hidden here!
"Yes, this sword was really well hidden. It clearly has an impressive appearance, yet I almost missed it."

The old man chuckled and teased, "Young man, you noticed it too? Well then, could you tell me about the origin of this sword?"

The old man didn't believe Du Yuan could see through the clues, but to his surprise, Du Yuan actually answered correctly:
"I truly do not know the specific origin of this sword. However, I do know that a real dragon with a missing horn is carved on its hilt."

The old man exclaimed in surprise:
"Oh my, you actually knew that, baby?"

Du Yuan laughed:

"You do have some discernment. But could you please give me a detailed explanation of this sword, sir?"

These words surprised the man in black. "No, why don't you know about this sword?"
The butcher didn't know, so how could this sword not know either?

This is one of the Emperor's Swords!
Long ago, there were nine cauldrons, vital artifacts for the human race, used to suppress the world's fortune and bring blessings to countless generations. Later, the nine cauldrons were lost to the mortal realm, nearly severing the human race's fortune. Fortunately, at the critical moment, countless heroes stepped forward to turn the tide and save the collapsing empire.

Finally, they found one of the Nine Cauldrons and used it to forge seven swords, which were then given to the rulers of the seven kingdoms to protect their states and suppress the dragon veins.

And this sword here is one of the seven swords forged from the Nine Tripods.

Its name is "Xiaojia"!
It was once the sword of Ying Bo, and after he destroyed the six states, it became the sword of the emperor.

Even in his heavens, he was a very famous person!

Even the most famous feature of this "Xiaojia" is its single horn.

In the past, Duke Mu of Ying was eager to advance eastward. He took the "Xiaojia" (a type of halberd) and went out of Yaoshan, but was ambushed and his entire army was wiped out.

Even the national treasure "Xiaojia" had a corner broken off as a sign of humiliation.

So how could you not recognize this sword?

This sword's connection to Confucianism is no less significant than that of the word "Ren" (仁). In fact, this sword led to the later policy of "exclusively honoring Confucianism and suppressing all other schools of thought!"

Countless questions flashed through the black-clad man's mind. He wanted to speak, but he didn't know where to begin.

He couldn't very well be so blunt as to ask a senior repairman, "Aren't you a little too ignorant?"

Just then, he was surprised to hear the old man sigh and say:
"Hehe, kid, you've stumped this old man. I knew this sword fell from the sky."

"As for anything else, I really don't know. Oh, right, right, at most, I only know a little about what you're talking about."

The man in black was completely stunned upon hearing this answer.

No, how come neither of you knew this?
In Mo Yike's mind, both of them were more powerful than him and much older.

So why wouldn't anyone know about such a famous sword?
'Is it still my own problem?'

Having long since lost all his pride, the man in black couldn't help but doubt himself after a series of misjudgments.

'Could it be that to achieve greater progress in cultivation, one must remain unmoved by external things? Otherwise, why have two consecutive senior cultivators behaved this way?'

Just as the man in black was lost in thought, he was startled to hear Du Yuan smile and point at the old man, saying:
"Sir, you didn't figure these things out on your own, did you?"

Seeing that Du Yuan had figured out the key point herself, the old man, knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, chuckled and said:

"Oh dear, you little brat figured it out! Hehe, to be honest, these are things that an old man like me wouldn't know."

The old man then pointed to himself and said:

"I'm just a clumsy, illiterate man; how would I know these tricks of the trade?"

"Then how do you know there's a sword hidden here?"

The man in black could no longer hold back and blurted out a question.

Although no one knew, he felt that he hadn't just failed to master the swordplay.
The old man didn't know why the man in black was so distraught; he simply reminisced about the past and said:
"Hmm, this one is quite old."

The old man, having thought of this, chuckled and pressed his palm down, saying:
"Back then, my beloved granddaughter and I were about the same height, and we were in the same place. For some reason, we bumped into a refined old gentleman."

"He's clearly a very learned person. He's the one who told me all this. He also said that he came here specifically to see this sword."

But then the old man suddenly hesitated, as if he had forgotten something very important.

But as I've gotten older, I just can't remember it for a while.

He could only sit there alone, lost in thought.

This caused great distress to the man in black, because he discerned an even bigger problem—this person was already very old; when he was a child, it must have been decades ago.

But the problem is, decades ago was the time when the emperor was at his most ruthless. Who could come here and tell these things to a country bumpkin under such circumstances?
"You, you, you're not mistaken?"

The old man, whose thoughts had been interrupted, said unhappily, "How could this be wrong? I've been telling this to people for decades, how could I possibly be wrong?"

His greatest pleasure is to use these statements to amaze others.

How could you possibly remember it wrong?

"How could someone have seen through these things decades ago, and even told you about them?"

The man in black could no longer contain his astonishment.

This was even more shocking to his understanding than the two gentlemen from the Southwest and Qingzhou.

After all, it was still within his imagination that the patriarch, who held a high position, possessed such abilities.

Because of this remark, the old man suddenly slapped his thigh and said:

"I remember now, I remember now! Back then, that old gentleman wasn't telling me this; he was telling me to tell future generations!"

At this point, he unconsciously looked at Du Yuan.

(End of this chapter)