Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

As expected, Donghuang Taiyi's eyes suddenly deepened, and two jet-black beams of light shot out from them, piercing straight into Xu Fu's eyes. The light was like two swirling black vortexes, instantly engulfing Xu Fu's consciousness and drawing all his attention to them.

In the next instant, Donghuang Taiyi's spiritual power forcefully invaded Xu Fu's soul, like flipping through a book, wantonly exploring every memory in his mind.

If Shao Siming had also returned with Xu Fu, even if Xu Fu had lost his powers, Donghuang Taiyi would never have resorted to such methods against him. But the situation is different now. The situation in Qi is shrouded in mystery. It's one thing that Xu Fu, the Lord of the Clouds, is in trouble, but Shao Siming, whom Donghuang Taiyi sent to rescue him, has also disappeared in Qi.

The loss of two of the five elders of the Yin-Yang School at once has shaken the foundation of the school.

Now is a crucial period for the rise of the Qin state, and the Yin-Yang School must seize this opportunity, taking advantage of Qin's conquest of the other six states, to fulfill its centuries-old ambition. In this process, the Yin-Yang School itself must not make any mistakes.

For this reason, Donghuang Tai had to personally take action to read Xu Fu's memories and explore the hidden truth behind the Qi Kingdom.

In an instant, all of Xu Fu's memories were clearly seen by Donghuang Taiyi. Everything he had said, everything he hadn't said, everything he had deliberately concealed, and everything he had unintentionally overlooked were all exposed.

From his arrogance and conceit upon arriving in Linzi, to his wretched state when he was framed by Hou Sheng's retainers; from his humble act of revealing all the secrets of the Yin-Yang School in order to survive, to his feigned compliance when facing the mysterious man... Donghuang Taiyi knew every single detail.

On the high platform, Donghuang Taiyi's gaze grew increasingly sharp, and his aura became increasingly icy, as if the air in the hall was about to freeze.

After a long silence, Donghuang Taiyi finally spoke, his voice tinged with a heavy murmur: "Qi Kingdom..."

In the world today, the State of Qi is a relatively peaceful country and is extremely far from the State of Qin. For this reason, Donghuang Taiyi did not pay much attention to that country. The reason why Yunzhongjun Xu Fu was active in the State of Qi before was not only because he was a native of Qi, but also because there were many alchemists in Qi. Winning over those alchemists was very useful.

However, after Yun Zhongjun disappeared in Qi, Shao Siming, whom he had sent out, also disappeared without a trace in Qi.

The murky waters of the State of Qi have already revealed a corner of themselves to the Yin-Yang School.

But Donghuang Taiyi was still not entirely clear about what exactly was going on with the muddy waters.

Now, having accessed Xu Fu's memories, he understood completely.

In Xu Fu's memory, there were many unusual things that happened after he arrived in Linzi.

Putting aside everything else, the fact that Hou Sheng's retainers tested him was clearly aimed at Xu Fu. Ironically, Xu Fu failed to see through it immediately and remained extremely arrogant. In the end, someone found his weakness and he became a prisoner.

Of course, the person who defeated Xu Fu was indeed very powerful.

In Xu Fu's memory, he was defeated in just a few moves.

If things were just like that, it wouldn't be so bad, but it just happens to correspond with what the Yin-Yang School learned.

He originally intended to summon Yun Zhongjun back, but when the news reached the State of Qi, Yun Zhongjun had disappeared.

Therefore, the story of Shao Siming going to the State of Qi came about.

In retrospect, it seems that Yun Zhongjun was deliberately framed and had already become a prisoner at that time.

Even more suspicious were the two mysterious men who appeared before Xu Fu later.

One came seeking gratitude, the other seeking revenge; their motives seemed different, but who could guarantee that they weren't the same group? After all, they were able to easily bypass the guards and accurately locate the place where Xu Fu was imprisoned—this ability was by no means accidental.

What displeased Donghuang Taiyi the most was that Xu Fu, that good-for-nothing, was utterly spineless, having completely betrayed all the secrets of the Yin-Yang School.

Before his magic, everything about Xu Fu was exposed.

Everything Xu Fu did and said was known to Donghuang Taiyi.

Admittedly, from Xu Fu's perspective, he didn't do anything wrong at the time. In order to survive, he naturally had to do whatever it took.

But from Donghuang Taiyi's perspective, it's somewhat intolerable.

In order to save his own life, Xu Fu betrayed the interests of the Yin-Yang School.

After learning about these things, Donghuang Taiyi's murderous intent grew, and he was about to take action to kill Xu Fu.

But in the end, he restrained himself.

Simply because Xu Fu still had some use.

Everything is related to the sword that Xu Fu wore on his body, the one that had previously taken the initiative to protect its master.

In Xu Fu's memory, Donghuang Taiyi learned the origin of that sword.

That sword was actually given to Xu Fu by the last "mysterious person".

It was that same person who took the initiative to rescue Xu Fu.

In Xu Fu's memory, the man claimed to be an avenger who wanted to take revenge on the Yin Yang School.

It must be said that the opponent's strength seems to be quite good as well.

In order to save his life, Xu Fu humbled himself and sold out a lot of Yin-Yang knowledge. This is certainly infuriating, but on the other hand, it seems that he also successfully gained the trust of the person in the shadows.

This can be seen from the fact that the man gave such a precious sword to Xu Fu for self-defense.

Even if that person did not fully trust Xu Fu.

Keeping Xu Fu around will eventually be of some use.

Donghuang Taiyi wanted to find out exactly who those people from Qi were.

"I'll spare your life for now!"

Donghuang Taiyi's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable determination.

With a casual wave of his hand, Xu Fu's body fell from the high platform like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud.

Xu Fu felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but he forced it back down.

After dealing with Xu Fu, Donghuang Taiyi looked outside the main hall and said in a low voice, "Summon Dongjun."

In less than half an incense stick's time, a figure dressed in magnificent robes stepped into the main hall.

The woman had a graceful figure and a beautiful face, but her brows carried a hint of coldness and sharpness. She was none other than Dongjun Yanfei, the deputy leader of the Yin-Yang School.

As soon as she entered the main hall, she sensed the lingering killing intent in the air and Xu Fu's disheveled appearance.

Within the Yin-Yang School, unless Donghuang Taiyi deliberately conceals something, very few things can be hidden from her. She already had a guess in her heart about the purpose of Donghuang Taiyi's summons.

"Your Majesty the Eastern Emperor." Consort Yan bowed slightly, her voice cool yet carrying just the right amount of respect.

Without wasting any words, Donghuang Taiyi said directly, "I need you to go to the Qi Kingdom to investigate some things and find Shao Siming."

Logically speaking, now is the crucial time for Qin to expand eastward and sweep across the world. The Yin-Yang School should concentrate all its efforts on clinging to Qin and increasing its influence in Qin to share in the spoils of war, rather than wasting its energy in a place like Qi where the situation is unclear.

However, the Yin-Yang School is not one to follow the rules. Their inherent extremism and arrogance make them unwilling to suffer the slightest loss.

Donghuang Taiyi took this arrogance to the extreme. Those who dared to touch Yun Zhongjun and Shao Siming of the Yin Yang School today might ruin the Yin Yang School's century-long plan tomorrow.

He would not allow any accidents to occur on the road to realizing his long-cherished wish.

Therefore, he sent Yanfei, who is now the strongest and most meticulous person in the Yin Yang Clan besides himself.

After a pause, Donghuang Taiyi added, "Among the retainers of Hou Sheng, the prime minister of Qi, there is a man named Mr. Qing. This man is key; we must find out his background."

Chapter 214 Forging the Sword at Mount Tai, A Miraculous Treasure Descends

Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak, stands majestically in the heart of Shandong Province, only a few hundred miles from Linzi.

Since the time when Pangu separated heaven and earth, this mountain has been imbued with the spirit of the head, its veins connecting to Kunlun and majestically guarding the east. It has always been a place where emperors performed the Fengshan ceremony to worship heaven. Every rock in the mountain seems to contain the ancient Taoist charm, and even the inconspicuous streams are exceptionally clear and cold because they have been imbued with the spiritual energy of thousands of years.

Compared to the stagnant atmosphere of Hou Sheng Mansion, the feng shui of Mount Tai is truly a match made in heaven.

The earth's veins here meander like living things, and the primordial energy of heaven and earth is so rich as to be almost tangible. Walking among them, one can almost hear the ancient breath pulsating beneath the rocks. This spiritual realm is far superior to the ordinary valleys around Linzi.

Xu Qing stood in a flat area in the mountains and looked into the distance. He saw the clouds and mist flowing between the Eighteen Bends, and the vital energy rising and falling with the mountain's terrain. He thought to himself that it was indeed true.

Previously, he had been looking for a place to forge swords near Linzi. After all, once he mastered the fourth-order sword-forging technique, the requirements for the sword-forging environment were not so demanding.

But then, he thought of something else.

There seems to be no need to be too hasty.

Choosing a good location will greatly increase the success rate of sword forging.

Therefore, after careful consideration, he finally chose Mount Tai, which is said to be a ladder connecting heaven and earth, where the yin and yang energies converge, making it a first-class blessed land in the world.

More importantly, it is not far from Linzi, and is located within the territory of the State of Qi.

After arriving at Mount Tai, choosing where to forge the sword became another issue.

Normally, the secluded Daiyin Valley would be a good choice, with its tranquil environment, close connection to the earth, and clear mountain springs flowing through it, which could be used to wash the sword. However, Xu Qing ultimately chose a place halfway up the mountain, where he could see the Heavenly Ladder up close and the vast sea in the distance, which perfectly matched the meaning of "connecting heaven and earth" in sword forging.

After arriving here, although the spiritual energy of Mount Tai was already abundant, Xu Qing still did not give up setting up the formation.

This time, instead of having Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai do the work, Xu Qing did it himself.

Of course, Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai also came along this time, serving as Xu Qing's left and right protectors.

As the formation was gradually set up, Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai's eyes shone brighter and brighter. Mount Tai was already extraordinary, and the formation's core, which used the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams as nodes, perfectly matched the trend of Mount Tai's dragon vein. The Qian position received the light of heaven, the Kun position received the earth's energy, the Kan and Li palaces borrowed the essence of the sun and moon, and the remaining six trigrams were arranged according to the orientation of the mountain rocks. This formation was even more mysterious and in harmony with heaven and earth than the previous formation of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Although the formation had not yet been activated, Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai had already sensed the power of this complete formation.

The mist swept over the formation, wetting Xu Qing's robes.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai stood guard beside the stone path leading to the open space, their eyes occasionally sweeping over the array eyes embedded in the rocks. The stones engraved with yin and yang runes seemed to have merged with the original stones of Mount Tai, and even the mountain breeze seemed to carry faint hexagrams.

Xu Qing sat cross-legged in front of the makeshift furnace. The fire in the furnace remained steady in the mountain wind, and the spring water from Tianzhu Peak beside him gurgled, but he did not put any materials into the furnace for a long time.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind, his thoughts first drifting to Chu Nan Gong.

"Lord Chu Nan, you are truly a benefactor in my life!"

During this period, the more he studied the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book, the more emotional he became.

Chu Nan Gong really helped him a lot.

There were some forms of help that even Chu Nan Gong himself might not have known, but for Xu Qing, if there were any benefactors, then Chu Nan Gong was definitely one of them.

Back then, when Xu Qing encountered difficulties while trying to forge a fourth-order sword.

It was Chu Nan Gong's timely appearance that prompted the "Xuan Shu Sword" to complete an advancement, thus allowing Xu Qing to glimpse the Dao of the Fourth Order.

After that, not many fourth-tier swords were forged.

But it's not entirely nonexistent.

At least he successfully forged a "Frost-Piercing Sword," which helped Xu Qing understand what a fourth-tier sword was all about.

In addition, the Yin-Yang techniques that Chu Nan Gong gave to Xu Qing were also very useful.

In Chu Nan Gong's view, even if he copied all those Yin-Yang techniques to Xu Qing, Xu Qing might not be able to learn them. However, he overlooked the fact that there are always some extraordinary people in this world.

Xu Qing is an example of this.

He's cheating!

Moreover, his cheat was always on.