Chapter Seventeen: One Betrayer
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无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
The reason that grandmasters were called so was because they had experienced countless battles, learned and understood deeply the details of how the primal energies flowed in the world, and broke through realm six to become realm seven, Mountain Moving.
Zhang Kuangdao was the most inconspicuous among these grand masters, but some of the subtle abnormalities were immediately sensed by the surrounding grandmasters.
Wei Wujiu turned his head and narrowed his eyes slightly. He saw a copper box in Zhang Kuangdao’s hand. The bottom of this copper box was a silver white crystal stone. Inside, were dozens of small swords that looked like raw iron.
In a blink of the eye, the vital energy inside Zhang Kuangdao surged out madly into the copper box. These dozens of silver swords gave off a vast and majestic presence as heavy as a mountain.
The small silver swords seemed to fly like tin mountains in the senses of these cultivators. In the air, or more accurately in the flowing primal energies of the universe, there was the presence of tin. The grandmasters within these energies seemed to be filled with tin in their bodies, especially their chests.
The dozens of small silver swords fell like mountains, and locked down the scattered retreat of these grandmasters.
Including Wei Wujiu, all of the Qin grandmasters who were shrouded in these sword presences were very furious. They finally understood where Consort Zhao Xiang’s true confidence came from.
To their great fury, it was not that Consort Zhao Xiang possessed powerful Chu weapons and could resolve this situation, but a betrayal from their own.
Zhang Kuangdao held the “Tin Mountain Sword Box.”
The cultivators were not unfamiliar with this seal weapon. Before the Deer Mountain Conference, during the trap targeting Zhao Si and Bai Shanshui, this seal weapon had appeared, and stopped Bai Shanshui in her steps.
Bai Shanshui had been stopped for a moment, but still defeated this Tin Mountain Sword Box. It was naturally not possible to stop so many experts with the Tin Mountain Sword Box like it had Bai Shanshui.
But other than this Tin Mountain Sword Box, there was another vast sword essence that came down.
This sword essence came from Lian Bo who was quickly flying backwards. His dark green sword was still flying in the air, but at this time, an indigo sword silently appeared in his hand.
The indigo long sword was entangled with clouds, and there was mist and heavy rain forming in the clouds.
He was the person closest to Zhang Kuangdao, and should have been the one most likely to stop the other. But his attack did not fall towards the other, but the Qin grandmasters who were trapped by the Tin Mountain Sword Box.
The power contained in the indigo sword even surpassed the lifebond sword he had nurtured for many years. The clouds and water on the sword splashed as his sword descended, like the clouds and rain from the distant Wu Mountains had been pulled over, and charged into this tight space like serpents.
There were multiple shouts. All of the Qin grandmasters trapped by the Tin Mountain Sword Box reacted. They did not target Zhang Kuangdao and Lian Bo, but used their strongest defense. They were all extraordinary cultivators, and grandmasters. They knew, from the look of Lian Bo’s sword, they had no time to attack and flee.
Consort Zhao Xiang arrived.
Boom!
Consort Zhao Xiang appeared in the area locked down by the Tin Mountain Sword Box. She did not target a person, but fell hard to the ground like a meteor. She was faster than any person here. When she arrived, the Chu weapon in her hand had been completely activated.
Countless gold ants seemed to climb out, the golden seals forming a golden curtain of light. The sword energies of the Tin Mountain Sword Box, the sword energy of Lian Bo’s sword, and the power of the other Qin grandmasters who were defending collided in this space, hitting and cutting the golden curtain of light. In an instant, the golden light was shattered, and released more terrifying power.
A ball of golden sun formed in the space locked down by dozens of small silver swords.
Lian Bo’s sword essence, like countless serpents traveling through the cloud and rain, was shattered by the golden light and disappeared.
Plop!
He first sprayed out a mouthful of blood. He was unable to keep a hold on his sword and was sent flying backwards.
Then, there were the dozens of the small silver swords sticking in the ground. Like a falling mountain, the small silver swords flew out in different directions.
There were strange sounds coming from Zhang Kuangdao’s hands that held the box. The scattered golden light hit him, and then his body gave off the sound of bones cracking. He was in a mist of blood that came out of his flesh.
There were strong explosions coming from within the golden light. Like enormous ships hitting the hard cliff, each attack caused it to feel like the mountain was shaking.
When the small silver swords were flying away, Xiang Yan had come to the golden burning sun where the explosion had occurred. His face was solemn, his golden dagger axe swinging forward dozens of times, cutting away all the golden light surging at him. His body managed to steady itself in the great shaking, and his hands were bloody.
The golden light only burst outwards for a short moment, and then dissipated, looking like a sun shrinking inwards. The space felt like it was burnt red coal. Even the primal energies of the universe seemed to have been burned to ash, stuck in the air, and then the layers peeling off.
A Qin grandmaster’s figure was the first to appear.
This was Pang Yugu of the Fang Marquessate Establishment. He came of good birth, and once cultivated in Spirit Void Sword Sect.
As the gold light passed, his figure appeared in the air. His clothing was not messy at all, and in his right hand, a lifebond sword was burning like a torch without going out.
Seeing this figure, Xiang Yan’s pupils contracted, and his expression turned even more solemn.
But in the next moment, the body of this Qin grandmaster had several explosions. Many bloody holes appeared on his arms, blood and energy coming out. His body fell back hard.
The golden light had retreated to Consort Zhao Xiang.
Consort Zhao Xiang appeared.
She was standing, but her jade-like hands were covered in many cracks with blood seeping out.
In this area, only two people were able to stand. Other than Consort Zhao Xiang, there was only Wei Wujiu.
Xiang Yan took a deep breath. While this result was very good for him, he was still startled and scared by this scene, feeling waves of coldness rice up inside him. He had never thought that this seal weapon could release such power.
Wei Wujiu’s robes were stained red. But most of it was not his blood, but the blood of the cultivator who had been following him all this time.
This cultivator under his command was definitely above average among these grandmasters, but right now, he was the most seriously wounded, so serious he was about to die.
Some betrayed, while others guarded with their lives.
“This is not the problem of the life and death of one person.”
Wei Wujiu held his subordinate with one hand. He did not look at Consort Zhao Xiang, but at Lian Bo and Zhang Kuangdao.
“We overlooked a problem…… How could something like the Tin Mountain Sword Box appear in your hands because of a transaction with Li Lingjun…… But you are from Wei, and you became a marquis of the Qin. I do not understand what you are still discontent about? I do not understand why you can ignore the favors the Qin Dynasty has done for you.”
Translator Ramblings: The Tin Box was so long ago ……
Volume 3 18 - The Maliciousness of Forefather Zhou
An unaffected Chen Chu looked coolly at Forefather Zhou and said, “Those two items are important weapons of the Chu Dynasty.”
The two items that Forefather Zhou spoke of was naturally the Worryfree Horn and the Silver Rakshasa Thumb Ring. But he stated that these were important weapons of the Chu Dynasty, meaning that he would definitely return to the Chu Dynasty with these items unless he died here.
This was the same logic as what the Qin swordsmen said about the person dying with the sword. However, when this truth was stated by a realm seven grandmaster, it was unusually intimidating.
Forefather Zhou’s eyes imperceptibly flashed with greed. He smiled slightly and said, “The result will be that even you will remain behind.”
Chen Chu stopped talking.
He took a deep breath. Ignoring the wounds from the previous fight, he forced his vital energy to flow powerfully through his body. His slightly pale face started to give off an unusual flush, and his black hair started to turn white.
A fresh and powerful presence filled the Worryfree Horn.
In the next moment, with a boom, the air in front of him scattered. The grass and leaves on the ground were crushed into powder. The Worryfree Horn, flashing with seven-colored light, headed straight towards Forefather Zhou.
Forefather Zhou narrowed his eyes.
Ever since Emperor Yuanwu ascended the throne, he had never fought anyone. He felt unusually unfamiliar facing this pressuring and suffocating presence. But at this time, there was a long-missing itch in his bones that was waking up.
He stood still, his right hand lifted slightly.
With a hiss, a black sword light flooded out of his fingers; and with precision, it hit the Worryfree Horn.
While the method was the same, his fiendish sword and Ding Ning’s fiendish sword were completely different.
Ding Ning’s fiendish sword only looked like crystal, but his fiendish sword was so condensed it was like the blackest of jewels. It shone with bright light, and had a presence slightly similar to the Nine Hell King Sword.
With a crack, this small black sword split into many small crystal grains. However, the advancing Worryfree Horn suddenly slowed, and halted in mid-air. In the next moment, it was forced to fly back by the power of these crystal grains.
Chen Chu’s frown deepened. His unusual flush grew stronger.
This was the first round of probes on both sides. In the eyes of the spectators, the result appeared to be extremely disadvantageous to him. Forefather Zhou’s fiendish energy seemed to have been accumulating in his body for a long time, and was condensed to an unimaginable degree. His vital energy, together with the power of the Worryfree Horn, was unable to withstand. Also, everyone could sense that he was forcing the flow of vital energy while ignoring his wounds.
In this situation where his organs were damaged, forcing the flow of vital energy would bring greater damage to his body and stop him from fighting for long.
A fight between realm sevens was not just so simple.
Reflecting on the presence changes of Forefather Zhou as the small black sword left his fingers and hit the Worryfree Horn, Chen Chu found a thread of hope from this seemingly unwinnable battle.
He took a deep breath again.
In this short moment, the space in front of him seemed to have transformed into vacuum.
He reached out towards the Worryfree Horn with his right hand giving everybody the impression that he was going to grab the Worryfree Horn that was flying back. Yet, in the next moment, several crystal purple droplets, undetectable in his energy sea, exploded out of his right hand at terrifying speed.
When these purple drops of liquid erupted out of his fingertips, they turned into a purple crescent moon in front of him.
As this purple crescent moon bloomed in front of him, the sky seemed to roar as though a great gap had been opened.
A bright pillar of light seemed to surpass the limits of time and descend from above to land on the purple crescent moon in front of him.
Everyone was shocked.
“What is going on?”
Xie Rou exclaimed in disbelief.
This purple crescent moon was clearly the lifebond item of this realm seven grandmaster.
In the previous battles, this realm seven grandmaster had fought with material items, causing people to doubt if he had a lifebond item. When his lifebond item suddenly appeared, the suffocating pillar of light coming down from above contained power that seemed to surpass the power of his lifebond item.
This scene of the sky opening and terrifying energy descending, was a scene described in records regarding realm eight, Heaven Opening.
As he felt with his mind, Ding Ning’s expression remained calm He knew the reason for the phenomenon was because Chen Chu’s lifebond item was a special seal weapon.
“As expected, the Chu are the best at seal weapons. But you can only borrow the appearance of realm eight with a material item, can you truly have the aura of a realm eight?”
Looking up at the bright pillar falling from the sky, Forefather Zhou shook his head and said in sympathy.
The Worryfree Horn was sent flying by the power of the crescent moon.
Chen Chu ignored the Worryfree Horn. He had merged into one with the purple moon, his body being carried by the moon’s power. Along with the purple crescent moon, he surged in front of Forefather Zhou with a boom.
Ding Ning, Fu Su, Xie Lianying, Xie Rou, the two drivers of the Zhou Family, the carriages, and even Forefather Zhou’s body was sent floating by this rich and unstoppable gust of wind.
The wild wind stretched taut the loose robes on Forefather Zhou’s body, completely exposing his concealed figure. As such, the large empty space on the side of his waist that cut deep into his body came into view. His abdomen was high, as though the flesh that had been cut away had been moved to his abdomen.
Forefather Zhou’s expression grew slightly fierce.
As he spread his ten fingers, the black crystal pieces appeared from his fingers. They did not immediately turn into small swords, but hovered on his hands.
In the next moment, an enormous roar, akin a mudslide, came from the sky. Invisible primal energies of the universe flooded into his body, and carried his vital energy to flow out of his skin.
The ten thin crystal pieces merged with his vital energy and the terrifying amount of energy he had moved with his Mountain Moving cultivation, formed a black crescent moon.
The black moon exuded a terrifying destructive presence and the colors of black and white.
Everything in the surrounding became purely black and white just like Ink Garden.
Everybody was bathed in black and white, as if they had been drawn into an ink painting.
This was the strongest killing essence of the Painting Remnant Scroll.
While Forefather Zhou’s comprehension of the Painting Remnant Scroll was skewed, and he had not completely understood the wax and wane, he had more than a century of study. He had completely mastered this kind of murderousness.
This was why Zhangsun Qianxue, who possessed the Nine Hell King Sword, had said to Ding Ning that she had no confidence in winning, even though his energy sea was solidified.
The black and white light stabbed into the enormous pillar of light coming from the sky.
The pure pillar of light was invaded by black and white. The purple crescent moon quickly dimmed, and seemed to show rusted scripts on the surface.
Chen Chu coughed uncontrollably when his lifebond item was damaged. Pink bloody foam came out of his nose and mouth. Blood dripped out of his skin and hissed as though he was leaking air.
This was due to the primal energies of the universe in his meridian points being squeezed out by the powerful force of his vital energy and primal energies surging to the extreme.
He knew that even if he won this battle, his cultivation would fall greatly, and his injuries would be so serious that he would not be able to fight in the future. Chen Chu grimaced, but his gaze was determined and flashed with heated light.
He reached out with his hand again.
The majority of his vital energy surged into the seal scripts of the Silver Rakshasa Thumb Ring.
A silver energy flow, small but with a presence of a river overrunning a dam, accurately hit Forefather Zhou at the empty part of his abdomen.
This was the hope of victory he wanted to obtain at any cost.
When this great force charged in through Forefather Zhou’s old injury, it would immediately tear apart Forefather Zhou’s organs and destroy his energy sea.
Even before death, Forefather Zhou would not be able to counterattack.
But at this time, Chen Chu suddenly felt cold.
He saw the smug expression in Forefather Zhou’s eyes.
The silver energy flow charged into Forefather Zhou’s body but seemed to enter an empty space. Even more accurately, his power seemed to have charged into an energy sea that had been prepared and was open like a bag.
Even if ordinary people had a passage directly connected to their energy sea, when such a destructive power forced its way into the energy sea, the energy sea would immediately be damaged to the extent that the cultivator would die in an instant.
But Forefather Zhou’s body was like a frozen space with stars.
It was filled with ice.
When it entered, this silver energy flow was immediately frozen.
Chen Chu finally understood the internal state of Forefather Zhou’s body, and why Forefather Zhou was slower than him. But at this time, he could not make any additional actions.
Forefather Zhou’s left hand gently pressed on his chest.
Strange sounds rang within his body.
In this next moment, with a string of cracks, the flesh on his back was pierced by numerous pieces of bones from his body, creating blooms of blood.
Translator Ramblings: Cunning Forefather Zhou …… he took what people knew as a weakness and turned it into a trap.
Volume 4 18 - In The Rain, A Guest Arrives
After the Treasure Light Temple was the Cottage Stone Sword Workshop, and then was the Qing Mountain Sword School.
The old principal of the Qing Mountain Sword School was Nie Yinshan. His status was very special. He had been a marshal general when the Qin fought the Han. In the views of many people, had he not lost his sword-wielding arm in the battle of the Giant Wolf Mountain against the Han and forced to retire, he would have a seat among the subsequent thirteen marquises of Qin.
Nie Yinshan’s early retirement as an army general was a thing to be pitied, but as the principal of Qing Mountain Sword School he had enjoyed many fortuitous years and taught a good student.
His student was Yin Xun, the once abandoned disciple of a certain sword school. But under his teachings, among the last group of Changling’s young people, his breakthrough speed of realm seven ranked in the top five.
Yin Xun was strongest in the flying sword and it was the same after realm seven. He was recognized in Changling for being the grandmaster with the strangest and most unpredictable flying sword. He cultivated the sword, and not the path of ghosts, but all the cultivators of Changling were used to calling him the Ghost Swordmaster.
When the pillar of light from Treasure Light Temple rose, Nie Yinshan summoned Yin Xun.
The army had not arrived at Qing Mountain Sword School. The grandmaster of Cottage Stone Sword School had not yet fought Mo Shoucheng. But Nie Yinshan already knew the kind of order the empress had sent out tonight, and used a few simple sentences to tell Yin Xun about what was happening in Changling right now.
Yin Xun’s first reaction was intense. Bright sword light appeared around him, the power in his body uncontrollably leaking out.
“Do not be like them.” Nie Yinshan looked calmly at him and said, “I called you here so you will not be like them.”
Yin Xun could not understand. He took a deep breath and said, “Why?”
Nie Yinshan did not answer his question and asked, “What do you feel is the best thing to do?”
Yin Xun looked at him and said, “Flee from Changling.” After a slight pause, he went on to say coldly: “As long as there are many opposing cultivation places, she naturally cannot succeed.”
Nie Yinshan shook his head. “There will not be too many cultivation places that will resist.”
Yin Xun looked at the pillar of light that had just disappeared, and felt that his beloved teacher’s words were laughable. He thought of the three years before Yuanwu’s ascension ……
“The present Changling is not the Changling of the past.” Nie Yinshan read his thoughts and smiled with grief and joy. “You should know the present thirteen marquises are the ones left behind after the sorting out back then. Ministers Li and Yan will not object …… Spirit Void Sword Sect and Min Mountain Sword Sect have put themselves away from Changling’s matters these past few years. If Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect will not stand up, the dragon has no head. The more vicious her moves, the easier it is to succeed.”
“In the end, Changling will lose many cultivators, and even cultivation places. But the power will be gathered in the imperial city. This is something no other dynasty has ever done.”
Nie Yinshan looked at Yun Xin who had an increasingly bad expression. He said slowly, “Even more importantly, the gathering of power in the imperial city is what that person suggested at the beginning of the Shang Family reformation. All these years, Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu only followed his path back then of dominating the world. Both Minister Yan and Li, and those marquises …… most of them agree with this view. Those people who did not agree with his view were not able to achieve high positions in the cleansing of that revolution.”
“What!” Yin Xun finally could not control his emotions and exclaimed in disbelief.
“Gather all those people together so they would win against the old aristocrats, make a reformation until they build the powerful Qin Dynasty it is now …… those were that person’s ambitions and views.”
Nie Yinshan smiled emotionally. “Even in the time of the You Emperor, while the countries all submitted, once the You Emperor died, the dynasty collapsed, and the vassal kingdoms fought without rest. Never has any dynasty ever united the world. What that person wanted to do was not just to unite the world, it was to gather all power to the court and have one order be carried out through the world.”
After a long pause, Nie Yinshan looked at the speechless Yin Xun and said, “He thought if all cultivation places were put into the military, they could be commanded like the people and the military. So even if some cultivation places would lose their natural replacements, the integrated power will be much stronger than now. Use schools to replace cultivation places so everyone in the world can cultivate. With full schools, choose the best when the time comes. That was that person’s thought.”
Yin Xun still could not speak.
Nie Yinshan laughed emotionally. “But this is like a reformation. Zheng Xiu did not have such courage in these years.”
Yin Xun suddenly came to a complete realization. He looked at Nie Yinshan and said heavily, “It’s the Nine Death Silkworm!”
This time, Nie Yinshan did not speak.
Yin Xun continued coldly. “Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect together are not enough to be the head. The Nine Death Silkworm is the head of the dragon. She fears the Nine Death Silkworm and many cultivators in Changling will be gradually used by the Nine Death Silkworm. She wants to quickly turn the Qin Dynasty into iron. So no matter how strong the Nine Death Silkworm is, it will be hard to have help. How can a person fight a dynasty.”
Nie Yinshan sighed softly. “It’s a pity-”
Yin Xun was inexplicably furious. “Since she is fated to succeed, how is it a pity?”
“But she has been slow for many years.” Nie Yinshan looked at him and shook his head. “Back then, the destruction of the Ba Mountain Sword Field was the best opportunity. The cultivation places of Changling were frightened by her killings, and the court had been cleansed. The nobility that time had no other thoughts. But that person entered Changling alone with his sword and killed too many of hers and Yuanwu’s cultivators. Ba Mountain Sword Field’s Yan Xinlan chose the same method, causing her and Yuanwu to not have enough experts to use. If they forcibly continued, the Chu, Yan and Qi would have sent armies together.”
“It is many years late, and many have other thoughts. The more easily she succeeds this time, the less the people who like her will die, and the more hidden dangers there will be. This iron may not be so strong.”
“She managed to kill that person back then, but that person used his sword to kill so many of her people and left behind the Nine Death Silkworm, delaying her by many years. In my view, if this is considered as an overall situation, the two of them won a match each.”
Yin Xun knew that his master had once been a general, and his views were naturally different from ordinary grandmasters. Now, he understood that his master was telling him to accept Zheng Xiu’s orders and not resist, but he suddenly felt humiliated and confused. Nie Yinshan looked at him as he slowly hung his head and his lips trembled. He seemed to see inside.
Nie Yinshan sighed softly and looked up at the bright moon. He said softly, “Whether to stand with the greater righteousness and build an unprecedented empire that will last forever or feel injustice and fight because other people’s conduct are too despicable …… Back then, many in Changling made different choices. But in reality, the final choice is only one’s own emotions and spirits.”
“You are the student I taught by myself.” Nie Yinshan turned to look at Yin Xun. “If you fight, I hope you fight for the dynasty, for your friends and relatives. You take your own measure. It is best not to participate in her grievances with others. Life is like war, war is everywhere.”
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