Chapter Twenty Six: Lacking A Sword
writer:
无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
But Ding Ning did not stop right now.
From a certain point of view, he was the master of the Ba Mountain Sword Field right now, the symbol of the entire Ba Mountain Sword Field. Especially when Emperor Yuanwu guessed that he was Wang Jingmeng reborn and not his heir. So right now, Ding Ning, in the eyes of these people, was likely no different from Wang Jingmeng back then.
Back then, countless grandmasters in the world had gathered in Changling to kill Wang Jingmeng. But if Wang Jingmeng wanted to speak and say something, all of the grandmasters would listen. This was having enough weight.
Even more so when Ding Ning had the Nine Death Silkworm and the secret of how he could possess such a perfect sword essence. So no one attacked. Everyone listened to his words.
“Even the tiger will not eat his child. Yuanwu, today, you want Fu Su to die with us together, just because you do not want to miss a chance to kill us. Using a son to trade for such a chance. This is why you are different from the people of the Ba Mountain Sword Field back then. You will do what others will not, you will benefit because you will do anything. But can you conquer the world just by cultivation?”
Ding Ning looked at Yuanwu, and his scorn grew. “How dangerous the war between the Qin and Chu is, even you have come in person. But you had Fu Su come here with Sima Cuo. Perhaps you have contemplated long ago about using this chance to kill this son of yours as well?”
Everyone present suppressed their emotions, suppressing their breathing. But when they heard Ding Ning’s words, even though they all controlled themselves, many gasps were clear and loud.
Not long ago, there had been an old palace attendant in the Qin imperial palace. She had been a powerful grandmaster of the Ba Mountain Sword Field and also Demon Consort Zhao’s teacher. That incident had provoked all of the Qin people to guess whose son Fu Su was.
“Fu Su is naturally this Lonely One’s flesh and blood.”
Yuanwu seemed to hear everyone’s sound. His voice calmly sounded with suffocating authority and energy. “Sending him to the front lines to gain experience was not this Lonely One’s idea, what is the use in you saying such things?”
Ding Ning’s breathing was laboured, but he still laughed and said, “If you are not truly worried, why are you responding to me right now, especially when you did not want to speak before this, but now, you are speaking? You must also be clear that while Zheng Xiu had been the one to send him, she did not send him here for you to kill him.”
After a pause, he looked provocatively at Yuanwu. “Maybe she purposefully sent him here to see your intentions, and if you do suspect if he is your son.”
“This Lonely One is not an average person, why think averagely?”
Yuanwu looked calmly and coldly at Ding Ning, slowly saying, “This is for the country, for an unprecedented Qin Dynasty. Even if today, it is this Lonely One being sacrificed, this Lonely One will make the same choice.”
“This is the great virtue you speak of?” Ding Ning smiled. “But I am saying these things to argue with you. I do not want to speak of how you have no virtue or honor, but discuss honor. I want you to say such things, not because I want to listen, but so that other people can hear.”
“Do you remember what I told you to do when there is no other way?” When Ding Ning said this, he was speaking to Zhangsun Qianxue next to him.
When the words were said, he was not looking at Yuanwu, but at Zhangsun Qianxue. When he said this, Yuanwu suddenly had a feeling. This feeling was very strange. He just inexplicably felt that the other had a chance to escape. He could not help but give a low growl from his throat. Then, many lines of light appeared on the surface of his body.
What was shining were the meridians in his body. At this moment, the power in his body became bright rays of light that realm sevens could not understand which pierced through his body. His body did not seem to be made of flesh, but was a seal weapon.
Roars sounded from high up, like there were countless gods and demons roaring in response. The sky covered by the wind and snow was torn to pieces. Countless enormous pillars of light fell down like a punishment from the heavens.
The sunlight at noon on a summer day was the hottest. When the light was this bright, it would blind people. At this time, the light here was so bright that everyone grew transparent. Other than the white light, there were no other shadows. There was no sense of sword essence. There was even not any killing intent in this height.
But not being able to sense anything was the greatest danger. In the last breath, Zhangsun Qianxue tightly gripped the Nine Hell King Sword in her hand.
Before Ding Ning found the Great Punishment Sword, the Nine Hell King Sword had been recognized as the most violent sword in the world. This was the symbol of the Gongsun Family, the erstwhile top family of Changling. Yet the Gongsun Family had sealed up this sword for many years and did not dare to touch it because it was too strong and no one could tame it.
Zhangsun Qianxue had hid inside Changling, doing everything to cultivate this sword into her lifebond sword. To her, the sword had been her only chance to get revenge.
Back in the nights of Falling Parasol, Ding Ning had discussed the plans for revenge many times with her.
So Ding Ning kept on reiterating one thing, if he and Zhangsun Qianxue were exposed, if they could not flee out of Changling based on the paths painted on the walls, if they were surrounded when in Changling…… that was when there was no other way.
was the time that Ding Ning had repeatedly mentioned.
Zhangsun Qianxue gripped her sword tight. She did not move, just pressed all her vital energy into this sword.
The deep color faded from the sword. The Nine Hell King Sword contained many years of coldness that Zhangsun Qianxue forced out in one instant. It grew clear in her hands, like a pure crystal sword.
With a boom, hell appeared. Great light fell from the sky while hell rose from the ground. A patch of darkness filled with destructive coldness.
The collision between the light and darkness lasted but a moment. Then the place of contact exploded.
At the start, there was no sound, only the flying white flames and shattered coldness freezing the moisture in the air into ice. The light that could pass through this part of the world refracted and shone on the train of carriages.
There were ice statues all over the train of carriages. Almost all of the cultivators below realm six were not just frozen, but completely frozen, dead, their flesh and blood turning gray black.
Under the attacks of the white fire and the flying ice, the remains of these cultivators cracked like glass, shattering to the ground, and creating blooms of crystal.
Ye Xiao stood on a ground covered in pieces of ice. On his side, the two enormous sword essences, shaped like a pair of wings, slowly faded. The collision of coldness and realm eight power did not threaten him at all, but blocked his senses.
At this time, Ding Ning and the others were not in his sight and senses. But he knew that this would not end like this. So he just turned slightly to look at Yuanwu.
Yuanwu nodded at him and said coldly, “They cannot escape.”
The Donghu monk’s palm’s were pressed together, energy surged out of the two ends of the staff and wrapped around Ding Ning, Zhangsun Qianxue, and Fu Su. He seemed to be using this staff to carry three people as he quickly walked.
In the previous battle, there had not been any obvious wounds on his body. But right now, there were many bright wounds on his back and legs. To use that moment of time to escape Yuanwu’s control was something that even a body like his could not endure. His flesh, stronger than iron, had many cracks.
“I have a day and night that I cannot fight.” Ding Ning struggled to swallow as he said to the Donghu monk.
The Donghu monk nodded to express understanding. He only could not see through the Nine Death Silkworm. As for Zhangsun Qianxue, she had used up even her lifebond energy. For a long time after this, she would be no different from a normal person.
“We must keep on walking,” Ding Ning continued to speak. “His last attack was not to kill, but to stop us from fleeing. We have the energy presence that he imprinted on us.”
The Donghu monk’s situation was not good, but he still nodded and followed the direction that Ding Ning indicated. He said, “I understand.”
Volume 4 26 - Great Event
At the end of this summer, when large numbers of Changling cultivators were heading towards the border, Celestial Seal Sect of the Yan Shangdu were welcoming their first challenger since the founding of their sect.
This challenger appeared to be a restrained and inexperienced youth, a disciple of Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect. Surrounded by many Celestial Seal Sect disciples, he still had that restrained but uneasy expression.
Most students of Celestial Seal Sect, and even some of the older teachers had not known the relationship between Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect and Celestial Seal Sect before this youth’s arrival, and as such knew not the grievances. In fact, most of the old people had forgotten this story until this youth arrived.
The founder of Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect had actually been a disciple of Celestial Seal Sect. That disciple had been called Le Ping. He had been one of the best disciples of Celestial Seal Sect at that time, so exceptional he felt he was the only one to become the leader of Celestial Seal Sect.
But then he discovered he was wrong. In the same generation of Celestial Seal Sect cultivators, there was a disciple called Xu Jingmo who was much stronger than him and went on to even become the sect master of that generation.
It took Le Ping a lot of time to realize that he could not win against Xu Jingmo. Soon after, he left Celestial Seal Sect and founded the Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect.
Xu Jingmo was the previous sect master now. It had been more than a century now and most of Celestial Seal Sect who knew this story did not know why Le Ping left Celestial Seal Sect back then and went to found the Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect.
The end result was that Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect was not very successful. Up until now, they had no outstanding disciples. Even back when Le Ping was around, they were unknown.
But now, as this youth spoke, everyone in Celestial Seal Sect understood why Le Ping had left it to found Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect.
“Your ancestral master said to my ancestral master, even if my ancestral master could not win against him, if a student could win against his student, or a grandstudent against his grandstudent, it would be the same.”
This restrained youth saw more Celestial Seal Sect cultivators gather around but no one in charge so he raised his head in slight anger. He said, “If we win, Celestial Seal Sect has to hand over the sect to Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect. Celestial Seal Sect cannot fail to fulfill what the two ancestral masters have promised.”
After this Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect youth’s voice sounded clearly through Celestial Seal Sect, there was an uproar on the clearing in front of the sect gates and the mountain paths.
Zhang Yi stilled and then reacted.
Le Ping must have been extremely proud and unreconciled his entire life. After failing in the battle to become the master of Celestial Seal Sect, he was even more proud and created a sect so the sect could rise above Celestial Seal Sect in the future.
While they were from the same sect, if Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect gained Celestial Seal Sect’s location, even if they had less people, but for the cultivation world, Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect would become the orthodox sect, and Celestial Seal Sect the outer sect of Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect.
Le Ping was like this, and so Xu Jingmo, the last ancestral master of Celestial Seal Sect, likely was even prouder and more confident thus leaving behind such words. So he would pass on Celestial Seal Sect if Le Ping’s student won against his student.
“You come to ask for the sect, but it has been so long, a generation ago.”
A wave of scorn sounded.
The mockery all came from the young people of Celestial Seal Sect that were about the same age as Le Ping.
“It is the same no matter how long ago. Celestial Seal Sect cannot deny it.”
Facing the scorn, the youth carefully took out an old brocade pouch. He was not angry and argued: “Our ancestral masters left behind written evidence.”
Seeing this youth’s inexperience and lack of finesse, many young Celestial Seal Sect students forgot that this youth had forced his way into the sect and already wounded a senior sect brother. They sneered. “So what if written evidence was left. Do you feel you can win against all the Celestial Seal Sect disciples of this generation?”
But this youth still was unfazed. He looked up at the sneering Celestial Seal Sect young people and nodded seriously. “Yes.”
He still looked awkward. It was inexplicably silent.
Murong Xiaoyi frowned deeply. She was not angry, just thinking ……
Silence fell again.
Many teachers did not speak. This meant that these teachers were waiting for the sect master and elders of Celestial Seal Sect to speak.
“Promises must be kept. No matter how long ago, since the ancestral master had spoken, then it counts.”
An old voice came down from the heights of Celestial Seal Sect at this time. “We are from the same sect, and the visitor is a guest.”
These sounds clearly passed into everyone’s ears.
Zhang Yi felt great admiration once he heard these simple words. Not just because of keeping the promise, but because of the courtesy.
The last words warned all Celestial Seal Sect members that even if this was a fight, they had to treat this Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect with kindness. But the same words, in the ears of many others, meant that all restraints were taken off.
“Fang Shunyi of Celestial Seal Sect will come learn from Junior Sect Brother’s moves.”
A handsome young Celestial Seal Sect disciple stepped out, bowed to this youth and spoke slowly.
The eyes of Murong Xiaoyi and many of the other female disciples of Celestial Seal Sect immediately lit up.
This tall and handsome young Celestial Seal Sect disciple was one of the few people that Murong Xiong had just thought of. He was handsome, and powerful in cultivation. He naturally had the favour of many of Celestial Seal Sect’s female disciples.
Fang Shunyi would frequently become the topic of discussion between some female disciples before sleep.
Zhang Yi looked at Wan Shunyi’s posture and sensed his presence. He felt great envy.
But at this time, the Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect replied, “I am young, but I joined the sect at five years at age. I should be your senior sect brother, do not mess up seniority.”
When this Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect youth spoke, he still looked awkward and pedantic. He was like a farmer youth selling vegetables by the roadside, arguing the price of a pound of vegetables, it was impossible to get angry at him.
So Wang Shunyi just found it amusing and said, “You have the final say, you are the senior sect brother.”
“This is not a matter of who says, this is what it should be.” This Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect youth added and then bowed to Fang Shunyi who was a whole head taller than him. “You are the junior sect brother, so you shall attack first.”
Fang Shunyi shook his head. This did not mean he objected, just that he felt helpless and there was no way to reason with this person.
So he smiled and said, “All right.”
His expression was at ease and his emotions were relaxed. This meant that a cultivator had great confidence.
Fang Shunyi was like that.
When his smile faded, and his gaze fell on the youth, his gaze was suddenly serious. His sleeve shook. Many peach blossoms appeared in front of him like he had collected all the fallen flowers of the spring through time.
Zhang Yi’s eyes were widened to their limits. He was in slight disbelief.
The pink light reflected everyone’s faces a pink colour. But those were not actually pink peach blossoms, but tens of thousands of small pink seals.
Tens of thousands of seals, like peach blossoms in the wind, immediately appeared in front of Fang Shunyi.
Thinking of how he could not even use one seal well, and seeing his senior sect brother use tens of thousands of seals simultaneously, Zhang Yi immediately felt ashamed.
Volume 2 26 - Seeking Medicine
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.
Mo Shoucheng’s eyes emanated a strange light.
He was the wisest old person in Changling. He knew that Forefather Zhou did not have the strength to destroy the formation like this.
So this change was unexpected.
The mist quickly dissipated, the moisture moving upwards and outwards, and even into the ground below. As the damp vapours faded, with formation now destroyed, the solar true fire accumulated in the mountains started to discharge.
All the trees and bushes started to burn fiercely.
The entire mountain valley was wrapped in a golden flame that bloomed like sunflowers.
A blue structure appeared at the center of the burning mountain valley.
The king of Chu’s brows furrowed even deeper.
He had entered this formation before Forefather Zhou ever had, and been into the blue structure. Compared to Mo Shoucheng and Pan Ruoye, the beauty in palace attire, he had a better understanding.
He did not even care about the flesh bodhi, and pondered over this conundrum.
In the span of a few breaths, the golden flames disappeared, what remained within the mountain valley was ash. The foundation of the blue structure had been burnt red. As steam rose, the cool mountain wind in the surroundings flooded in. A strong wind formed in the mountain valley, and the ashes were blown into the sky.
With the rapid rush of cold, from the top to the bottom, the blue structure gave off cracking sounds. The cracks stretched from the bottom upwards, like vines. The entire structure appeared as though it would collapse completely. At this time, two figures that appeared extremely thin and small compared to the blue structure helped each other out of one of the arches.
Pan Ruoye’s eyes immediately lit up.
She should be rejoicing, but for some reason, she felt no joy. Perhaps, it was because she knew all too well, that the two, under normal circumstances, should have died.
A faint smile made its way to the corners of Mo Shoucheng’s lips.
"This is destiny."
He turned and looked at the king of Chu, saying sincerely and emotionally, "We have won the present and the future."
The king of Chu showed no anger in his eyes. He focused on Ding Ning and Fu Su, like stars were flashing in his gaze.
He sensed Ding Ning and Fu Su’s presence. He thought back to all the memories related to the blue structure. A strange expression appeared at the corner of his mouth. "This is an impossibility."
He seemed to respond to Mo Shoucheng, but also spoke to himself as he shook his head gently.
"Yet, this impossibility has become possible."
He then continued, and smiled. "When an absolute impossibility becomes possible, there definitely is a possibility within."
"I thought of a possibility."
He smiled and turned to look at Mo Shoucheng, saying, "Victory is not determined at one moment."
Mo Shoucheng frowned slightly.
He did not understand the king of Chu’s riddle-like words. But the other did not appear very sad or disappointed at his scheme and waiting of decades turning to naught. He could not understand this, and felt slightly anxious.
"Where is Forefather Zhou?"
The king of Chu asked Ding Ning and Fu Su, moving his gaze away to focus on Ding Ning and Fu Su.
He was one of the longest ruling monarchs in the world. So, while he was speaking calmly, he carried an unimaginable authority.
Ding Ning coughed softly.
His injuries were considerable. He was discomforted by the mountain wind that blew over him, the hot ground, and the thick ash filling his nose …… but all of these discomforts paled before the discomfort caused by the trinity standing before him.
He knew all of them, the king of Chu who had ruled the longest, the teacher of the Qin monarch Mo Shoucheng, and Pan Ruoye, the master of Endless Palace, a sect that the empress had nurtured.
The change in the king of Chu’s gaze caused coldness to rise within him.
"You do not have to answer."
Mou Shoucheng spoke at this time.
His eyes had absolute confidence. While he could not kill the king of Chu or stop him from leaving here, he was certain he and Pan Ruoye would be able to take Ding Ning and Fu Su away.
Ding Ning lowered his head slightly and maintained his silence.
The king of Chu’s expression calmed. He said nothing else and walked out, his hands behind his back.
Pan Ruoye immediately became nervous.
The king of Chu was walking towards Ding Ning and Fu Su.
"Do monarchs joke?" Knowing what she was nervous about, the king of Chu said disdainfully as he walked.
He seemed to be walking slowly, but in a breath, he had walked past Ding Ning and Fu Su towards the ruins of the blue structure.
Mo Shoucheng’s eyebrows rose slightly. High above him in the sky, many silver dots of light appeared.
The king of Chu slowly released a faint but powerful presence. He did not look back and continued to advance. A faint layer of purple light appeared in the air around him.
The silver lights in the sky grew brighter, as if there were dozens of silver stars floating there.
But the king of Chu’s expression was still unusually calm.
When he walked to the center of the ruins to where the flesh bodhi had originally been, a crimson Buddhist bead appeared in his palm; his brow furrowed slightly as though he was in slight pain.
The crimson Buddhist bead suddenly disappeared from his hand. At the same time, a terrifying presence spread from his palm.The faint purple light around him suddenly grew bright and an enormous purple lotus platform appeared before everybody’s sight.
Without a sound, the pieces of the blue structure instantly turned to powder and scattered.
The enormous blue wave was dozens of meters tall, like a tide that spread over the entire mountain valley.
Pan Ruoye, the beauty in palace attire, gave a furious shout. A small white sword flew in front of her, landing between the dust wave and Ding Ning and Fu Su. However, her face turned pale as these waves were not very powerful.
When the enormous waves of dust touched the sword light coming off the small sword, they exploded to the side.
"No need to worry. The king of Chu has already left."
Mou Shoucheng turned around and whispered to her. At the same time, his body seemed to produce invisible threads as the light of the stars above him quickly disappeared.
Pan Ruoye remained silent. The snowy white sword spun around Ding Ning and Fu Su, flying back to her and melting away.
The sharp sword energy formed a vortex that absorbed all the dust around Ding Ning and Fu Su.
Ding Ning took a deep breath.
The clean air around him finally made his breathing easier, but the feeling of discomfort within did not abate, instead grew stronger.
He turned around, and looked towards the center of the expanding wave of dust.
When the king of Chu left, the power that had destroyed the ruins had been astounding. The dust had spread outwards from the center, so right now, the center was the clearest part.
Ding Ning narrowed his eyes. All of the traces he had seen had disappeared. The place where the blue structure had originally been, had sunken down into a crater.
Mo Shoucheng calmly watched the dust spread. He thought for a long time. Then, looking at Ding Ning and Fu Su, he asked the same question as the king of Chu, "Where is Forefather Zhou?"
Fu Su was amazed at the scene in front of him, but also felt joy at escaping the disaster. But even more, he was dazed.
He instinctively shook his head and looked at Ding Ning.
"Killed by the blind dragon." Ding Ning slowly answered. "There was a blind dragon inside."
Mo Shoucheng looked at him and continued to ask, "Other than the blind dragon?"
"There was the flesh bodhi," Fu Su answered first.
"Forefather Zhou refined the flesh bodhi but was still killed by the blind dragon." Ding Ning continued to speak.
Mo Shoucheng looked warmly at him and said, "The blind dragon was able to kill Forefather Zhou. Why did it not kill you? How was the formation here destroyed?"
"That blind dragon was very hungry."
Ding Ning’s feeling of discomfort grew, causing his body to tremble but he still spoke in a calm tone. "This structure was a giant cage to it. I told it I might be able to help it obtain freedom."
Hearing the words, Mo Shoucheng frowned. Even Pan Ruoye couldn’t help but voice her disbelief. "How is that possible? Why would a starving blind dragon listen to you?"
"Because I comprehended some secrets of the formation, and touched some of the seal scripts." Ding Ning coughed softly and said, "It chose to believe me."
Mo Shoucheng focused on him and asked, "I want to know the details of Forefather Zhou’s death."
Ding Ning took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Then he shook his head and said, "I do not know. Before Forefather Zhou was killed, Gongzi Su and I were rendered unconscious by his power."
"So the fight between him and the blind dragon caused the destruction of this formation?" Mo Shoucheng turned around to look at the enormous crater. "You are only speculating and haven’t witnessed the death of Forefather Zhou with your eyes. Then, what is the king of Chu concealing by destroying everything here?"
Ding Ning grew silent.
He did not answer.
He did not know how to answer. Given the circumstances here, anyone would harbour suspicions much less the wisest old person in Changling.
"Eat this medicinal pill."
Pan Ruoye’s hand moved slightly. Two milky white pills floated in front of Ding Ning and Fu Su.
"Perhaps, he did not want us to see any of the seal scripts in the remains, and hid the tracks of the blind dragon’s escape," she said, with a frosty expression.
Mo Shoucheng nodded. "Perhaps."
Translator Ramblings: The Warring States Period occurred between ~475BC and ~221BC which is a pretty long time. If the author had more time to expand on history, I would love to know how the cultivator-kings, with their long lives, affected the state of the continent since the story starts pretty much with the Spring and Autumn period occurring exactly as they seemed to have in history.
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