Chapter 66 - A Method No One Thought Of
writer:
无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.
Inside the central tent of the Northern Tiger-Wolf Army base, a solitary oil lamp burned.
Liang Lian, with a wooden expression and his legs coiled, sat on a bed covered by an ordinary blanket. Multiple threads of primal energies of the universe floated around him like shields or gravestones.
Suddenly, he sensed something. He opened his eyes and looked outside the tent, his eyes cold and sharp like lightning, full of wariness. In this moment, he even felt a bone-chilling murderousness break through the sky.
With a crash, the flaps of the tent were pushed apart by thick moisture.
Bai Shanshui, dressed in white fox fur, appeared before him; the humidity extinguished the oil lamp.
Liang Lian raised an eyebrow.
Bai Shanshui looked calmly at him and said, "Help me investigate for realm seven cultivators skilled in the
ghost path.
—
In the bedroom of the courtyard behind Falling Parasol, an oil lamp burned. Ding Ning had laid down all the things that Zhangsun Qianxue had taken from Fan Zhuo on the bed.
By now, his mood had calmed.
For people like Fan Zhuo, it was only possible to make transactions, and impossible to force any useful information out of them.
Zhangsun Qianxue, who was raised more nobly than a princess, was still lofty even after she had left her home. She was not very skilled in interacting with people.Nonetheless, she had performed well today.
For him, countless possibilities existed in life. If he really could not enter Min Mountain Sword Sect, he had two choices- Destroy the Nine Death Silkworm, or find a solution from the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard.
There were quite a few things in Fan Zhuo’s possession, mostly those that people would usually carry on their person. He, clearly, had not considered dying.
Ding Ning did not even spare the silver. He inspected each item carefully before discarding it.
In the end, there were only three things left in front of him- A pearl, a yellowed lambskin scroll, and a wooden token.
The pearl was the size of a grape and emitted soft light in the darkness, creating ripples. An even more fascinating aspect of this pearl was that it was translucent , and as blue as the sea inside. The brightest part seemed to shine with scenes.
Ding Ning narrowed his eyes slightly. He could discern what seemed to be an island in the painting with countless beautiful palaces, and containing all kinds of spirit springs and spirit medicines.
"What is this?" Zhangsun Qianxue who had been waiting patiently earlier, only spoke at this time.
"This is a
1 pearl, a precious pearl created by an enormous clam in the sea," Ding Ning said. "Ever since the Qin Dynasty opened up the sea routes, they have found three
pearls like this. The
pearl is called a celestial realm in the overseas and supposedly the pictures that form within are part of the region they grew up in with the richest spirit energy. In the third year of Yuanwu, the armored ships of the Qin Dynasty used a
pearl to find Eastern Lai Island and obtained vast amounts of spirit medicines."
Zhangsun Qianxue frowned slightly and said, "So this is the legendary
pearl. I remember that my family had one before, but the legends cannot be trusted. The diagrams within are ethereal and may only be mirages. Only one-tenth of
pearls like this have ever had their pictures proven."
Ding Ning spoke after a moment of consideration. "When the Wei Dynasty was at its peak, they once had intentions of going into the sea. The master of Cloud Water Palace cultivates a water method, and was naturally among the first. But later, the Wei Dynasty was destroyed, and only a few members of Cloud Water Palace were left. If those people want to go overseas, with their number, who knows when they will return."
Zhangsun Qianxue nodded.
This
pearl most likely the legacy of Cloud Water Palace. The present Cloud Water Palace did not have the power to search for celestial islands that may or may not exist.
Ding Ning put the
pearl aside, and opened the yellowed lambskin scroll. One look and his gaze violently flickered.
"Water Record Scripture?" Zhangsun Qianxue said, in bewilderment. "What was he doing carrying this with him?"
This Changling Water Record Scripture was not a cultivation manual, but a hydrological map of Changling. This had been authored by a senior official named Yin from the previous dynasty. It recorded the water system in Changling and Guanzhong, including the underground water. It was also called the Yin Record Scripture.
This Water Record Scripture had been extremely useful at the time, but later, the topography changed. The Qin Dynasty had built large numbers of aboveground and underground conduits for the irrigation of fields. The Qin Dynasty had a more useful Water Record built on the foundation of the Water Record Scripture.
This lambskin scroll appeared very old, and should have come from the previous dynasty. It was hard to understand the reason for carrying this kind of ancient and useless Water Record Scripture on him. Also, Zhangsun Qianxue noticed that Ding Ning, at this time, seemed quite unusual.
"It seems the rumors are correct. Cloud Water Palace does have mementos of the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard." Ding Ning took a deep breath, looked at her beautiful eyes and said, "They already know how to study the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard from those relics."
Zhangsun Qianxue frowned. "Why?"
Ding Ning said, "People only know that there is a treasure map to the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard, but do not know the so-called treasure map contains underlying meaning and uses the flow of primal energies of the universe to represent a certain location. The movement of some ore seams, and hidden rivers can help cultivators understand the movement of some primal energies of the universe. Right now, the topography has greatly changed. If one wants to know the true movement of the underground rivers, they have to use the Water Record Scripture of the past. If this is true, then it means Bai Shanshui at least knows the solution to resolving the mementos of the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard, and has started to study and solve them."
Zhangsun Qianxue’s face immediately turned frosty. Her thoughts were simple. To her, Emperor Yuanwu was the enemy. Bai Shanshui was also the enemy. The Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard would likely be of great help to her to catch up to Emperor Yuanwu’s cultivation and so she had to take it.
"Will it be soon?" she asked, in a cool voice.
"Do not rush." Ding Ning looked at her and said seriously, "You really do not have to rush. I am not lying to you. I do not know how many years it would take to study and solve if you are not in realm eight."
After a pause, Ding Ning continued. "Bai Shanshui wants to use the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard to help him reach realm eight faster. But if he is not in realm eight, it is hard for him to learn the location of the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard. So the logic here is not quite correct."
Zhangsun Qianxue considered Ding Ning’s words carefully, and watched as Ding Ning picked up the wooden token.
This wooden token looked as though it was made from red sandalwood, the color so purple it was almost black. There were many gold star-shaped patterns on the surface. However, the light in these ’stars’ was extremely bright, and the golden color emitted a silver light - seemingly there were smaller worlds within. There were no words inscribed, only three seal scripts shaped like humans.
"I know what this is." This time, she did not ask but told Ding Ning who was closely studying the item. "I have seen this before."
Ding Ning stilled. He had never seen this kind of item before. "What is this?"
Zhangsun Qianxue said, "This is a token of the Celestial Seal Sect."
Ding Ning’s gaze jumped wildly.
Zhangsun Qianxue glanced at him and continued. "My family had interacted with the Celestial Seal Sect once . Perhaps, they had not anticipated such sudden changes. They were destroyed before they could borrow the power of Celestial Seal Sect."
Other people would have a difficult time understanding the meaning in Zhangsun Qianxue’s words, but Ding Ning understood clearly.
Just like how Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect were the strongest sects of the Qin Dynasty, Celestial Seal Sect was the strongest sect of the Yan Dynasty. In reality, the Celestial Seal Sect and the former Ba Mountain Sword Field of the Qin Dynasty were the same. They had greater foundations than Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect.
The Yan Dynasty appeared to be at peace with the Qin Dynasty, but Ding Ning knew that the people of Yan had made significant efforts to stop the rise of the Qin Dynasty.
So, the old prestigious families of Changling had been in contact with the Yan Dynasty back then, but they had not acted as fast as Emperor Yuanwu.
"In other words, Cloud Water Palace and the Yan Dynasty have a secret alliance?"
Ding Ning took a deep breath to calm his emotions. Then he asked, "What is the meaning of this token of Celestial Seal Sect? Or what is the use of this?"
Zhangsun Qianxue said, "You can use this to find the underground agent of Celestial Seal Sect. If you channel in vital energy to the seal scripts, the agent of Celestial Seal Sect will be able to sense your location using the unique energy. This kind of celestial wood seal is made from an extremely rare kind of wood. Only the direct disciples of Celestial Seal Sect qualify to possess it. However, this kind of celestial wood seal is divided into
and .
This kind is the
seal. If you channel in vital energy, other people can sense your location, but you cannot sense their location."
"As long as it is an energy resonance, even if it is divided into
, there will be a unique connection between them." Ding Ning focused on the wooden seal in his hand and whispered. "As long as one can study it, one may be able to change it."
"I know that you have inherited from him and are not an ordinary cultivator. You may be able to do something like that." Zhangsun Qianxue looked at him and said coldly, "However, there is enough trouble now. You still have the time to spare attention to people from Celestial Seal Sect?"
Ding Ning looked at her and shook his head. He said, "I am only doing some things while I wait. If I find I cannot do anything and will not do anything, it will be despairing.
Translator Ramblings: The treasure hunt is now getting more difficult …… I wonder how many treasure hoards in caves were never found because the cave collapsed.
means a clam-monster or a kind of dragon that could shapeshift and has the ability to create mirages. ↩
Volume 2 66 - Celestial Seal Sect
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.
The green jade doors were extremely large like the doors to a city.
The indigo-robed swordsman at the side of the door stood with his hands hanging, but his natural presence had surpassed all the students and even the teachers present. He calmly invited all the students to enter, but the doors were closed. All the students in front of the mountain path knew that it would not be so easy to enter these jade doors.
All of the students wanted to get another hint, but the indigo-robed swordsman clearly would not say anything more.
He stood there like a silent statue.
"Is entering the doors the first test?"
Xie Changsheng narrowed his eyes at the large green jade doors. He coldly asked Zhang Yi and the others around him, "Is it testing our senses or our comprehension? What is the blankness behind the doors?"
Zhang Yi shook his head. "No matter what they are testing, I fear we must get closer to find out."
"Then when should we wake him up?"
Xie Changsheng turned to look at Ding Ning.
The trials had started. They could not let Ding Ning continue to cultivate with his eyes closed.
And yet, no one needed to wake Ding Ning up. When he turned to look at Ding Ning, he saw Ding Ning looking at him.
Ding Ning had woken up.
The moment the green jade doors appeared, Ding Ning had woken up.
He did not ask after Xue Wangxu, just looked calmly at the green jade doors.
With just a moment of eye contact, Xie Changsheng’s restlessness disappeared only to be replaced by a great discomfort.
Ding Ning’s expression was just as calm as usual, but his eyes flashed with eerie five colored light, as though his eyes were burning with five-colored flame.
Even more importantly, he was certain Ding Ning was seething with murderousness and rage, yet he could glimpse none of it.
Or rather, Ding Ning’s entire body was like a calm and icy sword blade without any smoke. But if touched, he would cause people to bleed.
"We will enter." As soon as he had said so, Ding Ning started to walk.
Xie Changsheng’s eyebrows rose. He felt slightly terrified of Ding Ning’s state but was also excited.
He had a feeling that many extraordinary things would occur at this year’s Min Mountain Sword Trials.
Regardless of how profound the green jade doors may be, when one drew closer, they could sense this symbol of commencement of the Min Mountain Sword Trials more clearly.
When Ding Ning started to walk, the thousands of students ahead had already started walking. The students near the front could sense vastness and heaviness from the jade doors. The smooth green jade did not have any seal scripts or marks. Even if they dared to reach out and push the door, they didn’t know where to push.
Because they did not sense danger and murderousness, the students at the front unconsciously came closer to the doors. They were very close, just a few steps away, their bodies bathed in the weak green light the jade gave off.
Thousands of students gathered around the green jade doors, standing shoulder to shoulder until there was no room for people to pass through.
The arrival of Ding Ning and the others caused a slight commotion in the wall of people. Thinking of what had occurred previously, many unconsciously moved to let Ding Ning pass.
However, not all.
One student felt the pressure from behind. Already at his wit’s end in front of the vast presence the green jade doors gave off, he immediately became angry. He turned and shouted, "What are you pushing for? If you want to stand ahead, then line up beforehand. What are you squeezing about now to hinder people from comprehending!"
This student’s voice was not loud, but in the surrounding silence, his pitch was harsh.
He wore a uniform of white with scattered silver stars. When he turned, the silver stars on his white uniform seemed like they were going to fly out as sword energies.
This was the uniform of the Star Fostering Sword School.
This year, the Star Fostering Sword School had chosen only one student, Shao Yangming. He ranked twenty fifth in the Book of Talents.
So this student was naturally Shao Yangming. When someone like him spoke, his words carried weight.
Shao Yangming and the dozens of students behind him all looked with displeasure towards the rear.
The crowd parted slightly.
Shao Yangming and the others looked at Ding Ning.
Ding Ning was at least a dozen paces away from Shao Yangming who was at the front. But since Shao Yangming had spoken up, Ding Ning nodded at him and said calmly, "Apologies, please move aside. I am going to enter."
Shao Yangming was furious upon his words. "First come, first serve. Why should I move aside?"
Many people in the surroundings did not understand why Ding Ning was so cold and calm. They felt slightly chilled at Ding Ning’s attitude. But the Min Mountain Sword Trials would perhap be the most important event of their life, so why would they let you go ahead? Only because your teacher had only just died?
However, Ding Ning still remained calm.
Looking at the raging Shao Yangming, he said, "Because I am going to enter through your position."
It was deathly silent.
Shao Yangming’s anger disappeared from his face. His eyes widened to their limits.
Even Xie Changsheng and the others behind Ding Ning wore disbelieving gazes.
At this time, everyone reacted. Ding Ning had said "I am going to enter" and not ’look at a close distance’.
"I do not want to waste time," Ding Ning said, amidst everybody’s shocked gazes.
Then he continued to walk forward.
No one else blocked him.
Even Shao Yangming, who had been the fiercest, instinctively turned around and created a path with the surrounding people.
Ding Ning passed by them and walked towards the indigo-robed swordsman standing in front of the doors.
The indigo-robed swordsman had a strange light in his eyes.
"Please, Teacher, let me in."
Ding Ning walked in front of him, and bowed deeply with respect.
The indigo-robed swordsman bowed slightly in response and answered.
The heavy green jade doors slowly parted, spilling out light. Behind the doors seemed to be a new world filled with light.
Many of the students looked with unspeakable shock at this scene. Ding Ning had done nothing, just bowed seriously and asked to enter. Then this indigo-robed swordsman opened the doors.
Ding Ning did not linger. He bowed to the indigo-robed swordsman in thanks, and then walked into the light at the center of the gates, disappearing from everyone’s view.
"What does this mean?"
Xie Changsheng was dumbfounded. This was the Min Mountain Sword Trials that everybody watched. In his perspective, how could someone enter the doors in such a way?
"Respect the teacher …… to have politeness …… These doors are Min Mountain Sword Sect reminding all students at the start, regardless of their cultivation and their future status, they have to remember to respect their teachers and have politeness."
"The most remarkable thing about Junior Sect Brother Ding is that he saw that the energies of the green jade doors were connected to this teacher of the Min Mountain Sword Sect when he came over. Only this teacher of the Min Mountain Sword Sect can open these doors. He sensed this, so he understood the meaning of the jade gates, and so he was the first to enter."
A soft voice entered the ears of Xie Changsheng and the others.
Xie Changsheng’s breath halted and he turned around.
He saw the speaker was Zhang Yi, whose tears had not yet dried on his face.
When he turned around, Zhang Yi had passed by him and was walking towards the indigo-robed swordsman.
"Please, Teacher, allow me to enter."
Zhang Yi bowed seriously to the indigo-robed swordsman just like Ding Ning had.
The indigo-robed swordsman returned the greeting and allowed it.
The jade doors shone again.
Zhang Yi followed Ding Ning and was the second to disappear from sight.
"Eldest Sect Brother."
Shen Yi took a deep breath and quickly walked forward.
He understood Zhang Yi well. He knew that Zhang Yi was indecisive usually and did not like to be the center of attention. So he knew that Zhang Yi chose to be the second to enter in order to be close to Ding Ning.
Shen Yi’s figure quickly disappeared in the light of the green jade gates.
"Astounding!"
Looking at this scene, the middle-aged official in black robes gave this heartfelt sigh.
Many of the teachers from different cultivation places who came with their students felt the same.
Their exclamation in their sigh or in their thoughts were half for these young people, and half for Xue Wangxu.
Palace Attendant Rong was not far from the green jade doors.
At this time, before the other students had reacted, Ding Ning and the people around Ding Ning had disappeared into the light of the doors.
"You want to be first in all things?"
She seemed to be the person who understood Ding Ning the best at this moment, and slowly spoke. The porcelain light on her face grew stronger, as though she was a Buddha in a temple, and not a person.
She would not allow Ding Ning to win in the Min Mountain Sword Trials.
But Ding Ning didn’t just want to win,
He wanted to be the victor, the first!
Ding Ning’s attitude right now caused her to feel that Ding Ning would want to be the first to pass each stage and test of the Min Mountain Sword Trials. He wanted to be first in all!
Book 8: 66: Overseas Battlefield
Jiaodong Commandery, on the water.
Shou Chen silently sat on the edge of the cliff on the island, waiting for the red sun to appear out of the water.
This little island was Dongsi Island, just several acres large. In the water, people would dismiss it completely. Even the fishermen would not stay here as there was no bay to shelter in.
However, this little island had a number on the sea map of Jiaodong Commandery. In the past, Jiaodong Commandery would have a cultivator stationed here, as well as some supplies for merchant fleets.
Simply put, a hundred miles out from the island, it was the outer sea which almost no fleets went to. To Jiaodong Commandery, this little island was a sentry to observe the movements of the island kingdoms.
Among the island countries, the larger countries with several islands were Tianliu, Dongyue, and Donglu. However, these countries had been raided countless times by the Qin Dynasty’s fleets. Back during the time of the You Dynasty, they had been conquered several times. Even now, these island countries did not have much combat power, and they gave tribute each year.
For the cultivators who were not tolerated in the dynasties and had fled, the islands which they could live on were all around the Poluo Islands.
The Poluo Islands was hundreds of miles away by water from the Dongsi Island. In between, there were many reefs and dangerous waters. Poluo Islands had hundreds of islands connected together. These islands had been uncivilized since ancient times, the weather was very variable, and there were a lot of snakes, insects, and poison miasma. On the border islands were suitable for inhabitation. Many of the larger islands in the middle were the same as on land, desolate with no one living there.
Every generation and dynasty, there were cultivators who offended the nobility and fled out across the water. They may flee to the large islands in the center of the Poluo Islands. There, the weather changed quickly, and there were even primal energies of the universe which disrupted the perceptions of the cultivators who were pursuing people. There were many unknown factors. The cultivators who managed to make it to the island may die, but the cultivators who were chasing them were also likely to die.
Some cultivators did not come to flee, but they came to search for spirit medicines and other opportunities for cultivation. In the histories of the dynasties, there were people who had benefited greatly from within the islands, finding life from death, and achieving great things. But they were rare.
But benefiting from the fact that it was far from the continent, and there were spirit items in the islands hard for people outside to imagine, there were some island countries around the Poluo Islands, and numerous powerful cultivators.
Many of the fishermen and people who were in hiding received the protection of those cultivators. They lived on the islands, and formed little countries of ten thousand and up to a hundred thousand people.
This was widely known in the cultivation world. So when the red son rose, Shou Chen sensed Ding Ning appeared behind him before he truly started to meditate. Also, he sensed that Ding Ning was looking in the direction of the Polou Islands. He knew that Ding Ning had come today for the island countries there.
He turned and bowed to Ding Ning who had come onto the island at some unknown time.
“You probably know why I have come.” Ding Ning looked at the heir to the Thunder Fire Temple and said, smiling slightly when the other turned and bowed.
Shou Chen said neutrally, “You want the islands of Poluo.”
Ding Ning put away his smile. He did not immediately answer. He narrowed his eyes and looked up at the rising sun. “You are progressing faster than I imagined.”
Shou Chen knew this was true praise. He did not speak and unconsciously bowed his head.
This was his natural modesty.
“I finally managed to find a method for your Thunder Fire Temple, thunder and fire together, you take the fire during sun rise. These days, you should have been able to control it precisely. Right now, in your energies, you have a lot of true fire, but not enough thunder. Thunder is more suitable to absorb when there are less people around and more spirit trees and spirit energies. Poluo is a place which has been wild all this time, a place that cultivators do not go to. It is the best place in the world to create the chaos thunder of legend.”
Ding Ning looked at the humble Shou Chen and said clearly and slowly, “Poluo has many spirit trees struck by lightning but still alive. They naturally have their own wonders. You should sense more of the energies and it will be of benefit to your cultivation. But your vital energy cultivation is just your foundation. Back then, in Changling, many people had higher cultivation than me, but still were defeated by my sword because sword and seal are all tools. Tools are to be used, and one has to known how to use them.”
Shou Chen frowned slightly. He guessed some of Ding Ning’s meaning, but he did not dare to be certain, so he hesitated and still did not speak.
“You know to forge seals, but the key is knowing to use seals.” Ding Ning said calmly, “Sword essence and seal essence are the same. Your energies and spirit has to be one. When you attack, you have to be absolutely confident. Your confidence comes from two places, one is that you are confident and not timid when facing your enemy, and you have a way to win. The other is built on your usual reputation. Your enemy has to think of your power from the past, they will feel fear, and their presence will weaken. When one’s presence is not enough, they will be slow.”
Shou Chen did not doubt this. Looking at Ding Ning’s calm face, he said, ” Sir, you want me to be like you, cultivate through battle?”
“I want you to first build a reputation that frightens people.” Ding Ning took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He put his hands behind his back and his voice was cool as it spread far towards the water. “The islands near the east originally had pirates residing there. Back then, the Qin Dynasty’s fleet went out. It was the master of the Last Flower sword, Yan Xinlan, who followed. She was the one to conquer the parts that Jiaodong Commandery could not. When she reached the border islands of Poluo, she made many friends. Guo Dongjiang, who died during the Deer Mountain Conference, was the master of Blue Jade Island of the Poluo Islands. Guo Dongjiang was a friend of Ba Mountain Sword Field. Ye Xinhe invited him into the trap of the Deer Mountain Sword Conference. This debt will be settled with Ye Xinhe.
“Guo Dongjiang was similar to the leader of an alliance of Poluo. He had been the one to manage the conflicts between the islands. But after his death, one of his students took over his Blue Jade Island, and even changed the name to Blue Whale Island. Using force, he took over some of the surrounding islands, and killed all the people close to Guo Dongjiang in the past.
“Rebel against the teacher, and kill the teacher’s relatives and friends. Such a person, regardless of where he made a transaction with Ye Xinhe, or Zheng Xiu, in my view, there was no need to even send a Sword Token.”
“You and your master made five seals before. You will come with me to Blue Jade Island. You will use the five seals to obtain the reputation that you, your master, and your sect deserve. In the future, Jiaodong Commandery will have seal making materials that you cannot imagine, and you may be able to forge better seals.”
Shou Chen listened quietly to Ding Ning’s words.
His honest face showed he was touched. Then he bowed again to Ding Ning, saying, “All up to Sir.”
Volume 7 67
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