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Chapter Sixty-Eight: Sect Sword Manuals
writer:无罪      update:2022-07-21 15:26
  Even though many of them had been killed by the cultivators on the ground, the serpents were serpents. Starting with their ancient ancestors, they were at the top of the food chain. Even though they sensed danger, their innate instincts caused them to look down at the “food”.

  The cultivators took in the energies of the world into their bodies. To them, the flesh of the cultivators was more delicious than ordinary beings, and even better to the increase in their power.

  As their heads poked out of the clouds, these serpents started to exude large amounts of mist from their stony scales. Their attacking methods did not change from their previous fellows. They would directly summon tides from the air. This was not hard to deal with for a realm seven grandmasters but it took up a lot of energy. Especially because their scales were very hard. Even if the serpents just stayed in the air and waited for a sword to come and behead them, each strike would use up a lot of energy.

  But looking at these enormous serpents who were summoning wind and rain with their enormous bodies obscuring the sky, Qing Yaoyin just reached out and flicked to create a wave of energy.

  This wave of energy contained some pink medicine powder. The light in the dim yellow eyes of the serpents immediately changed, the cruel and bloodthirsty light turning to terror. In the next moment, these serpents did not spray the power in their bodies below, but flew up in a panic.

  The dust mountains had been made by Ye Xiao using himself, the sword servants, and the many famed swords, not allowing entry or exit. The serpents danced wildly in the dust mountain, the energy of their enormous bodies colliding with the power of the dust mountains, creating many loud sounds, like giants were ringing bells in the sky.

  “Taming is not as good as raising. As expected.”


  Seeing such a simple thing causing these serpents to lose themselves into the dust mountains, and his master’s opinions of the Min Mountain Sword Sect cultivators in the past, Qian Mu could not help but shake his head. Then his gaze landed on the remains of the cultivator from the branch of the old imperial academian whose spine had snapped in several parts. He worked really hard to finally squeeze some lifebond energy from his body.

  A ball of black energy formed small gravestones at the tips of his fingers. A hole opened up in the ground under this cultivator’s remains. An even large gravestone rose and merged into the cultivator’s remains like it was intangible. Then, the body of the cultivator sank into the opening in the soil.

  “I had not expected you to have such powerful ghostly methods.” Qing Yaoyin looked at the black-robed youth and praised from the bottom of his heart.

  Qian Mu hung his head, he did not have any pride. He even corrected with some sadness, “Not my methods, what my master left to me.”


  Qing Yaoyin smiled kindly. He looked at this junior who respected his elders with praise in his eyes.

  “You came at the correct time. Maybe this thing would be of use.” Zhangsun Qianxue took a cocoon from her sleeve and handed it to Qing Yaoyin.

  Qing Yaoyin stilled. This was really a cocoon. From the outside, it did not look any different from ordinary cocoons, but there was no cocoon in the world bigger than the size of a person’s fist. But more importantly, the silk that formed this cocoon were like fine threads of ice. The cold energy that spread caused frost to form in the surroundings.

  “This is?” he unconsciously asked.

  “Strictly speaking, this is from Min Mountain Sword Sect. He took it from the Min Mountain Sword Trials. Because he sensed it could devour cold nether energy to cultivate, he gave it to me,” Zhangsun Qianxue glanced at Qing Yaoyin, and then said, looking at Ding Ning.

  Qing Yaoyin immediately frowned. “That black ice worm?” He took the cocoon that Zhangsun Qianxue handed over. He sensed even the stabbing coldness that even he could feel, and he felt disbelief.

  Tantai Guanjian was completely stunned. In the past, he had sensed the coldness from Zhangsun Qianxue’s sleeve. But he only thought it was one of her weapons, or rather, the presence that naturally came from the method she cultivated. He had never thought that this powerful presence came from such a strange cocoon.

  “I am also very curious.” At this time, Ding Ning’s voice sounded. He looked at the deeply frowning Qing Yaoyin and asked seriously, “What was set up deep in the heart of the Min Mountain Sword Sect…… Or rather, what were you testing all the years in there.”


  “Purely using some medicines to try to catalyze or produce some changes in bloodline.”


  After a pause, Ding Ning asked, “But some low level beasts, no matter how they change, cannot completely change like this black ice worm. Being able to naturally devour suitable energy, especially the cold energy of the Nine Hell King Sword, this is something that even the strongest beasts in the abyss cannot achieve.”


  Qing Yaoyin listened to Ding Ning’s words. He did not immediately answer his question and asked first, “When did this black ice worm start to form a cocoon, and what other changes occured before the cocoon?”


  “After I went to Donghu, this black ice worm grew horns. At that time, it was possible to say that it was an infant cold serpent.” Ding Ning looked at him and said, “When I returned from Donghu to the Yin Mountain, this black ice worm started to form a cocoon.”


  “So fast!” Qing Yaoyin’s expression grew serious, eyes shocked. Then he simply answered Ding Ning’s previous question. “We raised a Nether dragon.”


  “A Nether dragon?” Ding Ning could not help but stop breathing.

  Qian Mu may not have heard many things about the You Dynasty. He did not sense great shock, but even Zhangsun Qianxue could not stop her eyes from widening.

  “We spent a lot of time, and used the Min Mountain to create a cold abyss. Then we studied many of the secret records of the You Dynasty to raise a Nether dragon.” Qing Yaoyin did not try to keep things a secret and said directly, “This black ice worm was one of the test subjects. It has some of the blood of the Nether dragon, primarily to observe its reaction and changes to some spirit medicines. It is not a surprise that it can absorb some energies to cultivate, but the reason for such a dramatic change should be because of the Nine Hell King Sword. The Nine Hell King Sword is the coldest sword in the world, and it should be related to the You Emperor and the Nether dragon to start with.” With that, he glanced at Qian Mu.

  Everyone understood the meaning in his glance. Such an energy inheritance likely was similar to Teacher Yan and this Qian Mu’s inheritance.

  “You raised this Nether dragon. What did you want to do?” Ding Ning took a deep breath and asked.

  Qing Yaoyin was silent for a breath and then said, “Enter the imperial palace and kill Zheng Xiu.”


  Everyone shook.

  After many breaths of silence, Zhangsun Qianxue spoke, “So at this time, Baili Suxue should have gone to the imperial palace of Changling.”


  “If he succeeds, Zheng Xiu will be dead.” Qing Yaoyin nodded. He could not help but look in the direction of Changling and said softly, “I hope he will succeed.”


  Volume 4 68 - Controlling Sword Essence

  As Ding Ning listened to the indigo serpent’s howls, he glanced at the condensed black blood in the air. A faint ‘oh’ escaped his lips before he said, “So it is dragon bats.” Then he continued to walk down.

  Young women were always the most curious. Nangong Caishu was so, Hu Jingjing was so, Jing Liuli was no exception either.

  Seeing Ding Ning act like nothing had happened, Hu Jingjing could not help but ask, “What are dragon bats?”


  “An extremely powerful kind of bloodsucking bat. Because they are so strong, they were thought from long ago to have the bloodline of a true dragon.”


  Knowing that this kind of explanation could not be understood, Ding Ning added. “Many things were called dragons in the past because they possessed great physical power and exceptional healing ability. These dragon bats are only two feet long, but they are terrifyingly strong even if they cannot use the primal energies of the universe. At least, they would not be weaker than that wind serpent. If they are truly fighting, the other beasts usually are not a match for it. The Yan Dynasty has a divine weapon called Black Fiend made from celestial ore and the blood glue of this kind of beast.”


  “The Yan Emperor’s imperial weapon?” Li Xixing took a deep breath and could not help but feel a chill.

  “The Yan Emperor’s lifebond weapon?” Hu Jingjing felt this was unreal. She could not help but look at Ding Ning. “You really are not afraid at all?”


  Ding Ning glanced at her and asked, “Are you afraid now?”


  Hu Jingjing stilled and found that she really was not very afraid right now. Ding Ning could not help but laugh.

  “But ……” Hu Jingjing felt that something was wrong and thought for a moment. She looked at Ding Ning. “I am not afraid now because you are very calm and your emotions affect mine.”


  “These beasts, no matter how strong, can only equal a realm seven cultivators. The mountain nwas sealed for so many years, so no matter what is inside, they will surpass the power of these beasts. Since we know the outcome of those beasts going down, what is there to be afraid of?”


  Hearing Ding’s explanation, Hu Jingjing said after a moment of silence, “These beasts added together are much stronger than us added together. They cannot deal, so how can we?”


  “All sword manuals focus on the sword essence. If you cannot understand the meaning you want to express when you swing your sword, the world cannot understand your sword move, and so the energies will not be fully mobilized by you.”


  Ding Ning patiently said something that appeared irrelevant and then said, “Some sword moves have weaknesses from the start. For example, the situation this Tianliang person created using Li Xixing to force me here. It looks as though it has the advantage of time and place, but there are flaws from the start. His plan let me know he is from Tianliang, and that he forced me here to help him clear out some of the obstacles. To him, only my comprehension is unrivalled in the world. So he knows there is something inside, and what we are facing is something that is related to comprehension, and we will not be killed immediately.”


  Li Xixing listened carefully. He understood that Ding Ning was saying that the situation had weaknesses from the start and there was a chance of victory, but he still frowned. “Then what about the insects on the mountain path? If not for the spirit rain, I fear we would have died there, and you would not have been able to deal with it.”


  “There are many possibilities.” Ding Ning said, “Maybe that place is not the only way into the Mountain of Ancestors. But if you really died there, we would be able to sense the danger. Maybe that person knows how to deal with chaos insects, and guarantees that we can pass.”


  Li Xixing nodded, he agreed with Ding Ning’s views.

  “These powerful beasts were attracted by the spirit rain and they could enter from above. Previously, they did not dare to enter, but now they do. This means that the interior has changed due to the disappearance of the Fountain of Eternal Youth and at least, they see a chance of success.”


  Ding Ning said, “The things inside may be a great temptation to them.”


  Hearing Ding Ning’s words, Shen Xuan’s eyes narrowed again. These powerful beasts rivalling realm seven cultivators were rarer in number than realm seven cultivators in the world. In terms of sensing disaster, fortune, and energy, these beasts had special senses.

  What was causing these beasts to risk their lives to go down?

  How astounding were the things that even realm seven cultivators would risk their lives for?

  **

  Bam!

  The white winged snake with the destroyed tail charged out of the palace like a white rainbow and then fell to the ground with a roar like a giant meteor. When the smoke dissipated, Wu Lianzi and the shaman appeared in front of the palace.

  There were more legends regarding the ancestral lands on the plains. Many Tianliang people became gods and spirits in the stories. So when Wu Lianzi saw this palace, the shock he received was greater than Li Xixing and the others. Standing at the only entrance to the palace, and seeing the stairs and profound lines of light, he trembled constantly.

  The shaman’s expression was unspeakably complicated, containing all kinds of indescribable emotions. His eyes were especially aged and desolate, like the light of the setting sun on the desert. His gaze fell onto the stairs behind the entrance. He seemed to want to start moving but at this time, he suddenly stopped and said, “You are too lucky.”


  “Great Shaman?” Wu Lianzi paused. He turned to look at the man and did not understand the meaning in the words.

  The shaman turned around. In the dust behind them, from the seemingly empty space, a shadow that was undetectable but gave off a powerful and strong aura appeared.

  Wu Lianzi was extremely shocked and paled. He was certain the other was not a cultivator from Wuzhi or Donghu. among the Wuzhi and Donghu cultivators, there did not seem to be anyone who could possess such a presence. This powerful presence caused him to think of that enormous sword, and this man’s identity.

  “Zhan Moke, I do not understand what you mean.” This man was naturally the sect leader of Spirit Void Sword Sect, Gu Huai. He looked dryly at the shaman as though he could read the shaman’s thoughts.

  “I did so many things and paid great costs to enter here. You could enter here as you wish. That is the greatest fortune,” The shaman said coolly and turned to walk away without looking at Gu Huai.

  “Great Shaman?”


  Seeing Gu Huai smile and remain silent, Wu Lianzi sensed something and started to feel cold.

  “Do you still not understand?” Gu Huai passed by his side and said disdainfully, “If you do not want to die immediately, then follow.”


  Wu Lianzi pressed his lips together tightly. His body had previously trembled out of excitement and awe, but now trembled out of fury.

  He could not imagine the great shaman, unusually respected by all of Wuzhi, had made a secret agreement with these Qin people.

  The spiraling stairs gradually reached an end. The greenness of the long grasses gradually disappeared and a deep red formed like they were entering a maple forest in fall. Yet the red color intensified so when it reached the end, it became a strange purple color.

  When the strange purple color became real, what first entered their sight with a rebellious presence was a tall tree. The bottom of the palace was not as deep as they had imagined. It was also smaller than at the top. It was like an ordinary valley or rather the bottom of a huge well, hundreds of feet wide. The flat ground had no other plants except a jade-like purple tree several dozen feet tall.

  That indigo serpent was hanging off the branches of this tree, lifeless, its body pierced by many branches.

  Translator Ramblings: I like the explanation everything strong gets called a dragon or has dragon in the name rather than there being an ancestral dragon race that mated with everything and so their descendants have the ‘dragon bloodline’.

  Volume 5 68 - The Key To Change

  The yellow-robed man who did not have a pleasant talk with Zheng Xiu walked out of the imperial palace. His steps were very slow. The things that were going to happen today in Changling were fated to happen, and he thought he had no need to intervene.

  Regardless of Zheng Xiu’s opinion, today was the day that Jiaodong Commandery formally stepped on the stage of Changling. Yuanwu and the two ministers would not refuse. From a sense, Jiaodong Commandery, Yuanwu and the two ministers had the same interests.

  In his view, some people were fated to die. Some people’s death depended on the choices they made.

  **

  In the sunlight, a young energetic cultivator walked into a courtyard of the Fang Marquessate Establishment. This remote and cold courtyard used to be where Fang Xiumu secluded himself to cultivate. Now, it was where Fang Xiang was recovering. Strangely, this young cultivator had a face similar to Fang Xiang, but the latter had never seen this young cultivator before.

  Sitting on the rattan chair, and covered in a thick blanket, Fang Xiang’s gaze moved away from the fish in the pond that had moved deeper due to the cold, and slowly looked up. Without his permission, no one could enter his courtyard.

  While his cultivation had been destroyed during the Deer Mountain Conference, and the injuries were hard to heal from, he was a general that had killed many to be titled, and had many loyal subordinates. Being able to walk in here so easily was not much different from breaking into the Great Floating Water Prison.

  He narrowed his eyes slightly in the morning light. The sunlight caused half of his face to look golden. He did not speak, and just looked at this young cultivator who looked slightly similar to him.

  This young cultivator who he had never seen before walked in front of him, and then knelt, saying, “Father.”


  This young cultivator had been very respectful from when he walked into the courtyard. From all aspects, he looked like a son returning from his travels to see his father. But Fang Xiang naturally knew that he could not have a son like this.

  “Changling is a magical city, anything can happen, anything can be seen.” Fang Xiang grimaced emotionally and looked at the young cultivator kneeling on the ground. He asked, “Who had you come?”


  “I am Li Xin.” The young cultivator did not lift his head as he said, “Starting today, I am Fang Xin.”


  “One of Prime Minister Li’s.”


  Fang Xiang frowned and did not conceal his disdain. “The Fang Family still has people. He does not fear my brother coming back to kill him?”


  The young cultivator called Li Xin seemed to know that Fang Xiang would say something like this. He said with respect, “This is the current situation, in return for not interfering with Jiaodong Commandery.”


  Fang Xiang fell silent.

  “If I do not agree, and do not want a son like you?” he looked at the kneeling Li Xin and asked after a long time.

  “Then I will kill you. And tell the outside that you died from your wounds. I will be your bastard from outside, and become the heir to the Fang Marquessate Establishment, and the person in charge. The matter’s result will not change,” Li Xin said without hesitation.

  “Of course I do not want to see something like this happen. This is of no benefit to us.” After a pause, he looked up sincerely at Fang Xiang. Then he said, “If you do not agree, many people who do not agree will die, and the many people of the Fang Marquessate Establishment who will not recognize my identity will die. The result will not change, and this is meaningless. Also, I am your son. You will live well, and the Fang Marquessate Establishment will be passed down.”


  Fang Xiang laughed. “There is no need to consider the thoughts of the other marquessate establishments?”


  Li Xin answered seriously, “You are recovering from your wounds, and no longer leading an army. So your news does not come fast enough. In the spring, fighting Chu, there will be enough battles that new marquises will take form. The weak of the thirteen marquises will die, and the strong will survive. For most marquessate establishments, making sure that these marquises have enough people, and having some more of them is more important than the replacement of one family.”


  Fang Xiang looked away from him, and the fish that had been unmoving at the bottom of the pond like they were frozen. He slowly said, “Since you have considered all this already, then what opinions could I have?”


  Li Xin kowtowed, and just said, “Father.”


  In history, there were only those that recognized bandits as fathers for power, but today, there was him being forced to recognize a son. But Fang Xiang did not think more about this ironic thing. When Li Xin stood up, he asked, “What does Jiaodong want to do?”


  Li Xin did not hesitate, and said, “Shen Xuan will die today.”


  Fang Xiang sighed softly. The master of the Great Floating Water Prison was dispensable to Changling. But the Secretariat Director who controlled the laws, and could convict the officials was a new power.

  In all aspects, when Zheng Xiu’s people died out, and she had to use Shen Xuan when she had no one else, Shen Xuan became one of Zheng Xiu’s closest, and one of the most important pieces. Jiaodong Commandery was not willing for Zheng Xiu to grow her wings. The two ministers were not willing to see a new power. And the imperial house was not willing to have laws that could implicitly constrain imperial power. Even the Li Family back then could not endure so much dislike and unwillingness, much less Shen Xuan of the present.

  Shen Xuan was a realm seven grandmaster, and powerful in cultivation. But this had nothing to do with cultivation when all of Changling wanted him to die.

  **

  In the morning sunlight, Shen Xuan was drinking in the courtyard.

  Changling’s people usually drank tea in the morning. Only alcoholics would start drinking wine in the morning. Shen Xuan was not an alcoholic.

  He was drinking wine in the morning because he stayed for many years in the depths of the Great Floating Water Prison. There was too much damp and cold energy in his body, and drinking wine was good for his energies. Also, the right amount of wine could make the energies flow faster, and his mind clearer. He never drank too much back in the Great Floating Water Prison, much less after becoming the Secretariat Director.

  The Secretariat Director compound was very close to the imperial city, but he resided in a courtyard that was slightly remote. After the empress gave him enough power, his living situation had naturally gotten better, and his compound could rival the ministers.

  But ever since he took charge of the Great Floating Water Prison, he was disliked by the nobility of Changling. After he became the Secretariat Director, it was even worse. So while he had a compound and carriages, the factions were making things difficult for him in terms of manpower. Those arranged for his use were all the average people that the other bureaus did not want or disliked. But even so, he still did not have enough people.

  Right now, it was quiet outside his compound. There was only one carriage waiting there, a yawning official standing guard. He lacked the fawning of other people. While his compound was large, it was slightly worn down after a winter. There were no fresh flowers, and everything looked yellow and gray.

  But Shen Xuan, drinking wine, did not care. For him, the worse scenery outside was better than the dim Great Floating Water Prison. He had a sensitivity towards death that far surpassed others after interacting with death frequently. So this morning was no different from any other, he suddenly smelled the scent of death.

  A drop of blood appeared on the forehead of the official who had been yawning by the carriage like he had a red mole. But then the official stopped breathing. He was still in his yawning position, and died like this.

  A yellow-robed man appeared in front of him. Then the man pushed open the half-closed gate, and entered Shen Xuan’s courtyard. He had a gentle face. He was plump but not fat and looked very amiable.

  But he was here to kill Shen Xuan. He had casually killed an official that had no relationship at all. A cultivator who was really amiable could not do something like this.

  Shen Xuan drained all the wine in the pot.

  When the unique yellow-robed appeared in his sight, he had already stood up. He took a deep breath. His chest puffed up as though he was going to suck all the air and sunlight in the courtyard into his lungs.

  Shen Xuan did not like to waste words, but he was the Secretariat Director right now. So after he took a deep breath, he looked at the yellow-robed man that appeared in his sight, and said, “I am certain that that official, while average, has done no crimes. You do not have any power to kill him. Killing a court official is a crime punished by death.”


  Hearing his words, the yellow-robed man laughed in interest. “So you mean that you can convict me, and have a reason to kill me. But I came to kill you. Who kills who depends on who can kill who.”


  “This is very important.” Hearing the arrogant words, Shen Xuan said indifferently, “The key is, the law and the reason is on my side. If you cannot kill me, I am still the Secretariat Director.”


  The yellow-robed man laughed. The sunlight between him and Shen Xuan seemed to dim.

  Shen Xuan gave a low shout. His figure rapidly floated left. A sword energy swept past his neck on the right and created a faint red line.

  This was an intangible sword energy that formed with a thought.

  “Mind Chamber Sect!”


  Shen Xuan’s afterimage was still in the sunlight when the voice sounded. His voice carried undisguised shock.

  The yellow-robed man was clearly a powerful cultivator from Jiaodong Commandery, but what he used was the Mind Chamber Sect’s Heart Thought Sword!

  The man had an expression like a cat playing with a mouse. Shen Xuan being able to dodge this attack made him feel more interested.

  “Good eyes.” He smiled jokingly, and was not in a hurry to attack. He said, “I am Zheng Bainiao, the second uncle of the empress Zheng Xiu. Seventeen years ago, I was a direct disciple of Mind Chamber Sect. In that generation, I was ranked ninth in seniority. But most of Mind Chamber Sect’s records were created by me.”


  Shen Xuan’s figure stopped at this moment. His afterimages disappeared but the wind he created was still moving, causing his body to look like it was under a thin layer of mist. His face was much paler.

  He had no interest in Zheng Bainiao’s history, but he knew, in these last decades, there were only a few cultivators who had comprehended the Heart Thought Sword, and used it perfectly.

  These cultivators were geniuses like Yi Xin who had attended the Min Mountain Sword Trials. The greatest power of the Mind Chamber Sect came from the Heart Thought Sword. This sword was hard to defend because it formed at a thought. The sword would form from the primal energies of the universe around the enemy, and there was no distance to reach the enemy’s body.

  Just now, like the sword that flashed past his neck. It was one that formed right next to his neck, and sliced towards his body.

  There was no distance, and no time to react.

  Translator Ramblings: Poor Fang Xiang …… got a son he doesn’t want, and that name’s pretty interesting too……