Chapter 137: The Pinnacle Powerhouses And The Wenjian Pavilion’s Classics
Yan Province.
This is the heartland of Great Yan, the most fertile and the place with the strongest martial arts. However, in Yan Province, martial arts sects are not prevalent. This is because, directly under the Son of Heaven, imperial power reigns supreme. Various imperial court institutions jointly cultivate martial artists, martial arts academies are widespread, and additionally, armies from all sides continuously recruit fresh blood here.
In the Imperial Capital Tai’an, there were even more prominent figures.
Yanwu Great General’s Mansion.
The mansion was not particularly grand, but its location relative to the Imperial Palace indicated its status. Eight fierce soldiers stood at the entrance like sculptures, their menacing aura preventing anyone from daring to linger their gaze.
General Yanwu, this is a true legendary figure of the Great Yan military.
Two hundred years ago, he was already famous throughout the world. To this day, his martial arts cultivation is even more unfathomable, ranking second on the Heavenly Human Ranking.
Although it was second.
But in the eyes of Great Yan’s ten thousand soldiers, he was the undisputed number one.
The ranking on the Heavenly Human Ranking is almost always determined by past battle achievements.
The positions of the top three on the Heavenly Human Ranking, apart from when the Blade Demon suddenly emerged and defeated the then-third-ranked to take his place, had remained unchanged for a long time. It was truly difficult to say who was stronger, as if the two sides did not engage in combat, the result would never be known.
A figure clad in armor stopped before the Yanwu Great General’s Mansion, a hint of reverence rising in his eyes.
The fierce soldiers, as if carved from stone, bowed respectfully:
“Greetings, Divine Feather Great General!”
Divine Feather Great General waved slightly and then stepped in.
Led by a servant, after passing seven or eight long corridors, Divine Feather Great General stopped in front of a courtyard without looking sideways. The servant said:
“Divine Feather Great General, General Yanwu is waiting for you inside.”
Divine Feather Great General took a deep breath and passed through the courtyard gate. His vision suddenly cleared. A gentle breeze swept by, creating ripples on the emerald lake. In the center of the lake, a figure was faintly visible in an octagonal pavilion. It was an elder in casual clothes, his eyes filled with increasing reverence. He slowly walked forward.
Although they both held the title of Great General, he knew he was very immature in front of the other party.
Using Yanwu as his posthumous title is evident.
Divine Feather Great General walked slowly, afraid of disturbing the elder who was fishing.
He stood behind the Elder, his hands respectfully at his sides, showing no impatience.
Half an hour later.
The old man’s fishing rod sank, a look of joy appearing on his face. He quickly pulled up the rod, but the fish seemed quite heavy, its struggles immense, and the old man found it somewhat strenuous.
“Shen Yu, lend a hand.”
Divine Feather Great General quickly grabbed the fishing rod together with him. He didn’t dare to use even a trace of martial arts power, and even his physical strength was only maintained at the level of an ordinary person. The two worked together, and the fishing rod finally sprang up. A plump fish leaped up under the sunlight, its scales shining.
26 The great fish fell into the pavilion, and instead of struggling, it seemed to tremble.
“Great General, what a bountiful harvest!” Divine Feather Great General praised.
General Yanwu merely smiled slightly.
He looked at his spoils of war with admiration, then rubbed the fish scales again, and finally, with some effort, he picked it up and threw it back into the lake. A gentle breeze brushed his white hair, and there were some beads of sweat on his forehead. He looked like an ordinary old man in every way, his movements not even that agile.
But Divine Feather Great General did not dare to be careless.
He knew that this was related to General Yanwu’s cultivation.
The two sat opposite each other.
General Yanwu looked at the water in the lake and said with emotion:
“The world is like this lake water, and we, all beings, are the fish within it. Whether big fish or small fish, how difficult it is to transcend relying on oneself. But if one relies on external forces to leap out of the lake, they can only become the bait on someone else’s hook, their life and death determined by another’s will.”
Divine Feather Great General listened intently. He felt a certain profound meaning in the other party’s words, but he couldn’t understand it. He had not reached that level yet.
He could only tentatively say:
“But individuals like the Great General have naturally long since leaped out of this lake.”
General Yanwu smiled:
“How do you know that leaving this lake won’t lead you into a bigger one?”
Divine Feather Great General was speechless, feeling that no matter what he said, it was wrong.
General Yanwu shook his head and chuckled. He then changed the subject, discussing the recent matter that had shaken the world:
“What is your opinion of that Heavenly Sword True Person?”
Divine Feather Great General’s body trembled slightly. When he came, he had already considered various possibilities for why Yanwu Great General had summoned him, but he hadn’t expected it to be about Heavenly Sword True Person. Recalling recent rumors, he was also somewhat astonished.
“Does the Great General refer to the recent battle between Heavenly Sword True Person and the Heart-Seeking Sword?”
General Yanwu took a sip of tea.
Divine Feather Great General immediately understood. How could General Yanwu not know ordinary news?
“In the battle to annihilate the Dead Fire Abyss branch, a Heavenly Human Realm elder from the Demonic Sect once fled to True Martial Mountain. That was the first time Heavenly Sword True Person made a move. That time, the Heavenly Sword appeared, severely injured Old Demon Lin, and also established Heavenly Sword True Person’s reputation for the first time.”
“But… it’s a bit illogical. With Heavenly Sword True Person’s strength, he should have been able to casually kill Old Demon Lin that time, but he didn’t.”
He hesitated a little.
“There are two possibilities: either his strength was only this much back then.”
“Or, he was just hiding it all along.”
General Yanwu’s expression was calm:
“Which possibility do you think is greater?”
Divine Feather Great General said:
“I think the latter is more likely; how could someone’s strength surge from the end of the Heavenly Human Ranking to the top ten in just a few years? However, this also indicates that this Heavenly Sword True Person doesn’t like dealing with our Imperial Court. Perhaps he concealed his strength back then simply to avoid being disturbed by the Imperial Court.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he recalled the excuse Dragon Mountain Daoist gave back then.
“Then what do you think his current strength is?”
Divine Feather Great General hesitated this time.
“To be able to easily kill the Heart-Seeking Sword, they must be at least in the top ten. As for higher, I cannot be sure.”
General Yanwu smiled:
“Then I’ll tell you, even the Sun Chasing Sword King facing the Heart-Seeking Sword couldn’t have done it this easily.”
Divine Feather Great General’s spirit immediately lifted.
This meant that in General Yanwu’s opinion, Heavenly Sword True Person already possessed the qualifications to contend for the title of the world’s number one swordsman, and perhaps in his heart, he already was the world’s number one swordsman!
Even Divine Feather Great General couldn’t fully fathom the details of these peerless experts in the Top Ten Heavenly Human Ranking, but since General Yanwu said so, it absolutely wouldn’t be false.
He couldn’t help but exclaim:
“Heavenly Sword True Person is that strong?”
General Yanwu sighed:
“Heavenly Sword True Person is not simple, perhaps he is that fish which can leap out of the lake.”
“The world says his lifespan is short, but they don’t know that often, the closer a person is to their limit, the greater the courage and audacity they possess, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.”
He stood up and gazed at the lake, as if seeing the general trend of the world and the many disputes through the surface of the water.
“Now the Demonic Sect is constantly causing trouble, and they have even formed an alliance with the Southern Border. In these turbulent times, Heavenly Sword True Person is an anomaly; it’s best to tie such an existence to our Imperial Court’s war chariot.”
Divine Feather Great General’s pupils contracted, but he still couldn’t help but say:
“Great General, the Demonic Sect is nothing more than a jumping clown. When the crucial moment arrives, the Martial Saint…”
Before he could finish speaking, General Yanwu glanced at him, causing colossal waves to churn within his heart.
That means… even a Martial Saint might not be able to guarantee safety?
Did something happen to the Martial Saint, or have the Demonic Sect and Southern Border found a way to deal with Martial Saints?
General Yanwu said faintly:
“Regardless of the reason for Heavenly Sword True Person’s aversion to our Imperial Court, at the very least, we cannot let him turn to the Southern Border. Fortunately, the Demonic Sect and the Southern Border currently seem to be hostile towards the True Martial Sect. Divine Feather, you go investigate this matter and then be stationed in Qingzhou.”
Divine Feather Great General said respectfully:
“Yes!”
He turned and left, and from the snippets of conversation, he already knew that Heavenly Sword True Person was far more powerful than he had imagined, and was also very important to the Imperial Court.
General Yanwu let out a gentle sigh. He glanced in the direction of the imperial palace before picking up his fishing rod again.
“I only hope you can wake up sooner.”
…
Setting Sun Sword Sect.
Sword King Peak.
A glance revealed the Burial Sword Ground, which seemed to have no end.
One by one, figures respectfully waited outside.
“Old Ancestor, that is how things are. Nowadays, everyone says that Heavenly Sword True Person is qualified to contend for the title of the world’s greatest swordsman. Hmph, truly ignorant. If it weren’t for you, Old Ancestor, not making a move for so long, how would Heavenly Sword True Person get the chance to display his might.”
“So what if I killed the Heart-Seeking Sword? How can that be compared to you, Old Ancestor?”
A series of indignant voices rose.
Heavenly Sword True Person’s fame soared, and many felt he was qualified to rank among the top five in the world. Thus, comparisons to Sun Chasing Sword King inevitably arose. Some staunch supporters of Heavenly Sword True Person even believed Sun Chasing Sword King was no match for him, which naturally displeased the people of Setting Sun Sword Sect.
Before this.
Thanks to the Sun Chasing Sword King suppressing the Blade Dao for one hundred and sixty years.
The Setting Sun Sword Sect already gradually had the reputation of being the foremost Sword Dao Holy Land, but now, this undoubtedly caused that reputation to begin to waver again.
“Especially the True Martial Sect, pretending to be magnanimous by opening the True Martial Sword Stele and Myriad Dao Tower, is simply preposterous. When their ultimate techniques become known to the world one day in the future, it will likely be the time of the True Martial Sect’s annihilation.”
I must say.
True Martial Sect’s move also made many sects secretly unhappy, because it would inevitably be compared, making them appear to be hoarding their own treasures and very narrow-minded.
The congregation spoke.
Deep within that Burial Sword Ground, there was a sudden stir.
Layers upon layers of sword intent vibrated, converging into a vast sound:
“You hope I will make a move?”
Sensing the anger in that voice, everyone immediately prostrated themselves on the ground in fear and trepidation.
“Old Ancestor, we dare not. We just want to let the Sun Chasing Sword Sect completely establish its position as the number one Holy Land of the Blade Dao!”
That immense voice carried a tone of disappointment, as if wishing iron would turn into steel:
“A bunch of good-for-nothings!”
“How can the Sword Dao’s foremost holy land be achieved by standing on the shoulders of others? To strike iron, one must be strong oneself. Otherwise, even if one is forced onto that position, they will eventually be dragged down! I have been in closed-door cultivation for many years, how could I not know that the sect’s atmosphere has become like this now? This is punishable!”
The congregation was covered in sweat and repeatedly begged for forgiveness.
That voice finally calmed down.
“Heavenly Sword True Person? I never expected that in just a few decades, such a powerful figure would appear in the world, condensing his own sword intent for all under heaven to comprehend. Truly a skillful move and great courage. I am ashamed of my inferiority. This world is indeed magnificent.”
The congregation was all aghast.
Someone couldn’t help but ask:
“Old Ancestor, could it be that even you are no match for Heavenly Sword True Person…”
He said this with a trembling heart.
The Sun Chasing Sword King’s voice was calm, without a ripple:
“Before, perhaps not, but now, it’s unknown who will fall.”
“But what if it’s not? Remember this, if you care about mere empty fame, how can you ever ascend to the peak of the Blade Dao? Even if you become the world’s number one swordsman, what’s the use? We swordsmen should aspire to this: since we’ve entered the door of the Blade Dao, we must naturally advance towards that highest peak. If you don’t become a Sword Saint, you are ultimately just an ant.”
Everyone was ashamed. Someone’s eyes lit up and they asked:
“Old Ancestor, could it be that you have already taken that step?”
The Sun Chasing Sword King’s voice was somewhat dejected:
“How difficult it is, I only have a slight clue. I wish I had another thousand years of lifespan.”
He continued:
“Heavenly Sword True Person has foresight. I think his act of establishing the True Martial Sword Stele is excellent and has inspired me. In the future, I can emulate it. You all should not be jealous, but rather be humble, so that my Setting Sun Sword Sect can be inherited for a long time. If it is like Sword Asking Pavilion, where one mountain is higher than another, then in the future, there will inevitably be a time of eternal damnation.”
After repeated teachings, everyone bowed their heads even lower. Those layers of sword intent were thought-provoking, making them realize their own impatience in recent years.
“Thank you for your guidance, Old Ancestor!”
The Sun Chasing Sword King’s voice gradually quieted:
“With figures like Heavenly Sword True Person in the world of swordsmanship, my path is not solitary. After I emerge from seclusion, I will seek him out for a spar. How fortunate to have a fellow traveler.”
Everyone was ashamed.
Originally, I thought Old Ancestor would be displeased by comparisons, but now I realize Old Ancestor’s realm is beyond our reach.
…
A mountain ridge.
A disheveled elder walked barefoot, and through the faint parting of his hair, one could see that his eyes were extremely indifferent, a kind of maddened indifference.
“Bad luck, it’s only a rotten old man!”
A burst of laughter erupted.
One by one, mountain bandits emerged from various parts of the forest. They brazenly sized up the elder in front of them, and as they spat, someone laughed:
“Come here, old man, and crawl between your Uncle Liu’s dragon legs!”
The crowd burst into laughter.
“I didn’t expect that you, Lazy Liu, would be into that sort of thing.”
Liuzi Liu chuckled sinisterly:
“You wouldn’t know this, but the old man has his own tricks.”
The crowd laughed even more heartily.
But the elder seemed to not hear it.
Still continuing to move forward.
The sound of bare feet rubbing against fallen leaves and gravel was somewhat noticeable in the forest, further angering the crowd.
Bastard Liu got angry:
“Son of a bitch, so he’s a lunatic, a deaf one.”
He carried a great saber, stepped forward, and was about to cleave the old man in half.
The old man finally moved, and as his gaze swept over, the scabby Liu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. What kind of eyes were those? They possessed a terrifying demonic nature that made one sink into despair. He vaguely read the meaning “You too are unworthy of using a blade” from those eyes, and then completely fell into dead silence.
The old man walked barefoot.
The commotion in the forest completely stopped, and the bandits all turned into statues. Only after the old man had completely walked past did bloodlines spread from the foreheads of these statues, turning them into pieces of remains, unbelievably precise.
The elder raised the pitch-black item in his hand, and his eyes finally showed emotion.
Faintly visible, that seemed to be a sword hilt.
Originally, it was an unparalleled divine blade; now, only the sword hilt remains.
This is the elder’s Dao.
If the sword hilt is completely gone, that will be the day his Blade Dao reaches perfection.
However, this is somewhat difficult, and he needs to find a suitable method.
The elder continued to walk through the mountain forest, somewhat aimlessly. He passed a tea house, and someone glanced at the mad elder before looking away, continuing their boisterous discussion:
“Speaking of that Heavenly Sword True Person, he merely used the Sword Stele to summon heavenly thunder, transforming it into thirty-six peerless Heavenly Swords, and killed the Heart-Seeking Sword, who was fourteenth on the Heavenly Human Ranking. He truly emerged from nowhere, almost second only to the terror of the Blade Demon slaying the third on the Heavenly Human Ranking back then!”
“In my opinion, the current Heavenly Sword True Person not only has the strength to compete with the Sun Chasing Sword King for the title of the world’s number one swordsman, but perhaps even the Blade Demon has hope of fighting him.”
The old man paused, a rare clarity appearing in his eyes as long-forgotten memories finally surfaced.
“Heavenly Sword True Person…?”
He muttered to himself.
Suddenly, he knew how to make his sword hilt completely ‘disappear’.
……
Bustling town.
The blind storyteller recounted recent happenings.
When speaking of the great battle between Heavenly Sword True Person and the Heart-Seeking Sword, embellishments were inevitably added. The Myriad Dao Heavenly Sword rent the void, while the Heart-Seeking Sword pierced the ground with a single strike. The two fought fiercely, plunging the world into darkness. In the end, the Heart-Seeking Sword was no match and was slain by Heavenly Sword True Person.
The congregation listened with great enjoyment.
He repeatedly called for another section, another section.
The blind elder chuckled:
“Since that is the case, I will tell everyone the story of the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint from my hometown. I guarantee it will be more exciting than the previous one!”
The congregation repeatedly cheered.
The blind elder then spoke.
It’s just that his thoughts couldn’t help but ripple.
“Heavenly Sword True Person? Rising from nowhere? Interesting… I wonder if it’s an old friend of mine?”
He smiled.
Thinking that perhaps there would be time to go and see the True Martial Sword Stele.
For some reason, he once again thought of the young man who listened to his storytelling in the rain.
In all these years, there were few people he couldn’t see through.
That young man is one of them.
However, he was not someone who liked to pry into others’ secrets, just as he disliked others prying into his.
Someone noticed he was distracted and urged him on:
“Later, where did the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint go?”
The elder chuckled:
“It is said… he suffered heavenly punishment, was picked up by a young lady, and later married and had children…”
……
The Great Yan World.
Everyone was discussing the matter of Heavenly Sword True Person, which had even alarmed some deeply hidden Old Demons.
Most people in the world were just watching the excitement, thinking that Heavenly Sword True Person had killed the Heart-Seeking Sword and was very, very strong, but they had no real concept of how strong, only those who had reached that level knew.
Heavenly Sword True Person has truly stood among the absolute peak of martial artists.
191 Many gazes held different meanings.
Many top-tier sects, the Great Yan Imperial Court, the Demonic Sect, the Southern Border, and even the Northern Barbarians, were secretly discussing this matter.
Experts at this level already possess sufficient threatening power to be treated with caution by all parties.
From this perspective.
Ning Qi’s move to intimidate was very successful.
At least for a short period, the Demonic Sect and the Southern Border would not dare to take any more excessive actions. Small movements might be constant, but at least on the surface, they would not dare to be too vicious.
And the current True Martial Mountain.
is even livelier.
After reopening the mountain gate.
The True Martial Sword Stele attracted more swordsmen than before, and the martial artists were somewhat conservative in their attitude towards the Myriad Dao Tower, as it required a one-for-one exchange, causing many to hesitate to trade away their martial arts secret techniques. However, someone always had to be the first to try, and after entering, they became excited.
The True Martial Sword Stele is very good, but the threshold is actually not low. One needs high comprehension and Sword Dao realm to gain something from it.
But the Myriad Dao Tower is not.
After Ning Qi’s refinement, the levels became more distinct.
After entering, there will definitely be some gains.
One for one.
In reality, there’s no loss no matter what.
After those who entered came out, they began to promote it wildly. Gradually, more and more people entered the Myriad Dao Tower, and it was full in a short time. Luo Wentian smiled heartily and promulgated the meticulously prepared management regulations, allowing martial artists to enter in an orderly manner.
He was happy to see the Myriad Dao Tower so popular.
After a long time, this is the foundation of the True Martial Sect!
All martial arts in the world emerge from within, and it will truly become the Myriad Dao Tower in name and in fact.
He looked in the direction of the Seeker’s Courtyard, and the more he did, the more he felt his ninth junior brother was formidable, truly an unprecedented prodigy for all time, whose ideas were completely different from ordinary people. If the Sword Asking Pavilion had had such courage in the past, it would probably have become the foremost Sword Dao Holy Land long ago.
The True Martial Sect flourished.
And Ning Qi was also overjoyed in his heart.
He flipped through the many classics in the Sword Asking Pavilion, which recorded many secret techniques and experiences, allowing him to gain a lot.
That day, the thirty-six Heavenly Swords were used to suppress, which frightened Tang Qiu. He didn’t dare to make any omissions, copying all the classics. He didn’t dare to gamble whether Heavenly Sword True Person would notice, and even took the original versions of some classics he considered unimportant.
As for the Enlightenment Tea Tree beside him, it had once again surged by a section before the True Martial Peach Gathering arrived, and it was now level with Ning Qi.
The reason is simple.
The corpses of Gu Changhe and another Heavenly Human from the Sword Asking Pavilion were buried below, providing nourishment.
Ning Qi felt.
After digesting the gains from the Sword Asking Pavilion, his foundation can greatly increase.
Moreover, with the feedback from the True Martial Sword Stele and the Myriad Dao Tower coming intermittently, the speed of his foundation’s growth is now much faster than before.
However, now.
However, his primary focus was on the records of the Martial Saint Realm within the numerous classics of the Sword Asking Pavilion. The Sword Asking Pavilion, with its thousand years of inheritance, might know some clues.
Ning Qi flipped through them patiently.
