Chapter 401 - 399: My Sword Has Never Been Dull

Chapter 401: Chapter 399: My Sword Has Never Been Dull

"Twelve Foundation Establishment Disciples, each carrying enough cultivation resources to reach Foundation Establishment Perfection, as well as two drops of Clear Spirit Jade Marrow... If just one of them can achieve Core Formation, we can reopen the Sect’s Secret Vault and rebuild the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect."

Sorrow flickered in Fang Tiancheng’s eyes as he spoke in a heavy, forceful voice.

"Fortunately, after being provoked by Ge Cang, Junior Brother Feng insisted on journeying into the Endless Sea of Suffering to seek a breakthrough opportunity. By a twist of fate, this turned out to be a blessing. When he returns, those disciples will have a pillar to rally around, so they won’t be leaderless."

Feng Moyun had charged into the Endless Sea of Suffering, and in all these years, not a single word had been heard from him.

Fortunately, his Soul Lamp was still lit, indicating that his life was not in danger.

In terms of talent for Beast Taming alone, Feng Moyun could be called the greatest in the history of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. Even Fang Tiancheng had to admit his inferiority.

"You gave Bai Zichen the whereabouts of the Five Crystal Divine Iron in exchange for his future protection of our sect’s disciples. Is it because you believe he will achieve the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Honglian recalled a time when her master was still alive. Master Yangg of the Qingfeng Sect had come to visit, seeking a Core Formation Spiritual Object.

One of the two young men following behind him was none other than the now-famous Bai Zichen.

She had inherited Master Hei Feng’s legacy, which allowed her to take that final step and successfully achieve Core Formation.

And yet, that young man who had browsed the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion with her back then had become the most dazzling Core Formation True Man in the Northern Domain.

"More than just Nascent Soul. As long as he doesn’t fall along the way, the outside world considers him the cultivator in the Northern Domain’s history with the greatest hope of reaching Divinity Transformation... At the very least, reaching Late-Stage Nascent Soul is a certainty."

Fang Tiancheng’s voice was thick with envy, and he had to admit that some people were born with a level of talent that could make others despair.

"Observing this young man’s conduct, he is devoted to the Great Dao and is not swayed by worldly possessions, but he is not one who walks a path of heartlessness... He is clear about his debts and grudges and honors his promises. The Five Crystal Divine Iron may be nearly impossible to find, but to other cultivators, it is merely a primary material for refining a Spiritual Treasure. Only in the hands of a Qingfeng Sect cultivator can its greatest potential be unleashed."

"I don’t need him to repay me right away. It is enough that he remembers this matter. When dealing with people like him, the later the repayment, the greater its value."

"Late-Stage Nascent Soul... That must be a truly beautiful sight..."

Honglian’s eyes lit up as she spoke in a soft voice.

"If I get a chance at reincarnation, I hope I can travel further. I still haven’t seen the Outer Sea at the edge of the Eastern Domain."

...

「Zengguang Immortal City.」

Where the city gates once thronged with bustling crowds, only a single, heavy Profound Iron Gate now stood, lowered to seal the city off from the outside world.

Countless Runes were engraved upon the gate, outlining a ferocious, lifelike god or demon.

At the same time, layers of cold light shimmered like overlapping mountain peaks, as countless Defense Restrictions had been laid upon the gate.

From a distance, one could still see the city walls densely packed with large-scale War Magical Artifacts. Once activated, they would strike with the force of a thousand thunderbolts, laying waste to everything for miles around.

Although these large War Magical Artifacts had drawbacks such as being immobile and slow to charge, they were a Big Killing Artifact when paired with the defensive Grand Array.

Each shot could unleash power equivalent to a strike from an Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator, causing the Dharma Aspect Sect’s cultivators to suffer heavy losses and their disciples to sustain grievous casualties.

Even the Moral Sect’s army, upon their recent arrival, had failed to gain any advantage and was forced to retreat despite being led by a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

For months, they had continuously activated these easily damaged, large-scale War Magical Artifacts, yet the firepower from the Immortal City’s walls had not diminished. The highly distinctive attack patterns of the Taiyi Thunder Light Cannons and the Immortal-Slaying Fire Demon Crossbows were recognizable at a glance.

Zengguang Immortal City’s stockpile of large-scale War Magical Artifacts far exceeded everyone’s imagination.

The Refining cost for a single Taiyi Thunder Light Cannon was at least two hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

The Immortal-Slaying Fire Demon Crossbow might have a slightly lower cost, but each firing required a specially made Immortal Slaying Arrow, with a shaft of Tier Three Iron Wood, an arrowhead of Tier Three Fire Crystal Stone, and fletching of Tier Three Wind Bird Feathers.

All things considered, the total cost was even higher.

According to the estimates of the Celestial Punishment Peak cultivators, over several years of battle, Zengguang Immortal City had damaged and replaced at least two thousand large-scale War Magical Artifacts.

Compared to the astonishing number of large-scale War Magical Artifacts, the Top-Grade Spirit Stones consumed to simultaneously power three Tier Four Arrays seemed almost trivial.

Everyone knew that as the commercial heart of the Northern Domain, Zengguang Immortal City siphoned wealth from the four surrounding nations, and cultivators would even travel from other domains, drawn by its reputation.

The number of Spirit Stones it earned each year was as countless as the sands of the Ganges, truly inexhaustible.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have drawn the envy of several Super Major Sects from the Central Domain.

’What a heavy aura of slaughter. Even nature’s spiritual energy has been churned to shreds!’

Bai Zichen flew on his sword to the vicinity of Zengguang Immortal City and descended, his Sword Light dimming. He clearly felt how different it was from the last time he had visited the Immortal City.

Although the crowds were just as vast and dense, last time it had been a scene of prosperity; this time, it was one of solemn military formations.

There were so many High-Tier Cultivators. Pillar after pillar of aura shot straight into the clouds like smoke signals, each one distinct and showcasing its owner’s character.

The Spiritual Qi of the heavens and earth was driven back and forth, crushed into fragments by the presence of one Nascent Soul True Monarch after another.

’Cultivators with slightly lower Cultivation levels would find it impossible to practice Qi Refining in this environment. A single thought from a Nascent Soul Cultivator could alter the flow of Spiritual Qi. With so many powerful auras present, it would be difficult to even enter a state of Meditation.’

Bai Zichen was a cultivator who had seen his share of grand spectacles. That day on Meili Snow Ridge, ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs had gathered on a single peak.

Among them were Xiangg Ji and Tang Fei, two top-tier Sword Cultivators, as well as a hidden powerhouse like Du Heng, who had switched to the Demon Path.

But compared to the current situation, that paled in comparison.

Each pillar of smoke-like aura represented a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and there were nearly twenty of them present. Essentially all of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Northern Domain were here.

The nearest pillar of aura was pure white and righteous, glowing with upright energy. Below it was a Cloud Vehicle bearing the mark of the Celestial Principle Sect.

’Shi Chengdong has arrived as well. It seems that in the eyes of the Moral Sect, the Celestial Principle Sect, having relocated to the Northern Domain, is now considered a true local Sect...’

Bai Zichen took a step forward, then suddenly realized he didn’t know where to go.

Yuu Ziliang had only asked the Qingfeng Sect to be present without mentioning any specific details. Celestial Punishment Peak hadn’t arranged for anyone to greet or guide guests, and it wouldn’t be proper for him to just barge into the central Array.

He scanned his surroundings and saw a pillar of aura thirty li to his left, as sharp as a sword, tearing the clouds in the sky in two. Several other pillars of aura were forced to keep a wide berth.

’A Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator. That must be Elder Yann. Such a sharp, unconcealed edge...’

Recognizing an acquaintance, Bai Zichen quickly strode forward, walking on air. After a few flickers, he was already approaching the pillar of Sword Qi.

From a distance, he saw the conspicuous emblem of the Tianhe Sword Sect. Several Sword Cultivators were sitting on the ground. Unlike the other Sects, which had all brought large Flying Magical Treasures capable of carrying many people, their group looked somewhat shabby.

Most didn’t care how fast their conveyances were; what mattered was the imposing presence and pomp. A Nascent Soul Major Sect couldn’t afford to lose face.

But for a Sword Cultivator, the most valuable possession was the Flying Sword in their hand. They simply had no spare resources to allocate elsewhere.

The same was true for Sword Cultivation Sects. Rather than Refining such a Magical Treasure, it was better to invest the equivalent resources into Refining Flying Swords.

"What little brat is this, daring to walk back and forth over this old man’s head? Do you think no one can deal with a Void Escape Technique?"

Bai Zichen used Close as the Palm of Your Hand, Far as the Ends of the Earth to cross two pillars of aura. Just as he was about to pass near the final one, a demonic hand suddenly reached up for him.

The greenish-red demonic hand looked like a tattered sack that had been patched and stitched together, with visible needle and thread marks where the skin had been joined.

Before it even reached him, a foul stench washed over him, making his whole body feel hot and his True Essence boil uncontrollably.

’A Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator!’

Bai Zichen suppressed the urge to draw his Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword. With a turn of his thoughts, his powerful physical control instantly calmed his boiling blood.

Sensing no killing intent from the greenish-red demonic hand, he opened his mouth and spat out a sliver of moonlight. It weaved and dodged within an extremely small area, its movements fluid and precise.

Below was a Demon Palace with tall pavilions built all around it, exuding a sinister and bizarre aura. Hanging from long, slender stone pillars were rows of desiccated corpses.

Even after countless years and being preserved through Refining, the expressions on their faces remained vivid and lifelike, a truly horrifying sight.

A cry of surprise came from within the Demon Palace. The True Essence contained within the Sword Light was genuinely that of the Late-Stage Core Formation.

But the damage it inflicted was infinitely close to the Nascent Soul Stage.

More importantly, it possessed a penetrating and disintegrating power that nearly caused the greenish-red demonic hand to fall apart, sending chunks of flesh and skin falling off.

The demonic hand looked fragile, but it was actually refined using a Tier Four Secret Technique, with Ice Silkworm Golden Threads used for the stitching. Even a strike from a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator wouldn’t necessarily be able to break it.

This was truly the state of One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, forcing the greenish-red demonic hand to revert to its original components.

His Corpse Puppet Capturing Hand, which he relied on to dominate cultivators of a lower Realm and had never failed him, was nearly reduced to a few scraps of tattered skin.

’There is still a great chasm between a Nascent Soul Cultivator and myself.’

Bai Zichen had relied on the destructive, disintegrating power of One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws and Elder Shibi’s carelessness to luckily win the exchange by a single move and escape the Demon Palace’s range.

He had to admit that if he didn’t use his two trump cards, even though he could slaughter Core Formation True Men as easily as chickens and dogs, he was still as fragile as a leaf in the wind before a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Besides, if he wasn’t mistaken, the one who attacked was the Demon Cultivator Elder Shibi of the No-Life Sect, a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator.

His Capturing Hand having been broken by a mere Core Formation Cultivator, Elder Shibi flew into a rage out of humiliation. Another demonic palm pressed down with overwhelming might.

"Who dares to attack and bully a junior in front of the Tianhe Sword Sect!"

Yann Yuanzai, whose eyes had been closed, suddenly snapped them open. He slapped the hilt of the Flying Sword planted in the ground before him.

A glimmer of starlight descended upon the world, transforming into dazzlingly brilliant Starlight Sword Threads.

They struck the greenish-red demonic hand repeatedly, causing several of its fingers to explode into a mist of blood.

"Yann Yuanzai, you junior, you dare to stand up for someone else... This isn’t like when Tang Fei was still around, when everyone had to give your sect some leeway!"

The Demonic Qi roiled and condensed into a Corpse King Aspect. The air all around immediately grew dry, and a thick Corpse Qi began to linger.

"Elder Shibi, my sect has always acted this way, and we will not change our principles for anyone... Take one more step forward, and I will show you that my sword has never known defeat!"

Yann Yuanzai’s voice was full of vigor, showing not the slightest fear or hesitation despite facing a veteran Nascent Soul True Monarch.

A Sword Cultivator’s strength can be lacking, but they must never abandon their bottom line or act without principles, lest they lose the spirit of the Flying Sword.

"For the sake of the late Tang Fei, this old man won’t hold it against you..."

The Corpse King Aspect dissipated. Elder Shibi said no more, retreating back into his Demon Palace after speaking.

"Ancestor, that Yann Yuanzai is merely at the Early-Stage Nascent Soul. Why did you show him such deference?"

a Core Formation True Man asked.

Inside the Demon Palace, the ground was either covered in towering, jagged peaks or roiling with Demon Fire. Many of the halls had been burning for years.

The pillars glowed red-hot, and Demon Fire darted between the palace halls. Every few years, a Demon Path Body Refining Cultivator could draw out a cluster of it for Refinement, allowing their physical body to improve by a fair measure.

"Yann Yuanzai is nothing to speak of. He’s just a pile of dry bones in a tomb, relying on a Tier Four Flying Sword to desperately uphold his Sect’s reputation. It’s rather fitting, given the name of his sect’s Secret Realm."

Elder Shibi let out a sinister laugh, his face twisting into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, as if his very skin had stiffened and hardened.

"This old man simply realized that the person I stopped was actually Bai Zichen. I didn’t wish to start a conflict with him, so I took the opportunity to back down... Unless I could truly kill him, offending this person would only bring trouble upon myself and the Sect in the future. If the rumors are true, who in the Northern Domain will be able to stop him a hundred years from now? Why make an enemy of him now?"