Chapter 71

(Second update delivered, it's almost Monday morning again. There will be three updates tomorrow, the first one at midnight. I ask for everyone's strong support and to cast recommendation votes at midnight.)

Qingyang Peak lineage!

In the Heavenly Gate Pavilion, some of the enforcers and guardians exchanged glances and revealed a contemplative expression.

Wudang's seventy-two peaks, where the seventy-two lineages of supreme primordial spirits once shone brilliantly over five thousand years ago. In the era when demons were most rampant, the first Han emperor wielded the Red Sky Sword, and the heavenly mandates of the surrounding nations united to finally remove the Demon God Mountain, the abode of the nine great demon saints, casting it into the void, into the chaotic currents of endless time and space.

In the blink of an eye, over five thousand years have passed. The seventy-two lineages have dwindled, and only twenty-seven peaks remain to maintain their lineage.

Therefore, when they learned that the Qingyang Peak lineage had re-emerged and was obtained by three young disciples who had yet to establish their foundations, and one of them even came from the Free and Easy Valley, the enforcers and guardians present felt more than just anger; they also sighed, lamenting the relentless passage of time. Five hundred years ago, the Qingyang Peak lineage was at its peak, suppressing the demon kings so that they dared not raise their heads. Who would have thought that after five hundred years, the Qingyang Gorge would be left with only ruins and broken walls.

"I wonder which case Master Gu was referring to." Qinggan said.

Gu Xuantong remained calm, but he took in the expressions of everyone in the Heavenly Gate Pavilion. After a moment of deliberation, he said, "Five hundred years ago, during the Huashan Sword Conference of the world's primordial spirits, one of our Huashan predecessors accidentally injured a fellow practitioner. A divine sword, Purple Mist, was severed by the Extreme Yuan True Person of your Qingyang Peak lineage. The main sword was seized and suppressed, and it was said that if any of the later generations could surpass the Qingyang Peak lineage, they could reclaim it. Our Huashan predecessors felt guilty, so for many years, Huashan never asked your sect. Later, when the Extreme Yuan True Person passed away and the Qingyang Peak lineage was cut off, Huashan no longer mentioned it. However..."

He paused, his gaze becoming more focused as he swept over the crowd in the pavilion, and continued, "Now, with the demons rampant and the sects of the dark arts rising, the various demon nations are stirring, and the people's hearts are unstable. We, the righteous martial arts, must take early precautions. Now, we have heard that your Qingyang Peak lineage has been re-established. Our Huashan disciples are concerned about the well-being of our predecessors, so the sect leader has ordered me to come and reclaim the sword left by our predecessors."

The sword left by the predecessors, the divine sword Purple Mist!

This made even the many enforcers and guardians unable to remain calm. What is a divine sword? A divine sword is imbued with spirit, not just a sharp blade or a flawless weapon. Once a weapon is imbued with spirit, it becomes extraordinary, capable of absorbing the primordial qi of the universe on its own, with a power that can rival a top-tier primordial spirit. Some divine swords that have existed for a long time have intelligence comparable to humans, with a power that can rival a primordial spirit, or even be stronger.

They thought of the Qingyang Sword that emerged that day, the sword of the successive Qingyang Peak masters, imbued with spirit for over five thousand years. Even the Golden Peak's Golden Light True Person, with his profound cultivation and keen eye, could see that it was a hidden treasure, unable to do anything about it.

The divine sword Purple Mist, an ancient sword name, but no one would forget it, as it has not been destroyed. In the weapon list published by the Heavenly Dynasty, it still ranks ninety-fourth among the hundred divine weapons of the world.

The hundred strongest divine weapons in the world, ranked ninety-fourth, this weapon list, unlike the Dragon Tiger List and the Primordial List, which only cover the Heavenly Dynasty, includes the strongest hundred divine weapons from the four surrounding nations of the human race.

As for the Huashan Sword Conference of the world's primordial spirits five hundred years ago, the enforcers and guardians present had some understanding of the truth, but with the passage of time, the people and events of five hundred years ago are long gone, and they could not say much more.

"Alright," Qinggan thought for a moment and said, "Qinghe, you go to Qingyang Peak. Tomorrow at dawn, bring the three junior brothers here. Our Daoist righteous path is interconnected, and any grievances should be resolved with a smile."

"Yes!" a disciple at the lower end responded.

Then he looked at Gu Xuantong and said apologetically, "Master Gu, please understand. Our Lion Peak and Qingyang Peak are of the same sect but different lineages, so we cannot make decisions on our own. Tomorrow, when the three junior brothers arrive, the whereabouts of your sect's predecessor's sword can be discussed face-to-face."

"Thank you, Master Gu, on behalf of the sect leader." Gu Xuantong stroked his beard and smiled.

At this moment, some of the enforcers and guardians exchanged glances, sensing a strange atmosphere. Some of them exchanged glances, but in the end, no one spoke.

...

Night fell.

Top floor of the Heavenly Gate Pavilion.

Qinggan's pure white Daoist robe fluttered lightly. He stood tall and straight, his left hand behind his back, his right hand holding a sword, a playful smile on his lips as he gazed at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, the stars dim.

"True Dragon Emperor, words carry the law, a word is as heavy as a tripod, controlling the cycle of the sun and moon..."

...

Qingyang Gorge.

The water had frozen, and the clear stream in front of the Qingyang Palace was like a black dragon lying dormant on the ground at night.

The moon was gradually setting, and the bonfire flickered. Su Qignian sat in meditation, suddenly opening his eyes, revealing a hint of suspicion. He felt very uneasy tonight, with frequent disturbances in his ancestral acupoint.

Since he had cultivated his mental energy, he sometimes had vague sensations, as if touching the river of fate in the unknown, seeing the path ahead, but it was too vague, only able to faintly grasp a hint of safety.

After a while, he looked outside the hall. A young man, about twenty years old, wearing a gray-green Daoist robe, was walking in from the distant palace gate.

Inner disciple!

Su Qignian raised an eyebrow. Outer court disciples wore gray robes, while the inner disciples of the various peaks wore gray-green Daoist robes. Which peak's disciple had found his way here?

"You are Su Qignian," the young man's gaze fell on Su Qignian, then he scanned the area, frowning, "The other two are not here. Where are they now?"

"May I ask which peak's senior brother you are, and what you have to say? Qingyu and the others have already obtained the Demon Slayer Order and are not in the mountain."

"Not in the mountain?" The young man frowned, "I am a disciple of Lion Peak, my Daoist name is Qinghe. I have been ordered by my senior brother Qinggan to bring you up the mountain. There is a Huashan case involving your Qingyang Peak lineage, and you need to go and answer. Now, follow me, and we must reach the Heavenly Gate Pavilion before dawn, without losing any etiquette."

Huashan case, Lion Peak, senior brother Qinggan!

Su Qignian's heart was shaken. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, his expression calm, and said, "Lead the way."

Lion Peak.

One of Wudang's seventy-two peaks, with a prominent and majestic shape, resembling a lion, standing tall and steep.

Before dawn, the sky was still dim, and some disciples were already descending the mountain in the mountain breeze. These disciples were not from the outer court but had been selected from the entry disciples and admitted to the lineage.

Each one had an extraordinary demeanor, the sharpness and vigor of youth, and most were very proud. Even when they met, they merely nodded and then drifted away.

Heavenly Gate Pavilion.

Su Qignian looked at this pavilion, which was said to have once seen the gate to the heavens, towering on the mountain peak, with nearly half of it extending beyond the cliff, yet it stood firm and immovable.

As soon as he stepped into the pavilion, Su Qignian's gaze involuntarily fell on the tall and straight figure at the upper end.

Dragon Tiger List, Heaven's Sword, Wudang's Qinggan Daoist!

This was the legend of the young disciples of the Wudang Qing generation. At just twenty-four years old, he had already roamed the world, slaying demons and eliminating evil, earning a great reputation, ranking on the Dragon Tiger List, standing at the peak of the young generation's strong.

"Junior brother Su Qignian." Qinggan spoke, his gaze gentle, falling on Su Qignian.

"Meeting senior brother."

Su Qignian clasped his hands, and this gaze made him feel a chill, even with his fiery qi and blood, he could not resist. He understood that the other's cultivation far exceeded his own.

"I assume Qinghe has already explained everything on the way. This is Elder Gu Xuantong of Huashan, a high-ranking figure on the Primordial List, known as the Life-Taking Sword Immortal in the martial arts world."

Following Qinggan's gaze, Su Qignian saw a middle-aged man in a green robe, with a short beard, expressionless, sitting there. He then spoke, "I assume you are the current inheritor of the Qingyang Peak lineage. A sword left by one of our Huashan predecessors was once in the hands of your Qingyang Peak lineage. Now that you have inherited it, please return it to its rightful owner."

In the Heavenly Gate Pavilion, the gazes of some enforcers and guardians also fell on Su Qignian, making him tense. They were all third-rate martial arts experts or higher. If he had not yet cultivated his mental energy, his ancestral acupoint would still be in a state of chaos, but now it was different. His perception was sharp, and he was about to complete the second level of the Soul-Binding Great Technique. Therefore, even the convergence of their gazes made him feel an intangible mental pressure. (Second update delivered, it's almost Monday morning again. There will be three updates tomorrow, the first one at midnight. I ask for everyone's strong support and to cast recommendation votes at midnight.)