Yue Prefecture, in the southern domain of the region. There were many tribes but there was also an ancient sword immortal sect, ‘Yue Chapter’. Similarly, it was ranked as one of the top cultivation sects in the world.
Compared to the might of the Shu Prefecture’s Sword Tower, the Yue Chapter was slightly weaker and it also kept a much lower profile.
In ancient times, the Yue Chapter was once extremely famous. It was the leader of all sword cultivators in the world. However, as time passed, there were several sword immortal sects that prospered and declined. Although the Yue Chapter managed to last till the present day, it was only considered ordinary among all the top cultivation sects in the world.
The sky was still dim.
In Yue Chapter, there was an elder sitting cross-legged on a mat in White Ape Cave. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked into the distance.
There, a middle-aged man was approaching under the guidance of a Yue Chapter disciple.
“Master is cultivating in White Ape Cave,” the disciple that attended to the middle-aged man said with a smile.
The middle-aged man nodded slightly and looked at the land around him. There were many Yue Chapter disciples practicing their swordplay while facing the morning sun. All of them were cultivating with utmost dedication. Regardless, being able to become a sword immortal of the Yue Chapter was the dreams of countless, at least in Yue Prefecture.
After walking for some time, the middle-aged man came in front of White Ape Cave. It was a huge cavern and very simple. The inside of the cave was covered with sword scars.
“Brother Fang, come on in.” A voice was heard coming from within.
The middle-aged man entered.
“Deacon Yuan.” The middle-aged man cupped his hands before crossing his legs to sit on another mat. “I’m curious, Deacon Yuan. Why did you summon me so urgently?”
The middle-aged man was rather respectful to the other person. The elder was the Yue Chapter’s incumbent ‘Deacon Yuan’. His ordinary name was Wanmao. The Yue Chapter had a Deacon Yuan every generation and its status was not at all inferior to the Yue Chapter’s sect master.
“Brother Fang,” Deacon Yuan said with a smile. “Do you still remember the matter about the Scenic Yang Cave Abode I mentioned to you some time ago?”
“Scenic Mountain Sect’s Scenic Yang Cave Abode? Of course! Deacon Yuan, you mentioned that one of the tokens to the Scenic Yang Cave Abode is with you. If one day the cave is opened… you would invite me to accompany you?” The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up. “Why, is it about to be opened?”
Deacon Yuan nodded slightly. “The Scenic Mountain Sect has found the sixth token. Soon, the Scenic Yang Cave Abode will be opened. Brother Fang, do you still wish to enter with me?”
“I couldn’t wish for anything better!” The middle-aged man said delightedly. “With Deacon Yuan accompanying me, what’s there to be afraid of? In addition, by joining forces with Deacon Yuan, considering my skill in array formations, we will definitely obtain many treasures. As for the splitting of treasures, we shall do it as you mentioned. Eighty for you, twenty for me! And all treasures related to sword immortals will be yours.”
“Yea.” Deacon Yuan nodded with a smile. “Brother Fang’s skills in array formations are the best in Yue Prefecture! With you helping me, I’m also confident of obtaining the flying sword, White Dew.”
“Haha, I’ll be congratulating you ahead of time then. When you obtain White Dew, combined with the flying sword, Azure Water, of your Yue Chapter, the two swords of white and azure…combined would be able to match a transcendent-grade Dharma treasure,” praised the middle-aged man.
Deacon Yuan nodded slightly.
White Dew and Azure Water were first-grade Dharma treasures. They were flying swords that were handed down since ancient times in the Yue Chapter.
However, White Dew ended up being lost. It landed in the hands of fiendish demons and after exchanging hands several times, it found itself in the hands of Perfected Scenic Yang whose Scenic Mountain Sect was a Daoist sacred land of that time. Back then, Perfected Scenic Yang was the leader of the Daoist movement and there had been some conflict between the Yue Chapter and the Scenic Mountain Sect. Perfected Scenic Yang even angrily placed White Dew in his own Scenic Yang Cave Abode, causing the Yue Chapter’s white and azure-colored swords to be separated for thousands of years.
“Brother Fang, go make your preparations. Come to me again on 11th of June,” said Deacon Yuan.
“Alright. I’ll make my preparations on my side.” The middle-aged man got up immediately. “I’ll bid you farewell.”
“Jing’er, send your Uncle-Master Fang off,” instructed Deacon Yuan.
The attendant disciple outside the cave warmly led the middle-aged man away.
The middle-aged man was feeling an upheaval of emotions. He was secretly excited. “That is a cave abode of an Essence Soul immortal. Furthermore, he was the leader of the Daoist movement of that era. The Yue Chapter might be powerful, but it is only a sword immortal sect. No true Essence Soul immortal has ever been produced! In terms of heritage, it’s far weaker than the Scenic Mountain Sect. However, Deacon Yuan’s flying sword arts are indeed impressive. By entering with him, it will be an unprecedented opportunity for me…even if I was allocated twenty percent of the treasures.”
“I have to make sufficient preparations and be careful of Deacon Yuan going back on his word.” The middle-aged man secretly made his plans.
He, Fang Yu, was at the Connate True Core realm and he was also an Azure-token Inspector Heavenly Ambassador.
However, his array formation arts were extremely brilliant! He could instantly set up an array formation that even a Connate Golden Core realm expert would not be able to break free in a short amount of time. He dared to call himself the best in array formation arts in the Yue Prefecture! This was the reason why Deacon Yuan had invited him.
And at that moment, inside White Ape Cave.
“Scenic Yang Cave Abode,” Deacon Yuan thought to himself. “All these years, the six tokens have never been gathered. However, the allure Scenic Yang Cave Abode has is too great. There were cultivators that were close to their deaths who would forcefully probe it. However, none of them walked out alive after barging in! In addition, the treasures on them end up being lost inside Scenic Yang Cave Abode.”
Those without a token could forcefully enter but none of them managed to come out again.
Although the Yue Chapter had always wished to obtain the flying sword, White Dew, the most. They did not take the risk. Only cultivators that were close to their end would take such risks.
“My Yue Chapter has been investigating Elder Sword. According to the records he left his juniors, he eventually went to Scenic Yang Cave Abode.” Deacon Yuan thought to himself. “Elder Sword is a senior expert that managed to gain insights into the Sword Dao. He had been hard at work to create a cultivation formulation that would allow sword immortals to enter the Essence Soul immortal realm. Although he had left behind many treasures to his descendants, his entry into the Scenic Yang Cave Abode… means he must have brought his Intrinsic Flying Sword along with him, even if the other treasures are ignored.”
“As for that Numinous treasures and transcendent-grade Dharma treasure, there is no need to vie for them. But White Dew and the belongings of Elder Sword must be obtained.” Deacon Yuan’s ambitions weren’t that high. He also knew that even if could get his hands on the Numinous treasure, the Yue Chapter had no means to hold onto it.
…
Jiang Prefecture’s Grand Dominance. Qin Manor’s entrance.
“Sister Yuqing, you don’t have to send us off.”
“Sister Yuqing, we’ll come find you again in two days.” Two women dressed in dignified and elegant clothes bade Li Yuqing farewell.
Li Yuqing also bade them farewell with a smile.
After being on the run for so long, she was also very happy to chat with her best friends from her childhood.
“Sister Daiqing, join me on my carriage. At least I’ll have a companion on the road.” Two noblewomen immediately boarded a carriage and soon, their servants and guards led the carriage away.
Li Yuqing watched it go far away before turning around to leave.
In the carriage.
The two young beautiful noblewomen began whispering in gossip.
“Sister Yuqing spent her time with swords in her youth but she still didn’t marry someone better than us.” One of the noblewomen chuckled softly and said, “She married a sickly invalid and was bullied by the Guihai family. If not for Second Young Master Qin helping her, who knows what state she would be in now.”
“In the past, she acted rather haughty in front of us. Now?” The other noblewoman said as she laughed while covering her mouth. “Of course. There are benefits to spending her time with swords. Don’t you see? Look at how skilled she is at clinging to Second Young Master Qin!”
“She actually caught Second Young Master Qin’s eye?”
“Don’t say that. Now that she’s staying in Qin Manor, who knows when she might become a concubine of Second Young Master Qin.”
“The Qin Manor will want her with that baggage of hers?I refuse to believe it!”
“Second Young Master Qin is one of those immortals. He doesn’t care for mortals rules. Besides, they had a friendship in their youth so it’s hard to tell. Very hard to tell.”
“Indeed, it’s really hard to tell.”
The two young noblewomen gossiped. They couldn’t be bothered to show such enthusiasm if not for Qin Manor.
…
Po Prefecture, Divine Firmament Chapter. Lightning Pool.
The Lightning Pool was within a mountain which directed lightning from the world into the Lightning Pool.
“Boom!” The mountain entrance opened loudly.
Five cultivators of all ages and genders walked out. Other than one of them being responsible for protecting the other four disciples, the other four were rather young disciples of the Divine Firmament Chapter. None of them reached a hundred years in age. Yi Xiao and Xue Yong were among them. It was the first time Yi Xiao was qualified to enter the Lightning Pool. She had no chance of doing so in other years! Those that could enter the Lightning Pool were the absolute elites of the Divine Firmament Chapter. They were genius disciples that the Divine Firmament Chapter was certain would have a chance of entering the Connate Golden Core realm.
Among the four, Eldest Senior Brother Xue Yong and the Divine Firmament Zhang family’s Zhang Wuling were at the Connate True Core realm. They had also grasped the charm of the Heavenly Dao!
“Junior Sister Yi Xiao, congratulations.”
“Junior Sister Yi Xiao, I’m truly envious of you grasping the Heavenly Dao’s charms at such a young age.” Among a bunch of Divine Firmament Chapter disciples that were waiting outside the Lightning Pool, many of them were congratulating Yi Xiao.
Even Yi Xiao’s elders were smiling at her.
“Although there was a tiny mishap which caused the divine lightning to surge through your body, you managed to emerge safely. Not only did you absorb the divine lightning, you even gained insight into Lightning Intent.” A Daoist-robed woman smiled at Yi Xiao.
“Master, I was lucky too. I had risked it all when the divine lightning struck me. I forcefully directed it into my organs,” said Yi Xiao. “Thankfully, I absorbed it successfully.”
“It’s because you have a robust foundation,” said the Daoist-robed woman. “Alright, go back and have a rest. It must have been tiring on you for the past three months.”
“Alright.” Yi Xiao nodded.
Yi Xiao quickly returned to her residence but before she sat down to rest, she sensed a fluctuation coming from her communication treasure.
“Oh?”
Yi Xiao flipped her hand and took out a Divine Firmament token.
Buzz.
A middle-aged man’s projection appeared in midair.
“Patriarch.” When Yi Xiao saw this, she immediately bowed.
The middle-aged man was the Yi family’s patriarch. He was a famous and terrifying powerhouse in the world.
“Yi Xiao,” said Patriarch Yi with a smile. “I learned that you had grasped Lightning Intent while cultivating in the Lightning Pool?”
“Yes.” Yi Xiao nodded.
“Alright. Your Divine Lightning of Connate Breath should have reached perfection, right?” asked Patriarch Yi.
“It has reached perfection,” replied Yi Xiao respectfully.
“I’ll get someone to teach you the Divine Firmament Lightning Dharma.” Patriarch Yi nodded. “Then, I’ll bestow you with a fourth-grade Divine Firmament talisman amulet.”
Patriarch Yi and the Divine Firmament Chapter had close relations. It could be considered as them sharing the same roots. Typically, the cultivation of Yi family children would be done in the Divine Firmament Chapter. Patriarch Yi’s arrangement of someone to teach her the Divine Firmament Lightning Dharma was naturally genuine.
“Divine Firmament talisman amulet?” Yi Xiao was astonished. A fourth-grade Divine Firmament talisman amulet… was not inferior in value to a third-grade Dharma treasure.
“Yes. Cultivate well and be prepared. A month later, I’ll arrange for you and your second uncle to do a very important task,” Patriarch Yi said with a smile. “It can also be considered as a tiny challenge for you.” After learning that Yi Xiao had grasped Lightning Intent, Patriarch Yi clearly began to nurture her as best as he could.
“Important task?” Yi Xiao was perplexed.
“Scenic Yang Cave Abode will be opened in a month’s time. My Yi family will arrange for two people to enter. You can enter with your second uncle,” said Patriarch Yi.