Chapter 178 The Immortal Sword is Vast and Endless

Chapter 178: The Immortal Sword, Vast and Endless

Yu Jing City, Rain Flower Courtyard.

With peak springs, flowering trees, and a clear, flowing stream, the ancient-style buildings nestled within possessed a unique charm.

The winding paths of the lotus pond at the foot of the rockery, and the small bridges over the flowing water, made a pleasant 'ding-dong' sound, delightful to the ear.

Pavilions, towers, pond-side halls, and waterside pavilions were reflected among the green pines and cypresses; rockeries, flowerbeds, potted landscapes, wisteria, and green bamboo adorned the surroundings.

Lin Yiyang stood before the railing. Below, the pond held green lotus leaves. The water was clear and transparent, revealing the roots of the upright lotus plants, and dozens of plump red carp swam leisurely within.

Qiu Wanxia stood beside him, holding her Phoenix Sword, her eyes fixed on the red carp swimming below, her expression calm and serene.

Perhaps few in the world knew that Lin Yiyang's Sword Attendant was actually a renowned Fifth Rank Swordsman, who had even defeated the Heavenly Sword, Cui Daoxian.

In today's Jianghu, there were almost no people like Qiu Wanxia, who cared little for fame or fortune.

Lin Yiyang seemed to hear something and turned to look into the distance.

A figure was seen walking from afar.

The person wore luxurious brocade robes, had a handsome face, a束冠 on his head, and an exquisite white jade pendant hanging from his waist.

The maids on either side, seeing the newcomer, quickly lowered their beautiful eyes, not daring to look directly.

This person was the owner of the Rain Flower Courtyard, Zhao Chongyin.

"Yiyang, it's been over two years since we last met."

Zhao Chongyin smiled and walked over.

Lin Yiyang turned, cupped his fists, and said, "It has been over two years. The last time was when you went south, which gave us the opportunity to meet."

Zhao Chongyin patted Lin Yiyang's shoulder, smiling, "There's no need for us to be so formal. Let's sit and talk."

Inside the waterside pavilion, there were exquisite tables, soft leather cushions below, and delicious fresh pastries on the tables.

After the three sat down, the nearby maids quickly served tea.

Zhao Chongyin glanced at Qiu Wanxia and smiled, "Elder Qiu is still so youthful. It seems cultivating in the mountains is indeed very beneficial. It's a pity I'm entangled in worldly affairs and cannot calm my mind to Cultivate, so I'm still only at the Third Rank Realm."

As the current Crown Prince of Great Yan, Zhao Chongyin naturally couldn't be a frail scholar, but his cultivation wasn't particularly high either.

Firstly, he indeed had many government affairs to handle, and secondly, he was limited by his Aptitude.

Rumor had it that among the Taiping Emperor's many children, the Seventh Prince and Second Prince had the highest martial Dao Aptitude, while the Crown Prince's Aptitude was mediocre or slightly worse, so his focus wasn't on this aspect.

Qiu Wanxia couldn't help but smile, "Time ages people; I am no longer young."

No woman in this world dislikes being told she is young, and Qiu Wanxia was no exception.

"Although cultivators have long Lifespans, they must never waste their precious time."

Zhao Chongyin glanced at Lin Yiyang and said, "You just saw Ping'er. The first time you came, he was only knee-high, but now he's up to my waist. Brother Lin, you should also work hard."

Lin Yiyang paused, then said, "Yes, time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, several years have passed."

Qiu Wanxia blinked beside him, remaining silent.

Zhao Chongyin shook his head, then, remembering something, said, "Recently, I've heard rumors in the Jianghu that you are going to compete in swordsmanship with the Ghost Swordsman. Is this true or false?"

In the world, besides Qiu Wanxia, no one understood Lin Yiyang's character better than him.

Lin Yiyang said indifferently, "I've also heard some rumors, but I haven't specifically heard the Ghost Swordsman mention it. If he truly wants to settle the past grievances for Lou Xiangzhen, I will accept."

Recently, news of the Ghost Swordsman challenging Lin Yiyang was all over the Jianghu.

A duel between top Swordsmen naturally captivated the Great Yan Jianghu. People had long been curious about who would inherit the title of The World's Number One Swordsman after Lou Xiangzhen's fleeting appearance.

And in today's world, among the Five Great Sword Immortals apart from Lou Xiangzhen, their records were all impressive. Unfortunately, the White Tiger Sword Immortal, Yi Daoyun, had been defeated by Lin Yiyang, and the Heavenly Sword, Cui Daoxian, had been defeated by the Ghost Swordsman, so these two naturally lost their qualifications to contend.

Thus, the three most powerful contenders for The World's Number One Swordsman were Eunuch Zhong Binru, Sword Master, Lin Yiyang, and the Ghost Swordsman.

The debate among these three had long been widely discussed and fiercely debated in the Jianghu.

Coupled with secret instigation, it was now in full swing.

Zhao Chongyin pondered for a moment and said, "I have also met that Ghost Swordsman. He is quite an open-minded and reasonable person. Lou Xiangzhen's fate is now unknown, perhaps he is dead, or he has retired from the Jianghu. Let these past grievances dissipate. At that time, I will host a banquet for the two of you to resolve this enmity, and perhaps you two can even become a celebrated story."

"No need."

Lin Yiyang said indifferently, "That Ghost Swordsman is merely a trivial existence. Lou Xiangzhen cultivated the Dao of the Sword for over thirty years longer than I, yet I was not afraid. What's more, the Ghost Swordsman? If he truly wants to fight, then let him fight."

Zhao Chongyin heard this and wasn't surprised.

Lin Yiyang was just such a person; it wasn't that he looked down on the Ghost Swordsman, but rather that he didn't even consider him.

At this moment, Qiu Wanxia smiled and said, "Lou Xiangzhen's grievances are nothing more than grievances with my Master. I will take them on. I have long wanted to experience the Ghost Sword of this Ghost Swordsman."

Lin Yiyang said nothing, but his expression was full of indifference, implying, 'Go ahead, do as you please.'

Zhao Chongyin shook his head. "Very well, your affairs will be resolved by yourselves."

He knew very well that these Swordsmen who Cultivate the Dao of the Sword were very stubborn.

Moreover, among those who roam the Jianghu, who doesn't value fame and fortune?

The title of The World's Number One Swordsman would eventually fall upon the shoulders of these few, so they were bound to have a battle sooner or later.

"That Ghost Swordsman is merely an insignificant existence, so there's no need to mention him."

Lin Yiyang picked up his teacup, took a light sip of tea, then looked at Zhao Chongyin and said, "My main purpose in coming this time is regarding the Later Jin envoy delegation. This matter is of utmost importance."

Just last month, undercurrents surged throughout Great Yan. The Later Jin envoy delegation was entering Great Yan along the border. Because this matter was not widely publicized, few people paid attention.

Zhao Chongyin nodded and said, "According to the itinerary, they will arrive soon."

Lin Yiyang pondered for a long while and said, "The Later Jin envoy delegation's visit this time is probably not simple."

Lin Yiyang was incredibly arrogant, but he was not a fool. Especially seven years ago, he had secretly visited Later Jin and knew that the Holy Lord of Later Jin was ambitious.

Now, the situation in Great Yan was complex, and Later Jin had been accumulating its Aura for twenty years, its weapons long sharpened.

The Later Jin's envoy delegation to Great Yan this time was likely ill-intentioned, quite possibly a strategy of 'first courtesy, then force,' or perhaps they had other objectives.

For example, to test the current Great Yan Emperor.

Later Jin had been slow to act, and whether the Great Yan Emperor was truly severely injured had not yet been fully confirmed.

After all, this Great Yan Emperor was also a formidable ruler.

The Imperial Court and the Jianghu were inherently inseparable. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If Great Yan were to fall into crisis, the Yuheng Sword Sect would likely also suffer.

Zhao Chongyin's face was as calm as water. He said, "The person from the Later Jin envoy delegation this time is Zongzhen Yuan. He is the seventh son of Zongzheng Huachun. It is said that this person is resourceful and exceptionally intelligent. At five, he had already read dozens of books thoroughly. At thirteen, he had all four historical records memorized. At seventeen, he came to our Great Yan and Zhao State to study. At twenty-four, he returned to Later Jin and took over his own tribe. In just three short years, his development has been rapid, and he has become one of the largest tribes in Later Jin."

Zongzheng Huachun was the name of the current Emperor of Later Jin.

Zhao Chongyin had long known Zongzhen Yuan, who was visiting Great Yan this time, like the back of his hand. Similarly, he believed that Zongzhen Yuan had also thoroughly investigated the current situation in Great Yan.

Lin Yiyang's lips parted, as if he wanted to say something.

Just then, a man in black, wearing a large cloak and with a long saber at his waist, hurried over.

A Great Tiangang of the Black Robe Guard!

The Great Tiangang of the Black Robe Guard said urgently, "Crown Prince, something terrible has happened."

"What is it?"

Zhao Chongyin asked.

The Great Tiangang quickly said, "Princess Anle was abducted by Qi Shu of the Black Ice Terrace on her way to Youfeng Valley."

"Qi Shu?"

"Crack!"

No sooner had the words fallen than Zhao Chongyin's originally calm face suddenly turned incredibly grim.

Lin Yiyang and Qiu Wanxia also showed slight changes in their expressions.

Princess Anle was the daughter of the Empress and the Emperor's most beloved Princess. Now, she had actually been abducted by Qi Shu of Zhao State's Black Ice Terrace, and the incident occurred in the vicinity of Yu Jing City, clearly a premeditated act.

Such a blatant act of crime was simply a slap in the face of the Great Yan Imperial Family. Any person of Great Yan would naturally feel disgraced.

"Please ask Elder Tang and Commander Meng to take action and ensure Qi Shu is stopped and does not leave our Great Yan."

Zhao Chongyin took a deep breath, and his expression calmed down.

This Qi Shu must not be allowed to succeed, otherwise, the consequences would be endless.

Youfeng Valley, Misty Cloud Cave.

Faint, ethereal smoke emanated from the cave, continuously drifting out.

A middle-aged man in a long robe sat cross-legged on a futon, surrounded by surging Qi, like howling wind, which eventually converged into his body.

The man's Qi was vast as the sea, unfathomable like the deep ocean.

"Valley Master!"

Suddenly, an anxious voice rang out.

A Youfeng Valley Elder, with furrowed brows, rushed in.

The middle-aged man frowned, then slowly opened his eyes, saying with a frown, "Didn't I say? All matters should wait until I emerge from seclusion the day after tomorrow."

This person was Zuo Biwen, the head of the Zuo Family and the Valley Master of Youfeng Valley.

Compared to the Sect Leaders of the other Seven Great Sects, his Aptitude was not astonishing, and his strength was not powerful, but his background was the best.

Not only did he have the Zuo Family as support, but his Elder sister was also the current Empress of Great Yan.

Therefore, Zuo Biwen was a person of considerable renown in both the Jianghu and the Imperial Court.

The Youfeng Valley Elder quickly said, "Valley Master, something big has happened. Princess Anle has been abducted."

"What did you say!?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Biwen felt as if struck by a bolt from the blue, as if doubting his own ears.

Princess Anle, Zhao Xuening, was his niece, and he usually doted on her as much as his own daughter. Now, this Princess of a nation had actually been abducted!?

This matter sounded utterly absurd.

Zuo Biwen recovered his senses and quickly asked, "Is it true?"

The Youfeng Valley Elder replied, "It's true. Qi Shu of Zhao State acted, bringing several experts who had joined the Black Ice Terrace, and openly abducted Princess Anle in Ping County."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Biwen's body swayed, his face turned ashen as paper, and then his eyes burst forth with fury, roaring, "You old villain Qi Shu! Old villain! If you dare harm a single hair on Xuening's head, I will pursue you to the death!"

The Youfeng Valley Elder took a deep breath and said, "Valley Master, it is said that Governor Tang and Commander Meng, along with the Black Robe Guard, have mobilized the Heavenly Net and are extensively pursuing Qi Shu. Moreover, the Second Prince has also ordered the Marquis of Pingding to deploy heavy troops and strictly guard all routes to Zhao State."

In just one day, the Great Yan Dynasty Court had already responded.

However, Qi Shu was the most favored Disciple of Qi Wushuang, the pillar of Zhao State, and also the backbone of Black Ice Terrace, a Two-Qi Grandmaster level expert. Since he dared to commit such an earth-shattering crime this time, he must have a backup plan.

Therefore, he had not been captured or his whereabouts found in a short time.

Zuo Biwen's face was extremely gloomy. After a long while, he said, "This matter is not just about the Great Yan Imperial Family's reputation; it also concerns the honor of everyone in the Great Yan Jianghu. You must immediately issue a Jianghu pursuit order. Qi Shu must not be allowed to leave Great Yan."

Zuo Biwen was naturally not a match for Qi Shu, but if he leveraged the power of the Great Yan Jianghu, even if Qi Shu was a Two-Qi Grandmaster, he would have to think twice. Whether he could leave alive was hard to say.

"Yes."

The Elder of Youfeng Valley was shocked to hear this.

Yujing City, Lu Manor.

The century-old camphor tree had lush branches and leaves, obscuring the sky and sun.

Lu Guoyong, dressed in white, stood beneath the camphor tree, gently stroking the thick trunk. His face was expressionless, but a hint of a sigh was in his cloudy eyes.

Behind Lu Guoyong stood a corpulent young man.

The young man was dressed in scholar's robes, with a round, bulging belly and a rosy, shiny face.

The young man said with some dissatisfaction, "Grandpa, I think that Zhou Xianming is an unlearned person. Besides eating, drinking, and having fun every day, I never see him studying. Why do you still take him as a Disciple and give him my aunt's courtyard to live in?"

He didn't understand why Zhou Xianming, who spent his days in leisure, was so highly regarded by his grandfather. Moreover, he heard that Princess Anle, whom he longed for day and night, might even marry this person. The more he thought about it, the more unbalanced he felt.

Lu Guoyong turned to look at the young man, pointing to Wangjing Mountain in the distance and saying, "Jing Chun, can you see that mountain?"

The young man followed his finger, nodded, and said, "Of course I can see it."

Wangjing Mountain was just outside the city, naturally visible at a glance.

Lu Guoyong shook his head and said, "You can see the mountain, but you can't see the spiritual essence and profoundness of its peaks and valleys. You can see the sea, but you can't see its treacherous waves and surging winds."

"What you can see is all superficial, or rather, what others want you to see."

Lu Jing Chun heard this and immediately lowered his head in shame, "Grandson is dull."

Lu Guoyong sighed softly, "Dull is good, what's wrong with being dull?"

Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

A middle-aged scholar, sweating profusely, walked in carrying a ball.

This person was Zhou Xianming.

"Master, why are you here?"

He was also surprised to see Lu Guoyong and quickly bowed, saying, "Student just went out. I hope Master will forgive me."

"No matter."

Lu Guoyong waved his hand and smiled, "Did you go out to play Cuju?"

Zhou Xianming replied, "Having nothing to do, I played with a group of children to get some exercise."

Lu Guoyong said softly, "That's good. The imperial examination is in another month, so it's good to relax occasionally. When things get busy later, I'm afraid it will be difficult to be like this again."

"What about the matter I discussed with you yesterday? How have you considered it?"

Zhou Xianming was silent for a while, then said, "Student is unwilling."

Upon hearing this, Lu Guoyong couldn't help but sigh, "In my short life, I was unwilling to make any compromises, but in the end, I still made many compromises for this short life."

"A person's life is nothing but compromising with thoughts and making life complete."

Zhou Xianming held the ball and looked into the distance: "Such a compromise feels like being abandoned by the world, like being bullied by someone. One person is powerless to fight back. The only joy left in this student's heart is waiting for the autumn wind to blow."

Lu Guoyong shook his head, "A bundle of joy will eventually dissipate and disappear. Life rarely goes as one wishes."

Zhou Xianming remained silent.

The Lu Family was a thorn in the Emperor's heart.

Now that the Lu Family's prestige in the Imperial Court was gradually declining, how could the Emperor just watch the Lu Family rise again?

Moreover, even if he didn't join the Lu Family, the Emperor was extremely wary of him. With one Lu Family, he would not allow a Zhou Family to emerge.

Unless he had no great ambitions, or the current Great Yan Emperor died.

Otherwise, as long as Zhou Xianming did not align with the Imperial Family, he would have to face cruel suppression. His two Senior Brothers were a lesson from the past.

"Under the general trend, what heroes, what romantic love, are all nonsense, worthless."

Lu Guoyong walked around the camphor tree twice, "I'm not saying this to force you to choose, but to let you choose for yourself, to follow your heart. After all, in this world, there is always gain and loss; no one can have both."

Zhou Xianming remained silent. He felt an inexplicable mountain on his shoulders, pressing him so hard he couldn't breathe.

He was not a naive young man just starting out. He naturally knew that the general trend was unstoppable, and some subtle changes would lead to the final outcome.

Lu Guoyong stopped speaking. He looked at Zhou Xianming at this moment, and in a trance, time seemed to fly by. He seemed to see that young man from decades ago, equally stubborn and unyielding.

"Father."

An urgent voice sounded, and Lu Fang rushed in.

"Princess Anle has been abducted by an expert from Black Ice Terrace. Now, the Imperial Court is in complete chaos. The Crown Prince asks you to preside over the overall situation."

Within two short days, the area around Jingji Province was in chaos.

Subsequently, as the matter fermented, the entire Jianghu experienced a violent shock.

No one expected that the Black Ice Terrace experts would be so arrogant and dare to openly abduct the Great Yan Princess within Great Yan territory.

One must know that the Yan and Zhao States had been fighting for hundreds of years. The national conflicts not only involved the military, whose soldiers were ordinary commoners, but also Jianghu people participated in every major war.

It is no exaggeration to say that the hatred between Yan and Zhao was already rooted in the blood of every ordinary person.

This time, Black Ice Terrace's action to abduct the Yan State Princess caused a huge uproar in both the Jianghu and among the common folk, igniting a raging inferno of anger in everyone's hearts.

Countless enraged Jianghu experts stepped forward, inquiring about Qi Shu's whereabouts. Even some highly skilled old monsters appeared, plotting to jointly encircle and kill Qi Shu, the Black Ice Terrace expert.

For a time, Jingji Province, Lingnan Province, and Jinghai Road were in complete disarray.

Various Great Yan Jianghu experts, Black Robe Guard, and Heavenly Net were all dispatched, determined to capture Qi Shu in one fell swoop.

Xu Wang Mountain, at the foot of the mountain.

After An Jing left Ping County, he headed north towards Xu Wang Mountain.

For the past two days, he had mainly been comprehending the Sword Intent on the Four Symbols Sword Ancestor's sword scroll, and then sometimes taking out the Town Evil Sword to observe its Sword Intent.

The Town Evil Sword also had Sword Intent, but it was extremely sinister and overbearing.

The Four Symbols Sword Ancestor's Sword Intent was nothing more than wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, leaning towards Heavenly Dao Sword according to the General Sword Canon.

While Lou Xiangzhen's Sword Intent was his own Epiphany of Peach Blossom Sword Intent, dreamlike and illusory, leaning towards the Human Dao Sword.

The Sword Intent on the Town Evil Sword, however, was incredibly strange.

Each time he observed it, it felt like nearing death, always seeing a monstrous beast roaring out.

The monstrous beast was merely a phantom, but the feeling it gave An Jing was three times more terrifying than the Black Flood Dragon. One must know that the Black Flood Dragon had the Cultivation of a Two-Qi Grandmaster and a Three-Qi Grandmaster, yet that monstrous beast gave him such a terrifying feeling.

What was the origin of this monstrous beast, and why did it have residual Sword Intent?

Observing the Sword Intent of two Sixth Realm swordsmen, as well as the Sword Intent on the Town Evil Sword, also allowed An Jing's swordsmanship to improve daily, though the speed of improvement had slowed down considerably.

"Forget it, I'll retrieve the third sword body of the Town Evil Sword first."

An Jing descended from the Black Flood Dragon.

Along the way, he saw many agitated Jianghu people, most of whom were searching for Qi Shu's whereabouts.

Currently, just Qi Shu's whereabouts were worth 100,000 taels of silver, and his head was even more valuable, obtainable for thousands or tens of thousands of gold, in addition to a great reputation in the Jianghu.

Besides this matter, An Jing also received some news about Xu Wang Mountain.

Rumor had it that in the past six months, strange spiritual events had occurred on Xu Wang Mountain. Ghosts and monsters appeared in the mountain every night, wandering through the valleys. Many people, hearing the news, went up the mountain to investigate, but subsequently disappeared mysteriously. When they reappeared, they were already corpses.

Therefore, Xu Wang Mountain had recently become a notorious dangerous place in the Great Yan Jianghu.

Even one of the Great Tiangang guarding Xu Wang Mountain died mysteriously. It was said that Heavenly Net experts came to investigate but could not determine the exact cause.

There were still Great Tiangang guarding Xu Wang Mountain. For safety, An Jing did not ride the Black Flood Dragon, but instead had it follow about a li behind him.

If danger arose, it could appear in time, and he could enter the mountain at any moment to investigate the situation.

"Hmm!?"

An Jing moved through the forest and suddenly noticed several figures ahead.

These people were wearing yellow clothes, and their cuffs had a unique leaf emblem.

"Golden Horn Alliance experts?!"

An Jing recognized them with a glance; they were wearing the uniforms of the Golden Horn Alliance, one of the Five Gangs of the Jianghu.

Leading them was a burly, middle-aged man in luxurious clothes, with a long saber at his waist.

"Quick, hurry to Pingle Ridge! The Black Ice Terrace people are heading south. You must reach it by sunset tomorrow."

"Yes!"

The Golden Horn Alliance experts hurried south.

"Pingle Ridge?"

An Jing muttered to himself. He remembered clearly that he was once cornered at Pingle Ridge by Feng Lingyue and Old Man Qingfeng.

The entire Great Yan Jianghu and Imperial Court were searching for Qi Shu's whereabouts, practically tearing up the ground to find him, so it was not surprising that they found their location.

After the Golden Horn Alliance people left, An Jing continued towards Xu Wang Mountain.

In the past, the Great Zhou Dynasty mostly dispatched experts or Sects to guard the Seals they set up.

On Xu Wang Mountain, the Joyous Union Sect originally guarded the Sect.

Originally, the Joyous Union Sect was normal; its Disciples who practiced Dual Cultivation would generally choose a Dao Companion and marry, and according to Sect rules, they could not engage in Dual Cultivation with others.

But later, for some unknown reason, an ambitious Sect Master emerged within the Joyous Union Sect, stirring up the entire Great Yan Jianghu, making the Joyous Union Sect a target of public criticism, and it was ultimately uprooted by the Black Robe Guard.

The Joyous Union Sect was annihilated, and its Sect gate was burned to ashes.

However, the Seal on the mountain still needed to be guarded, so the Imperial Court dispatched the Black Robe Guard to defend it.

Initially, six Great Tiangang were dispatched to guard it. Later, with the construction of the Lock Dragon Well, the six Seals became less important, so the number of experts dispatched gradually decreased.

Now, there were only two Great Tiangang experts in Xu Wang Mountain, and one of them had died some time ago. The Black Robe Guard did not dispatch any more experts, so at this moment, there was only one First Rank Great Tiangang in the mountain.

Not to mention one Great Tiangang, even if Xi Yuanjun, the Deputy Commander of the Black Robe Guard, personally guarded it, An Jing's methods would allow him to easily enter the Sealed area.

Xu Wang Mountain was not particularly high or dangerous, but it always gave people a strange, gloomy feeling.

Especially with the century-old trees growing in the mountain forest, their lush branches and leaves obscured the sun, making the mountain even cooler.

Just as An Jing was slowly ascending the mountain, cold winds suddenly blew.

"This wind is strange."

An Jing frowned, his body springing onto a branch, like a nimble swallow, and heading forward.

Before long, they saw the ruins on Xu Wang Mountain, with broken walls, dilapidated pavilions, and palaces, giving off a desolate and ruined feeling.

Right on the mountaintop, a complete pavilion still stood.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”

The Town Evil Sword in An Jing’s hand involuntarily let out a crisp sword hum.

“The body of the Town Evil Sword is in there.”

An Jing muttered to himself, casting his Aura Concealment Technique, preparing to walk towards the pavilion.

“No more wine again.”

At this moment, an old man in a large cloak walked out of a nearby house, scanned his surroundings, and mumbled, “Those little brats probably went to a brothel again. Forget it, I’ll just go buy some myself.”

It seemed his craving for alcohol had struck, and the old man hesitated repeatedly before finally making up his mind to go down the mountain to buy wine.

Watching the Great Tiangang of the Black Robe Guard walk away, An Jing’s body shot forward and he arrived in front of the pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, the decor was antique, with several eerie talismans and several black iron chains extending down from the rafters, targeting a large rock in the center.

In the middle of the large rock, an ancient longsword was plunged, half of its body deeply embedded.

The longsword, perhaps having endured centuries of tempering, seemed to have lost its sharp edge, appearing like an ordinary longsword. Yet, compared to a common longsword, that half-section of the blade still reflected rays of light, and despite so many years, there was not a trace of rust.

One of the Town Evil Sword’s bodies!

Each Town Evil Sword was placed in a slightly different manner. The Town Evil Sword at Faxi Temple was not only plunged into a strange mummified corpse but also possessed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essence, while the Town Evil Sword of the Blue River Sect was located in a deep, hidden cave.

The Town Evil Sword of Xu Wang Mountain was inside the pavilion, plunged into a large rock.

As if sensing something, the Town Evil Sword, with half its body embedded in the rock, began to emit sounds.

An Jing stepped forward, approaching the sword body.

Immediately, the sound from the sword body grew crisper, mixed with low roars.

Looking closely, streams of fresh red blood emerged from the gleaming sword body, just like when An Jing first obtained the Town Evil Sword’s body at Faxi Temple.

“Blood on the sword.”

An Jing’s brow furrowed.

He remembered the Undying Blood that Master Jiang had once mentioned to him.

An Jing had since speculated that the blood on the sword might be Undying Blood, but he had never been able to confirm it.

“Master Jiang. A Master in the Demonic Sect.”

An Jing’s brow furrowed slightly, then his heart jolted, “Could it be Jiang Shang?”

Originally, he wouldn’t have associated him with Jiang Shang, but Master Jiang appeared not long before Jiang Shang returned to the Demonic Sect, and the characters ‘Jiang’ and ‘Jiang’ are homophones.

“Jiang Shang is clearly the Old Leader Jiang Shang of the Demonic Sect, so why would he want to kill me?”

An Jing felt a bit confused, “Then why did Qing Mei marry me? Or is it…”

After pondering for a moment, An Jing didn’t dwell on it, but rather looked at the Town Evil Sword in front of him.

“First, let’s retrieve this sword body.”

Immediately, he didn’t hesitate to grasp the sword body with his hand, circulating his Internal Energy through it.

“Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!”

In an instant, with the sword body as the center, dense cracks appeared in the surrounding large rock, extending outwards continuously.

Rumble! Rumble!

At the same time, the moment the sword body floated up, the entire Xu Wang Mountain seemed to begin shaking violently.

“What’s going on!?”

The Great Tiangang was just about to descend the mountain when he suddenly felt the mountain shaking, and his heart immediately filled with alarm, “Could it be the pavilion?”

Originally, this sealed land often had people causing trouble, wanting to destroy the Seal and disrupt the plans and arrangements of the Great Yan Dynasty Court.

However, with the construction of the Lock Dragon Well, the Great Yan Dynasty Court shifted its focus to the Lock Dragon Well, and these people also gave up the idea of causing trouble at the other six Seals.

Therefore, Xu Wang Mountain had not experienced any anomalies for a long time.

“Which son of a bitch has the guts of a bear and a leopard!?”

“Bang!”

The Great Tiangang thought of something, threw the wine gourd in his hand to the ground, then drew the long saber from his waist, and strode menacingly towards the pavilion.

Just then, a gigantic Dragon coiled, its massive head emerging, and its eyes curiously watched the Great Tiangang who had returned.

“Plop!”

Seeing the eyes as large as lanterns, the Great Tiangang felt his knees weaken and he collapsed directly to the ground.

“My, my memory, wasn’t I going to get wine? I almost took the wrong path.”

The Great Tiangang turned around, picked up the wine gourd that had been smashed in half, and tremblingly crawled away into the distance.

“Ghost, Ghost Swordsman.”

The Great Tiangang turned around, his entire face turning a purplish-black from fright, his lips still trembling incessantly.

The Ghost Swordsman, one of the Five Great Sword Immortals of the world, who had slain Grandmaster experts. Everyone knew he had a Black Dragon by his side, and the sword in his hand was the Town Evil Sword.

It was only logical for him to come to Xu Wang Mountain to retrieve the Town Evil Sword.

His own skill was considered that of an expert in the Jianghu, but facing an Immortal Rank existence like the Ghost Swordsman, he was simply no match.

Inside the pavilion.

An Jing continuously pulled out the Town Evil Sword, and as the Town Evil Sword emerged, the cracks in the large rock also grew larger and larger.

“Bang!”

Finally, when the sword body fully emerged, the large rock suddenly shattered.

“Buzz, buzz!” “Buzz, buzz!”

All three Town Evil Sword bodies emitted crisp vibrations, and the entire Xu Wang Mountain trembled violently.

The next moment, a deafening sound exploded in An Jing’s ears.

“Roar!”

The immense sound seemed to originate from his very soul, yet it was like a thunderclap, blasting his mind blank.

The scene before his eyes blurred, indistinctly.

An Jing once again saw the man in Dragon robes, his hair disheveled, his face unclear, as if two rays of light were reflecting from within.

In his hand, he held a sword, and looking closely, it was indeed the Town Evil Sword.

Great Zhou Emperor!

An Jing’s brows were tightly furrowed. Hadn’t it been said that the Town Evil Sword had never recognized a Master?

The Town Evil Sword in the Great Zhou Emperor’s hand emitted a heaven-shaking Sword Intent, vast and mighty, with supreme imperial power that was irresistible.

The Four Symbols Sword Ancestor’s Sword Intent contained wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, with the natural Heavenly Dao within it, thus bearing the shadow of the Heavenly Dao Sword.

And Lou Xiangzhen’s Peach Blossom Sword Intent, dreamlike and illusory, combining speed and slowness, reality and illusion, rising and falling in cycles, truly belonged to the Human Dao Sword.

At this moment, the Great Zhou Emperor held the Town Evil Sword, possessing an extraordinary and overbearing imperial demeanor, naturally embodying the Imperial Dao Sword.

“Imperial Dao Sword.”

An Jing felt the Great Zhou Emperor’s Sword Intent, as if he had received an Epiphany, his mind instantly enlightened. All the confusing points from previous days suddenly became clear.

“Every swordsman’s Sword Intent is different, but broadly speaking, they cannot escape these few types of Sword Intent.”

An Jing was deep in thought at this moment, “And what about my own Sword Intent?”

When he first began to Cultivate Sword Intent, his mind was cluttered and chaotic; unlike others, he had a unique Qi within him.

Devouring mountains and rivers, all things, with a magnificent Aura.

A swordsman’s Dao of the Sword is the path he must walk.

At this moment, the entire Xu Wang Mountain seemed to fall into silence.

Above the sky, vast and boundless, the firmament endless, stars revolved, sun and moon rose and fell, the fires of primordial ages extinguished within, then reborn.

An Jing stood below, also looking up at the nascent Sword Intent, feeling only its vastness and grandeur, making all things in the world seem insignificant.

At this moment, he finally understood the feeling of being “one step away” that Lou Xiangzhen had told him about.

Now he had also reached that Realm; it was as if with just one more step, the world would undergo earth-shattering changes.

A furious roar pierced through, shattering everything.

The light and shadow before his eyes vanished, and the Great Zhou Emperor was seen rushing forward, as if merging with the Town Evil Sword, transforming into a stream of light.

The stream of light surged forward, rushing ahead recklessly.

An Jing had initially thought the stream of light would continue indefinitely, but it was suddenly obstructed, instantly halting and dissipating into nothingness.

Whoosh!

The illusion before his eyes vanished, and An Jing regained his senses, looking at the Town Evil Sword in his hand.

What he had just seen seemed not to be real, yet it felt as if it had truly happened.

He remembered the first time he saw that strange beast, he vaguely saw another scene.

Sword broken!

Man dead!

An Jing took a deep breath, and it was a long while before he fully recovered, casting aside everything he had just seen.

The three Town Evil Sword bodies lay perfectly in the scabbard.

“Only one step left?”

An Jing looked at the Town Evil Sword in his hand, feeling a bit emotional at this moment.

Among the First Rank experts of the Human Dao Sword, Heavenly Dao Sword, and Imperial Dao Sword, he had perceived three types of Sword Intent, and then his own Sword Intent had sublimated once again.

Now he had reached the Realm of being one step away, just the final step from reaching the First Rank.

The First Rank was also the watershed for top-tier swordsmen.

Lou Xiangzhen once said that his Sword Intent was vast and profound, and reaching the First Rank would be more difficult than for an average swordsman, but if he truly reached the First Rank, his Sword Aura would be stronger than that of other swordsmen at the First Rank.

“The First Rank is just a matter of time.”

An Jing gripped the Town Evil Sword and walked out of the pavilion.

Outside the pavilion, a crescent moon hung high, and stars dotted the sky.

The Black Dragon was currently lying on the broken plaza, idly dozing.

“It seems that the Great Tiangang of the Black Robe Guard is quite sensible.”

Seeing this, An Jing naturally guessed some things; it must have been that the Great Tiangang of the Black Robe Guard saw the Black Dragon lying on the ground sleeping and then slipped away.

“Let’s go.”

An Jing’s body shot up, landing on the Black Dragon’s back.

“Roar!”

The Black Dragon let out a low roar and soared down the mountain.

Xu Wang Mountain was not high, but its vegetation was extremely lush, especially with many centuries-old tall trees.

The Black Dragon’s speed was extremely fast, like a gust of wind, it darted through the dense forest, and in a short while, it went from the mountaintop to the mountainside.

“Rustle, rustle, rustle.”

An Jing sat cross-legged on the Black Dragon’s back, intending to digest some Sword Intent, when a cool breeze blew, carrying a hint of chill.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, the Black Dragon’s body paused, and it let out a low roar towards the front, its voice tinged with both fear and apprehension.

It was important to note that this was the first time the Black Dragon had roared in fear since it gained sentience.

An Jing quickly looked forward.

The faint moonlight shone on Xu Wang Mountain, and in front, there was a rustling in the dense bushes, followed by a figure emerging from within.

The person was holding the corpse of a wild deer, fresh blood still dripping from the deer’s body, clearly dead, and the person’s mouth and hands were covered in red blood.

At this moment, he saw An Jing on the Black Dragon, and his mouth stretched into a grin, laughing.

Under the moonlight, one could see that his white teeth were also stained with blood, and such a bizarre and terrifying sight couldn’t help but send a chill down one’s spine and make one’s heart run cold.