Chapter 275: The Path of the Supreme Sword Sect
“After cultivating for fifty years, I was actually defeated by a girl whose realm was lower than mine… and I did not even have the strength to fight back…”
As Sun Moxing thought about the sparring at dusk, his heart could not help but bleed.
That had been the most humiliating moment of his life.
He felt that none of his spells could escape Yun Cai’s eyes. Yun Cai always found his flaws, making the fight unbearably stifling for him.
Most crucial of all, when he had fallen, Yun Cai had said a few words that deeply pierced his heart.
“Your cultivation technique and spells are too inferior, and your magic implements aren’t strong enough either. But I don’t blame you. After all, you are a Wandering Cultivator. If you devote yourself well in the Clear Sky Sect in the future, you will become stronger.”
What Wandering Cultivator!
He was a disciple of Ziyang Island!
To be mocked by a mere girl for having inferior cultivation techniques and spells.
When Sun Moxing recalled Yun Cai’s Vital Energy, he had to admit that she was qualified to say those words.
Whether in cultivation technique or in spells, Yun Cai clearly surpassed him. It was only that she did not possess any powerful magic implements.
Yet even without powerful magic implements, Yun Cai had still beaten him until he had no strength to fight back.
“Could it be that Ziyang Island’s cultivation techniques truly aren’t as good as the Clear Sky Sect’s?”
Sun Moxing’s heart wavered. Although his cultivation technique was not the most superior one on Ziyang Island, it was certainly considered above average.
And the Primordial Unity Scripture of the Clear Sky Sect was something that the vast majority of disciples could cultivate.
He suddenly developed thoughts about the Primordial Unity Scripture.
Yun Cai’s Vital Energy had felt extremely pure to him, unlike the chaotic Vital Energy of other Immortal Cultivators.
“Since I’ve already come, I might as well try the Clear Sky Sect’s cultivation technique…”
Sun Moxing’s gaze gradually became firm. He wiped away his unmanly tears and felt that this might not necessarily be a tribulation.
At least he had already successfully infiltrated the Clear Sky Sect. Next, he only needed to maintain his identity as a Wandering Cultivator.
Immediately afterward, he thought of the geniuses on Ziyang Island. If Yun Cai’s cultivation were to catch up to them, what kind of scene would that be?
At that thought, he actually felt a trace of anticipation.
A disciple like him had never been respected much on Ziyang Island. At the very least, he felt far more comfortable staying in the Clear Sky Sect.
As Sun Moxing’s thoughts wandered aimlessly, his Vital Energy was exhausted and he had suffered internal injuries. Drowsiness gradually overtook him, and at some unknown moment, he fell asleep.
…
Yun Cai defeated a Wandering Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm!
This matter quickly spread throughout the sect. Although Sun Moxing’s identity was not revealed, whenever he heard other disciples discussing it, his heart felt extremely uncomfortable.
In the days that followed, his life did not change. Only occasionally during rest periods did the Hall Master of the Free Spirit Hall come to speak with him, introducing the development history and current situation of the Clear Sky Sect.
After truly understanding the Clear Sky Sect, Sun Moxing developed a sense of respect toward Li Qingqiu.
The rise of the Clear Sky Sect had indeed not been easy.
Unfortunately, he already belonged to another sect. He could only feign agreement.
Li Qingqiu could see that Sun Moxing’s loyalty toward him and toward the Clear Sky Sect was continuously increasing. Although it was not fast, it was a good sign. Therefore, he allowed Zhang Yuchun to continue drawing Sun Moxing over.
Time reached June, and the Top Sixty-Four of the Grand Dao Tournament were finally decided.
In the next month, the Top Ten of the Grand Dao Tournament would be determined.
Among the Top Sixty-Four, the lowest cultivation had reached the Sixth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. This was enough to prove the strength of the Clear Sky Sect.
If placed twenty years ago, the Sixth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm would have been sufficient to stir the great tides of the world. Experts of such caliber—there were sixty-four of them in the Clear Sky Sect, not even counting those experts who had not participated in the Grand Dao Tournament.
The might of the Clear Sky Sect spread throughout the Nine Provinces, causing more and more martial artists to admire it.
Within the Xuan Dynasty, a trend of pursuing the Immortal Path began to rise.
…
Inside the brightly lit grand hall, Shen Yue and Yan Daozong stood before a wall engraved with illustrations and text, while Bai Ning’er wandered not far away.
The ceiling of the palace resembled an inverted sea. Massive crystals stood within it, radiating light and making the entire hall dazzlingly bright.
Bai Ning’er glanced back and saw that Shen Yue and Yan Daozong were still staring at that wall. He could not help but shake his head.
“How long have they been looking? What’s so interesting about that kind of history?” Bai Ning’er muttered inwardly. He only wanted to quickly explore the unknown areas of this place.
His instinct told him that this secret realm still concealed many fortuitous encounters. Once uncovered, they would surely benefit the sect, and he would render another great merit.
As if hearing Bai Ning’er’s thoughts, Shen Yue withdrew his gaze, turned his head toward Yan Daozong, and asked, “What do you think of the Supreme Sword Sect?”
Yan Daozong came back to his senses and sighed. “The path taken by the Supreme Sword Sect was the same as ours in the Clear Sky Sect—entering the Dao through martial arts. From the Supreme Sword Alliance, they transformed into the Supreme Sword Sect, sheltering the Nine Provinces. For a thousand years, they resisted countless external enemies. Who would have thought they would encounter a calamity from the north?”
His gaze landed above on the wall, where densely packed demons were painted, as if marching southward.
He saw a dragon-like figure coiled among the demonic army, incomparably massive. The dragon’s entire body was crimson, terrifying and dreadful.
Looking at that crimson dragon, Yan Daozong felt inexplicably uneasy, as if it were alive and greedily staring at him.
“In that case, the Land of Demons and Devils in the north is a tribulation that the Clear Sky Sect is destined to face. Otherwise, we will be annihilated just like the Supreme Sword Sect,” Shen Yue said.
Yan Daozong’s gaze shifted downward and he said, “It seems that some members of the Supreme Sword Sect went south and set out to sea. Perhaps they were not completely annihilated.”
Shen Yue replied, “Whether they still exist or not, the land of the Nine Provinces already belongs under the control of our Clear Sky Sect.”
Yan Daozong nodded. Since entering the sect, he had increasingly recognized the path of immortal cultivation. He often found himself conflicted over whether he should abandon martial arts and follow the immortal path instead.
Even if he were to follow Zhao Zhen’s path of Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation, what he relied upon most was still immortal cultivation. Martial arts merely preserved the techniques.
“Hey, Seniors, come over and look at this!”
Bai Ning’er’s voice suddenly came from behind, causing Shen Yue and Yan Daozong to turn. Bai Ning’er was already over a hundred zhang away from them.
“I told you not to go too far from us!” Shen Yue frowned and walked toward Bai Ning’er.
Although Bai Ning’er had already reached the Seventh Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm, his methods of combat were weak, which made Shen Yue uneasy.
Hearing Shen Yue’s voice from afar, Bai Ning’er paid it no mind. His gaze was fixed on a stone pillar before him.
The pillar was as thick as a water vat and appeared to be made of some kind of white stone. At this moment, Bai Ning’er discovered faint lines upon it that were easy to overlook.
These lines converged together, forming what looked like a human figure.
Soon, Shen Yue and Yan Daozong arrived behind him. With a single glance, they noticed the lines on the pillar.
“Why carve a person onto a pillar? And judging by the posture, it is not majestic—rather, it seems somewhat terrified,” Yan Daozong frowned and asked.
Shen Yue looked upward and saw that there were other lines on the pillar, each forming human figures in various postures and clothing. Most appeared frightened and panicked.
The more they looked, the stranger it felt.
“Be careful. After all, the Supreme Sword Sect stood for over a thousand years as an Immortal Cultivation Sect. Their methods are certainly not something we can predict,” Shen Yue reminded.
Yan Daozong nodded. Turning to look at the other pillars, he discovered that they bore similar lines as well. From a distance, they would have been very difficult to notice.