Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 291: Chapter 287: Myriad Swords Return to the Sect, Three Flowers Dao

「The Star Sword Sect, after the great battle.」

”Sect Leader, the inventory is complete. Beneath the Star Sword Sect, there are a total of nine Low Grade Spirit Veins, three Middle Grade Spirit Veins, and one Upper Grade Spirit Vein.”

Inside the Star Sword Sect’s assembly hall, Fang Xue, Hall Master of Floating Snow Hall, was delivering her report.

She had naturally started addressing Ning Jiang as Sect Leader.

Even an expert of the Immortal Realm like Yang Mucheng had fallen at Ning Jiang’s hands. Who would dare defy this young man?

”The Star Sword Sect was truly wealthy,” Yue Wenfu said, his voice tinged with envy.

In the past, their Yanyue Sect had only a single Middle Grade Spirit Vein, and it had been so overused that its Spiritual Qi was far from sufficient.

For a Sect, a Spirit Vein was practically its lifeblood. Only in places that possessed Spirit Veins could one find the Spiritual Qi needed for cultivation.

The Yanyue Sect had once even clashed with the Fire Cloud Sect over a newly discovered Low Grade Spirit Vein. It was during that very conflict that Ning Jiang had killed some of their people.

Generally speaking, only Middle Grade Sects were qualified to possess Middle Grade Spirit Veins, while Upper Grade Spirit Veins were reserved for Upper Grade Sects.

A single Upper Grade Spirit Vein contained more than ten times the amount of Spiritual Qi as a Middle Grade Spirit Vein.

Above Upper Grade Spirit Veins were Top Grade Spirit Veins, though none had yet been discovered in Qing Province.

”This will be enough.”

Ning Jiang sat in his chair, casually flicking his fingernails.

He could use these Spirit Veins to set up a Grand Array to deal with the great calamity that was about to befall them.

”The inventory of the Star Sword Sect’s treasury is also complete. There are several thousand Spirit Medicines, hundreds of various Martial Technique Secret Manuals, hundreds of Spiritual Artifacts, and...”

Lin Zhan, Sect Leader of the War Elephant Sect, concluded his report, ”Oh, right. You specifically instructed us to look for Spirit Swords. We found over three hundred of them within the Star Sword Sect.”

Spirit Swords were a type of Spiritual Artifact. Although the Star Sword Sect was a Sword Dao Sect, most of its disciples actually used Top Grade Treasure Artifacts rather than true Spiritual Artifacts.

After all, refining Spiritual Artifacts was quite troublesome. With several thousand disciples, it was impossible for the Star Sword Sect to equip every single person with one.

Besides, only Spirit Realm Powerhouses could wield Spiritual Artifacts, and the Star Sword Sect only had a little over two hundred experts at that level.

Finding over three hundred Spirit Swords was already a considerable haul.

”This isn’t enough. I need at least five hundred Spirit Swords.”

Ning Jiang shook his head. The Grand Array he wanted to set up required a minimum of five hundred Spirit Swords.

Just then, three more figures walked in: Li Kuangba, Liu Bingxue, and Zi Yunfei.

”Sect Leader, regarding the Spirit Swords you asked us to find, I’ve tallied our numbers. Floating Snow Hall has over eighty.”

”The Yanyue Sect has over sixty.”

”Our War Elephant Sect primarily focuses on physical cultivation, so we have relatively few Spirit Swords—only a little over thirty.”

”Excellent. Five hundred Spirit Swords will be sufficient!”

A hint of a smile touched Ning Jiang’s lips after he heard their reports.

He couldn’t care less about the Star Sword Sect’s Martial Technique Secret Manuals or Spirit Medicines; the Spirit Swords were his top priority.

Rising from his chair, Ning Jiang spoke slowly. ”The Star Sword Sect may be destroyed, but this is only the beginning. The Evil Spirit Sect’s retaliation will be here soon. Brace yourselves.”

”We will live or die with the Myriad Swords Sect!”

The group exchanged a look, their eyes filled with determination.

Ning Jiang nodded, his calm tone reassuring them. ”Don’t worry. Even if the Evil Spirit Sect comes, I have ways of dealing with them. As it happens, the new Myriad Swords Sect still needs a trial by blood and fire. The Evil Spirit Sect will be the perfect test!”

For a Sect to grow strong, it needs external pressure.

Pressure is the best catalyst for building strength.

”Next, I’m going to set up an Array. We’ll use the Star Sword Sect’s grounds as our battlefield. I need you all to assist me.”

”Understood.”

...

「The heart of the Star Sword Sect.」

Several mountain peaks, straight as swords, jutted into the sky. One could faintly sense a sharp, cutting Sword Qi flowing through the air.

”There are some Sword Arrays set up within this valley, but they aren’t very powerful. It looks like they were meant to test the disciples and pose no threat to a Primordial Spirit Realm Powerhouse.”

Liu Bingxue remarked, observing her surroundings.

”The Star Sword Sect’s Sword Arrays are mere child’s play. The Dao of Arrays is vast and profound, and Sword Arrays are considered a superior type. If the Star Sword Sect had known any High Level Sword Arrays, it wouldn’t have been so easy for us to defeat them.”

Ning Jiang said nonchalantly. For example, the Mountain Protection Sword Array of the Myriad Swords Sect he knew in his past life could even kill Saints.

In contrast, the Star Sword Sect’s Earth Martial Realm Powerhouses clearly had not studied Sword Arrays in any great depth.

”I’ve heard that among the Seven Great Super Sects, the Celestial Sword Sect has a Mountain Protection Sword Array so powerful it can even kill a Celestial Martial Realm King.”

”What kind of foundation do the Seven Great Super Sects have? Of course each of them has a Mountain Protection Array. That’s not surprising at all.”

”I wonder what kind of Sword Array our Sect Leader is planning to set up?”

The group looked at Ning Jiang curiously. The more they interacted with him, the more they sensed his unfathomable depth.

Few people ever truly mastered the art of Arrays, yet from his demeanor, it was clear that Ning Jiang was exceptionally knowledgeable on the subject.

”Myriad Swords Return to the Sect.” Ning Jiang slowly enunciated the name.

”What an imperious name... But the ’Myriad Swords’ part doesn’t actually mean ten thousand swords, does it?” Liu Bingxue asked, astonished.

”You’re sharp. The ’Myriad Swords’ part does, in fact, refer to ten thousand swords.”

Ning Jiang nodded. Myriad Swords Return to the Sect was actually the Mountain Protection Array of the Myriad Swords Sect from a hundred thousand years ago. The power of that Grand Array was enough to kill even a Saint.

However, Ning Jiang couldn’t find that many Spirit Swords, so he could only set up a simplified version of the Myriad Swords Return to the Sect.

The simplified version used five hundred swords, its power greatly diminished. For Ning Jiang’s purposes, however, it was more than enough. After all, his opponents were no Saints.

”If this Sword Array is set up successfully, how powerful will it be?”

None of them knew how the Sword Array was constructed; their primary concern was its power.

”Death to the Earth Martial Realm!”

Ning Jiang spoke slowly, and his five simple words shook them to the core.

”I can’t wait to witness the power of this Sword Array,” Yue Wenfu said, taking a deep breath. He didn’t doubt Ning Jiang in the slightest.

Everything Ning Jiang had ever said had come true.

”Alright. Now, listen to my instructions. I will use my Primordial Spirit to transmit my voice and tell you what to do. Yue Wenfu, gather a group of disciples and go east. Fang Xue, you go west. Lin Zhan, you take the south. Liu Bingxue, you and your people take the north. I will remain in the center.”

The Myriad Swords Return to the Sect array was to be laid out in five locations—east, south, west, north, and center—with one hundred Spirit Swords placed at each point.

Then, the group dispersed. Ning Jiang used his Divine Sense to telepathically instruct them on the specific layout for each location.

Three hours passed. As the final Spirit Sword was set in place...

KSHHHH!

Everyone felt a terrifying Sword Qi erupt toward the heavens, tearing a horrifying, ten-thousand-foot-long rift through the clouds.

But in the next instant, the Sword Qi vanished without a trace, concealing itself deep within the array.

Fang Xue and the others who witnessed this were filled with awe.

’Myriad Swords Return to the Sect is a success. Next is to use those Spirit Veins to set up the second Grand Array, Three Flowers Dao.’