Immortal Sword Master

”This place of yours is quite nice. It’s elegant and tranquil, a good spot to cultivate one’s mind and body. Speaking of which, to be able to set up an Array in a place like the Death Mountain Range, isolate the Death Qi, and establish a Sect… that’s truly a grand undertaking.”

In the bamboo forest of the back mountain, a creek gurgled.

An old man and a young man walked side-by-side.

Ning Jiang, with his white robes and white hair, possessed an otherworldly temperament, like a Banished Immortal untouched by the mortal dust of the Human World.

Beside him was an old Daoist dressed in plain cloth robes and shoes. He seemed like an ordinary old man, but the way his sleeves fluttered gave him the air of a sage.

Ning Jiang was no stranger to this old Daoist.

Years ago, in the Demon Cave within the Death Mountain Range, he had been able to suppress the Blood Demon King only by borrowing this old Daoist’s power.

At the time, the old Daoist had left behind a painted scroll that sealed a portion of his power. Ning Jiang’s Cultivation was only at the Spirit Realm back then, and this power had played a crucial role for him.

”Just a few simple tricks,” Ning Jiang said faintly.

”Heh, isolating the Death Qi is indeed a simple trick. But absorbing and converting that Death Qi into Spiritual Qi? That is no simple trick at all.”

The old Daoist gave Ning Jiang a deep look, but didn’t dwell on the topic. ”Your suppression of the Blood Demon King back then was a great service. I should have come to find you immediately.”

”However, my true self was in seclusion at the time and couldn’t get away. That’s why I’ve only come to see you today. Truly, heroes emerge from the young. I never expected you to stir up such a storm in such a short time.”

There was a hint of admiration in the old Daoist’s tone.

He already knew about the matter with the Extreme Heaven Sect.

”The Demon Race is a threat that everyone has a duty to eliminate. It was merely a small effort on my part.”

Ning Jiang did not take credit, his demeanor as tranquil as water. ”Why have you come to see me this time? You might as well tell me.”

Ning Jiang had always been this way. He addressed everyone as ”you,” interacting with them as an equal. He would never call anyone ”senior.”

”Heh heh, little brother, you’re straightforward. In that case, I’ll be blunt as well.” The old Daoist chuckled, unbothered by Ning Jiang’s form of address. ”First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mu Yunhe, Grand Elder of Wuliang Palace.”

”Wuliang Palace?”

Upon hearing those two words, a strange look appeared in Ning Jiang’s eyes.

One Hall, one Valley, two Palaces, three Sects—this referred to the Seven Great Super Sects.

The one Hall is Snow God Hall, the one Valley is Heaven-Burning Valley, the two Palaces are Moon God Palace and Wuliang Palace, and the three Sects are the Celestial Sword Sect, the Primordial Sect, and the Void Sect.

Ning Jiang wasn’t too surprised, however.

He had long suspected that, given the old Daoist’s strength, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be from a Super Sect.

Without a word, Ning Jiang quietly waited for the old Daoist to continue.

Mu Yunhe glanced at him and said, ”You must have heard about the recent events in the Ancient Forbidden Land, haven’t you?”

”The dense fog that swallowed an area of several hundred li? I have indeed heard of it.”

Ning Jiang nodded. The Myriad Swords Sect was now a Top Grade Sect, so of course it would pay attention to such major events.

”The moment the fog erupted, we, the Seven Great Sects, all dispatched experts to investigate.” Mu Yunhe’s eyes narrowed as he spoke slowly. ”Do you know what we discovered there?”

”A tomb?”

Ning Jiang asked with a half-smile.

”Hm? How could you possibly know? This information should only be known to a few high-ranking members of our Seven Great Sects. It’s impossible for it to have leaked!”

Mu Yunhe started, looking at Ning Jiang in disbelief.

Ning Jiang said calmly, ”Based on the rumors these past few days, this dense fog suddenly erupted from beneath the ground. As soon as it appeared, it possessed a terrifying corrosive power, so much so that even Earth Martial Realm experts couldn’t escape death. If I’m not mistaken, this is an ancient, potent poison known as Celestial Fiend Miasma. And this kind of thing usually appears in tombs.”

”Good heavens, kid, you’ve really impressed me. You actually got it all right,” Mu Yunhe said, astonished.

How could he have known that Ning Jiang was once a Legendary Venerable and possessed countless pieces of knowledge? For some matters, he didn’t need to see them with his own eyes; he could deduce the truth, or something very close to it, just by hearing about them.

”For Celestial Fiend Miasma to appear in a tomb, it must be the tomb of a Celestial Martial Realm King at the very least! A tomb like that would be firmly controlled by you Seven Great Super Sects. You wouldn’t let anyone else enter, would you?”

Ning Jiang said slowly. The reason he hadn’t gone to the Ancient Forbidden Land was that he knew it would be useless. The place would surely be sealed off by the Seven Great Super Sects.

”Impressive.”

Mu Yunhe’s regard for Ning Jiang grew even higher. This young man seemed to predict things with divine accuracy, making him feel that Ning Jiang was utterly unfathomable.

”Just tell me what Wuliang Palace wants from me this time,” Ning Jiang said.

”When dealing with a smart person, I don’t like to beat around the bush either.” Mu Yunhe smiled. ”I came this time to propose an alliance!”

”An alliance? Wuliang Palace thinks so highly of me?”

Ning Jiang was slightly taken aback. Given the arrogance of a Super Sect, it was somewhat unbelievable that they would seek him out for an alliance.

One had to understand that in the eyes of a Super Sect, even a sect like the Extreme Heaven Sect was nothing.

”As you are now, you are qualified.”

Mu Yunhe said, though he too was somewhat shocked by Ning Jiang’s growth. When Ning Jiang defeated the Blood Demon King, he was still in the Spirit Realm. Now, he was the master of a sect, whose sword’s might oppressed even the Extreme Heaven Sect.

”Is that all?” Ning Jiang looked at him intently.

The corner of Mu Yunhe’s eye twitched. Under Ning Jiang’s gaze, he felt as if he were being seen through completely. ”Competition among the Seven Great Super Sects is just as fierce. Having one more strong ally provides an extra layer of security. It’s not strange to seek an alliance with you, is it?”

”You’re not being sincere.”

Hearing this, Ning Jiang just shook his head.

Mu Yunhe fell silent.

He had never felt this way before. The person before him was so young, yet his eyes seemed to pierce through everything, as if he were an old monster.

”Decades ago, the Palace Master of my Wuliang Palace was exploring the core region of the Ancient Forbidden Land. He encountered a perilous situation and was forced to activate a Secret Technique, consuming his own lifespan to escape with his life. After that, however, the Palace Master’s remaining lifespan was nearly depleted!”

As Mu Yunhe spoke, he erected a Spiritual Barrier to ensure that only Ning Jiang could hear his words.

Ning Jiang’s eyes slowly narrowed. He knew he had just heard a great secret.

Generally speaking, a Celestial Martial Realm King has a lifespan of ten thousand years. With three thousand years as their spring and three thousand years as their autumn, their vast eons are but a single cycle.

But now, the Palace Master of Wuliang Palace had little lifespan left. If he wanted to continue living, he needed to find a way to extend his life.

And for a Celestial Martial Realm King, things like Spirit Pills and Spirit Medicines were completely useless.

Unless he could obtain… the Celestial Pill formed after a Celestial Martial Realm King has fallen!