Martial Cultivator

The tall man’s identity was evident - he was the Sword Sect’s Sect Master.

In truth, before Chen Chao descended the mountain, the two had already met once. At that time, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master spoke straightforwardly, saying he could only attack once with his sword, but Chen Chao could decide when he should make that strike.

After much thought, the young martial artist finally decided that the Sword Sect’s Sect Master should make his move before that Daoist Wuyang returned to the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master had no objections to this.

Later, Chen Chao descended the mountain, and only a few days afterward, he sent a message to the Sword Sect, saying he had discovered the whereabouts of Daoist Wuyang and could roughly predict when that great daoist sage would return to the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master accepted the invitation to descend the mountain and came here to wait.

However, before he could draw his sword, he did not expect a black-robed monk to act first.

Even Chen Chao himself had not anticipated this.

But the Sword Sect’s Sect Master was not particularly curious about the matter, even when he saw that the monk’s attire resembled that of the black-robed Nation Teacher who had once stirred up storms across the world.

At this moment, he stood amid the sea of clouds, the sword intent in his eyes growing ever more intense.

After stepping beyond Nepenthe, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had once believed there were no longer any opponents in the world. Even counting the demon race, only the Demon Emperor could stand as his equal. If he were asked to make a move against cultivators who had not yet crossed the boundary of Nepenthe, he would certainly refuse.

But since the one beneath the clouds had already crossed that threshold, he could draw his sword and see.

As the sword intent in the Sect Master’s eyes grew stronger, the sea of clouds before him slowly parted to both sides. Countless streams of sword qi surged from the Sword Sect’s Sect Master’s body.

Sword qi quickly filled the sky

Daoist Wuyang who was traveling through the mountains, suddenly stopped his steps, then abruptly looked up, his eyes full of anger: “Sect Master, have you forgotten the grace of viewing the sword?”

Daoist Wuyang felt that sword intent, distant yet still sharp and terrifying; even he felt somewhat uneasy.

“The grace of viewing the sword, I have already repaid it in the Divine Capital. Has Sage forgotten?”

A calm voice came down from within the sea of clouds.

Daoist Wuyang frowned and said, “That your sword could succeed was largely due to this penniless daoist’s efforts. Even if you fulfill this penniless daoist’s request, is there truly no gratitude left in your heart?” ȑ𝒶Νо𝐁ƐS

As these words fell, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master above the clouds was silent for a moment. Just when Daoist Wuyang thought that the Sect Master was trapped by his words, and would no longer strike, a voice slowly fell.

“The kindness remains in my heart, which is why today I will only unleash a single sword move.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master said no more and did not clarify the reason.

Daoist Wuyang was furious and said coldly, “Since Sect Master wishes to draw your sword today, then do not blame this penniless daoist for making the Sword Sect unable to take a single step afterward!”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master remained indifferent and silent. He merely slowly extended a hand, raised two fingers to form sword-fingers, and terrifying sword qi gushed from between his fingertips.

Thus, the sword qi within the sea of clouds grew ever more violent.

Daoist Wuyang took a deep breath, knowing that he had no choice but to receive this sword, but at the same time he was also well aware that today this Sword Sect’s Sect Master had come to deliver a sword, most likely at Yun Jianyue’s behest.

As for how much Yun Jianyue had paid in order to persuade the Sword Sect’s Sect Master to make a move, that was unknown.

”A’Yue, you truly have become capable. Must you insist on meeting me in life and death?”

Daoist Wuyang shook his head, and in his pair of eyes, there was only disappointment.

Although he had not been able to clearly explain the truth of the matter, in fact, even if Yun Jianyue knew of this matter, she would not refute it, because after all was said and done, it was Chen Chao who persuaded the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, and Chen Chao was also someone he had invited.

As Daoist Wuyang’s Dao heart gradually returned to calm, the sea of clouds above his head began to churn, rumbling thunder resounded without end, and countless purple heavenly lightning began to appear within the sea of clouds.

From afar, it looked as though there were giant purple pythons twisting about.

And above the sky, that sword from the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had already grown even more powerful.

The terrifying sword qi gradually gathered together, and finally, after the Sword Sect’s Sect Master uttered a single word“Go”,it surged forward. The vast sword qi gushed out, as though within the sea of clouds there was a mighty river, surging grandly and endlessly.

Meanwhile, the lightning pool above Daoist Wuyang’s head was also gradually taking shape. At the same time, behind Daoist Wuyang, violet qi was surging, slowly rising toward the sky.

After reaching the top of the sea of clouds, this violet qi quickly condensed into a phantom figure.

It was a towering daoist wearing a purple robe, holding a horsetail whisk, seated cross-legged above the sea of clouds.

That dharma idol was so enormous that even the Sword Sect’s Sect Master in the distance could see it clearly.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master stood with his hands behind his back, saying nothing more. One sword had already been unleashed; what result it would yield depended entirely on whether the daoist techniques of Daoist Wuyang were sufficient to reach the heavens.

The enormous dharma idol that had already taken form waved the horsetail whisk in its hand. From within the lightning pool before it, countless bolts of heavenly lightning were the first to move, transforming into giant purple pythons that pounced toward the Sword Sect’s Sect Master on the other side.

As the purple pythons surged forward, the sea of clouds shattered, thunder roared violently, resounding through heaven and earth.

The terrifying sword qi of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had originally gathered into one mass, but now, facing the countless purple pythons, it actively dispersed, transforming into countless flying swords to collide head-on.

The first purple python collided with a flying sword; the flying sword swept directly past, piercing through and shredding the foremost purple python. Yet as that python was pierced through, arcs of lightning coiled instantly around that flying sword.

Crackling sounds resounded.

In the next instant, that foremost flying sword instantly exploded apart here.

One flying sword shattered into countless fragments.

After that came a scene that would surely shock every cultivator in the world who saw it; countless flying swords and purple pythons entangled and clashed here. From time to time, there were scenes of purple pythons biting apart flying swords and swallowing them whole, and also flying swords sweeping directly past, severing the purple pythons’ heads or tearing them to pieces.

Each of those flying swords fighting the purple pythons was at least equivalent to a cultivator of the Nepenthe Realm making a full-strength strike.

Not to mention there were countless of them here.

It was fortunate this battle took place within the sea of clouds; if it were anywhere else, the earth would likely have quaked, the mountains and rivers would have changed color, and everything would have been left in ruins.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master raised his eyebrows slightly. Though the battle between the two had just begun, he could already feel the strength of the opponent’s lightning spells, which stirred a trace of battle intent in his heart.

His Sword Dao had reached this point; it was already very high. But since it was not yet the highest, he needed to continue walking forward.

The Daoist Wuyang before him, was he not now the best whetstone for his sword?

But that thought only flashed by for an instant before the Sword Sect’s Sect Master took the initiative to suppress it, merely shaking his head in the end. Since he had already spoken that he would make a single sword move, then it would be just one sword move.

As for after today, if you, this daoist whose daoist techniques reach the heavens, can survive, then I will seek you out again for a spar.

Besides, if you survive, did you not also say you would move against the Sword Sect?

When that time comes, will there not be more chances to fight?

......

......

The battle between the flying swords and those purple pythons was coming to an end. In the end, the killing power of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, who had surpassed a realm, was stronger. Finally, the remaining sword qi gathered together and formed into a gigantic flying sword, which cleaved apart that lightning pool with a single slash.

But after shattering that lightning pool, that sword’s momentum was already somewhat diminished.

The might of that one sword was already about spent.

However, after all, that sword move was not yet completely done.

The sword qi continued surging toward the dharma idol on the other side. That dharma idol waved its horsetail whisk, attempting to block the sword, but in the end it was still pierced through the heart by that sword.

Only after that sword pierced through the heart did the sword qi disperse between heaven and earth.

Although the dharma idol had been pierced through the heart, it still did not dissipate, standing quietly between heaven and earth.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master glanced once, then turned around and left.

Daoist Wuyang sensed the sword qi fading and only raised his head to look a few times at the distant figure of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master leaving, saying nothing.

The dharma idol upon the sky slowly dissipated.

Retracting his gaze, Daoist Wuyang’s complexion had already turned pale as snow. That sword of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master was no longer something belonging to the Sword Dao of this world.

At that moment, he had stood in full readiness. How much he had expended, only he himself knew.

At this moment, the qi within his body was surging like a great river in turmoil.

It could not calm down for a long time.

That sword from the Sword Sect’s Sect Master might not have necessarily injured him, but for it he had still paid a price. At this moment, he truly was no longer in his peak state.

Daoist Wuyang suddenly laughed. Earlier, the black-robed monk had sought to disturb his Dao heart with words, while this Sword Sect’s Sect Master sought to destroy his cultivation through Sword Dao.

If both of them had succeeded, his situation might have become far worse. But no matter how bad it might have been, he had already crossed Nepenthe, he was now in the Fuyun Realm.

That Yun Jianyue, who thought to wait in ease and strike the weary, could not gain any advantage under his hand.

As for Yun Jianyue’s arrangements, Daoist Wuyang could not say he liked them; he even felt some disappointment, yet still gave rise to a trace of appreciation for Yun Jianyue.

To advance siglemindedly in the Dao was a good thing, but since one wished to become the temple master, to become the leader of Daoism in this world, then one could not be without cunning, nor without depth.

This point, Daoist Wuyang understood clearly.

If the two of them did not have a fundamental conflict on the Great Dao, he...

Daoist Wuyang shook his head, discarding the final thought from his mind.

Yun Jianyue, in the end, had a Dao heart that was too steadfast.

At this thought...

Daoist Wuyang’s figure shifted, and when he appeared again, he had already walked out of the deep mountains and arrived within a small town.

The townsfolk did not notice when this middle-aged daoist had appeared, but upon seeing him, they all lowered their heads. In this small town, there was no one who did not know that behind the town, there was a mountain and throughout that mountain were daoists.

They were also immortals.

Daoist Wuyang did not speak, only walked silently through the small town, and at last came to its outskirts, standing before a small creek. After a brief silence, he extended his hand to catch a single raindrop.

That raindrop, upon landing in Daoist Wuyang’s palm, slowly froze into ice.

Daoist Wuyang raised his head to look at the distant mountain and said softly, “Let it snow.”

A strange sight indeed. Originally, it had only been light rain, yet at Daoist Wuyang’s words, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.

Daoist Wuyang walked forward.

The light snow gradually turned into heavy snow.

By the time Daoist Wuyang reached the foot of the mountain, snow was falling as heavily as the goose-feather snows of the desolate north.

The old mountain before his eyes quickly turned completely white.

Daoist Wuyang began to ascend the mountain.

......

......

The sudden heavy snowfall puzzled most disciples of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, though they did not think too deeply on it. However, many older daoists with some cultivation left their caves one after another. Then, as these daoists gathered before the mountain’s great hall, they exchanged glances, and saw nothing but shock in each other’s eyes.

“Why is the Dao rhythm at the foot of the mountain so strong?”

An old daoist spoke, truly unable to understand.

Having cultivated for many years and studied the daoist scriptures, they naturally understood what the Dao rhythm daoist’s body meant. For an ordinary cultivator, having even a trace of it would already mean they were close to the Dao. But now, even that young temple master should not possess so much Dao rhythm.

“Could it be that the Dao Ancestor has manifested?”

A white-haired old daoist was utterly astonished, and as he spoke, his face was filled with excitement.

“No matter what, we must go down the mountain to take a look!”

As soon as the old daoist spoke, the others all nodded one after another, fully agreeing.

The dense Dao rhythm was rising from the Infatuation Daoist Temple. No matter how one looked at it, it was an event of heaven-shaking significance.

Furthermore, it was very likely a great opportunity for the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple.

......

......

Before the mountain creek, Yun Jianyue extended his hand to catch a falling snowflake, then raised his head. From the heavens, goose-feather-like snowflakes continued to fall ceaselessly.

Yun Jianyue said softly, “You’ve returned.”