Chapter 1759: Sword Cultivator

Mortal World

The vast river surged onward.

A figure glided along the riverbank, riding the wind.

"Star Valley should be not far ahead..."

Qin Sang recalled the geomantic map, scanned the surrounding terrain, then flew up a high mountain. After observing for a while, he made his judgment.

After leaving the riverbank and traveling over a hundred miles north, Qin Sang stopped before a dense bamboo forest.

From an aerial view, this bamboo forest stretched for a thousand square miles. It was densely packed with unusually thick purple bamboo, some as large as ancient trees, a sight rarely seen in the outside world.

The night wind rustled through the bamboo leaves.

There was no moon tonight.

In the dark, sprawling bamboo sea, faint balls of light occasionally flickered. Qin Sang sensed their aura and knew these were spirits born within the bamboo forest.

After a brief pause, Qin Sang soared towards the center of the bamboo sea. When he reached a certain spot, he stopped and plummeted downwards.

*Rustle...*

As he passed through layers of branches and leaves, Qin Sang felt a softness underfoot, a thick accumulation of countless years of decaying leaves.

Without slowing down, he plunged directly through the rotten leaves, suddenly finding himself in an open space. Below was an underground valley.

Dead bamboo stalks intertwined here, forming a framework that supported the heavy layer of decaying leaves, concealing the valley.

Within the bamboo sea, such places were common. This area was originally mountainous, not flat, and had been covered by the dense bamboo forest and thick layers of decaying leaves.

Due to its remote location and the extremely thick layer of decaying leaves, this valley could only be discovered by intentionally scanning the bamboo sea with divine sense. Therefore, few people knew of this place.

Hovering above Star Valley, Qin Sang saw not darkness, but faint lights sparkling within the valley.

Qin Sang was very familiar with this sight: the twinkling lights were Star Essence Stones!

In the Storm Realm, outside of Pointing Heaven Peak, Star Essence Stones were extremely rare. Only places like Pointing Heaven Peak, where star essence converged, could gradually give birth to Star Essence Stones within the dense essence.

Seeing this, Qin Sang immediately took out the Star Spirit Net, which his senior sister (or Aunt Jing at the time) had given him years ago to collect Star Essence Stones.

Qin Sang remembered that the Yuan蜃 Sect had several formation restrictions that could be activated using Star Essence Stones.

He wasn't in a hurry to collect the Star Essence Stones. He flew from one end of Star Valley to the other, pondered for a moment, then descended deeper into the valley.

Before long, Qin Sang stopped, a hint of disappointment on his face.

The star essence in Star Valley was neither as dense nor as abundant as that at Pointing Heaven Peak.

Even though he hadn't reached the summit of Pointing Heaven Peak back then, he could make a rough estimate. Even returning to Pointing Heaven Peak would barely be enough to help him achieve a breakthrough; this place was definitely insufficient.

Reasoning that he was already here, Qin Sang activated the Star Spirit Net to collect Star Essence Stones. As he gradually moved deeper into the valley, he suddenly let out a soft exclamation, unexpectedly discovering a cave at the bottom of the valley that seemed to lead deep underground.

Star essence also flowed within the cave entrance.

Qin Sang glanced at it a few times, put away the Star Spirit Net, and flashed into the cave.

The cave entrance was narrow, but the interior gradually widened. The terrain was unusually rugged, winding up and down, left and right, but it was clear that the cave extended deep underground.

After pressing on for a while, Qin Sang found that the star essence did not become increasingly dense as he had imagined. After reaching a certain critical point, it gradually thinned out again.

Not yet at the end of the cave, Qin Sang was reluctant to leave. He continued downwards, while also trying various methods to find the reason for Star Valley's formation.

*Whoosh whoosh...*

Faint sounds of flowing water came from ahead.

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. "Have I reached an underground river?"

He quickened his pace, traveling another ten li or so. The underground space suddenly opened up, revealing a large underground river several li wide. The rock walls, formed from stone, shimmered with tiny specks of faint light, likely from a special kind of ore.

By the time he reached this point, the star essence was very sparse. Qin Sang was disappointed and was about to investigate briefly before retreating when he suddenly felt a chill, and an alarm instantly flared within him!

"Danger!"

Qin Sang's heart tightened.

At the same time, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly sent a warning.

In the river!

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. The moment he sensed the anomaly, he quickly formed hand seals. A faint golden light immediately appeared on his body, as if he were clad in golden armor.

Vajra Heavenly Armor Seal!

Almost the instant the seal was completed, the surface of the dark river suddenly exploded. Amidst the splashing water, a dazzling sword light shot out like lightning, aiming directly for Qin Sang's face!

"A sword cultivator!"

Qin Sang's pupils slightly contracted.

This was his first encounter with a Daoist sword cultivator since arriving in this realm.

The three major Daoist factions—Dragon-Tiger Altar, Golden Seal Altar, and Soldiers-and-Horses Altar—had distinct characteristics. Even those who used swords rarely were pure sword cultivators; their spirit swords were mostly Dharma swords, used as aids for casting spells.

This opponent was different. The sword intent in this strike was pure, indicating profound mastery in this path.

Qin Sang himself was a sword cultivator, so his perception couldn't be wrong.

A sword cultivator who has merged with the path of talismans—what other methods might they possess?

Qin Sang had no time to ponder. This sword strike made him feel threatened, and he dared not be negligent.

With a slight change in expression, Qin Sang snorted coldly and instantly formed four seals in succession: Auspicious Seal, Lotus Seal, Altar-Turning Seal, and Demon-Slaying Seal!

At this point, among the six seals he had mastered, only the Vajra Great Wisdom Seal was missing.

This seal was the fifth of the Seven Master Buddhist Seals. Unlike the other seals, which brought obvious changes upon activation, this one showed no external manifestation. Its main purpose was to stabilize wisdom, making the mind as still as water during combat, undisturbed by external or internal factors.

For others, the importance of this seal might be comparable to the Vajra Heavenly Armor Seal, but for Qin Sang, it was of little use.

Five seals were unleashed in quick succession.

By this time, the sword light was less than three feet from his brow.

At the critical moment, Qin Sang's body slightly trembled, his inner qi and blood surged like a dragon's roar and a tiger's howl. A dazzling golden light shone before him, and a peculiar golden Buddhist seal materialized out of thin air, perfectly blocking the sword light as it pressed down from mid-air.

*Boom!*

The underground space shook violently, and huge waves surged.

The golden light shattered, and fragments flew everywhere.

Within the golden light, the Buddhist seal firmly resisted the sword light, preventing it from advancing even an inch. Two powerful forces continued to clash.

At this moment, it was visible that within the sword light was a three-foot-long azure blade, slender and radiating brilliant spiritual light—an exceptional weapon.

"A quasi-spiritual treasure!"

Qin Sang's expression subtly changed.

Given the opponent's demonstrated mastery of the sword and the quality of this spirit sword, their true strength was certainly greater than what was shown.

Qin Sang mused that he would need to fully master the seventh seal, the Vajra Great Freedom Seal, before he could hope to subdue this opponent without resorting to other means.

As the thought arose, Qin Sang tapped his foot, and his figure retreated instead of advancing.

Just as he expected, the sword light paused slightly, then roared, instantly piercing through the Buddhist seal.

If Qin Sang had moved forward instead of retreating at that moment, his situation would have been perilous.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Qin Sang retreated rapidly, smashing through sections of the rock wall, his gaze fixed on the sword light ahead. He coldly shouted,

"Who are you? This humble Daoist has no grievance with you, so why did you ambush me?"

There was no response from the dark river. The sword light continued to pursue him, even gaining a third in speed.

The opponent was a sword cultivator. Due to the complex underground terrain, and the fact that the rocks had absorbed star essence, becoming incredibly hard further up, it wouldn't be easy for Qin Sang to escape.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Instead of unleashing the Gray Oriole Sword to contend directly with the opponent, he intended to test the power of the Acquired Wooden Man Stele!

With a thought, a burst of green light erupted from Qin Sang's body, filled with vibrant life force, vaguely taking on the shape of a tree.

The Path Manifestation Tree had an extraordinary origin. Qin Sang dared not expose its spiritual medium seed like the bizarre-faced person, so he specifically concealed it.

After refining the Path Manifestation Tree, it was as if the tree had taken root within Qin Sang's body, regaining its vitality.

Qin Sang silently formed a hand seal. Immediately, the green light retracted, and the tree's shadow vanished into the ground.

Simultaneously, Qin Sang's feet landed heavily on the ground, producing thudding vibrations that echoed underground.

The moment he landed, Qin Sang's appearance drastically changed. His body and limbs grew rapidly, his skin became dry like tree bark, and his arms and fingers resembled branches, as if he had transformed into a treant.

Most remarkably, his aura at this moment seemed to merge with the earth itself.

Qin Sang felt the surging vitality all around him, and an unprecedented sense of comfort welled up in his heart.

This place was already underground, surrounded by an endless sea of purple bamboo—it could be said to be the most suitable battlefield for this secret art!

As Qin Sang's senses extended with the secret art, the surrounding purple bamboos also reacted. The bamboo forest rustled, and bamboo leaves from all directions swayed towards Star Valley.

The spirits within the bamboo sea also sensed the anomaly, especially those who had transformed from plants. An instinctive fear arose within them, compelling them to flee as far away as possible.

A continuous flow of wood spiritual energy surged towards him. At this moment, Qin Sang felt an inexhaustible supply of power throughout his body!

After transforming into a treant, the underground space immediately seemed somewhat cramped. Qin Sang, standing upright, could almost touch the ceiling. His eyes shone with unusual brightness as he glared at the sword light, formed a hand seal with his right arm, and slammed it forward!

*Thud!*

His fleshy fist struck the sword light directly.

Wood chips seemed to fly in the air, and golden light still flickered on his rough skin.

Indeed, unleashing the Seven Master Buddhist Seals with a spirit-wood body yielded incomparable power.

With a clang, Qin Sang's strike instantly shattered the sword light, directly confronting the blade's edge!

The Altar-Turning Seal inherently possessed the ability to suppress Dharma treasures.

Struck head-on, the spirit sword's light dimmed, and its forward momentum was immediately thwarted.

The Acquired Wooden Man Stele, cultivated with the Path Manifestation Tree, indeed possessed extraordinary power!

Furthermore, the secret art mentioned that absorbing wood spiritual energy would place a great burden on the practitioner and required vigilance. However, Qin Sang did not feel such a severe burden, which was undoubtedly due to the Path Manifestation Tree.

This strike greatly boosted Qin Sang's confidence. He had only integrated the Path Manifestation Tree into his body three years ago, and many divine abilities, such as shifting and transforming among surrounding vegetation, were not yet mastered, yet he could already contend with a sword cultivator!

Qin Sang let out a hearty laugh, abruptly extended his arm forward, transforming his palm into a claw, intending to directly seize the spirit sword.

However, a sword cultivator's sword was not easily snatched.

The spirit sword vibrated, emitted a sword cry, and then vanished into thin air with a flicker.

The next moment, a sword light suddenly appeared from the side, slashing swiftly towards him.

Qin Sang didn't even blink, raising his heavy fist to shatter the sword light.

But then more sword lights appeared from other directions, one after another, seemingly endless, forcing Qin Sang to remain on high alert.

If it were any other opponent, they might truly be exhausted by this move.

But Qin Sang was rooted in the earth, and the surrounding vegetation was his source of power. Why would he fear such attrition?

One sword light after another shattered before him.

Qin Sang's attention, however, remained on the center of the river.

Even now, his opponent had not revealed themselves.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly saw through the riverbed. Although it didn't see the opponent, it noticed unusual soil and rocks at the bottom of the river.

Locking onto the opponent's position, Qin Sang shattered another sword light, then suddenly accelerated into a sprint, reaching the riverbank in a flash.

Just then, the spirit sword reappeared above the river surface, its blade pointing directly at Qin Sang, unleashing a white ribbon of light!

At this moment, the space above the river seemed locked by this sword light, making escape impossible.

Qin Sang formed the Demon-Slaying Seal and pushed it forward. The golden seal and the sword light clashed with a "rumble," and his figure trembled, halting his forward momentum and standing steadily by the riverbank.

*Whoosh!*

The river water parted, and a Daoist in a green robe flew out.

The Daoist was slender, appearing to be around thirty years old, with sharp eyebrows and bright, sparkling eyes. He recalled the spirit sword into his hand, looked at Qin Sang, and showed a surprised expression.

"Hmm? A monster? No! What kind of talisman spell is this?"

Seeing this person, Qin Sang's pupils slightly contracted. He didn't continue his attack, instead asking in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

"You don't know me?" The Daoist paused slightly, sizing him up. "You're not from Lingdu Mountain?"

"Lingdu Mountain?" Qin Sang couldn't recall what sect or force that was, and shook his head slightly.

The Daoist's face showed embarrassment. He waved his hand. "A misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! This humble Daoist thought a great enemy was tracking me, I didn't expect an outsider to come to a place like this."

"A misunderstanding?"

Qin Sang frowned. He had been ambushed. If not for his formidable abilities, he might have already perished by the sword. Could it be explained away with just a "misunderstanding"?

The Daoist put away his sword and bowed meticulously. "This humble Daoist has offended you; I hope Fellow Daoist will not take offense."

Qin Sang did not retract his spirit-wood body, nor did he continue his attack, merely observing the other party with a neutral expression.

The opponent's apology might be a facade, seeing that Qin Sang was not easy to deal with, or it might be genuine.

However, these details were not important. From this person, Qin Sang vaguely sensed a dangerous aura.

This person's true strength was likely much greater than what they had shown!

Although Qin Sang's divine sense was currently restricted, his spiritual perception was far beyond that of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, yet he couldn't see through this person.

Could the opponent also be a Soul Transformation cultivator?

At this thought, Qin Sang's heart involuntarily tightened. His strength had not yet fully recovered, and facing a cultivator of the same rank, he would be restrained, with very little chance of victory.

Secretly observing the man, Qin Sang, though not certain, subtly felt a threat, increasing his vigilance.

He also considered that the opponent clearly had strength but wasn't using it, likely having a hidden problem, similar to himself.

It sounded like the opponent's adversary was not weak. Perhaps they had been injured by their foe or were subject to some other restriction.

"This humble Daoist is currently at a critical juncture in refining a treasure, with most of my mind tied up in it. I dared not be distracted, fearing my foe might sabotage it, so I could only strike first. Fellow Daoist should understand," the Daoist explained vaguely, seeing Qin Sang remain unmoved.

So that's how it is.

Qin Sang secretly nodded. The fact that this person couldn't use their full strength was likely related to that treasure.

"Since it was a misunderstanding, this humble Daoist is willing to apologize to Fellow Daoist. As long as Fellow Daoist does not trouble me, I will do one thing for you in the future, or provide any treasure you need, as long as it is within my ability," the Daoist said, bowing again.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell your adversary once I leave?" Qin Sang asked, his tone indifferent.

The Daoist said helplessly, "To be frank, Fellow Daoist, this humble Daoist would very much like to keep you here for a while, but it's not wise to make enemies at this time. Moreover, facing Fellow Daoist always makes me feel uneasy. Fellow Daoist must possess means to threaten me."