Chapter 2019: Fusang

“Quick, quick, quick! Gui Fo Jie is right ahead!”

“The battlefield should be near the Zhong Yuan Jie Stele. Hong Niang’s Jin Xing Chuan Dao was there before, so let’s quickly go and secure a safe viewing spot!”

“After all, this is a battle between former Sword Immortals, or rather, a battle between the Ghost Sword Immortal and the current First Sword Immortal of the Five Domains. This must be a ‘supreme’ event, right?”

“Of course! Feng Zhong Zui didn’t manage to witness it half a year ago, but now, seeing this battle firsthand is enough to be recorded in history! But I feel like the aftermath of a Sword Immortal battle could shatter us…”

“What Sword Immortal battle? It’s probably a battle of Saint Emperors and Ancestral Gods! The Ghost Sword Immortal fighting Shou Ye is one thing, but if he fights the Eighth Sword Immortal, one of them is bound to open the Xuan Miao Men!”

“Heavens! That’s the Xuan Miao Men, Gu Lao’s Xuan Miao Men…”

Streaks of light streaked across the sky, like locusts swarming towards the fire of Gui Fo Jie.

Xiao Wan Feng, stepping on the Xuan Cang Divine Sword, followed the main force of Spirit Refiners and naturally blended into the crowd in the sky. His ears were filled with fervent discussions.

It was only after emerging from the cross-domain teleportation array that he realized the immense turmoil Hong Niang’s Jin Xing Chuan Dao and Shou Ye’s comeback had caused in the Five Domains.

The Spirit Refiner world never lacked tough individuals.

Nor did it lack seekers of Dao who would gladly die in the evening if they heard the Dao in the morning.

While there were those like Feng Zhong Zui who self-crippled halfway, they were, on the whole, still a minority.

After all, not everyone could ride the wind into the heavens, and then, after transforming into a dragon and returning to the sea, enjoy endless glory and wealth.

Most people, while seeking the Dao, were also still bending their backs for five dou of rice.

Xiao Wan Feng was the same; he didn’t have many spirit crystals on him. When he was watching the Sword Immortal battle in Feng Jia Cheng, his three meals a day consisted only of meat buns or flattened meat pastries.

“I heard ancient sword cultivators from all over have come.”

Upon entering the territory of Zhong Yuan Jie, discussions about the “Sword Immortal Decisive Battle” became even more heated.

The occasional tremors from Xuan Cang also let Xiao Wan Feng know that the grandmasters of swordsmanship from various parts of the Five Domains had indeed arrived, eager to witness the decisive battle.

Zhong Yuan Jie still had an old city called Fu Sang Cheng, located within the Gui Fo Jie territory. Most of its original inhabitants had moved out to avoid sneak attacks from Yin Souls.

At this moment, the various taverns outside the city gates of Fu Sang Cheng were bustling. They had been re-opened by passing Spirit Refiners, serving as temporary lodging for those coming to watch the Sword Immortal battle.

“Leaving Fu Sang Cheng, entering the Fu Sang Mountain Range, about two thousand three hundred li to the west, you will see the Zhong Yuan Jie Stele. Then, about seven hundred li to the northwest, where sword intent is most concentrated and vibrant, is a place called Ling Yu Shan.”

“The Eighth Sword Immortal is probably in Ling Yu Shan!”

In recent days, the area around Fu Sang Cheng in Zhong Yuan Jie had been thoroughly studied by Spirit Refiners from all over the Five Domains.

Everyone displayed their unique abilities, using the coordinates and information revealed by Hong Niang’s Jin Xing Chuan Dao to deduce the approximate location of the Eighth Sword Immortal.

“Ling Yu Shan…”

Xiao Wan Feng knew this place. He had frequented it for the past six months.

Ling Yu Shan was most famous for the Fu Sang wood and Ling Yu wood on its mountain, both of which were Grade Nine spirit woods.

When the Fu Sang Cheng City Lord’s Mansion and the branch of the Sacred Divine Hall were still active, these two types of spirit wood were forbidden from being cut down both inside and outside the city. Violators were to be executed.

After all, this was the source of Fu Sang Cheng’s spiritual energy and the foundation of its city-protecting formation.

Now, it didn’t matter as much.

But no one touched the Sang Yu spirit wood either.

After being immersed in Gui Fo Jie for half a year, even Spirit Refiners couldn’t endure it, and Grade Nine spirit woods had long since been contaminated.

At the west gate of Fu Sang Cheng, taverns were taverns, inns were taverns, and even some former shops and residences had been converted into taverns.

Taverns were clustered together, and so were people.

Spirit Refiners drank heartily, discussing current affairs, engaging in heated debates until their faces turned red, yet no one dared to cause trouble.

When people gathered in numbers, they feared no Yin Souls.

Among the spectators, those in the Throne Dao Realm were the most numerous, and there were also many Taixu experts.

Some, with extraordinary demeanor and an aura of returning to simplicity, were even suspected of being Half-Saints themselves.

In such circumstances, who would dare to stir up trouble?

Currently, Fu Sang Cheng was a mixed bag of individuals. What if you annoyed a seemingly young boy, only for him to actually be an eccentric old Half-Saint who enjoyed appearing as a youth?

The outcome was self-evident.

Everyone was there to watch the spectacle. Even if there were disciples of death or evildoers, this place was more stable than the Crossroad ruled by the Lords of the Four Streets.

Internal strife was nonexistent, and Half-Saint Yin Souls naturally wouldn’t dare to approach or act recklessly—seeking advantage and avoiding harm was an instinct for living beings, and dead spirits were no exception.

“It’s actually safer…”

Xiao Wan Feng casually placed his personal sword on the table.

Under the concealment of the ‘Ming Jian Zi Hui’ and his hidden sword technique, very few people recognized that this was the Divine Sword Xuan Cang, which Rao Yao Yao had never been able to truly acknowledge throughout her life.

He was currently seated in an inn with a sign that read “Fu Sheng Jiu Si,” listening to the discussions around him.

The inn’s ceiling had long since been cut away by an unknown sword, leaving only two walls. Even the second-floor rooms were shattered, and the ceiling was completely open, connecting with the taverns outside for convenient discussion.

The patrons came from all corners of the world, their identities ranging from hidden family patriarchs to unknown wandering heroes.

And those who dared to come to Gui Fo Jie, venturing deep into a city like Fu Sang Cheng, which was considered close to the battlefield’s center, were certainly not short-sighted or narrow-minded individuals.

The information they brought was far more credible and impactful than what was discussed near the cross-domain teleportation array:

“Hey, did you hear? Gu Qing Yi Er San Si and the others were directly chased here by Sword Immortal Wen to watch the battle. This battle is sure to be highly beneficial. I wonder where they are now.”

“Brother, what you said is true. I was a pilgrim outside the Burial Sword Tomb. When Sword Immortal Wen appeared the other day, it really excited everyone.”

“Gu Qing Yi Er San Si received the order in front of tens of thousands of people and also came via the teleportation array. But it seems ancient sword cultivators are not as fast as us Spirit Refiners in terms of foot travel, haha.”

People from outside the Burial Sword Tomb?

Xiao Wan Feng was surprised. He looked at the person, seeing him dressed as a swordsman with a spirit sword at his waist, but not an ancient sword cultivator.

With just a glance, Xiao Wan Feng knew that this was essentially still a Spirit Refiner, who hadn't even cultivated innate sword intent.

A sword enthusiast…

Xiao Wan Feng took a sip of tea.

Perhaps because he had once served as a tea pourer in the First Heaven Tower, he preferred tea over wine.

And after gaining experience with Xu Shao and finally receiving the complete acknowledgment of the Divine Sword Xuan Cang, he was no longer timid. With a question in his heart, he directly spoke:

“Sword Immortal Wen didn’t come?”

If Wen Ting, the Seventh Sword Immortal, were to come to Ling Yu Shan to watch the battle, that would be truly explosive news, causing the Burial Sword Tomb to be completely deserted—everyone would follow him to Fu Sang Cheng.

“Haha, little brother, you’re not from the Eastern Domain, are you? Sword Immortal Wen rarely leaves the Tomb. There are so many swords in the Burial Sword Tomb that need guarding.”

The sword-wielding Spirit Refiner, basking in everyone’s attention, said spiritedly, “Sword Immortal Wen’s appearance that day, ordering his four disciples to enter Gui Fo Jie, was the only time he showed himself so openly in decades. Ordinarily, we never see his true face.”

Xiao Wan Feng nodded silently, but had his own thoughts.

Having followed Shou Ye for a while, he also understood how to ponder people’s hearts. Wen Ting’s high-profile appearance, intended to guard the mountain, ironically made it quite possible that he himself wanted to come and watch the battle.

Even if his true self didn’t arrive, he should have some means to observe from afar, and perhaps even enter the scene at a critical moment.

Is Shou Ye fighting Hua Chang Deng, or Ba Zun An fighting Hua Chang Deng, a matter of a “Sword Immortal Decisive Battle”?

But Xiao Wan Feng knew even more that this was just the beginning, not the end.

The Five Domains’ situation was like an arrow drawn on a taut bowstring; a single movement would affect the whole. Regardless of who won or lost, there would certainly be后续.

If an Ancestral God descended, roles like the Tomb Keeper of the Burial Sword Tomb would likely not be able to stay out of it.

When the sky falls, the tall ones bear the brunt.

Apart from the Saint Slaves and the First Heaven Tower, these renowned mountains, major sects, and prominent families should send people and erupt as needed.

“The Ten Venerables might not be able to hide either,” Xiao Wan Feng mused inwardly.

Just then, Xuan Cang vibrated slightly, and Xiao Wan Feng also felt a gaze upon him. He turned his eyes and saw a solitary figure in a tavern across the street.

It was a middle-aged man with a topknot, a beard, dressed in a black cloud-patterned robe, with a sword at his waist. He was also not an ancient sword cultivator.

Xiao Wan Feng was surprised, but he recognized his identity.

Xiao Qi Xiu!

Others might not know this person, but during the contest for the Seven Sword Immortals, Xiao Wan Feng had paid special attention to him; he was a Spirit Sword Cultivator attempting to forge a new path.

The final battle, Xiao Qi Xiu versus Yang Xi Zhi, was a closed battle, its process and outcome unknown to anyone.

After the battle, Elder Yang voluntarily withdrew from the Seven Sword Immortal rankings. Soon after, the Seven Sword Immortals list was finalized, and Xiao Wan Feng guessed that Xiao Qi Xiu had won.

What a pity…

Two generations of Sword Immortals sought no seven, Xu Xiao Liu came and Gu Bei Xi.

In the final assessment results of the Sword Tower, pure Spirit Sword Cultivators didn’t seem to be able to rank high, but Xiao Wan Feng knew that this person possessed the demeanor of a Sword Immortal.

Xiao Qi Xiu had a bloody aura behind him, far more ferocious than when Xiao Wan Feng saw him half a year ago, suggesting he had likely slain many people.

As he looked over, his gaze merely lingered on the Xuan Cang sword for a moment. Seeing that he had attracted attention, he no longer paid heed, and simply nodded slightly to Xiao Wan Feng in acknowledgment.

Not a challenge… Xiao Wan Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t fear challenges, but he didn’t want to cause trouble before the Sword Immortal Decisive Battle. He returned the nod.

“There are still capable people here.”

Xuan Cang was still eye-catching. Those who couldn’t recognize it were ordinary people; those who could see its essence were grandmasters.

Xiao Wan Feng cursed Xuan Cang inwardly, quickly retrieved the sword from the table, and re-wrapped it with the sealing band despite the sword’s resistance.

“People from the Northern Domain have come. In the Heavenly Alliance meeting, Half-Saint Pei Zai said he would come to watch the battle personally, and Alliance Leader Yan Sheng also showed up, but unfortunately, he couldn’t leave. However, a Half-Saint avatar might still arrive,” an old Taixu man spoke from afar. The Sacred Divine Hall’s influence had waned, and the restrictions in the Northern Domain had loosened considerably, allowing people from the Northern Domain to emerge.

“Even Can Yue Xian Cheng has arrived. My friend said that their senior brother is traveling light and rushing here non-stop. He said he might be able to see his heroic bearing within days. Can Yue Xian Cheng shed a lot of blood in its battle against the Sacred Divine Hall; he directly transformed into a ‘Killing God’.”

“Young Master Cheng Xie from the Central Domain, you know him, right? It seems he’s also here. It’s a pity that Young Master Cheng, one of the Seven Sword Immortals, didn’t contend, otherwise he would have had a place on the list.”

“Who is Cheng Xie?”

“You don’t know Cheng Xie? Fourteenth Famous Sword, the contemporary wielder of the Sleeve Sword and Twin Needles… In all these years, when Saint Slaves collected swords, places like the Burial Sword Tomb could protect their famous swords, but the Cheng family in the Central Domain was one of the few that could withstand the pressure and avoid having their swords taken!”

Cheng Xie?

Xiao Wan Feng stopped his movements.

He knew that name; a descendant of a veteran ancient sword cultivator family, only twenty-eight years old, and renowned in the ancient sword cultivator world.

The Saint Slaves collecting famous swords was an old topic, with movements happening occasionally.

It was rumored that Ba Zun An, the Chief of the Saint Slaves, had been elusive for decades, leading people to annihilate over a dozen ancient sword cultivator families and collecting famous swords such as the Tomb Ming Cheng Xue, Tai Yi Sheng Shui Sword, and Feng Diao Sword.

Places like the Burial Sword Tomb and the Feng family in the Southern Domain, which could preserve evil swords like Yue Lian, Blood Sword Jue Se Yao Ji, and Crane Sword Ting Chen, had truly powerful backgrounds.

It was rare for a family like the Cheng family, which was struggling alone, to still be able to withstand the pressure.

“What’s the Cheng family? Just the Fourteenth Famous Sword.”

“In the Yin Ghost World of the Southern Domain, I heard that the宗主 of the Yin Ghost Sect also brought out the Twin-Form Sword Gui Lun Chou, saying that he might find an opportunity to seal a Saint Emperor in Gui Fo Jie. He’s a Spirit Refiner, not an ancient sword cultivator!”

“Twin-Form Sword Gui Lun Chou, the Ninth Famous Sword?”

“Exactly! It’s Gui Lun Chou. Fifty years ago, the Yin Ghost Sect was merely a small, evil sect that exorcised ghosts. Afterwards, relying on this sword, it soared to become a Half-Saint force. What’s more, the sect still has no ancient sword cultivators to this day, yet it continues to profit. Tsk, the power of a famous sword is evident.”

“Awesome, awesome, keep talking, big shots.”

“Hey! Speaking of that, I remember a few days ago, there was an anomaly in the Dan Tower of Sheng Fu Tu Zhi Cheng. The Tenth Famous Sword, Sheng Sword, Da Luo Jiu Tian Sheng Xuan Sword, stirred. Dan Sheng Lu Shi Yu personally brought it out and is said to have also rushed here to Ling Yu Shan with the sword.”

“Ah? What are people from the Dan Tower doing here to join the fun?”

“I don’t know. Sheng Sword is very powerful. Various difficult and complicated illnesses, a single stab with the sword, and they all recover. Perhaps Dan Sheng is merciful, fearing that Ba Zun An and Hua Chang Deng might fight too fiercely, and if anyone is seriously injured and on the verge of death, he’s coming to give them a stab with the sword?”

“Hahahaha…”

These words caused the patrons in the various taverns to roar with laughter, truly an uninhibited and imaginative thought.

Some even said that Ba Zun An, with only eight fingers and a scar on his neck, should eagerly run out and let the Da Luo Jiu Tian Sheng Xuan Sword poke his behind. Perhaps his severed fingers could grow back, and his scars could be erased, allowing him to be young and reckless for another thirty years.

“These people are truly audacious.”

Xiao Wan Feng frowned as he listened. Having mingled in the Southern Domain, he had heard many audacious remarks and was accustomed to them.

At this moment, he felt a strange sense of unease, not from the words of the various patrons, but from the “vagueness” he couldn’t quite grasp behind their words.

Gu Qing Yi Er San Si, Young Master Cheng Xie, the宗主 of the Yin Ghost Sect, and Dan Sheng Lu Shi Yu seemed to have nothing in common.

Essentially, all famous swords were converging on Ling Yu Shan.

Were they really just here to watch the battle?

Could there be something special here that his current level couldn’t perceive?

“Hmm, it’s none of my business. Perhaps Xu Shao… Shou Ye knows. I can tell him later.” Xiao Wan Feng tightened his grip, not overthinking it. After wrapping Xuan Cang securely and placing it behind his back, he decided to let the matter go.

He could enter Xing Jie; Shou Ye had given him a jade talisman long ago.

But he rarely went to Xing Jie to have fun. After all, being out in the world allowed him to gather more first-hand information and hone himself better.

Although it was a bit dangerous…

“Bang!”

Just as he was thinking this, a middle-aged man with two Taixu guards sat down opposite him at the wooden table, which had previously only held him.

Xiao Wan Feng looked up and saw a man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding a dashing and uninhibited aura. His Sword Dao Throne presence was palpable, clearly revealing his sharpness.

He seemed to be a troublesome arrival!

“Boy, bring some wine.”

As soon as the man sat down, he spoke to the tavern owner, his eyes fixed on the Xuan Cang on Xiao Wan Feng’s back, clearly having noticed something.

This was bad. He was truly corrupted by Xu Shao, led astray by Xuan Cang, acting too unrestrainedly…

Xiao Wan Feng was not one for bustling crowds.

He had brought out Xuan Cang simply because Xuan Cang wanted to get some air.

Now, it seemed, Xuan Cang didn’t want to get air; Xuan Cang was looking for opponents and making enemies for him—it enjoyed it. What a cheap sword!

“Boy, the bill.”

Xiao Wan Feng threw a few spirit crystals on the table, abruptly stood up, without even bothering to understand the other party’s intentions, and made to leave.

“Sit down!”

The man didn’t move, but an old man behind him opened his tiger eyes. The Taixu pressure slammed into Xiao Wan Feng, almost shaking him apart, forcing him to sit back down.

The surrounding taverns instantly fell silent.

Everyone’s gaze turned towards them, all with expressions of enjoying a good show.

“Clang, clang, clang…”

Some noisy sounds echoed from afar, as if someone was striking metal, celebrating the commotion.

Xiao Wan Feng’s expression was grim, he held his breath, but showed no fear. He looked at the handsome man, who appeared to be around thirty years old, and said:

“I don’t think I know…”

“My surname is Cheng.” The man smiled, cutting Xiao Wan Feng off. “Cheng family, Cheng Xie.”

With a collective gasp, everyone in the taverns immediately stood up in astonishment.

Sleeve Sword Twin Needles, Cheng Xie of the Cheng family!

A truly prominent figure had finally arrived in Fu Sang Cheng, a man with the demeanor of a Sword Immortal!

Xiao Wan Feng vaguely understood his intention and said helplessly, “It seems there’s no enmity between us?”

Cheng Xie chuckled, staring at the sword on his back. “An innocent man gets into trouble for possessing something precious. Hand over the Divine Sword Xuan Cang, and you can leave Fusang safely.”

In an instant, the people in the various taverns were no longer merely curious onlookers; their gazes all shifted to Xiao Wan Feng, their faces etched with shock.

“Divine Sword, Xuan Cang?”

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