Chapter 1423: World's Blade Path

"Grandpa Butcher, where are we going?"

"To visit the strongest person in the Way of the Blade."

Dozens of days later, they arrived at the Surging River. The riverbanks were lined with magnificent and beautiful landscapes, and fishing boats drifted on the waves, coming and going across the water.

It was midday, and the sun was scorching. The fishing boats sailed towards the shore to escape the intense heat.

The two stood on the river surface. Qin Mu's hands were empty, and he couldn't help but wonder why the Butcher hadn't asked him to forge a blade this time. Did that mean a blade wouldn't be needed?

Besides, wasn't the strongest person in the Way of the Blade the Butcher himself?

Just then, a booming voice suddenly echoed from the riverbank, roaring with laughter: "Qin, are you back in Yankang to mooch off others again?"

Qin Mu looked towards the sound and saw a young general, clad in divine armor and carrying a demonic blade, appear on the riverbank. The young general suddenly stepped into the void, leaping forward, thousands of blade lights swirling beneath his feet, carrying him swiftly through the air!

Swish—

The thousands of blade lights beneath his feet suddenly converged, forming a demonic blade that moved like a dragon, slashing towards Qin Mu!

Qin Mu raised his hand, gently pinching the blade light between his index and middle fingers, snapping it with a soft sound. He then calmly said, "Zhe Huali, long time no see."

Zhe Huali landed with a crash on the river, making the surface erupt and splashing Qin Mu. He laughed loudly, "You're living it up in the heavens, Revered Celestial Mu, with a reputation that's quite intimidating. But every time you come back, you shamelessly mooch off others! What are you here to mooch this time?"

Zhe Huali, the Demonic Blade, had spent these years guarding the Divine City of Tianyuan at the source of the Surging River, a key city on Yankang's western front, and had become a formidable general.

Qin Mu's face darkened, and he grumbled, "Mooch off others? You stay in Yankang mooching every day, and I come back for an occasional mooch, and you talk about me..."

Zhe Huali chuckled, "Yankang's Dao arts and divine abilities are no longer what they were when you left. Today, there are countless talented individuals and experts. I truly fear you might have fallen behind."

Although he said this, his eyes gleamed with eagerness. The Demonic Blade Dragonfang on his back also emitted low, draconic growls, appearing very excited, as if it couldn't wait to fight and teach Qin Mu a lesson.

Back then, when Qin Mu disciplined Zhe Huali, he also disciplined the Dragonfang Blade more than once.

This demonic blade was sentient, formed from the tooth of the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon, making it exceptionally supernatural and vengeful.

A moment later, blade light suddenly flickered in the sky again, layer upon layer, forming eighteen heavens of blade light.

These eighteen heavens of blade light poured down, heading directly for Qin Mu in the middle of the river!

Qin Mu seemed unconcerned. Above his head, blade energy suddenly surged, forming a Heavenly Palace of the Blade Way. His Blade Way Primordial Spirit stood on the Nine Prison Platform, gathering energy into a blade, and counter-slashed the eighteen heavens of blade light.

Clang—

A loud clang echoed in the sky, and the myriad blade lights scattered. Suddenly, all the blade lights retracted, forming a divine blade that sprang upwards.

From above, an arm reached out and grasped the divine blade. A one-armed figure landed heavily on the river, and the splashing river water, like blades and jade shards, cut in all directions.

Zhe Huali stood motionless on the river, arms crossed, blade light swirling like a ribbon around him, cutting through all the blade lights formed from the river water.

That one-armed divine being was none other than Luo Wushuang, the Divine Blade.

Luo Wushuang greeted the Butcher and Zhe Huali. The Butcher returned the greeting, but Zhe Huali bowed half a step lower, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother Luo."

He had severed his master-disciple relationship with Luo Wushuang, who had expelled him from the sect. Thus, he could only address Luo Wushuang as "Senior Brother," but due to their former disciple-master bond, he showed that slight deference.

Luo Wushuang greeted Qin Mu, saying, "Qin Hegemon Body."

He did not address Qin Mu as Revered Celestial but as Hegemon Body. Although the animosity between them had been resolved, and Luo Wushuang had broken free from the shackles of his own blade path, there was still some lingering resentment from their past conflict, which is why he called him "Qin Hegemon Body."

"Divine Blade Luo." Qin Mu returned the greeting.

"Divine Blade Luo" was Qin Mu's address for Luo Wushuang. They had faced life and death together in the Primordial Realm, fighting side by side. Qin Mu greatly admired his character and his mastery of the blade.

In particular, Luo Wushuang's ruthless and merciless act of drawing his blade to cut down the avatars of Lady Yuanmu and Empress Dowager (Yun Chuxiu and Lian Huahun) showed no regard for beauty, deeming it less important than his blade. To Qin Mu, he was an unparalleled ruthless individual!

Luo Wushuang said, "Heavenly Blade, all the experts of the Way of the Blade from Yankang are here today. Can we begin now?"

The Butcher shook his head, "Not yet, we still need to wait for one more person. I sent someone to invite him several months ago."

He took out a small boat from his Taotie pouch. The boat was filled with jars and pots, all sealed with fine wine.

Zhe Huali was moved, saying, "Didn't that person go to Worry-Free Village? Will he come too?"

He glanced at Qin Mu and continued, "I heard that person owes Revered Celestial Mu and Yankang a great deal, and swore never to set foot in Yankang in this life, so he just hides in Worry-Free Village."

The Butcher chuckled, "He's been here for a while. When the Heavenly Court army invaded the Primordial Realm and blockaded the Void Bridge, he broke through the encirclement and sneaked into Yankang. Besides him, many others also entered Yankang through the Three Chambers of the Void Bridge and went into hiding. He truly refrained from entering Yankang due to his oath, operating in the northern lands. But an alcoholic's oath is as good as a fart."

He smiled slightly, his voice deep and resonant, and slowly said, "This wine of mine is extraordinary. It was stolen by the God of Thieves from the divine beings of various heavens, including the fine wine offered by the Heavenly Court to the Heavenly Emperor, brewed by the number one Wine God of the Heavenly Court!"

"The wine of the Heavenly Court's Wine God? Of course I'll come!"

A grand laugh echoed in the sky. It was Tian Shu, the Heavenly King of the Netherworld among Emperor Kai's Four Heavenly Kings, walking boldly with his chest bared, carrying the Imperial Palace Divine Blade. His body reeked of alcohol as he roared with laughter, "The Heavenly Blade truly knows me, he knows my preference. To tell you the truth, I was bound by an oath not to enter Yankang, but I got myself drunk before coming. A few jars of 'horse pee' later, those damn oaths are useless!"

He landed on the small boat, reached out for a jar of wine, tilted his head back, and guzzled it down in one breath. He praised, "This is Buddhist wine brewed in the Great Brahma of the Buddhist Realm, it has a taste of enlightenment!"

He then opened another jar, drank it heartily, and praised, "The Daoist wine from Azure Cloud Heaven fills your mind with strange numerological runes after drinking it! And this jar, it's the Wine God's wine, offered to the Heavenly Emperor—it's simply different!"

The fine wines from the various heavens each had their unique flavors.

Soon, Tian Shu was completely drunk, his eyes hazy, but he continued to drink heartily.

"Can this drunkard still fight?" Luo Wushuang frowned.

Tian Shu squinted at him and chuckled, "The Heavenly Court's number one Divine Blade, you have too much of a craftsman's aura, lacking the demeanor of a Grandmaster of the Blade Way. My blade severs souls and seizes spirits, incomparable to yours; it requires drinking to unleash its full power."

Luo Wushuang snorted and calmly said, "In cultivation realm, I'm not your equal, but in the Way of the Blade, you are far inferior."

Qin Mu looked at these old acquaintances, his heart surging with emotion. Some were his elders, some were once his enemies, and some were his friends, and now all of them had gathered together.

"Mu'er, your Way of the Blade: the first heaven, striking the Southern Heavenly Gate, is about unleashing the blade-wielder's heroic spirit and passion. The second heaven is the Blade of Law, establishing laws and appeasing public grievances. The third heaven is the Blade of Guardianship, embodying the will of unity and solidarity."

The Butcher looked at Qin Mu and said gravely, "This is all I can teach you. Your three stances of Dao-entering blade arts have already encompassed my fifteen heavens of the Way of the Blade. From now on, you must walk your own path."

Qin Mu felt a warmth in his heart. No matter how many difficulties he faced outside, or how much criticism and blame he encountered, returning here, to Yankang, he was always the child of those nine old people from Disabled Elderly Village.

When he returned here, the Butcher and the others would do everything in their power to help and guide him, never with selfish motives, never refusing!

"You already understand the courage, law, and responsibility required by the Way of the Blade. What remains is refinement and power."

The Butcher continued, "And the simplest way to increase your power is to contend with other blade masters. Zhe Huali is a strong practitioner of the Blade Way. He entered the Dao with his blade, combining the strangeness of the demonic race with the grandeur of the blade path. Luo Wushuang is the Heavenly Court's foremost blade wielder, a grandmaster of the blade. His blade techniques are unparalleled in ingenuity and discipline, and they also incorporate the courage and might to strike at the heavens themselves—he dares to strike even a Celestial Venerable!"

"Heavenly King Tian Shu's blade, on the other hand, is the most powerful blade in the world."

Upon hearing this, the drunkard Tian Shu chuckled.

The Butcher continued, "His divine blade is indestructible, named Imperial Palace. A drunken Tian Shu is the Emperor of Blades; his blade path can even cut off the horns of the Earth Duke! His blade embodies the spirit of the Kaihuang era! And my blade..."

The Butcher slowly drew his blade and calmly said, "It is the Heavenly Blade. This Heavenly Blade is not a blade of the Heavenly Dao, but a blade that strikes at the heavens. My Way of the Blade does not depend on the Heavenly Dao, nor on the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth. My blade is the indomitable spirit, the unyielding will, in the hearts of men!"

He vibrated his blade, and the energy within it shot up from the center of the river like a bolt of white silk across the sky, splitting the firmament!

"The blade cultivates the spirit. You must first defeat us before you can hope to defeat the Ancestral Court's God-Slaying Platform!"

The Butcher said gravely, "Mu'er, are you ready?"

Zhe Huali flipped backward, and the next moment stood high in the sky, his movements strange and demonic. He chuckled, "Thank you, Heavenly Blade, for deeming me worthy to guide this lad. I will not fail to live up to your high expectations!"

Although he was arrogant and unrestrained, he held the Butcher in great respect.

There were two people in the world he respected: one was Luo Wushuang, the Divine Blade. Luo Wushuang cherished talent, knowing that his own blade technique was a one-armed style. Zhe Huali had both arms, and if he learned from him, he would either have to cut off an arm like other disciples or forge his own path.

Therefore, Luo Wushuang sent him to the demon Furo, making him apprentice under Furo. His character and spirit were admirable.

The second person Zhe Huali respected was the Heavenly Blade.

Zhe Huali had been trying to comprehend the Way of the Blade but could never truly enter it. His blade techniques were passed down from Luo Wushuang, whose rigid and precise style, emphasizing perfect control, had always restricted Zhe Huali's nature.

As for Furo, he was a powerful demon whose cultivation methods were sinister and bizarre. Although Zhe Huali learned some of them, he couldn't fully integrate them.

It wasn't until he met the Butcher and witnessed the Butcher's Heavenly Blade that, with just one glance, he experienced a sudden enlightenment, his mind opening up, and he stepped into the gate of the Way of the Blade.

Although the Butcher had not formally taken him as a disciple, Zhe Huali considered the Butcher his other master, hence his respect.

Tian Shu burst into laughter, suddenly smashing all the empty jars. He held his blade horizontally and exhaled a breath of alcohol onto the Imperial Palace Blade, saying, "Thank you, Heavenly Blade, for thinking highly of me. Today, we meet with blades as friends! Revered Celestial Mu, do you have horns?"

Qin Mu's chest swelled with heroic spirit. He smiled and replied, "Though I don't have horns, my Dao heart is sharp and formidable."

"Stick your head out!" Tian Shu brandished his blade.

Luo Wushuang, holding his blade with one arm in a stance like "embracing the moon," said softly, "Qin Hegemon Body, swordplay is your strength, but in the Way of the Blade, you are still far inferior."

Qin Mu laughed heartily. A surge of vital qi poured into the azure sky, transforming into a long blade. He bowed deeply, saying, "I ask for guidance from all you fellow Daoists!"