Chapter 1148: Sword Gate Secret

Cheng Jiuwen, clad in a simple Taoist robe, greeted him at the entrance. His gaze lingered on the bright, radiant sunlight gracefully spreading across the landscape, and he sighed inwardly with emotion.

‘A tumultuous autumn!’

Since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, the Sword Sect has always enjoyed a carefree existence.

Sword Intent inherently held a unique status, superior to all other cultivation arts. It had been carefully cultivated over the years, establishing a profound foundation. Moreover, it had adhered to its reclusive principles for many years. In terms of heritage, the combined strength of all other Solar Daoist traditions in Song was still less than that of the Sword Sect.

However, Cheng Jiuwen understood that this carefree existence might now be coming to an end.

Li Zhouwei, meanwhile, paused in the mountains. He meticulously observed the profound pine standing on the mountaintop, then bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Senior Tian Jiao."

As his words fell silent, a gentle green light surprisingly cascaded down. A warm, ancient voice resonated across the peak:

"Your Majesty, there's no need for formalities; we are all family."

Li Zhouwei's expression subtly shifted.

In his spiritual perception, the entire profound pine seemed to come alive in an instant. Vast divine abilities converged downward. The five Corner Wood divine abilities were already perfected, connecting with the Great Void, extending in threads and streams straight into the heavens!

‘Indeed... this Spirit Cultivator has long since perfected his divine abilities! How long has it been? A hundred years? Three hundred years? Five hundred years?’

‘With five methods perfected, and being the venerable Corner Wood, a symbol of growth among the Wood Virtues, any one of its divine abilities can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones. If it could leave this Sword Peak, even if Corner Wood isn't skilled in combat, it could still utterly defeat a group of northern cultivators!’

When Li Ximing broke through to the Purple Mansion realm and came here, Ling Mei once said that this senior had not spoken for fifty years. But time flows like water; it has been over fifty years since Li Ximing's breakthrough, meaning a full hundred years in total!

‘That's true... Now that Ling Mei has emerged from seclusion, it's not only the Sword Sect's peak in a hundred years, but also, facing that immortal cultivator who descended from the grotto-heaven, he can no longer remain in seclusion.’

He simply bowed and said:

"Senior, you are too kind."

The profound pine swayed slightly, rustling. It cast down handfuls of clear light. These continuously converged before Li Zhouwei, illuminating his face. Li Zhouwei felt as if a spring breeze had brushed past him. The faint aura on his face instantly dispersed. Even the deep, bone-visible wounds rapidly healed, leaving no trace!

"Thank you, Senior!"

Li Zhouwei lowered his head and replied with conviction. His heart stirred:

‘What powerful divine abilities!’

Li Zhouwei's physical body was extremely special. It was not like an ordinary Purple Mansion realm body that could be easily repaired. If others wished to heal him, they truly couldn't do it without some mastery of the Bright Yang path!

‘Did this senior, having weathered many trials, also achieve profound mastery in the Bright Yang Dao... Or is it that the perfected Corner Wood divine abilities are so close to the Dao that they can complete all methods?’

Cheng Jiuwen remained with his head bowed, respectfully standing by. He watched as Tian Jiao did not reply. Only then did he sit down, quietly brewed tea for the Wei King, and smiled faintly.

"It's rare to see Your Majesty."

The young man in the black robe stood tall and upright. Even with a great battle impending by the shore, there was no anxiety in his brows. He said:

"I must thank Senior Ling Mei for the Sword Sect's refuge back then."

Cheng Jiuwen shook his head and said:

"Your Majesty, there's no need for pleasantries. Cheng Yan's current defeat at your hands can be considered the repayment of that karma. As for protection... whether my Martial Uncle chose to act or not, Your Majesty would certainly have turned danger into safety."

The Sword Sect True Man observed him. Li Zhouwei, however, was also secretly sizing him up.

The man had a long face and thick eyebrows. He appeared stern, with nothing particularly remarkable about him.

Among Purple Mansion cultivators, Cheng Jiuwen did not have a particularly good reputation. Firstly, he was always a loner, not close to cultivators of the Solar Daoist tradition. Secondly, the Sword Sect's dispute over morality was essentially a struggle over the direction of the Solar Daoist tradition. Almost all Solar Daoist cultivators favored Ling Mei, and they knew that Cheng Jiuwen was behind those elders, so naturally, they didn't hold much goodwill towards him.

So he shook his head:

"Let's be pragmatic; that favor still stands."

Cheng Jiuwen fell silent for a moment. He understood that the Wei King before him was waiting. Whether he was waiting for his martial uncle or for the great general, being at the center of the vortex, he couldn't evade it.

So he simply raised an eyebrow and smiled:

"Regarding the matter of Ting Province, I should congratulate Your Majesty."

Li Zhouwei nodded:

"I should also see the Sword Sutra."

Cheng Jiuwen sighed, offered an apology, and softly said:

"I'm afraid Your Majesty will have to accompany me to Chenghua Hall. I cannot cultivate Sword Intent, and this Sword Sutra... even I cannot lift it!"

Li Zhouwei clearly saw that this Sword Sect True Man already possessed two divine abilities. His spirit was full and qi overflowed, his radiance deep and subdued. The third divine ability had likely been cultivated for a long time, just one step away from completion.

‘Even he can't lift it.’

Suspicion arose in Li Zhouwei's heart, and he stood up. Together with Cheng Jiuwen, he ascended the green steps. Soon, they saw the place that Jiangnan sword cultivators yearned for: Chenghua Hall.

The hall was not as magnificent as imagined. Apart from the slightly vibrant green tiles, it was mostly made of wood. Having withstood wind and rain, it exhibited varying shades of grey-white. A few simple round stools were placed beside the threshold.

Stepping inside, the walls on both sides were mottled with color. Engraved on them were various illustrations: some depicting demon slaying and evil eradication, others showing the salvation of the world. With blue, black, and red as the dominant colors, they appeared ancient and rustic.

Cheng Jiuwen seemed to be preoccupied with thoughts, and said:

"The Six Branches of Chongming—let's call them six branches for now, as they are the most widespread in cultivation and now the most capable, having produced a True Monarch. But the Sword Sect has always been obscure; even our ancestor once lamented that among all the Chongming cultivators, he was the least adept at profound mysteries."

Li Zhouwei understood that the ancestor he spoke of was Cheng Liuxing, the Myriad-Sun Sword Immortal, a disciple of the True Monarch. Cheng Jiuwen lowered his brows and said:

"One cannot blame anyone for this; it is truly rare to find someone with both high sword mastery and innate talent for cultivation."

He led Li Zhouwei forward. Soon, they saw a dark blue sword sutra. Its pages were pale yellow, half-open. The script was clear and bright, with radiant dark grey small characters above.

Below were dark grey characters. Tiny, dense characters on the side read: "Great Repentance, First Awakening, True Sword of Innate Nature."

Noticing Li Zhouwei's gaze, Cheng Jiuwen asked:

"This is the sword of True Man Xu Gui of Xuanzhou from Shu Kingdom. He visited a few days ago..."

Li Zhouwei had already heard that a Sword Immortal had appeared in Shu Kingdom, universally known as True Man Xu. Now knowing his specific title, he secretly nodded. The man before him then picked up a jade stick as thin as a chopstick, infused it with divine ability, and used it to turn the page.

He turned several pages before seeing characters light up on the Sword Sutra. The script was entirely silver-white, faintly tinged with blue.

Li Zhouwei shifted his gaze and saw written below:

"Azure Moon Unites Myriad Radiance, Homecoming Sword!"

He memorized the sword name, his golden eyes shifting, and softly asked:

"I have something I wish to ask, Senior: when did this Sword Intent's name appear?"

Li Zhouwei had come not only for his own affairs but also to lay the groundwork for Li Jiangchun's Sword Intent. Cheng Jiuwen showed a momentary surprise, then quickly spoke:

"When a disciple of your noble family arrived in the capital, met with His Majesty, and performed a sword dance in the palace, his name appeared in the Sword Sutra!"

Li Zhouwei subtly relaxed inside. He pressed further:

"It wasn't on the lake, then?"

Cheng Jiuwen lowered his brows and said:

"Our ancestors had experience with this: if one is within a secret realm or grotto-heaven, the Sword Sutra cannot perceive it. If not, then it's due to being obscured by some great magical power or divine ability... Although this book was written by a True Monarch, it has not reached the level of a Dharma Treasure. Even if it did, there are still many places in this world that even Dharma Treasures cannot reach..."

Li Zhouwei's heart gradually settled.

‘If that's the case, then it will be easy to conceal... As long as this Sword Intent was comprehended on the lake, or even in a grotto-heaven established by myself in the future, it can evade the Sword Sutra...’

He nodded with a smile, but his gaze fell upon the jade stick in the other man's hand, and he softly said:

"My grand-uncle mentioned that this Sword Sutra is peculiar. If one possesses Sword Intent, even a mortal can easily take it. But without Sword Intent... even a Purple Mansion realm cultivator would find it difficult to move. Senior Ling Mei was the one who retrieved it for him back then."

Although Li Zhouwei didn't explicitly state it, his meaning was abundantly clear. When Li Ximing visited the Sword Sect back then, True Man Ling Mei personally retrieved it and flipped through it with ease, showing no difficulty!

At that time, Li Ximing simply thought Ling Mei's divine abilities were formidable enough to ignore the Sword Sutra's weight. But now, seeing Cheng Jiuwen needing to use a spiritual tool even to turn the pages, slowly flipping them one by one, how could he not feel suspicious?!

The Wei King narrowed his eyes slightly, already harboring doubts:

‘When that young King Sword Immortal came to the lake back then, he mentioned there were four Sword Immortals in Jiangnan: the True Monarch of Shangyuan from that era, the old Sword Immortal of Daxiu Kui Temple, Qi Ze Duoling... there should be another one!’

Cheng Jiuwen heard the doubt in his words. He remained silent for a long time before finally replying:

"I won't hide it from Your Majesty... This matter... it is truly the... tragedy of my Sword Sect!"

The True Man's voice trembled slightly as he said:

"My Martial Uncle... his real name isn't Li Mei. His name was Cheng Xunzhi. He was a member of my Cheng clan, and also a direct descendant of the Cheng family!"

"In the Way of the Sword, he gained Sword Qi at the age of ten. My Grandmaster cherished him deeply. At that time, what he held was the Pear of Transmission, a treasured artifact. In fact, he had already comprehended Yu Xin during his Foundation Establishment stage: The Pure Yang Sword of Establishing Yang and Controlling Xin!"

"In cultivation, he attained the Dao through the most difficult path, the Jun Dui Yu. From not-exhausting-edge to harvesting-palace, it took him less than a hundred years in total... He had already touched the threshold of the Purple Mansion realm before the age of three hundred!"

"To put it bluntly, he was the Sword Sect's foremost genius in many years. His talent and sword cultivation were so high that they once surpassed several of the Patriarch's own disciples... In the past thousand years, those who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him could be counted on one hand!"

His brow was shadowed with gloom:

"The Dui Metal path, though merged and interfered with by Geng Metal, still holds its rightful position. The remaining two paths are both Life Divine Abilities. One is locked away by metal, unknowable to lower cultivators. But the last one, my Sword Sect also possesses."

"It was I who constantly burdened him with sect affairs. It was Senior Tian Jiao who remained silent, not uttering a word to his inquiries! He should have surpassed the Purple Mansion realm long ago... We were the ones who hid the fourth divine ability within the sect!"

"He cannot cultivate Life Divine Abilities!"

A chill emerged in Li Zhouwei's expression, and he softly asked:

"Why?"

A hint of pain appeared on Cheng Jiuwen's face, and he lowered his head, saying:

"Back then, a Sword Sect True Man had just died. Although Grandmaster had surpassed the Purple Mansion realm, he was injured. My Martial Uncle was a pillar of the sect and should have been carefully protected. Yet there was a rule of descending the mountain to temper one's morality, which sent him to guard an island in the sea..."

"At that time, the Great Desire Sect and the Purity Sect were contending for a secret realm. Tian Langzhi, the Maha of Great Desire, personally traveled south and engaged Senior Yuanshang in battle. Coincidentally, a stream of Released Light shifted and landed on the island."

Li Zhouwei frowned in doubt. He listened as Cheng Jiuwen, eyes red, walked out of the hall step by step, gritting his teeth:

"It turned out that my Martial Uncle, at a young age, had acquired Sword Intent, known only to Grandmaster and Master. That Maha of the Great Desire Sect, God knows how he calculated it, came not just to intimidate the Purity Sect, but to harm him!"

"That stream of Released Light... it confused the mind... When Senior Yuanshang arrived, he only saw sect members across the island with their throats slit by a single sword, and my Martial Uncle in a state of madness. And Tian Langzhi—still shamelessly—intended to take my Martial Uncle to the north!"

"True Man Yuanshang fought with all his might. Seeing he couldn't take him, Tian Langzhi harbored ill intentions. True Man Yuanshang used many spiritual artifacts to protect him... but when he was brought back to the mountain, it was already too late. Not to mention his physical injuries, his wife and children were both on the island, and died by his own hand. Although my Martial Uncle barely preserved his life, his Dao Heart was shattered..."

By this point, Cheng Jiuwen had walked beneath the profound pine that overshadowed the sky. His lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face:

"He swore to kill Tian Langzhi, but from then on, he would often awaken from meditation in fright, and could no longer use Sword Intent. Grandmaster and Master both understood that the Purple Mansion realm was now beyond his reach. Even if they could seek aid, attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion with my Martial Uncle's Dao Heart in that state would surely lead to failure!"

Li Zhouwei had now gained understanding. Cheng Jiuwen lowered his brows and said:

"So... Grandmaster asked Senior Tian Jiao for help... He used a spiritual branch from the Profound Horn Precious Tassel Pine to heal his injuries. He also invited True Man Shang Miao and his disciples from Xiuyue to act, using Xiuyue's sect-guarding treasure to erase that memory of his..."

He revealed the Sword Sect's most painful secret of the past few centuries. Clenching his fists tightly, he mournfully said:

"Changing his name to Li Mei was also a clever trick. Ordinary memory erasure cannot help one overcome the infinite illusions during breakthrough. Essentially, his body was recreated, almost as if he had been reincarnated. By taking Senior Tian Jiao's surname, Li, and relying on a more profound 'mystery of the womb,' this layer was suppressed..."

"But it could suppress the infinite illusions, yet not the Life Divine Ability! This Life Divine Ability is called 'Please Forget Both,' also known as 'Position of Fu,' it can comply with heaven and destiny, making people forget hardship and death, hence 'Please Forget Both.' What's more, for oneself, with life and fate involved, doubts will inevitably be released!"

"And this cultivation method is called the 'Heaven-Complying Fu Art,' its lineage is in Senior Tian Jiao's hands!"

Li Zhouwei's gaze trembled slightly. He listened as the True Man wept:

"It is precisely because of this... precisely because of this that Senior Tian Jiao dared not answer him for fifty years. It is why I procrastinated in finding a cultivation method for him, staying in seclusion year after year, making him rush about for everything. I only hoped his cultivation would progress slower, even hoped he would be like that person!"

"But he only paused before the Purple Mansion realm for over sixty years, then gently passed through. This matter eventually came to a head, and Martial Uncle also sensed something. Unable to obtain the Dui Metal cultivation method, he cultivated another path! I heard that this Geng Metal path is also a Life Divine Ability!"

The Cheng clan's True Man sighed deeply and softly said:

"Everyone says... my Martial Uncle champions engagement with the world, while I champion seclusion, supporting those old elders who oppose him... But how can this matter be explained in a single sentence? Is the power to decide between engagement and seclusion truly in the hands of people like us?!"

"Outside, there's much criticism of the Cheng clan, and I've become someone who outwardly complies but inwardly defies, an inflexible traditionalist. I, Cheng Jiuwen, don't care about a few rumors. But those who practice the sword only seek a clear Sword Heart, and Sword Immortals even more so. Once he regains his memories, how could Martial Uncle endure it? He will certainly seek out the Great Desire Sect for a reckoning!"

The True Man, usually stern, was now pale-faced, his eyes filled with pain:

"You all think this is a great joyous occasion for my Sword Sect. In reality... in reality, I, Cheng Jiuwen, fear this day's arrival more than anyone!"