Free Web NovelChapter 88: Chapter 61: Separation and Reunion Swordsmanship
Xuzhuang’s heart skipped a beat. He was surprised, but also thought to himself, ’Just as I expected!’ He then bowed respectfully and asked, "I failed to recognize you, Zhenren. Please forgive my ignorance. I wonder what instructions you have for me, having led me here?"
True Master Xu Chen said, "I have gone to the trouble of leading you here, young friend, because I hope you will do a small favor for me."
Xuzhuang replied, "And what might that be, Zhenren?"
True Master Xu Chen said, "Heh heh. After the five Commanders open the Hall of Inheritance at the central pillar of the Grotto Heaven, I need you to retrieve a treasure for me."
Xuzhuang said hesitantly, "With my meager abilities, how could I possibly be of service to a Zhenren?"
True Master Xu Chen said lightly, "There’s no need to be so cautious, young friend. I would not stoop to plotting against a junior such as yourself. If you have any questions, you may ask them directly."
Xuzhuang didn’t dare to rashly judge whether True Master Xu Chen was telling the truth, but he knew that in the presence of a Primordial Spirit True Man, he had no power to resist whatsoever.
Xuzhuang said calmly, "You misunderstand, Zhenren. I only ask because I am naturally a cautious person."
True Master Xu Chen was noncommittal, saying with an unperturbed air, "A few days ago, I happened to see you display your Divine Techniques. Your cultivation and Daoist arts are both of the highest caliber. You are more than capable of handling this matter for me."
After a moment’s hesitation, Xuzhuang chose to ask directly, "A treasure within the Dharma Origin Grotto Heaven... do you truly need a junior like me to retrieve it for you, Zhenren?"
As expected, True Master Xu Chen answered freely, "To evade the Three Calamities, I have been self-sealed within this ice for over ten thousand years. I cannot easily take action."
Xuzhuang understood at once. No wonder True Master Xu Chen didn’t just snatch the item from a distance, but instead had to devise a way to bring him here.
Xuzhuang contemplated for a moment, then cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Since you’ve put it that way, Zhenren, how could I dare refuse? I will do my utmost."
True Master Xu Chen smiled. "Excellent. Listen closely, young friend. When the time comes, you only need to..."
Xuzhuang committed every detail to memory. After True Master Xu Chen finished speaking, he then asked, "You’ve obtained the Taiyi Rainbow Sword, and you’re struggling without a Sacrificial Refining Method for it, aren’t you?"
Hearing this, an image of the Rainbow Light Flying Sword from the Vermilion Gourd appeared in Xuzhuang’s mind. ’So it’s called the Taiyi Rainbow Sword.’
Before Xuzhuang could reply, True Master Xu Chen said, "Listen well, young friend. This is the Sacrificial Refining Method for the Taiyi Rainbow Sword..."
"What?" Xuzhuang said hastily, "I cannot accept a reward for something I haven’t earned. How can I possibly..."
"It is no matter," True Master Xu Chen said. "Since you are willing to act on my behalf, I naturally cannot be stingy with compensation. Even if you do not succeed, consider this a friendly gesture to forge a bond between us."
And so, as True Master Xu Chen began to fluently recite the Sacrificial Refining Method for the Taiyi Rainbow Sword, Xuzhuang quickly focused and listened with rapt attention.
When True Master Xu Chen finished explaining the Sacrificial Refining Method, Xuzhuang was lost in thought. Before he could fully process it, he heard the Zhenren ask, "Have you memorized it all, young friend?"
Xuzhuang dared not delay, replying, "I’ve memorized it."
True Master Xu Chen said with satisfaction, "In that case, I will not keep you any longer."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xuzhuang felt a stir. He turned to look and saw that the wall of ice had somehow opened, revealing the tunnel through which he had entered.
Seeing this, Xuzhuang bowed and said, "Then I shall take my leave." He turned and headed back into the tunnel. Not long after he exited the chamber, the ice wall sealed itself shut, as if no one had ever visited.
An unknown amount of time later, a faint sigh echoed from within the ice cavern, gone in an instant.
***
When Xuzhuang emerged from the ice mountain, the scene before him had changed completely.
Xuzhuang descended from the ice mountain, chose a nearby peak to ascend, and scanned his surroundings. He then realized that, without him noticing, he had been brought to a great height within the sprawling mountain range. From his vantage point, the highest summit was only three or four peaks away. It seemed True Master Xu Chen had saved him quite a journey.
’I wonder where the others who entered this Grotto Heaven ended up? Where are they now? The central pillar of the Grotto Heaven is so conspicuous, and the others aren’t fools; they’ll certainly head this way. I spent a lot of time absorbing that Spirit Vein, so I might not be ahead of them anymore.’
Xuzhuang didn’t press on immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the summit and carefully sorted through his thoughts.
’The Ancient Dharma Origin Sect... since a Primordial Spirit of theirs still exists, their lineage can’t be considered completely severed. So why has it fallen into such a state?’
’If an ancient lineage like this wasn’t completely broken, why would major powers like the Tai Su Sect, the Shangxuan Sect, and even Great Profound Demon Sects like the Yinji Demon Sect get involved and take on its karma so easily? I don’t need to think hard to know there must be deeper reasons and schemes at play.’
’Fortunately, since this is the case, the appearance of all four of the Tai Su Sect’s true disciples must have attracted the attention of the Zhenrens. I shouldn’t be at risk of falling into the schemes of other Primordial Spirit True Men. That means helping True Master Xu Chen should be a viable path.’
’Besides, even if it weren’t feasible, could I have possibly refused?’ Xuzhuang shook his head and smiled, pushing the matter to the back of his mind. He turned his attention back to the Sacrificial Refining Method for the Taiyi Rainbow Sword. After going over it carefully a few times, he felt he had a good grasp of it.
Xuzhuang suddenly pointed a finger, releasing his Thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Magical Sword to hover in the air. He formed a spell with his hands, and the Thunderstruck Wood Magical Sword wavered before suddenly splitting in two.
A closer look revealed that this was different from the Sword Light Division Technique. Two Thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Magical Swords hung in the air; one of them was indistinct and flickering. Xuzhuang changed his spell, and the two Magical Swords began to crisscross and flash, constantly swapping which was real and which was illusory.
Still not satisfied, Xuzhuang flicked his finger. The Thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Magical Sword transformed into a single streak of sword light, which then divided into sixteen streaks. With another flicker, it became thirty-two—sixteen real and sixteen illusory, shifting unpredictably.
Only then did a look of approval cross Xuzhuang’s face. ’This Taiyi Separation and Reunion Swordsmanship is truly impressive!’ he thought.
It turned out that after carefully studying the Sacrificial Refining Method for the Taiyi Rainbow Sword, Xuzhuang, with his profound understanding of Swordsmanship, had instantly detected a hidden sword technique within it—one that shared some similarities with the Sword Light Division Technique.
This Swordsmanship could divide a Flying Sword into multiple copies, much like the Sword Light Division Technique. The difference, however, was that the divided copies were merely illusory and did not possess the same power as the real sword.
However, the illusions created by this technique were not merely for show. The real sword and its illusory copies could swap places at any time, making it incredibly difficult to defend against.
However, the technique seemed to have been designed specifically for a Flying Sword like the Taiyi Rainbow Sword. When Xuzhuang used it with his Thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Magical Sword, the switching between real and illusory was not very subtle, and it consumed a great deal of Magical Power.
After a moment’s thought, Xuzhuang put away his Thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Magical Sword. He took the Vermilion Gourd from his waist, cradled it in his hand, and formed another spell. He formally began the Sacrificial Refining Method, sending his Magical Power into the Vermilion Gourd to envelop the Taiyi Rainbow Sword.
The Taiyi Rainbow Sword immediately jolted. After trembling a few times, it settled down. Although its spiritual essence continued to faintly resist, Xuzhuang began to slowly refine its restrictive seals.
Xuzhuang nodded to himself, thinking, ’The Sacrificial Refining Method is indeed correct. However, this sword’s spirituality is incredibly strong, and it’s still putting up a lot of resistance. It seems completely refining it will be no quick task.’
Hanging the Vermilion Gourd back on his waist, Xuzhuang dedicated a portion of his mind to simultaneously refining both the gourd and the Taiyi Rainbow Sword. Only then did he brush off his robes, stand up, and survey his surroundings.
He saw a mountain path winding its way down, disappearing deep into the clouds and mist. He couldn’t tell how far down it went before it began to ascend again, reappearing from the clouds on the mountainside of the opposite peak.
But this was not the only path to the opposite peak. A few hundred feet below, a pavilion was built into the side of the cliff. Extending out from beyond the cliff was a straight line of square, floating stepping stones that connected to another pavilion on the mountainside across the chasm.
After a moment’s thought, Xuzhuang decided against following the winding path down in hopes of stumbling upon some fortuitous encounter in a mountain palace. With a light step, he leaped down the few hundred feet, entered the pavilion, and stepped onto the first floating stone. The stone dipped slightly under his weight before steadying itself.
Looking down, he saw nothing but a vast expanse of swirling clouds. It was an abyss thousands of feet deep; a fall would mean certain death. Of course, such a height was not enough to frighten a cultivator. With a flick of his robes, Xuzhuang strode confidently forward.
