Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Celestial Sword Dugu Jiu

The Yijing Marrow Cleansing Skill activated on its own. His Blood Qi surged as Pure Yang True Qi rushed through his flesh like a furious tide. A fine layer of sweat instantly broke out on his back.

His right hand subconsciously went for the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace on his back.

The pores all over his body sealed shut in an instant, and his skin took on a faint golden sheen.

"Senior, when did you..."

The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Yunfan’s pupils contracted sharply.

It was only then he realized, to his horror, that he hadn’t sensed the old man’s presence at all!

Even now, with the man standing within three feet of him, sweeping his Divine Sense over the area was like probing an empty valley, a silent abyss. Only the Sword Aura that occasionally flashed within those murky eyes proved this was a living, peer-to-none master.

What was even more terrifying were the changes inside his body. His normally lively and free-flowing Pure Yang True Qi was now cowering in the depths of his Dantian as if it had encountered a predator. The disguised aura he had formed with his entry-level Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill had long since been torn to shreds by a formless Sword Intent.

In that split second, the hairs on Xu Yunfan’s body stood on end, making him feel like prey targeted by a primordial beast.

He could clearly feel his Pure Yang True Qi receding like the tide, taking refuge deep within his flesh and blood. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Even the disguised aura meticulously constructed by his Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill disintegrated under the old man’s murky gaze. Only the profound and mysterious Linn Character Technique still flickered with a faint light in his Mud Ball Palace, his last saving grace.

When he looked up, the old man’s stooped figure seemed to transform into a colossal Sword Peak, every wrinkle on his face flowing with Sword Intent condensed to its very limit.

Xu Yunfan could even hear the faint tremor of his own bones under the pressure—an oppression even more suffocating than the Evil Qi in the Sword Burial Abyss.

He suddenly recalled a piece of information about the Martial Dao he’d discussed with Bi Yuan when paying his respects.

’Even among Ninth Realm Grandmasters, there is a world of difference. Some remain stuck at the threshold their entire lives, while others can elevate the realm to that of a Land Immortal.’

Xu Yunfan’s fingertips unconsciously traced the patterns on his Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace.

By concentrating his spirit and calming his qi, the thousand jin power that could normally shatter mountains and split stone slowly began to flow through his flesh once more.

A strange glint flashed in the old man’s murky eyes. His withered features twitched, revealing a hint of surprise.

"Interesting..."

The old man’s hoarse voice seemed to rise from deep underground, grating like scraping metal. "You, little one, have actually cultivated a method of Spiritual Condensation? No wonder you could break free from my Formless Sword Intent."

As he spoke, he suddenly grinned, revealing a few yellowed, broken teeth. "Interesting, truly interesting. To think I’d meet one of my own kind here at the bottom of the Sword Burial Abyss."

Xu Yunfan shuddered at his words, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

The old man’s casual words struck him like a clap of thunder.

Those five words, "one of my own kind," echoed repeatedly in his Mud Ball Palace, so powerfully that the golden light of the Linn Character Technique began to ripple.

He had clearly seen a soul-stirring Sword Aura flash through the whites of the old man’s murky eyes as he spoke.

’He came from the Sword Pavilion three hundred years ago, a man who dominated the greatest Swordsmen of his time... known as the Celestial Sword, Dugu Jiu!’

Xu Yunfan swallowed hard, his voice as dry and raspy as sandpaper.

"The Celestial Sword... Dugu Jiu?!"

The old man’s murky pupils lit up, his withered fingers pausing on his rust-flecked Sword Scabbard.

The moment the name left Xu Yunfan’s lips, countless Ancient Swords began to tremble and hum in response.

"Interesting."

Dugu Jiu grinned, revealing his broken, yellow teeth. "Three hundred years is a long time, enough for oceans to become mulberry fields. And yet, a little one like you still recognizes my name."

Xu Yunfan suppressed his churning Blood Qi and forced a stiff smile. "What a... coincidence. To think I’d meet you here at the bottom of the Sword Burial Abyss, Senior."

’When Celestial Sword Dugu Jiu first appeared, he had charged north to the Great Zhou Imperial Court and battled that Female Witch. He beat her so soundly that even now, she remained holed up in Jade Capital Dao, not daring to make a move.’

’Who would have thought this peerless master, the Celestial Sword himself, was hiding in the Taoist Sect’s Sword Burial Abyss? If word of this got out, it would be enough to make even Bi Yuan’s skin crawl.’

Dugu Jiu’s withered fingers gently caressed the Longsword in his lap, producing a soft, scraping sound.

The Evil Qi at the bottom of the abyss circulated slowly with his breaths, as if the entire Sword Burial Abyss resonated in time with him.

"Coincidence?"

Dugu Jiu chuckled, a playful glint in his murky eyes. "I am merely borrowing the Evil Qi at the bottom of this abyss to hone my Sword Intent and practice my Cultivation, that is all."

He suddenly took a step closer, the rusted Sword Scabbard emitting a piercing hum. "You, on the other hand... little one, that trace of Bone Marrow Cleansing Power on you smells exactly like what I cultivated back in my day. Quite interesting, so I decided to follow you and have a look."

A chill ran down Xu Yunfan’s spine. He forced himself to remain calm, but his right hand had already discreetly formed the seal for the Linn Character Technique. "You’re too kind, Senior. How could my meager Daoist Cultivation possibly compare to yours? Back in the day, you left the Sword Pavilion to test your blade against the world, challenging the Six Great Sects. You borrowed from the strengths of a hundred schools to achieve the Ten Thousand Laws Return to the Stream, gathering the Ultimate Martial Arts of All Realms into one. In two thousand years, you alone have accomplished such a magnificent feat."

"Heh..."

Everyone appreciates flattery, and Xu Yunfan’s words were so earnest that the smile on Dugu Jiu’s face grew even wider.

But the words he spoke next sent a chill through Xu Yunfan’s heart.

"You little fellow... if you had said such things before I comprehended the fourth step of the Sword Dao, I would have flayed you alive to stop your nonsense from sullying my Dustless Sword Heart..."

Dugu Jiu smiled slightly. "As for now... go on. I rather enjoy it."

Xu Yunfan breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but offer a wry smile, clasping his hands. "I’ve made a fool of myself, Senior."

"How dull."

Dugu Jiu shook his head slightly and asked casually, "Now that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit has been forcibly awakened by that crazy witch, have the Little Heaven and Earth Secret Realms... opened yet?"

Xu Yunfan’s heart skipped a beat. ’So this old monster has been hibernating in the Sword Burial Abyss, waiting for the Little Heaven and Earth Secret Realms to open!’

Xu Yunfan suppressed his churning Blood Qi, his peripheral vision catching the trembling Ancient Swords at the bottom of the abyss. The blades were humming as if in lament, as if they feared the old man’s very existence.

These Divine Weapons, dormant for hundreds of years, were not trembling without reason; they were responding to the Sword Intent within Dugu Jiu—an intent that was nearly decayed, yet still boundless and unparalleled.

Although the man had forged an indestructible Sword Heart, the erosion of time meant that while this flawless Sword Heart had grown ever more profound and powerful, it now carried the air of twilight.

This was because Dugu Jiu’s life was coming to an end.

"The Taoist Sect has already used the Profound Celestial Mirror to destroy most of the Little Heaven and Earth Secret Realms."

"Fools!"

Dugu Jiu’s withered face suddenly contorted, and a soul-chilling glint erupted from his murky pupils.

The Evil Qi at the bottom of the abyss roiled with his fury. The bronze chains began to move on their own, emitting a piercing clang.

Xu Yunfan could even hear the sharp crack of bones shifting within the old man’s body as a Sword Intent powerful enough to make the entire Sword Burial Abyss shudder began to awaken within him.

Outside the Sword Burial Abyss, the surging Evil Qi suddenly began to churn like a raging sea. The bronze chains trembled violently against the chasm walls, creating a deafening shriek of scraping metal.

Bi Yuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes whipping in the turbulent Evil Qi. A solemn look flashed in his deep eyes.