Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
The Shen Dragon King was a powerful demon born of the Immemorial Celestial Dragons who had just ascended to the Vipralopa Stage. Yet, it seemed as if he had no ambitions and had no intentions to flaunt his power or establish a reputation for himself.
Even though their encounters were limited, Zhu Yi understood enough: this demon was the classic calm and steady kind, the kind to take practical action that produced legitimate results. The Shen Dragon King wouldn’t make his next move without receiving confirmation that Zhu Yi, the Higan Golden Bridge or the Tiangang Swordmaster were elsewhere at Xiling City or Mount Baiyun.
Zhu Yi said, “The Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation looks like it needs a bit more time to be put into use. If it’s completed in time, even though it may not help the situation in Xiling City and Mount Baiyun, it should be able to reinforce the inter-world passage in the Southern Wilderness against the Shen Dragon King.”
“If I have time I will help you, little junior. But before that, you have to be careful.”
Shi Tianhao nodded his head and said, “Don’t worry, second senior. I understand.”
With that, he greeted Zhu Yi and the Tiangang Swordmaster before he swept open the void and flew into the far end of the horizon. The Lu Yuan Grand Sage and Zhuge Zhan followed closely behind.
Zhu Yi and the Tiangang Swordmaster stood on top of the Higan Golden Bridge as they watched Shi Tianhao and the others depart. The Tiangang Swordmaster crushed a voice-projecting crystal and said, “Wenrui – how long more do you need over there?”
The current sect leader of the Mount Shu Sword Sect was the Shaoyang Swordmaster of before – Ji Wenrui. “The gate of every participating sect has been set up with the sword formation. Right now, we are using the Primordial Sword Stone for the final overall alignment and refinery. It may take up to five days, but if we’re lucky then we can finish it by today.”
The Tiangang Swordmaster’s brows creased a little. For cultivators, with respect to cultivation, forging items or setting up formations, a day or two was an almost negligible unit of time.
However, the current situation could change drastically at any moment and every second was important.
At the Tiangang Swordmaster’s level of mastery, the wailing sounds coming from Mount Baiyun were so loud that it shook him at the very roots of his ears, and he could feel that the flow of spiritual energy in the Divine Lands was getting more disorganized.
The flow of spiritual energy settled down a little once it received the infusion of the Energy of Draconic Origin under the direction of the Imperial Palace. However, the situation was still deteriorating.
It was difficult for the Tiangang Swordmaster to make an optimistic estimate about the amount of time that Mount Baiyun had left.
Still, he didn’t say anything much as Ji Wenrui and the others were already trying their best and they had already raised the speed to highest possible level.
This was all because of his unification of the sword cultivators from the Mount Shu Sword Sect to participate in the war and he made his intentions very clear to the world – this was the reason why the powerful individuals from the other sword sects temporarily placed their trust in Mount Shu and agreed to cooperate.
Otherwise, the other sword cultivators found it hard to trust the Mount Shu Sword Sect ever since the Saintly Celestial Sword all those years ago. They would rather die in battle than return into the Saintly Celestial Sword’s cage.
“Any news from the Cangming Swordmaster?” The Tiangang Swordmaster asked after a moment of consideration.
Ji Wenrui answered, “Elder Cangming and the others seem to be stuck in a cycle of confusion and have lost their touch with the sword.”
The Tiangang Swordmaster said quietly, “Got it. Do try your best to prepare the sword formation as every ounce of energy against the demons will increase our winning chances.”
“I understand.” Ji Wenrui ended her connection with the Tiangang Swordmaster and thought to herself, “If only Elder Cangming can be like Elder Tiangang.”
“Even the Grand Moon Swordmaster and the Guanchong Swordmaster… Sigh!”
She shook her head and turned back towards the giant sword formation before her. Uncountable streaks of sword Qi extended into the air, as if it was a giant sword that pierced right into the universe.
There was a squarish black stone in the middle of the sword formation. It didn’t look impressive at all as if hovered in midair. However, the sword Qi that were sharp enough to slice through the void didn’t leave a mark as they landed repeatedly upon the surface of the stone.
Nine streams of black energy seemed to emanate from the black stone. One of them was connected to the core of the sword formation before Ji Wenrui, while the other eight streams reached deep into the void.
The other eight black lines were meant to connect to the mountain gates of the other eight powerful sword sects. Every location has a sword formation of its own, and the black lines interacted with the great sword formations of each sect as they drew power from them.
The Mount Shu Sword Sect’s Immortal Heaven Universal Sword Formation had been broken. At this point, large numbers of sword cultivators from Mount Shu channeled their own sword minds and sword Qi and, under the leadership of Ji Wenrui and the others, formed another Mount Shu Sword Formation.
The power from the nine different formations were congregating upon the Primordial Sword Stone and were being honed continuously.
Nine spheres of light sparkled above the Primordial Sword Stone. These nine spheres of light formed a formation by themselves as a tinge of sharpness exuded from within.
There were different scenes within each light sphere. Some flickered with starlight, some displayed the movements of the Sun and the Moon, another flashed with the vastness of the ocean, yet another embodied terrifying thunder-bolts as lightning strikes crackled.
All the light spheres undulated and drifted in the air and appeared like they were not yet settled down – but the formation was starting to come together.
An unkempt middle-aged man wearing simple clothes was standing beside Ji Wenrui in silence. He was the leader of one of the Mount Shu Six Passages of Sword – the Lixiong Swordmaster of the Lixiong Sword.
He watched the nine light spheres and muttered under his breath, “What a pity.”
Ji Wenrui understood the meaning of his words, but shook her head and replied, “This cannot be helped.”
The Lixiong Swordmaster was referring to the fact that the nine great sword sects had varying strengths, thus the alignment and compatibility of their fusion was difficult.
The Heavenly Master Sword Sect was directed by the Heavenly Master Swordmaster, who had just recently entered the third-level immortal soul stage. The Lightning Swordmaster of the Lightning Sword Sect also made a break before the start of the war of the worlds, and successfully entered the second-level immortal soul stage, and he was the one in charge.
The Supreme Radiance Swordmaster, the Starry Swordmaster and even the current sect leader of the Mount Shu Sword Sect, Ji Wenrui, were all in the second-level immortal soul stage.
The Intense Flaming Swordmaster, the Great Barren Swordmaster, the Sun Radiance Swordmaster and the Corona Swordmaster were all in the first-level immortal soul stage.
It was a pity that the leader of the Vast Sea Sword Sect, the Vast Sea Swordmaster started to try for the Way of the Virtual Entity before the beginning of the war and was still shut in up till now. The Vast Sea Sword Sect’s sword formation was directed by the Azure Pulse Swordmaster instead, who was in the second-level immortal soul stage.
The Lixiong Swordmaster remarked, “If both you and the Vast Sea Sword can attain the Way of the Virtual Entity, the power of the sword formation will improve, and the preparations will also be quicker.”
Ji Wenrui answered, “There’s nothing we can do about that. Let’s just finish our tasks at hand.”
He turned towards the Lixiong Swordmaster. “Once the sword formation has been completed, we will execute the original plan – you will carry the Primordial Sword Stone and the Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation into the Southern Wilderness for Elder Tiangang. I will remain here to handle our own sword formation.”
The Lixiong Swordmaster nodded his head. “I understand.”
He paused before his face betrayed a strange expression, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself at the last moment. Ji Wenrui glanced at him with an inquisitive look as he had never seen this kind of emotion on his comrade before.
The Lixiong Swordmaster met Ji Wenrui’s gaze and said slowly, “Not too long ago, there was a sudden surge in sword Qi within the mountain but very quickly disappeared. Were you aware of that?”
A tinge of sullenness flickered in Ji Wenrui’s eyes. “I felt it. It seems like the sword Qi and sword mind from Elder Cangming, as if he wishes to reform the heart of the sword heart, but to no avail.”
The Lixiong Swordmaster murmured, “Is that it? Why do I feel like there’s something strange going on…”
Ji Wenrui didn’t respond to his comment. He had the same feeling before, and he sent the Shaoyang Swordmaster to visit the Cangming Swordmaster but it was a futile attempt in the end.
However, he couldn’t let it go. During his conversation with the Tiangang Swordmaster previously, Elder Tiangang had specifically asked about the Cangming Swordmaster’s situation, and Ji Wenrui had a feling that this wasn’t pure concern. Even though the Tiangang Swordmaster wasn’t personally at Mount Shu, he was a great sword cultivator in the Vipralopa Stage and he had probably sensed it as well.
The only thing was the Cangming Swordmaster was still like a decadent old man who had lost his way in life. Nothing changed in his condition, and Ji Wenrui could only temporarily repress his doubts.
He took a deep breath and said to the Lixiong Swordmaster, “Let’s just focus. We…”
Before his voice dropped, both Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster’s faces changed. From the summit of Mount Shu, a flowing streak of light plummeted downwards and landed right in the middle of the sword formation!
This wave of radiance positioned itself in the center and stopped abruptly above the Primordial Sword Stone. It was a sword that had a broken blade.
Even though the blade was broken in half, Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster recognized it with one look – it was the prime treasure of the Mount Shu Sword Sect, the supreme ruler over all other swords in the Grand Celestial World, the Saintly Celestial Sword!
The moment this broken white jade sword entered the Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation, the Primordial Sword Stone shuddered.
Ji Wenrui was taken off guard and wanted to intercept it but his heart froze when he turned around to see a small-sized and skinny old man standing behind him and the Lixiong Swordmaster. It was the other Supreme Elder of the Mount Shu Sword Sect next to the Tiangang Swordmaster – the Cangming Swordmaster!
The Cangming Swordmaster was overflowing with sword mind and sword Qi, as if he was about to slash the entire world into two. Even though he wasn’t at his peak condition like before, he was close, and he seemed like a divine blade that reigned supreme over the world.
However, both Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster could detect an uncanny sensation from this ancient Elder that came over them like a haze of terror, and they even became a little fearful.
The Cangming Swordmaster’s expression was unnaturally calm as he gazed at Ji Wenrui. “Are you trying to spy on me, Wenrui, by sending the Shaoyang Swordmaster?”
He opened his palm and revealed a tiny world made entirely from sword Qi. There was a single person inside – even though he was still alive, he was completely unconscious and was just drifting around inside. It was Ji Wenrui’s disciple, the Qingtian Swordmaster, who took over as the Shaoyang Swordmaster.
Ji Wenrui eyed the Cangming Swordmaster and said, “Elder Cangming, what are you trying to…”
A thunderous roar came out from the tiny frame of the Cangming Swordmaster. “I should be asking you that question! What exactly are you trying to do?”
“Don’t you understand, that this is our best chance to re-forge the Saintly Celestial Sword?”
Ji Wenrui and the Lixiong Swordmaster’s expressions changed once more but the Cangming Swordmaster no longer bothered himself with them. He made a gesture and pointed towards the Primordial Sword Stone and the broken white jade sword – and the Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation instantly started to change!
The nine light spheres hovering around began to fuse together to form a white circle that enveloped and orbited around the Primordial Sword Stone and the broken white jade sword.
In the next moment, the white circle and the white jade broken sword vanished into the void while the black Primordial Sword Stone started to tremble vigorously.
There was no other sound in the void, and all that was left was the shrill sound of the sharpening of a sword.
