The Ultimate Sword Peak was 3.2 kilometers tall, and the peak was like a longsword that radiated cold light in all directions.
It had just drizzled a little, so the cool breezes that blew were slightly cold.
Leisurely grass, stone urns, ancient wells… The layout was elegant and reasonable. The candlelight in the room flickered.
Ling Yue and Wen Zhou looked at each other as they sat. In front of them was a cup of high-quality Baihua Tea, and the fragrance of the tea permeated the air.
Wen Zhou waved his long sleeves lightly, and he was unusually kind and gentle. He said softly, “Yue’er, come and have a taste. This is the Baihua Tea that I received from Dongfan. It tastes pretty good, and I usually wouldn’t bear to drink it.”
“Thank you, Master!” Ling Yue cupped his hands slightly.
He then picked up the teacup and used his lips to take a sip. Instantly, a warm current spread to every corner of his body, washing away all the fatigue in his body. It was extremely warm as if his body was immersed in a hot spring. He was so satisfied that he wanted to open his mouth and moan.
“How’s it? Not bad, right?” Wen Zhou stroked his beard and asked with a smile.
“Yes!” Ling Yue nodded. Although he had doubts in his heart, he still listened quietly.
Wen Zhou picked up the teacup and drank a mouthful of tea. He narrowed his eyes and asked casually, “What do you think of Yu Tianrui?”
Ling Yue touched his chin with his finger and pondered for a moment before he answered, “He’s calm in times of trouble, he has great wisdom, he doesn’t have any schemes, and he has his own ideas. One day, he’ll surely rise and become supreme. He’s worthy of a deep friendship.”
“Yes, if one aspires to be roc, how could one settle as something insignificant?” Wen Zhou’s finger tapped the table with the rhythm of the swaying candlelight. The tea in the teacup was rippling with fine ripples.
As they stopped talking, the room fell silent.
After a long while, Wen Zhou’s lips parted, and he said, “Yue’er, given that you’re able to meet him, it means that you’re quite blessed, so you have to grasp this well. I have a faint premonition that this world might not be able to restrain him. You must grasp this opportunity firmly, and you have to exchange sincerity for sincerity. As long as you’re slightly involved with him, you’ll have a wider path in the future. No matter what, you’ll become stronger than me.”
Ling Yue’s heart trembled. He knew Ou Yangming was talented, but he never thought that his master would have such a high opinion of the young fellow. How could someone not be restrained by this world?
The words rumbled in his head like thunder and shattered his original world.
After being stunned for a long time, he nodded and replied to the elder, “Master, I understand.”
Wen Zhou looked out of the window and sighed. “You still don’t understand!”
After withdrawing his gaze, his aged finger was placed upside down on his interspatial bag. Following a flash of white light, a yellowish sheepskin lay quietly in his palm. Its aura was distant and if one were to make a rough estimation, it had probably existed for at least several thousand years.
Wen Zhou’s eyes were filled with reminiscence as he explained, “I obtained this sheepskin map in the Big Ruins. You can take it and give it to Yu Tianrui. It can be considered a big favor so as long as the incense continues to burn, judging from how he repays kindness by doing everything he can, you’ll surely benefit from this.”
“Master…” Ling Yue suddenly raised his head. His eyes were filled with excitement.
“Take it and don’t be pretentious.” As Wen Zhou spoke, he handed the sheepskin map over.
Ling Yue took the sheepskin map and felt that it was heavy.
His eyes felt hot, and he raised his hand to wipe his tears away. He cursed, “It just rained and the winds were strong. Sand was blown into my eyes.”
Wen Zhou did not expose him and simply exhorted, “Relationships can be managed, but it’s more important to know that you can achieve anything if you have the will. You mustn’t put the cart before the horse and remember that this sheepskin map is just a stepping stone.”
“I’ll follow your instructions, Master.” Ling Yue bowed respectfully and sincerely.
“Go!” Wen Zhou waved his sleeves, and he sounded very wise.
After Ling Yue left, he walked to the peak of the mountain, took out a flask of strong liquor, and drank it by himself.
Looking at the mountains and rivers below, the elder wondered, ‘Was the Voices of Gods and Demons that tore apart the golden arrow feather today really a secret technique of the Dragons? Are there really dragons in this world?’
He gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor, feeling a little lost in his heart.
Under the moonlight, the mountain path was rugged, winding into the distance.
Ling Yue touched the sheepskin map in his arms through his clothes, feeling a raging flame burning in his heart.
He thought to himself, ‘Master has always been very accurate in judging people, but if Brother Yu wants to break free from the shackles of this world, it feels too far-fetched. What did Master discover?’ He was curious but in just a moment, he had buried this thought in his heart. Even if Guan Yue asked him, he would not say anything.
His back gradually disappeared into the moonlight.
“Knock, knock, knock…” The knocking on the door was neither hurried nor slow.
With a creak, the door opened. Seeing Ling Yue, Ou Yangming laughed heartily and said, “Brother Ling, please come in quickly.”
As he said that, he made a gesture to invite Ling Yue in.
After chatting with each other for a while, Ou Yangming took the initiative to ask, “Brother Ling, why have you come to my humble abode at this time?”
Ling Yue took out a sheepskin map and said calmly, “I know that you’re about to enter the Big Ruins, Brother Yu, so I prepared a generous gift for you.” Before he finished speaking, he handed over the sheepskin map with both hands.
“This is?” Ou Yangming was shocked and asked in a deep voice.
“Brother Yu, you’ll know once you take a look.” Ling Yue blinked with a mysterious look on his face.
Ou Yangming’s heart shivered. He took the map with both hands. After just one look, his expression changed, and he said repeatedly, “Brother Ling, this… This is too precious!”
Ling Yue waved his hand. He smiled lightly and said, “Brother Yu, this map is only a remnant, but it could increase your chance to survive. The spots marked with a deep black color are places that can’t be approached. In the Big Ruins, danger and opportunities coexist. Brother Yu, don’t be pretentious already.” Since he said this, Ou Yangming could not refute. Furthermore, the sheepskin map was indeed a timely help.
Ou Yangming’s eyes focused as he cupped his hands and expressed, “Brother Ling, if you have any requests in the future, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I won’t refuse to help you.”
Ling Yue’s face lit up. Did he not do all this for this promise?
Even so, he responded, “Brother Yu, you’re too kind.”
Seeing that Ou Yangming was focused on the sheepskin map, Ling Yue’s eyes turned, and he took the initiative to say, “Brother Yu, it’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Ou Yangming stood up and sent him out of the courtyard. As he watched the young man leave, his eyes revealed a contemplative look.
A light flashed in his eyes as he sent his mental power into the sheepskin map and compared it with the map he saw at the top of the ancient tower. He was careful and did not leave out any details. After an hour, the young fellow thought, ‘The Big Ruins is really too massive…’ He could not even tell where the marked spots were. Perhaps the places marked on the sheepskin map were not even ten thousandth of the full map.
He sighed and put the sheepskin map into his interspatial bag.
※※※
On the top of the Ultimate Sword Peak, inside a stone house, a well-dressed man was sitting cross-legged. He had a 1-meter-long red sword case on his back. A red light surged and was frightening to see. Inside the sword case was the Ultimate Sword Peak’s sword that guarded the peak.
Zang Jian opened its eyes, and the shadow of a blood sword was reflected in them.
The blood sword quickly grew bigger, and the entire stone house was filled with sword Qi. It carried a cold intent and spirit that could freeze everything in the world.
When Zang Jian patted the sword case, the red sword flipped up and down and was agile.
He raised his right hand and drew a circle in the air. The blood sword followed his movements and pushed out, creating a wave of sword Qi. In an instant, the stone wall directly sank 20 to 23 meters in but strangely, not a single piece of stone flew up.
His eyes flashed, and he threw his head back and laughed, “Why do swords need to be buried? Swords need to be nurtured.”
At this moment, an old man carrying an old sword case walked in. The sword case was covered in rags, and there was a clear crack on it.
The old man’s eyes were turbid, and his Qi was blocked. He gave off a gloomy feeling. If one really wanted to describe it, it was as if he had just risen from the grave.
Zang Jian took a step forward and held the old man’s arm. He noted, “Rest assured, Elder Jian. This time, I’ll surely bring out from the Big Ruins the spiritual item that can prolong one’s life.”
The old man coughed and sighed. “One can choose not to believe in fate, but one must give in to old age.”
His name was Jian Yi, and he was the peak master of the Ultimate Sword Peak. His cultivation base in the path of swords was earth-shattering. He had once broken a river with a sword and changed it with another.
The old man was also a Venerable One. Even with his life force exhausted, ordinary Venerable Ones were no match for him.
Jian Yi was a sword cultivator. No one could compare to his sword cultivation and offensive techniques. If people who practiced the saber were majestic, where their sabers surged and were unstoppable, then people who practiced the sword were sharp and could pierce through the sky and everything else in the world.
Zang Jian said softly, “How could that be? You have to live a few thousand more years no matter what.”
“Haha, you’re the only one who knows how to please me. I guess I didn’t dote on you for nothing.” The old man put down the sword case and without any trace of the demeanor of a powerhouse, he sat down on the ground. Afterward, he continued, “Right now, the Seven Stars Sect is prosperous. Even if I were gone, it wouldn’t be a big deal. That being said, things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme, and things at the worst will mend. I’m just afraid that Sect Master will be blinded by despicable people for a moment. Once a person’s desire is triggered, it can’t be controlled no matter what. It’s not that I’m afraid of death, it’s just that I can’t die now! I have to be here to watch and guard over the place, and only then will I be at ease. Just like the Eternal Pill that has been widely spread in Zhangzhou—if someone wasn’t intentionally spreading it, I wouldn’t believe it no matter what.”
Zang Jian complimented him again, “Listening to your words is better than reading books for hundreds of years, Elder Jian.”
The old man pretended to hit him, but he dodged it very quickly.
Jian Yi glared at him, looking very imposing. Zang Jian knew he could not dodge it, so he lowered his head and walked to his side.
Elder Jian did not use any strength. He just tapped his forehead lightly, and his expression became serious. “We must be careful this time. The Big Ruins is vast and very dangerous. Even a Venerable One could die there.”
“Understood!” Zang Jian nodded.
The old man was still worried. He tapped his forehead with a finger, and his turbid eyes lit up.
An aura that could cut through the universe rippled out. Following that, a drop of blood essence flew out and turned into a sword-light that shot into Zang Jian’s arm.
After doing all this, the old man’s body staggered, and his face became even more withered. He said weakly, “Using my blood essence as a guide, when you slash with the sword, even Venerable Ones will have to avoid its light.”
Later, he limped out of the stone house. His back view looked old and desolate.
Zang Jian clenched his fists tightly. He was very determined.
