Yu Zijian’s eyes swivelled. “You better call me the Violet Clouds Sword Sovereign out of respect!”
Li Qingshan was taken aback. He never expected her to answer like that, but Yu Zijian was already laughing away. Her laughter was clear and straightforward.
A ray of sunlight pierced the dark clouds, landing on her. The blood on her gradually faded away. She was still dressed in a set of violet clothes, but she no longer resembled a little girl anymore. It was as if she stood in the spotlight, at the centre of the stage, radiating with confidence and glory. She was indescribably charming, but also too sharp to maintain eye contact with.
Before he knew it, the rain had stopped. The drizzle was but an old dream of the past. It had ceased to be a mental obstacle to her a long time ago. She had even become more resolute and able to let go than the decisive Li Qingshan who had originally persuaded her to become like this.
Li Qingshan could not help but sigh in amazement inside. When he first encountered her unexpectedly on the Island of Cherishing Flowers, she followed Hua Chenglu around like a maidservant, yet now, she already possessed extraordinary charms on par with Gu Yanying of the past. No, not even Gu Yanying from the past could compare to her right now.
This metamorphosis was like a fish evolving into a dragon.
As he overlooked the small city strewn with corpses and flowing with blood, he noticed in a daze that she had already become outstanding back then. The spirit of resolve and decisiveness was not something she should have possessed given her age back then. It was not something she could learn from just hearing a few vague and general principles either.
As it turned out, she was a lurking dragon, hiding her true colours.
At that moment, many of his memories regarding her became connected. During the entrance examination to the Academy of the Hundred Schools, she used her Pure Yang constitution to earn the good graces of the leader of the school of Daoism, the slovenly daoist priest Zhou Tong. Only Chu Tian’s Five Elements constitution came anywhere close to her, but in terms of disposition, who knew how many times she was stronger compared to him.
Along the way, she first earned the good graces of the first young miss of the Hua family, Hua Chenglu, before being abducted by the Green Vine mountain and earning the favour of the Green Vine Elder. When she entered the Academy of the Hundred Schools, she immediately became the disciple of the strongest school leader, Zhou Tong, and she was the successor of the Violet Clouds sword that Fu Qingjin had been after the entire time too.
Li Qingshan had assisted her several times in the process, and it went even more without saying after arriving in the World of the Five Continents. The blessings he had given her were far more than his old fellow townsman, Li Long.
Despite being a lecher, he had always shown her good graces, yet he had never developed any ulterior motives either. It was as natural as an elder brother caring for a younger sister. He did not ask for any compensation. Her mind remained pure the entire time too as if the concept of love did not exist to her, such that she was not tied down by anything.
She basically received the assistance of the great figures around her everywhere, turning curses into blessings every single time. In terms of good fortune, probably no one could match her. She seemed to possess a wondrous charm, not only winning over the people, but also receiving the protection of the heavens as well.
After attaining godhood, Li Qingshan gained control over the laws of both the pure land and the demonic land. He constantly peered back at the most distant memory of the primordial qilin, the ancient landscape painting called the Battle of Mending Heaven, comprehending the things hidden much deeper within it. He already understood the origins of her charm now. He knew what “Pure Yang” represented.
Fuxi and Nüwa were the primordial gods created from yin and yang during the splitting of hongmeng. Fuxi was “yang”, walking the path of the heavens, allowing the dragons to evolve. Nüwa was “yin”, walking the path of the earth, moulding it into people.
The two of them were born together and grew together, yet they also promoted and restrained one another. They were both siblings and husband and wife, loving one another but also destined to have conflict. It was a relationship that could not be described with the concepts of the current age.
Yang qi was clear and light, while yin qi was turbid and heavy. Yang primarily rose, while yin primarily sank. That was why empress Nüwa was destined to be defeated by her staunch and wise husband, forced to sacrifice herself, merge yin and yang together to mend the heavens with her own body.
As the saying went, yin alone was incapable of creation, while yang alone was incapable of growth. Their existences were mutual, so the sage-king Fuxi soon vanished as well.
The very nature of Yu Zijian’s Pure Yang constitution was the sage-king Fuxi’s heavenly path. It was also closer to the path of the dragon than any so-called “true dragon” he had seen in his life. She severed any sexual desires and refused to stagnate. She was of utmost purity, untouched by dust. She was of utmost staunchness, cutting through everything.
In hindsight, when she faced the Daemon General that had transformed from a Rock of Slaughter, Strongboulder, just how unbelievable had it been for her to remain unperturbed by the murderousness, wielding her sword to receive him?
If Si Long possessed that kind of purity, he would have never been bewitched by Su Mirao. If Ao Xuan possessed her staunchness, he would have never yielded to him either.
Her existence, her fortunes, her disposition, her cultivation… All of the coincidences and opportunities, all of the appearances and manifestations, were a product woven from the laws, an exhibition of the Dao.
Her path definitely could not be written off as a mere “Violet Clouds Sword Sovereign”. She was only showing the tip of the iceberg right now.
Li Qingshan even caught the whiff of a certain opportunity from this. Why had she appeared by his side? Then he could not help but sigh. “Sigh, you clearly were still a little girl yesterday.”
“I stopped being a little girl a long time ago!” Yu Zijian stopped smiling and flicked her sword complacently, which made it hum. It was as if she had just gotten her revenge for being lied to back then. “Hmph, you kept me in the dark for so long back then!”
“Sigh, you’re actually so vengeful.” Li Qingshan sighed glumly. Where did the pure, kind, and lovable little girl go?
“You’re not the only vengeful one in the world,” Yu Zijian grinned. “Speaking of which, you taught me all of this.”
“Is that really the case!?” Li Qingshan behaved like he was surprised, while Yu Zijian nodded solemnly.
Their eyes remained locked in stalemate for a while before they began laughing together. Their laughter echoed through the small city and everything gradually blurred, like a moistened painting. The dream receded layer by layer.
On the Heaven Leaning mountain inside a deep, spacious hall, Yu Zijian knelt on a large yin-yang diagram in the centre. She continued to smile away.
She wore a head ornament shaped like a dragon’s head, like it was about to take flight. She was dressed in a set of bright-violet clothes befitting of a swordsman with a large, black cape, spread out behind her. It was embroidered with a golden pattern of clouds. She seemed elegant and honourable. She was outstanding and valiant.
The Violet Clouds sword rested quietly on her legs, ready to answer its master’s call at any moment and slay all enemies.
Li Qingshan stood right in front of her with his hand on his chin, clicking his tongue in wonder. “This attire…”
“How is it? Does it look good?” Yu Zijian raised the cloak gracefully with her large sleeves.
“How drab,” said Li Qingshan.
Yu Zijian immediately lowered her head, like she was deeply hurt. She grumbled, “They made me dress like this. They said this is the only way I can demonstrate the Sword Collection palace’s might.”
“They?”
Yu Zijian began to list with her fingers. “Fu Qingjin, Hua Chengzan, and even someone as slovenly as my master began talking about appearance. I just can’t stand them.”
Li Qingshan came to an understanding. Those two calculating people had been fundamental to the Sword Collection palace’s current glory, while the slovenly daoist priest Zhou Tong had served as the strongest cultivator of the Sword Collection palace for a very long time, at least until she had comprehended the Sword Collection Manual of Heaven and Earth and broken through the third, fourth, and fifth heavenly tribulations in a short century.
Yu Zijian looked over and shot a glance at Li Qingshan. “Hey, do you have any idea just how much of a problem you’ve made for me?”
Li Qingshan pointed at himself. “Me? Making a problem for you?”
“Then tell me what the north is supposed to be!”
Yu Zijian leapt up and grabbed him by the wrist, leading him out of the hall. She did everything naturally, without any regard for Li Qingshan’s identity as the god of the world.
Li Qingshan followed her finger and gazed out, peering over the vast ocean. He immediately understood what she meant.
In the past, he had thrown all of the land corrupted by the Demon domain and the Hungry Ghost realm to the north, which also formed a continent. Originally, it had been cleaned a few times by Xiao An’s Samādhi Flames of White Bone, so there were no demonfolk or undead remaining. It had become a bleak land of exile.
But over the years, because he had made the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes open to the public, countless people set off on the path of cultivation and talented geniuses emerged endlessly. Not all of them were exactly kind figures, so when they got into trouble, they fled to the land of exile. Coupled with the fact that many of the worlds he devoured possessed demonic cultivators of the world, they all went to the continent to start sects of their own.
It led to nests after nests of demonic cultivators, each ruthless and vicious, capable of anything. They also participated in this race for the world, and they were basically like a pack of hungry wolves. When they were feeble, they would shrink back into their nest and shut their doors to the world. Regular cultivators would struggle to venture deeply into this land teeming with demon qi. Meanwhile, the strong would venture south to steal resources, abduct people, and commit countless sins.
As a result, this continent was called the Demon continent. It was the most dangerous place in the world, where everyone paled at the mention of it.
Against all objections, Yu Zijian moved the Sword Collection palace here to serve as the first barrier of the Central continent. She also held a total of three gatherings on the Heaven Leaning mountain; this led to duels, uniting all the sword cultivators of the world to go to war on the Demon continent. Only through countless brutal battles did she finally put these lawless demonic cultivators back in their places.
She had not achieved her cultivation through secluded cultivation. She had basically killed her way to where she was right now.
It was public knowledge throughout the world that the master of the Sword Collection palace was beautiful in appearance, agreeable in personality, and ruthless when it came to killing people.
