Qin Yun was delightfully surprised as he reverently received the sword. “Thank you, Master!”
Connate Cardinal treasures were extremely rare in the Three Realms. Many of the perfected Golden Immortals were invincible in their own fiefs before the Chaos developed. Back then, they were on par with Goddess Nüwa and the Three Pure Ones. They were absolute hegemons! Later, the Three Pure Ones, Goddess Nüwa, and the Buddhist Ancestor managed to attain a higher realm.
However, these older guys refused to bow their heads. At the very least, they showed no fear towards the Dao Ancestors and Buddhist Ancestor in Great Worlds. Therefore, Heavenly Lord of Primordial Unity and Salvation cultivated an avatar, Perfected Primordial Unity, and became a disciple of Primordial Beginning. It was a very rare occurrence in the Three Realms.
As they refused to bow their heads, many of them lacked Connate Cardinal treasures.
In contrast, it was people like Guangchengzi, Daoist Myriad Treasure, as well as Old Mother of Blackfoal Mountain, who managed to obtain Connate Cardinal treasures because of their masters.
But even so, even someone as lofty as the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure had very few Connate Cardinal treasures on hand. Therefore, he made it a point to say that he was only lending the Qingping Sword to Qin Yun. Qingping Sword knew he had only grasped a pinnacle Great Dao. There were slightly more than ten people in the Green Touring Palace who had attained the same realm. It was probably because he was adept in the Sword Dao and that he was a Itinerant Immortal that he gained the pity and favor of his master. His master was also probably impressed at Qin Yun’s determination to wipe out the fiends’ lairs.
“Keep the Qingping Sword by your side all the time and slowly study and experience it,” said the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure. “It will definitely be very a useful tool as you gain insights into the two Daos of Heaven and Earth.”
“I will definitely keep it by my side and experience the Dao of Heaven and Earth.”
With the Qingping Sword in hand, he could sense it just by infusing a tiny bit of his Dharmic powers.
The Qingping Sword…
It contained the evolution of a Chaos world, where Heaven and Earth had been split. It also held endless vibrancy in it.
This was no ordinary sword, but a Great World which did not truly develop. The foundation was immense, and if one was willing to give it up, there was a chance that the Qingping Sword would actually transform into a Great World.
“I’ve heard that the Connate Cardinal treasure, the twenty-four Sea Calming Beads, eventually transformed into the Buddhists’ twenty-four heavens. Daoist Burning Lamp had borrowed the twenty-four heavens to attain a perfected Great Dao before becoming the Buddhists’ Dīpankara Buddha. And similarly, Master’s Qingping Sword has the same chances of becoming a Great World,” thought Qin Yun. Every Connate Cardinal treasure contained endless possibilities. Perfected Golden Immortals all yearned for one.
“Disciple, although it it said that one’s family will not be implicated in the strife among mighty figures, there are exceptions. Those Ancestral Fiends are all mighty figures and value their statures greatly. If you were to wipe out the numerous lairs of the fiends, it is hard to tell if any one of them will be irreversibly infuriated by your crossing of the fiends. They might completely throw out decorum and attack your family.” As the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure spoke, he flipped his hand and took out three lotus seeds. “Have your wife and two children eat these three lotus seeds.”
Qin Yun was delighted. “Thank you, Master.”
He had his own arrangements.
In fact, when it came to strifes in the Three Realms…
Mighty figures had extraordinary statures. They naturally thought highly of face. Killing an opposing mighty figure was a display of ability! But to kill a mighty figure’s family? That would be something beneath them! They would be mocked all over the Three Realms!
Besides, if you killed the weak loved one of an opponent, wouldn’t the opponent kill one of your own? Who didn’t have a few disciples? Who didn’t have juniors they thought highly of? Mighty figures who had zero attachments were far and few between.
Therefore, not attacking the weak loved ones of others was a bottom line!
However, this bottom line could be violated under special circumstances!
For example, if the conflict was already at an internecine stage? Or if one had truly turned deranged?
“If there’s nothing else, you may leave,” said the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure.
“Master, I still have one more thing.”
“Oh?” The Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure was surprised.
Qin Yun said politely, “My homeworld, the Great Chang world, has been invaded a few times now in a bid to occupy it! We have long suspected that the Great Chang world has a secret which causes the fiends to spare no expense in their attacks. Before Star Destruction died, he pleaded for mercy in exchange for the Great Chang world’s secret. However, I still killed him. I’m very curious as to what secret the Great Chang world has, but I have not been able to find anything despite searching through it numerous times.”
“I’ve long investigated. However, a Small World is restricted to me in many ways. Even I can’t see through it. This will require you to scrutinize carefully.”
Qin Yun was enlightened. “Yes, I understand. I bid you farewell, Master.”
“Okay.” The Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure nodded slightly.
…
Tenebrous Fiend Abyss.
In Bojia Palace, Patriarch Bojia was sitting atop his throne. He had a calm expression, but his other three faces were either looking conflicted, furious, or deranged.
“I paid the price of a Connate Numinous treasure, the Great Yin Disk, yet the operation failed.” Bojia whispered. “Darn you Qin Yun. Your rise to prominence sure is fast.”
“That idiot Star Destruction. He even risked the secret of the Great Chang world in exchange for his life. But since Qin Yun killed him, he likely isn’t aware of the Great Chang world’s secret.” Patriarch Bojia’s eyes were filled with coldness. One of his eight arms lifted up a golden cup to imbibe a pale green alcohol. “It’s only about ten thousand years. I have sufficient patience to wait. In ten thousand years, Qin Yun will have turned to dust due to being an Itinerant Immortal. I have the patience to wait a million years or even ten million years.”
“I can only hope that Qin Yun and the rest will not discover the secret,” Bojia thought to himself.
That was all he could do at present.
“Oh?” Bojia suddenly looked ahead.
A shadow gradually materialized in front of him in the middle of the hall. It was a lanky figure draped in red robes. It had blood-colored brows and a keen gaze. Standing there was none other than Patriarch Spirit Devouring, Daoist Wen.
“Brother Spirit Devouring,” said Patriarch Bojia with a smile immediately.
“Star Destruction is dead.” Daoist Wen’s eyes were cold. “He was the disciple I thought highest of. He died because of you.”
Bojia smiled sycophantly. “Brother Spirit Devouring, this isn’t my fault. Who would have guessed that Qin Yun would suddenly gain insights into a pinnacle Great Dao? Who would have imagined that Star Destruction would die inside a Small World? I even lost a Connate Numinous treasure, the Great Yin Disk, in the battle.”
“Star Destruction was a Chaos Godfiend. He was born to have the ability to devour stars to strengthen his body. He is most suited to the spirit-devouring lineage,” said Daoist Wen coldly. “He stayed in the Skyfiend realm to devour lives and enhance his entire body to the level of his spirit-devouring arms.”
“Is that even possible?” said Bojia in shock.
“My spirit-devouring lineage is only able to cultivate a particular part of the body to an indestructible state. I have always been racking my brains think of a solution to cultivating the entire body. And Star Destruction’s talent as a Chaos Godfiend gave me hope.” Daoist Wen looked at Bojia. “I have always been helping him in secret, but a fool like you caused his death.”
Even at the level of a perfected Ancestral Fiend, he still pursued greater strength. He even aimed to reach the level of the Dao Ancestors or Fiend Ancestor.
“Brother Spirit Devouring, who would have imagined that Star Destruction would perish in a Small World?” said Bojia nervously. “Besides, Qin Yun’s potential is above Star Destruction’s. By forcing him to bring forward his tribulations to become an Itinerant Immortal, something good happened for all of us fiends.”
Daoist Wen’e eyes were ice-cold. “Fine. I shall not harp on this matter, but I have a question. What is the Great Chang world’s secret?”
“Didn’t I say that it was because of Qin Yun’s flying sword?” said Bojia immediately.
Daoist Wen looked at him, but did not continue. His body dissipated as he departed.
Bojia heaved a sigh of relief.
“You want me to tell you the Great Chang world’s secret for nothing?” Bojia sneered. “I have plenty of patience. I can wait hundreds of thousands of years. Once the opportunity comes, I’ll take the Stellar Stone for myself in one fell swoop.”
He was willing to lose decorum with Patriarch Spirit Devouring for the thousand-foot-long Stellar Stone.
He was naturally not going to reveal the truth.
As for Empyrean Lord Kuifu, he was naturally to be impounded and not come into contact with anyone.
******
Great Chang world. Grand Dominance City’s Qin Manor.
Qin Yun stood on the mirror lake’s banks with the Qingping Sword on his back. Carrying the Connate Cardinal treasure felt like he was carrying a massive Great World. However, he did not feel any pressure. It accentuated Qin Yun’s sensation of the mystical changes that the Heaven and Earth underwent. With its help, his insights of the Dao of Heaven and Earth were accelerated quite significantly.
“Open!”
Qin Yun waved his hand.
Two wisps of Sword Qi flew out and tore through the void as they descended in the distant Effulgent Great World.
In the Effulgent Great World.
Qin Yiyi and Han Lin were sitting in a boat. They were eating fish and drinking while counting the treasures they had in front of them.
“He was a Skyfiend, after all. Why is he so poor?” Qin Yiyi grabbed a Cosmic Bag and poured out some of the Dharma treasures. She was quite displeased.
“He was an ordinary Skyfiend, after all. He couldn’t even withstand three strikes of mine. With him being so weak, how can he have any powerful treasures?” said Han Lin with a smile. He was pretty talented in the Han family and although he was only a second firmament Skyimmortal, he was able to fight above his level and cross swords with a fourth firmament Skyimmortal.
“Whatever.” Qin Yiyi began putting away the treasures. She picked up her chopsticks to begin eating the fish. “This fish is really not bad.”
At that moment—
Sword Qi descended from the distant space and swept both Qin Yiyi and Han Lin up. Following that, they vanished, leaving the boat filled with delicacies and fine wine floating on the lake.
…
On the other end of the Effulgent Great World.
“Junior Brother. You have to learn more from me when out adventuring.” Two streams of light were flying in midair. An elder was sitting on an azure-colored calabash while the other was flying on a flying sword. The latter was none other than Meng Huan.
Meng Huan had only recently transcended the tribulations to become a Skyimmortal. While still a first firmament Skyimmortal, he had gone out adventuring with his senior brother.
At that moment, Sword Qi came to this void and encircled Meng Huan, sweeping him away.
“I’m telling you. Some demons are really not to be believed—” The elder was taken aback as he stopped mid sentence. Meng Huan had vanished from his side.
“Junior Brother Meng! Junior Brother Meng!” The elder stood up immediately. He looked in every direction and turned flustered. “Where is he? Why did he suddenly vanish?”
He was a fifth firmament Skyimmortal after all. He enjoyed a high standing in his sect, but his junior brother had vanished under his nose without him even realizing it?
“What do I do? According to Master’s orders, that Sword Immortal Qin has strength that comes close to Third Prince and Perfect Sovereign Erlang. God forbid anything should happen to his son under my watch. If something happened, I’ll be in big trouble!” The elder panicked as he immediately contacted the sect.
…
Great Chang world, Grand Dominance Qin Manor. Beside the mirror lake.
Qin Yiyi and Han Lin appeared out of thin air.
Meng Huan also appeared.
The three of them looked at each other in befuddlement. Qin Yiyi and Han Lin did not know Meng Huan, and Meng Huan did not know them either.
However, they all saw a single person.
The person carried a dark green sword. He stood there like a divine sword that came from tearing apart the Heaven and Earth. Qin Yun’s aura was fused with the Qingping Sword’s. It left Qin Yiyi, Han Lin, and Meng Huan stifled.
“Dad!”
“Dad!”
Qin Yiyi and Meng Huan shouted out in unison before they looked at each other instantly.
