飘零影音

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 288: Absolute Sword Heavenly Manor

Directly in front of them stood an imposing structure that towered into the sky; even when they craned their necks, they could not see its pinnacle! The aura it emanated was chilling and solemn, exuding an indescribable sense of desolation. Anyone who dared to tread upon it would likely be toppled by the power hidden within, unable to rise again for eternity.

Xu Ziqing released his spiritual consciousness and sent it upwards along the structure.

However, even when his consciousness was exhausted and his strength spent, he still couldn’t see the top.

He vaguely understood that this was not an illusion meant to confuse people, but rather it truly was this high, making it impossible to discern.

Beside Xu Ziqing, Yun Lie was engaged in the same endeavor. His spiritual consciousness was naturally much more powerful than Xu Ziqing’s, yet it too could not reach the end.

In front of the structure stood a sword monument towering over a hundred feet, with the words “Absolute Sword Heavenly Manor” inscribed on it, the strokes appearing as if they were dancing like dragons and snakes, extremely fierce and sharp.

These four characters exuded an overwhelming dominance and sharpness, with a strength that seemed capable of cutting through heaven and earth. At a glance, they instilled a profound fear and an endless sense of… sorrow.

The sorrow was not for life but for the disappearance of hope, a feeling of regret for a pursuit that could not continue, coupled with an overwhelming sense of indignation and helplessness!

Upon seeing this, Xu Ziqing felt his spirit captivated by the strokes, as if countless sharp swords were slicing down upon him, threatening to turn him into pulp. Refusing to submit, he raised his hand and slashed out with a sword!

At that moment, the sharp swords shattered, and Xu Ziqing was pushed back a step by the force of the impact. It was then he realized he had unknowingly grasped the thousand-year steel wood sword in his hand.

Was this… a test?

At that moment, Cen Susu spoke up: “Fellow cultivator, do not take it to heart. Every sword cultivator who arrives here will be affected by it; it is meant to verify one’s identity.”

Cen Qingqing added, “If one is not a sword practitioner, they often cannot grasp its meaning and will naturally be repelled.”

Seeing this, the two sisters felt a bit more at ease.

Though they had met the two brothers by chance and received help from them, they still didn’t fully understand their backgrounds. Moreover, while the young man in the green attire was tolerable, the one in white, even without doing anything, made them feel an overwhelming sense of danger. Now that they had brought them here and undergone the test of the sword monument, at least they were indeed individuals of steadfast will, which eased their worries considerably.

However… the swordsmanship of the young man in green was rather ordinary; though his momentum was acceptable for a moment, the white-clad man was astonishing. He had merely shifted slightly, yet effortlessly transcended the challenge. Such profound mastery of the sword truly was unfathomable!

Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but smile wryly at this. Fortunately, he had been taught by his senior brother and had struggled with sword practice for years, allowing him to grasp some understanding of the sword’s essence. Otherwise, he might not have been able to enter this place. Given his senior brother’s current situation, if he couldn’t get in… it might cause some trouble.

Fortunately, Xu Ziqing had passed the test of the sword monument, and the Cen sisters smiled, saying, “Since the sword monument permits it, let us enter.”

Xu Ziqing nodded and followed the two as they slipped inside, asking curiously, “Cen Daoist friends, wasn’t the Absolute Sword Heavenly Manor unopened? Why can we enter now?”

The Cen sisters exchanged glances before replying, “It’s hard to explain clearly at the moment; once you enter the Heavenly Manor, you will understand.”

With some confusion, Xu Ziqing quickly passed through the enormous stone door.

Yun Lie firmly grasped Xu Ziqing’s left hand, landing beside him.

The Cen sisters stood by, saying, “We’ll send you two this far; we will return to our sect now.”

Xu Ziqing had no intention of keeping them and simply thanked them, allowing them to leave.

Unexpectedly, inside the building, there were no grand palaces or halls, but rather a vast garden.

Everywhere in this garden were stone sculptures, depicting flowers, birds, insects, fish, plants, and even precious stones. Each sculpture exuded a peculiar sharpness, a faint sword energy that lingered in the air, creating an almost murderous atmosphere.

The stone sculptures surrounded both sides, leaving only a pathway open.

Hand in hand, Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing entered, reaching the end of the pathway, where the view suddenly opened up.

This was an extremely expansive area; the ground was made of a type of soil whose name was unidentifiable, yet it was exceptionally hard. After testing it with true energy, Xu Ziqing could only hear a harsh metallic sound, very grating to the ears.

In front of them, mist enveloped the area, and floating within that vast emptiness were numerous treasures radiating spiritual light—there were vehicles, flying mounts, and other magical artifacts, as well as spiritual birds and flying beasts, and even small palaces, a myriad of items that were countless.

These treasures varied in height and distance, but undeniably, they all appeared exceedingly small in this vast space.

Like ants compared to the heavens and earth.

As Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie arrived at this place, several streams of spiritual consciousness swept toward them, as if attempting to see through them completely, which was quite frightening.

Yun Lie let out a cold grunt, and an invisible force separated those consciousnesses, preventing them from prying.

Xu Ziqing recognized this as the sword intent released by his senior brother, and he felt a sense of relief—remembering the situation of being scrutinized by countless people earlier made him break out in a cold sweat.

Within the Absolute Sword Heavenly Manor, there were numerous cultivators present. Though not all were sword practitioners, many had practiced sword techniques to some extent. Hence, this place truly was shrouded in sword energy, like mist, with sword intent filling the air like a forest.

Countless sword insights, even if not deliberately released, naturally leaked outward, gathering together to form an overwhelming pressure that left Xu Ziqing momentarily breathless.

However, having experienced many trials, Xu Ziqing’s will was quite firm. He quickly shook off the suffocating feeling and focused his gaze on the area surrounded by those cultivators.

Indeed, almost all the cultivators were revolving around a particular spot. In the center… if his guess was correct, it must be where the sword-shaped wood was located. Yet now, that area was shrouded in dense fog, making it impossible to see what was inside.

After Yun Lie demonstrated his sword intent, those streams of spiritual consciousness retracted.

However, Xu Ziqing saw someone coming on a sword, dressed in black with a solemn demeanor and sharp aura—it was a familiar face.

The black-clad youth landed swiftly and, upon seeing Yun Lie, revealed a hint of joy in his eyes: “Daoist Yun, Daoist Xu, I lost track of you earlier. The prince thought you two… It’s truly wonderful to see you now.”

As Xu Ziqing noticed him approaching, he immediately relayed the introduction about his senior brother, then smiled and said, “My senior brother and I accidentally entered another place and encountered some hardships, nearly unable to return. If not for fortuitously meeting a pair of sword-practicing sisters, we probably wouldn’t have made it here.”

The black-clad youth was Xi Lin, who indeed had arrived. Since he was here, Prince Tiancheng Xuan Ze should also be present.

Xi Lin was already accustomed to this green-clad youth speaking for the taciturn Yun Zhenren and directly said, “The prince is waiting in his vehicle; you two should come with me.”

Xu Ziqing laughed, “How could I refuse?”

Yun Lie, with no memory, remained silent, merely nodding slightly when Xi Lin looked over. Since his demeanor was unchanged from before, Xi Lin didn’t notice anything amiss and quickly led the way ahead.

As Yun Lie saw Xi Lin walking on his sword, his expression shifted slightly, and two streams of sword intent emerged beneath his feet, lifting Xu Ziqing up.

Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia, smiling as he said, “When I first met my senior brother, he arrived just like this, walking on sword intent. Even now, I can vividly recall that moment.”

Suddenly, Yun Lie said, “What if I can’t recover?”

Xu Ziqing sighed, “If my senior brother cannot recover, I would have no choice but to accompany him.”

This was not an empty statement. If Yun Lie remained bound by demonic thoughts, he would ultimately be unable to be accepted by those of the immortal path. Xu Ziqing had never parted from his senior brother; even without romantic feelings, he could not abandon him. At most, they would leave this sect and start anew. After all, Xu Ziqing had been able to cultivate and seek the way even before becoming a disciple.

Yun Lie nodded slightly upon hearing this. At that moment, his entire body was enveloped in sword energy, his white clothing fluttering, exuding an impressive aura that drew glances from others. Yet, in his eyes, there was a flicker of contemplation.

Xi Lin moved swiftly on his sword, and Yun Lie followed closely, as if flowing like light, not letting him fall behind.

In just a few breaths, the three of them saw a luxurious vehicle floating ahead, exuding a sense of restrained elegance and antiquity.

The door swung open wide, and the three of them swiftly stepped inside.

Xu Ziqing had never seen this vehicle but figured it must be another flying artifact of Prince Tiancheng Xuan Ze, so he was not surprised. Once inside, he found the interior resembled a grand hall, quite spacious.

More than ten people were seated on cushions, and the leader among them was Xuan Ze.

After a brief glance, Xu Ziqing noticed the number was incomplete; it seemed a few were missing, including some Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators. He didn’t know if they had been turned away from the Absolute Sword Heavenly Manor or had already perished within this Heavenly Secret Realm.

A sense of vigilance rose in his heart as he pondered, if even the Nascent Souls had fallen, what had they encountered in the Heavenly Secret Realm?

On the other side, upon seeing Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing enter, Xuan Ze’s face lit up with joy as he immediately called out, “You two, please take a seat! We’ve been here for several days, and it’s wonderful to finally see you!”

Xu Ziqing, surprised by his demeanor, quickly led Yun Lie to sit on the cushion Xuan Ze indicated and began to greet him: “Greetings, Your Highness. I regret that we got separated earlier and couldn’t meet with everyone in time, causing you to wait. I truly apologize.”

Xuan Ze smiled, showing no displeasure: “The secret treasure is fraught with dangers; missing some time is nothing to worry about.”

Xu Ziqing smiled in return and began to inquire about the situation there.

Just as he had previously guessed, numerous magical artifacts surrounded the core, which was the sword-shaped wood.

However, the area surrounding the sword-shaped wood was not only shrouded in mist, confusing everyone’s spiritual consciousness and sight, but there were also restrictions set up. Any cultivator attempting to probe would inevitably be harmed by the restrictions, losing artifacts or cultivation, and at worst, facing death with no remains left behind. This made those who were eager to act hesitate.

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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