Chapter 139 There Has Never Been a Sword (Part 7) "Was it me who pulled you up, or was it yourself...?"
Gathering his breath, the stone book on his lap returned to calm and went back into his storage bag. Lin Feiran sat cross-legged on the roof, lost in thought.
She accidentally activated the Sword Realm three times in total.
When she first arrived in the demon realm, Jiang Jin and the others came in pursuit. She fought Zhang Chunhe and used Li Changfeng's Haoran Sword Technique during the battle. Her mind was greatly opened, and she vaguely possessed the power of the Northern Wind Realm, but it was not obvious.
Later, Xiao Youxian fought against Pei Yu, engaging in a rapid sword battle. At that time, her heroic spirit soared, and her Wildfire Realm manifested, visible to all. Compared to before, she had made great progress.
Finally, there was the Flying Flowers Gathering, where she slew Xunfang with her sword. At that moment, the full moon transformed into the rising sun, a state of suspended sun, which manifested as a harmonious whole, its radiance so great that it shook Xunfang to her core.
This "domain" was actually very short-lived; it vanished almost as soon as she hadn't looked at it closely or had no intention of looking at it closely.
She had always thought that her mind was confused, which was why her sword realm had not been settled. However, she did not understand why her sword realm was becoming more and more perfect and more and more real. Now, after hearing what her senior said, the fog in her mind was cleared.
The elders said that people who could open the Three Realms of Sword were few and far between; even in their time, they were extremely rare...
With a smile in her eyes, Lin Feiran stood up on the roof, feeling refreshed and relaxed.
As soon as the Golden Wave Sword was drawn, the sword spirit appeared, pretending to practice swordsmanship with Lin Feiran. However, she did not hear any movement for a long time. She looked back in confusion and saw that Lin Feiran was only looking at the sword, seemingly lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" The sword spirit returned to her side.
Lin Feiran asked, "Senior, I would like to ask, did our former master open the Sword Realm? What kind of sword was the Golden Wave Sword originally?"
According to the words of her ancestors, most people open up a first sword realm first, and only when they have an epiphany will they open up a second one, but she is the opposite.
Having multiple sword realms is certainly good, but for her now, the first thing to do is to clarify the first sword realm.
To unlock the Sword Realm, one must understand one's own sword.
Upon hearing this, the Golden Wave Sword Spirit sized her up and almost immediately understood what she meant.
"I know very little about the Sword Realm, because my late master never developed his own Sword Realm. But if you ask what kind of sword Jinlan is, for my late master, the Jinlan Sword was born to annihilate the wind."
Lin Feiran was first surprised, then puzzled: "Slay the wind? The wind is ever-flowing and omnipresent, how can it be severed?"
The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword paused for a rare moment, then chuckled softly: "Indeed, the wind is formless, without body, without feeling, and even softer than water. Even if a weapon as sharp as the Golden Wave were forged, the former master would not know how to cut through the wind. Do you have any clue?"
Lin Feiran pondered for a long time, but shook his head helplessly: "The wind is everywhere, yet it is also invisible. Even when you are wielding a sword, the tiny breeze is right next to the blade. You can't cut it off or extinguish it."
The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword shook its head and sighed, "Our former master died because of this."
Lin Feiran asked in surprise, "Just because you can't kill Qingfeng?"
The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword nodded and then joked, "Our former master wasn't a sword cultivator at first. He was just a bit stubborn and fantasized about cutting through the wind, which led him to stumble onto the path of sword cultivation. Although he did alright later on, his comprehension of the sword was really not high, so how could he possibly reach the Sword Realm?"
Lin Feiran clicked his tongue: "...Now that you say that, I'm even more curious about the former sword master. Before becoming a sword cultivator, what path did this senior cultivate?"
The Golden Wave Sword Spirit stood with his arms crossed on the roof, gazing at the sea of clouds in the sky: "This is the way of weapon crafting."
She turned to face Lin Feiran, her veil fluttering in the wind: "This Golden Wave Sword was the masterpiece of our late master. What do you think?"
"There are many swords in Daohe Palace, and I have read various sword manuals and classics and know countless famous swords, but for me, there is none better than Jinlan."
A feeling of admiration welled up in Lin Feiran's heart.
Although there aren't many cultivators who switch paths, it's not uncommon either. For example, Zhang Chunhe switched from swordsmanship to archery, but the two paths have their own similarities.
As for weapon crafting and sword cultivation, they are completely separate and have nothing to do with each other, yet this senior mastered both extremely well.
She exclaimed, "You were truly a genius! It's a pity you're no longer alive, otherwise I would definitely want to get to know you!"
The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword stood in the wind, repeating the same sentence with a sigh: "You wouldn't want to know your former master."
*
On Qingqiu Hill, the wind passes without leaving a trace.
Qingyao returned on her sword. As soon as she landed, she was invited by her servants into a house to await the summons of King Qingping.
She did not resist, but walked in alone and closed her eyes to wait quietly.
The fox clan was eerily quiet today. A few servants walked across the corridor without making a sound. Only the wind swirled and blew, knocking down the porcelain vases by the latticed windows, scattering them all over the ground.
Nine Stars was startled and hurriedly withdrew his hand seal. He rushed to the window, cautiously peering out for a long time before closing the window and adding a third layer of barrier inside the room to prevent others from spying on him.
After finishing, she formed a hand seal again, and a plum blossom-shaped shadow appeared in her palm, which was the clan's secret technique for eavesdropping.
Two voices gradually echoed in the somewhat empty bedroom.
It was an ethereal female voice and a deep male voice.
"...I have questioned Chi Ya in detail about this assassination attempt. It was indeed his arrogance that led him to act rashly, which caused him to miss the opportunity. This matter should have been carried out by the two of you together, but you did not dissuade him."
The esoteric school has always been clear about rewards and punishments. We have already deducted credit for Red Fang's achievements; now it's your turn.
Prince Qingping was taken aback, clearly not expecting the assassination of Lin Feiran to be so important that it would lead to a deduction of merit.
For those in esoteric Buddhism, ordinary followers only see this as a symbolic blessing, like the merits in Buddhism, something to talk about, something that, once accumulated to a certain weight, can lead to upward advancement.
In some ways, this is more like the political achievement of human officials.
The higher one's political achievements, the closer one is to the center, and the more one knows.
For someone like Prince Qingping, no one understands or has a deeper understanding of what merits truly mean and what one can accomplish.
Therefore, he was very clear in his heart that he could not afford to lose even the slightest bit.
But being an old fox, he immediately suppressed his expression, looked up at the blurry figure in the magic circle, and laughed.
“Holy Maiden, Lady Aoxue did not inform me of the importance of this matter beforehand; otherwise, I would have gone there myself. You know how difficult it is to accumulate merit. In consideration of my unwavering loyalty, please show me the way.”
“Loyal?” The saintess chuckled. “The esoteric sect has never had a loyal person, nor does it need one.”
Although your daughter is not a member of the religion, she has been involved and thus tainted by karma. But I think you don't want her to be punished...
"No."
Prince Qingping suddenly spoke, a few fine lines appearing on his handsome face, a relieved smile on his face.
“I do love this child very much, because she looks most like me, but things have come to this, and I will not cover it up. How does the Holy Maiden intend to punish her?”
The saintess paused slightly, her gaze sweeping down from above with an extremely dismissive, mocking, yet unsurprised look.
She smiled softly, as if recalling: "When King Qingping joined the sect, he knelt before us, his eyes filled with tears, tears streaming down his face. His sincerity was so moving that it touched everyone."
I kindly told you back then that people change over time.
But you said your faith was firm and you would never waver, so how come you are now no different from others?
To be honest, I'm a little disappointed.
Prince Qingping remained silent for a moment, only lowering his eyes, his expression unreadable: "Times have changed, and the world has changed. I'm afraid the Holy Maiden will find this laughable."
The person opposite him chuckled and stopped beating around the bush.
"Lin Feiran's matter is of utmost importance. It's just a pity that among the nine swordsmen under his command, only Fuyin and Chiya can appear in public now. Otherwise, this matter would not have been entrusted to Chiya."
You are naturally the same as him.
However, if you refuse to deduct the amount, you will still suffer the consequences.
Upon hearing this, Prince Qingping fell silent and remained speechless for a long time.
The saintess smiled and said, "Although your merit is less than five taels, it is still two or three taels. If you really feel sorry for her, then take some out to offset it for her. You will be punished alone. Besides, for her, this was originally an undeserved disaster."
"No."
It's the same sentence.
"After the punishment, I will treat her well and appoint her as the next fox queen to comfort her."
The saintess chuckled softly, then said, "Whether human or demon, what difference does it make? When profit is at stake, even father and daughter can turn against each other. They're all the same. Someone will carry out the execution; just wait."
But I must also tell you, if you can eliminate Lin Feiran, you will gain seven coins in merit.
Prince Qingping suddenly looked up, his eyes darkening, but then he seemed to remember something and said, "Could the execution be postponed? I still have something to do, and after it is done, I will definitely bring Qingyao with me to apologize."
The saintess simply said, "You know the rules: if you want a reprieve, you have to pay a fine..."
“Yes, I am willing to deduct one coin of merit in exchange for a suspended sentence,” said Prince Qingping without hesitation.
“This one coin is enough to offset your daughter’s punishment.” The saintess sighed softly. “Permission is granted. Prince Qingping may deduct one coin of merit, leaving two taels and nine coins.”
A sudden, intense burning sensation came from his back. Qingping Wang knew that his achievements were fading.
"Thank you, Holy Maiden."
The two spoke in riddles and cryptic terms, but for Jiuxing, who had quietly left his mark, these words were like a thunderclap.
She didn't care about any achievements; all she heard was that the Prince of Qingping was pushing his daughter out as a scapegoat, forcing her to suffer the punishments of being devoured by the body, eyes, and soul!
"He's gone mad, he's absolutely insane!"
Jiuxing's originally pale face turned red with anger. She paced back and forth, clenching her fists.
No one, not even a little bit, can harm her child, let alone this suspected counterfeit!
She suddenly pushed open the door and stepped out, coldly glancing at the servants who passed by. She moved like the wind to the place where Qingyao was alone. As soon as she saw her, tears streamed down her face.
How could he bear to do this to such an obedient child!
How could she possibly survive such torture?
"Qingyao, my son."
Jiuxing stepped forward, took her hand, and tearfully explained the reason. Qingyao stared blankly, as if she hadn't expected the Prince of Qingping to make this choice.
In a daze, she looked at Jiuxing: "Mother, should I... run away?"
Nine Stars shook his head: "The fox clan is best at tracking. Where can you hide? Besides, the Secret Sect is everywhere. If they want to make a move, you can't defend yourself at all."
Qingyao recalled her earlier thoughts: "Let's go tell the clan elders, and the sage in the back mountain, and ask him to come out and determine the truth..."
"No."
Nine Stars shook his head, his face filled with sorrow.
“Recently, your father has often discussed matters with the elders until late at night and has also frequently interacted with other tribes. I think there is something important that we need to do together. At this juncture, in order to help your father’s cultivation level, even if we have some doubts, we will definitely not turn against him.”
Moreover, I have been contacting and testing the elders recently, and they have unwavering faith in your father.
“Our fox clan has such an ancestor, but you don’t know that he came down from the mountain once many years ago, but he was seriously injured and his cultivation level dropped greatly. That’s why he has been recuperating in the mountains until now. It is not easy to ask him to come down from the mountain.”
Qingyao frowned: "What happened that could have injured him so badly!"
Nine Stars didn't want to say much, but since things had come to this point, he spoke up anyway.
“It is not easy for us demons to cultivate. Originally, we had five Saints in the Returning to Truth Realm. Apart from two who have gone astray and whose whereabouts are unknown, the other three have a good relationship.”
One year, the Ginseng Clan was plundered and went to the Demon Capital to seek the protection of Ru Xian. At that time, he had just ascended the throne and was acting very arrogantly. He killed many of his pursuers, who happened to be one of the juniors who had reached the Returning to the True Realm.
Upon hearing this news, he went to fight Ru Xian, but after three days of fighting, he was defeated!
Upon hearing the news, the patriarch was both shocked and furious. He summoned another person to go with him, and the three of them fought a fierce battle by Mirror Lake for four or five days. Afterward, they vanished from Mirror Lake like hailstones, and the two patriarchs suffered a great decline in their cultivation levels, never to leave the mountain again.
Even Qingyao was shocked by the news: "He is only at the Divine Travel Realm, how can he fight two Saints at the Returning to Truth Realm alone!"
Nine Stars shook his head: "I don't know what strange method they used, but the saints also kept silent. At that time, we all thought that Ru Xian had died and disappeared, sinking to the bottom of the lake. Who would have thought that in just one month, he would return to the Demon Capital as usual."
If it weren't for this, the people of the demon realm wouldn't fear him so much.
Thinking of the events of the Night Journey, Qingyao asked, "What if I hide in the Demon Capital and seek the Demon Lord's protection..."
Jiuxing pursed her lips, raised her hand and pressed down on her shoulder: "This method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. How long will you have to live in fear? What if he doesn't want to protect you at all? Your younger siblings have already been captured by him. Will we have to escape to the Demon Capital in the future?"
"Why not strike first, subdue him, and make him take the blame for you, while you bear the consequences!"
Qingyao opened her eyes wide and looked at Jiuxing in disbelief: "Mother, what do you mean?"
“Years ago, your father told me that he thought you were the most suitable among his children to be the next lord.”
"He's getting old, it's time for him to retire."
Jiuxing leaned close to Qingyao's ear and whispered, "Tonight, I will call your younger siblings over to discuss this together."
...
After that assassination attempt, everything returned to calm, which made Lin Feiran feel somewhat unreal.
In order to avoid causing trouble these past few days, she has been staying in Xingzhi Palace to study the sword realm, but no matter how she tries, the sword realm is like a fleeting shadow, appearing only for a moment.
The ancestors in the Tieqidan book tried everything they could, but to no avail, which made them depressed and often brooded over the stone book.
Lin Feiran was somewhat puzzled, but unlike them, she did not feel melancholy.
When it comes to spiritual practice, no one is more patient than her.
As she tried each day, she also waited.
She was determined to go south to break the seal, but she didn't know how to avoid the secret sect and other people's attention. She had contacted Princess Mingyue before, but had not yet received a reply.
There was also someone like Xian, who had previously said she would remove the curse and take medicine for him as a protector. But she waited and waited, only to find that he would come to her room to read books every night at the same time.
The chairs were changed from soft chairs to recliners, and half of the floor was covered with a plush carpet, making the entire room clearly divided.
Half luxury, half austerity.
Ru Xian read most of the book and asked about esoteric Buddhism and Taoism every day, but never mentioned the matter of taking medicine.
Compared to cultivating, Lin Feiran is more easily anxious about things that are still unresolved.
Finally, today, she received a reply from Princess Mingyue.
“My dear friend Feiran, I have seen the silhouette you sent. According to Zeyu, the place in the picture is Jingyangpo near Jihai, where a tribe does indeed live. If you want to go to them without being discovered, you can travel by water.”
Enter the water from the pavilion in the middle of the lake at Xingzhi Palace, and flow into the Jade Belt Stream. We will be waiting for you in the water three days later.
Note: A cold snap has recently spread to the south, causing extremely cold water temperatures. Remember to bring amulets.
Her handwriting was not as elegant as before; instead, it was somewhat hasty, as if she had written it down hastily and then put down her pen and left.
Lin Feiran accepted the letter and returned to her room to prepare the talisman. Halfway through drawing it, she looked at the soft recliner beside her, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she heard a few noises by the window. She looked up and saw that the rascal was knocking on the window.
Lin Feiran smiled and asked, "What brings you here?"
The hamster knocked on the window and flicked its tail, and she suddenly remembered that it was Ru Xian who asked her to remove the curse.
What a coincidence!
Having just received Mingyue's reply, he immediately sent a servant to summon her.
Lin Feiran put down the cinnabar pen, picked up the rammed earth and leaped onto the wall, preparing to jump towards Ru Xian's residence, but it grabbed the corner of her clothes and rolled around in her arms.
"Not this direction?" After spending so much time together, Lin Feiran understood its meaning. "If he's not in the room, then where is he?"
The hamster straightened up, its tail pointing towards the tallest library tower in the center of Xingzhi Palace.
Lin Feiran looked down at the idiot, rubbed its ears, and left without suspecting anything.
The tower was seven stories high, and few people ever came here on ordinary days. She landed in front of the door, and a magic array passed through her body. After confirming that it was her, the door was opened.
This is a defensive magic array like hailstones.
Lin Feiran was unfazed and walked straight in carrying the heavy goods. Just as she was wondering why this place was chosen, she suddenly lost her footing and fell into a cool pool of water, where all she could see was a clear blue-green color.
The heavy goods in her arms transformed into swimming fish and flew away. She also swam up from the bottom of the pool and then looked around.
Behind the door was not a mountain of books, but a boundless, tranquil pond, with lotus leaves and delicate pink buds, and a brown awning boat drifting on it.
Gradually, the boat approached, and a person sat on the roof, smiling at her.
"How is the pond water in autumn? Is it cold?"
Upon seeing this person, Lin Feiran's previously anxious mood suddenly relaxed, her eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and she smiled curiously.
"It's not very cold. Where am I?"
Ru Xian raised her eyebrows: "This is the world inside the bottle, the Bitter Sea Pool. I need to use medicine, and just in case, I've chosen this place to remove the curse."
He pushed off with both hands and leaped from the canopy into the boat, creating countless ripples. The small boat swayed and approached Lin Feiran. He bent down by the gunwale, looked at her, and smiled, resting his chin on his hand: "Should I pull you out of the water, or will you get out yourself?"
Author's Note: I've written a little skit about a hero fighting a dragon to save a princess, which I plan to put in the author's notes in the next chapter. Since it's a Western fantasy story, it's different from the cultivation theme of this novel. If you're interested, you can click to read it; if not, you can skip it. [heart emoji]
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