A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 353 Frost Sword

When Gu Xu and the Sword Master arrived outside the Sword Refining Pool, they felt waves of heat rushing towards them. They immediately blocked the scorching heat by circulating their internal energy.

The Sword Master beside him stared intently at the golden dragon-patterned sword in the pool. At this moment, the light on the sword's blade had changed from blue to purple, but the two colors seemed to be unstable, and there were faint signs of it breaking.

"How long has this been going on?"

As the purple light on the sword was gradually forced back to half a foot below the hilt, the Sword Master's heart sank slightly, and he turned to look at the person guarding the pool.

"Reporting to the city lord, it was only discovered today, less than half an hour ago."

The person guarding the pool immediately replied that the seven of them had been watching over it day and night. If there had been no mistakes, the sword should have turned completely purple by now. However, for some reason, half an hour later, the Frost Sword suddenly shook and then became like this.

"You all go down first." The Sword Master couldn't afford to lose his temper with the group in front of Gu Xu, so he took a deep breath, waved his hand at them, and the people guarding the pool, seeing this, put away their fearful and uneasy expressions, bowed respectfully, and then turned and left the Sword Refining Pool.

“City Lord, this Frost Sword seems to have been stimulated in some way, which is why it has become like this. I have a guess.”

Gu Xu's mind stirred, and he felt the Azure Thunder Sword hanging at his waist vibrate. He looked at the solemn-looking Sword Master, who, upon hearing this, seemed to understand something and said with a hint of surprise, "Daoist Master, could it be...?"

Although the Sword Master hadn't finished speaking, his eyes were fixed on the sword on Gu Xu's body. Gu Xu nodded slightly, and then, under the Sword Master's expectant gaze, Gu Xu took the sword from his waist. Just then, the Frost Sword in the Sword Refining Pool seemed to be stimulated, and the lava in the pool surged. Instantly, streams of flame shot into the sky, heading towards the Sword Master and Gu Xu.

Seeing this, the Sword Master snorted coldly, his true energy surged, and an invisible energy shield enveloped the two of them. The stream of flames crashed into it and were immediately sent back. At this moment, as Gu Xu slowly drew out the Azure Thunder Sword, the Frost Sword vibrated even more rapidly. At the same time, the azure light was gradually swallowed by the repelled purple light. Instantly, the light changed from azure to purple, completing its transformation. A purple pillar of light shot into the sky, and the lava in the Sword Refining Pool paused for a moment. Then, streams of flames flew in all directions like rain arrows.

Sword Master noticed that this stream of flames was more intense than before, and his expression changed slightly. He was not sure if his protective aura could stop the stream of flames. Looking at Gu Xu, who was still drawing his sword, he thought for a moment, took the Bloodstained Sword in his hand, and with a clang, a red light flashed. The stream of flames that rushed towards him was shattered in the clash of sword light. Sword Master drew his sword, and the stream of flames floating in the air gathered together. With a deep shout from Sword Master, the stream of flames returned to the Sword Refining Pool.

"Lord, you can stop now."

Upon hearing this sound, the Sword Master turned around and saw that the precious sword had been completely drawn and was held in his hand, emitting a bright, clear light that dyed the surrounding land blue. In an instant, the red, blue, and purple lights intertwined and shone. The Azure Thunder Sword, the Blazing Blood Sword, and the Frost Sword also hummed continuously. Clear sword cries accompanied by the three-colored lights shot straight into the sky and echoed across the heavens. From near to far, even those thousands of miles away could see them clearly.

Nestled in a picturesque valley, amidst lush green pines and bamboos, lies a sizable and exquisite temple. A babbling brook flows gently, incense smoke fills the air, and the faint sounds of meditation drift in. In the quiet and vast expanse, a mournful melody from a distant zither drifts on.

Under the moonlight, the nunnery was shrouded in a veil, except for the central hall which was brightly lit. A slender figure dressed in monk's robes was playing a seven-stringed zither. In the lamplight, she was revealed to be a nun with a face as smooth as jade, delicate features, and calm, serene eyes.

This person is none other than Abbess Sixin, the current leader of the Sixin Sect. Her Seven Wonders Qin Melody is unparalleled in the martial arts world, making her one of the four great masters. Even Guan Yutian of the Supreme Alliance is unwilling to provoke her.

Just as Ling Shuangjian's purple rainbow soared into the sky, Master Sixin's heart was stirred. She played a tune incorrectly, and in an instant, she flew out of the hall with the Seven Absolutes Zither in her arms. The lights went out, and in the blink of an eye, Master Sixin had reached the top of the hall. Her gaze was fixed on the direction of Sword Casting City. Looking at the soaring purple rainbow, Master Sixin's expression immediately became solemn.

"The Frost Sword has turned purple and rainbow-colored. It will be completed in five years. It seems that the martial arts world will soon be in turmoil again. I wonder what will become of my Heartless Sect then."

Master Sixin sighed. Although she was also one of the four great masters, the Sixin Sect had only been established for a few decades and had very few disciples. There were only five disciples in the sect. Compared with the other three sects, which had hundreds or even thousands of disciples, the sect was really vulnerable. In this great calamity, her own death was a small matter. The inheritance was the most important thing. The five disciples she had taken in had limited talent and could not bear the heavy responsibility of passing on a unique skill.

"It seems I need to venture into the martial arts world." Master Sixin decided to find a suitable successor before the great calamity arrives, so that she could focus on her own affairs in peace.

At the same time, in the Supreme Alliance, Guan Yutian stood on the top of the Jietian Pavilion, looking at the purple rainbow in the direction of the Sword Casting City. He felt relieved. It seemed that the Sword Master had not been slacking off. If things continued like this, the Ling Shuang Sword would definitely be forged within five years. Although it would still take a long time, he should start preparing the necessary things.

"Nine Dragon Stone, Hua Tuo is here. You have come at the perfect time. Heaven has favored our clan, and we will unify the martial world."

A cold wind howled, and the pale moon shone brightly. On the second peak of the Sea Shark Palace, beside a bronze bell about two people tall, Helian Ba ​​said to the inside, "Immortal of Wine, if you are willing to reveal the secret recipe of the Overlord Wine, I will release you immediately, how about it?"

"Helian Ba, you're dreaming! Even if I die, I won't let you have your way. You'll never get the secret recipe for Overlord Wine. Give up, hahaha!" A deep voice came from inside the bronze bell, vibrating and humming, causing Helian Ba ​​to frown and snort coldly.

"Immortal of Wine, don't be so stubborn! My patience is limited. If you don't hand it over, I'll make you suffer. This bronze bell was specially cast for you. If someone is trapped inside and you strike it with your true energy from the outside, the sound waves will be unbearable, making life and death unbearable. Immortal of Wine, do you really want to try the feeling of this sound penetrating to the bone?"

Helian Ba's chilling words caused the sound inside the bronze bell to pause, followed by a loud laugh. This made Helian Ba's face turn very ugly. He reached out and slapped the bell, and with a loud thud, the bell's sound was deep and resonant, penetrating straight into the bell. It shocked the wine immortal inside, causing his three souls to leave his body and his seven spirits to scatter. His head was throbbing, and his body felt like it was being torn apart. One miserable scream after another came from inside, which made Helian Ba ​​smile.

Just then, Helian Ba ​​grunted in response, and a purple rainbow suddenly appeared in the northeast direction, lingering above the clouds for a long time. Upon seeing this, Helian Ba ​​was overjoyed.

"In the Sword Forging City of the Sword Venerable, the Frost Sword has completed the penultimate process. It seems that the day this sword is born is not far away. I must obtain this sword, wipe out the Supreme Alliance in one fell swoop, and complete the hegemony of unifying the martial world!"

Helian Ba ​​stared intently at the purple rainbow, glanced at the bronze bell beside him, uttered a few harsh words, then turned and descended the peak, returning to the main hall.

In Sword Forging City, Sword Hero and the others were also alarmed by this sudden strange phenomenon.

"Dragon Sword Envoy, pass down the order that the city lord is cultivating a divine skill and there is no need to panic."

Jianxiong calmly issued the order. Others did not know the origin of this strange phenomenon, but she did. In order to prevent unnecessary trouble, she needed to appease the people in the city as soon as possible.

"Yes, Young City Lord."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Sword Envoy immediately left with the other three. After the three left, the Sword Hero pondered for a while and then quickly ran towards the back mountain. Her lightness skill was also quite good, and she arrived at the foot of the mountain in a short while. When the mountain guard saw her coming, he immediately let her pass. The Sword Hero did not stop and headed towards the mountainside.

At this moment, in the sword refining pool, Gu Xu had already sheathed the Azure Thunder Sword, and the Sword Master had also put away the Blazing Blood Sword. In an instant, the cave was filled with purple light, and the place with the densest purple light was where the Frost-Slaying Sword was located.

Sword Master looked excitedly at the divine sword that was rising and falling in the lava pool, its whole body radiating purple light, and murmured to himself, "The sword turns into a purple rainbow, the wait is finally over. The blood and sweat of three generations of my sword family is finally about to be completed."

Seeing the Sword Master's excited expression, Gu Xu stepped forward and said calmly, "In my opinion, this divine sword needs one more step to be fully formed. This step is crucial. If this step cannot be completed, all the previous efforts will be in vain."

Hearing Gu Xu's words, the Sword Master finally came to his senses, his face regained its composure, he shifted his gaze from the Frost Sword, turned to look at Gu Xu, and said in a deep voice, "What the Daoist said is correct, there is indeed one last step."

After a pause, the Sword Master took a deep breath, his expression solemn. He pointed to the Frost Sword in the pool and said solemnly, "To be honest, Daoist Master, this divine sword will turn from purple to white in five years. At that time, the Nine Dragon Stones will need to be thrown into it to serve as the sword's soul."

Through these few days of communication, Sword Master discovered that Gu Xu was not a treacherous or cunning person. After careful consideration, he decided to reveal the secret of the Frost Sword. If possible, he could also recruit another expert. When the Demon Sword Clan arrived after the sword was completed, he would not be without the power to fight back.

"The Nine Dragon Stone is a treasure of heaven and earth. It is said that it has the power to bring the dead back to life. However, the Nine Dragon Stone appears only once every hundred years. I wonder who has it in their hands."

Gu Xu was somewhat surprised that the Sword Master was able to tell him some secrets about the Frost Sword. Although he still held back, it was still a great act of courage.

"According to historical records, a Nine Dragon Stone appeared in the martial arts world a hundred years ago. It was later obtained by the Tianji Sect. The Tianji Sect was destroyed for no reason eighty years ago. It is said that it was because they used the Nine Dragon Stone without authorization, which brought disaster upon them." The Sword Master's tone was somewhat regretful. Over the years, he had also been secretly searching for the Nine Dragon Stone, but he had not found it. He had even sent people to search the Tianji Sect ruins inch by inch, but still found nothing.

"I have heard of the Tianji Sect. It is said that this sect is most skilled in divination and astrological analysis. Each generation of sect leader is called Tianjizi. Their supreme martial art is the Dreamless Limitless, which is a first-class martial art. It is a pity that I have not been able to witness it with my own eyes, which is a great regret."

Upon hearing Gu Xu's words, Sword Master's heart skipped a beat. He had only seen a few records about the Heavenly Mystery Sect in ancient books, but judging from Gu Xu's tone, he seemed to know a great deal about it. Just who was this person?

"Master Dao is very knowledgeable. Please forgive my ignorance. This is the first time I have ever heard of the name 'Dreamlike Limitless'."

Sword Master considered himself a grandmaster and had witnessed many martial arts techniques. Judging from the Taoist priest's tone, he seemed to highly regard them, which made Sword Master take note.

"This Dreamlike Limitless skill is in no way inferior to the City Lord's Dragon Riding Slash, Guan Yutian's Mighty Dragon Palm, and Helian Ba's Distraction Palm. However, although this skill is the Heavenly Mystery Sect's signature technique, no disciple in the sect is allowed to practice it. It is only for those with the right affinity. Those who disobey the order will be expelled from the sect. This rule is quite interesting."

Seeing the Sword Master's slightly puzzled expression, Gu Xu continued, "This skill originated from the Daoist school. It is a martial art that combines offense and defense. It is based on Yin and Yang energies and is supplemented by a unique method of cultivating Qi. Only then can one begin to understand its basics. Otherwise, if you force yourself to cultivate it, you will feel comfortable and your power will increase in the beginning. However, over time, your meridians will atrophy, and when you finally circulate your true Qi, you will explode and die!"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master was greatly alarmed. This martial art was so bizarre. His original intention to search for it was immediately extinguished. Now, thinking back, he realized that he had not yet mastered the ninth level of the Dragon Riding Slash. To covet other martial arts would be to put the cart before the horse and end up with nothing.

"It seems that I am not the one destined for this. I will continue to cultivate the Dragon Riding Slash in order to reach the ninth level, so as not to disgrace my ancestors."

"The city lord is indeed quite ambitious. If others were to hear of this skill, even if they didn't take it seriously at the time, they would still be thinking about it afterward. This is all due to greed. The city lord previously used the Sword-Piercing Pill to forcefully unleash the ninth level of the Dragon-Riding Slash. He gained a lot of insights at the time. Given time to digest it, he will surely be able to reach the peak of cultivation within five years."

Gu Xu's words were not flattery, but rather a judgment based on the aura within the Sword Master's body.

Upon hearing this, Sword Master was overjoyed. He wouldn't have believed it if someone else had said it, but Daoist Gu Xu never spoke without reason. He must think highly of him. Thinking of this, Sword Master's heart was filled with excitement. With the Daoist's words, his confidence was even stronger.

"Then I am honored by your kind words, Daoist Master."

Sword Master laughed heartily, then turned around and saw that the Sword Refining Pool had returned to normal, and the Frost Sword was slowly withdrawing its purple light. He was immediately relieved and called out to the outside. Soon after, the seven people guarding the pool came in.

"You all take good care of the sword-refining pool. If there is any unusual activity, report it immediately. If you are late, you'll lose your heads!"

"I will obey the city lord's command."

The seven men had sensed the sword light as it soared into the sky, and now, witnessing it turn purple, they were all filled with excitement. Fortunately, the city lord turned the tide and nothing went wrong; otherwise, the seven men would have been guilty of a thousand deaths.

Sword Master waved his hand, and the seven people immediately stood up, bowed again, and then each found a place to sit cross-legged, their eyes fixed on the Ling Shuang Sword in the pool.

"Master, there are some unique places inside this mountain, please."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu nodded and followed the Sword Master out of the Sword Refining Pool. Just as they reached a lava bridge, a disciple suddenly rushed over, bowed to the Sword Master, and said respectfully, "City Lord, the Young City Lord has arrived."

"Okay, have him come over."

Sword Master replied, and the disciple bowed again before turning and leaving quickly. Sword Master then said to Gu Xu, "The strange phenomenon just now must have startled them. Daoist, please."

Sword Master gestured, and the two stepped onto the lava bridge. The originally scorching heat became very cool after stepping onto the bridge, and a refreshing feeling spread under their feet.

"This bridge?"

Gu Xu was genuinely surprised. This bridge was definitely not made of ordinary materials, otherwise it wouldn't be able to withstand the raging flames, nor would it have this refreshing feeling.

"This bridge was built by our ancestors by mixing Arctic cold stone with various strange cold substances. This is how it can calm the fire veins and resist the devouring of lava."

As the Sword Master explained, he placed his palm on the bridge. With a burst of true energy, Gu Xu was astonished to find that the bridge was covered with a thin layer of frost. After the Sword Master withdrew his hand, the frost remained for a good while under the heat of the lava.

"If it is activated at full power, this Froststone Bridge can temporarily freeze the lava beneath it for several months, but once that is done, the bridge will be ruined."

"It seems that the Jian family's ancestors left this backup plan as a precaution. It must be said that our ancestors considered things very comprehensively."

Gu Xu couldn't help but admire the ancestor of the Sword Clan. He knew that one day the mountain would collapse and the mountain would erupt with lava. Once the lava flowed out, the Sword Forging City below the mountain would be destroyed. With these few months, it would be enough to evacuate everyone in the city.

"I know that I am far from being able to achieve even a fraction of what my ancestors accomplished, which is why I am determined to devote all my energy to forging that divine sword and live up to the trust placed in me by my forefathers."

"Father, Taoist priest."

Just as the two were chatting on the bridge, Jianxiong appeared before them. Gu Xu nodded slightly upon seeing him, while Jianzun asked, "Xiong'er, what is it?"

"Father, just now the purple rainbow soared into the sky. I have already sent out the order that you are cultivating divine skills. On the way here, the Dragon Sword and his men have already calmed down the unrest. Please rest assured, Father."

“Well done. The fewer people who know about this, the better. The day when the Frost Sword appears in the world is not far off. Xiong’er, the city’s defenses need to be doubled. I will entrust this task to you.”

"Yes, Father." Jianxiong immediately responded, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped. Seeing this, Jianzun frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Speak plainly if you have something to say. What kind of behavior is this, being so indecisive!"

Upon hearing this, Jianxiong was startled and immediately replied, "Father, I recently received news that Sai Huatuo and Sai Xishi, the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, have appeared in the martial arts world and are currently in the territory of the Supreme Alliance. These Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust have never cared about the rights and wrongs of the martial arts world, so their appearance in the Supreme Alliance at this time should make us be wary."

After Jianxiong finished speaking, Jianzun's expression also became solemn. These three heroes of the Wind and Dust were all not to be trifled with, especially Sai Huatuo, whose medical skills were superb and had saved many martial arts practitioners. He was quite famous in the martial arts world. There was also Jiu Zhongxian and Sai Xishi, whose strength was not weak either. Even he himself had to be wary of the three of them working together.

"Don't act rashly. Send someone to find out what their purpose is. If we can avoid provoking them, we should."

"I have already sent people there, Father, please rest assured. To my surprise, these three heroes of the wind and dust are always inseparable, so why is the Drunken Immortal nowhere to be seen?"

Gu Xu, who was standing to the side, had a slight glint in his eyes upon hearing this. This Immortal of Wine must have run into trouble. Perhaps he was already being imprisoned by Helian Ba ​​and interrogated about the secret recipe of the Overlord Wine.

"There must be a reason for this, which should be carefully investigated. This may be a breakthrough."

(End of this chapter)