A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 376 The Uses of the Nine Dragon Stone

During his stay at the Supreme Alliance, Qingxu visited for several days. Accompanied by Guan Yutian, he toured most of the alliance's sights. What impressed Qingxu the most was not the magnificent Heaven-Reaching Hall, but a bamboo forest. The bamboo forest must have been guided by a master who used the art of gathering spiritual energy to create an excellent place for training. Those who practice martial arts here for a long time would surely benefit greatly.

However, in Qingxu's view, this method cannot be considered a proper spirit-gathering technique. The true spirit-gathering technique emphasizes the balance of gathering and releasing, only raising the spiritual power to a peak at specific times, and at other times it is only slightly better than ordinary places. But looking at this place, it maintains a vigorous and abundant spiritual power at all times, only knowing how to take and not how to give back. It will soon become a dead place.

"This spirit gathering technique is somewhat similar to the methods of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, but it has not grasped the essence. Perhaps it was intentional, and it should be as if it were divine."

Qingxu thought for a moment and immediately thought of Liao Rushen. Apart from this person, he really couldn't think of anyone else who would be so close to Guan Yutian.

"Daoist Master, your eyes are truly discerning. This bamboo forest was set up by a master of magic. When the formation was completed, spiritual energy soared into the sky. In just a few days, this bamboo forest became a blessed cultivation ground for our Supreme Alliance."

When Guan Yutian heard Qingxu praise the arrangement of the bamboo forest, he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

"Master, the Nine Dragon Stone has been restored to its original state. Why don't we go and take a look?"

Guan Yutian didn't explain much. This bamboo forest was a matter of his family's secrets, and it was already an exception that Qingxu was allowed to enter. Thinking that the Taoist had come for the Nine Dragon Stone, Guan Yutian gestured for him to leave. Qingxu nodded and followed Guan Yutian out of the bamboo forest. They walked along the cobblestone path to a three-story pavilion. Although the pavilion was not large, it was heavily guarded. At a glance, there were more than a dozen experts with mastery of internal energy, and the four people hidden deep inside the pavilion had cultivation levels no less than Elder Sun and the others.

"Taoist Master, please."

Guan Yutian gave a greeting and took the lead to the front of the pavilion. When the gatekeeper saw the alliance leader coming, he immediately stepped forward. Guan Yutian waved his hand and then said, "Open the door. This alliance leader and the Daoist priest will go in."

"Yes, Alliance Leader."

Upon hearing this, the disciple immediately agreed and turned back. With a creak, the pavilion door opened, and the moment it opened, several pairs of eyes looked over from inside the pavilion. Qingxu remained expressionless and slowly followed Guan Yutian inside.

"Weird."

Following the gaze back, one could see four withered old men sitting in the three-story pavilion. One of them asked a question, then closed his eyes and remained silent, meditating and practicing his inner energy.

"Daoist Master, the Nine Dragon Stone is on the second floor." Guan Yutian led Qingxu up the steps to the second floor, where they saw a huge jade stone, about half a person's height and requiring two people to encircle it. The jade stone was pure white and lustrous. Under the sunlight shining through the window, the jade stone seemed to be flowing lake water, shimmering and reflecting the sunlight, illuminating every detail of the second floor.

"This Autumn Water Jade is always rare. A piece the size of a fist is already priceless. For Alliance Leader Guan to possess such a large piece of Autumn Water Jade is truly worthy of being the number one sect in the world. I admire you."

Qingxu was also slightly surprised. Autumn Water Jade is the finest of jades, and there are quite a few in Sword Casting City. But let alone one this big, even a piece the size of a palm is rare. This piece of Autumn Water Jade is in such good condition, and one can only imagine how much effort it took.

"This was a gift from my disciple Qianxing. I just thought the jade was too ostentatious and wanted to temper his temperament, so I moved it here."

Although Guan Yutian said he was disgusted, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Is Alliance Leader Guan referring to Ren Qianxing, the young hero Ren? I have heard of him. I've heard that he has already received Alliance Leader Guan's true teachings and has made a name for himself in the martial arts world. Although I haven't met him in person, I imagine he must be a spirited, extraordinary, and outstanding person."

Qingxu praised Ren Qianxing, and Guan Yutian nodded slightly without saying much. He bowed slightly to Qingxu and said, "Wait a moment." Then he stepped onto the Autumn Water Jade alone and took down a beautifully decorated sandalwood box placed on it.

"Daoist Master, please look, this is the Nine Dragon Stone." Guan Yutian returned to Qingxu, opened the wooden box, and faced Qingxu. The latter looked closely and saw a smooth jade stone composed of nine intertwined dragons lying quietly in the wooden box. The nine dragons were all different in shape, but all of them were imposing. The dragon heads faced each other and the dragon tails were intertwined. The center of the stone seemed to be hollowed out, but the situation inside could not be seen with the naked eye.

"This object has a unique shape and is truly a wonder of the world. It is said that this stone has the ability to bring the dead back to life and to revive withered trees, but we do not know if it is true or not."

Qingxu reached out and touched the Nine Dragon Stone. The stone trembled slightly, then burst out of the wooden box, floated into the air, and emitted a five-colored light. Guan Yutian's expression changed when he saw this. He first looked at Qingxu and found that the latter also looked puzzled. Then he focused his attention back on the Nine Dragon Stone.

"This thing reacted to the stimulus and has disturbed the Daoist Master." Guan Yutian reached out and grabbed it. A gust of wind enveloped the Nine Dragon Stone, and with a downward pull, the Nine Dragon Stone was instantly drawn back into the wooden box. With a click, the wooden box closed, and Qingxu also withdrew his gaze.

"The appearance of divine objects often signifies the coming of a great calamity, and it is unknown where these objects will be used in the future."

Qingxu sighed slightly, but was somewhat surprised. This Nine Dragon Stone was indeed a treasure of heaven and earth. He had only touched it slightly, but it had already detected him. If he hadn't had some skill, the Nine Dragon Stone would probably have killed him, an outsider, on the spot.

“Divine objects should naturally have their place. Although this object is now in my hands, who can guarantee that it will stay with me forever? The glory of the Supreme Alliance is almost entirely in my hands. The arrival of the Nine Dragon Stone has relieved a lot of pressure on me. The martial world is turbulent and stormy. Daoist is a person who has transcended the world. Why should I come to this turbid world again?”

Guan Yutian put away the Nine Dragon Stone and changed the subject when he looked at Qingxu. Ever since he learned that Qingxu's true form was in Sword Casting City, Guan Yutian had been very wary of it. Sword Casting City was an obstacle he could not get around if he wanted to unify the martial arts world.

"This mortal world is a place to temper one's heart, and by chance, I had a very pleasant conversation with the Sword Master. Alliance Leader, I appreciate your magnanimity, so I will offer you a word of advice: Liao Rushen is not to be trusted. He is a profit-driven person, and those who cooperate with him will be abandoned without hesitation once they are no longer of use to him."

After Qingxu finished speaking, he saw that Guan Yutian looked thoughtful, so he bowed and said, "I have accomplished my purpose for this trip and have other matters to attend to. I will take my leave now, Alliance Leader Guan."

Guan Yutian was shocked upon hearing this, and at the same time, a wicked thought inexplicably arose in his mind: if he and the four elders guarding the pavilion joined forces, could they capture Qingxu? But then he thought again that even if he killed Qingxu, he would only be eliminating an avatar, and the damage to the real body would be negligible.

Moreover, Guan Yutian was not confident that he could defeat Qingxu. His mind raced, and a smile appeared on Guan Yutian's face as he said to Qingxu, "Since Daoist has other matters to attend to, then I will not linger any longer."

Guan Yutian gestured, and Qingxu descended from the pavilion, leaving the Supreme Alliance. At the gate, Qingxu called out "Wait!" before turning and walking away. Watching Qingxu's figure gradually disappear, Guan Yutian's smile vanished. A trusted confidant approached and whispered, "Alliance Leader, this Qingxu Daoist will surely become a major threat to our Supreme Alliance. Why didn't you attack him directly earlier? Even if his martial arts are formidable, can he withstand these traps?" Guan Yutian shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Your cultivation is insufficient; you naturally don't understand what a top-tier master means. Traps set for ordinary fighters are utterly insignificant to a top-tier master. To do so would be torn apart, a counterproductive consequence we cannot afford."

After saying this, without waiting for a reply from his confidants, Guan Yutian continued, "Judging from the time, Qianxing and the others should have already clashed with the Sea Shark Palace by now. I wonder what the outcome will be."

Guan Yutian had great confidence in Ren Qianxing, his only concern was whether he was injured.

“Master Ren is highly skilled in martial arts. Although Black Shark is one of the Four Sharks, he is no match for Master Ren. In addition, he brought only elites with him on this trip, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Alliance Leader, please rest assured,” the confidant pondered for a moment, then continued, “Alliance Leader, Master Ren’s move will surely not be hidden from Sima Tian. What if this person tells Elder Sun and the others the whole story…”

"It's alright. Right now, I, the Alliance Leader, have no reason to deal with them. If they are truly foolish, this time I will definitely let them know who is in charge of this Supreme Alliance."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yutian's eyes flashed with a cold light. If these old geezers didn't cause trouble, he would protect them for life. But if they still didn't know what was good for them, he would have no choice but to use their heads to appease the dead allies.

Meanwhile, in Sword Forging City, Jianxiong was dealing with mundane affairs in a side hall when he suddenly heard a clear, melodious sword sound coming from the main hall. Jianxiong's face immediately lit up with joy. He put down his brush and hurriedly ran outside, heading towards the main hall.

"Young City Lord."

When the guards in the main hall saw Jianxiong approaching, they all bowed. Jianxiong waved his hand and looked at the tightly closed main hall doors.

Inside the main hall, the Sword Master sat cross-legged on the jade platform with his eyes closed. Fine sword energies constantly collided and intersected around him, blooming into fiery lotuses. The fiery lotuses withered, and sword energy was generated again. The sword energy transformed into lotuses, and so on, endlessly. After the fiery lotuses filled the entire training room, a five-clawed fire dragon slowly condensed and took shape. It bared its fangs and claws, its eyes spewing fire, and as its body stretched, fiery cloud patterns moved with it. The hall was instantly dyed crimson, and a scorching aura emanated from it.

"Back quickly!"

Jianxiong sensed the heat wave hitting him and shouted. The guards immediately retreated about ten feet. They watched as the palace doors gradually turned red. Even from such a distance, they could clearly feel the scorching heat. The guards were immediately horrified. If the temperature outside was already so high, what must it be like inside the palace?

"Young City Lord, the City Lord..."

Although Jianxiong was worried, he remained unusually calm and said, "This is due to the leakage of sword energy. The city lord will be fine."

Upon hearing this, the guards immediately relaxed and kept their eyes fixed on the direction of the palace gate.

Inside the hall, the fire dragons formed from the fire lotus sword energy circled and hovered in the air several times before finally transforming into a stream of scorching true energy that poured into the Sword Master's head. With each fusion, the Sword Master's aura intensified. Once all the fire dragon true energy had been absorbed, the Sword Master's aura erupted like a volcano. The moment he opened his eyes, two streaks of crimson sword light flashed.

"After several months, I have finally mastered the ninth level of the Dragon Riding Slash."

Sword Master was overjoyed. Although he had succeeded in cultivating the technique with Gu Xu's help, success was success, and there was no need to look back. Now that his power had increased several times, he was confident that he would have a good chance of defeating Shangguan Yutian. As for Helian Ba, Sword Master looked disdainful. Although the opponent's clone was extraordinary, his ultimate move was exactly what countered it. Without the clone's assistance, the Mind-Distracting Palm was nothing more than a second-rate martial art in his eyes.

"It's time to let the martial arts world rediscover the power of Sword Forging City."

Sword Master also harbors ambitions. The Frost Sword will be forged in another two or three years. At that time, the Demon Sword Clan will surely come to demand the sword. He needs to increase his strength as soon as possible to fight against them. Currently, the only forces he can take seriously, besides the Supreme Alliance, are the Sea Shark Palace and the Azure Eagle Fortress. However, the latter gathers outlaws and acts ruthlessly. If he were to truly bring them under his command, Sword Master worries that Sword Hero might not be able to control the situation. Moreover, another reason is because of Gu Xu.

Sword Master knew that Gu Xu was extremely righteous and hated evil. If Gu Xu knew that he was associating with those lowlifes, he might give up helping him and instead support others. This was something Sword Master could not accept. After just one thought, Sword Master abandoned Eagle Fortress, leaving only Sea Shark Palace.

After thinking it over again, the Sword Master decided to consult with Daoist Gu Xu. He got up and stepped down from the jade platform, pushed open the hall door, and saw the sunlight shining in from outside. The Sword Master couldn't help but shield his eyes with his hand. It took him a while to adjust.

"Congratulations, Father, on mastering your divine skills! Under your leadership, our Sword Forging City will surely become a force to be reckoned with in the martial world!"

When Jianxiong saw Jianzun emerge, he immediately led his men to greet him. Upon hearing this, the guards shouted, "Congratulations, City Lord, on mastering your divine skills and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the martial world!"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master smiled, then gestured with his hands, causing everyone to pause. The Sword Master looked at the Sword Hero and asked, "Did anything change in the city during my seclusion?"

Jianxiong then recounted in detail the changes that had taken place over the past few months. Upon hearing that Jianxiong had changed the sword-fighting event from a spontaneously organized competition to a grand event led by the City Lord's Mansion, where a sword platform would be set up on the first and fifteenth of each month, and outstanding swordsmen from the city would be selected to join the City Lord's Mansion, with generous rewards every month.

"You did a good job."

Sword Master glanced at Sword Hero with admiration, and the latter was overjoyed upon hearing this.

“Father, actually, Master Gu Xu’s suggestion was involved. If it weren’t for his corrections and improvements, I might not have been able to perfect this grand sword competition.”

"Yes, I understand. You may all leave now." Sword Master nodded, and Sword Hero and the others bowed again before turning to leave.

After pondering for a while outside the hall, the Sword Master strode toward Gu Xu's residence.

(End of this chapter)