Destiny is ashes

Chapter 14 Dream Sword
"It's so strict...more law-abiding than I thought."

An Jing had noticed this in the past. Now, even a secret training ground in the mountains of a secret sect could not explain this level of defense planning. It was obviously designed to deal with the attack of a large army.

Xuanmingzhuang is extremely large, and its overall shape is "田一申一田".

The 'Shen' center in the middle is the medicine pavilion, and the place where the trained children live is less than a quarter of it.

The fields on both sides are located on the hillsides on both sides of Xuanming Manor. Many herbs are planted there. During training, An Jing could still see people farming there.

Behind the mountain behind Xuanming Manor is a waterfall and a deep pool, one of the water sources of the manor. Further back is a large canyon. An Jing learned from Li Jiaoshi and others that it was the "Xuanming Valley". Xuanming Manor got its name from it. It is very deep, but no one has ever seen it with their own eyes.

An Jing walked silently in the darkness.

Although all the instructors were at the Inner Breath realm, their martial arts were not that advanced. After so much time spent hinting at them, An Jing knew that all of these instructors were 'losers' from past tests.

What exactly is considered a failure depends on whether one’s destiny is awakened in the end. But even if one does not have a destiny, one can still cultivate to the point where one’s inner energy is as strong as the tide.

At the county level, it is strong enough.

——Maybe there are still a few instructors patrolling, so be careful.

An Jing never boasted. He practiced the Linyuan Yangqi Posture, which he had already mastered, and restrained his energy within, making it almost non-existent.

Not only that, An Jing's muscles were also tensed, maintaining a precise balance with a more tight and restrained force, accumulating strength throughout the body.

It's no wonder that An Jing guessed that Xuanming Manor was a place to train assassins. This method of mind was indeed completely suitable for stealth operations - not only that, after cultivating the energy and then using the armor-piercing true energy to blast it out, the combination could instantly create a very terrifying explosion, which was a real way of fighting for one's life.

This set of martial arts skills is of a very advanced level, at least it cannot be taught in ordinary martial arts schools in the city. According to An Jing's knowledge, this set of life-and-death skills is enough to serve as the trump card of some famous martial arts schools.

If they can teach such martial arts, they can't be so short-sighted... They spent so much money to buy a child to teach martial arts, they wouldn't kill him casually no matter how hard they think about it...

And those training riders and servants also vaguely revealed that they were the children who were eliminated in the past training... Without destiny, they would eventually be eliminated. Those strange beast meats and potions should also be for catalyzing destiny, or in other words, to train people to a state close to destiny awakening?
Fate, fate... Is there really a way to artificially catalyze fate through other means? It always feels wrong...

Muttering to himself in his heart, in fact, until now, An Jing was still reluctant to doubt Xuanming Manor.

After all, in these troubled times, Xuanming Manor still saved many people.

It might not be their turn to save me, but the other children did get a chance to survive because of Xuanmingzhuang.

At the fastest speed, An Jing looked down at some restricted areas around him, but overall, there was nothing special.

Most of the items stored in those pavilions are medicinal herbs or some books and picture albums. Some are empty houses. Maybe people lived in them before, but no one has been here for at least seven or eight years.

Of course, it was indeed unusual that no one had come here for seven or eight years - why were those empty houses empty? Could it be that there was a period of time before when there were more students in Xuanming Village?
Seven or eight years ago…ten years ago…wait, that period of time?

An Jing’s pupils shrank slightly—a vast sea of ​​demonic disaster?

Yes! If it was during the Vast Sea Demon Disaster, it would indeed be similar to the current Northern Frontier Frost Disaster, with a large number of Disaster Sons appearing. The severity of the Vast Sea Demon Disaster was far greater than that of the merely severe snow and cold cold disaster, so Xuanming Manor would definitely be able to find more Disaster Sons willing to sell themselves!

After figuring this out, An Jing found that there was nothing unusual.

If I have to say, the only abnormality is that I can't find anyone.

Could it be that he was really sent down the mountain directly?
An Jing was a little puzzled. If Zhang Ying had not followed his younger brother since the second day after entering the village, he would not have thought of finding him.

But now, he searched the main village but could not find any trace of her.

With a sigh in his heart, An Jing planned to turn back: "Forget it, go back to bed early, I still have training tomorrow."

However, when An Jing turned around and was about to leave, he heard a strange sound.

It was like the sharp cry of some bird, or the scream of a person. It only appeared for a moment and then disappeared. "What?"

An Jing immediately turned his head and looked in the direction where the sound came from.

That is the medicine cabinet.

“What’s that sound…”

An Jing was a little curious, and he slowly approached the medicine cabinet.

But at this moment, a strange voice sounded.

【end……】

The voice was clear and strange, as if it was a woman's. It was bright and lively, like a bird's singing voice, or like a flowing spring.

But... it also seemed like a tougher, sharper sound.

It's like... the sound of a vibrating sword!
The voice said solemnly with a warning tone: [Stop]

--who?!
An Jing stopped suddenly. He stopped walking towards the medicine cabinet and looked around in astonishment, but found nothing.

The stars and the moon are shining, the moonlight is like a veil, and everything is extremely quiet under the night. No one is awakened, and there is no lingering sound.

Everything seemed to be just an illusion, an auditory hallucination.

But the sound of "stop" still echoed in An Jing's mind, like an echo between the mountains, but it was extremely clear, not blurred by the echo, but slowly fading away.

That voice full of warnings instantly calmed the restless mood, and a feeling of tranquility and peace continued to spread, like a drop of cold rain falling from the sky, which cleared everything when it landed on the lake of the heart, and made the rippled lake of the heart return to its mirror-like calm.

——Is there anyone who can help me?
After calming down, An Jing took several deep breaths and looked at the medicine cabinet in front of him. He also realized how reckless he had been just now.

The medicine pavilion is different from other places. It is always brightly lit. The hanging lanterns and numerous oil lamps illuminate it inside and out like dusk.

In this situation, he would definitely be discovered if he got close.

...I can't get closer, but who is that voice? Why is it reminding me to stop?
Why are you reminding me of this?
What are the adults in Xuanming Manor doing and planning?
He exhaled slowly, suppressed the anxiety and fear in his heart, turned around and left after thinking carefully.

The current situation was clearly not suitable for further exploration, and realizing his recklessness, he had discovered that he needed to make more preparations.

Finally, he returned to the dormitory and lay back on his bed.

In silence and darkness, full of doubts, An Jing fell asleep again.

In his dream, he dreamed of hunger, of wild beasts, of sharp fangs, of the sound of grinding teeth and roaring, of bloody flesh, bones and beating hearts.

They are enduring, they are waiting.

Not the right time, they whispered.

Not now, An Jing said to himself in his dream.

In the end, An Jing dreamed of a cold light.

He dreamed of a sword.

(End of this chapter)