Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

The wind at the Taihu altar, carrying the fishy smell of the lake water, sent chills down one's spine.

The miasma within the middle-aged man intensified its backlash, and black viscous liquid gushed from his seven orifices, corroding the ground and creating numerous tiny holes. He curled up in agony, watching the small grasses sprouting from the cracks in the rocks, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his eyes before being swallowed by deeper despair.

“Impossible… I had clearly become one with the miasma…” he muttered to himself, the bone staff slipping from his hand and making a dull thud on the altar.

Wang Xiaohu stepped forward, the azure light of the Demon-Suppressing Sword enveloping him in an attempt to suppress the backlash of miasma. However, the miasma had already become entangled with his meridians, like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone; the more he suppressed it, the more ferocious the backlash became.

“No need to waste your energy.” The middle-aged man coughed up a mouthful of black blood and laughed bitterly. “When I fed the miasma with the essence of living people, I should have known this day would come… I just never expected that it would be you, the Star Sword Master, who would finally awaken me.” He looked towards the lake shore, where the lights of Wanghu Town could be faintly seen. “Tell the people in town, I’m sorry…”

Before he finished speaking, his body turned into a wisp of black smoke and was dispersed by the lake breeze, leaving only the bone staff lying quietly on the altar. The demonic patterns on the staff gradually faded, revealing the texture of ordinary wood.

Wang Xiaohu picked up the bone staff and threw it into Taihu Lake. The lake water churned a few times, completely swallowing the bone staff, as if this evil entity had never existed. Su Qingwan walked to his side, gazing at the moonlight reflected on the lake, and whispered, "In the end, he finally found a trace of his true self."

"Perhaps," Wang Xiaohu said, gazing at the distant starry sky. "But the price is too heavy."

The two stayed in Wanghu Town for three days. Hearing that the water demon had been exorcised, the town's fishermen came out of their homes to repair their boats and prepare to go fishing on the lake. They offered Wang Xiaohu their best fish and shrimp, and while their eyes showed sadness as they spoke of their loved ones who had been dragged away by the water demon, they also held a deep hope for the future.

As Wang Xiaohu was leaving Wanghu Town, the town mayor gave him a wooden plaque carved with fish patterns: "If the Sword Master passes by again, you must come to my house for a cup of rice wine."

Heading north, his heart yearned to return. Two months had passed since he left the Starry Sky Sword Sect; he wondered if Nangong Wan was well, and if the disciples of the Puhui Hall had improved their swordsmanship. Upon reaching Broken Cloud City, Wang Xiaohu made a detour to Aman's house, only to find the bamboo house empty, with a note on the door in Aman's mother's handwriting: "My son has gone with the White Miao warriors to search for Shi Qing's whereabouts. Do not worry."

"It seems that Aman has also embarked on her own path of training." Su Qingwan carefully put away the note. "Just like we were back then."

Wang Xiaohu nodded, a warm feeling suddenly welling up in his heart. There may always be strife and evil in this world, but as long as there are people willing to protect and move forward, the light will never be extinguished.

When Wang Xiaohu returned to the Star Sword Sect, it was already late autumn. The maple trees on both sides of the mountain gate were as red as fire, and the disciples, dressed in brand-new sword robes, were sweeping fallen leaves. Upon seeing Wang Xiaohu's return, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Sword Master!"

Nangong Wan was already waiting in front of the Sword Tomb. He looked much better than when they last met, and was sitting on a stone bench watching his disciples polish the three divine swords. When he saw Wang Xiaohu, he smiled and stood up: "It's good that you're back."

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Uncle Master." Wang Xiaohu bowed and recounted his experiences in the Southern Xinjiang and Taihu Lake.

After listening, Nangong Wan stroked his beard and nodded: "Although the remnant soul of the Old Monster of Rotten Bones has been destroyed, there are definitely more than one evil cultivator who can control the Mother-Child Miasma. It will probably take some time before the peace of the martial world truly arrives." He pointed to the three divine swords, "During the time you were away, the divine swords often resonated, as if they were sensing something."

Wang Xiaohu walked to the divine swords and extended his palm. The three divine swords—Azure Frost, Purple Lightning, and Mysterious Iron—lighted simultaneously, their spiritual light flowing into his palm, coursing through his meridians, and finally settling on the azure mark between his brows. The mark warmed slightly, and an image flashed through his mind—countless men in black besieging a snow-capped mountain; atop the mountain, a pure white divine sword uttered a mournful cry.

"This is..." Wang Xiaohu suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with shock.

"What's wrong?" Su Qingwan looked at him with concern.

“I saw a snow-capped mountain and a divine sword,” Wang Xiaohu said in a deep voice. “The aura of that divine sword is very similar to that of the Azure Frost Sword, but it is even more ancient, like… the legendary ‘Frozen Sword’.”

Nangong Wan's expression changed slightly: "The Frozen Sword? That's an ancient divine sword that guarded the far north. It's said to be able to freeze everything, including time. It disappeared a thousand years ago. Could it be in the snowy mountains of the far north?"

"In the scene, there were many people wearing bronze masks besieging the snow mountain, as if they were fighting for the Icebound Sword." Wang Xiaohu recalled the scene in his mind. "Their techniques were of the same origin as the evil arts of Mo Ya and the Old Monster of Rotten Bones, but they were more refined."

Nangong Wan was silent for a moment, then said, "The far north is frozen year-round and rarely visited by people. If there are really evil cultivators causing trouble there, it could lead to even bigger problems." He looked at Wang Xiaohu, "You just got back and should have rested for a few days, but this Frozen Sword..."

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master, I'll go." Wang Xiaohu gripped the Demon-Suppressing Sword tightly, a determined light flashing in his eyes. "Now that we've sensed it, there's no reason for us to sit idly by."

Su Qingwan looked at him, her eyes showing no hesitation: "I will go with you."

Three days later, Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan set off again, this time heading towards the far northern snow-capped mountains, thousands of miles away. Before their departure, Nangong Wan handed Wang Xiaohu a jade slip: "This is a map of the far north recorded by the Star Sword Sect. It marks several ancient ruins, which may be of help to you."

The journey north was far more arduous than the journey south. The closer they got to the far north, the lower the temperature became, the vegetation thinned out, and finally only a vast snowfield remained. The biting wind was like a knife, stinging their faces; ordinary cotton clothing offered no protection against the piercing cold. Fortunately, the sword energy within Wang Xiaohu's body emitted warmth, and Su Qingwan's pipa music could gather air currents to form an invisible barrier, barely managing to withstand the severe cold.

After traveling for a month, they finally saw the outline of the far northern snow mountain. The snow mountain towered into the clouds, its peak covered with snow that had never melted for thousands of years, and its waist was shrouded in clouds and mist. Some black shadows could be vaguely seen moving in the clouds and mist. These were the bronze masked men that Wang Xiaohu had seen in his perception.

"They are indeed besieging the snow mountain." Su Qingwan raised her pipa, her voice filled with vigilance. "Judging by their numbers, there are at least a hundred of them."

Wang Xiaohu held the Demon-Suppressing Sword horizontally in front of his chest, the blue mark between his brows slightly burning: "These people are much stronger than Mo Ya and the others, and their demonic energy is also purer, like... true remnants of the demon realm."

Instead of approaching rashly, the two circled around to the back of the snow-capped mountain and found a secluded cave to hide in. As night fell, the bronze-masked men temporarily ceased their attack, lit a bonfire at the foot of the mountain, and conversed in hushed tones around it. Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan held their breath, and through the sound of the wind, they vaguely overheard fragments of conversation.

"...As long as we obtain the Frozen Sword, we can open the 'Space-Time Rift' and allow the Demon Lord to return from the past..."

"...That old monster in the snow mountain is too troublesome; its icy sword energy can almost freeze our demonic energy..." "...The sect leader said that tomorrow at noon, we will use the 'Blood Sacrifice Array' to forcibly break through the snow mountain barrier..."

Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. Open a spatial rift to allow the Demon Lord to return from the past? This idea was utterly insane!
“We must stop them.” Wang Xiaohu lowered his voice. “That ‘old monster’ in the snow mountain might be the one guarding the Frozen Sword. We need to find a way to contact him.”

The following morning, the bronze-masked man indeed began setting up the blood sacrifice array. They tied dozens of captured snow people to the array's core, holding bone knives, ready to bleed them dry at any moment. Just then, a long howl suddenly came from the summit of the snow mountain, and a snow-white sword aura poured down like a waterfall, cleaving a gap in the blood sacrifice array.

"It's Frozen Sword Qi!" Wang Xiaohu's eyes flashed with surprise. "Let's go!"

Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the sword energy, the two used their lightness skills to rush towards the snow mountain. The bronze-masked men, seeing this, all brandished their swords to block them, but were stopped by Wang Xiaohu's Demon-Suppressing Sword and Su Qingwan's pipa music. The Demon-Suppressing Sword's azure light countered demonic energy, while the pipa music's energy blades were specifically designed to break formations. The two cooperated perfectly, actually carving a bloody path through the snow mountain barrier.

Inside the barrier, the temperature plummeted, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice, beneath which ancient runes could be faintly seen. An elderly man with white hair stood in the center of the ice, wielding a snow-white longsword, locked in combat with several bronze-masked leaders. The old man's swordsmanship was exquisite; each strike carried a chilling aura, freezing the demonic energy of the bronze-masked men into ice.

"It's the Frozen Sword!" Wang Xiaohu recognized the sword in the old man's hand; it was the divine sword he had sensed.

"Young men, you've come at the right time!" The old man's eyes flashed with surprise when he saw them. "These demon bastards want to steal the Icebound Sword, quickly stop them for me!"

Without further hesitation, Wang Xiaohu's auras resonated with those of the Demon-Suppressing Sword and the Ice-Sealing Sword, and the cyan mark between his brows burst forth with dazzling light: "Don't worry, senior!"

He wielded the Demon-Suppressing Sword, infusing it with the sword intent of "Starry Night Returns to Nothingness." The azure sword energy intertwined with the snow-white, icy sword energy, forming an indestructible barrier that kept the bronze-masked leaders at bay. Su Qingwan's pipa music also became more urgent, the strings transforming into countless ice needles that shot towards the bronze-masked figures attempting to approach.

Upon seeing this, the old man's spirits lifted, and the sword energy of the Icebound Sword became even more fierce, freezing a leader's arm into a block of ice that shattered at the slightest touch.

"Who are you? Why do you possess the power to suppress demonic energy?" the old man asked as he fought.

"This junior is Wang Xiaohu of the Starry Sky Sword Sect, and this is Su Qingwan," Wang Xiaohu replied loudly. "We sensed that the Icebound Sword was in trouble, so we came to help!"

"Star Sword Sect?" A look of realization flashed in the old man's eyes. "So you are a descendant of Fu Shaoping. No wonder your sword intent is so familiar."

The fierce battle lasted for an hour. The bronze-masked men suffered heavy casualties, yet they continued to surge forward relentlessly. Wang Xiaohu gradually realized that these people seemed fearless of death. Even when severely wounded by sword energy, they would still fight with their last ounce of strength, clearly their minds were controlled by some kind of evil magic.

“This can’t go on.” Su Qingwan’s forehead was covered in sweat, and two of her pipa strings had already broken. “They have too many of them, and our strength will be exhausted sooner or later.”

The old man was also panting heavily, the light of the Icebound Sword gradually dimming: "Their target is the Icebound Sword. As long as I hide it, they can't do anything about it. But this sword is connected to my lifeblood. If I forcibly separate it, I'm afraid..."

“Senior, there’s no need for that.” Wang Xiaohu suddenly spoke, a resolute glint in his eyes. “I have a way to temporarily seal the Ice Sword, so they can’t sense its aura.”

He recalled what Master Ouye had once said: the Xuan Tie Mother could isolate all auras, and the Demon-Suppressing Sword was forged from the Xuan Tie Mother. If he could channel the aura of the Ice-Sealing Sword into the Demon-Suppressing Sword and then seal it with Starry Sky Sword Qi, perhaps he could temporarily conceal the Ice-Sealing Sword's whereabouts.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes, then he nodded: "Alright! I'll trust you this once!"

He raised the Frozen Sword, pouring all his spiritual power into its blade. The Frozen Sword emitted a clear, melodious sword cry, transforming into a streak of snow-white light that flew into Wang Xiaohu's palm. Wang Xiaohu immediately activated his Starry Sky Sword Qi, enveloping the light and guiding it into the Demon-Suppressing Sword. The Demon-Suppressing Sword trembled violently, the dragon patterns on its blade intertwining with the snow patterns on the Frozen Sword, forming a peculiar seal.

As the seal was completed, the bronze-masked man outside the snow mountain became noticeably agitated, clearly unable to sense the aura of the Icebound Sword.

"It's a success!" Su Qingwan exclaimed in delight.

The old man let out a long sigh, but his body swayed slightly; clearly, forcibly separating the Icebound Sword had taken a heavy toll on him. He looked at Wang Xiaohu, his eyes filled with relief: "Good boy, I'm at ease entrusting the Icebound Sword to you. But about that spatial rift..."

"Don't worry, senior, I won't let them succeed." Wang Xiaohu gripped the Demon-Suppressing Sword tightly, and the seal on the sword emitted a faint white light. "As long as the Ice-Sealing Sword is still there, they won't be able to open the rift."

Just then, a roar came from outside the snow mountain. A bronze masked man wearing a golden robe soared into the sky, his demonic energy condensing into a giant demonic claw, which slammed towards the snow mountain barrier: "Break!"

The barrier trembled violently, cracks appearing everywhere. The old man's expression changed drastically: "It's the leader of the Blood Soul Sect! He's actually come in person!"

Wang Xiaohu's heart skipped a beat. Hadn't he already killed the Blood Soul Cult leader? Could it be another remnant?
"He's no ordinary remnant." The old man saw his doubt and said in a deep voice, "He's a 'Bone Demon' forged from the Demon Lord's rib. He's impervious to blades and spears, and immune to water and fire, except..."

Before he could finish speaking, the barrier shattered with a "crack," and the man in the golden robe led countless bronze-masked figures into the room, his demonic claws pointing directly at Wang Xiaohu: "Hand over the Icebound Sword!"

Wang Xiaohu shielded Su Qingwan and the old man behind him, and the blue and white light on the Demon-Suppressing Sword lit up at the same time: "If you want the sword, you'll have to get past me first!"

A far greater battle has officially begun atop the snow-capped mountains of the far north. This time, Wang Xiaohu knows he must not only protect the Frozen Sword, but also safeguard this hard-won peace and thwart the insane spacetime rift plan. His path of training seems endless, but the sword in his hand and the path in his heart will always guide him on his journey. (End of Chapter)