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

The bell of the Star Sword Sect rang out exceptionally clearly in the morning mist.

Wang Xiaohu stood before the Sword Tomb, watching the phantoms of seven divine swords swirling on the Demon-Suppressing Sword—the chilling cold of frost, the swiftness of purple lightning, the weight of black iron, the clarity of ice, the blazing heat of burning the heavens, the vastness of splitting the earth, the inclusiveness of the boundless sea, and the profundity of reincarnation, all ultimately transforming into a warm cyan light that merged into the mark between his brows.

Nangong Wan walked over, leaning on his cane. The morning light gilded the edge of his white beard: "With the Seven Swords back in their places, the world is at peace. You, the Sword Master, can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"Uncle-Master is too kind." Wang Xiaohu turned and bowed, his gaze sweeping over the training ground—Li Gou Dan was instructing the outer disciples in sword practice. His moves carried the simplicity of Qing Shi Town, but were more composed than before; A Man carried a medicine basket down the mountain path, the Soul-Gathering Flowers in the basket were in full bloom, and behind her were several Bai Miao youths, who were curiously examining the divine sword in the Sword Tomb.

Su Qingwan walked out of the Sutra Repository carrying a pipa. The music flowed with her steps, intertwining with the sound of bells. She walked to Wang Xiaohu's side and brushed her fingertips across the mark between his eyebrows: "Master Xuanjizi said that this mark now contains the spiritual essence of the Seven Swords and can be considered a 'Sword Heart in the Human World'."

"Whether it's a sword heart or a mortal heart," Wang Xiaohu said, holding her hand. The warmth of his palm seeped through her clothes. "Being able to protect you all and guard this mountain gate is enough."

However, the peaceful days did not last long. One afternoon, an urgent report from the Western Regions was delivered by carrier pigeon to Sword Tomb—the "Black Sand City" of the Western Regions was suddenly shrouded in a strange black mist. The people in the city all fell into a deep sleep, and when they awoke, they were mentally impaired, only mechanically repeating the words "Return to your place." The knight who delivered the message saw with his own eyes outside the city that countless figures were vaguely visible moving within the black mist, and upon closer inspection, they were identical to the faces of the chivalrous heroes who had died in battle a hundred years ago.

“It’s ‘Lingering Charm of Rebirth’.” Nangong Wan looked at the cinnabar mark on the urgent report with a solemn expression. “The Reincarnation Sword opened the Gate of Reincarnation. Although it has closed, there are still fragments of souls remaining in the world. I’m afraid someone led them to Black Sand City.”

The mark between Wang Xiaohu's brows was slightly burning. He could feel that those fragments of souls contained a familiar aura—the demonic energy of the remnants of the Reverse Time Cult, but even more sinister than the power of the Silver Moon, like resentment crawling out from the cracks of reincarnation.

"I'll go take a look." Wang Xiaohu took down the Demon-Suppressing Sword, its blade gleaming with seven colors in the sunlight.

Su Qingwan slung her pipa behind her back, her eyes showing no hesitation: "I'll go this time too. Aman said the black mist in Black Sand City carries a bewitching potion, and my pipa music might be able to awaken those people."

Li Gou Dan ran over carrying a longsword, the scars on his face clearly visible in the sunlight: "Brother Xiao Hu, I'm going too! It's time to put the 'Guardian' sword technique you taught me back then to good use!"

Aman put down her medicine basket and stuffed a bottle of essential oil extracted from the Soul-Gathering Flower into Wang Xiaohu's hand: "This oil can calm the mind and is useful against the Bewitching Fog. I'll go with you; if anyone gets affected, I can cure them."

Looking at the people around him, Wang Xiaohu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He recalled how he was all alone when he first came down the mountain, and looking at the scene now, he suddenly understood—the so-called protection is never a one-person job.

Three days later, the group of four arrived at Black Sand City. The black fog outside the city walls was like thick ink, so thick that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. As they approached, they could hear the orderly shouts of "Return to your positions!" coming from within, which sent chills down their spines. Wang Xiaohu distributed Soul-Gathering Oil to everyone, applying it to their mouths and noses before daring to step into the black fog.

The scene in the city was even more bizarre than they had imagined—the streets were deserted, doors and windows were wide open, and the tea on the tables and chairs was still warm, as if the people had vanished in an instant. But when they reached the square in the center of the city, they saw all the people standing there with empty eyes, mechanically chanting "Return to your place," while on the high platform in the center of the square, a person wearing a black cloak was holding a bone staff, the top of which was inlaid with a dark purple crystal, from which flowed gray-black mist, which were the fragments of souls.

“It’s a ‘Shadow Soul Master’.” Nangong Wan’s voice came from his memory. “A branch of the Reverse Time Cult, skilled in manipulating remnant souls, and said to be able to refine the resentment of the dead into ‘Shadow Soldiers’.”

The cloaked figure turned around, revealing a young face beneath the hood. His left eye was pure black, while his right eye was covered with spiderweb-like blood vessels: "Star Sword Master, it's been a long time."

Wang Xiaohu's pupils suddenly contracted—this face bore a striking resemblance to Mo Ya from Black Wind Valley back then!

"You belong to Mo Ya..."

"I am his shadow." The young man chuckled, his bone staff tapping the ground. Suddenly, countless dark figures emerged from the shadows of the houses surrounding the plaza, each wielding a weapon—the souls of the heroes who died in battle a century ago. "His resentment before his death is all within me. What he couldn't finish, I will finish—let all those who betrayed the Demon Lord return to where they belong!"

The shadowy figures roared and pounced forward. Their moves carried the sharpness of a hundred years ago, but they were even more difficult to deal with than living people—swords and blades would only pass through their afterimages when they struck them, and only attacks containing the power of sword spirits could harm them.

"Miss Su, protect the people!" Wang Xiaohu swung the Demon-Suppressing Sword, and seven-colored sword energy swept out, shattering the dark figures in the front row. "Dog Egg, take Aman to the high platform and destroy that crystal!"

Su Qingwan immediately began to pluck the pipa, and the music flowed like a clear spring, enveloping the people. Those who were mechanically chanting "Return to your place" trembled, a glimmer of clarity flashing in their eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by the crystal mist.

"Useless!" The Shadow Soul Master laughed wildly, the crystal light on his bone staff intensifying. "Their souls are all bound to crystal within me, unless..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Gou Dan had already rushed to the edge of the platform with his longsword, the blade wrapped in starlight sword energy, and fiercely slashed at the crystal. "Shatter!"

"Clang!" The longsword collided with the crystal and bounced back. Li Gou Dan took a few steps back, his hands and feet numb, but only a faint white mark remained on the crystal.

"This crystal is forged from the skulls of a thousand vengeful spirits; ordinary sword energy can't harm it." The Shadow Soul Master grinned maliciously, controlling more shadowy figures to surround Li Gou Dan. "Unless the spiritual essence of the Seven Swords is used, no one can save them!"

Suddenly, Aman took out a Soul-Gathering Flower from her medicine basket. The petals turned into golden powder in her palm, and she sprinkled the powder onto the crystal: "Try this!"

The golden powder landed on the crystal, seeping in like water droplets merging into the ocean. The gray-black mist within the crystal churned violently, and the Shadow Soul Master screamed, covering his eyes and taking a few steps back: "What is this?"

“It’s the scent of hope.” Aman’s voice was clear and firm. “You only know resentment, but you don’t know that these souls protected those they wanted to protect in their lives. There is still light in their hearts!” Just then, Su Qingwan’s pipa music suddenly soared, blending Li Gou Dan’s sword energy, Aman’s medicinal fragrance, and Wang Xiaohu’s Seven Swords Spirit, forming a dazzling pillar of light that shot straight into the sky. The people in the black mist raised their heads at the same time, their eyes growing clearer and clearer. They thought of their families, their homes, and the “return to their rightful place” they uttered gradually turned into “protection.”

"No—!" The Shadow Soul Master watched in horror as the cracks on the crystal multiplied and the shadows began to dissipate. "You mustn't wake up! You should all hate! You should all resent!"

Wang Xiaohu walked to the high platform, the tip of the Demon-Suppressing Sword pressed against the crystal: "Hatred and resentment have never been reasons to live." The mark between his eyebrows lit up, and the spiritual energy of the seven swords flowed into the crystal through the blade. "Just like these souls, they died in battle back then, not so that you could control them with your resentment, but so that people in the present could live well."

"Boom—!" The crystal shattered under the impact of the Seven Swords' spiritual energy and the people's faith. The gray-black mist, freed from its restraints, transformed into starlight and rose into the sky. The shadowy figures also revealed relieved smiles and gradually dissipated in the sunlight.

The Shadow Soul Master slumped to the ground, the black in his left eye fading to reveal a normal brown: "I...I think I saw my brother..." he murmured to himself, his body gradually becoming transparent, "He said...he doesn't hate anymore..."

As he vanished, the black mist completely dissipated, and sunlight once again bathed Black Sand City. The people embraced and wept, and thunderous cheers erupted in the square. Li Gou Dan looked at his longsword and suddenly scratched his head: "So... I can be of help too."

Ah Man laughed and punched him lightly: "I told you you were amazing!"

Su Qingwan walked to Wang Xiaohu's side and looked at the fading starlight in the sky: "Where do you think they'll go?"

“Go where they belong.” Wang Xiaohu took her hand, turned to look at the rising sun in the east, “Just like us, it’s time for us to go back to where we belong.”

On the way back, Li Gou Dan said he wanted to go back to Qing Shi Town to see if the wooden fence there needed repairing; A Man planned to take the Bai Miao youths to Southern Xinjiang to teach more people how to cultivate the Soul-Gathering Flower. Wang Xiao Hu and Su Qing Wan saw them off at the fork in the road, watching their figures disappear into the distance, their hearts filled with satisfaction.

When they returned to the Star Sword Sect, the disciples of the Puhui Hall were planting new saplings. Nangong Wan, sitting in a wheelchair, directed them as they watered the saplings. Seeing the two return, he smiled and waved, "You're back? Perfect timing, the peach blossoms on the back mountain are in bloom, want to go take a look?"

The peach orchard on the back hill was already a sea of ​​pink, petals fluttering down in the wind and landing in Su Qingwan's hair. Wang Xiaohu reached out to brush away the petals for her, his fingertips inadvertently touching her cheek. The two looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with tenderness that spoke volumes.

"Do you think there will be any more trouble in the future?" Su Qingwan leaned on his shoulder, her voice as soft as a flower petal falling to the ground.

"I don't know." Wang Xiaohu gazed at the distant sea of ​​clouds, the Demon-Suppressing Sword humming softly in its sheath. "But even if it exists, we can face it together, can't we?"

Su Qingwan nodded and buried her head even deeper.

The wind rustled through the peach grove, carrying the distant tolling of bells and the laughter of children. Wang Xiaohu knew that as long as the bells rang and the laughter echoed, his path of protection would continue. Perhaps there would be no more earth-shattering battles, perhaps it would just be repairing fences, planting peach blossoms, and teaching children swordsmanship, but hidden within these ordinary days was something more moving than any legend—peace, hope, and the gentle warmth of the martial world woven by generations of people through protection.

And his story will continue to grow in this gentle embrace, like the peach trees on the back mountain, blooming year after year with the colors of spring. When the peach blossoms of the Star Sword Sect have all fallen, news spread throughout the martial world—the "Hanging Temple" of the Western Regions has reappeared.

Legend has it that the temple is hidden deep in the clouds of the Kunlun Mountains. It was concealed in the snow-capped mountains three hundred years ago due to an avalanche, but was recently discovered by a group of herb gatherers. Even more strangely, the palm of the Buddha statue in the temple holds a piece of "time-space amber". A ray of golden light is solidified in the amber. Some say it is the Buddha's essence left behind when an ancient high monk passed away, while others say it is the "prophetic light" that allows people to glimpse the future.

When the news reached the Starry Sky Sword Sect, Wang Xiaohu was teaching children to identify herbs at Puhui Hall. After Aman stayed in the Southern Frontier, she entrusted the medicine shop to him. Now, Puhui Hall not only teaches swordsmanship but has also become a well-known medicine shop in the martial arts world.

“Hanging Temple?” Wang Xiaohu held the freshly picked “Awakening Grass” in his hand, dewdrops rolling off its leaves. “I think I saw it in Uncle Nangong’s notes. It said that the monks in that temple were skilled in ‘time observation’ and could deduce the future from the trajectories of stars.”

Su Qingwan was repairing an old zither with ice silkworm strings when she heard this and looked up: "Time observation technique? Isn't that the same as the evil time-related technique of the Reverse Time Cult?"

“It’s different.” Wang Xiaohu recalled Xuanjizi’s words, “The Time-Observing Technique can only see, not change, like looking at a painting that has already been painted, while the Reverse Time Sect wants to repaint the painting.” He put the Awakening Grass into the medicine basket, “However, if this Time-Space Amber can really see the future, it will probably cause a lot of trouble.”

Sure enough, three days later, a letter from the Kunlun Sect arrived at the Sword Tomb. The letter said that dozens of groups of martial artists had flocked to the Hanging Temple, including some evil masters. The Kunlun Sect disciples tried to stop them, but were blocked outside the snow mountain by a mysterious force. That force was of the same origin as the Time-Space Amber, but it carried an inviolable majesty.

“Looks like I have to go.” Wang Xiaohu handed the letter to Su Qingwan. “If the evil sect really gets their hands on the Time-Space Amber, even if they can’t change the future, they’ll use it to bewitch people and create panic.”

Su Qingwan put down her zither and gently plucked the silk strings with her fingertips, producing a clear and melodious sound: "Perfect, I have just composed a new piece called 'Snowy Serenade,' let's go to the snow mountain to test it out."

When the two set off for the Kunlun Mountains, it was early summer. The foothills were lush with vegetation, but the mountains were still covered in snow. The closer they got to the Hanging Temple, the stronger the Buddhist light in the air became. A golden temple silhouette could be vaguely seen in the clouds and mist of the snow-capped mountains, its eaves and brackets shimmering in the sunlight, as if it were floating in mid-air.

The makeshift camp at the foot of the mountain was packed with martial arts practitioners from all over. Some were setting up tents to refine elixirs, others were discussing around the campfire how to break through the temple's defenses, and a few people dressed in Taoist robes were divination by stargazing. They were said to be disciples of the "Tianji Pavilion" and also wanted a share of the profits.

"It looks quite lively." Su Qingwan looked at the crowd in the camp and said in a low voice, "Look over there, those people in black are from the 'Blood Shadow Sect'. Their 'Blood Shadow Needles' can cause hallucinations, and they are best at taking advantage of the chaos to steal treasures."

Wang Xiaohu nodded, his gaze falling on a huge rock in the center of the camp. Beside the rock stood a blind old monk, stroking the carvings on the stone while muttering incantations. The carvings somewhat resembled the outline of the Hanging Temple, like a simple map. (End of Chapter)