Embers of Sword

Chapter 488 Phalanges
On one side is the Great God Chu Yang, who has worked tirelessly and is using his last bit of strength to save everyone from suffering.

On the other side, there was a blazing light, the youngest and most promising prodigy of Da Chu.

How should I choose?

For a moment, the abyss was deathly silent, and all the Yin spirits on the treasure ship fell silent.

Until a deep rumble sound came from above.

Everyone came back to their senses.

Look up.

The two characters "Bai Ze," resembling the gates of hell, had unknowingly descended upon them. Two towering giants stood supporting the sky, slightly shifting the imposing, mountain-like gates of the secret tomb, creating a tiny gap. The swift current and immense suction pulled the treasure ship further down, plunging it into this boundless, dark abyss—

……

……

pitch black.

Total darkness.

The whole world was pitch black.

Not long ago, Xie Xuanyi awoke from this darkness and began his second life. Now, he stands quietly in this boundless darkness, silently gazing at the towering giant before him.

The Crown Prince used the "Royal Hunt" technique to break the barrier.

Xie Xuanyi followed the guidance of the lake in his heart and did not draw his sword, but instead fell into the abyss.

Who would have thought.

Is there such a secret realm of demons and saints hidden beneath the southern border?
The abyss was frantically absorbing the vital energy.

Fortunately, Xie Xuanyi had already condensed a complete Dao Realm; otherwise, falling into this place would have inevitably led to a miserable situation.

At this moment, where Xie Xuanyi stood, wisps of the Dao of Annihilation emanated, condensing into an ink-black color even darker than the Black Abyss beneath his feet, covering the surface of the great lake like a layer of solid ice.

He walked slowly forward.

Having grown accustomed to the darkness, Xie Xuanyi ignited a spark with his sword energy. With a slight hissing sound, the sword intent burned fiercely, barely illuminating this gloomy world.

He saw the two characters "Bai Ze" high above.

They also saw a towering, imposing giant standing there.

the most important is……

He sensed the complex and vibrant energy here.

A great cultivator named Da Chu once came here.

And it wasn't just one person.

From the moment the [Boundary of Wind and Judgment] was formed, he was isolated from the outside world. During the time when the Crown Prince was trying to persuade him to join the Li Kingdom's camp... Xie Xuanyi heard a rather noisy sound of fighting and killing.

His heart is heavy now.

Something terrible must have happened outside.

"Have Da Chu and his men already been here?"

Xie Xuanyi frowned silently.

He slowly raised his head, illuminating the stone gate of the secret tomb with the light and fire of his sword.

Xie Xuanyi was somewhat surprised; he saw a very familiar phrase.

"If I attain enlightenment, I wish to be buried in the North Sea, offering my body to the turtles, so that I may attain eternal peace and tranquility."

This sentence.

He saw it once at Beihailing.

However, this time he saw the second half of the sentence.

"...If I do not attain the Dao, then I will lay down my bones and sleep, letting the Heavenly Dao crumble, but do not disturb my slumber."

A year ago, Qingzhou was thrown into turmoil, and Beihai Mausoleum came into being.

Chen Jingxuan blocked all news.

It wasn't until the Beihai Mausoleum was destroyed that the various holy lands learned the inside story... Many people felt regret, as countless people had been searching for Bai Ze's secret treasure throughout those long years. If they had discovered the Beihai Mausoleum, they would never have let it go so easily. Chen Jingxuan used the "Beihai Mausoleum" to exchange for the fortune of the next prosperous era of Da Chu, but many more people would have chosen to swallow this fortune into their own bellies.

"To sleep, discarding the bones...bones?"

Xie Xuanyi stretched out his palm and touched the demonic script. The latter half of the text stirred his heart.

The Beihai Mausoleum was unveiled a year ago, attracting the attention of the Demon Clan's Grand Venerable. At that time, Xie Xuanyi, using the identity of Jia Liu, obtained the "Bai Ze Finger Bone" treasured in the Eclipse Great Swamp.

The chaos has ended.

Chen Jingxuan did not take the finger bone.

Instead, she stayed with him.

This finger bone contains the bloodline of a Great Sage and is extremely precious. The secret tombs left by Great Sages of the Demon Clan often require "bloodline resonance." Therefore, Jia Liu brought it into Carp Tide City to use the finger bone as a "key" to open the deepest part of the secret tomb... Unfortunately, something happened in the North Sea Tomb. Over the long years, the Great Dao Brush left by the Great Sage Bai Ze broke free from its restraints and destroyed all the rules set up by the Demon Sage. Therefore, this finger bone was not used in the North Sea Tomb back then.

But things are different now.

If this is truly the Bai Ze Secret Realm, then this finger bone...

Perhaps it really can become a "key"!
With this in mind, Xie Xuanyi took out the half finger bone from the Sword Qi Cave.

"Boom, boom, boom."

The water flow is rapid.

The abyss remains unchanged.

Xie Xuanyi, holding the finger bone, stood before the giant gate and waited silently for a moment. The dried blood and qi contained in the finger bone seemed to resonate with this space... but it did not cause any abnormal changes.

The towering giant did not awaken.

The two characters "Bai Ze" hanging in the sky did not suddenly transform into a robe and a holy crown and fall on Xie Xuanyi's body and head.

Even the crack in that towering gate did not grow any larger.

"It's not like we're going to chant some weird incantation, is it?"

Xie Xuanyi gave a self-deprecating laugh and shook his head.

He accepted the finger bone and raised his foot to step into the gap of the giant gate.

But before leaving.

Xie Xuanyi suddenly looked up at the top of his head.

The name "Bai Ze" loftily rose above, like a blood-red, dim sun in this dark and gloomy abyss. ...

……

The surging undercurrents crashed against the reefs, creating layers of dim shimmering light.

The image of Xie Xuanyi looking up at the sky, along with the reverse flow of the lake water, eventually slowly condensed into a crystal-clear sphere.

The sphere floats above the mist in the pool.

"..."

Lu Yuzhen, naked, was immersed in the pool water, silently watching this scene.

"Does this guy surnamed Xie have such a sharp intuition?"

The pond was filled with bright red flower petals.

Behind Lu Yuzhen, a pair of snow-white jade hands were kneading. The owner of the jade hands was also naked. While kneading and massaging, her voluptuous body was pressed tightly against Lu Yuzhen's back.

Chi Wu also stared at the sphere suspended in the air.

At this moment, separated by a great distance, Chi Wu looked at "Xie Xuanyi" with surprise in his voice.

"All sword cultivators are like this, let alone the sword cultivators I have chosen."

Lu Yuzhen chuckled, "Although this kid's cultivation level is still shallow, his strength is already not to be underestimated. Ordinary illusions can't trap him at all. Even the slightest danger can't escape his mind's perception..."

"Xie Zhen is indeed a swordsmanship prodigy, a talent rarely seen in a thousand years."

Chi Wu blinked, took a deep breath, and laughed, "As you predicted, the Crown Prince's negotiations with him broke down... Now it's our turn to take the stage..."

"In fact, everything we've done has been in vain."

Lu Yuzhen said calmly, "He will not join the Li Kingdom, nor will he join the Paper Man Path."

"?"

Chi Wu was taken aback; she hadn't expected to hear such an answer from the Dao Master.

I have followed the Daoist Master for so many years.

In Chi Wu's heart, the Dao Lord had become an "omnipotent" being; in Pure White Mountain, the Dao Lord was a "god" in the truest sense. No matter what it was, as long as the Dao Lord said he could do it, Chi Wu would steadfastly choose to believe him... The Paper Doll Dao had made countless arrangements for this day.

Everyone knows that the Dao Master admires Xie Zhen, and everything the Paper Doll Dao does is to get Xie Zhen to join Pure White Mountain.

But Chi Wu never imagined—

It turns out that the Dao Lord never thought Xie Zhen would join this camp.

That being the case.

What was the purpose of setting up this scheme?
"Some people in this world change."

Lu Yuzhen seemed to have the ability to read minds; although she didn't turn around, she clearly understood Chi Wu's thoughts.

He soaked in the pool, his voice languid and weary, “Those who have never experienced betrayal will probably foolishly choose to believe their whole lives; those who have never experienced despair will not choose destruction without reason… Xie Xuanyi still has the Great Sui Sword Palace and Lotus Peak. He still has many people he cherishes. He will not choose betrayal, nor will he choose destruction. If the scene in Beihai ten years ago were to repeat itself, it would probably only provoke anger in his heart.”

Chi Wu stared blankly at the Dao Master.

anger……

What would someone like Xie Zhen do if he got angry?
They would probably want to tear the Dao Lord to pieces, smash the Pure White Mountain, and destroy everything.
"Actually, I just wanted to see his angry face."

Lu Yuzhen looked at the sphere and chuckled softly, “Anger is the most powerful thing in the world. It can devour everything and destroy everything… Having cultivated for two lifetimes, Xie Xuanyi is still not strong enough. He still lacks something, namely enough ‘anger’.”

Chi Wu remained confused, bewildered, and unable to understand.

But not important.

Everything the Lord of the Way says is the truth.

If you can't understand it, just remember it.

Chi Wu silently lowered his head, gently and obediently pressing against the Dao Lord's back, using his own body heat to melt away the chill within this body... The Great Dao Battle Intent of the Martial Immortal was too fierce, seemingly scorching, but actually icy cold to the bone. Chi Wu's body trembled slightly, and the petals in the pool gradually rippled away.

Bright red blood gushed from the bottom of the pool, spreading into ripples.

Lu Yuzhen let out a soft, contented sigh.

"Master Dao."

Chi Wu's eyes were full of heartache and pity, and his voice carried a hint of resentment: "You shouldn't have been so careless... If you had been even a little more serious in this battle, you wouldn't have been injured like this..."

"You underestimate them."

Lu Yuzhen shook her head.

He said with a smile, "Ancestor Qin is not long for this. The great Chu martial arts tradition, which has been passed down for many years, must have a new successor."

"Wu banished the immortal?"

Chi Wu's beautiful eyes revealed a look of surprise.

Who is Qin Zu? He is undoubtedly the top combat power in the world, a figure who single-handedly suppresses the fate of the nation. After the coup in the Moon Hidden Realm, Renshou Palace weakened and punished many major families in Beijun, but the Qin family was not affected in the slightest, precisely because of the existence of Qin Zu.

"The best things in the world are not durable... colorful clouds easily disperse and glass is fragile."

Lu Yuzhen's eyes were full of regret as she murmured softly, "This martial artist was good in every way, except he was too stubborn. If he had been willing to agree, how could he have died?"

“This man deserves to die for daring to injure you so severely.”

Chi Wu said quietly, "...In my opinion, nothing is more important than your safety."

The pool remained still for a moment.

Crash.

Lu Yuzhen slowly stood up.

He turned around and looked down at the bewildered and confused woman in front of him...

Chi Wu tensed up.

She knew she had said the wrong thing and committed the crime of usurpation.

However, Lu Yuzhen did not get angry. She simply gently reached out her palm and placed it on Chi Wu's head, stroking Chi Wu's hair.

"Koike, I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Lu Yuzhen smiled and said softly, "As long as you're alive, it's not a big deal."

……

……

(PS: 1. One more chapter coming. Don't wait if you're not staying up all night. 2. I really don't want to spoil the plot with readers in this way, but this part of the story is actually different from what you all think. If it were just a copy of a formula, would I have stayed up this late every night? And for those complaining about the main character not appearing, the clues in the original outline were actually very clean and concise, almost directly connecting to Xie Xuanyi's scenes, but when I was outlining, I had a premonition that writing it that way would only attract more criticism and more misunderstanding, so I deliberately added more scenes and added supporting characters and subplots... There's no point in saying more, if you don't like the reading experience, you can save this chapter for later.)
(End of this chapter)